Monday, January 19, 2015

Betty White's 93rd birthday flash mob makes her clap for joy



A simple cake and a relaxing day might be the ideal way for some people to spend their 93rd birthday, but for Betty White, her perfect gift was a flash mob filled with hula dancers.

On Saturday (Jan. 17), in honor of the legendary actress' birthday, the "Hot in Cleveland" cast got together to put on one of the most amazing dances ever. Apparently White is greeted every day on set with a hula dance courtesy of her assistant -- OK, that's unique -- but this time, she was surprised by the entire cast and crew of the TV Land comedy.

As her co-star Dave Foley drives her through set in a golf cart, she is greeted by a friendly mob of people wearing hula skirts and leis who are dancing their butts off for the birthday girl. Of course, throughout the entire performance she appears to be completely shocked and emotional, especially when Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick come out with a giant birthday sign and give her a hug.

Honestly, the sheer happiness that radiates from her face when she sees what her friends and co-stars have done for her birthday is enough to choke anyone up with tears of joy for the next week.

The only question is: How are they going to beat this surprise for her 94th birthday?

'Hot in Cleveland' Season 5 photos
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    Ken Jeong, D.W. Moffett, Dave Foley, Valerie Bertinelli, Susan Lucci, Albert Tsai, Wendie Malick, Betty White, Jane Leeves, Georgia Engel and Alex Trebek

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    John Mahoney and Betty White

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    Wendie Mallick, Valerie Bertinelli, Betty White and Jane Leeves

  • 4/12

    Valerie Bertinelli and Jane Leeves

  • 5/12

    Jane Leeves and Craig Ferguson

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    Jane Leeves, Dave Foley, Wendie Mallick and Jennifer Love Hewitt

  • 7/12

    Jane Leeves, Valeria Bertinelli and Wendie Mallick

  • 8/12

    Valerie Bertinelli and Betty White

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    Kristie Alley and Betty White

  • 11/12

    Jane Leeves and Dave Foley

Source: http://www.zap2it.com/blogs/betty_white_93rd_birthday_flash_mob_hot_in_cleveland-2015-01



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Sunday, January 18, 2015

Al Sharpton criticized for calling 'emergency meeting' over Oscar nominations



Al Sharpton is being questioned for calling for an emergency meeting of his "diversity task force" Thursday after the Academy Awards nominated only white actors.

The lack of diversity in todays Oscar nominations is appalling, and while it is good that 'Selma' was nominated for Best Picture, its ironic that they nominated a story about the racial shutout around voting while there is a racial shutout around the Oscar nominations, Sharpton said in a statement. With all of the talent in 'Selma' and other Black movies this year, it is hard to believe that we have less diversity in the nominations today than in recent history.

Sharpton said he will meet next week with allies to discuss "potential actions" ahead or during the Feb. 22 award show.

The Academy's female African American president Cheryl Isaac Burke said she does not believe there is a diversity problem.

"No, not at all," she told Vulture when asked about this year's list of nominees. "The good news is that the wealth of talent is there, and it's being discussed, and it's helpful so much for talent whether in front of the camera or behind the camera to have this recognition, to have this period of time where there is a lot of publicity, a lot of chitter-chatter."

Syndicated columnist Deroy Murdock told FOX News Sharpton should focus his efforts elsewhere.

"Given all the problems facing black Americans today, it seems Al Sharpton ought to organize a whole bunch of emergency meetings on real emergencies before he has a total freak out over how the Academy Awards are playing themselves out," Murdock said.

The Blaze's Amy Holmes told FOX News she saw Sharpton's point, but said he did not go far enough. "I think it's ridiculous, it's absurd, it's appalling that not only African Americans, Hispanic Americans and the whole artistic creative community wouldn't be represented at the Oscars," she said, but also added: "We know with Mr. Sharpton, that he's never seen a racial controversy that he couldn't exploit."

Oscar-snubbed actress Jessica Chastain expressed her concerns over the nominations when she accepted her Most Valuable Player honor at the Critics Choice Awards Thursday night.

"Today is Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, so it got me thinking about our need to build the strength of diversity in our industry, and to stand together against homophobic, sexist, misogynistic, anti-Semitic and racist agendas," the actress said. "I'm an optimist and I can't help but feel hopeful about the future of film, especially looking at all of the beautiful people in this room."

The White House also announced Thursday that they will host a screening Friday night of the Martin Luther King, Jr. biopic.

According to the LA Times, of the 6,028 Academy Award voters 93 percent are white and76 percent are male. Halle Berry is the only African American female to win Best Actress. Four African American male actors have taken home the award.T.J. Martin is the only African American to win Best Director. Last year, "12 Years a Slave," with a predominantly African American cast, won Best Picture, and African-American actress Lupita Nyong'o won Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2015/01/16/al-sharpton-calls-for-emergency-meeting-hollywood-over-lack-diversity-in/



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Hear Frank Ocean's Moving Cover of Aaliyah's 'At Your Best (You Are Love ...



Buzz

By Ryan Middleton Jan 17, 2015 02:17 PM EST

Frank Ocean performs at Bonnaroo 2014 (Photo : Getty Images)

On Jan. 16, treasured R&B/soul singer Aaliyahwould have turned 36, and to honor her life, Frank Ocean covered the One In A Millionsinger's rendition of "At Your Best (You Are Love)," an Isley Brotherstrack from 1976 that was covered by Aaliyah in 1994. Frank Ocean took to his active Tumblr account to share the stripped-down and sounful cover. The Channel Orangesinger dishes a moving falsetto, which he titles "You Are Luhh," that is a fitting tribute to the R&B singer who was taken from us too soon. His version seems to transition at the end into something unrelated possibly new music from Ocean. Listen to the rendition below via Ocean's Tumblr.

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A biopic was released about Aaliyah at the end of 2014 by Lifetime. It was widely criticized by those who knew her, including Timbalandwho called the film "bulls--t." The film was unable to clear any of the music from Aaliyah's discography, dooming it from the start and it was widely perceived as inadequately portraying her as a person.

Fans have been eagerly awaiting some sort of news about a follow up to Ocean's breakthrough 2012 album Channel Orange. In November, he revealed the lo-fi "Memrise" through his Tumblr page, but he has kept progress on any progress on new music very close to the vest thus far.

Lil Bposted a pictureof the two in the studio, which would be a very interesting combination to see make an album. According to Rolling Stone, Pharrell, Danger Mouse, Rodney Jenkinsand Hit-Boyare among the producers rumored to be collaborating with Ocean on his follow-up LP.

R&B/Soul More R&B/Soul Articles ?

Lil B More Lil B photos, news and a full bio?

TagsFrank Ocean, Aaliyah, Lil B, Timbaland

2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Source: http://www.musictimes.com/articles/24966/20150117/hear-frank-ocean-moving-cover-aaliyah-at-your-best-you-are-love-listen.htm



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CBS suspends ex-Knick Greg Anthony after arrest in prostitution case



CBS and Turner both indefinitely suspended basketball analyst Greg Anthony indefinitely Saturday after he was arrested Friday on a solicitation charge.

Anthony, 47, is the lead analyst on CBS' college basketball telecasts, including during that network's and Turner's coverage of the NCAA Tournament. He also works for NBA TV.

"Greg Anthony will not be working again for CBS this season," the network said in a statement. "He has been suspended indefinitely."

Said Turner: "Greg Anthony has been suspended indefinitely and we will have no further comment at this time."

A District of Columbia police spokesman told The Associated Press that Anthony was arrested at 5:46 p.m. Friday, and that he faces a misdemeanor solicitation charge that is punishable by up to 180 days in jail.

Anthony was in Washington in preparation to analyze the Michigan State at Maryland game Saturday.

Anthony played 11 NBA seasons with six teams, including the Knicks.

Source: http://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/greg-anthony-ex-knick-suspended-by-cbs-after-arrest-in-prostitution-case-1.9817428



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Saturday, January 17, 2015

Remembering Aaliyah on Her Birthday



Aaliyah (Sal Idriss/Redferns/Getty Images)

When most of us are 14 years old, we're clumsily navigating the early years of high school. When R&B superstar Aaliyah was 14, she was recording her debut album the double-platinum Age Ain't Nothing but a Number while maintaining a perfect 4.0 grade-point average at the Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing Arts. It marked a fitting beginning to the career of a young woman who would continue to excel for the rest of her life.

But Aaliyah did more than excel she innovated. Her experimental style of R&B influenced a generation of artists (including those who weren't yet born in 1994, when Age Ain't Nothing but a Number was released). She was just 22 when she died in a plane crash after leaving a video shoot in the Bahamas, but her short life left a long legacy. On what would've been her 36th birthday, we look at five ways Aaliyah left an unforgettable impact on music, fashion and pop culture.

The strident "diva" sound reigned supreme for female R&B artists of the 1980s and '90s. Think Whitney Houston belting out "I Will Always Love You" a loud voice and plenty of notes on each syllable. Indeed, Houston was a major innovator of that style, and for years her influence had a tight grip on the genre. Then came Aaliyah, and her subtle, quiet, breathy vocals changed everything. Sometimes almost disappearing into the music instead of rising above it, Aaliyah's hypnotic voice compelled attention instead of demanding it. Aaliyah's quiet, sometimes monotone style has since been echoed by Rihanna, Ashanti and others and while the divas are still out there, they're now far from the primary female sound on the airwaves.

As Aaliyah grew as an artist, her production notably by Timbaland and Missy Elliott evolved into something new for the mainstream. Described as twitchy, stuttery or syncopated, it featured long pauses, jumps and starts. It was much more electronic than the smoother, more organic R&B sound of the 1990s, and it presaged today's highly processed standard, where autotune and electronic instruments rule R&B.

Aaliyah's music changed and grew throughout her career, starting with a new R&B sound and moving on to something that was harder to classify. In The Atlantic, Rick Bellis calls tracks from Aaliyah's 2001 self-titled album "bizarre," "genreless" and "freaky" words meant as compliments to an artist who created an album that was "way-weirder ... than the Sonic Youth record that came out around the same time." Aaliyah's envelope-pushing was inspirational to a music scene that has become increasingly harder to divide into distinct genres, one in which country singers rap, rappers sing, and everyone seems to borrow elements of everyone else's style.

The baggy, buttoned-up styles of the 1980s shifted to sexier, tighter looks in the '90s, and in the R&B world, scanty was the word of the day for women's fashion. Aaliyah thumbed her nose at a music scene that expected her to writhe around in lingerie, preferring a tomboy-inspired silhouette of baggy bottoms and sports bra-style tops, sometimes with a jacket. It was functional as well as attractive, allowing her to dance and move, and it began to dominate teen style in the late '90s and early 2000s. In the years since, the style has retained its undercurrent of influence on young trend makers and Tumblr bloggers, and has more recently re-emerged to the mainstream in sporty-chic collections by designers such as Zana Bayne and Nasir Mazhar.

It may sound silly, but it's true: Aaliyah was perhaps just as influential on parents looking for a baby name as she was on the music world. The name Aaliyah was rarely used before the late '90s, but then its popularity nearly tripled from about 0.08 percent of babies in 1998 to 0.25 percent in 2001, the year of Aaliyah's death. And the tribute didn't fade out as the shock of the young artist's death wore off. Instead, it grew: in 2013, Aaliyah was the 36th most popular name for baby girls.

Did Aaliyah make an impact on your life? Post your comments on Facebook.

Source: http://www.legacy.com/news/legends-and-legacies/remembering-aaliyah-on-her-birthday/2995/



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Magazine alters image of Bruce Jenner for cover



Bruce Jenner continues to be plagued by rumors that hes a transgender woman struggling with the decision to fully transition and come out to the world, according to Inform.

However, InTouch Weekly magazine couldnt wait for the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star and Olympic great to tell his story the tabloid decided to do it for him.

According to BuzzFeed, the latest cover of InTouch Weekly features Jenner with plucked eyebrows, a full face of makeup and seemingly wearing a dress. The Inquisitr previously reported that the InTouch cover was created with Photoshop, and BuzzFeed discovered that the tabloid created the cover by superimposing a photo of Jenner over a photo of 67-year-old Dynasty star Stephanie Beacham.

Jenner and Beacham are wearing the same scarf and jacket in the photos, Inform reported, and it looks like InTouch used Beachams eyebrows and lips as a model when Photoshopping Jenners face.

Source: http://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/ent-columns-blogs/video-break/article6626238.html



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Gossip magazine InTouch Weekly slaps makeup on Bruce Jenner in ...



  • Photo By File photo/Facebook/ InTouch Weekly

    Photo of the controversial InTouch Weekly cover that includes a Photoshopped image of Bruce Jenner wearing makeup.

  • Photo By File photo/Facebook/ InTouch Weekly

    Screenshot from InTouch Weekly's coverage of Bruce Jenner's "transformation."

  • Photo By Michael Heiman/File photo/Facebook/ InTouch Weekly

    EUGENE, OR - JUNE 22: Former Olympian Bruce Jenner speaks to the media during Day One of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials at Hayward Field on June 22, 2012 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Michael Heiman/Getty Images)

  • Photo By Nick Ut/File photo/Facebook/ InTouch Weekly

    FILE - This Sept. 27, 1995 file photo shows Olympic gold medal champion Bruce Jenner and his wife Kris Jenner with the media at the Criminal Courts Building as they arrive for closing arguments in the O.J. Simpson double-murder trial in Los Angeles. The celebrity couple have confirmed they separated a year ago, after 22 years together. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)

  • Photo By File

    These stars are rumored to have gone under the knife. See for yourself.

  • Photo By Sean Gallup/Getty Images

    Renee Zellweger made a name for herself in films such as 'Chicago' and 'Bridget Jones' Diary.' Now she's back in the headlines, but it's not for an upcoming role. She recently revealed a brand-new look. No, she didn't just dye her hair or lose weight. You've got to see it to believe it. Click on the next slide to meet the new (and improved??) Renee Zellweger.

  • Photo By Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

    AFTER: Zellweger unveiled her new face on October 20, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California. Shocking, we know. The star looks more like Glenn Close or even Sarah Jessica Parker than her real self.

    She's not the only star to go under the knife. Take a look at other celebs who are reported to have had plastic surgery.

  • Photo By Associated Press

    BEFORE: Jennifer Grey - we kinda loved your nose as it was.

  • Photo By Associated Press

    AFTER: The nose job made her look like a completely different person.

  • Photo By Associated Press

    BEFORE: Kenny Rogers has stated he would never have plastic surgery again. We tend to agree with him that he shouldn't. Here he is in 1989.

  • Photo By Associated Press

    AFTER: And here's what he looks like circa 2011.

  • Photo By DIANE BONDAREFF/Associated Press

    BEFORE: Lil' Kim has a long history of plastic "procedures."
  • AFTER: And here she is in 2014.

  • Photo By Associated Press

    BEFORE: Actor-boxer Mickey Rourke claims he first had surgery to correct injuries from boxing. Here he is in 1994, three years after he started boxing professionally.

  • Photo By Mark J. Terrill/AP

    AFTER(ish): Here's Rourke in 2008. Mickey Rourke says his face was messed up by boxing, but the plastic surgery he had didn't really fix it.

  • Photo By Associated Press

    BEFORE: Amy Winehouse altered many things about her appearance.

  • Photo By Associated Press

    AFTER: But one of the most talked about was the enlarging of her b*****s.

  • Photo By Associated Press

    BEFORE: Heidi Montag wasn't happy with herself in 2008 after breast enlargement, rhinoplasty and lip injections.

  • Photo By Getty Images

    AFTER: She reinvented herself in 2010 by having ten plastic surgery procedures in one day.

  • Photo By FOX

    BEFORE: Watch the size of Lisa Rinna's lips. Here she is in 1996 on Melrose Place.

  • Photo By Robin Marchant/Getty Images

    AFTER: And here she is in 2014. What a difference.

  • BEFORE: Joan Rivers was very vocal about her many plastic surgeries.

  • Photo By Associated Press

    AFTER: Not that she really had to tell us. We were pretty sure.

  • Photo By Susan Wood/Getty Images/Getty Images

    BEFORE: The self-proclaimed "first supermodel," Janice Dickinson was an in-demand model in the '70s and '80s. Here she is in 1978 at age 23.

  • Photo By David Livingston/Getty Images

    AFTER: Janice Dickinson in 2014. Granted, we've seen worse.

  • Photo By Associated Press

    BEFORE: Bruce Jenner was a handsome guy back in 1988.

  • Photo By Associated Press

    AFTER(ish): Then bad plastic surgery left him looking a bit uneven. So, ...

  • AFTER: He had surgery to correct the previous surgery.

  • Photo By SUZANNE VLAMIS/AP

    BEFORE: Arguably the most famous plastic surgery patient, Michael Jackson in 1977 pictured with Nipsey Russell and Diana Ross.

  • Photo By Associated Press

    AFTER(ish): And here's Michael in 1994.

  • Photo By ALASTAIR GRANT/AP

    AFTER(ish): Here he is in 2001.

  • Photo By Joel Ryan/AP

    AFTER: Here is Michael Jackson, nearly three months before his 2009 death.

  • Photo By Terry McGinnis/WireImage

    BEFORE: Courtney Love with her husband Kurt Cobain of Nirvana (right) and their daughter Frances Bean Cobain in 1993.

  • Photo By Getty

    AFTER(ish): Courtney Love's face seems to be stretched to within an inch of its life, seen here in 2009.

  • Photo By Carlo Allegri/AP

    AFTER: We couldn't leave you with that previous image in your heads. Here she is in 2013, looking less stretched.

  • Photo By Ron Galella/WireImage

    BEFORE: Melanie Griffith (with Antonio Banderas) in her career heyday in 1995.

  • Photo By Handout photo

    AFTER: Melanie Griffith has had so much plastic surgery she has transformed into a Jane Fonda lookalike.

  • Photo By Internet images

    BEFORE/AFTER: Comedian Carrot Top, not an especially attractive man in his "before" image, is just plain scary afterward.

  • Photo By Getty Images

    AFTER: Carrot Top has gone beyond the normal means of trying to look young. He's even gotten implants in his chest and arms to make him look buff.

  • BEFORE: Pamela Anderson looking sporty in the early 90s.

  • AFTER: The look was a far cry from how Pamela Anderson has traditionally looked. Here's the actress in 2002.

  • AFTER (again): Pamela Anderson debuted a less in-your-face look look at age 45 in 2013.

  • BEFORE: Lara Flynn Boyle in 'Red Rock West' from 1993.

  • AFTER: The actress is unrecognizable in this 2012 photo.

  • Photo By xx

    BEFORE: Singer Barry Manilow (seen here with Dionne Warwick) is rumored to have had numerous surgeries.

  • Photo By AP

    AFTER: Barry Manilow's face seems a little too feminine.

  • Photo By Time & Life Pictures/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images

    BEFORE: Sharon Osbourne, seen here with her rocker husband Ozzy Osbourne in 1982.

  • AFTER: Sharon's look is raises a lot of eyebrows.

  • Photo By Peter Kramer/STR

    BEFORE: TV personality Heidi Montag makes an appearance for MTV's "Total Request Live" in 2008, before she started having cosmetic procedures to change her face and body. BEFORE: TV personality Heidi Montag makes an appearance for MTV's "Total Request Live" in 2008, before she started having cosmetic procedures to change her face and body.

  • Photo By David Becker/Stringer

    AFTER: By 2010, Montag had started getting Botox injections in her face as well as had a nose job. Other procedures included breast and buttock augmentation and liposuction.AFTER: By 2010, Montag had started getting Botox injections in her face as well as had a nose job. Other procedures included breast and buttock augmentation and liposuction.

  • Photo By Courtesy photo

    By 1987, when Michael Jackson released "Bad," the pop star had started changing his appearance. His skin was lighter, later reported to be the condition vitiligo, but his face also looked more angular.

  • Photo By Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

    This is Jackson in 2003.

  • Pamela Anderson debuted this new face recently.

  • The look was a far cry from how Pamela Anderson has traditionally looked. Here's the actress in 2002. Anderson has previously been known for enlarging and reducing her b*****s through plastic surgery.

  • Photo By Getty

    Carrot Top has gone beyond the normal means of trying to look young. He's even gotten implants in his chest and arms to make him look buff.

  • Photo By Gus Ruelas/AP

    Believe it or not, Bruce Jenner didn't always look like this.

  • Photo By Handout

    Joan Rivers is very vocal about her many plastic surgeries.

  • Photo By AP

    Lil' Kim is headed down a path forged by Michael Jackson.

  • Photo By MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

    Melanie Griffith has had so much plastic surgery she has transformed into a Jane Fonda lookalike.

  • Photo By Handout

    Plastic surgery has not been kind to the formerly brooding, handsome face of KISS frontman Paul Stanley.

  • Photo By David Becker/Getty Images

    Heidi Montag reinvented herself in 2010 by having ten plastic surgery procedures in one day.

  • Photo By Kevork Djansezian/AP

    Formerly rugged actor Burt Reynolds looks like his lips are stretched so far from plastic surgery that the smile is permanent.

  • Photo By Dan Steinberg/AP

    Mickey Rourke says his face was messed up by boxing, but the plastic surgery he had didn't really fix it.

  • Photo By Chronicle file photo

    Marvin Zindler completely transformed his face's profile.

  • Photo By Bruce Senior

    Then he kept going.

  • Source: http://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/article/Gossip-magazine-In-Touch-Weekly-slaps-makeup-on-6017877.php



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