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In Honor Of April Fools' Day, We Punk'd Kim Stolz ...

Posted 4/1/09 12:18 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes

Kim Stolz just got punk'd! And if I'd known earlier how she'd react, believe me, I would have done it a long time ago.

When two of our interns, Talia and Kathleen, came over and asked me if I wanted to pull a prank on someone in the office, it didn't take that much to convince me. In fact, all it took was a snake-in-a-can and Kim in the wrong place at the wrong time.

We secretly hid the flip-cam behind some tapes, and as we were planning on how to get Kim to come over, she literally walked by. Perfect timing!


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Eating Pizza -- That Costs A Dollar -- With Asher Roth

Posted 3/27/09 3:53 pm EST by in Asher Roth

Asher RothWEST CHESTER, Pennsylvania — Most rappers rap about expensive cars and houses. Asher Roth raps, "I can get pizza a dollar a slice." I wondered if that was really true — and if it would be edible, let alone good.

Literally 25 steps from the door of Asher's old address here on Matlack Street is Jake's Bar and Riggtown Pizza. You may never have heard of it, but Asher promised me it's not called "The Epicenter" for nothing, and he was right.

A small bar with $5 pitchers and a shuffleboard table was enough to make the next two hours go by smoothly. Asher might be "the champion of beer pong" but Nick and I beat him and his boy — and it was my first time playing! Read More...

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We're Back In College With Asher Roth!

Posted 3/26/09 7:26 pm EST by in Asher Roth

Asher Roth
WEST CHESTER, Pennsylvania — This week we went back to college with Asher Roth! Fresh from mtvU Spring Break, he's back on the grind: He's finished his latest album, Asleep in the Bread Aisle, and we joined him for a trip down memory lane here in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

After setting things up with Asher — who performed at our offices just yesterday — we drove to West Chester to get a tour of his college town and find out how much, as his hit song says, he really did love college.

First stop: West Chester University, where Asher studied "Education." (He majored in elementary education and wanted to be one of those "close the book and really teach" kind of teachers.) Seeing the university was really my first look at American college life. Loads of people turned up to see Asher: Someone told the local radio station and the paper that we were bringing Asher back to shoot a documentary — which we're not really, but it's funny how even here, the news got distorted in the press.
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Got $1? Good Charlotte Want You To Turn That Into Clean Water For 40 Kids

Posted 3/19/09 7:36 pm EST by in good charlotte

It was just a few months ago that I was blessed with the opportunity to visit Africa and the Omindo School in the remote village of Lihanda, Kenya.

For me, my producer Sean and the rest of the team, that was a trip of a lifetime. But with all the fun and enjoyment of meeting the people of Kenya and the kids at the Omindo School, the harsh reality of the extreme poverty in the region is unavoidable and unforgettable. The most obvious and severe problem in Africa is the total lack of adequate sanitation and the need for accessible and clean water — something we witnessed firsthand on our trip. The situation in Lihanda was tragic. The hundred or more kids at the school had to all share just two holes in the ground, and although the water they had in buckets was drinkable, it was very murky and in very limited supply.

So when Benji and Joel Madden from Good Charlotte stopped by this morning to talk about their latest project as ambassadors for UNICEF, it was our pleasure. The ingenious Tap Project has been around since 2007, but this year it will really kick into a whole new gear.

Here's how it works: During World Water Week (March 22-28), restaurants across the U.S. will encourage their patrons to donate $1 or more for the tap water they usually enjoy for free. Every single dollar raised through the Tap Project supports UNICEF water, sanitation and hygiene programs. Already, thousands of people are involved — including the boys from Good Charlotte.

Clean water is definitely something we all take for granted. It's just so easy to turn a tap on or buy a bottle of water, but for 900 million people worldwide who lack access to safe and clean drinking water, it's not easy at all. And then when you hear that 4,200 children die EVERY SINGLE DAY from unsafe drinking water, it's simply heartbreaking.

That's why everyone reading this should go and visit TapProject.org and get involved. You can make a donation online or next time you're ordering water at a Tap Project restaurant.

You might question how far $1 will go — but as Benji and Joel pointed out, $1 will provide a child with clean drinking water for 40 days or even give 40 kids clean water for one day.

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Peter Bjorn And John Talk Kanye, 'Yay-Z' And Japanese Rockabilly Dudes

Posted 3/18/09 5:14 pm EST by in Bands We Like

While Peter Bjorn and John may not be the most imaginative name for a band consisting of Peter, Bjorn and John, in a way that's part of the trio's beauty. They're just three Swedish songsters who love to make music — no glitz, no glam, no frills. Their names may not ring a bell, but you'd know them as soon as you heard the first couple of bars of their infectious hit "Young Folks." The catchy whistled chorus was all it took for this band to jump from 10 years of relative obscurity to international success.

Yesterday, we met up with the band on the roof deck of the W Hotel's penthouse, high above Manhattan, to talk about their big single, their new album, their amazing new video for "Nothing to Worry About," SXSW, having their music leaked by Kanye West and the correct pronunciation of Jay-Z (apparently it comes out as "Yay-Z" in a Swedish accent).

Despite being together for almost a decade, these guys are still relative newcomers to the mainstream, so you'd have thought that on-camera face time would be of the highest importance right now. But not for these guys! As I said, their top priority is making music — not music videos. That was their excuse for choosing not to appear in their latest video, instead showcasing a rather strange (but amazing) Japanese subculture called the Yoyogi Rockabillies — basically middle-age men (and a couple of girls) with leather jackets and motorbikes who get together every week to grease back their huge hair and dance in public. My description doesn't do it justice — it really is something you have to see to believe. And be sure to watch for our interview with the band, coming soon!

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Will 'Batman: Arkham Asylum' Be The Best Comic-Book Video Game Ever?

Posted 3/13/09 3:21 pm EST by in Video Games

FINALLY, it looks like we may have our first-ever really great comic book video game. And it's about time!

We all know that the comic books-to-movies game is a tricky one that is gotten wrong more often than right ("Catwoman," "Daredevil," "The Punisher"). Well, an even worse situation is the world of comic books-to-video-games.

Whenever a comic book movie hits theaters, the inevitable onslaught of action figures, lunchboxes, clothing, coffee mugs and computer games begin. Comic book heroes are the perfect candidates to have great quality video-games made about them, and there's an enormous array of great story lines, characters, weapons, gadgets, fighting styles and love interests to include in what should be awesome video games. But with the rush to get the games out in time to meet the movie release dates, the games are rarely as good as they could be ("Superman 64," anyone?). Read More...

Kim Stolz Rocks Spring Break, While Tim Kash Sits Home

Posted 3/12/09 4:50 pm EST by in Spring Break

Tim KashI'm so jealous of Kim Stolz right now.

Growing up in the U.K., there are aspects of American culture that you just totally miss out on. For instance, at our high-schools we don't get a prom. We don't have fraternities or sororities. We don't get to play American football or baseball.
There are no cheerleaders. And we don't even have "spring break"!

Right now, while I'm in cold New York holding down the fort, Kimmy's in a bikini, enjoying the sun in Florida, interviewing some of the coolest acts by day, catching some one-of-a-kind performances in the evening, and going to the best parties by night for MTV's Spring Break Week. (I'm sure we'll be hearing from Kim here on the Newsroom blog soon.) I am soooo jealous! Read More...

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Will Michael Jackson's Comeback Shows Be All They're Cracked Up To Be?

Posted 3/12/09 3:51 pm EST by in Michael Jackson

Michael JacksonIt's been a long time since news about Michael Jackson focused on his music. But with the recent announcement of his forthcoming string of shows at London's O2 Arena, hopefully all that will change.

It's been a full 12 years since the self-styled King of Pop went on tour, but not the last time he performed onstage. In 2006 I was lucky enough to be a guest at the World Music Awards in London when MJ took to the stage for a highly anticipated performance. Unfortunately, what was billed as the singer's comeback performance was actually MJ singing just a few lines of "We Are the World." It was quite an anticlimax, leaving many fans with mixed feelings. Yes, people were thrilled to see MJ back onstage, but singing just a few lines — with no dancing whatsoever — just didn't cut it.

So last week, when MJ held a press conference in London announcing that he would be making a full-on return to the stage this summer — for what is now 50 dates, stretching from July into next February — ticket-sale hotlines were gridlocked with requests within minutes. The O2 arena is no small venue — only the biggest, most in-demand acts in the world play there.

Michael Jackson still fits that bill, and obviously his drawing power can't be underestimated: Organizers told the BBC that the shows are the fastest-selling in history.

The "This Is It" shows — an odd name, since Jackson hasn't clarified whether these are his last shows or just his last shows in London — are nonetheless history in the making. In his press conference MJ promised fans that he would be performing the songs that his fans want to hear — so what are the best Michael Jackson songs? Let us know…

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'America's Best Dance Crew' Finale Rehearsals: Tim Kash Reports From Backstage ...

Posted 3/5/09 7:17 pm EST by in backstage

LOS ANGELES — We're in between filming here at the legendary Warner Bros. studio lot where tonight, America will decide who will take home the coveted title of "America's Best Dance Crew" — and here's what we've seen so far.

As we were filming some live hits, Beat Freaks, Team Millenia and Boxcuttahz all hit the stage together to rehearse their finale-opening performance, and were soon joined by Quest Crew, Dynamic Edition and Strikers All-stars. Then came the turn of Fly Khicks, Ringmasters and GOP.

In between, Mario Lopez was hard at work reading lines while talking on the phone at the same time — busy guy!

We caught up with JC Chasez backstage as he was getting ready to block the show and he's as curious as anyone about who tonight's winner will be.

The wardrobe department is working hard putting together several different outfits for almost 60 crew members, and there's even someone who goes around all the crews with a wet-wipe cleaning their shoes. (It's a tough job but someone's got to do it, I guess.) My personal award for best outfit has to go to the Fly Khicks — you'll understand why when you see the show tonight.

America's Best Dance CrewIn between rehearsals, all nine crews kick it backstage like one big family, comparing moves, trying out new tricks and listening to music together. Even Dynamic Edition join in!

Out of curiosity, I took a look at the guest list. The award for biggest entourage for tonight is a tie between host Mario Lopez and judge JC Chasez, with Lil Mama following close behind — but with Mario actually on JC's personal guest list I think Mr. Chasez takes the award. It's a celebrity-packed audience as well, with Snoop Dogg, Lil Jon, some of the cast of "90210" and former "ABDC" winners SupaCrew all in attendance tonight.

Make sure you are too — the show airs tonight, live at 10 p.m. on MTV!

And even though the show may be over at 11 p.m., the party will continue as I host the live “America's Best Dance Crew” finale post-show, where we'll be talking to the winners, the runners-up, the judges and bringing you the real inside track from the "ABDC" finale! And be sure to check out the "America's Best Dance Crew" insider blog for all the latest!

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'America's Best Dance Crew' Finale: Tim Kash Goes Behind The Scenes

Posted 3/5/09 12:58 pm EST by in Uncategorized

LOS ANGELES — I arrived in L.A. yesterday afternoon and went straight from the airport to the Warner Bros. studio for our big production meeting for the season-three finale of "America's Best Dance Crew," which airs tonight at 10 p.m. on MTV! For the first time in "ABDC" history, we are seeing the boys face off against the girls, as Quest Crew battle it out with Beat Freaks for the big prize.

I've been watching "ABDC" since the show began and I'll proudly say that I love it! The vibe of the show, the personalities of the crews, the atmosphere and energy of the audience is unrivaled by any other show on TV right now.

And this season in particular has brought two of the best dance crews in "ABDC" history — and as anyone who watches the show can tell you, these crews are as evenly matched as can be. It's going to be one hell of a finale, and tonight America will decide who is the best!

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