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It's The End Of The World (As We Know It) And MTV News Is Prepared!

Posted 5/20/11 5:25 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, MTV News, Music, Television


The MTV Newsroom is not traditionally a place for religious fanaticism. But with Harold Camping and his followers making everyone (on the Internets, at least) think the world is ending on Saturday, we thought we'd hedge our bets. Here's how some MTV Newsers are spending their last hours on Earth:

Sabrina Rojas Weiss, editor: "I'm an escapist to the core — true story: I held a dance party at someone's death bed — so I'm not about to change my tune now. I'll actually be on a plane to an undisclosed tropical island on May 21, so if the world comes crumbling down, I will be listening to the new Fleet Foxes album (while picturing myself frolicking through a forest, of course. Oh, forests and old-fashioned harmonizing, I'll miss you), catching up on 'Friday Night Lights,' reading the latest Charlaine Harris novel (crap, will the world end before Sookie and Eric live happily ever after?) and repeatedly forcing my husband to watch this Swedish House Mafia video in which puppies save the day. Maybe my dog will actually be busy doing just that."

Vaughn Schoonmaker, producer: "On my last day, I would drink countless margaritas with my family (triple shots of super expensive tequila, hold the mix) and dance on my rooftop overlooking Midtown Manhattan to Gloria Gaynor's 'I Will Survive,' anything by Donna Summer, and the Bee Gees' 'Night Fever.' All while eating buffalo chicken tenders (I am currently a vegetarian) and probably crying because I sometimes get weepy when I drink too much. Also, I would let my cat, Bensoit off of his leash during this fiasco."
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My Armageddon Playlist: The Ramones And The Simpsons

Posted 5/20/11 5:13 pm EST by in Music, Television



If Saturday is truly the end of times, then I've been ready for judgment day for most of my adult life. Aside from my hard drive, my family and my SLR (because when that Rapture comes, you need you some high-quality digital images, right?), the only two things I need to grab are: The Ramones and "The Simpsons."

If I have to spend eternity cooling my heels in heaven or sweating it out somewhere else, is there really any better musical accompaniment than the Ramones' 1976 debut album? Perhaps the most perfect punk disc ever recorded, this classic has been the soundtrack to my life on Earth, so why not in the great beyond?

From "Blitzkrieg Bop" to "Beat on the Brat," "Judy Is a Punk," "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend," "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue" and "Loudmouth," not to mention "53rd & 3rd," "Let's Dance," "I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You" and the apocalyptically pop "Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World," this album has it all. Chainsaw guitars, pinhead-dumb lyrics repeated ad nauseum, just the right patina of girl-group love, deviant behavior and the perfect combination of power-pop, surf, punk and New York attitude.

And speaking of dumb, what trip to the Great Beyond would be complete without the smartest dumb thing every created by man: "The Simpsons"? No sitcom in TV history has been as consistently funny, amusing, shocking and just plain brilliant as Matt Groening's so-dysfunctional-they're-back-to-functional nuclear family. I'd take all the seasons with me if I could fit them in the Great Celestial Glass Elevator, but if forced to choose, I'd definitely grab #3, with such classics as "Stark Raving Dad," which featured the voice of Michael Jackson.

I'd also pack up season four, which was highlighted by "A Streetcar Named Marge," (in which Marge realizes Homer may actually be the real-life Stanley Kowalski) and one of the all-time classics, "Marge vs. the Monorail." I, literally, reference this episode on an almost weekly basis almost 18 years after it first aired. Why? So many reasons. But mostly its genius "Music Man" homage and the cameo from "Star Trek" alum Leonard Nimoy (and a sly reference to his amazing 1970s E.T.-hunting show "In Search Of") and sly allusions to everything from "Star Wars" to "Beverly Hills, 90210," "The Silence of the Lambs" and Tim Burton's original "Batman."

It may be the most perfect "Simpsons" of all time. And if you turn down the sound and play The Ramones at the same time. Forget about it.

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The End-Of-World Dance Playlist: Diddy, Britney And More

Posted 5/20/11 4:58 pm EST by in Music


By James Dinh

If the headlines are true, and the end of the world really is really upon us this weekend, then there's only one thing I want to do: dance. Sure, the final day on Earth may be taken a little more seriously by others, but I'd like to go out with a bang and move to the beats of some of my favorite party tunes. Here's what I'm cueing up, just in case:

Trey Songz featuring Nicki Minaj, "Bottoms Up"
Believers suggest that an earthquake will trigger the start of the apocalypse on Saturday, so there's a good chance I won't make it to the clubs. On the bright side, I can vicariously live through Trey Songz, who sings of his dance floor escapades atop a thumping beat on "Bottoms Up." Minaj also adds some flavor to the track by showing off her ever-changing rap flow with her alter-ego Roman Zolanski.

Britney Spears, "Till the World Ends"
It's only fitting to throw in this Britney track into the mix because of the song's anthem-like feel and apocalyptic-related lyrics. Now if only I could find an underground party rave similar to the one in her Ray Kay-directed clip.
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Lady Gaga Has Some Special Shout-Outs In Born This Way Liner Notes

Posted 5/20/11 4:30 pm EST by in Music


By Jocelyn Vena

Lady Gaga's Born This Way booklet has hit the Net just a few days before the album's official Monday release.

It's filled with cool new photos of the star as well as heartwarming, personal thank you's to the people in her life. There are shout-outs to record executives and music industry people, but the names of the folks that are the heart of the singer's operation are also included. MTV Newsroom decided to give you a cheat sheet to those near and dear to Gaga, based on those liner notes.

Little Monsters: Like we need to tell you who they are! Gaga thanks her fans for "their loyalty, commitment and bravery."

The "Banditos": Producers Fernando Garibay, DJ White Shadow and sound engineer Dave Russell. These are three men who helped musically direct the album, and Gaga describes them as "the brothers I never had."

Laurieann Gibson: Gaga's choreographer, creative director and, most recently, co-music video director.

RedOne: Longtime collaborator and producer behind songs like "Just Dance" and "Judas." She writes, "You and I share a chemistry that will live on."

Haus of Gaga: The team of creative individuals who work for and with Gaga. Read More...

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Remembering Macho Man Randy Savage, More Than 'The Slim Jim Guy'

Posted 5/20/11 4:25 pm EST by in Television


By Zachary Swickey

This morning, one of my childhood heroes, Macho Man Randy Savage (born: Randall Mario Poffo), was in a fatal car accident. Savage lost control of his vehicle for "unknown reasons," CNN reports, and collided in to a tree. At 58 years old and only one year into his new marriage, Savage had plenty of life ahead of him that was cut short.

While the star became an icon through his wrestling career, he also made a splash in other forms of media. Not many other stars can boast such a vast array of appearances. "Baywatch," "Mad About You," and "Walker Texas Ranger" all featured the burly star. Savage even got to spar with Spider-Man himself, playing Bone Saw McGraw in the franchise's 2002 film. His distinctive raspy voice landed him some appearances in animated form a few times as well, including "Family Guy," "Space Ghost," "King of the Hill" and, more recently, Disney's "Bolt."

Savage even took a shot at rapping with his 2003 album Be a Man, which was playfully directed at his longtime nemesis, Hulk Hogan. Apparently, the stars had actual beef they were finally squashing, according to a series of tweets from Hogan, who wrote that he was "devastated" by his former rival's passing, as the two had just begun talking for the first time in over 10 years.
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Florence And The Machine Hint At New Music Inspired By 'Dark Metaphors'

Posted 5/20/11 2:01 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, Music


Florence Welch displayed her Lungs on the Florence and the Machine album of the same name, which hit stores back in 2008. She found mainstream success in 2010 thanks to the track "Dog Days Are Over." Now a household name and a fashion icon, Welch is opening up about the band's follow-up album in Nylon magazine.

"A lot of the songs on the new album are about imaginary things, things that you can't touch — ghosts and rumors, my dead grandmother, things visiting you in a dream," Welch says in the magazine, hitting newsstands on May 31. "It's almost like I am taking the Oscars and all those amazing events and turning them into something that brings you back to your reality. I was dressing up to go on stage from the beginning, but instead of a designer outfit, it would be a £2 cape from Oxfam or a lime green catsuit I borrowed off Andrew [VanWyngarden] from MGMT."

(Check out exclusive photos of Florence Welch getting her fashion on in Nylon.)

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What Did Teenage Lady Gaga Listen To?

Posted 5/20/11 1:38 pm EST by in Music, Television


Ever wonder what Stefani Germanotta listened to as she dreamed of being Lady Gaga? Well, in the new MTV special, "Lady Gaga: Inside the Outside," she's giving fans her soundtrack to her days pre-superstardom.

While she makes dance songs (for the most part), her love of rock started long before she hit the stage as her over-the-top pop persona. And, it seems she has her parents to thank for feeding her love of music.

"My parents got me Stevie Wonder 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered' and the Beatles when I was younger," Gaga recalls in the special. "Good choices, mom and dad. Don't spoon-feed me the Beatles and Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen and Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin and Elton John and expect for me not to turn out this way."
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'American Idol' Prediction Results: We Feel Haley Reinhart's Pain

Posted 5/20/11 11:25 am EST by in American Idol


The math just doesn't add up. Three contestants, two of them Southern church charmers who sing country music, and one Northerner who belts bluesy rock and has the underdog mantle.

But, somehow, Haley Reinhart stumbled one last time amid a record-setting 95 million vote landslide that pushed charming teens Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery into the finale spotlight.

It was the final smackdown after a series of harsh words from the judges, who struggled all season to find even one bad thing to say about a cast of often mediocre karaoke stars. It also proved once and for all that all our prognosticating is just so much whistling in the wind.
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'Idol' Castoff James Durbin Answers MTV News' 10 Questions

Posted 5/19/11 8:56 pm EST by in American Idol


By Kara Warner, with reporting by Jim Cantiello

Another week, another "American Idol" castoff. Once again, we had a shocker of an elimination when presumed front-runner (or at least top-two contender!) James Durbin was sent packing. I have to say, the only good thing about the castoffs, is that MTV News gets to sit down with the eliminated contestant and have a heart-to-heart, during which we have them answer our fabulous "10 Questions." This week's guest: James Durbin.

Before I get to the highlights, it must be noted that the belt Durbin is wearing in this video is an actual professional wrestling championship belt, given to him earlier that day by WWE's The Miz (a.k.a. Mike Mizanin, MTV royalty from his humble beginnings on the 10th season of "The Real World").

A few of Durbin's favorite things: Left-Eye (his favorite member of TLC), "Family Guy" (his favorite TV show), knuckle (his favorite word).

Unsurprisingly, the movie that Durbin cannot resist watching when it's on TV is 2001's "Rock Star," which starred Mark Wahlberg and was inspired by the real-life story of Judas Priest tribute-band singer Tim "Ripper" Owens, who was chosen to replace singer Rob Halford when he left the metal band.

When faced with the dilemma of shooting pancake batter out his belly button or sweating Southern sweet tea, Durbin picked the sweaty option.

"[I'd want to] sweat Southern sweet tea," Durbin decided. "And [I'd] invite Scotty [McCreery] over because he loves sweet tea."

Finally, if he had to name his album and put it out today, surprisingly, he said it would be called "Overrated."

Which of Durbin's answers is your favorite? What do you think of his album title? Tell us in the comments!

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Selena Gomez Channels 1920s For 'When The Sun Goes Down' Album Art

Posted 5/19/11 5:00 pm EST by in Music


By James Dinh

Selena Gomez is growing up and ready to show the world. Unlike previous teen-to-adult pop stars of the past, this Disney starlet isn't making her transition to adulthood by sexing up her image, but instead taking a more subtle approach. Gomez took to her Facebook on Wednesday to show off a brand-new look with the artwork for her band's new album, When the Sun Goes Down.

Stepping into a time machine, the "Wizards of Waverly Place" actress offers fans a retro, 1920’s get-up as she gazes into the distance. The MTV Newsroom is feeling Gomez's new fashion makeover, but can't help seeing the how the starlet's cover art was influenced by photos of some "It" women from before her time.

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