One Direction Sings ‘The Story of My Life’ at the AMAs — WATCH NOW

Up until now, I’ve done my best to avoid listening to One Direction, who I’ve fundamentally dismissed as “just another pop fad,” courtesy of Simon Cowell. But for a brief moment in time, boredom overtook my sanity, and I watched their performance on the American Music Awards instead of fast-forwarding at my leisure. And though what I’m about to say might make you further question my sanity, I must, as always, give credit where credit is due, and compliment the boy-band, who truly moved me while singing ‘The Story of my Life.” No wonder Taylor Swift got caught up with that lead crooner. Watch below.


One Direction – The Story Of My Life – AMA's 2013 by IdolxMuzic

X FACTOR DEBUTS — In a Dying Format?

Though I think Simon Cowell made all the right decisions with his new panel, I have to admit a general fatigue with this format. There’s something unsettling about gathering a group of ladies who can no longer make money in this tanking industry and paying them large salaries to judge up-and-comers who, no matter how talented, won’t be able to sell records. Everyone knows the only way to make money is on tour, and the amount of performers that can sell-out stadiums is becoming incredibly scarce. That means that the only people who can likely make a dime are the over-the-top pop tarts, and those stories don’t translate as well as the video below, which shows a boyfriend/girlfriend duo that would likely be a huge success if the music industry were in a different place. Until Simon Cowell comes up with an idea to save the music industry, I’ll consider this format — and him — DATED. Watch Alex & Sierra perform Britney Spears’ ‘Toxic’ below.

Simon Cowell on Britney Spears: “She Couldn’t Talk”

Britney SpearsWhile I appreciate honestly, I’m not certain this was necessary. When asked by Ellen DeGeneres about Britney Spears, Cowell confessed to nixing her contract, saying, “I didn’t realize that. I kind of booked someone who couldn’t talk, which is a bit of a problem when you want someone to judge.” He went on to explain that Spears was generally uncomfortable with the entire process, disliking the overall negativity associated with the talent competition. I supposed there’s a lesson to be learned here. Perhaps producers should focus less on stunt casting and more on judging. And since The Voice, X Factor, and American Idol have yet to produce a huge star in years, it’s also possible the format is dying.

The Dirty Dish — Tabloid News Review

 

Welcome back to my daily digest of all things dish! Here’s hoping your long Labor Day Weekend was a Labor of Love, with shopping excursions, brunch with besties, or playtime at parties! And just in case you missed your fill of celebrity deets during your days off, here’s the dirty dish in a nutshell.

  • Miley Cyrus isn’t modest. ICYDK
  • Scarlett Johansson is engaged. People
  • Gwen Stefani is pregnant with baby #3 (she’s 43). E! Online
  • Kris Jenner didn’t make any friends at her talk show. Radar Online
  • Lamar Odom entered rehab. TMZ
  • Kerry Washington keeps her private life private. Jezebel
  • Simon Cowell knows the sex of his baby. Pop Crunch
  • LeAnn Rimes v. Brandi Glanville: Round 2,134. The Celebrity Cafe
  • Lance Bass is engaged. TIME
  • Jason Statham & Rosie Huntington Whitely are on the rocks. Wet Paint
  • Alec Baldwin debuted his baby. EXTRA
  • Melanie Griffith’s daughter will star in Fifty Shades of Grey. MSN
  • Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones are temporarily separated. Mirror

Tabloid Gossip — Your News Now

  • ‘Prison Break’s’ Wentworth Miller proudly declared his homosexual status. Stuff
  • Simon Cowell proudly pranced beside his baby mamma. People
  • Lamar Odom might have drug problems. TMZ
  • Kelly Clarkson isn’t pregnant. But she is eloping. NYND
  • Eva Longoria & Ernesto Arguello hit the splits. ICYDK
  • Harry Styles doesn’t mind if Taylor Swift writes songs about him. LAT
  • Is Jason Segel dating Cameron Diaz? Celebslam
  • Melanie Griffith thinks Hollywood is superficial. Moviefone
  • Is Kristen Stewart dating Lane Garrison. SugarScape
  • Kanye West & Kim Kardashian revealed their daughter’s photo. HIPHOPWIRED
  • Alec Baldwin welcomed a baby girl. PopCrunch

Simon Cowell v. LeAnn Rimes — Is Society Sexist?

LeAnn RimesWhen the news first broke that Simon Cowell knocked up his good friend’s wife, I thought, “There has to be some reasonable explanation.” Then pictures surfaced of Cowell kissing Lauren Silverman, while her husband was presumably close by. To top it off, Cowell took these couples trips with his then fiance, Mezhgan Hussainy. And despite all this damning evidence, I was still convinced of Simon Cowell’s innocence. Then I was hit by a thunderbolt. I suddenly realized that LeAnn Rimes was not afforded this same naive insanity or the benefit of any doubt. She too had an affair with a married parent, and the public trashed her with tramp status and cast flames upon her for eternity. Sure she handled it horribly, but so has Cowell. Just days after Lauren Silverman’s divorce with Andrew Silverman became final, he’s been seen publicly parading his love, holding hands with Silverman and openly kissing her in French restaurants. So what’s the difference here, and why is Cowell getting the get-out-of-jail-free card that LeAnn can’t kill someone for? Well . . . it starts with a P and ends with and S, and it rhymes with Venus. You do the math.

 

 

Tabloid Rundown — The Week of Links

 

  • Seth MacFarlane is dating Alexis Knapp (Ryan Phillipe’s baby mamma). NYDN
  • Amber Rose & Wiz Khalifa are getting married. Vibe
  • Kim Kardashian was spotted with her baby. PopSugar
  • Will Arnett is dating Katie Lee (Billy Joel’s ex-wife). DListed
  • Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez are on the outs over Justin Bieber. Idolator
  • Carmen Electra caught Simon Cowell in bed with Lauren Silverman. ICYDK
  • Soleil Moon Frye is pregnant. E! News
  • Katie Couric responded to Kim Kardashian’s twitter diss. Hollywood Life
  • Jennifer Lopez is returning to American Idol. Celebuzz
  • Donald Faison and CaCee Cobb had a baby. TV Guide
  • The Khloe Kardashian divorce rumors continue. Socialite Life

Tabloid Gossip — Links & Things

 

  • Megan Fox is pregnant. Celebuzz
  • Evan Rachel Wood gave birth. MSN
  • Adrienne Bailon has yet to claim her baggage. Bossip
  • Jodie Sweetin’s ex-factor just got more complicated. TMZ
  • Will.I.Am might join American Idol. E! Online
  • Simon Cowell put a baby in a married woman’s belly. NYDN
  • Raven Symone put one foot out of the closet. CNN
  • Jennifer Aniston is a bare-faced beauty. People
  • The Real Housewives of New Jersey have some real problems. THG

 

 

Tabloid Rundown — Week-in-Review

 

  • Diane Lane filed for divorce from Josh Brolin. SheKnows
  • Erin Andrews doesn’t want to kiss 50 Cent. Inquistr
  • Tiger Woods & Elin Nordegren are friendly exes. LA Times
  • Taylor Armstrong debuted her new boyfriend. Starcasm
  • Kim Kardashian & Kanye West are expecting a girl. MTV
  • Chelsie Hightower got axed from Dancing with the stars. NY Daily News
  • Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson might be broken up . . . again. The Stir
  • Elton John is getting married. Wet Paint
  • Katie Price (A.K.A. the British Pamela Anderson) is pregnant. Daily Mail
  • Fergie is pregnant. People
  • Kelly Clarkson and Clive Davis are dueling divas. Rolling Stone

Khloe Kardashian Gets Axed from X Factor — Exit, Stage Left

It was only a matter of time. Despite Khloe’s status as America’s favorite (or most tolerated) Kardashian, the reality star got sacked from X Factor. To put it simply, she wasn’t qualified. She flubbed her canned lines, she lacked chemistry with Mario Lopez, and the quick-wit she’s known for was nowhere to be found. Live television is a tough game, and it takes a well-versed veteran to make it happen. Having said all that, I vote to can Mario Lopez too. He’s a wax figure, and robots are just as annoying as reality stars.

There’s an underlying lesson here for Simon Cowell. The public can smell desperation, and when you pick people solely on the basis of popularity rather than talent — they’ll know — and your format will suffer because of it.