Confirmed: Fox fires Roger Friedman
The weekend-long guessing game over the fate of entertainment blogger Roger Friedman is over: Friedman has parted company with Fox News after a controversial post in which he reviewed a leaked, incomplete version of 20th Century Fox’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.”
In a statement issued Monday afternoon, Fox News said: “Fox News representatives and Roger Friedman met today and mutually agreed to part ways immediately. Fox News appreciates Mr. Friedman’s 10 years of contributions to building FoxNews.com and wishes him success in his future endeavors. Mr. Friedman is grateful to his colleagues for their friendship and support over the past decade.”
‹Idol’s newest judge has to take criticism, too
Although she said “I do think that there’s a solid front-runner, ” she wouldn’t name that person. “My job is to judge what happens week to week, ” she said. “To [predict a winner] sort of kills the rest of the season for me. I want to see what people can deliver. You never know.”
Still, she cited highlights, including Adam Lambert’s “outrageous range” and Allison Iraheta, who “sings like she’s an old soul.” Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson have predicted that Danny Gokey and Adam Lambert will end up in the finals, but DioGuardi said that while that’s “a really strong possibility, ” it depends upon their performances going forward and whether Iraheta, Kris Allen, and Matt Giraud “keep upping their game.”
More Idol Headlines After the JUMP…
‘American Idol’ Power List: Vote for your favorite from season 8’s Top 8!
1. Adam Lambert: (Last week: No. 1) Riding so high that he manages to look cool (and maintain his top slot) even after choosing Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music.” Would love to see him dial it back and give viewers a second glance at the emotionally connected artist who gave us that devastating cover of “Tracks of My Tears, ” but let’s be honest: he could probably belt “Macarena” and still sail through to the finale.
‘Idol’ Meter: Kris on rise; Lil, Anoop dogged
They could pick from a vast universe of iTunes downloads, and the Idol finalists chose ¦Just the Way You Are? Don’t Speak? Play That Funky Music??? Trite (and baffling) song choices led to this season’s least-satisfying show, salvaged by a breakthrough performance by Kris Allen and the overdue departure of worst-by-a-mile Megan Joy. Who looks good? USA TODAY spotlights three contestants.
After 4 weeks of Idol, a quartet of front-runners emerges
There are just four names to remember during this so-so season of American Idol. And no, theyre not Randy, Kara, Paula and Simon.
After four weeks of competition ‘ Michael Jackson hits, country classics, Motown and, well, any song ever downloaded on iTunes ‘ the real race has come down to good-guy-in-glasses Danny Gokey, guy-linered heartthrob Adam Lambert, cuddly cute Kris Allen and rocker chicklet Allison Iraheta. That all, folks.
Gokey was pegged as this season golden boy from the beginning. But then Lambert opened his mouth. His polarizing talent and otherworldly vocals have resulted in the season most dynamic performances (and have made Gokey seem, well, boring).
American Idol Video
ELLE.com staffers weigh in on the contestants’ style
SAFE BET ADAM ODDS-ON TO WIN ‘IDOL’
IT’S official: Adam Lambert is the odds-on favorite to be the next “American Idol.”
Oddsmakers from Latin America to London for the first time this week have made the show-stopping crooner such a prohibitive favorite to win this year’s “Idol” that a $1 bet on him will pay only 80 cents.
The talent show has seen some heavy favorites in the past but nothing quite like Lambert — who is running away from the field with seven other performers still in the running.
Aiken judges aspiring models’ acting abilities
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) ‘ Performer Clay Aiken says he thinks his “American Idol” experience helped contestants appreciate his comments when he was a judge in an episode of “America’s Next Top Model” due to be aired Wednesday.
“It was interesting to be on the other side of the table and think of all these things that I went through in 2003, ” Aiken told The Associated Press in a phone interview, referring to the year he finished second to Ruben Studdard during the second season of Fox’s hit reality show.
“I think the girls kind of appreciated that, the fact that I had been in a similar position, ” Aiken, 30, said in the Friday interview. “I was going to be a judge, yes, but be a judge who understood a little bit about what they’re going through.”
Michael Johns Does Playboy…well sorta
Since skyrocketing into the national consciousness on “American Idol, ” Johns has been one busy bee. He got out of the spotlight for a bit to co-write the score of a documentary called, “Don’t Look Down, ” and then returned to the spotlight to perform on the West Coast leg of Kanye West …Glow in the Dark tour. Who knew?
Johns has also made time for some good deeds in his very busy schedule, contributing to the OneHeart Umbrella Campaign, Red Cross and ALS.
But the thing that is sure to give him bragging rights among the boys is not his admirable work with charitable organizations, but his recent interview in Playboy. In the magazine, Johns discusses his upcoming album, his time on “Idol” and his distaste for desk jobs.
David Cook is My Homeboy
Your A Idiot ¦ if you paid money to see American Idol David Cook at Paws.
You could just have waited to see him at an uptown Towson bar, like I did.
Let it be known that I wasnt intentionally stalking him. I do not hold false Idols, for that is a sin.
If you want someone to deify, why not choose a being that is already a deity? Then you dont have to put in the effort of establishing a silly religion based on them. This is why I follow Dionysus (the Greek god of wine and inspirer of ecstasy), and Dionysus is the reason I was at an unnamed uptown Bar Friday night, not David Cook.
Unfortunately Dionysus was not at the bar influencing people into madness, but plenty of booze and David Cook were there as substitutes.
Visiting with ‘Idol Tonight’
Idol_tonight111 The term …American Idol no longer refers just to one mere television show, but also to a vast industrial complex of shows (“American Idol” performance and results, “Idol Tonight, ” “Idol Extra, ” “Idol Wrap” and “Idol Rewind, ” live acts and tie-ins, all revolving in orbit around the flagship series).
Each Wednesday, the mothership releases another aspiring singer into the larger “Idol” community ‘ a world of records and TV appearances, where some 80 former contestants labor to keep their profiles above sea level.
Here Comes the ‘Bride’: Katharine McPhee!
Who’s the former “American Idol” star wearing a wedding gown? Why it’s none other than Katharine McPhee, starring in the romantic comedy ‘You May Not Kiss the Bride, ‘ and ET is with her on the set!
Due out next year, the film is currently lensing in breathtaking Hawaii, and Katharine tells ET, “We’re having so much fun, we can’t even believe we’re here working.”
In the movie, Katharine plays the daughter of a Croatian mobster (‘Borat’ star Ken Davitian) who tries to obtain U.S. citizenship by setting her up with an American photographer (Dave Annable of ‘Brothers & Sisters’). Of course, the pair begin to fall in love, much to the chagrin of her father. Mena Suvari and Vinnie Jones also star in the comedy, written and directed by Rob Hedden.
An ‘Embarrassed’ Carrie Underwood Apologizes to Matthew McConaughey Over Sexual Reference in Acceptance Speech
After taking the trophy from McConaughey, a tearful Underwood caused jaws to drop when she said:
“I don’t know what to say. I got nothin’ … I want to see those boots, Matthew.” (The audience erupted into laughter but somehow we don’t think his leading lady, Camila Alves, was so amused). And clearly, Carrie regretted the spur-of-the-moment sexual advance.
“I’m so embarrassed, I totally embarrassed myself. I just blanked, ” Underwood told Tarts backstage, burying her head in her hands. “You want to say something eloquent in a moment like that and I embarrassed myself. I’m sorry Matthew, I’m sorry to my family. I’m totally embarrassed.”
Paula Abdul presents guide dogs at graduation ceremony for veterans
Every seven minutes, someone in America becomes blind or visially impaired. American Idol judge, Paula Abdul, was in Palm Springs on Sunday, April 5, to congratulate seven U.S. veterans as they received their guide dogs from Guide Dogs of the Desert.
‘Dancing With the Stars’ Recap: That’s Bull!
Greetings, DANCMSTRs! Inspired by Lil’ Kim (as I am every day), I tried to write this recap on my Buddha Board, but it kept disappearing. What a bust! You’ll have to settle for the non-relaxing, text-based version instead. While I attempt to wrap my head around just how Bob Saget and Cynthia Stevenson managed to travel from a liiiiiiiiiiiiiiive! studio audience to a cozy sofa in a matter of seconds, why not take a trippy trip (emphasis on trippy) down the sequin-encrusted Mammary Lane of last night’s Dancing With the Stars week 5 performance show? Here’s how the nine remaining couples ranked after performing either the paso doble or the Viennese waltz…
Gilles Marini Says Wife Loves His Sexy Dancing
Dancing with the Stars heartthrob and front-runner Gilles Marini says his steamy moves on the show arent a problem for his wife, Carole’ in fact, …she loves to see that sexiness.
The French actor/model, who made a splash last year as Samantha outdoor-showering neighbor in the Sex and the City movie, says he wouldnt be able to perform his high-energy dance routines without his wife support.
Dancing With The Stars: Lil Kim Could Have Value
Though heartthrob, Gilles Marini, is likely to become the runaway favorite on this season’s Dancing With The Stars following Monday night’s passionate paso doble with partner, Cheryl Burke, rapper Lil Kim is still in the thick of things. Marini scored a perfect 29, but Lil Kim tied this week’s slight favorite, Shawn Johnson, with a score of 26.
‘Dancing With the Stars’: Waltz on
Week 5 already, ballroom fans! On the program for the evening: the Viennese waltz and the pasodoble. And thanks to last week double elimination, there was less of a discrepancy between the top and bottom scorers, which kind of evened out the playing field a bit. Not to say that the leader board had changed all that much, but at least this week the highs were not so high and the lows not so drearily low. Continuing their hot streak at the top of the charts, unsurprisingly, were ¦
