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By Rahman Dukes

It's getting hot out in the wild, wild West. With his back against the wall, Monsta Kobe refused to hand over his reigning NBA crown reminding a young Oklahoma City Thunder why they won the chip last year, dismantling the Thunder 111-87 during the fifth game of their opening round series on Tuesday night (April 27). From the tip, the Lakers went on a 10-0 run and never looked back with their lead over the Thunder going as high as 40 points at one moment. Bryant ended the game with a mere 13 points and seven assists, focusing more on defense and letting Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum handle the scoring.

As the case with all Lakers games, the sidelines were filled with some of Hollywood's biggest stars. Leonardo DiCaprio, Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Sylvester Stallone and Dustin Hoffman were all in attendance to witness the dismantling. Even O.G. playboy Hugh Hefner found enough time to stop playing with his bunnies to witness the Lakers hand out the beating.

One notably absent supporter was Ice Cube. Cube and his family have been snapped sitting on the sidelines at the Lakers show for years, but was a no-show last night. When we caught up with Cube last week (to discuss his excellent new single "I Rep That West"), he told us he hoped to finally see a Kobe and LeBron in a showdown in the Finals (though he'll still be putting his moolah on the Lakers).

Tags basketball, Ice-Cube, kobe bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, video

They say a well-rounded education is the key to success, and if that truly is the case, the my schooling is woefully incomplete when it comes to the subject of pop. That's why we bring you "Popology," the guide to modern radio-friendly stars as seen through the eyes of a guy who grew up on punk and metal. In case you missed previous installments, catch up with Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, Taylor Swift, Savage Garden and the Spice Girls here.

Miley Cyrus has been a household name since she debuted as the titular star of "Hannah Montana" back in 2006. It catapulted her to the sort of superstardom that only Disney can manage, not only making Cyrus into a star but also transforming her into a brand. Her name and face are on a variety of entertainment sources and retail products. It's easy to forget that she's primarily an actress and musician, and even easier to know who Miley Cyrus is without ever having seen an episode of her TV show or hearing a song with her name on it (I know I became deeply interested her Twitter page before I ever heard any of her songs).

That sentiment has become less reasonable since "The Climb" and "Party in the U.S.A." became gigantic crossover hits for Cyrus last year. Ironically, her musical profile has been higher than it has ever been, and yet she appears to be stepping away from the music industry to focus on movies. (And honestly, who can blame her?) But that's also a shame, because the pop-producing version of Miley Cyrus is sort of amazing.

In fact, I have a theory about Miley Cyrus: I think she's headed in the reverse trajectory of Liz Phair, who launched her long career when she released the watershed Exile in Guyville back in 1993. Though Exile in Guyville is a visceral, caustic song cycle about anger and loss (its signature song is called "F--- and Run"), Phair has mellowed out over the course of her career and peaked on a self-titled album that saw her collaborate with the Matrix on pop hits like "Why Can't I?" I think it's possible that Cyrus, who makes excellent pop at the moment, will slowly chip away the layers of production and management that surround her musical projects and eventually make an album as raw and honest as Exile in Guyville. She has the potential — and, more importantly, the talent — to get to that level of artistic honesty.

That's not to say that her current output is totally corrupt. On the contrary, much of her music is phenomenally catchy, well-constructed and varied. And her 2008 album Breakout totally rules. Read more...

Tags Miley Cyrus, Popology

Every morning, MTV News delivers the top news stories in music, movies and pop culture hot and fresh for your reading and watching pleasure. We then bring together a trio of the biggest headlines for "Three to See," the daily digest of the top stories making noise on our site and across the Internet. This morning, stories on Justin Bieber, "Dancing With the Stars" and the "American Idols Live!" tour lead the way.

Justin Bieber Tweets Besieged By Fans In New Zealand
Following a canceled performance in Australia because of unruly crowds, Justin Bieber continued his problematic tour down under with another crowd control incident in New Zealand. He was swarmed at the airport upon his arrival, which prevented him from greeting fans and resulted in someone stealing his purple Yankees cap and accosting his mom. "Not happy that someone stole my hat and knocked down my mama. Come on people," Bieber tweeted in frustration after being whisked away.

"The Bachelor" Star Jake Pavelka Dismissed From "Dancing With The Stars"
"The Bachelor" star Jake Pavelka was the latest contestant sent home from "Dancing With the Stars" on Tuesday night (April 27). "I was so honored to be a part of this. I've enjoyed every second of this," he tearfully told the audience as he exited the show. Only six celebrities remain, including Pussycat Doll (and frontrunner) Nicole Scherzinger and Olympic figure skating champion Evan Lysacek.

"American Idols Live!" Tour Dates Announced
The Top 10 contenders from this season of "American Idol" will head out on the annual "American Idols Live!" concert tour beginning July 1 in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

Tags American Idol, dancing with the stars, Justin Bieber, Three to See, video

On balance, Tuesday night's (April 27) episode of "American Idol" didn't end up as strange or terrible as MTV News' Eric Ditzian predicted yesterday. Shania Twain was a roundly excellent mentor (both in the one-on-one segments and during the judging), and none of the songs sounded especially odd or out of place (though the contestants did mostly pick some unusual selections from Twain's back catalog). While the performances themselves were somewhat middling, all told it was a relatively straightforward episode of "American Idol."

You apparently agreed, as "Shania Twain Week" finished a distant fourth in the poll we presented about the weirdest, most head-scratchingly "Huh?" theme weeks in the history of the show. What came in first place? "No Doubt and the Songs That Inspired Gwen Stefani," which took first place with 33 percent of the vote. That show — an entry from season six — was particularly odd mostly because the No Doubt tunes (like "Bathwater" and "Hey Baby") sounded somewhat out of place, and there didn't appear to be any rhyme or reason binding the other songs together (except that we now know that Stefani was inspired by both Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" and the Police's "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic").

Elsewhere in the voting, "Andrew Lloyd Webber" — a theme that encouraged overwrought theatricality on a show that shoots such performing tropes down — took second place with 22 percent. "Burt Bacharach's Love Songs" came in third with 16 percent, followed distantly by this week's episode and "Neil Sedaka and the '60s."

What "American Idol" theme week would you most like to see? Let us know in the comments!

Tags American Idol, Burt Bacharach, gwen stefani, Neil Sedaka, no doubt, Poll, Shania Twain

No matter what you think of the government putting Goldman Sachs on trial for questionable investment practices, one thing is for sure: They make for excellent theater. In a widely talked-about moment (or rather, series of moments) from the hearings, Michigan senator Carl Levin referred to an e-mail sent by Goldman Sachs executive Daniel Sparks that called a certain piece of business a "sh---y deal." (As National Public Radio put it, it's a six-letter word that rhymes with "pretty.") Levin turned the off-color phrase into a sort of absurdist mantra, and the constant repetition turned a typically dry piece of C-SPAN footage into an oft-spun piece of tape on all of the cable news networks.

Of course, where there's a meme, there's an Internet remix to go along with it. Online news magazine Slate produced slow rolling, snap-infused remix of the hearing that chops up Levin's profane interrogation of Sparks and adds a whisper track that coos "sh---y deal" and drops a little 2005-era crunk keyboard for good measure. Though Sparks clearly wanted Levin to "slow his roll" during the interrogation, that probably would have only brought down more ire from the Michigan democrat.

Not to be outdone by the Internet, "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart also weighed in on the "sh---y deal" trend bouncing across the news universe. "Looks like Senators McClaskill and Levin are on the potty train to sh---y town!" Stewart exclaimed after a video package, noting that even though Congress is in a partisan stalemate over a financial reform bill, there is still time for "good old-fashioned impotent rage."

While the Slate version of "Sh---y Deal" is pretty good, we're waiting for the remix that kicks it up a notch. So bring it on, amateur DJs of the World Wide Web. Get to it before DJ Steve Porter knocks out the definitive version.

Tags Carl Levin, Goldman Sachs, Government, Remixes

"American Idol" producers apparently sat down and said, "Let's party like it's 1998-2002!" Hence, Shania Twain week is upon us.

I don't mean to slam Shania (whom you may remember as a guest judge on the Chicago audition episode earlier this season, where she praised John Park's "bottom end"). The woman's a record-breaking superstar who single-handedly supplied Delilah with enough hit songs to last a thousand phone calls. Sure, Shania hasn't put out an album of new music since George W. Bush's first term, but who cares? Ms. Twain was one of the most charismatic, genuine and insightful mentors this season. (And here's when Adam Lambert fans get upset…) "They're all singing my songs and I don't want them to hate me if they don't make it into the next round," she neurotically said in her intro package, channeling every single mom on Earth. Except maybe the one from "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' By Sapphire."

Tuesday night's (April 27) show opened with "Wayne's World" inspired "Extreme Close-Ups" on the contestants as Ryan Seacrest shouted a description of each of them. "A paint salesman! A high school student! A glass blower! A mother! A father! A construction worker!" Incidentally, this was also the first draft of John Hughes' "Breakfast Club" screenplay. Now that I mention it, this cast is so "Breakfast Club." Lee is Emilio Estevez, Aaron is Anthony Michael Hall, Siobhan is Ally Sheedy, Crystal is, uh, Molly Ringwold? Big Mike is certainly not Judd Nelson, but who else could he be? The principal? Maybe this doesn't work as well as I thought.

Before I go on a rant about how "Music From John Hughes Movies" should be next week's theme, let's get to the performances!

Lee DeWyze
Song: "You're Still The One"
Verdict: You're Still Number Two
Shania urged Lee to begin his performance sans instrument. (I believe she complained he's been "buried by his guitar" on the show. Snap!) And Lee took her advice ... for the first two lines of the song, one of which he sang in the key of WTF. The bits of the verses that were on key showed an appealing vulnerability missing from some of Lee's past performances, but DeWyze obliterated that feeling with a gruff, shouty chorus. If I were a girl and Lee sang this song to me, I might stop him midway and say, "Shhh, honey, I get it. You love me. No need to scream. You're going to rupture a blood vessel." Unless he was passing a kidney stone? In that case, he showed a lot of restraint. So kudos! Regardless of what this lowly "Idol" blogger thinks, the judges are so strapped onto the DeWyze bandwagon, I'm starting to suspect that Kara DioGuardi spends her free time spamming "Idol" blogs' comments sections about how good Lee's pre-"Idol" music is.

Michael Lynche
Song: "It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing"
Verdict: That Don't Impress Me Much
Just like his physique, the physical trainer's vocals were technically solid but somehow they ended up feeling soft and squishy. Read more...

Tags Aaron Kelly, American Idol, Crystal Bowersox, Lee Dewyze, Michael Lynche, Shania Twain, Siobhan Magnus

Recently dismissed "American Idol" contestant Tim Urban became a household name for lots of reasons: His infectious positive energy in the face of nasty criticism, his Bobby Sherman hairdo and, of course, there was his hilariously awesome slide across the stage.

Sure, Simon called Tim's performance "completely and utterly pointless and silly," but you gotta hand it to Teflon Tim. He created a water cooler moment in a season that has been almost devoid of morning-after chatter.

When Tim stopped by to speak with MTV News about his recent "Idol" elimination, I had to get a lesson on how to perfect "The Slide."

Teacher Tim broke it down for me in three easy steps.

» Slide on the back of your leg muscle and your butt. As Tim says, "It's got a little bit of a cushion." (Don't fret, non-athletic types: I mentioned that I have nary a muscle on my entire body, but Tim was confident that even the tiniest dweebs still have a little flesh to help soften the fall. He was right.)

» Momentum! Momentum! Momentum! The secret is to get a good running start and then let that momentum carry you as you tuck your foot under ever so slightly. Don't do a death drop like a drag queen. Think baseball, not Lucky Cheng's.

» Use Your Hand To Break The Fall! "You may want to take your hand and let it ease [yourself down]," Teacher Tim says, but do not lock your elbow. Ever! Also important: "Don't jump. It's not a jump and a slide. It's more of a fall."

Tim's advice was spot-on. After a brief lesson (and a Hail Mary or two), I tried my first ever Slide and it worked! I didn't hurt myself at all. I don't even have a bruise!

Watch the video, memorize the three steps and — after consulting with a doctor and waiving your right to sue Tim Urban, MTV, MTV News, Jim Cantiello and any/all associated parties should you hurt yourself — try "The Slide" for yourself. Let me know what kind of luck you have (and follow the rest of my "Idol" musings) @jambajim!

Tags American Idol, Tim Urban, video

"It's devastating, and it makes you feel all these different feelings,Your heart goes out to his family, your heart goes out to him. He's the nicest guy in the world. And then you start thinking about your own mortality. You start thinking, Oh my God. It just makes you appreciate how lucky we all are."

-Legendary heavy metal wife and current "The Celebrity Apprentice" cast member Sharon Osbourne on her "Apprentice" pal Bret Michaels' current health. Michaels suffered a brain hemorrhage last Thursday (April 22) and has been in a hospital intensive care unit ever since. While the Poison frontman remains under constant medical supervision, he remains on "The Celebrity Apprentice," which wrapped several months ago.

Osbourne is one of many friends, collaborators, admirers and fans to send well wishes to Michaels. "The Celebrity Apprentice" host Donald Trump said, "This guy really was a competitor. He would work so hard, maybe harder than anybody else. And he's doing well." Fellow "Apprentice" competitor Cyndi Lauper added her own encouragement. "I am hoping for a speedy recovery," she said. "He is a strong-willed person, so I am feeling very positive that he will pull through like a champion. My thoughts are with his family." And recently dismissed "Celebrity Apprentice" contestant Bill Goldberg said, "I just spoke with Bret the day before he got sick, and I told him he had to slow down with his lifestyle. He was playing with his daughters in Arizona and was in really good spirits when we talked. I just hope that he can pull through from this and it acts as a wake-up call for him."

Tags Bret Michaels, Sharon Osbourne, The Celebrity Apprentice

Over the course of the "American Idol" season, the contestants get to know one another pretty well. They have to sing together, film promos together, live together and end up having to spend most of their free time together. So it shouldn't be surprising that Siobhan Magnus, Lee DeWyze and Mike Lynche all got new tattoos over the weekend.

Nobody posted any photos or made any particular references to their ink. The new tats may appear on tonight's episode, but until then, we can speculate wildly about what each contestant got — and more importantly, where said ink ended up on their respective bodies.

Siobhan Magnus
What She Might Have Got: On the surface, it seems like Siobhan would go for some sort of floral design. A butterfly, perhaps. But dig a little deeper and it's possible that she dove deep into the world of mystikal wood nymphs.
Where She Might Have Got It: Magnus seems like an ankle type. We don't know how we know this, but we know it.

Michael Lynche
What He Might Have Got: Stylistically, Lynche has been all over the map on "American Idol." Is he a sweet soul man or a big-lunged rocker? Is he an R&B showman or an earnest artist? These disconnects make it extremely difficult to try to pin down what he might have got, though logic might suggest that he get his daughter's name (Laila) written somewhere on his body. But considering he doesn't always follow logic, he probably got a flaming eagle.
Where He Might Have Got It: You don't develop arms like Lynche's to not dress them up with ink.

Lee DeWyze
What He Might Have Got: The 24-year-old from Illinois could have gone in any direction. Giant koi? Possible. Handgun? Less likely. Voodoo doll of Jason Voorhees from the "Friday the 13th" series? Hey, it could happen. But in the end, DeWyze probably got something rock centric, like a guitar or the devil.
Where He Might Have Got It: We don't want to get too graphic, but we bet DeWyze won't be allowed to share his new tattoo with a network television audience.

What tattoos do you think the "American Idol" contestants got? Let us know in the comments!

Tags American Idol, Lee Dewyze, Michael Lynche, Siobhan Magnus, tattoos

By Rya Backer

A truly amazing thing happened in the music world yesterday. Several months ago, Countess LuAnn de Lesseps (a cast member on Bravo's "The Real Housewives of New York City," the most important television franchise arm of our time) glided off her throne and stepped into a gilded recording studio. There, she infused the microphone with her silken melodies, and — not unlike the cardinal rule learned by English majors — she sang what she knew. And yesterday, we citizens of the Internet huddled around our speakers to glean her knowledge via her song "Money Can't Buy You Class." It's kind of like if Emily Post hooked up with T-Pain to record a spoken word jam at a late '90s Bar Mitzvah jam. And that's evidently a good thing, because despite trying, I can't get the song out of my head.

This is not the first time one of the cast members of "Real Housewives" has added "song slinger" to her resumé. Gretchen from "Orange County" has a single, and if you've never heard "Tardy for the Party" — a collaboration between "Atlanta" cast members Kim Zolciak and Kandi Burruss — please do so immediately.

The Countess' dance number is catchy and all, filled with Auto-Tune and etiquette advice, but it's the song's bridge that really requires our attention. That's where we learn the following:

» Life is all about elegance and flair and savoir-faire.

» You don't have to be rich and famous to be unforgettable.

» It's not about where you're from, it's about what you've learned.

She kind of has a point, doesn't she? I'm ready for her follow-up, which hopefully will include tips on how to properly eat an artichoke, if May 1 is too early to wear white and if you can throw things at the help if they make a mistake.

Tags Coutess LuAnne De Lesseps, The Real Housewives of New York City