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Omarion Set to Unveil His ‘Ollusion’

Joelle Tomlinson — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:38:22 +0000

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After learning of Omarion’s impressive resume of singing, acting, songwriting and producing, it’s hard to believe that he is only 25 years old. He’s what you would call a veteran in the entertainment field, and his latest album, Ollusion, could prove he’s got staying power.

Omarion’s self-described “aggressive, energetic, exciting and passionate” sound that will be demonstrated in Ollusion, out Tuesday (Jan. 12), has already excited his fans, after the recent release of the single, “I Get It In” featuring Gucci Mane. The video features Omarion’s slick dance moves in a simple black-and-white contrast that compliments the catchy beat.

“I wrote every song,” Omarion tells andPOP. “I think people can connect with personal moments in the album. When you’re singing about something that’s true to you, it’s like talking about something that’s true to you. So that’s the reason why the whole album is really personal I guess. I think it’s better that way.”

So what led this talented performer to his success?

“I would say my mom,” Omarion admits humbly. “She was a dancer, and overall she was a huge influence so I would definitely credit her for that. I was actually a rapper before I was a singer and she was like ‘you should sing.’ So I tried it out. And it’s my soul, it’s my passion, it’s everything that I am.”

Along with influence from both parents, Omarion lists Michael Jackson, his peers and old-school artists such as the unflappable Stevie Wonder as inspirations. What really makes these influences stand out are their passions for their crafts, and that’s where Omarion feels he parallels that emotion, love and dedication. “They’re just so passionate,” he says.

“And that’s how I sing, from my gut. The reason why I say my peers is because I believe the gang should have a level of, not just competition, but competitiveness. I really like when I see Usher or Chris Brown come up with something dope, and that they took a lot of time to be creative and I appreciate what they have come up with. And I’ll see that and be like ‘hmm, okay, now watch this,’ you know? I think that’s what keeps the game interesting and alive. I love it, I love it all.”

Omarion’s enthusiasm transfers over to other aspects of his life. When he’s not busy writing, recording or essentially being immersed in the entertainment labyrinth, he enjoys other competitive activities on the side. “I’m naturally competitive,” he reveals. “Bowling, basketball, all kinds of sports. Video games are always fun too. For the most part I just try to relax and enjoy myself.”

This is easier said than done.

With Ollusion hitting the stories soon, Omarion is excited to see how fans will react to his newest creation. “Ollusion is by far my best work,” he raves.

“I’m so excited about Ollusion because I feel like since I’ve been in the game as long as I have, it’s amazing to be this involved in my career at this point. To have my own company, StarWorld Entertainment, and to be in this position is just amazing. The thing about this position is the responsibility that is granted with it and I think that I am ready for this responsibility of personally writing for my audience, along with some other really great writers, that will be shown in my album. The interesting thing about that is when you’re an artist, sometimes you get writers or producers that will dictate to you what kind of music you want to do. This is different, and I feel like that’s the reason that Ollusion is my best work, because it’s from Omarion, it’s completley me.”

This raw approach to the young singer’s viewpoints on life, love and relationships is shown through a song on the album entitled “Temptation.”

“So in the song, there’s this particular girl that I work with, and she’s always like ‘you know, Omarion, if you want to come get this, you can come get this’,” he laughs. “I kind of go through in my mind how it could happen, how sexy she is, she’s rubbing my arm, stuff like that. But then I’m thinking to myself, I have a girl at home, and at the end of the song, I go home to my girl. I don’t touch the girl.”

Don’t worry though ladies, this song isn’t completley representative of his personal life, because Omarion is currently single, and “very much so” as he so eloquently describes it. As for everyone else, when asked about advice for staying in the game, Omarion has learned from his success in the music business. “I think timing is everything, and I always tell people even Kobe has to sit on the bench every now and then. At the end of the day, I think it’s all what you put out there, and if you want to survive and you want to be an entertainer for the rest of your life, it’s all about paying attention and being true to yourself. People may not like it, but that’s what being expressive is about, being true to you.”

As an additional bonus, Ollusion is being offered on Amazon for only $3.99 on the first day of sales. “I love my fans, I love everybody,” says Omarion. “Holla’ at me on Twitter, check my website at omariononline.com, and let me know what you think about Ollusion!”

An Opportunity To Chat With The Jackson Brothers

Joelle Tomlinson — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 21:52:59 +0000

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Ever had a pressing question, or perhaps even a meaningless curiosity about the Jackson brothers?

Fans will get an opportunity to connect with the famous four brothers on Sunday, January 10 at 10pm/9 central. According to A&E Television, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon will be available to answer any submitted questions via Twitterview. In order to stay on top of this development, follow @AETelevision and @ALLJACK5ONS on Twitter. This will provide an opportunity to find out more about their television show, The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty, which airs a new episode on the same Sunday at 10:00 p.m. on A&E. The show features a look into the lives of the four brothers as they rehearse and prep for a monumental concert celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Jackson brothers, who have collectively sold more than 250 million albums worldwide.

To catch a sneak peek of the Jackson television series, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMtZy5qFsso and delve into the life of being one of the biggest influences on the pop scene today.

Angelina Jolie Loses Modeling Contract

Joelle Tomlinson — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 03:31:07 +0000

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There comes a moment in time where even Angelina Jolie is shunned in this harsh world. It appears that the dark-haired beauty was recently dropped from her modeling contract with fashion company St. John. She had become the powerhouse image of the label when she gained the gig in 2006. The starlet’s contract was terminated due to celebrity status and it’s overshadowing of the brand, according to E! Online. The site has a statement from Glenn McMahon, the chief executive officer, who says that Jolie was too famous for St. John’s, and that they “wanted to make a clean break from actresses and steer away from blondes and cleanse the palette.”

Coming to replace Jolie will be the much less-famous Karen Elson, a 31-year-old British singer and model. Style News reports that her modeling resume includes Marc Jacobs, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Chanel. St. John issued a statement about the new red-haired face of the label, saying that she is an “epitome of the modern day woman: strong, confident, sensual and approachable with effortless glamour.”

St. John also dropped model Kelly Gray, and believe that their innovative changes will help show the modernistic side of the fashion brand. As McMahon puts it, “we have evolved.”

Check Out New Rap Artist Malik

Joelle Tomlinson — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 14:30:53 +0000

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Malik, an up-and-coming Harlem rap artist, has officially debuted into the music world via a mixtape.

His new California-style mixtape, entitled “Westside Til I Die” was released Wednesday (December 16) via 2DopeBoyz.com. The new artist has 16 tracks on the new album, including titles such as “2 Much,” “Run Brenda Run,” Trouble” and “Middle East.” Rapping since the age of six, Malik was the first unsigned artist to freestyle in the booth at Rap City. In his bio on his MySpace page (which can be accessed at myspace.com/maliksixteen) he states that “I’m everything that you’ve been asking for. You wanted somebody who is nice with lyrics, but also knows how to sell a record.”

Check out Malik’s profile and music at either his myspace spage (shown above), his blog at http://16scandles.wordpress.com/ or his official website at http://malik-16.com

Rihanna Reveals Newest Music Video, ‘Hard’

Joelle Tomlinson — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 01:41:55 +0000

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Rihanna is taking her tough approach to the military. Her newest music video for the single, “Hard” is (as promised earlier by the Barbadian singer) self-described “couture military.” The video, shot in Southern California, features the star in seductive military-esque outfits.

According to MTV News, Rihanna says that “Everything is surrounded around the idea of something military.” From the tanks, troops, helicopters and explosions, it seems as though her recently developed bad-girl image is taking it to the next level. “We’ve got lots of cute oufits, lots of bullets,” says Rihanna. “It’s crazy.”

“Hard” is also accompanied by the rap linguistics of Young Jeezy. He isn’t the only male in the shoot though, Rihanna reportedly leads her own band of guerilla fighters in the video. It’s no surprise that the innovative director is Melina Matsoukas, who has worked with Snoop Dogg, Jenniger Lopez and Beyonce. This music video is the third installment to be released from Rihanna’s newest album, Rated R. Apparently, Rihanna digs the newest song, because “it had such an attitude and swagger.”

Beyonce Knowles Parents Call It Quits

Joelle Tomlinson — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:46:34 +0000

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It looks like Kelly Rowland isn’t the only diva who’s had enough of Matthew Knowles.

Beyonce’s mom (who also happens to be her costume designer), Tina Knowles, has filed divorce papers against Matthew (Beyonce’s manager). According to mtvnews.com, TMZ says that she filed the divorce papers last month in Texas, calling an end to a 29-year marriage.

Matthew is known for his powerful promotion of Beyonce, and he quit his job at IBM after a 20-year long career to manage the group of girl’s that would eventually become Destiny’s Child. He is known to have had a pivotal role in making Beyonce’s solo career the success story that it is, and has producer credits on the 2009 thriller “Obsessed.” Yet he’s not the only parent thoroughly engaged in the Sasha Fierce spectrum. Known for her fierce costumes and performance gowns, Beyonce has been dressed by Tina, who is a stylist and principal in House of Dereon (launched in 2004). Beyonce is almost as esteemed for her clothing line as for her incredible performance talents.

According to The Insider, Tina and Matthew have not been living together since Janurary of this year (2009). In the article, the petition for divorce states that, “The marriage has become insupportable because of discord or conflict of personalities … that destroys the legitimate relationship and prevents any reasonable expectation of reconciliation.”

Stephanie Pratt Poses in Maxim

Joelle Tomlinson — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 14:42:45 +0000

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Stephanie Pratt is very serious about promoting herself in positive ways.

This includes a confession about bulimia, a DUI bust in October and most recently, posing for topless photos in the renowned Maxim magazine. In one of the pictures, she is wearing a leather jacket, striped underwear and not much else. The Hills star is also enjoying thoroughly enjoying a cigarette in her depiction.

According to dose.ca, Pratt has said that this newest endeavor is an attempt to step out of her older brother’s shadow. She says that her entire life she has wanted to create an image for herself. She told Maxim in the interview that “Even in high school it was, ‘Oh, you’re Spencer’s little sister.’ When we got on TV it was, “We hate Spencer’s little sister because she’s related to Spencer! I’ve never had my own name, so this is exciting.”

It seems as though her costars are happy for her. Lauren Conrad’s best friend, Lo Bosworth, tweeted to Pratt that “you look sexytime in maxim!!” Stephanie replied with an eloquent, “Thanks hooker.”

Shane Sparks Arrested For Child Molestation

Joelle Tomlinson — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 04:40:39 +0000

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Shane Sparks

Shane Sparks, a 35-year-old esteemed choreographer on Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance and a judge on America’s Best Dance Crew, has been arrested and charged with eight counts of felony child molestation.

The award-winning hip-hop enthusiast was taken into custody by detectives at 8 a.m. at his home in North Hollywood on a felony warrant, according to E! Online. His real name is Melvin Sparks. This reveal is sure to shock Spark’s many avid fans who credit some of the SYTYCD’s best routines to the smooth-talking choreographer. He is currently being held in Van Nuys jail and holds a bail of $590,000.

Apparently, this investigation is focused on a decade old case, and it involves an unnamed victim, who was a teenager at the time. “There’s one victim and it occured in the ’90s. I believe it started in ’94 and went on for several years,” says Jane Robison, who was free to make comments on the behalf of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. According to E! news, the victim was under reportedly under 15 when the alleged molestation occurred. Now that she is an adult she has decided to step forward and report the incidences to authorities.

This show can’t cut a break. Just recently, Alex Da Silva, the salsa choreographer for the show, was arrested in August with the charges of rape in regard to four of his dance students.

Jersey Shore Stars Speak Out About Fame

Joelle Tomlinson — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 04:22:55 +0000

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The newest MTV series, “Jersey Shore,” has been creating waves in reality television brimming with hookups, fistfights, “guidos” and self-proclaimed “guidette’s.”

The show, which includes stars Mike “The Situation” and Snooki have made statements that they have become instant celebrities since the show debuted about a month ago. Jersey Shore focuses on the mainly-Italian crew that lives in a shore house together, clubbing, working and enjoying their summer.

According to mtvnews.com, The Situation says that “Life is pretty wild right now.” He admits that they are “enjoying every minute of it and everyday that we speak- ’cause we’re actually very, very good friends in person – we call each other and say, ‘Hey, what’s going on right now.’ And she’s like ‘It’s crazy.’ And then the next day it gets crazier.” The Situation is known for his shameless self-promotion of his muscular body that inspired his unique nickname.

Snooki, who got punched in the face by a man in the last episode, admits that her fan mail is overwhelming She has received various emails of enamored males as well as one who sent her a shockingly revealing picture. She shares The Situation’s sentiment of surprise at how often they’re recognized everywhere that they go.

Taylor Lautner To Star In ‘Cancun’

Joelle Tomlinson — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:18:11 +0000

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It looks like this werewolf is transforming into a more human hero.

Taylor Lautner has just been cast as a college student who will travel to Cancun with a girl on spring break with Summit Entertainment’s latest investment. On his road to becoming an elite soldier, Lautner’s character experiences an injury, forcing him to put his dreams on hold. It turns out his early career anticipation may help him in the end. According to perezhilton.com, the young stud will be forced to save his friend and her group of girls who have been taken hostage by a drug cartel.

The new action movie will be called Cancun. Taylor Lautner has recently come into the spotlight for baring his chest on New Moon in the Twilight series, instigating swoons from twilighters across the globe. MTV News reports the new film as being a combination of Taken and Die Hard. Apparently, the star is excited to show off his martial arts training in the new flick, skills that he mastered before ever becoming the lead werewolf in Twilight.

Peak Season Insider Blog, Episode 1×10 Plus A Special Video Message

Joelle Tomlinson — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:51:16 +0000

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Ian Ross Peak - Season

Peak Season: The Finale

All good things must come to an end. Just like Christmas, your birthday, and a really good buzz, Peak Season is joining the ranks of these time-expired events. How do I feel about this? Right now I’m in shock in denial, the first of the seven stages of grief. On Monday nights, you can find me staring blankly at the screen for thirty minutes, remote in hand, laughing at who knows what. It’s like the phantom limb syndrome, and Peak Season is my missing appendage.

What happens:

I decided to switch it up a bit for the Peak Season finale. With the incessant repetition of Christmas carols drilling in my head, being offended by a rude name and realizing it was just a fake Santa and shortbread, I’ve decided to make this a festive special. So without further ado, here is possibly the longest Christmas card ever written:

Hello Peak Season cast, Merry Christmas! This will take a while, so put down the fuchsia shots, take off your fur-lined coats and put your fighting fists down. I’ve got a message for each and every one of you in the finale:

Dear Stephanie Just:

I’ve got a very important message for this Jamaican-loving snowboarder. It comes from a time-honored song produced by the wise profits known as Smash Mouth. “I get knocked down, but I get up again” is an ancient proverb that you should live your life by, because these guru’s know what they’re talking about. Of course, they also mention drinking whiskey and vodka in excess, but I’m sure you have that covered in Whistler.

Dear Lauren Horton:

First of all, thank you for teaching me how to deal with my problems. I always knew that kindergarten “love thy neighbor” boogus was crap. Second of all, I heartily agree with Debbie on the three detours of life: guys, flirting and alcohol, because seeing you cry is like saying goodbye to someone and then walking in the same direction. Painful, unnecessary and to be avoided at all costs. So, enjoy your wine (but only with Debbie), and my Christmas wish for you is for Blackout Promotions to succeed in doing exactly what the company name implies.

Dear Dre Morel:

After pulling out the white-rimmed shades and fitted fedora, it didn’t turn out to be enough to win back the lovely Amanda from the clutches of her long-haired companion. It’s okay though, because this is the season of milk and hunnies. I’m positive he will find another snow bunny to drink lemon-flavored water with. Besides, you know what you get when you cross Christmas with a vampire? Frostbite.

Dear Ian Ross:

From the expired milk debacle to skipping gaily through the bar, Ian has never had an dull moment. And that, my friends, is the greatest Christmas present of all. You know the coaches that can awkwardly sit three people, but out of consideration, the third person always finds somewhere else to land? Not in Ian’s house! It’s three men to a coach as a rule, and their heartwarming display of bromance can melt any Scrooge’s heart. Thanks Ian, for showing everyone what true Christmas spirit is, every hour of every day.

Dear Scoot:

My heart breaks for Scoot in this episode. All I could think about during Lauren’s verbal beating of him in front of Momma Bear was the fact that he was wearing a crisply-ironed button-up shirt. It’s like the first time I saw a hairless cat. It’s just not natural, but look how hard he was trying! So bravo to you for style, schoolboy Scoot, and I hope this Christmas season has you wearing oversized knit sweaters and corduroy pants. Tis’ the season.

Dear Amanda Scheller:

I’m sorry if I was a wee bit hard on Amanda this season. I think she is talented, beautiful and hilarious. I’ll confess my laughter to be sometimes of the “at, not with you” variety, but Christmas is also about forgiving, so since I forgive her for choosing Colton, I can only ask the same. Besides, that “blinder’s” schtick was the best advice I’ve gotten for partying yet. I wish her the best with snowboarding, modeling and avoiding any more terribly-awkward love triangles.

Dear Matt James:

Hey babe. Canada misses you and Elle, but it misses you guys extra when it’s drunk. Christmas without snow baffles me, so I think it’s time to hop off the Australia train and ride the express to Whistler. Oi, just try to avoid any sucky situations these holidays alright?

Dear Steph Weber:

Fact: I love Steph Weber. Not just for her facebook flirting skills or her amnesia either. She’s one of those underrated characters that end up being integral to the whole show. It’s like Lo from “The Hills,” without her, thousands of people around the world would not have incorporated the saying “totes m’gotes.” Well, without Steph, thousands of people around the world wouldn’t know that they are not alone in their mystifying memory loss. So Merry Christmas Steph, and I hope this one is as fun-filled and blurry as the last!

Dear Stoofie:

Though we didn’t see much of her this season, I think Stoofie deserves some recognition for her embodiment of what Whistler is. She boards, she parties and she sexts. This blonde bombshell does it all! In fact, I bet she can do all three at the same time. Now that’s some Christmas skills.

Overall:

I hope everyone enjoyed my elongated card, and wishes to Santa for a second season of the show. It’s been a great ten episodes, and though my liver may not agree with me, I feel like I learned a lot from the lessons of Whistler. Happy holidays!

Best Lines:

“He’s got a frickin’ ponytail!” – Mike, Dre’s friend

“How much drama would it start if i just got up and K.O’d this guy?” – Colton’s friend

“Let’s…DO THIS!” -Scoot

“Are we going to fight?” -Dre

andPOP insider interview with Ian and Scoot:

It’s the bromance of the century. Not only do the proudly don matching shirts, they have been secretly been working on a handshake that involves some legitimate posing. What do these two hilarious friends have to say about Peak Season? Read it here:

Did you predict the show would reach such heights of popularity?

Scoot: “I don’t know about Ian, but myself, I didn’t know, and I didn’t hold any expectations to it. You know, I didn’t bank on it doing so well, but once we started hearing ratings around the fifth episode that we were starting to beat The Hills I think we were really shocked. Like, we obviously hope its going to do well but we had no clue to the level that it would go and it’s just been crazy.”

Ian: “There’s no way we could have ever expected this. There was no expectation, and I think that’s why it blew up so much, there was nothing to say ‘it’s going to do well.’ But we just blew everything out of the water, and it’s pretty exciting to be a part of that too.”

Any news on a second season?

Scoot: “We haven’t at all actually. As soon as we do, everyone will know. It will be on twitter, we’ll tell the whole world!”

Ian: “Tweet tweet tweet!”

How would you be with just being a one-season show?

Ian: “I think we’re going to get a second season so I’m not really going to answer it. It’s going to happen.”

Scoot: “You only live once, so I don’t have any regrets. If this is it, and that’s all that there was, I was stoked to do it. Like we said, we don’t hold expectations, we didn’t expect it to do as well as it did, so if there’s a second season, awesome. If not, that’s alright too.”

Ian: “At least you can say you’re a part of the first ever Canadian reality show at the end of the day. So that’s pretty cool I guess.”

You have to convince a person to watch the show, what would you two say is that BEST quality of Peak Season.

Ian: “I think it kind of leaves you wanting to come back more every time you watch it. And the fact that it’s a docu-drama, that it is real. There’s this misconception that people think it is plotted, when it’s not. There’s nothing in there that’s been plotted, that’s how we live and how we did it, and I just hate the perception around the fact that people say that it’s scripted. I also think that it’s actually real, and people are like ‘holy smokes that actually happened…what’s going to happen next?’ And I think that actually worked out really well in our favor.”

Scoot: “Yeah, I’d say the realness of it and the relateability to it. I think a lot of kids that watch can relate to something that’s going on in the show whether it’s people’s attitudes or their characteristics they can relate to. Or it’s the couples, you know, everyone’s been in the break-up. I think that everyone who watches can say ‘I’ve been there,’ and relate to one of the characters, or at least what they’re going through.”

Ian: “And I think that, say with ‘The Hills’ or ‘The City,’ you can’t identify with the people in L.A. or Santa Monica driving around in $400,000 dollar BMW truck. When you see the show, you see people in Dre’s four-runner, and I’ve been there and our demographic reaches out to more people. And that’s what really helped us get those ratings up too.”

Scoot: “Yeah, you don’t really hear anyone in any other show worrying about whether they’re able to afford a snowboard magazine. We’re real people who enjoy real things that our viewers are doing as well.”

Ian: “When our group gets together, it’s almost like we’re toxic together, it’s like this formula of people and we all just explode. We’re all such good friends and close people that we feed off each other.”

In regard to the show, who would you say is portrayed as the craziest person in Whistler?

Ian: “I’d say Scheller’s pretty psycho.”

Scoot: “Yeah, I’ll go with Amanda. I think the crazy factor is the fact that she doesn’t seem like that. I was surprised when I saw it on camera. But Amanda is a bit Jekell and Hyde.”

Ian: “It’s like she’s undercover.”

Scoot: “She’s such a sweetheart when you meet her, and then you see things and you’re like, did she really do that?”

What was filmed last year that you guys wish was on the show?

Ian: “There’s one that comes to mind right away, and it’s when we had a dinner at my house one night between me, Scoot, Colin and Lauren. When all the filmers were there I think they thought we were just joking around, playing like we don’t know what were doing. But my passion is cooking, I love to cook, and I think Scoot too has something deep inside him as well. We whipped up the best curry you’ve ever had in your entire life, and they were all trying it after we finished filming, and we had a really good set that night. It was super bossy curry, I think we kind of blew them away.”

Scoot: “Yeah, it’s just this misconception, you see us partying but we actually do stuff too, we work hard, we’ve got good jobs and we cook and we do normal things as well. We don’t just do shots out of other girl’s cleavages. Another one for me that didn’t make it was we went zip-trucking one day with the boys, and we basically harassed our tour guide the whole time, and everything she started saying we would just turn it into this sexual line. We were in tears the whole time, the crew was in tears, and that’s probably why it didn’t go to air, because there was too much laughter going on.”

Ian: “It was so irrelevant to what was going on with the plot. I would pay to see this again. None of us had slept, we had partied all night, it was -10 degrees and raining, and we had her in tears the whole time.”

Bests

Moment:

Scoot: “My new best moment in the season is Ian and Dre, right before that bar fight, when they’re skipping through the bar, that’s one of my favorite moments.”

Ian: “I don’t even remember that. I honestly think the cooking scene that I just talked about with the curry was my favorite moment. It was just a really good time, and it sticks out as a moment to remember.”

Couple:

Ian: “Denny and Amanda (laughs)”

Scoot: “I’ll go with Dre and Amanda.”

Ian: “No, Colton and Amanda.”

Scoot: “Amanda and everybody.”

Ian: “Okay, amanda and ‘FRIENDS’.”

Line:

Ian and Scoot: “Expired milk.”

Scoot: “I got so many comments after Ian dropped that line from my friends that didn’t know him, and they were like ‘who is this guy!’ I was just like, stay tuned to our life.”

Ian: “Also the ‘al dente’ line between Jason and Dre. That was a really funny one.”

Scoot: “Oh, and the “wah woow” from me to Lauren. I totally forgot about that. I was in tears when I saw that because you forget, you filmed that almost a year ago.”

Friends:

Scoot: “The boys!”

Ian: “Yeah, the boys. Me and Scoot and Denny, that’s the bromance. Chicks love it, they eat it up!”

In Scoot’s case, it would be Lauren, and in Ian’s case, Stoofie. Was it weird watching conversations about you guys between the girls when you weren’t around?

Scoot: “No, it’s like you always know it’s happening, but to see it was actually kind of interesting. I didn’t really worry about it because when I started filming, Lauren and I weren’t together, so I started filming with the boys first. So it was super natural and super easy, and that’s what helped you get used to it. I don’t think they said anything super out of the ordinary.”

Ian: “We had a big boys trip-out one night, because we thought everybody was setting us up for stuff, and we had a big sit-down where everybody had to come clean. We just said ‘let’s not talk bad about each other.’ I was kind of expecting to hear more negativity about myself, but if anything, we’re closer as friends now. Like me and Dre didn’t hang out, but now we’ll go party together.”

Scoot: “Yeah definitely. Our core group, it can’t really be messed with, like someone would have to go really low, and it would have to be a big thing. And when you see other cast members in town, you have that relateability now because you’ve all gone through it. It just brings you closer to the people that were just acquaintances before, and we’re friends now. It’s fun, it’s good.”

Favorite thing to do together:

Scoot: “Uh, party.”

Ian: “Party, cooking, fishing.”

Good Morning America Says Goodbye To Diane Sawyer

Joelle Tomlinson — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 20:15:33 +0000

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With a fitting Dr. Seuss line, Diane Sawyer was gone.

“I’m going to take the advice of that immortal philosopher Dr. Seuss, who said, ‘Don’t cry because it happened, smile because it happened’,” said Sawyer, who officially resigned from her duties as co-anchor of Good Morning America. She has been a host on the show for ten years, and will be moving on to a different area within the ABC television studio. Next stop: World News.

According to E! Online, she greeted her audience with an emotional, “This morning I am beaming at all of you. My heart is smiling and the privilege of sharing my mornings with all of you have been more than I can say.”

Sawyer’s faithful audience aren’t the only people who will miss her on the Good Morning America set. Big talk show hosts like Kimmel, Fallon and Colbert taped goodbyes to the queen of television that were aired during Sawyer’s goodbye segment.

In her grand finale, the responsibility of hosting America’s morning show was passed on to George Stephanopoulos and Juju Chang. They will officially begin their reign on morning television this Monday (December 14).

Michael Jackson Honored With Lifetime Achievement Award

Joelle Tomlinson — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:12:08 +0000

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As Christmas rolls around, and people around the world tune into the Jackson 5′s version of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause,” featuring a young Michael, it quickly becomes obvious how long the King of Pop was in the business.

Perhaps the perfect way to honor that is a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy. This is what Jackson will receive the day prior to the Grammy Awards on January 30, according to mtvnews.com. There are only six other musicians that have been honored with this award, including Bobby Darin, Leonard Cohen, David “Honeyboy” Edwards, Loretta Lynn, Andre Previn and Clark Terry.

Though the deceased Jackson is not eligible for any Grammy nominations this year, his Achievement award will be granted to his memory at the invite-only Special Merit Awards. It hasn’t been announced whether there will be a Michael Jackson tribute at the Grammys this year, though if it does happen, the Jackson brothers have made it media-public that they would be thrilled to assist in any way possible. Jermaine Jackson, brother of the legend, said that if they are involved in a tribute at the prestigious awards ceremony, they just “want it to be real.”

Chris Brown Tweet-Assaults The Music Industry

Joelle Tomlinson — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:09:45 +0000

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If you haven’t already gotten sick of the Chris Brown debacle, it doesn’t look as though this pop star is planning to lay low or neutral anytime soon.

Brown tweeted in frustration on Friday (December 11) about major stores, and the fact that he believes they are “blackballing” his new album, Graffiti. According to mtvnews.com, Brown tweeted “I’m tired of this sh–. Major stores are blackballing my CD. Not stockin the shelves and lying to customers. What the f— do I gotta do…”

The star, who is used to making public apologies lately, would not back down on his twitter accusation. He sent another message out implying that he would not be taking back what he said, though it had already infiltrated the Internet and was rapidly spreading. He even ended the note with an eloquent invitation for the music industry to kiss his ass. Stores have been hesitant to promote Brown’s newest album in note of his recent assault against then-girlfriend Rihanna in February.

Of course, Brown had to shout out to his fans. “Thx again to my real fans. U don’t go unnoticed. Love y’all,” he tweeted following his disparaging remarks. His label, Jive Records, was not available for comment at press time with MTV News.

Nickelback Declared The Band Of The Decade

Joelle Tomlinson — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 01:23:01 +0000

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Yes, Nickelback was voted the worst band in the world by Word magazine, but apparently this doesn’t correlate to success in the music industry whatsoever.

According to chartattack.com, Nickelback has been declared the band of the decade by Billboard magazine. They have sold more records than any other band from 2000 to 2009, which consists of more than 30 million albums worldwide from the four albums they have released over the decade. The long-haired Chad Kroeger must be undoubtedly proud of his small-town band that originated in the prairies.

Still think they are the worst band?

Though they have had their shares of ups-and-downs, its appears as though this band is here to stay. After picking up 20 per cent of the vote to be the “worst band in the world,” Billboard and statistics don’t lie.

Other winners in the Billboard poll were Eminem, the top artist of the decade, and NSync’s No Strings Attached as the top selling album of the decade.

Nickelback is currently on a worldwide tour, with Liverpool and London the agenda next. They will also be performing in Basel, Switzerland and Austria in January, among other hot-spot destinations.

Lil’ Wayne’s Album Release Date Delayed Again

Joelle Tomlinson — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:05:16 +0000

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Lil’ Wayne has had a tough year. As if gun possession charges weren’t enough for the dreadlocked rap artist, his forthcoming album Rebirth has been delayed once again due to multiple setbacks.

Fans have already been subjected to a delay from its original release date, and this time it has been pushed back to a release date of February 1, 2010. According to perezihilton.com, this date is also very near to his sentencing date for his criminal charges.

Amid questions regarding the legitimacy of Lil’ Wayne’s album, Young Money’s Shanell had this to say:

“It ‘does’ exist and it’s incredible in my eyes,” Shanell promised, according to sohh.com. “I really think it shows another side of Wayne and Young Money because everybody’s on it. Everybody’s been able to express somewhat an alternative side of themselves so it’s gonna be interesting, it’s going to be different. There’s a lot of rapping, but there’s a lot of other stuff. I just think the world is ready to hear some different music. He’s a creative person and you can’t rush creativity and as you saw even with Tha Carter 3 album, that was pushed back and pushed back and pushed back but when it came out? It blew up and it was a great album so I would say, you know, good things come to those who wait.”

“On Fire” and “Da Da Da” are two singles that were released recently this past week in anticipation of the Rebirth album, and there are rumors that the roster will also contain collaborations with Eminem and Drake.

Taylor Lautner, Newest Face Of Armani?

Joelle Tomlinson — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:20:12 +0000

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Taylor Lautner’s bare chest seems to have attracted the fashion industry, who are willing to cover it up with couture.

The New Moon werewolf is apparently set to become the new 17-year-old spokesperson of Giorgio Armani. According to InTouch, the Italian-inspired line is trying to sign Lautner up for a brand new advertisement campaign for fragrances along with the less-pricey line, A/X Armani Exchange. The site also states that this deal could mean a big paycheque for the young star.

“Giorgio has offered Taylor a deal rumored to be worth millions for the ads,” a fashion insider revealed to InTouch. “Taylor is flattered and really considering it.”

This isn’t the only career advancement that has been offered to the buff Twilighter. This weekend, Lautner is hosting Saturday Night Live as well, being the only member of the cast to appear on the show. It appears that baring your chest is the newest form of self-promotion, and it’s highly effective too! InTouch reports that Lautner went from a “men’s small to a men’s large.”

Tiger Woods’ Mistress Jamie Junger Fights Prostitution Rumors

Joelle Tomlinson — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:58:30 +0000

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Will the Tiger Woods drama never end? It seems as though his string of newfound affairs certainly won’t.

Jamie Junger, one of Wood’s alleged lovers, is stepping forward to confront the media in order to combat rumors that she was one of the golfer’s escorts. The cocktail waitress appeared on the Today show to let the public know she is not part of a prostitution ring, even though her former employer is still insisting that she is!

According to perezhilton.com, Junger also appeared on Dateline to “make all these false rumors in the past.” After meeting Woods at a nightclub in 2005 that was hosting a charity event, the two ended up hitting it off in person, and also in bed. Apparently, she had an affair with Woods out of love, claiming that all she received in return from the married idol was a “broken heart.”

“It was very … it was very emotional,” argues Junger. “I mean, we had … I had a lot of feelings towards him. And he showed me that he had a lot of feelings towards me. It wasn’t just a sexual situation. It was … I believe, it … it was love. I loved him. I still love him.”

Peak Season Insider Blog, Episode 1×9

Joelle Tomlinson — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:56:33 +0000

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Peak Season: Episode Nine

Some say you’ve made it in life when you pay off your mortgage. Others say it’s when you get married, or have children. Well I disagree. The surefire way to tell if you’ve made it is if your life has a censorship warning. How many other people in the world can say, “let’s hang out, but I gotta’ let you know, I may contain coarse language, sexuality and mature subject matter.” This should be Whistler’s new welcome sign.

What Happens:

Lauren: Muhammed Ali’s Ring Partner

In this day and age, it seems as though Facebook is the newest form of foreplay. Why put in the physical effort when a simple semicolon can do the trick? It seems to work for the hilarious Steph Weber and the newly-deserted Matt James. I like Lauren and Steph’s analysis of Matt as a potential prospect. Apparently he’s “cute but he’s Aussie and has a girlfriend.” Hopefully that statement isn’t in order of importance.

After Matt pushes Lauren’s hot buttons by insulting her and Scoot, she decides to abandon her anger management steps and let her fists do the talking. Unfortunately, I’ll admit to being notable distracted by the small dog growing on Matt’s forearm the entire time. After decking Matt with a right hook that would make Chuck Liddell’s knees quiver, Lauren is pulled away from the cursing Aussie. In fact, the whole spectacle is like a twisted version of Jerry Springer, but with better looking people. In fact, I was tempted to jump up and scream for Lauren to use her formidable hoop earrings as a weapon.

Scoot: The Social Butterfly

Scoot always looks so comfy in his oversized parka and hat. If I were to go strictly by clothing, the idea that opposites attract would be completely accurate. Lauren’s hard-edge leather jacket pairs perfectly with Scoot’s soft parka, and that, my friends, is my attempt at a relevant metaphor. These university classes are truly paying off well.

It’s too bad this eternal bliss doesn’t last forever, because Scoot can’t hide in the jacket forever. You know those couples in your group that seem to fight as a form of foreplay? They scream, yell, smoke fiercely and sulk, all the while having no clue what they’re mad about? Scoot and Lauren seem to have the textbook symptoms of being one of those couples. He leaves her in a sullen smoking mess to barhop to the Beagle (bar-hopping in Whistler is literally that, hopping a block away), and we’re left to wonder if this volatile couple will make it.

Steph Just: A wounded soldier.

Poor Steph just can’t cut a break. If there was a poverty line in the snowboarding world, Steph could officially be classified as a third-world country. Luckily, the ambassador of Just Nation, Fabia, comes bearing multiple gifts for the blonde snowboarder. I was half expecting her to pull our a feather earring and jamaican hair wrap to match the rest of her ensemble.

Sadly, after Steph limps off the gondola in a walk that resembles my 81-year-old grandmother, it’s apparent she’s either injured or has a really cruel sense of humor against the elderly. Turns out she has hurt her knee pretty badly, and it may be canes and walkers, not snowboards and bindings, in her future.

Dre: A man of many emotions.

You have to give the guy credit. Dre has been through the ringer in this season. After being hunted, hit, pushed and bitten, Dre decides to brave the 115-pound ball of fur (formerly known as Amanda) and admits that he still thinks of her every day at dinner. I mean, why does Dre think Amanda still wants to be with him? She hasn’t shown any signs all season of being interested in him… unless a marriage proposal constitutes as interest? Nope, I don’t see it. He’s obviously delusional.

Amanda: Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

In all recovery programs, the first step is to admit that you have a problem. It’s reassuring to see that Amanda has taken this step, and admits to her photographer, K that she is crazy. Another step has to do with social support, which Karolina offers with the classy advice of: “Don’t let f**cking Dre or any douche-bag that away from you.” I don’t know what’s more frightening, the fact that “douche-bag” sounded so much like “any dudes you bang,” I’m so comfortable and familiar with the steps of addiction counseling…

After this, Amanda proceeds to go on a date with the “babe,” Colton, who I strongly suspect smells overpoweringly of axe and hair gel. After some suggestive “handsies” under the table, I half expected the Grease look-a-like to break out in musical theatre. The romantic evening commences with a kiss. Don’t get too excited, the kiss resembled the ones I’m forced to give my aunties and uncles at family reunions after getting murderous threats from my parents.

Best Lines:

“Now that his girlfriend isn’t here he’ll just probably go bonkers.” -Lauren

“I almost had you deleted.” -Dre to Amanda

“I will bury you until you have no idea what you’re doing.” -Lauren to Matt

“He don’t like me at all.” – Colton, about Dre.

“Ya dumb beetch!” -Matt to Lauren

Overall:

The season is almost over, and I’m not sure if I’m ready to say bye to our new friends on Peak Season. This episode was fairly decent, but the whole time I was fighting the foreboding feeling that it was all almost over. The only complaint I have is that there wasn’t enough camera time for the always-amusing Mr. Ian Ross. Otherwise this, the adventure and drama in Whistler has taught me a few life lessons that I shall not take lightly.

Lesson 1) Jersey’s and oversized hats land the hunnies

Lesson 2) Share the love: spitting alcohol in each others mouths is twice as fun

Lesson 3) Grow a male ponytail. It’s irresistible to vampires.

Lesson 4) Insulting someone in an accent doesn’t make it any less offensive.

These are only a few handpicked tips of the many I’ve acquired throughout season one of Peak Season. It’s a great situation: instead of learning from my own mistakes, I can learn from theirs. I’m sure the finale will be brimming with the usual quota of adventure, spewing alcohol, shots, snowboarding and drama to top off the end of a great season.

andPop insider interview with Scoot:

Scoot has been one of my favorite characters of Peak Season. His laid-back attitude and closeness with his boys makes him extremely likeable, as well as extremely easy to talk to. Listen to what Scoot has to say on the emergence and success of Peak Season.

What’s your actual name?

“My actual name is Craig. The story behind Scoot is the high school I went to, we always spoke a lot of slang, like most high schools. It was just random one day, one of my buddies was like ‘you’re Scoot’ and it stuck. When I moved out here to Whistler originally, I moved out with some friends that were from back home. So the nickname kind of followed me out here. I’ve more than gotten used to it now.”

Where’s home?

“Home is Peterborough. Just outside Toronto! I try to go home at least twice a year. I try to go home for summer and I try to go home for Christmas. I’m actually not going to be able to go home for this Christmas, which sucks.”

Did you know anything about Peak Season before filming?

“I didn’t actually. Lauren and Ian filled out for it and I’d kind of heard about it through the grapevine once word spread through Whistler that they were thinking of doing a show here. It wasn’t something I applied for or that I checked out.”

Has being on the show changed your life?

“Originally, it was something that I was probably the most skeptical about. Like I said, I didn’t sign up for it and it was just one of those things that I got thrown into them mix for. Lauren and I weren’t together when they started the filming and we were starting to get back together and I wasn’t really a big fan of having my personal life aired on national television! When I filmed with Ian and the boys it was super natural, and really easy, and it was just one of those things that I fell into and I was like ‘you know what, might as well just go with it.’ It’s not every day that you get to be on television.”

What brought you to Whistler?

“I finished high school, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do in college. One of my best friends was out here at the time and he had come out here the month before me and he was like ‘Dude, you gotta’ get out here, you have to check this place out.’ My parents were supportive and I came out for a couple months, went back home, saved every penny I could, moved out and haven’t went back since.”

So do you board as well?

“I do. I snowboard, I skateboard and I fish a lot.”

How long have you been buddies with Ian and the crew?

“We’ve been friends for probably about three years now. Ian, Colin, Denny and I, it’s a great pack of guys and it’s all about having a good time with those boys.”

Do you think Ian has a tiny man-crush on herself?

“On himself? (laughs) No. I think Ian is just confident. I don’t think that there is anything wrong with that, and if you’re not confident yourself, you know, who’s going to be? Ian can use it a lot.”

We’ve seen Amanda’s treatment of Dre during more intoxicated moments. Anything like that between you and Lauren?

“Um, no. Thankfully. I haven’t been hit in the bar, or outside the bar, which is definitely a good thing. Lauren definitely has a fiery side to her sometimes, but never anything violent like that.”

We haven’t seen much of you outside the boys place, the bar and with Lauren. What do you do for a living?

“I have my own cleaning company in town. I’ve just started it since the show actually finished!”

Favorite moment?

“I really like the fly fishing scene with Ian and I. It’s good. And that bar fight from last week was pretty awesome too. I was off to the side enjoying it, so I just sat back and soaked it all in. I’m not a fighter, unless the situation calls for it. I was dating Lauren when we were filming that season, so she’s got that under control.”

Least favorite?

“That would be thoroughly enjoying my salad on national television. Taking such a small bite…”

Anything else you would like to say to your fans?

“It’s been a shock, and a little bit crazy to see everything. People come up and recognize us in town, it’s just been awesome and something that I’m really glad that I did. I would just like to thank all the fans for their support, and it made the show what it’s been. Yeah, it’s just been something else, and I’m really glad that I’ve been a part of it. It’s just been crazy.”

Destiny’s Child Sued For Copyright Infringement

Joelle Tomlinson — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 20:51:24 +0000

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Not only is Kelly Rowland infuriated with Matthew Knowles (Beyonce’s father), but it seems as though the ultimate punishment is having to head to Chicago on Tuesday for a lawsuit against the former Destiny’s Child group.

The lawsuit, citing copyright infringement on the hit single “Cater 2 U” is Matthew’s fault, according to Rowland. According to people.com, Rowland states that Matthew has a long history of trying to get songwriters to add Beyonce’s name to songs she didn’t compose, just so she gets publishing royalties, and not it’s coming back to haunt all three former members of the girl group.

The girls, who had remained close for several years, have distanced themselves from each other. Rowland fired Matthew as her manager earlier in 2009. A source had this to say about Beyonce and Rowland’s relationship:

“She and Beyoncé remained cordial at first. But things have gotten tense since Kelly griped that Matthew is the cause of this lawsuit.”

This reeks of familiarity. According to perezhilton.com, Beyonce was called out by Ne-Yo for her declaring that she wrote the hit Irreplaceable, and he issued a statement that said she was not involved in the lyrics and was barely involved in the accompanying music.