Let me make one thing clear: Phillip Phillips seems like a really nice guy. Watching him get so emotional during his final, triumphant moment on the American Idol stage, I had tremendous respect for a guy who just stopped trying to sing his final number and walked off the stage to hug his family, minutes after winning the biggest singing competition on television. But Phillips is also an example of what seriously ails American Idol these days: The backwards taste of its voters. As a singer, Phillips should lands in third place among this season's top three contestants, behind runner up Jessica Sanchez and third place finisher Joshua Ledet. If there was any doubt, Sanchez destroyed that during tonight finale, going toe-to-toe with the biggest ... Continue reading →
It's the same question I always ask, just after network TV's upfronts week; when we learn what shows were canceled, picked up or hung out to dry (hint: everything airing on low-rated Fridays). What just happened? There's always the usual ratio of well-meaning failures (ABC's Pan Am, CBS's A Gifted Man), out-of-their-misery cancellations (NBC's Are You There Chelsea) and no-brainer new shows (brilliant Office alum Mindy Kaling's The Mindy Project on Fox). And there's always a few head-scratchers. Another Matthew Perry sitcom (NBC's Go On)? Still, there are some trends worth dissecting. Here's my short list of What I Learned from the Upfronts:Comedy will be king (and queen), at least for another year. Thanks to Modern Family and Fox's New Girl, the Big Four TV ... Continue reading →
Columnist and humor writer Dave Barry has canceled an appearance at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies scheduled for tonight. Barry had been scheduled to attend a reception and dinner to speak on the topic "Laughing Your Way Through the Presidential Campaign." An impending death in his family prompted the cancellation of the appearance, which had been sold out. Information about a rescheduled visit and options for ticket holders will be posted here as it becomes known. Continue reading →
Adam Lambert is making history this week by reportedly becoming the first openly gay male artist to top the Billboard album charts. As Billboard's Keith Caulfield is reporting, Lambert snagged the No. 1 spot with his sophomore effort, "Trespassing," which sold 77,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Interestingly, it's a case of one "American Idol" alum replacing another, as Lambert's chart debut toppled Carrie Underwood's "Blown Away," which drops to No. 3. Including Underwood, Lambert is the seventh "American Idol" finalist to reach No. 1, following Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, Chris Daughtry (of Daughtry) and Scotty McCreery, according to Billboard. But Lambert's chart triumph is also historic, as it marks the first time an openly gay male performer accomplishes that feat. As AfterElton ... Continue reading →
When NFL star Donald Driver won ABC's Dancing with the Stars Tuesday, I realized something: Everything I used to hate about this show, I have begun to miss tremendously. Even though it's my job to keep up with these programs, Dancing with the Stars hasn't gotten much attention from me this season. That's because it started its run seriously deficient on one thing -- actual stars -- and finished without much of the other thing, interesting conflicts. Back when the show was more newsworthy, snarking about tabloid fixtures such as Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, Kirstie Alley or Bristol Palin at least provided some marginal excuse for keeping up with the program. But this season's crop of stars -- Gladys Knight, Melissa Gilbert, Jaleel White -- ... Continue reading →
Every now and again Google's homepage Doodle rises above the level of novelty, and the fully functional Moog synthesizer they have planned for tomorrow, is certainly one of the more notable in recent memory. The synthesizer is already live on homepages across the Pacific, and it's worth admiring the sheer hustle they put into creating it. The Google Doodle is the little customization Google often puts on its homepage to celebrate various occasions. Tomorrow, Google is celebrating Robert Moog, creator of a modern synthesizer, whose 78th birthday would have been Wednesday, according to The Next Web. The synthesizer has a keyboard you can play with your mouse as well as oscillators, filters, and a mixer, and you can record and send people your creations. Not ... Continue reading →
Image Credit: NBC Two infamous characters on NBC’s Smash are expected to leave the show — and we suspect fans are not going to be disappointed. Philandering fiancee Dev (Raza Jaffrey) and devious assistant Ellis (Jaime Cepero) will not be regulars in the show’s second season, sources say. It’s possible one or both actors could appear in an episode or two to wrap up their storylines, but that’s it. The plan is to have neither character as a recurring presence in the show’s new-and-improved second season. Dev annoyed fans by cheating on Katharine McPhee’s character, while Ellis infuriated viewers all season with his overeager meddlesome scheming. Fans and critics have been pretty outspoken that the second season would be better off without either character (Ellis ... Continue reading →
