In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Jay-Z reveals some of the many reasons he stepped down as president of Def Jam. Among them is his frustration with “record executives that have been sitting in their office for 20 years because of one act.” He would often hear things like, “but that’s the guy who signed Motley Crue!” “That was fucking 25 years ago,” says Jay-Z. When I read this quote I thought wow, I hope no one publishes the name of the guy that Jay-Z is referring to, because that would cause quite the controversy. About 10 seconds later, I changed course and thought – I have to find out who Jay-Z is referring to – and publish it! So who signed Motley Crue? Luckily, I own a little gem of a book written by the very talented Neil Strauss, called ‘The Dirt.’ In it, it’s revealed that the man in question is Tom Zutaut. So there you have it. Let the controversy begin!
Paramount Confirms a Tom Cruise/Les Grossman Movie – Noooo!
It’s official. Paramount is making a film with Tom Cruise, starring ‘Les Grossman,’ his character from ‘Tropic Thunder.’ Remember my excitement about Cruise’s performance at the Mtv Movie Awards? Perhaps I should have toned it down a bit, because I in no way wanted Cruise to parlay those accolades into an entire movie. It seems like a huge stretch. When I heard Stiller was involved in this project, I thought perhaps it would work, but now that I realize he will only produce the film, I’m not so happy. I think the Mtv awards should have been the last hurrah for this character. Kill it.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt May Play the Riddler in ‘Batman’ – On His Way to Super Stardom
Christopher Nolan is reportedly strongly eyeing Joseph Gordon-Levitt to play the Riddler in the next ‘Batman’ film. With this news, I am going to engage in some good old-fashioned tooting of my own horn. Since seeing the film ‘Brick,’ I’ve been telling everyone that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the next Brad Pitt. Many of my friends scoff at this comparison, but the attention he garnered from ‘500 Days of Summer’ convinced me that this isn’t so far fetched after all. He is not the “character” actor that many have suggested, and getting the role in ‘Batman’ will solidify his box-office star status. When it turns out that I am right about this, brace yourself because I will surely remind you daily.
Joan Rivers Calls Out Ben Stiller on Howard Stern: “He’s Arrogant”
Joan Rivers appeared on Howard Stern today, and took a big swipe at Ben Stiller, calling him an “arrogant, lucky guy.” Though I love Ben Stiller, I certainly love celebrity trash talking even more (well, if it’s true that is). Rivers claims that Ben Stiller’s fame is owed primarily to his more famous parents, including the very funny Jerry Stiller, who played George Costanza’s father on ‘Seinfeld.’ Since Rivers is friends with Stiller’s parents, she doesn’t appreciate it when she runs into Stiller at red carpet events and he “can’t be bothered to say hello.” Rivers was on Stern to promote her new documentary, ‘A Piece of Work.’ Hopefully we’ll see even more trash talking in it. See the trailer below.
Mary Louise Parker Returns for Season 6 of ‘Weeds’ – Watch Trailer
‘Weeds’ is returning for its sixth season, and judging from the trailer, it looks like the disturbing story-lines will continue. I actually thought last season was the best yet, with Esteban’s character having a much more prevelant role in the show. He’s pretty much the only supporting actor thus far that I really like. As a side-note, I now understand exactly why Mary Louise Parker turned down Teri Hatcher’s role in ‘Desperate Housewives.’ It’s wasn’t quite dark enough for her taste. Watch the trailer below (and please take the time to acknowledge Parker’s hot legs. I’m extremely jealous).
‘Glee’ Casts John Stamos – Hear that Ladies?
I think almost everyone agrees that John Stamos is a great looking guy, but it wasn’t until ‘ER’ that people starting to talk about his acting chops. Well, the buzz has paid off. Stamos will have a recurring role next season as Emma’s love interest. This warrants a major congratulations to Stamos. Given that ‘Glee’ is so successful, this is probably Stamos’ biggest “get” since his ‘Full House’ days. I’d also really like to take a moment to throw this in Rebecca Romijn’s face. Why? Because once upon a time when Romijn was married to Stamos, she thought she was on the verge of a big movie career on the heels of her naked-blue-person role in ‘X-Men.’ She condescendingly threw her burgeoning “success,” in Stamos’ face by saying, “John, you know what the problem is with your career? You’ve never worked with a good director.” Nothing pleases me more then when the tides turn in ways that make us eat our unkind words. Do you think he will now take her out to dinner and give her the same advice?
Pauly Shore Reveals His Legal Battle Over ‘The Comedy Store’ on Howard Stern
If you’ve ever sat back and wondered how someone like Pauly Shore rose to fame (if even for a fleeting second), this post will answer your question. Pauly Shore revealed on Howard Stern today that he has been in a legal battle with his brother since his mother, Mitzvi Shore, left them ‘The Comedy Store.’ ‘The Comedy Store’ is a very famous comedy club in Los Angeles, where many of the most well-known comedians in history got their start. It therefore only makes sense that Pauly Shore became a “comedian.” After all, if someone is giving you a revered stage with no questions asked, it’s likely that you’ll make a few bucks. Well, Shore’s less “successful” sibling isn’t having the shared arrangement, and is pursuing legal action against Shore for full control of the venue. If you’re confused by this information, you’re not alone. When I heard the interview the following thoughts occurred to me: 1) Pauly Shore is still alive?; 2) Pauly Shore is still alive?
Idea of the Day: Julianne Hough and Derek Hough – The Next ‘Donnie & Marie
With all the remakes and ripoffs in the entertainment industry, I’m surprised no one has thought of this. Derek and Julianne Hough, the brother/sister dancing duo on ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ should get together and host a variety style talk show. They’re both beautiful to look at, and all attempts to venture out of the dancing world and start other projects, have pretty much fallen flat. Why? Because they never tried this idea before. To top off the strange Donnie & Marie connection, the two are both Mormons. They grew up in Utah and moved to London at an early age to further their dancing careers (where they interestingly trained with the parents of fellow ‘Dancing With the Stars’ professional, Mark Ballas). Though it pains me to admit this, I did not actually come up with this idea on my own. An executive at my office did, and he gave me permission to take full credit. I just couldn’t do it though. So in an effort to maintain his anonymity while still making him sound cool, I’ll just call him C-Dog. If anyone steals this idea though without forking over some major dough, I’ll sue you. Hear that dancing duo?
Jerry Seinfeld is a Very Rich Man – What Do You Think Seinfeld Makes Every Year?
I knew that Jerry Seinfeld was rich, I just didn’t know he was this rich. Seinfeld rakes in about $60 million per year on the show, while the total earnings for ‘Seinfeld’ since 1998 equate to $2.3 billion. What I find particularly interesting about these numbers, is that ‘Seinfeld’ would never have gotten on the air if it was pitched to NBC today. Furthermore, if it did get on the air, I’m certain NBC would have quickly canceled it in year one, as the show didn’t gain any viewer traction until season 2 when they added Elaine. Networks just don’t have the same kind of creative patience and forethought that they used to. To get a show on the air today, you have to pitch something like “there is this group of people that want to destroy the earth, and the only person that can save the planet is a convicted serial murderer that’s about to be executed.” Oh wow – that’s actually pretty good. If you take that idea NBC, I’ll sue you.
Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds Will Team Up Again – The Next Spencer Tracey & Katharine Hepburn?
There has been a lot of talk about making a sequel to the smash hit, ‘The Proposal,’ and it was originally reported that Disney did not want to do it. It now appears that, although they won’t make a sequel, they will make another comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. This news reminded me of the golden age of the movie business, when Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracey starred in over 9 movies together. I’m not sure why this is so uncommon now. Bullock and Reynolds have proven chemistry together, so it only makes sense to pair them up over and over again. The tentative title for their new movie is ‘Most Wanted,’ and the story surrounds a criminal (Bullock) who is being escorted to court by a U.S. Marshall (Ryan Reynolds). On the way to court they are ambushed and forced to go on the run together.