Sunday, May 31, 2009
Blake Lively Takes Flight — Of The Conchords
Blake Lively celebrates the lighting of the Burberry sign across the Manhattan skyline with costar/boyfriend Penn Badgley at The New York Palace Hotel on Thursday. The event coincided with the day being declared Burberry Day by the NYC’s Mayor Bloomberg.
At the event, I asked the 21-year-old Gossip Girl actress what she thought of her date night out with Penn at Fuerza Bruta: Look Up.
“It was incredible,” Blake shared. “It was wonderful to see. It’s such an interesting art form you don’t generally see. [The indoor rain] was the highlight!”
I also asked her which TV show she would want to guest star on. “Flight of the Conchords!” Blake told JustJared.com with no hesitation. “I love it so much. It’s my favorite show. I’m obsessed with it.”
You hear that HBO? Get crackin’!
More pictures @ the SOURCE
Halle accepting her award from Jamie Foxx at “Guys Choice” Awards
Halle Berry is honored with the Decade of Hotness award at Spike TV’s 2009 “Guys Choice” Awards held at the Sony Studios on Saturday (May 30) in Los Angeles.
The 42-year-old actress had a very special moment with Jamie Foxx, who was on hand to present the award to Halle.
Jamie thanked Halle by kissing her on the lips and giving her a nice squeeze on her tush. Looks like they both really enjoyed it!
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Miranda Kerr is naked with koalas
IT'S a bold move but Miranda Kerr pulls it off with style.
The home-grown model has posed for her first nude photo shoot, appearing on the cover of the latest edition of Australian Rolling Stone.
She joins an exclusive club who have stripped off for the mag, including Britney Spears, Jennifer Aniston and Lady GaGa.
Another famous face to have graced its cover while keeping his clothes on was former Prime Minister Paul Keating, pictured in cool Ray-Ban sunglasses.
In the US Kerr, 26, is best known as a Victoria's Secret lingerie model and Orlando Bloom's squeeze, but back home she is also the wholesome face of David Jones.
She says she decided to go "au naturel" to raise awareness of the environment, specifically koalas.
"I feel strongly about the need to protect our natural environment because it supports our life - it really is that simple,'' Kerr tells the magazine, in stores on Wednesday.
Kerr shot the cover for Rolling Stone's first "green issue'' in Sydney in January, with photographer Carlotta Moye behind the lens.
The day-long shoot also included a real koala named Koral, as Kerr is the face of the Australian Koala Foundation's No Tree, No Me campaign.
The campaign aims to protect koalas' natural habitat, hence Kerr's only prop for the shoot is a chain locking her to a tree.
"It's a sad thing - there are only about 100,000 koalas left in Australia,'' Kerr said.
"Something like 80 per cent of the koalas' habitat has been destroyed since Europeans arrived in Australia.''
Kerr is also set to appear in American designer Marc Jacob's new Protect The Skin You're In T-shirt campaign, joining the likes of Eva Mendes, Heidi Klum, Dita Von Teese, Naomi Campbell and Victoria Beckham to raise awareness of skin cancer.
"I'm fully covered - at least, they've covered my bits with the words,'' she laughed.
Other celebrities to have ditched their clothes for a cause include Nicollette Sheridan, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jason Donovan and Leona Lewis. Given Kerr's high profile, these latest striking images are likely to be picked up by America's Rolling Stone magazine.
"The great thing about having people recognise you is you can try to make a positive difference - that's what I'm trying to do, especially for young women,'' Kerr said.
Rolling Stone's inaugural green issue includes other well-known Australian faces - John Butler, Ruby Rose and Xavier Rudd - talking about environmental issues close to their hearts.
"I believe every effort we make now has a reaction - if we're making positive changes, if we're all doing the simple, small things we can do to help the environment, it makes a big difference,'' said Kerr, who tries to eat only organic food.
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Rumer Willis guest-starring on 'The Secret Life of the American Teenager'
Rumer Willis has landed a guest role playing a pregnant teenager on the ABC Family drama The Secret Life Of The American Teenager.
The oldest of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore’s three daughters has signed on to appear in an episode airing in mid-August, according to a report from Entertainment Weekly.
The budding 19-year-old actress has previously guest starred on Lifetime’s Army Wives and the CBS forensic crime drama CSI: NY.
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Paris Hilton recording new album
This year will be remembered as an important year in history: President Obama’s inauguration, the economic crisis and Paris Hilton’s comeback.
The Paris Hilton franchise is expanding with sophomore efforts from both her TV career and music career. Fresh off of her announcement of a second season of her MTV reality series, “Paris Hilton’s My New BFF,” the heiress discussed her forthcoming album and the inspiration behind the material: herself.
“I just talk about, you know … about things that have happened in my life — about friendship, it’s about love, you know, about certain instances in my life, and I think that people will get a really good insight on me and how I think.”
So if you can’t get enough about her life from the TV series, perhaps think of her album as the audio companion to it. So we know what it’s about — but what does it sound like?
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Jennifer's Body Tie-In Comic
Boom Studios, a comic book outfit, has gotten mighty cozy with 20th Century Fox. They're teaming for an upcoming 28 Days Later series and today they've announced not just a Die Hard comic book (entitled "Year One") but a graphic novel spun off from the upcoming September release Jennifer's Body which stars Megan Fox Boom has attracted some great talent here including ShockTillYouDrop.com friend Tim Seeley (congrats, bud).
The movie event of the Fall is the comic book event of this Summer! JUNO's award-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody brings you JENNIFER'S BODY starring Megan Fox as a demonically-possessed cheerleader with a taste for killing teenage boys! In this original graphic novel that ties into the movie and expands on its universe, BLACK METAL's Rick Spears brings you even more hellish Jennifer stories with art by HACK/SLASH's Tim Seely, KICK DRUM COMIX' Jim Mahfood, DMZ's Nikki Cook, and POPGUN’s Ming Doyle.
Jennifer's Body hits theaters on September 18th; the graphic novel, published under the Fox Atomic label, will set you back about $24.99 and hit shelves later this summer
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Mary-Kate Olsen Doing New Movie
"With the plethora of cool projects in the works, Aliquot Films had much to celebrate at last night's investors party hosted by Founder Jay Kubassek at the IMI Club. The independent film fund and production company will begin shooting "Meskada" on June 8th - the film will be the second feature in production for the NYC-based Aliquot Films.
"Meskada" tells the story of small-town detective Noah Cordin, as he attempts to solve a junvenile homicde that occured during a home burglary in his affluent town of Hilliard. "Meskada" will star Penn Badgley, Kellan Lutz, Vincent D’Onofrio, Cynthia Nixon, and Mary-Kate Olsen."
- Olsen Files
Arctic Monkeys, Nirvana, Blur for 'Guitar Hero 5'
Arctic Monkeys, Nirvana and Blur all feature on the forthcoming new edition of the 'Guitar Hero' computer game, NME.COM can reveal.
'Guitar Hero 5' is expected to be released worldwide this autumn, and with the latest upgrade of the smash hit game comes a raft of new artists to play along with, including Gorillaz, Bob Dylan, The White Stripes and Coldplay.
Developers Activision are also working on a DJ Hero spin-off game to launch later this year.
In the meantime, NME.COM can exclusively reveal the list of bands set to feature in 'Guitar Hero 5':
Band Of Horses
Bush
Darkest Hour
Blur
Kiss
Blink-182
Iron Maiden
Wild Cherry
Muse
The White Stripes
Jimmy Eat World
Bob Dylan
Gorillaz
Beastie Boys
The Raconteurs
Coldplay
Duran Duran
Tom Petty
Nirvana
Public Enemy Featuring Zakk Wylde
Queens Of The Stone Age
The Sword
AFI
Rush
Doors Down
Smashing Pumpkins
David Bowie
Mötley Crüe
Attack! Attack!
Dire Straits
Johnny Cash
The Derek Trucks Band
Sublime
Wolfmother
Rammstein
Beck
Garbage
Billy Squier
My Morning Jacket
Kaiser Chiefs
Brand New
Santana
Bon Jovi
Weezer
Billy Idol
Elliott Smith
A Perfect Circle
Sonic Youth
Kings Of Leon
The Bronx
Queen & David Bowie
Screaming Trees
The Killers
Vampire Weekend
TV On The Radio
John Mellencamp
Scars On Broadway
The Rolling Stones
Stevie Wonder
Face to Face
Peter Frampton
No Doubt
Iggy Pop
Spacehog
Thin Lizzy
The Police
Children of Bodom
Elton John
Arctic Monkeys
Thrice
Rose Hill Drive
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Deep Purple
Darker My Love
Jeff Beck
Love and Rockets
The Duke Spirit
Sunny Day Real Estate
King Crimson
T. Rex
Gov’t Mule
Eagles Of Death Metal
Grand Funk Railroad
Megadeth
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Friday, May 29, 2009
Candy Spelling Blames Tori for Aaron's Death
Everybody knows Candy and Tori Spelling had a beef, but now moms is taking the family feud to a whole new level of nasty.
Appearing on a Massachusetts radio station Thursday to pimp her new book, Stories from Candyland, Candy Spelling not just bad-mouthed her 90210-starring spawn, but went so far as to blame husband Aaron Spelling's demise on her estranged daughter.
"My daughter one day decided that she wasn't speaking to my husband, myself and my son and that's how it's continued for the last, oh gosh, four or five years," Candy said to 94.7 WMAS-FM's Kellogg Krew.
"And it was sad, that's what killed my husband actually. He just didn't want to live after that. He has just done everything he could possibly do for his daughter and she wanted no part of him once he couldn't do anything for her."
The über-producer died June 23, 2006, following a stroke; angst was not listed as the official cause of death.
Candy says that while both women have paid lip service in interviews about reconnecting, there has been no such luck thus far. "I've always been trying to work on the relationship. I don't know what the anger is."
Call it a hunch, but maybe it has something to do with the accusations of patricide.
We've been trying to get reps for Tori and Candy on the horn, but so far nada.
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Toy Story 3 Teaser Trailer
"Entertainment Tonight has a preview of the teaser trailer for Toy Story 3. Someone video taped it (literally, with a video camera) and uploaded the 45-second clip onto YouTube. The quality isn’t great, and that Entertainment Tonight voiceover guy is annoying (sorry for stating the obvious) but those of you who are interested can watch it after the jump. I love how they managed to involve most of the main characters. I’ve heard that the teaser trailer is only playing on digital and digital 3D screenings of Up."
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Zachary Levi and Yvonne Strahovski on Chuck's Renewal
"To sit back and observe the way in which Chuck was renewed was simply remarkable. I am so blessed to be a part of producing something that, when it appears to be at risk of disappearing, those loyal to it join in solidarity and literally speak, march, work, buy, share and will it back into existence. To know that such a huge part of our saving grace was comprised of the media and circle of critics, allows me to appreciate it even further. I'm proud of our crew, and I'm proud of what we're a part of bringing to all of you. But most importantly, I'm proud of you, those that fought. Because not only did you resist the apathy that befalls anyone faced by such adversity, you did so by believing your words and actions mean something. That you mean something. And I hope you know that, to us, you always do. Love & Blessings. -Zac (Viva la Nerdalution)"
"Yay, Chuck! I am absolutely amazed at how much support we have received from our fans and without it, we may not have been around for a third season. A big three cheers to all the people who saved Chuck! - Yvonne"
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Katie wants more sex
Katie Holmes wants to have more sex with husband Tom Cruise.
The actress – who has a three-year-old daughter, Suri, with the Hollywood
superstar – is reportedly growing increasingly frustrated with the couple’s
hectic schedule and is keen to spend more intimate time with Tom.
A source told Britain’s Closer magazine: “Katie has become noticeably more
miserable in the last few months. She finds it incredibly taxing to lead a
life that revolves around Tom but that doesn’t include enough intimate time
with him to be genuinely fulfilling.”
“She doesn’t just want to go to red-carpet events with him. She always feels
like she’s competing for Tom’s attention.”
Friends are reportedly worried about the former ‘Dawson’s Creek’ star, who
is said to be becoming isolated from her Los Angeles social circle.
The source added: “Everyone is worried that she’s close to breaking point.
Katie spends most days alone looking after Suri. She’s a devoted mother, but
it’s a lonely job. She and Tom have such separate lives.”
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Thursday, May 28, 2009
AmEx sues rocker Courtney Love for unpaid bill
American Express Co wants Courtney Love to leave home without it.
The financial services firm sued the musician in Los Angeles on Wednesday, alleging she owes more than $350,000 in unpaid charges and other fees on her AmEx Gold card.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, seeks $352,059.67 for the unpaid balance, damages, attorney's fees and late charges, and says Love's charging privileges were suspended after she "failed and refused" to make payments.
Love's publicist said he had no immediate information on the suit, and had left a message with her attorney.
Love, the 44-year-old widow of late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, is a litigation magnet. She was sued for libel in February by a fashion designer upset by comments Love had reportedly made about her on the micro-blogging Web site Twitter.
Last year, Love was sued for $1 million by an advisory firm seeking its share of proceeds from Love's partial sale of Nirvana's publishing catalog. The deal, covering such Nirvana tunes as "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Lithium," was reportedly worth $19.5 million. Cobain killed himself in 1994.
SourceDanica signs man boobs in Boost Mobile ad
Danica Patrick has joined 180LA's "Unwrong'd" campaign for Boost Mobile, following in the proud hoofsteps of those cannibalistic pigs from a few months ago. The setup is the same as the earlier spots: The viewer is subjected to some unpleasant visuals—in this case, Patrick signing man boobs and being tended to by a pit team in drag—and is then told that's not as "wrong" as getting screwed over by your mobile carrier. Go Daddy's Bob Parsons is going to be livid when he finds out that Danica signed any kind of boobs in someone else's ad. UPDATE: Also check out the third video below for a peek behind the scenes of the spots. It includes some choice quotes from 180LA's William Gelner, who says that channeling the insanity of his creative team into a Boost ad is like herding cats.
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Potbelly subs cannot contain their own girth
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Jon & Kate: $10 Million Divorce?
Scandal-plagued pair Jon and Kate Gosselin’s may be headed for a nasty $10 million divorce, reports National Enqurier.
“Jon said their goal is to be legally separated by July 15 because Kate wants to move on quickly,” an insider reveals. “Jon is going to push for half of their money, but Kate is determined to hang on to as much as she can — and they’re worth more than you think… Needless to say, there’s a small fortune at stake here — easily $10 million. And Jon and Kate will be fighting over it like cats and dogs!”
TLC says it has plans to renew Jon & Kate Plus 8, which kicked off its fifth season on Monday to a record 9.8 million viewers - more than double the show’s previous series high.
“The show’s ratings have grown consistently, as there has been interest in these real-life issues of this real-life family,” TLC said in a statement to E! News. “We will continue to air as the interest continues, and the family wants to do it.”
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Taylor Swift: I Don't Look for Boyfriends
Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift doesn't follow a rulebook when it comes to dating.
"I don't look for boyfriends. I don't really scour the awards shows for who I'm going to date," the 19-year-old CMT Music Awards nominee tells the Associated Press. "But I think love happens when you're not looking for it, and when it happens, I'm not going to be the one to over think it."
Swift, who once dated Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers, says it doesn't matter what her love interest does or how he affects her career.
"When you strategize a relationship too much, like, 'we're not gonna be public about it, and we're gonna say this in interviews,' when you think it all out, I think that complicates the relationship," she says, "I think that's unfair for the relationship."
The award-winning country artist is currently on her first headlining tour for her sophomore album, "Fearless," which already sold more than 3 million copies.
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Jennie Garth Opens Up About Health Problem
Jennie Garth has been hiding a health secret from her fans - she was diagnosed with a "leaky" heart valve seven years ago.
The former Beverly Hills, 90210 star has spoken out about her medical issues after mourning her father, who passed away last year after battling heart disease for years.
She tells news show Access Hollywood, "I have a leaky valve and it’s a common thing. A lot of people have it and they don’t know they have it… (It) leaks blood.
"It’s your connection to your heart... your artery, the main artery that goes to your heart. It sort of flutters open and shut... It’s weird because sometimes when I’m resting I can feel a little weird fluttering."
But she insists it's nothing to worry about for now: "Down the road it’s something that could get more complicated or it could not. People have had valve replacements and that kind of thing."
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Monday, May 25, 2009
Tori Amos Talks Sex, Jesus, and Swine Flu
Right then. Tori Amos has got a new album out. It's called 'Abnormally Attracted To Sin'. We went to have a talk with her about it but instead she told us about 80s sex, Jesus and marriage. Although some of that could have been an analogy. We're not sure. Anyway, she was lovely and pretended to like our topical joke. Here's the interview...
HM: Hello Tori, we heard you were ill recently and cancelled a show. We hope it wasn't swine flu.
Tori: No, it was just food poisoning.
HM: Because if you did have swine flu, everyone would know how you got it...
Tori: How is that?! How did I get it?
HM: Suckling pigs! (boom tish!)
Tori: Oh aren't you cute! It took a long time to gestate, didn't it? More than a baby elephant.
HM: Right, here's a proper question. The sticker on the back of your promo CD quotes you as saying you wanted to make a "treasure, something people will value." Do people not value their albums anymore?
Tori: I'm not just talking about the music. We all recognise that, sonically ether is like sex in the 80s.
HM: Er...
Tori: It just gets traded: 'Hi, nice to meet you. Let's just trade...' In LA in the 80s there was a lot of 'trading' going on. And the guys had long hair and they were cute and it was just a good time to be in your twenties.
But moving on... Trading ether is what happens these days. So you think, well just because you can doesn't mean that you don't want to support something that you value. So sometimes as the artist you have to get people to step up and say, 'God, I do wanna hold this. I do really wanna have this magical little treasure.' So I've always put a lot of effort into the packaging and the visual side.
HM: Is all this filthy trading of music the fault of the record companies?
Tori: Absolutely. It's because they didn't recognise what digital does. They didn't recognise what copying meant. And they could have, in the beginning, protected ether – in an appropriate way, but they didn't. And so because of that, it is where it is now. We can't rewrite that story. But what you can do is create something that people say, 'Wow, a lot of magical things come with this and I want to have it.'
HM: You're clearly proud of the packaging and accompanying videos but what about the music? Are you one of those artists who always thinks your new album is the best one you've ever made?
Tori: It's early yet. You can't ask me that. It's getting some good buzz in the States, and that's a good thing for all kinds of reasons. So that's nice. But I can't be objective about it yet.
HM: You must have some perception of whether it's a stinker or not?
Tori: There's no way. That's like trying to be objective about a marriage. Somebody says, 'Is this really gonna work?' And they're asking you right before we're getting married. And the wedding is May 18th, that's the release date. So how can they ask me if it's gonna work? You don't know that. You think you're in love. And you are in love. Are you gonna look back and think, I'm glad I had that relationship – even if you have other ones? 'Cause we have to assume I've had nine other husbands, if this analogy's gonna work. I can look at different relationships/records and say, 'These are the strengths of it. These are not the strengths.' But only with a little bit of time.
HM: Wait, are we married now? Let's say we are.
Changing the subject, do ghosts exist or is it just your pipes expanding?
Tori: Well... I think there's some disgruntled spirits that are trapped. I think the world is so complex that when I look out at night, especially when I'm out in the desert – hundreds of miles away from anything – and you look up and you see what's out there. And you think of all the exploding suns and stars and everything else and yet nobody knows where we go. There's not a little place, a destination. So I think, if the possibilities with galaxies are endless then I don't see why there would just be a destination: either/or for souls. I don't know where all the souls go.
HM: I think you'll find they go to Yates' Wine Lodge on a Friday.
Tori, imagine that you've angered a wizard and he intends to transform you into someone else as a punishment. He gives you a choice of Britney or Lindsay Lohan. Who do you choose?
Tori: You can't be serious! I'd be a mixture. I'd take Britney's heart and Lindsay's brain. And maybe through the two, you find healing.
HM: Or, at the very least, a great new sandwich filling.
What's your favourite smell?
Tori: My husband, right after he's gotten off his motorbike. He's a guy. My husband is a guy.
HM: That's reassuring. Now that capitalism is over, what will we do for fun?
Tori: This sounds terrible...oh god. Well, 'naked bankers nightly entertainment!'
HM: We'd pay good money to see a hedge fund.
Like you, one of our parents is a Methodist preacher. Is that why we weren't like the other children?
Tori: Yes. Yes. Yes. Had to be, right? You either buy into it completely or you have just the right information to start asking the right questions; seeing how it worked.
There were good people in the church, you know it and I know it, and sometimes I don't think people hear that enough from me. They all hear me blast it. But there are some ladies who really made that lemon poppy seed cake with the right intentions. But then there are so many people who would go to church and be so demeaning and mean and destroy others – so I just didn't see a lot of compassionate Christ-like people. Then I started to look into the gnostic gospels and other cultures and mythology and try and understand how Jesus' message got hijacked...absorbed is a better word. How did it get absorbed by the patriarchy out of Rome? And a couple of hundred years in, the church was split into the liberals and the conservatives and the conservatives won.
HM: It's our favourite of the Star Wars movies...
Tori: My parents run my publishing. And my father put my anthology together, and my song 'Crucify' wasn't in it. He'd edited out 'Father Lucifer,' 'Crucify,' 'God'...all these songs. And I've tried to tell people that the guys who put the gospels together are like my dad. They just edited out the books they didn't like. I've lived this in my tiny little Tori-world; I've seen this happen. So you've got to check out the gnostic gospels because they talk about a whole other kind of Jesus.
HM: We'll read them the minute we finish the latest Sophie Kinsella. Thank you for speaking to us, Tori.
Tori: I've loved our little chat. I know I've talked your ear off.
HM: We'd rather spend an hour with you than another five minutes with Flo Rida. That's our motto.
'Abnormally Attracted To Sin' is out now.
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Real Time: The Web's New Prime Time
The Internet was always fast. Google made a point during its rise to prominence to detail -- to the millisecond -- just how quickly it delivered a search result. And, as we all know, the Web has gotten even faster.
Real-time communications channels like Twitter are pushing the Internet into "real time," where communication and information flow nonstop. This presents advertisers with a dizzying array of opportunities -- and a daunting number of challenges.
Marketers "are built like battleships for long, sustained warfare, [but] this is guerrilla warfare," said Lisa Bradner, a senior analyst at Forrester Research.
One of the most intense challenges is the new speed with which messages need to be crafted. Think of display advertising, which is in the doldrums thanks to a nearly limitless supply of space outstripping ad demand. With a large chunk of the market transitioning to a marketplace-driven dynamic where advertisers, networks and agencies bid on ad placements based on people, not pages, a message -- and its permutations -- increasingly needs to be made on the fly. And this, in turn, means extra work up front.
HP, for instance, using tools from Yahoo and Tumri, recently ran a campaign with more than 20,000 ad permutations. To do this, said Catherine Paschkewitz, director of demand generation, HP Direct, "you need to take the time to think of your testing framework and the different things you want to test. It's having an up-front process as you're launching and refreshing campaigns."
Another way to make display ads more real time is to use live video. Visa, for instance, ran live video in banner ads earlier this year that showed scenes from cities worldwide. Last month, Intel embedded live chat in its banners. Earlier this month, GE CEO Jeff Immelt delivered a Webcast address on healthcare issues live in a banner ad on top sites. And Volvo and Intuit have piped Twitter into ad units.
Another challenge for brands is that consumers now expect instant gratification when it comes to customer service, which is why marketers like Apple, Bank of America and Overstock.com now provide live customer service on their sites. Kevin Kohn, evp of marketing at LivePerson, which worked with BoA and Overstock, said this is nearly a requirement in a real-time world.
To help rein in potential customers, Verizon uses data to inform it when a live chat is needed. For instance, it knows users typically drop off if they spend more than two minutes per step when signing up for DSL and can ping them an offer to chat live with a service rep after a minute expires. "If you can intercept them, not only can you save their problem in seconds, but you've kept them from disrupting how they're interacting with you," Kohn said.
Consumers also expect marketers to respond quickly no matter the issue. Take the now infamous Domino's saga. In April, Consumerist pointed to a video of two employees doing gross things to the food. Within a day, Twitter was alive with demands that Domino's address the matter.
This desire to have answers in real time, wherever consumers are, is unlikely to change, said Andy Jacobs, chief technology officer at MRM Worldwide. "Our clients find themselves in a very reactive world," he said. "They're forced to respond to things. They need methods by which they can confidently and quickly publish info through the right channels."
For corporations, this requires new strategies. It means, for instance, bypassing the normal layers of sign-off to get information out to quell customer revolts, Jacobs said.
As a result, several marketers have established presences on Twitter to stay on top of customer problems. This early-warning system can pay off. Back in December, buzz gathered on Twitter that Ford sent a legal notice demanding a Ford Ranger blogger surrender his URL. Scott Monty, a well-known Twitterer and Ford's social-media leader, quickly nipped it in the bud.
"There's the opportunity to enhance your brand relevance in real time and respond to problems before they're intractable," Bradner said.
-By Brian Morrissey
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'Weeds' promo looks at history of marijuana
Weeds returns to Showtime for its fifth season on June 8, and as usual, they've got an entertaining hodgepodge of advertising to promote it. After launching the spider-web-themed print campaign back on April 20 (which was, not coincidentally, National Weed Day), the network has now released a pair of new videos: an animated history lesson about marijuana (above) and a "Yes We Cannabis!" faux political spot below. We're still waiting for the more offbeat stuff like the marijuana-scented strips in magazines and the giant bags of pot stapled to billboards. Via @dabitch.
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Scaring Burglars Away One Pic of Chuck Norris
A POSH bakery in Split, Croatia, has been broken into almost every week. But not since the shop owners posted a life-sized photo of the toughest man in Hollywood Chuck Norris in the window. The sign says: “This shop is under the protection of Chuck Norris.” Now the bakery hasn't had a single burglary for more than a month.
Sales assistant Mirna Kovac said: "To be honest we just started it as a joke but it really has worked. Thieves haven't been anywhere near us for ages. People seem to respect him. "Everyone around here has seen his films and he's quite a popular character, perhaps even among criminals, so they've decided to leave us alone." She added though: "We have had a few customers come in and ask us whether they can get Chuck's autograph. “They really believe he is sitting in our storeroom out the back ready to pounce on any burglars."
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Ketel One targets manly men in first TV ads
Ketel One vodka, best known for its annoying, long-running "Dear Ketel One Drinker" print ads, has moved onto TV. Grey created these two spots, which are indicative of "a distinctive set of values in the vodka category," to hear Ketel One tell it. Really, what we're working with here is a dressier version of Coors' "Guys' Night Out" series. The ad above shows a bunch of guys in suits being all manly, with their vodka and no women, with a voiceover noting that there was a time when men didn't drink vodka from "delicately painted perfume bottles." Pretty sure they don't do that now, either. The ad below is better. The gentlemen in this rainy spot are actually chivalrous and let a couple of women take their cab home. If it's class they want, that's what will get them there, so they should can the "When men were men" shtick and double up on the social graces. Or dueling. Either way.
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Mandy Moore Continues To Grow On 'Amanda Leigh'
Mandy Moore is hoping her forthcoming sixth studio album, "Amanda Leigh," continues the gradual process of transitioning from teen hitmaker ("Candy") to greater acceptance as a bona fide musical artist.
"I find it silly that there would be any sort of apprehension, as if it's really hard to believe that people grow up and evolve and change," Moore, who married singer-songwriter Ryan Adams in March, tells Billboard.com. "I mean, it was 10 years ago; I don't think anyone wants what they did when they were 14 or 15 to follow them around.
"I was proud of the work I was doing back then, but I was really just a kid. I'm going to continue to grow, and my musical tastes will change and hopefully I'll only get better and better and work harder and harder and study more. I'm not desperately seeking out credibility as an artist. I just love music. This is what I'm most passionate about."
Unlike 2007's "Wild Hope," which Moore calls "a big kind of studio album," "Amanda Leigh" -- which comes out May 26 -- was recorded with producer and co-writer Mike Viola, mostly at engineer Ducky Carlisle's basement studio near Boston. "I enjoyed breaking it down even more from 'Wild Hope,' where we were in a beautiful, huge state-of-the-art studio and you had a bunch of people there for, like six weeks," says Moore, who also co-wrote songs for "Amanda Leigh" with Inara George and Lori McKenna.
"This was the more acoustic form of that, I guess. This was ideal and, like, the ultimate learning experience for me. I felt like I was the kid sister and the assistant in terms of learning about the production and engineering side of things, just being present for absolutely everything. That's a lot different from being 14 and 15 yeas old and just being brought into the studio song by song with a different songwriting team or production team."
Moore has "no solidified plans as of yet" to tour in support of "Amanda Leigh," but she predicts that "we'll be doing our fair share of little things here and there." And while her acting career has taken second-fiddle to music the past couple of years, Moore says that she plans to put some focus on that during the second half of 2009.
"I'm ready. I'm excited," she notes. "I want to be challenged in the way that I've been challenged with music. I felt like for awhile there so much of my energy was put on...the acting and film stuff that the music had to sort of match. Now the film stuff has to make sense, too, and match up to the music."
Source
11 People Killed in Stampede at Moroccan Music Festival featuring Kylie Minogue & Alicia Keys
A stampede at a world music festival featuring Kylie Minogue and Alicia Keys has left at least 11 people dead, most of them women and children, in the Moroccan capital Rabat.
Some 70,000 spectators were at the Hay Nahda stadium in Rabat last night to hear homegrown pop phenomenon Abdelaziz Stati when the accident occurred, shortly after midnight on the final night of the Mawazine (Rhythms) festival.
Police said that a wire fence had apparently collapsed as the crowd surged towards one of the exits as the concert ended, setting off the stampede.
Five women, four men and two children were later found dead, apparently having suffocated in the crush. A source close to the case said that all those who died were Moroccan. The interior ministry has announced an investigation.
Rescuers pulled out survivors and transported about 20 injured to Rabat’s main hospital, Ibn Sina, where a source said that all but seven had left by this morning.
"Most of the injured are young," said Abdelatif Benchekroun, the hospital’s head of emergency care.
The festival organisers could not be reached immediately for comment.
Hassan Amrani, the prefect of the Rabat region, travelled to the hospital to oversee the efforts of the emergency services.
A source close to the city council said that the concert venue, originally scheduled to be Moulay el Hassan Square in central Rabat, had been switched to accommodate the large number of fans.
The Mawazine festival, created in 2001 to boost tourism and promote Rabat as a city open to the world, is one of the most important cultural gatherings in Morocco, with street shows, an exhibition by Arab artists and children’s events in addition to the concerts.
Some 1,700 foreign and local performers had converged on Rabat for the eighth edition of the Mawazine festival, which was opened on May 15 by Kylie Minogue. Performers this year included Stevie Wonder, the Algerian rai singer Khaled, the South African singer Johnny Clegg, the Brazilian bossa nova artist Sergio Mendes and the Italian composer and conductor Ennio Moricone.
Last year's festival attracted 1.2 million people to nine venues across Rabat.
Source
Jay Bennett dead at 45
Jay Bennett, a rock musician with deep ties to Chicago best known as a former member of Wilco, died early Sunday morning in downstate Urbana, where he had been running a recording studio, according to a spokesman for his family.
The singer and multi-instrumentalist was 45 years old.
"Early this morning, Jay died in his sleep and an autopsy is being performed," said Edward Burch, a friend and musician who collaborated with Bennett on the 2005 album "The Palace at 4 a.m." "The family is in mourning and is unavailable for comment at this time."
Born in the Chicago suburb of Rolling Meadows, Bennett began playing in bands as a teenager. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and earned multiple degrees in secondary education, math and political science. In between, he co-founded the Replacements-like power-pop band Titanic Love Affair, which released three albums during the alternative-rock heyday between 1991 and 1996, when it was dropped from its label.
Bennett was working at a VCR repair shop in Champaign when he was tapped to join Wilco as it toured in support of its first album, "A.M." A talented arranger and versatile musician who could play virtually any instrument he picked up, from mandolin to Mellotron, Bennett formed a fruitful partnership with Wilco bandleader Jeff Tweedy. His contributions over a seven-year period were key to the albums that resulted in the band's national breakthrough, including "Being There" (1996), "Summerteeth" (1999) and "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" (2002).
Relations between Bennett and Tweedy, both painstaking perfectionists, soured during the latter recording, as documented in the film "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart," and Bennett left the band. Earlier this month, Bennett filed a lawsuit against Tweedy for breach of contract and unpaid artist's royalties, stemming in part from his role in the film.
In late April, Bennett wrote on his MySpace blog about dealing with intense pain from a hip injury suffered during a dive from the stage while playing with Titanic Love Affair. He was preparing to have surgery, but was concerned about his lack of health insurance. However, he also was looking forward to finishing his fifth solo album, "Kicking at the Perfumed Air," at his studio, Pieholden Suites, named after the song on "Summerteeth" that best encapsulates his talents as an arranger.
"This whole experience [with the hip pain] has really taught me to look both inward and outward for support, and I've learned things about myself that I thought I had completely figured out years ago," Bennett wrote. "Family and friends have helped me to keep faith in a future that will actually be much more carefree than my constricted present state. I encourage you all to tell me stories of recovery, as they really do help... All in all, I'm 'in a really good place' right now; I'm just waiting until I can make it all happen."
Bennett's former bandmates in Wilco are touring in Spain and could not be reached for comment. But Burch said he had spoken to bassist John Stirratt, and the band was "broken up" about the news.
"He was an extremely talented musician and a great person, and I'll miss him terribly," Burch added.
source
Friday, May 22, 2009
Simon Cowell comments on his ex-boo's attack
He may have been all smiles and standing O's at last night's Kris Allen-crowning American Idol finale, but this morning, Simon Cowell was speaking out on this week's other big showdown: ex-girlfriend Terri Seymour versus a female attacker.
Cowell said on Ryan Seacrest's radio show today that his initial reaction to hearing about the incident, in which Idol fan Janice Thibodeaux allegedly approached and attempted to choke Seymour, was that it must be a joke.
Unfortunately, he soon learned it wasn't.
"She called me and, yeah, she was attacked outside," he said of Seymour.
"Literally, a frenzied attack. Nearly strangled."
While the 33-year-old, 200-pound Thibodeaux, who is currently being held on $52,703 bail after being booked for felony battery, claimed yesterday that her attack came in retaliation for Cowell's behavior toward fellow judge Paula Abdul, Cowell offered up a different theory on her motivation.
"Naturally I assumed it was somebody who was jealous," he said, adding that he himself had never met Thibodeaux.
"I don't know, it was just some crazy girl. She's locked up."
As for his ex, with whom he is still exceedingly friendly, Cowell said, "It was bad. I really, really felt sorry for her."
Still, for once, Cowell said he has been able to find a bright spot in the ordeal, albeit one that has to do with his own chivalry.
"You know what? I was there for her, Ryan. That's the important thing."
Source.
Two new Courtney Love demos leaked
Two tracks from what I assume are more recent Courtney Love studio sessions have leaked. An entire album worth of songs leaked in late 2007 from sessions done with Linda Perry but these latest leaks have a different sound are could be from her rumored sessions with Celebrity Skin producer Michael Bienhorn. The two trakcs are Samantha and Sunset Marquis. No release date has been set for Nobody's Daughter which Love has been working on since leaving rehab in late 2005.
source
Clay Aiken Hates American Idol. And Adam Lambert.
Last night millions of American Idol fans tuned in to watch the show's season finale. But you know who didn't?—-Clay Aiken, who basically trashed everything about Idol today on the subscription-only message board of his website, going so far as to say Adam Lambert made his ears bleed!
Aiken, America's favorite gay father who was also the runner-up to Ruben Studdard in Idol's second season, charges his fans $29.95 annually for the "Ultimate Membership" at ClayOnline.com, which is the only way to view his blog posts and cruise around in his chat room or on his message board, but a tipster with access to the site passed this along. Here's how Aiken responded today to a generic "what did you think about the show?" question posed by a fan on the site:
Now that it's all over, and for the record.... I couldn't be happier about the way AI ended this year. I only turn the show on once a season, and only to see what the set looks like each year. This year, I happened to turn it during the minute that Adam Lambert was singing "Ring of Fire" and, at that moment, thought my ears would bleed. Contrived, awful, and slightly frightening! I wasn't really a fan and found myself surprised whenever folks told me that they liked him. Granted, I never saw another performance (and many folks who I trust said that he was great) but I can't imagine I would have enjoyed it. Just not my cup of tea at all. To each his own. I never saw Kris sing on the show, but whether he was good or not is really relative. It's usually a matter of taste, right? But Idol is not always a matter of musical taste only. It's about the person you like. From what little I saw, Kris seemed likable. (That's not to say that Adam isn't just as likable as anyone.. maybe more so... I don't know) When Ruben and I were standing next to each other every night (many years ago) you had two equally talented, equally unlikely, equally unpolished contestants.... so it really was a matter of taste as to who was voted for. While some may argue that one of us was hyped more than the other, I don't feel that was the case. However, this year, there was an obvious bias. Not even having watched the show, I can tell you that I was WELL aware of the bias from the judges as to who should win. In my opinion, that is awfully unattractive. I don't think I am alone
In my opinion, it all often comes down to that last night of voting. Until the finale, folks are voting for the contestant that they want to see continue. But, I believe that on that last night, the dynamic changes. No longer forced to choose one person that they want to see win, the audience can effectively vote AGAINST the person that they don't want to see win. In the case of season two this might have happened. There may have been some folks who voted for myself or Ruben because they didn't like the other of us. I was the nerdy little girly boy who some didn't want to see win, so they may have voted for Ruben. I don't know. .. But again, I feel that Ruben and I were fairly matched. We both had our detractors and negatives, but I feel we were both very worthy of being on that stage in that moment, and either of us would have been worthy of winning. The show was different then, and folks made it in seasons 1-3 because they were "real" people who happened to sing/entertain well. But, somewhere along the way, AI stopped being about real people.
Aiken also elaborated on why he thought Kris Allen won this year's competition:
In a battle between David and Goliath, my money is on David!
I think many voters got sick of being "told who to vote for". I think many were turned off by the blatant favoritism shown towards one contestant. Therefore, on that last night, they used their votes against a contestant that they were tired of hearing about and for the contestant who had been written off. And, at the same time, I think they voted AGAINST an American Idol that has, for four years now, been more about the slick productions and polished contestants than it has been about finding the raw talent that it did in its first three seasons.
Those votes for Kris were also votes to return the show to its roots of finding "real" contestants with undiscovered talent and giving them the chance to grow and shine. They were votes that said "we're tired of seeing contestants who already seem to know it all".
Will American Idol choose to listen to the resounding and clarion call that those voters gave them?.... "Enough with the pretention. More Rubens, more Clays, more Fantasias and Tamyras and Kellys please." My faith has always been in the voters. I think they have gotten it right every year (mine included). It's now up to American Idol to decide if it will finally REALLY listen to the folks that keep it on the air.
Source
Zac Efron encourages Vanessa Hudgens to do on-screen nudity
Zac Efron has encouraged girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens to do nudity on camera, reports say.
Hudgens recently said that she would have no problem doing a nude film scene, if it was necessary for the role.
The 21-year-old actor believes that his High School Musical co-star should strip down for the big screen in an effort to shed her "goody-goody image," according to the The National Ledger.
"Zac believes it is a good way for her to get beyond the teeny-bopper stigma," a source said. "He is making the leap to A-list actor and he wants Vanessa to go along with him."
The insider added: "He told a pal if she has to bare more of her body, then she shouldn't be afraid of doing that."
Source
Sarah Jessica Parker Blasts Media Coverage Of Surrogate
Sarah Jessica Parker has taken aim at journalists and photographers working to unearth personal information about the woman carrying the actress’ surrogate twins.
“(It’s) an extraordinary and unprecedented invasion of her privacy,” the actress said in an exclusive TV interview with Access Hollywood on Tuesday. “The most unsavoury things have been done. She’s had her phone hacked, her personal computer information hacked, she’s had threats against her and true harassment… She’s had friends threatened and family threatened and she’s had family of friends threatened.”
Sarah feels torn that she is not able to be of more assistance to the woman helping her bring her daughters into the world.
“It’s really incredibly upsetting to think of her so far away and me not being able to do something, beyond what I’m legally allowed to do,” she says. “She’s had a friend, who was thought to be her, chased down a highway… This friend is nine months pregnant.”
“It’s crossed lines… Pretty much all the lines have been crossed… There’s simply no excuse for doing this to somebody. It’s not acceptable.”
Sarah insists that despite recent tabloid reports that her surrogate is a “bisexual rocker” she and husband Matthew Broderick have made the right choice: “I’m beyond comfortable with who she is. We haven’t been reckless, we haven’t been cavalier. She hasn’t been reckless.”
Source
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