After winning an Emmy for his work on "Saturday Night Live," Justin Timberlake will return to television this Monday (October 12) to appear on "The Jay Leno Show" for a segment called "Ten at Ten." Timberlake will appear via satellite from Las Vegas and answer 10 of Leno's questions. Tom Cruise (who was asked if he had ever been to a strip club), Cameron Diaz, LeBron James and Miley Cyrus have all submitted themselves to Leno's interrogation.
What could Leno possibly ask Timberlake? Jessica Biel's name is sure to pop up, as the couple's relationship (and its possible end) have made them a staple on the gossip pages in the past week.
Timberlake is great on TV and in movies, but his primary vocation has been relatively ignored as of late. He has not released a studio album since 2006's FutureSex/LoveSounds. Despite this, Timberlake has recently appeared on hit singles "Dead and Gone" (with T.I.) and "Love Sex Magic" (with Ciara), both of which have cracked the Billboard Top Ten.
Timberlake's current project is "The Social Network," a movie about the founders of Facebook, which is due for release in 2010. Timberlake recently told Entertainment Weekly that he's not working on a new album, so it could be a while before he brings sexy back once again.
In the two weeks it has existed, "The Jay Leno Show" has mostly been a study in stale stand-up and retread bits from Jay's run on "The Tonight Show." But so far his lineup of guests has been pretty interesting. He lucked into his conversation with Kanye West last week, and last night he welcomed another former MTV VMA star to his gigantic set: Pee-Wee Herman. Paul Reubens, the man inside Herman's head, has used the Pee-Wee character sparingly since his arrest for indecent exposure back in 1991, but he's bringing the persona back for a stage show in Los Angeles starting in November.
Reubens, who became an icon when the movie "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" and the Saturday morning show "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" became gigantic hits, sat across from Leno in his desk-free interview set-up to joke about his abstinence ring, his early experiences with the theater and how confused he always was about the process of making a record. Like all of the best Pee-Wee bits, the stories he told Leno were delivered in a childlike fashion but carried a twinge of sadness that always made his version of kids' entertainment a little darker than the average fare.
For his part, Reubens looks like he has barely aged and still retains Pee-Wee's youthful vigor despite the fact that he recently turned 57 years old. He hasn't been entirely invisible since putting away the Pee-Wee character in the early '90s, as he's appeared in a number of high-profile movies (most notably "Mystery Men" and "Blow"), dropped in on the Elton John video "This Train Don't Stop Here Anymore" and was a guest star on a memorable episode of "30 Rock" in 2007.
For a show built around comedy, this was a pretty heavy moment for a premiere. After thanking him for not backing out, Leno let West talk. "It's been extremely difficult," he told the host. "I only wanted to help people my entire life. I've only wanted to give and do something that was right, and I immediately knew in this situation that it was wrong." He called his actions "rude" (agreeing with the All-American Rejects) and said that he wants to apologize to Swift in person. Then it took an uncomfortable turn, as West clearly got choked up when Leno asked West what his mother would have thought of this. He then dropped an interesting note, saying that he has never really taken any time off (it's true) and that he plans to do that soon (assuming after his upcoming tour with Lady Gaga). He also offered to help Swift in any way he could, so perhaps her dream of a hip-hop crossover isn't that far away. All told, it was a rare quiet and contrite moment for West, though Leno's introduction of his mother into the proceedings came across as a little odd, if not bullying. Check out the whole interview below.
President Barack Obama's appearance on "The Tonight Show" Thursday was memorable for many reasons, including the way he compared life in Washington, D.C. to being on "American Idol" -- with everyone being Simon!
LENO: Now it's only [been], what, 59 days now, right?
MR. OBAMA: Yes, 59 days.
MR. LENO: And so much scrutiny. Is it fair to judge so quickly? I mean --
MR. OBAMA: Well, look, we are going through a difficult time. I welcome the challenge. You know, I ran for president because I thought we needed big changes. I do think in Washington it's a little bit like "American Idol," except everybody is Simon Cowell.
MR. LENO: Wow. Wow. That's rough.
MR. OBAMA: Everybody's got an opinion. But that's part of what makes for a democracy. You know, it's contentious and people are hitting back. I do think, though, that the American people are all in a place where they understand it took us a while to get into this mess, it's going to take a while for us to get out of it. And if they have confidence that I'm making steps to deal with issues like health care and energy and education, that matter deeply to their daily lives, then I think they're going to give us some time.
What do you think? Is America giving the Obama administration a fair shake? Should we be more Paula than Simon? Sound off below!
Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
On Friday night, Conan O'Brien will deliver one last "Late Night" monologue, banter with a still-secret roster of celebrity guests, and then permanently shut off the lights in his studio at 30 Rock. After 2,725 shows, the goofball with the orange bouffant is heading west to take over "The Tonight Show" from Jay Leno.
There's been much talk about whether Conan's loony comedic style will translate to the more traditional confines of the 11:35 p.m. time slot. Even more worrisome, though, is the notion that the transition to the more family-friendly "Tonight Show" will necessitate an O'Brien overhaul to the point where "Late Night" fans no longer recognize their gleefully sophomoric Conzey.
With this troubling thought in mind, MTV News took a look back at the past 16 years of "Late Night" brilliance and selected the bits and sketches we can't live without. The masturbating bear and sexed-up manatee might have to go, but we hope these picks make the cut for the new "Tonight Show," which debuts June 1.
In the Year 2000
In the best "Late Night" bit of all, Conan and a rotating cast of celebrities take turns making faux-futuristic predictions about what will happen in the oh-so-far-off year 2000. The segment is really just a platform for absurdist jokes ("This holiday season, aliens that look exactly like fresh-baked gingerbread men will pick the worst possible time to invade Earth"). And yet when Conan and company don toy-like space collars and shine flashlights on their faces as if they were kids on a sleepover, the true charm, simplicity and genius of the show comes through: funny people saying funny things — and there's nothing like it on TV. Or maybe we just dig the bit because of how awesome it is to hear house trombonist LaBamba croon a falsetto "In the year two-thousaaaaaaand!" (Watch Alec Baldwin and Seth Rogen taking a look into the future.) Read more...
I'm not one for sweeping proclamations, but today, December 9, might mark the death knell for the prime-time network drama. In a matter of months, NBC will do away with their remaining 10 p.m. dramas (I hope you're sitting down, because, yes, Christian Slater's "My Own Worst Enemy" is going off the air) and replace them with a brand-new talk show hosted by Jay Leno. Yes, like a bad penny (or insufferable host) Leno will turn up once again all over the Peacock schedule. Terrified of losing the "Tonight Show" host to a competitor, NBC has convinced him to stay — not by elbowing out Conan O'Brien, who's set to take the reins of "Tonight" in May, but by bringing Leno into even more homes at an earlier hour, according to the New York Times. Read more...
We get it. Teen girls think you're dreamy. You can sing, you have a TV show, you've got some movies in the works, and you even have a book out. You can get any lady you want and leave her heartbroken when you're done with her.
That's all fine by me. I only ask that you don't follow through on your latest dream of becoming a comedian. Why? Well, if your performance on "The Tonight Show" Monday night tells me anything, it's that you're just not funny.
"You know, I did [want to be a comedian]. I never really got the chance," the 19-year-old revealed when Jay Leno asked about his dream. "I want to do stand-up." So the talk-show host handed him a microphone — and probably immediately regretted it. Let's take a look at some of Joe's, er, finer moments.
"Kevin was in People's Sexiest Man Alive issue, and he's quoted [saying,] 'Did they get the right person?' " the singer began. "Let me answer that question for you, Kevin: No!" Read more...
President Barack Obama's appearance on "The Tonight Show" Thursday was memorable for many reasons, including the way he compared life in Washington, D.C. to being on "American Idol" -- with everyone being Simon!
By Josh Horowitz
We get it. Teen girls think you're dreamy. You can sing, you have a TV show, you've got some movies in the works, and you even have a book out. You can get any lady you want and leave her heartbroken when you're done with her.