MTV Newsroom › Jocelyn Vena

Lady Gaga's New Sunglasses Are The Result Of A Long History With Shades

Posted 1/7/11 2:30 pm EST by in Music


Lady Gaga has always loved sunglasses. She has featured them in almost every one of her videos, frequently leaves the house in shades and conducts most public appearances and interviews donning some kind of spectacles. So it's almost completely unsurprising that for her collaboration with Polaroid (which she unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show), Gaga has made glasses with cameras embedded in the lenses as apart of her work on the company's "Grey Label."

Gaga has worn LED shades in her "Pokerface" video, John Lennon-esque ones in "Paparazzi" (a style she has also included in her everyday wardrobe) and glasses made of razors in "Bad Romance." "I wanted to design a pair for some of the toughest chicks and some of my girlfriends — don't do this at home! — they used to keep razor blades in the side of their mouths," she's explained about that particular look. "We design a pair of sunglasses in every video."

For "Telephone," Gaga wore a pair of glasses made of burning cigarettes (which might actually be more dangerous than the razor ones), followed by a telephone monocle. Then in "Alejandro" she went steam-punk styled goggles. We can only assume that when the video for "Born This Way" finally hits, she'll be showing off her new Polaroid glasses. But what is next for Mother Monster? No matter what it turns out to be, the sun will most certainly be kept out of her eyes.

What's your favorite pair of Lady Gaga's sunglasses? Let us know in the comments!

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James Van Der Beek Is Uncomfortable: The Best Of 2010 You Didn't See

Posted 12/21/10 4:30 pm EST by in Television


Over the course of the past year or so, I had some really awesome interviews. The Jonas Brothers offered to put me on TV (I'm still waiting for my contract, boys). I had adulthood crush Joshua Jackson (along with his TV dad, John Noble) explain "Lost" to me. (Keri Russell and Will Arnett also made an equally hilarious attempt at it.) And I had the pleasure of hitting up the Cosmo Fun Fearless Male Party where I met up with a number of Hollywood's hottest dudes. I tend to cover lots of red carpets, and sometimes you get cool encounters, like the time that Mark Wahlberg assaulted Tom Felton during my interview with him at the MTV Movie Awards or the time Drake and Justinb Bieber had an impromptu Canadian summit right in front of me at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards.

Other times, I get the opportunity to sit down with an entertainer (be he an actor or musician or both) and chat. In 2010, I sat down with Katy Perry, Justin Bieber and the New Kids on the Block (among many others). And yes, aside from meeting NKOTB, I will admit that meeting Dawson Leery was kind of tops. I had the pleasure of interviewing former "Dawson's Creek" star James Van Der Beek this year, and things got weird when I blurred the lines between reality and TV. Also shout out to fellow "Dawson's Creek" fan and MTV Newsroom Blog editor Kyle Anderson — he's the creepy guy Mr. Van Der Beek references.


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Mark Zuckerberg, Lady Gaga And The Other Hottest 20-Somethings In The Game

Posted 12/15/10 5:00 pm EST by in Music


Mark Zuckerberg may be Time's "Person of the Year," but there's a whole generation of 20-somethings setting the world on fire, proving that with youth comes the nerve and the energy to take the world by storm. Like Zuckerberg, other members of his generation are living by the code that the world is their oyster. As a person in her mid-20s, I have to give a shout out to the kids of my generation who are pounding the pavement day after day and living the dream.

(Click here for more photos of the hottest 20-somethings in the game, including Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Robert Pattinson and LeBron James!)

A big shout out to Rihanna, who dominated the charts this year, looked her demons in the face through song and constantly set fashion trends. She even almost convinced me that dying my hair red would be a good idea.

Also I'm gonna give props to Katy Perry, who redefined herself as a legitimate pop star. Known as just the girl who kissed another girl two years ago, her ode to her home state launched her to the top of the charts and she's never looked back.

Drake, who also happened to be MTV News' #4 Man of the Year, went from Canadian teen actor to legitimate MC, breaking through to mainstream success and causing mass hysteria in the process. Just don't book this guy for a gig at the South Street Seaport anytime soon, OK?

At 25, LeBron James had every team in the NBA vying for his attention, but he also provided a lightning rod for controversy after he left Cleveland behind for the big money and prestige of the Miami Heat. Even if the only thing you know about sports is that Lamar Odom is married to Khloe Kardashian (like I do), you still have an opinion about James.

MTV News' #5 Woman of the Year Nicki Minaj is fierce, tough and well-respected by some of the toughest males in the rap game. She also had one of the most killer guest verses of the year on Kanye's "Monster."

(Click here for more photos of the hottest 20-somethings in the game, including Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Robert Pattinson and LeBron James!)

Robert Pattinson is the leading male in the hottest movie franchise of the last three years. He also happens to be dating Kristen Stewart. You can't deny that starring in "Twilight" has made him into hot Hollywood property.

Lea Michele just got nominated for a Golden Globe thanks to "Glee," and while the fierce New York native may have started on the Great White Way, her musical chops have turned her into a Hollywood favorite.

Lady Gaga just turned 24, but she's managed to have a career that feels decades long. She's a musical artist who also has changed the scope of red carpet fashions, music videos and just how extreme pop stars should take their personas in their off time. Oh yeah, she also wore a meat dress. Not a bad run.

(Click here for more photos of the hottest 20-somethings in the game, including Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Robert Pattinson and LeBron James!)

What 20-something would you say is changing the game? Let us know in the comments!

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Justin Bieber Learns The 'Swag Walk' From Diddy

Posted 12/15/10 3:30 pm EST by in Music


With millions of records sold, a major movie release on the way and the respect of much of the music community, you have to admit that Justin Bieber has plenty of his own swagger. But no matter how great his game is, there's nothing like getting a little instruction from some veteran professionals. On Tuesday (December 14), MTV News tagged along with Diddy while he sped through New York City promoting his new album Last Train to Paris, which means that Sway and his team were also on hand when the two ended up in a recording studio together. Bieber was busy working on some new tunes for his upcoming album, and the rapper decided to show pop's biggest rising star how it's done.

"We wanted to make you an official member of the Dirty Money crew. This is your swag," he told the star, handing him an official Diddy-Dirty Money varsity jacket. "And then you got to do the swag too. I got to show you the swag walk."

What was Diddy's sage advice for the 16-year-old on how to properly walk with swagger? "When we walk down the streets of New York, so me and you walking, we're hanging out," he said. "We in the street, Times Square, we go swag. Swag. You see my hand? That's pushing the hate back, 'cause there's a lot of hate sometimes."

After Bieber displayed his swag walk, Diddy excitedly proclaimed, "You got it, son! You got it!" After each one co-signed the other's latest work, the rap mogul added, "Keep that swag!"

To see their studio encounter in full and Diddy's swag lesson for Bieber, check out the video!


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Enrique Iglesias Previews Video For 'Tonight'

Posted 12/15/10 12:30 pm EST by in Music


Sweeping shots of beautiful beaches? Check. Ludacris hanging out with hot girls, probably popping bottles of bub? Check. Enrique Iglesias looking foxy on a giant boat and stepping of a private jet? Check and double check. Those elements are all present and accounted for in the two sneak peeks of Iglesias' forthcoming video for his single "Tonight." As you may have figured out by now, we're a bit obsessed with the raunchy club jam here at MTV News, so we're equally stoked to see how Enrique will capture the song's joie de vivre in visual form.

Iglesias has noted that when he sat down to record the song about being straightforward with a lady about his intentions to bed her, he didn't want to sound "arrogant." (Writer's aside: Even an arrogant Enrique is a hot Enrique.)

"For me, the most important thing when I was in the studio singing it was, 'How do I sing this and not sound arrogant, like an idiot or way too out there?' And that's really what it came down to," he explained to MTV News. "I did it a bunch of times, and I heard it back, and it felt good for me, the phrase: 'Please excuse, I don't mean to be rude, but tonight, I'm [f---ing] you.' I thought I didn't want it to be one of those songs I heard on the radio and say to myself, 'Man, I wish I would have sang that.' And I felt it was one of those special ones."

Well, it seems that while this video will never be "Hero" (undoubtedly one of the best clips ever made), we're excited to see what Enrique has up his sleeve for the clip for this very, very special track.

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Congratulations To Jennifer Love Hewitt For Her Golden Globe Nomination For 'The Client List'

Posted 12/14/10 10:30 am EST by in Television


Sure we have to give props to flicks like "127 Hours," "Inception," "The Social Network," "The Fighter," "The King's Speech" and "Black Swan" for their Golden Globe nominations, but as we were watching the nominations being announced this morning, MTV Newsroom Blog editor Kyle Anderson and I were delighted to find out one of the nominations went out to Jennifer Love Hewitt for her turn as a desperate mom turned masseuse turned prostitute turned whistle blower in the greatest film of 2010 (and a Lifetime Original!), "The Client List"

Hewitt's character in "The Client List" doesn't chop off her arm to save herself or kidnap people's dreams, nor does she start up a controversial multi-billion dollar social network or struggle with self-identity while she trains for a high-profile ballet performance, but Hewitt's Samantha Horton did had an overbearing mother (just like Natalie Portman did in "Black Swan"), a drug problem and the audacity to sell out the men she "massaged" in order to face a less harsh jail sentence — that's some straight-up Mark Zuckerberg business right there, people!

In the category of Best Performance By An Actress In A Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television, she's up against Hayle Atwell  for something called "Pillars of the Earth," Claire Danes for those eyelash commercials (or maybe it was for "Temple Grandin"), Dame Judi Dench for "Return To Cranford" and Romola Garai for "Emma," but of course our money is on Love to take home the coveted prize.

In honor of her nomination, let's pay homage to Love's other career as a singer and give a listen to "Barenaked," a track from her 2002 album of the same name that seems awfully appropriate for an actress nominated for playing a prostitute.


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Taylor Swift Immortalized By Artist Peter Max

Posted 12/10/10 1:30 pm EST by in Music


Remember when Andy Warhol used to make pop art portraits of beautiful people like Marilyn Monroe? Well, it seems that pop artist Peter Max has found his Monroe in the form of the equally blond (though far less tragic) Taylor Swift.

Max recently put his extra-colorful spin on Taylor's Speak Now album cover, reinterpreting it as a collage of rainbow bursts. He took a similar take on Taylor's Fearless artwork earlier this year. And while the artist has personally given these portraits to the singer as gifts in the past, and even had them on display in galleries, they are now available for public consumption.

"I've been doing portraits of iconic musicians for so many years, and it is a pleasure to add Taylor Swift to the collection," Mad Max said in a statement about the latest portrait he's created for the singer. "She is one of the most beautiful and talented stars we have today."

A press release for the images reveals that Taylor is also a fan of Max's. "Taylor was thrilled when she learned of Max’s interest in doing the portrait, as she is a lifelong fan of his, having often seen his work on display in the Ocean Gallery in Stone Harbor, New Jersey," the press release stated. "Swift remembered walking past the gallery window many times as a child and young teen, and was often stopped in her tracks by the vibrancy of Max’s works."

And while that anecdote makes us wonder further about Taylor's childhood and family vacations, it's also kind of cool that Taylor is living the dream.

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Beyonce Spent Millions On A Car For Jay-Z's Birthday, But She Had Other Options

Posted 12/9/10 11:00 am EST by in Music


According to the Internets, Beyoncé recently dropped quite a large chunk of change on hubby Jay-Z's birthday gift. The Daily Mail in the U.K. reports that the singer dished out a whopping $1.3 million on a car. But it's not just any car — it is a Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport. It's a pretty special vehicle — it's the fastest road car available and demanded that Beyoncé order it a year in advance. Hova joins other rich folk like Simon Cowell, Tom Cruise and Tom Brady who already own the car.

Jay and Bey are super rich and super fabulous, so they have to give gifts like this, but just think of all the stuff that she could have bought him for that kind of money for his December 4 birthday.

For instance, Beyoncé could have bought herself the $2 million bra Adriana Lima wore in the Victoria's Secret fashion show. We're sure Jay wouldn't mind her wearing it around the house.

Rich people tend to be extravagant, so we're thinking she could have bought him a T-Rex skeleton. Why? Because dinosaurs rock, and who else has a dinosaur in his house?

Finally, she could have helped him expand his empire by buying into a Krispy Kreme franchise, which will cost around $2 million dollars. That's kind of awesome, because there is great potential for growth and because donuts are delicious.

Of course, these are just a few other suggestions that she could totally use next year. I don't mean to be completely self-serving in this post, my birthday is this Sunday. So Beyoncé, if you're reading, feel free to spend freely on my gift. Because like you, I believe that money is no object. Plus, a Krispy Kreme franchise happens to be at the top of my wish list.

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Justin Bieber Conquers His Latest Challenge: Rubik's Cube

Posted 12/3/10 1:30 pm EST by in Music


A few days back, a fun little video hit the Internet. In a two-minute clip of a Spanish talk show, Justin Bieber proves he's a secret genius. Not that we ever doubted Bieber's intellectual capabilities, but we have to say that watching Bieber solve a Rubik's cube in about minute has proved that there's a lot more going on inside Bieber's perfectly coiffed head than we could have ever imagined.

Bieber pays no attention to the show's host as he counts down to one and then focuses solely on the task at hand, fingers flying about as he moves the pieces of the cube. Without flinching or second-guessing himself, he lines up the colors perfectly and proudly displays his accomplishment for the (mostly female) studio audience to observe. After exchanging a high five, Bieber gives the cube to a lucky fan in the audience.

We're impressed by Bieber's skills, even more so because it's to be noted that we've had a Rubik's Cube lying around The MTV Newsroom for months and nobody has come even remotely close to solving the thing (though at some point somebody managed to get all the blue squares on one side). Who came the closest out of all the MTV News staffers? It was Sway, who came awfully close to cracking the code (though not with the speed of Bieber).

So in addition to dominating the music charts and conquering your local cineplex soon, Bieber is also apparently a master problem and puzzle solver. He should totally challenge Big Blue to a chess match.

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The NKOTBSB Tour: Five Mash-Ups We'd Like To Hear

Posted 11/23/10 12:00 pm EST by in Music


We've already seen what can happen when the guys make epic mash-ups of some of their biggest hits when they graced the AMA stage, so that got us thinking what other tunes we'd like to see New Kids on the Block and the Backstreet Boys — now known as NKOTBSB — have a little fun with when they hit the road next year (which, by the way, isn't soon enough).

"Please Don't Go Girl" and "All I Have To Give"
Thematically, they work, as both songs are about a guy trying to convince a guy to be with him. And they both happen to be iconic slow jams for each of the guys.
Mashable Factor: 8

"Tonight" and "Shape Of My Heart"
OK, so thematically these songs have nothing in common, but their tempos are similar and they both happen to be super awesome songs that I personally love a lot, so that means I want to see them performed at some point.
Mashable Factor: 4

"Call It What You Want" and "Get Down (You're the One for Me)"  
Both songs feature raps by the group's resident bad boys (NKOTB's Donnie and BSB's AJ), which means that at the very least we can see some the guys make their pleas to be 2011's Hottest MCs in the Game.
Mashable Factor: 7

"Let's Try It Again" and "More Than That"
Both songs are pretty pleas to girls to get them to fall in love with the guys in the bands. We're not sure why it would take any pleas, but apparently both guys have trouble in the lady department. Both of these tunes are slow and sweet, so that helps.
Mashable Factor: 8

"Inconsolable" and "Didn't I Blow Your Mind"
The tempos are slightly off, but both songs are breakup ballad that will certainly get the girls swooning (if they aren't already).
Mashable Factor: 6

Most of all though, we just kind of hope the guys can get it together and record one brand new, awesome track for the fans. "It's tough getting these guys in the studio," New Kid Joey McIntyre explained. "These young cats. Well, it's honestly, it is tough to get everybody together. But we have lots of great intentions."

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