We are really showing our age today. What with that SPECTACULAR ANDY WARHOL, MR. T. AND HULK HOGAN WRESTLING CLIP (Seriously, if that’s not ALL CAPS worthy, then what is?).

And now this. According to our friends at People magazine, the “Today” show, this Friday morning, will feature the reunion of the New Kids On The Block. All the original members - Joey, Donnie, Danny, Jonathan and Jordan. Oh, and it’s the 20th Anniversary of their hit single, “Hangin’ Tough” album, Hangin’ Tough. If that’s not a flimsy excuse for a reunion, I don’t know what is.

You old folks: will this make you feel nostalgic for your youth?
You young folks: do you even know what I am talking about?

· According to our friends at In Touch magazine, Jessica Simpson is at LA’s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center getting treated for a small kidney infection. Simpson reportedly checked in on Friday, and is expected to be released tomorrow. Boyfriend Tony Romo is back in Dallas because of prior commitments, and like, you know, maybe trying to figure out how to beat the NY Giants next year. Just sayin’.

· You can have your Crocs and your Vans, Tom Morello prefers a tour sponsored by a boot to the backside. The indefatigable righteous rocker and sometimes Rage Against the Machine guitarist is launching a two-week “Justice Tour” across the U.S. that will highlight local activism and social justice. It begins with a show in Los Angeles on April 15 and ends on May Day in Chicago (that’s, uh, May 1st). Along the way, he’ll be joined by Ben Harper, Slash, Perry Farrell, Sen Dog, Davey Havok, Boots Riley, Maynard James Keenan, Shooter Jennings, State Radio, Mike Einzinger (Incubus) and MC5 founder Wayne Kramer.

· Remember Liz Phair? She’s reissuing her classic 1993 debut, Exile in Guyville, on June 24th, as part of a new record deal with the label, ATO. The set will boast four previously unreleased tracks and a DVD documentary about the album’s genesis.

Since we posted about 50 Cent skipping out on Wrestlemania down below, it got one of our producers, Andrew Millard, thinking about one of the more bizarre segments in the MTV News vaults.

Andrew writes:

Any wrestling story is an excuse to dust off some of the classic WWF footage we have in our library. Witness the post match interview from 1985’s “The War To Settle The Score” - the precursor to Wrestlemania I. It features Mean Gene Okerlund interviewing an extremely agitated Hulk Hogan, Mr. T, Capt. Lou Albano and Cyndi Lauper. Oh, and also pro-wrestling’s least likely fan, Andy Warhol.

Seriously? Yeah, Seriously. It’s like someone made the whole thing up.

Hey, remember when 50 Cent said he was going to accompany Floyd Mayweather out to the ring for the boxer’s wrestling debut against Paul “Big Show” Wight for Wrestlemania 24? Well, that didn’t happen.

Yeah, yeah, we know, it’s so incredibly surprising that 50 Cent didn’t make it down to Orlando for the Super Bowl of wrestling, even after all the love Mayweather and 50 had for each other (pause). But he had other things on his mind, like his new video game, or the elections, or the new G-Unit album. Surely. Right?

In our interview with him last week, 50 let us know that maybe he wouldn’t be showing up. Perhaps some of Floyd’s recent activities (cough, cough, “Dancing With The Stars” cough, cough) had 50 Cent re-thinking his association.

Our own Shaheem Reid (who’s heard in the clip above), though, is never one to pass up a Wrestlemania event (it’s just like hip-hop!), and had his report, including Snoop’s cameo, after the jump. Plus pictures. Always pictures.

[UPDATE: If you're a wrestling fan, you'll want to click here after you're done reading this article. Trust us.]

Read more…

So MTV News’ Kim Stolz used to be on “America’s Next Top Model.” And last week, we sent her to The Tyra Show’s “Fiercee Awards,” which, I guess, was kind of a meta experience for Kim since Tyra Banks hosts ANTM. Well, I guess a meta experience and a totally CRAZY CRACKERS experience, too.

Anyway, Jay Manuel was there, too. He’s Tyra’s partner in ANTM and so Kim interviewed him, too, which was convenient since there are all these rumors (ok, just a few), that Tyra and Jay hate each other and that Tyra is bolting the show and that JAY HAS WON AND CONQUERED ALL. So, you know, Kim asked him about it. And aside from his perfectly cute answer, he also revealed that THEY ALREADY KNOW WHO THE NEXT TOP MODEL IS. Shocker!

It’s cool if you want to get Weezy, Snoop, Akon, T.I., Fergie or Bun B to guest on your album. But for his upcoming album, Brass Knuckles, Nelly was holding out for The Boss (um, and not Rick Ross). Nelly “>was seeking out Bruce Springsteen to collaborate on a song for his new album but the two artists couldn’t make their schedules work (we hate it when that happens). Nelly, apparently, thinks the plan could still take flight at some point in the future, telling the AP, “We might repackage (the collaboration) for the holidays.”

· Mos Def is going to have to start learning the duck walk. He has signed on to play rock pioneer Chuck Berry in Cadillac Records, a movie about the influential blues and rock label, Chess Records, and the Chicago music scene in the 1950s. Gabrielle Union, Adrien Brody and Cedric The Entertainer co-star. Meanwhile, at a headlining gig last night in New York City, Mos previewed new, unreleased material and promised that his new album will be out this summer. We believe him.

· U2 already have more money than you and everyone you know, combined, ever will in your entire lifetime. And now, they will have even more. The band have formalized a deal with concert promoters Live Nation for merchandising, branding and digital rights (let’s call this a 270-degree deal; U2 will continue to release albums on their label, Universal), reported at $100-million/12-years. Live Nation, who recently signed Madonna to a (reportedly) $120-million/10-year deal, has promoted U2’s tours since the mid-1980s. Said Bono, “We’ve been dating for over 20 years now, it’s about time we tied the knot.”

· Beanie Sigel is back behind bars. The rapper, who spent a year in jail after a 2004 drug and weapons conviction, was in court on Friday where a judge sentenced him to three months in prison for allegedly giving a fake urine sample to his probation officer on February 29, and testing positive five times earlier in March for controlled substances, including Xanax and the pain killer Percocet. Faking a urine sample, not The Solution.

On “American Idol” this week, frontrunner David Archuleta left a large population of the country weeping. And I’m not just talking about that lame song choice.

I’m referring to, of course, “PromGate 2008,” where the non-threatening cuddle-fantasy of many a tween revealed that there’s a special someone he’d like to take to his prom (provided he has a chance to go). Host Ryan Seacrest was quick to point out that there was a blushing young girl sitting next to his (alleged crazy stage-)dad in the crowd. Could she be the one who will get to sip wine-coolers and have awkward sex with THE David Archuleta (or was that just my prom night)?

Well, it turns out we spoke with the Most Envied/Hated Girl In America a month ago when we visited David’s hometown, and it does seem like the two are very close friends. (It also seems like David has a very high tolerance for Rowan Atkinson.)

So, teens of America (and creepy middle-aged housewives), now you have a voice to put with the face that you’ve been throwing darts at all week. Happy voodoo-ing!

On Wednesday, MTV News super-producer Matt Elias interviewed one of our favorite bands, The Breeders, in anticipation of their new album, Mountain Battles (due out April 8). They were out in Los Angeles to shoot a video for the song, which is a performance video based on old clips Kim Deal has been watching on “the You Tube.” Also, if you’re a DJ, she hates you.

While she shows her age with the sentiment, it’s hard to hate on the sisters Deal, who are just super-goofy and cuddly and stuff.

The song, “Here No More,” was about Kim and Kelley’s mom, who has Alzheimer’s, and Mama Deal actually contributed a line to the song, which ended up becoming the song title.



More from this interview next week.

Dear Incredibly Enthusiastic, Astonishingly Persistent, Slightly Terrifying Mob of Fall Out Boy Fans That Have Surrounded The Finis Terrae Hotel All Week,

Hey! How are you? Okay, okay, okay…Stop screaming! Seriously, stop!

Fall Out Boy left this morning! They’re gone! You don’t need to peer through the windows or pound on the glass anymore. Pete isn’t going to hear you. He’s back in Los Angeles. There’s no reason you should be climbing the back gate of the hotel right now! Really, the guys left. They’re not here. I promise.

What? No, I can’t give them a note you made. Not even if you say “please” 456 times in a row.

Look, I realize Fall Out Boy coming to Punta Arenas is probably the biggest thing to happen in town since, well, ever. And I know you all mean well. But, really, all the chanting and pushing is getting kind of old. Also, I see you’re wearing a school uniform. Shouldn’t you be in class right now? Don’t you have homework to do? Don’t you have parents?!?!

What’s that? No, I’m not in Fall Out Boy. Honestly, I’m not. You don’t need to take a millon pictures of me! Seriously! What’s that? You want me to sign your hand/backpack/notebook? Why? I know I’m one of only 15 Caucasians in this town, and I’m one of only 7 wearing skinny jeans, but I promise, I’m not in Fall Out Boy. Really.

You’re starting to freak me out. Go home! It’s over! What? No-no-no. Stop screaming.
You don’t need to crowd me…I really can’t breathe… Aaaaaaah!! Please…It’s getting dark…Please!

Sincerely,
James Montgomery