After a slightly uncomfortable interview with Anderson Cooper on his daytime talk show, where she hesitated when asked if she would be joining "The X Factor" only to turn around and say that while she wasn't a judge on Simon Cowell's primetime reality singing competition right now "that’s all I really think I should say," speculation is rampant that Janet Jackson has been approached to join the show.

And if the rumors are true, we're all for it! Jackson would be a great addition to the FOX competition and would bring the industry expertise and attitude necessary to add a little spark to the flailing program.

One of the things that has worked so effectively for "The Voice" is the fact that its judges/mentors are all still active as artists. As we noted in our recap of this week's episode, it's kind of interesting and exciting to watch the judges battle it out for team members using the other's status and activity in the industry. When Christina Aguilera contended that she could pay more attention to a contestant because she wasn't currently touring, Blake Shelton countered that while he was indeed on the road, he'd taken his season one "Voice" finalist Dia Frampton with him … something he could likely offer his top contestant this season as well.

That's not something Paula Abdul or Nicole Scherzinger could offer. Abdul hasn't released an album since 1995 (her discography contains only three records total) and Scherzinger can't even seem to get her own solo debut released in the U.S., having seen its release pushed back several times when single after single went nowhere. Who are they to critique the voices and careers of fledgling singers? We like Abdul as much as the next guy, but her daffy shenanigans don't really bring anything to the table other than something fun for viewers to point at and talk about the next day.

Sure, Jackson isn't in her prime but she is still an active artist, one who launched a successful (and occasionally sold out) greatest hits world tour just last year. Her achievements tower over Abdul's – Jackson is one of the most successful female musical artists ever, having sold over 100 million albums worldwide, and she's experienced recent success on the big screen as well, courtesy of her good relationship with Tyler Perry ("Why Did I Get Married Too?"). The advice she'd offer "X Factor" contestants could prove indispensible.

Not to belabor the point, but it boils down to this – Who would you, as a musician, rather get advice from, six-time Grammy winner Janet Jackson or Paula Abdul and or Nicole Scherzinger? The answer is pretty clear and it's why Jackson would be perfect for "The X Factor."

We're a little biased here, but here goes: "American Idol" is dead and "The Voice" killed it! We're kidding! But NBC's reality singing competition is putting up quite a fight against "Idol," matching FOX's long-running hit in the key 18-49 demographic and coming within spitting distance of the once untouchable juggernaut in overall ratings.

Monday's episode of "The Voice" earned 16.3 million viewers and a 6.0 rating in the key demo, the same 18-49 rating earned last night by "Idol," which pulled in 18.6 million total viewers.

When it comes to the younger half of the key demo, "The Voice" is actually winning, according to USA Today.

While "Idol's" ratings have stabilized, it's been a brutal season for the once undisputed top show on TV. The season 11 debut in January attracted 21.6 million viewers, down 27 percent from last year in ratings and 18 percent in total viewership. It was the biggest year-to-year fall in the history of the franchise.

Meanwhile, guided by an expert promotional campaign and a key season two debut after the Super Bowl, "The Voice" has proven to be a bright spot on the otherwise bleak spring TV season. A minor hit when it debuted last year, "The Voice" broke some non-sporting event ratings records with its post-Super Bowl debut, attracting 37.6 million viewers for a 16.3 in the key demo. Even without its Super lead-in, the show has proven far stronger than many expected, settling in to a major season-over-season gain.

Are you watching "The Voice" – WE ARE – or are you a longtime "Idol" devotee? Let us know in the comments.

By Zachary Swickey

While many folks were spending bookoo cash on their loved ones this Valentine’s Day, I – as a new resident of Los Angeles – found myself heading to Gate 3 of the Warner Bros. lot to attempt to watch my first live taping of a television show. I was quite excited to witness some behind-the-scenes production – not to mention the taping was for the smash-hit TV show “2 Broke Girls,” which I’ve been an avid fan of since day one.

As I approached Warner, it was a matter of controlled chaos. The “Ellen” fan section was the largest, most boisterous and damn, did they all look excited! I then headed toward my lengthy line, though I soon discover I hopped in the “Big Bang Theory” section by accident – the two lines had seemingly intersected like a real-life version of the cell-phone “Snake” game. After two swift hours, we were eventually led into the studio, where the set was hidden behind large black drapes.

Most live-tapings include a comic that hangs in the crowd to keep them entertained and this one was no different. I wish I had caught the gentleman’s name, because he was easily funny enough to be in the show himself and even gave me a heart-shaped marshmallow Peep to nibble on.

Next, the stars of the show were introduced as they came out one-by-one dressed in their character’s appropriate garb. They quickly went right to filming scenes, which were surprisingly done in order. I’ve never been to a film shoot of any kind before, so I was rather surprised to see them do only two or three takes but occasionally more. However, it helped that every actor was on their A-game. There weren’t as many flubs as I had anticipated.
Kat Dennings was full of her hipster-bashing jokes and sexual puns that always leave me howling. It’s inexplicable how the actress maintains a classic Hollywood beauty to her when reciting such sexually-suggestive jokes, but the abrasive attitude juxtaposes nicely with her charming look.

Beth Behrs, on the other hand, may be a tall, thin blonde with few major acting credentials under her belt, but the woman is an amazing comical actress. I couldn’t help but be reminded of Lucille Ball when watching some of her hilarious scenes. For example, in one instance Behr’s character's tongue swelled up, rendering her unable to talk. As I watched – laughing hysterically – I was blown away how great it looked on the first take (I would even argue her first take was the best of the three or so they took). I figured something that ridiculous would warrant at least a few tries to get right. Granted, the troupe had probably rehearsed this episode a dozen times over.

Actor Jonathan Kite, who plays Oleg, never gets enough screen time but every single line he recited had the audience bent over in laughter. Actor Matthew Moy, who plays café owner Han, was even smaller in person, but notably had little-to-no trouble with his lines. And of course, it was quite the treat to see comic legend Garrett Morris, who plays Earl.

After nearly four hours, “Episode 20” had wrapped, which was completed much faster than the norm, from what we were told. “Sometimes we are here 'til 1AM,” I overheard a worker say. So yeah, I spent my Valentine’s Day alone in a new city, but I was being entertained by one of favorite television shows live and in person! I’ll take that over my past several Valentine’s any day.

On last night's Valentine's episode of "Glee," Mercedes (Amber Riley) sang one of the biggest and best love songs ever, "I Will Always Love You," after her conscience forced her to walk away from Sam (Chord Overstreet). It was a high point in the episode and Twitter immediately lit up with praise…

…Much like it did Sunday night when Jennifer Hudson performed the Dolly Parton-penned ballad as a tribute to the late Whitney Houston on the Grammy Awards.

There's no doubt both performers nailed the song, but their interpretations were a little different – Hudson took a bit more ownership of the track, singing in a lower register, while Riley's delivery and the song's arrangement were nearly identical to Houston's.

With two performances of Houston's signature song in one week, it's hard not to compare the two. But which one was your favorite. Vote in our poll below.

Related:
>>> "Glee" Recap: "Heart"

We're already immersed in the lifestyles of Karen, Drita, Carla and Renee, but there is one new character of VH1’s "Mob Wives" that has completely stolen the show. Err … stolen may be a bad word, so let’s just she has become the breakout star of season two.

When Angela "Big Ang" Raiola first entered our lives, she was playing mediator in the never-ending feud between Drita and Karen. From her first moment on screen, viewers were immediately drawn to her unique voice and larger-than-life character – she was both endearing and outrageously unbelievable. Of her newfound fame Big Ang told MTV NEWS, "I think it’s amazing. It’s really blown up tremendously and I’m really having fun with it. I’m amazed. I can’t even believe what’s happening. I’ve been getting gifts, constantly getting great gifts [from fans]. I thank everybody who has been giving me good things. That pocket book that I’m carrying right there, great bag. All kinds of organic baskets of lotions. Roses, candy, earrings, everything."

With a growing fan base, it's no wonder her life has changed when she steps out of the door. “Now, it’s totally, ‘Where am I going? Don’t tell no body, we gotta hide!’ I just came from Disney with my grandson. I was stalked all over Epcot and Magic Kingdom. I can’t even tell you what it was like. I’m telling you, it was crazy.

I was actually doing an interview on the phone … and the people are just taking my pictures. [The fans say] ‘Please, please, please! I love you, could we take a picture?’ I’m like, ‘I can’t right now, I’m on the phone.’ ‘We don’t care, we’ll just take your picture!’ I’m like, ‘Okay,’ as I’m talking, as I’m talking I’m just posing with the phone in my hand, they’re taking the picture,” said Big Ang.

Big Ang tells MTV she turns to music to get away from it all. “I listen to everything. Right now, my favorite song is Kelly Clarkson’s 'Mr. Know-it-All.” I love that song,” she said.

For more of Big Ang and the rest of the "Mob Wives," be sure to turn into VH1 on Sunday at 8PM EST.

Whoa!

Riding high on a Madonna halftime performance adrenaline cloud, last night we watched and recapped "The Voice" for your reading pleasure. It seems we were not the only ones!

The post-game telecast of the reality singing competition's second season debut pulled down 37.6 million viewers and a 16.3 rating among adults 18-49, according to Entertainment Weekly. That's the largest viewership of any non-sports telecast on any network in six years, since "Grey’s Anatomy's" post-Super Bowl airing in 2006. It also posted a 47 percent improvement in the coveted demo versus Fox’s post-game airing of "Glee" last year.

So, finally a big win for struggling NBC and a sweet kickoff for "The Voice," which continues the blind audition phase of the competition tonight at 8 PM on NBC.

Kristen Wiig suited up to play Del Rey, sporting long flowy locks and a lace dress, on a "Weekend Update" segment with Seth Meyers. The pair mostly mocked the level of vitriol directed at Del Rey, declaring it overkill, saying, "The music stage on 'Saturday Night Live' is hallowed ground, and I failed to reach the high bar set by past guests like Bubba Sparxxx, The Baha Men and Shaggy."

Check it out below:

"SNL" boiled down the ridiculous amount of attention paid to Del Rey's lackluster showing thusly: "Based on the public's response, I must have clubbed a baby seal while singing the Taliban national anthem."
Boom.

Wiig and Meyers continued to shoot arrows in the media's evisceration of Del Rey, mocking the attention paid to her stage name – "No serious musician would ever change their name, except maybe for Sting, Cher, Elton John, Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, everyone else in hip-hop and of course Bob Dylan" – and even making a point about how the media takes on bullying as a cause, but only when it's convenient.

"No, I'm grateful that all of you made your voices heard," Wiig as Del Rey said. "In this age of dangerous school bullying, you have sent an important message: If you think someone is weird you should criticize them as much as possible."

The rumor took off after Spears tweeted that she knew everyone was very excited for Sunday's Super Bowl, but she was more hyped for the next episode of the "funniest show on TV."

After that, Spears' army of fans on the social network began a hashtag campaign to #getbritneyonmodernfamily.

What's especially strange though is that when a source close to the show was contacted by Ryan Seacrest's team to comment on the rumor, they said that no deal was in place "but wouldn’t say whether or not they were in talks about it." In showbiz speak, not issuing a hard denial is pretty much code for maybe. (Goes back to the whole "no comment means yes" thing.)

The pop star has plenty of experience when it comes to guesting on popular network comedies. In 2006 she appeared on "Will & Grace" and in 2008 earned positive reviews for her two-episode arc on CBS' "How I Met Your Mother."

Spears did admit she can't wait to see her girl's Madonna and Nicki Minaj tear it up on Sunday. Check out what she had to say below.

Now, the First Lady is saying that the president's performance wasn't necessarily an isolated incident and he "does have a beautiful voice, and he sings to me all the time."

When pressed by Jay Leno during an appearance on "The Tonight Show," Michelle Obama told the host that the president "sings a lot of Al Green, Marvin Gaye, a little Stevie [Wonder]. He likes the classics."

Watch:

Check out President Obama's performance of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" after the jump!

Shirley MacLaine, the delightfully odd six-time Oscar nominee (and winner for "Terms of Endearment"), is joining the cast of our second favorite show on television, "Downton Abbey." (We can't say it's our number one fave when "Parks and Recreation" has been slaying it this season.)

MacLaine will play Martha Levinson, Lady Grantham’s (Elizabeth McGovern) mother. Dan Stevens (that's Matthew Crawley to you!) wasn't lying when he told MTV to expect "thrills and chills" in season three! Listen:

"My late grandfather directed Shirley MacLaine in 'Gambit' in 1966 so it is a delight for me that she will be joining us on 'Downton Abbey,'" Carnival Films’ Managing Director Gareth Neame said in a statement. "Julian [Fellowes, creator] has written another brilliant character in Martha Levinson, who will be a wonderful combatant for Maggie Smith’s Dowager Countess and we are excited at the prospect of Shirley MacLaine playing her."

The MTV Newsroom is positively aflutter with the possibilities presented by MacLaine going toe-to-toe with the Dowager Countess, who talks a lot of s**t (seriously, click on that link, you won't be sorry) and is easily one of the best zinger machines on TV right now.

Related:
>>> 'Downton Abbey' Gets 'Delicious'
>>> Matthew Crawley Teases 'Thrills and Chills' On 'Downton Abbey'
>>> 'Downton Abbey': A Playlist From Mary To Matthew
>>> 'Downton Abbey's' Lady Mary And Lady Grantham To Record an Album … Together

Excited to see legendary actresses Shirley MacLaine and Maggie Smith square off on TV's best drama? Let us know in the comments below.