andPOP - Pop Culture With Substance

Beyoncé was the big winner at the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs), held at the O2 World in Berlin, Germany.  The global music icon walked away with three of the night’s biggest awards– Best Female, Best Song, (“Halo”) and Best Video, (“Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It).”  She had been nominated for four EMAs, including Best Live Act. The win for Best Video repeats her win at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), held in New York last September 13.  Beyoncé used the occasion in Berlin to thank her husband, Jay-Z for “putting a ring on it.”

The audience at Berlin’s O2 World was treated to a spectacular performance of “Sweet Dreams,” by Beyoncé and television viewers across Europe tuned in to the live telecast.  MTV US channels, mtvU and MTV2, will air a one-hour version of the Awards on Sunday, November 15; 12:00 AM on MTV2 and 8:00 PM on mtvU.  MTV Tr3s will also air a one-hour version on Saturday, November 21 at 2:00 PM and the full show will air on Palladia on Saturday, November 28 at 9:00 PM with a repeat at Midnight.  All times are Eastern Standard.

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Chris Brown opened up about his assault on former girlfriend Rihanna during the MTV News special “Chris Brown: The Interview” on Friday (November 6), elaborating on his destructive behavior, explaining his previous apologies and describing his ongoing therapy sessions.

According to mtvnews.com, Brown told MTV News correspondent Sway that he has finally come to terms with the fact that he was capable of such violence.

“I think you’d be in denial and be totally naive not to,” he said. “And not being able to realize and own up to the fact of your own wrongs. I mean, me, I’ve come to terms with it and I’m working on it. … For that moment or whatever had me at that place, I want to erase that from what my character is. I want to be totally different from now on. I don’t want to be that person.”

“I’m confused right now as far as the public perception [of me],” he said. “Like, I think with my fans, they still love me, they support me, definitely. You have those people who will support you. So it’s kinda like 50/50 for me. I got the people that will come out and support and then the people that don’t wanna see me do anything. They basically want me in jail.”

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“Inside Hana’s Suitcase” will move anyone and everyone. The film mixes documentary with narrative techniques to tell the true-life story of Hana Brady, a girl who was killed during the Holocaust.

The film was inspired by the 2002 bestselling book Hana’s Suitcase. It retraces a series of coincidences that lead Tokyo school teacher Fumiko Ishioka, to the suitcase that belonged to a Czech Jewish girl, Hana Brady.

Ishioka, who also happens to be the director of the Tokyo Holocaust Education Centre, receives the suitcase with only two bits of information on Hana: her date of birth and the fact that she was an orphan by the time of her wartime capture. It doesn’t take long for the teacher to become emotionally invested in discovering Hana’s story, an investment she shares with her students. After intense research, she discovers that Hana’s brother George, a Holocaust survivor and thriving grandfather who lives in Toronto, is still alive.

Don’t let the documentary aspect turn you away from seeing this movie because it’s anything but dry. Director Larry Weinstein does a fantastic job of combining interviews with George and surviving friends and family with stunning re-enactment footage of Hana and George as kids. The two types of storytelling mesh together so well that sometimes they literally blend (a scene involving Ishioka and a drawing by Hana is simply amazing and unique).

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What better way to honor the prince?

“Michael Jackson’s This Is It” made motion picture history as the highest grossing concert film of all time. That’s not all. The two-disc companion to the movie released by Sony Music’s Epic Records makes its first week debut in the #1 spot on Canada’s Nielsen SoundScan Top 200 album chart, the U.S. Billboard Top 200 chart, as well as the Soundtrack album chart in both countries.

Sales totaled 44,441 in Canada and 373,100 units in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan, and this figure does not include significant sales from non-traditional retailers. In Canada, “This Is It” is Jackson’s first number one album since the establishment of SoundScan in 1997. With over 40,000 in first week sales, the album claims the third best sales week of 2009, trailing only behind U2 and Eminem’s releases. It’s no surprise that “This Is It” also claimed the #1 spot in 15 other countries, including Japan, France, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Turkey, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the Middle East and Colombia. It was also top-3 in the UK, Australia, Argentina, Austra, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland and Spain. Furthermore, a simultaneous #1 album and #1 documentary film as not happened since 1971 when the Rolling Stones did it with the album “Sticky Fingers” and movie “Gimme Shelter.”

Michael Jackson albums now occupy the top five spots of Billboard catalog album chart at #1, #3 and #4; his Number Ones album is this year’s best-selling overall album year to date. Michael Jackson’s accomplishments continue in Canada with eleven albums charting in Nielsen SoundScan’s Top Catalogue Albums including Thriller (Remastered), Thriller 25^th Anniversary Edition, Essential Michael Jackson, and Number Ones. Throughout his career, Michael Jackson has spent a total of 51 weeks at #1 on the Billboard album chart. Only The Beatles and Elvis Presley have spent more weeks at the top.

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Not much has been spilled regarding Lady Gagas much-anticipated appearance on the show, Gossip Girl.

According to perezhilton.com, the cast has only confirmed that she will be appearing and eluded that it will be something pretty spectacular. Lady Gaga, on the other hand, has revealed actual details about the upcoming appearance.

Gaga explained hat if she was going to do the show, she not settling for a randomly inserted musical performance.

“I hate TV series performances, because they kind of come in out of nowhere, and everyone’s, like, really into the story, and then all of a sudden somebody breaks into song. And it has nothing to do with the storyline, and then it screws everything up. I really sat down with the writers. I was like, ‘Look, I want to do this, and the reason I want to do this is because I am trying to say something that is not mainstream in a mainstream capacity. So, if I can say it on your show, that would be, like, a real coup d’état for me as a performance artist.’ ”

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Rihanna spoke candidly about being assaulted by Chris Brown in her first televised interview since the February incident. She said the assault was “humiliating” and “traumatizing,” and admitted that going back to Brown shortly after it happened it was “wrong.”

According to mtvnews.com, Rihanna told Diane Sawyer that it was “embarrassing that that’s the type of person that I fell in love with.” The interview aired in part on “Good Morning America” on Thursday (November 5) and will air in full on “20/20″ Friday night. “[I was] so far in love, so unconditional that I went back. It’s humiliating to say this happened. To accept that? It’s a traumatizing experience.”

Rihanna told Sawyer that on February 8, Brown put her in a headlock twice and bit her ears and fingers. Soon after the incident, a police photo leaked, showing the singer to be badly bruised. But weeks later, she and Brown were spotted vacationing together in Miami.

“I stayed. I even went back after he beat me, which was wrong,” she admitted. “But again … I’m a human being, and people put me on a very unrealistic pedestal. And all these expectations, I’m not perfect. Also it’s pretty natural for that to be the first reaction. … It’s completely normal to go back. You start lying to yourself. The minute the physical wounds go away you want this thing to go away. This is a memory you don’t want to have ever again.”

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Think you’ve heard enough about the Taylor Swift-Kanye West MTV Awards stage crash? Well, apparently not everyone does.

In a promotional shoot on Tuesday for Swift’s upcoming role as both host and musical guest on “Saturday Night Live,” Swift and “SNL” cast member Bill Hader poke some fun at the now-infamous event, according to MTVnews.com.

The promo opens with Swift and Hader standing in a 30 Rock corridor. Hader is on his cell phone as Swift says, “Hey, I’m Taylor Swift, and I’ll be the host and musical guest this week on ‘SNL.’” As she finishes her line, Hader gets off the phone and tells the young country star, “Whoops, Kanye just called. He thinks Beyoncé should host instead.” As Swift looks at him in disbelief, Hader goes, “Funny joke, right?”

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When I was ambushed this morning with yet another sickening “Jon and Kate” story, I asked for the first time:  ”Who the hell is taking care of their eight children?” For the past month, these two have been the subject of constant interviews and “celebrity” sightings, but I never see their kids with them.

Yet Kate Gosselin claimed that she did it all for the kids, but it’s clearly not the case. Several testimonies from sources close to the family, including her estranged husband Jon, reported that the show was having a negative affect on the children. The layers of bullshit continue to pile on.

Gosselin’s tortured desperation for attention has shoved her entire family into the wrong spotlight. Along with the Balloon Boy fiasco, they’ve set an example for prostituting their children – and dignity – for the opportunity at fame and wealth.

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Peak Season's Matt James

This Week on Peak Season: Episode Four

As this past Sunday night drew to a close, I couldn’t fathom what that anxious and excited feeling was in the pit of my stomach. I haven’t had this feeling since Heidi still had her original nose on Laguna Beach. Perhaps it was hunger, but perhaps it was the signs of another dilemma. Then I realized it. I have officially become addicted to a television show.

The affliction, commonly recognized by symptoms which include: placing a half-hour segment of television before things such as personal hygiene, university papers, and essentially shunning social interaction, is a serious one. Yes, admittedly, I have googled Whistler on more than one occasion, and I blame my recently terrible social graces on Grant Fraggalosch, the guy who created Peak Season. He can answer to those who wonder where I disappear to on Monday nights, and then reemerge, with an insatiable appetite for alcohol, snowboarding and drama.

This episode of Peak Season revealed a lot, and while it seemed sort-of like a base to set up all the adventures to come, it was definitely essential.

What Happens:

Who is Stephanie Just?

In what appears to be a car reminiscent of the Toyota Camry I remember from childhood, the boys (men?) of Peak Season head to Stephanie Just’s house for a backyard barbeque. For clarification: in Whistler, this means jumping off roofs, and grinding homemade rails, commonly referred to as ladders. Don’t worry, it’s safe, as justified by Just’s “200-pound” father who set the lovely contraption up. It almost seems like an “America’s funniest home videos” moment waiting to happen, but instead, the audience is treated to Just’s snowboarding skills, and can appreciate the loud-mouthed daredevil for her passion to her craft. Unfortunately, the brash snowboarder gets caught for “speeding” on the mountain (does that go on your record?), and her pass is suspended. Cue the heroine of the story: Just’s mom, who also happens to be her sponsor. Remember cunningly asking your parents for help with that long division, slyly slipping the pencil into their hand, and watching the homework magically do itself? Apply this notion to Steph’s apology letter, and you’ve got one happy, marijuana sweater-wearing boarder.

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Cory Monteith, who plays Finn Hudson in Fox’s musical series, Glee, will be presenting at this year’s Gemini Awards Nov. 14 in Monteith’s hometown of Calgary.

Also presenting awards to honour the best in Canadian television will be Melrose Place star Jessica Lucas, Flashpoint’s Hugh Dillon, Erin Karpluck of Being Erica and The Hour host George Stroumboulopoulos. Comedian Ron James will host.