'American Idol' Recap: Why Are The Contestants Stuck In A Rut?

Can any contestant pull through from a string of average performances?

By Adam Graham



















"American Idol 's"
Top 12 contestants went back to where they were from on Wednesday,
singing songs that best define what the word "home" means to them.

Overall, it was another shaky night from what might be the least polished group of "Idol" finalists ever.
There wasn't a breakout performance in the bunch, and the judges seem
frustrated with this pack of not-ready-for-prime-time players.

Here's a recap of Wednesday's episode.

'American Idol' Contestant Performs 'Waiting On The World To Change'

Stuck In The Middle With Everyone

What is it with this year's contestants?
Everything about "Idol" this year is refreshed, from the format to the
new studio to the renewed energy at the judge's table, but the "Idols"
themselves are acting like talent show contestants who forgot their
material.

Part
of it seems like a problem with Rickey Minor's house band, whose
arrangements have been extra weak and zap the energy from the
performances.
But the main problem seems to be a lack of confidence from the
performers themselves, who have yet to take control and really boss up
at the microphone. (The exception is Caleb Johnson, the Meat Loaf-like rocker dude who on Wednesday sang a song by Rush (!) and was so into his role he mock-collapsed on stage at the end of the song.)

Jessica
Meuse introduced Dido's "White Flag" by saying she performs it at every
one of her shows, and then proceeded to play it like it was her 6,345th
time performing it for the same group a half-empty bar at closing time;
Jena Irene's version of KT Tunstall's "Suddenly I See" never got out of
neutral; the normally daring Alex Preston watered himself down with a
restrained take on Gavin DeGraw's "One Tree Hill" theme "I Don't Wanna
Be"; and Majesty Rose tried to pack the emotion and the build of
Coldplay's five-minute "Fix You" into 90 seconds and wound up sounding
like she was cramming 10 pounds worth of stuff into a five-pound box.

Dexter
Roberts, whose main attribute is that he really sounds like a lot of
country performers already on the radio, gave the night's best
performance, singing a convincing version of Montgomery Gentry's "Lucky
Man." But there was nothing unique about it, which so far sums up this season of "Idol."

Hatchet Harry Strikes Again

Harry Connick Jr. — or just "Junior," as host Ryan Seacrest called him —
lived up to his billing as "Hatchet Harry" yet again on Wednesday.
It's not that he's being a killjoy, it's just he's being honest and
critiquing the contestants from a heavily technical standpoint, and not
going easy on any of them.

He
said Jessica Meuse seemed "blasé" and that she wasn't really present;
he told Emily Piriz her performance of Jennifer Lopez' "Let's Get Loud"
was like a locomotive that she was a passenger on rather than a
conductor; he criticized Caleb Johnson for being overly predictable week
after week; he told Ben Briley he "didn't connect" with his version of
David Nail's "Turning Home" and it "felt shouted" to him; and he
criticized Sam Woolf for his lack of growth so far.

There's no cruelty to Connick's approach -- he's not calling anyone names -- but his honesty is refreshing in the format.

Malaya Redeems Herself

Wild child contestant Malaya Watson found herself in last week's bottom
two, narrowly escaping being voted off after her manic version of Bruno
Mars' "Runaway Baby."
On Wednesday, she dialed way down by performing Tamela Mann's "Take Me
to the King" while seated at a piano, standing up and driving the song
home at the end of the performance.

It was a marked improvement over last week, and it brought Keith Urban to his feet, while Lopez said it gave her "goosies." And it should be enough to rescue Watson from the bottom this week.

MK Drops The Ball

MK Nobillette, who was also in the bottom last week, is at risk of going
home this week after her floundering version of Train's "Drops of
Jupiter."
She seemed terrified to be onstage, like a little kid under the stage
lights for the first time, and didn't even have the confidence to adjust
the microphone which seemed positioned too high for her. She hardly mustered the energy to sing along with the song's "na na na" chorus.

"MK, I still get the feeling that you don't want to be here," Connick told her.

Lesser-Known Artists Shine

The looser format of the week's theme resulted in several adventurous
song choices, from Rush to indie rockers Blind Pilot to gospel singer
Tamela Mann to country singer David Nail.

Usually
around this time in the competition, contestants are forced into theme
weeks celebrating the catalogs of Motown or Elton John, and it's
refreshing to have the field opened up and to get a better sense of what
artists the contestants are really into. Trust us, we don't need another Billy Joel night.

Keeping with the "Home" theme, former winner Phillip Phillips will perform on Thursday's show , along with Irish rockers Kodaline. And one performer will be going home for good, driving home this week's theme in an entirely different way.

What did you think of Wednesday's "Idol" episode? Let us know in the comments!

| MTV.com

Why I Want To Go Back To Android

Move over iOS. I want my KitKat.

March is my iPhoneiversary. After using an Android smartphone for my entire adult life, I made an impulse decision to upgrade to an iPhone 5 last spring.


In early 2013, I had been having increasing troubles with my LG Revolution and wanted a change. When the phone began to randomly shut down, I mistook frustration with my phone for frustration with Android.
I finally did what many of my friends, family, and coworkers had been
encouraging me to do, and traded in my Android for an iPhone.



For the first few months, I had no regrets. I loved snapping photos with the iPhone 5’s 8 megapixel camera, which made it easy to zoom and edit.
I loved finally having the same phone as my mom and sisters, and—after
years of being the odd one out—chatting with them about the best and
worst apps. And I loved its sleek, stylish appearance.


But after that brief honeymoon, I now spend my days scrolling obsessively through ReadWrite’s Nexus 5 and Samsung Galaxy S5 coverage. Here are four reasons I’m still pining for Android.

Customization 

Steve Jobs designed his line of phones to be the perfect customer experience . As a result, there’s not much you can do to adjust the way your iPhone works. In Apple’s mind, it’s already been designed to be perfect for you.


What I miss about Android was the multitude of options you have to switch it up. With an iPhone, you can add a custom background and ringtone, and move the apps around to your liking. With an Android phone, that’s only scratching the surface.


On Android, a theme is more than just a background, but an entirely new OS design. Themer App is just one service you can download to dramatically change every aspect of your Android phone’s look. Heck, if you want to, you can even make your Android look like an iPhone . It’s not just aesthetics either, it’s also how you interact with your phone. You want to be able to access your favorite apps by swiping from the side of the screen? You can do that in Android. Want to put favorite apps or settings in the notification pull-down? You can do that in Android.


I also miss being able to be the master of my own phone. Judge if you like, but I always would root my Android phones, the better to tweak them. Meanwhile, jailbreaking an iPhone is much more difficult to do, and even if you accomplish it, what you can do post-jailbreak is limited .


In the same way, I miss being able to pull my phone apart, take out
the micro SD card, and load it with music and pictures as I saw fit. Sure, not every modern Android has this capability any more, but many of the latest generation do, notably the upcoming HTC One. Good luck trying to physically take apart an iPhone, of any generation.

Widget Heaven 

When I bought an iPhone, I didn’t realize that it would have no widgets at all. In the controlled environment of iOS 7, users need to actually open apps in order to use them. And while that doesn’t sound like much of an inconvenience, it’s a big change for a widget-loving Android user.


If you have an Android phone, chances are you spend almost as much
time looking at your widgets as you spend inside of the actual apps. I used to have a calendar app on my main screen, so I could see my daily Google Calendar to-do list at a glance.
I was never fooled by the perpetually partly-sunny icon on iOS’s
weather app, because with Android, I always had my weather widget open.


My iPhone screen looks exactly like everyone else's iPhone screen—a grid of colorful little squares. I've moved the squares I use the most to my main screen, but other than that there's not much I can do to adjust it.

Durability 

Even a year in, I’m still kind of afraid of my iPhone. I handle it more like a fragile baby bird, forever nestled in an enormous OtterBox case that literally doubles its size.


Inside its case, my iPhone hardly fits in my hand (though that may
have something to do with me being a petite woman), but I figure it’s
better than the alternatives.
I’ve seen too many people squinting through their shattered iPhone
screens, because it’s not time to replace the phone yet and they’ll just
have to cope. Whose idea was it to encase a phone in glass anyway?


Looking at my cumbersome current phone, I sometimes think back to the carefree days I spent with my series of Android phones. Sure, they were clunky and made of bourgeois plastic, but I never used a phone case and I dropped them constantly.
Having an iPhone has certainly taught me to be more careful with my
possessions, but I shouldn’t have to walk on eggshells just to ensure my
phone retains a minimum level of usability.

Variety 

Finally, the main reason I should have stuck with Android was the
sheer number of options I had to find a phone exactly to my liking.


So I wasn’t happy with my LG Revolution anymore. I could have tried a Samsung. Or a Motorola. Or a Galaxy Note.
Or a Nokia. Or an HTC One. Android is a marketplace where dozens of
different phone makers compete to design a phone that works for you.


But let’s say I don’t like the iPhone 5, and want to stick with iOS 7. My choices are minimal. I can upgrade to the iPhone 5C or 5S.
(I hear the 5S comes in gold.) Even so, you get my point—no amount of
gilding disguises the fact that it’s just an updated version of the same
product.


Of course, there’s no way I’m going to trade in my iPhone before my provider lets me switch. Aside from what that would cost, my phone is still fully functional, and I really shouldn’t complain. Instead, call me up about it in a year. I’ll answer on my shiny new Android phone.


Photo by JD Hancock– ReadWrite

Pope Francis: Don’t Call Me Superman

Pope Francis addresses the crowd from the window of his apartment at the Vatican on Feb. 9, 2014.
Tiziana Fabi / AFP / Getty Images

In a new interview with an Italian-language newspaper, Pope
Francis said he was a 'normal' man and that he takes offense to the
idolization surrounding his leadership of the papacy.
He also touched on issues including women's decision-making role in the
church, birth control and how globalization affects the poor 

Pope Francis has called the overwhelming hype around his papacy
“offensive,” describing himself as a “normal person” like everybody else.


In an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera
(in Italian), the Holy See expressed his discomfort at the idolization
surrounding his leadership of the church, noting that the description of
the pope as a kind of superman or star was “offensive.” “The pope is a man who laughs, cries, sleeps calmly and has friends like everyone else. A normal person,” said Francis.


The pope also addressed a question on institutional child abuse.
“No one else has done more” to root out and address pedophilia than the
church, said Francis, suggesting the Vatican had been unfairly singled
out for criticism.
Francis also said the church was perhaps the only public institution to
have acted with transparency and accountability on the issue.
His strong words follow on from last month’s United Nation’s report
condemning the Vatican’s handling of priests who have abused children.


Other issues Francis touched on include suggesting women could have a
greater decision-making role in the church, addressing the church’s
position on birth control and how globalization affects the poor. He also denied suggestions he shared Marxist views.

 | TIME.com

Pretentious Ex Christian BItch Swell Head Katy Perry Shades Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus

by Cassandra Rose on

March 5, 2014 at 10:45 am

Katy Perry recently took over the Australian morning show Sunrise, and while there she tossed all kinds of shade at Mariah Carey and Miley Cyrus and then tried to do the weather.

Key word being tried.

First up the shadey shade (see above) in which Katy says that Mariah Carey “is fabulous for a throwback.” Ouch. You can see that around 7:09.

The conversation then moved onto her recent kiss with Miley Cyrus
(jump to 8:04) in which Katy gave her a “friendly girly kiss” and Miley
tried to go to first base at which point Katy shut her down because,
“Who knows where that tongue has been!”

After petting a koala and insulting her pals, Katy then made an
attempt to become a weather person (see below) complete with magic wand.

Apparently it was pretty cold in Hogwarts, Australia. And no, that is not a joke. You can jump to the 1:13 minute mark to see that.

And keep watching to see Katy throw some more shade at her own wax figure.

The Best Things to Buy in March

Spring is on its way, and a lot of Spring recreation items are going on sale. Here are some of the best things to buy this month.P

Related

Every month, we look back at the best times to buy anything during the year , and pull out items each month to remind you what's coming.
Obviously, none of this is to say you should go on a shopping spree—but
if you've been holding off for a lower price on something, these are
the things that get the sale treatment in February.P

All Winter

• Boats: If you're looking to get your sea legs, now's a good time to start looking at boats. This is for a number of reasons, as the folks over at Boatline and Bankrate
  suggest: First; it's boat show season, which means that you can buy
  used boats at discounted prices while everyone gets excited for the new
  models.
  And second; it's the off season in many parts of the country—not a lot
  of people take their boats out in the dead of winter—so demand is down,
  along with prices.P
• Computer Monitors: Black Friday isn't the only time to grab cheap computer monitors. January and February are inventory clearance time, according to CNET , which means that you're going to find some nice sales as manufacturers clear the way for other models. Check out our guide on picking the best monitor to find the right one for you.P
• Gas Grills & Air Conditioners: If you live in a colder area, February is a trying month. Luckily, summer-centric products like grills and air conditioners are quite a bit cheaper, says Bankrate , since no one else is really looking to get one. If you're in the market, now's a good time to grab.P
• Wedding Supplies: Like grills ,
  everyone is waiting for the spring to plan their wedding—which means
  it's much easier to find a venue and negotiate prices this month, before
  the nice weather hits. Maybe an indoor wedding is right for you instead. While you're at it, check out this list of other ways to save on your wedding.P
• Winter Coats & Clothing: For obvious reasons, the later you get into winter, the cheaper winter clothing gets. If you can wait until the end of the season, both TIME and Dealnews agree: you can find some nice discounts.P

March

• Chocolate: For obvious reasons , Valentines-themed chocolate goes on sale after Valentine's day, so you can stock up for cheap. If you miss out, wait until Easter passes by, then grab yourself some cheap chocolate rabbits.P
• Frozen Foods: As silly as it sounds, March is National Frozen Food Month , which means you're likely to find some deals in the frozen food section at your local grocery store. Since frozen food lasts a long time—and since frozen produce is often just as nutritious as fresh —now would be the time to stock up. Just make sure you're storing everything properly .P
• Golf Clubs: Spring is on the way, which means new golf clubs are coming out, says LIVESTRONG and SaveAMillionShots.com . If you can deal with having last year's models, you can nab them for a cheaper price as the pro shop clears them out. Keep an eye out around Father's Day, too, when golf clubs tend to go on sale.P
• Luggage: Dealnews found that March is a good time to pick up travel gear at a discount, likely because its between vacation seasons. If your old bags are starting to feel a little worn, now's a good time to prepare for your spring and summer vacations.P

We'll be posting updates for you guys every month, so you're aware of the deals going on all year round. If you're curious to see what's coming up, you can always check out our full best time to buy guide to see the entire year at a glance. And, if you know of any deals we didn't mention, share them in the comments below.

 

Neophyte senator pushes bill reducing income tax rate

MANILA, Philippines – Neophyte Senator  Juan  Edgardo Angara is
pushing for the  passage  of  a  bill that  seeks to reduce an
individual’s income tax rate  from  the  current 32 percent to 25
percent by 2017.


Angara said Senate Bill No. 2149, which he filed, also aims to adjust the individual income tax brackets.


“The general policy is that taxation must be uniform but it also must be progressive.
Dapat nakabase siya sa kakayahan ng taxpayer na magbayad (It should be
based  on  one’s  capability to pay),”  Angara, chairman  of the
committee on ways  and means, said in a statement issued on Wednesday.


“Karamihan nga sa ating mga kababayan ay lugmok sa kahirapan
(Many of our people are so poor), 30 to 40 percent are living below the
poverty line. We must do everything we can to help them and I think this is one way we can look at,” he said.


To buffer the revenue impact of the individual income bracket
adjustments and the reduction of individual income tax rates, the bill
provides that the tax rate reduction will be spread over a period of
three years starting 2015.


But Department of Finance Undersecretary Jeremias Paul, during
Tuesday’s hearing of the committee, said the government would lose at
least P43 billion by 2017 if the bill is passed.


The Bureau of Internal Revenue also reiterated during the hearing
that it would oppose any measure that would result to revenue loss.


“Since we are tasked and our performance is based on collection,
it would be positive for us if whatever measure would be revenue neutral
and if there will be resulting revenue loss, there should be
identification of revenue raising measure to compensate the revenue loss
that will result from this proposal,” BIR Assistant Commissioner
Marissa Cabreros told the committee.


But Angara said, “Tax system should not only be a means to raise
revenues for the state but it should also be a way or a method by which
the state can promote its ends.”


“I know the Aquino administration is big on inclusive growth especially in a country where there are vast income differences. We’re on the same team here. I think with smaller tax rates, we can have greater voluntary compliance,” he said.


While there have been reports that the counterpart committee in
the House of Representatives is looking into raising the value added tax
(VAT) to compensate the revenue loss of lowering income tax, Angara
warned  that  increasing the VAT  might also trickle down to the
purchasing power of consumers.


“Not to mention it’s very unpopular,” he said.


Nevertheless,   Angara said he would refer similar bills reducing
income tax to a technical working group to further study the matter.


The senator said his bill was also in preparation for the
Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) Integration, and
 consistent with the Philippine commitment to the 10-member Asean
Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint, which seeks to transform Asean into a
single market and production base by December 2015.


“While the Asean Blueprint does not mandate member countries to
amend their income tax schedules, it is highly expected that human
capital would flow to where it could earn best.
When the AEC Declaration was signed in 2007, some member-states began
to lower their corporate and individual income tax rates, with further
reductions in the subsequent years,” he  said.


Angara noted that the Philippines has the third highest
individual income tax rate next to Thailand’s 37 percent and Vietnam’s
35 percent.


The highest tax bracket of Cambodia is 20 percent; Indonesia, 30
percent; Laos, 24 percent; Malaysia, 26 percent; Myanmar, 20 percent;
and Singapore, 20 percent.


He also noted that the country’s current individual income tax
bracket has remained unchanged since 1997 even when the consumer price
index has almost doubled already.


“In order for the Philippines to attract human capital and to
prevent the migration of our own, it is imperative that we reduce the
existing income tax rates while maintaining the progressivity of our
income tax system, as mandated by the 1987 Philippine Constitution,”
Angara added.


 

Lady Gaga Oscars Most Unwelcome

Lady Gaga: Oscars Most Unwelcome 

For someone who claims to exist purely for the fans, Lady Gaga wasn’t so much about the fans at the Oscars. The Academy sets up several sections of bleachers along the red carpet where fans can scream at their favourite stars. The call time for the fans is around 10:30am. But celebrities don’t start arriving until close to 3pm. At least the celebrities who matter. So by that time the fans have been sitting there for almost 5 hours just waiting to be acknowledged. You have to be a real asshole to just blow by those bleachers without so much as a pose or wave.



Guess who blew by the bleachers?



Like, why was Gaga even there?



And why did she insist on behaving like anyone actually cared? You know who didn’t care? Michael Strahan. One of my favourite moments of the night. Our balcony sits right on top of the Live! With Kelly & Michael corner. Almost every major star stopped to be interviewed by Michael on the red carpet. Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington, Lupita – big, big names.
So Gaga saunters down the carpet, towards Michael Strahan, and they
make eye contact, and she lifts her hand to wave…and he turns his back. Which means he turned down the opportunity to interview her. Didn’t even try. Didn’t even care. Not interested.



A minute later, Bill Murray comes along. Michael wants Bill Murray. Well, of course he wants Bill Murray. But the point is, you’d think he would have gone for Gaga too. But if morning television is even passing on Gaga, what does that say about Gaga?
Seriously, nobody f-cking cared. And it couldn’t have been more
obvious, the disconnect between how much she thinks they care and how
little they did.

Hugh Jackman Says Wolverine Recasting Is 'Inevitable'

© 20th Century Fox

Hugh Jackman believes his days as Wolverine are numbered. Talking to IGN as part of promo tour for "X-Men: Days of Future Past " where he reprises his role as the clawed mutant, the actor says the producers even considered to replace him in "X-Men: First Class ".

"I'm sure they had the discussion," the "Prisoners " star shares his thoughts. "They didn't mention it to me, obviously!" The 45-year-old actor continues, "Look, that's inevitable, man. Anyone who thinks they're indispensable in this business is fooling themselves."

"But I feel unbelievably blessed to have this part. I never thought in a million years I'd get to play him seven times," he adds. "Every day I walk on the set with the claws and the hair, I thank my lucky stars.
I don't take any of it for granted. To think that in a second version
we'd have this cast and this director, and you guys don't know the
script, but I would say probably the best script of all of them, is
pretty amazing."

He goes on, "I think that's why I'm still here. I'm sure by the way, that it won't always be my decision to always be here. At some point, someone will close the door on me."

"Days of Future Past" will be released on May 23.
It will see the mutants joining forces with their younger selves in a
desperate attempt to change the past in order to save their future.

Michael Fassbender , James McAvoy , Patrick Stewart , Ian McKellen , Jennifer Lawrence , Halle Berry , Ellen Page , and Nicholas Hoult are among the returning cast members, while the likes of Peter Dinklage , Evan Peters , and Booboo Stewart are among the new faces.

© AceShowbiz.com

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Kelly Osbourne and Lady Gaga bury the hatchet at Elton John's Oscars viewing party

It's no secret that Kelly Osbourne and Lady Gaga have had a fiery relationship in the
past year, but good news everyone, they buried the hatchet at Elton
John's Oscars party.


The 27-year-old pop singer arrived at Elton John's Oscars party,
and after schmoozing with her pal (and boss), Donatella Versace,
and the legend that is Jane Fonda, she ended up posing for a
picture with her old nemesis, Kelly Osbourne.

Hurrah, surely this means that the feud is over!?

A relieved Kelly tweeted: 'Peace at last.'

Other stars in attendance included Britney Spears and boyfriend
David Lucado, Robert De Niro, Ed Sheeran, Chace Crawford, Ryan
Kwanten, Alex Pettyfer, Eric McCormack, Jonathan Groff, Sheryl
Crow, Cheryl Burke, Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer, Heidi Klum and
Ashley Greene.

On 11 January 2013, we wrote...

Sharon Osbourne has written a letter of
support for her daughter Kelly Osbourne, after Lady Gaga responded to Kelly's claims she'd
been bullied by the singer's fans.

After Kelly revealed she had received death threats and was
bullied via social media, Lady Gaga wrote that though she had
"empathy" for Kelly and "felt badly that [her] feelings were
hurt", she thought the show that Kelly works on, Fashion Police,
"breeds negativity" and urged the presenter to "to take
responsibility and accountability for the example that you are
setting for young people".

Sharon Osbourne responded to Lady Gaga's letter with one of her
own on her official Facebook page. She said that Lady Gaga's
response would have been more "diginitfied" had it been given in
private and said the letter was "hypocritical and full of
contradictions".

She added that: "A word from you would stop all the hideous,
negative and vile threats from your "little monsters." Let me know
if you want to continue this debate."

And as your mother Cynthia supports you, I support my daughter
Kelly. I must say your opinions on what is politically correct and
acceptable totally differ from mine, but that is what makes the
world so interesting… we are all different.

See the letter in full below…

Ms. Gaga,

I am responding to your open letter to my daughter Kelly, and I am
perplexed as to why you would go public with an open
letter.

Regarding this current situation; Kelly didn't contact you, I was
the one that contacted your manager today and the email is attached
below for your reference. I reached out to him as Kelly's manager
and mother to ask him if you could address your "little monster"
fans and stop them from writing libelous, slanderous and vile
comments about my family, including death threats to
Kelly.

Your open letter is hypocritical and full of contradictions. And
as your mother Cynthia supports you, I support my daughter Kelly. I
must say your opinions on what is politically correct and
acceptable totally differ from mine, but that is what makes the
world so interesting… we are all different.

How sweet that you have empathy for my daughter, as you feel that
she has taken a less passionate path in life. You say her work on
E! with the Fashion Police is "rooted in criticism, judgment, and
rating people's beauty against one another". Welcome to the real
world. Example, when I saw you wear a dress made out of raw meat, I
was sickened. When I see you wearing fur, and using it as a fashion
statement, the fact that defenseless animals have been killed so
you can get your picture in the press is abhorrent to me. Shouldn't
you be teaching your "little monster" fans to respect animals and
life?

I don't feel I have to justify Kelly's choices in life to you. By
your actions to Kelly right now, you have shown me that you are
nothing more than a publicly (sic) seeking hypocrite and an
attention seeker. You know it would have been much more dignified
of you to do this privately. I am calling you a bully because you
have 32 million followers hanging on your every word and you are
criticising Kelly in your open letter. Are you so desperate that
you needed to make this public?

You state, "Everyday, through my music and public voice I choose
to be positive and work towards a kinder and braver world with our
community of followers." Well this obviously is not translating
well to your fans, as a large portion of them have not only been
vile to Kelly, but also other celebrities such as Madonna, Adele
and Rihanna. You say "a kinder, braver world". I don't know what
world you live in, but supporting disgraceful fan comments doesn't
fall under the words "kinder and braver". It comes under the
heading of bulls**t.

In closing, stop wearing fur, stop looking for publicity, and stop
using your fans to belittle not just Kelly but an endless stream of
celebrities. A word from you would stop all the hideous, negative
and vile threats from your "little monsters". Let me know if you
want to continue this debate. I'm an open playing field for you my
darling.

Sincerely,

Sharon Osbourne

Best & Worst Oscar moments, including McConaughey's victory dance

From left Oscars winners, Matthew McConaughey, Cate Blanchett, Lupita Nyong'o and Jared Leto.






Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Film Magic

After devoting most of the last six months handicapping the Oscar race,
movie bloggers likely will spend most of the next 36 hours trashing
Sunday’s evening’s Academy Awards telecast.
Why? Perhaps they can’t help themselves. As writer-historian Mark
Harris suggested in an insightful Tweet, dissing the Oscarcast is “the Silkwood shower we take to scrub off the self-hatred.”

But here’s the thing: As Oscarcasts go, the one that aired Sunday was a modestly amusing and generally well-paced affair.
Capably if not excitingly hosted by a game and ingratiating Ellen
DeGeneres, the program proved to relatively painless as made-for-TV
spectacle, and largely satisfying as a doling out of just desserts to
the truly deserving.

Capably if not excitingly hosted by a game and ingratiating Ellen
DeGeneres, the program proved to relatively painless as made-for-TV
spectacle.

And if that sounds like I’m damning with faint praise – I am.
But trust me: If anyone tries to tell you this is the worst Oscarcast
he or she has ever seen, you need to ask just how many Oscarcasts this
complainer has ever watched.

Speaking as a cineaste, I was pleased when the brutally gripping 12 Years a Slave was named Best Picture – even though, deep in my heart, I was hoping for an upset by Nebraska – and when co-star Lupita Nyong’o grabbed the gold as Best Supporting Actress. But, then again, I was just as happy that the relentlessly thrilling Gravity took home seven Oscars overall, including Best Director for Alfonso Cuarón.

No, I was not surprised that Cate Blancett got the Best Actress award for Blue Jasmine , and that her path to victory wasn’t blocked by any sort of backlash against writer-director Woody Allen. (Let’s face it: Blanchett had this sucker nailed down as early as last summer.) Yes, I was delighted to hear the take-no-crap Aussie take time during her acceptance speech to take a spirited swipe at Hollywood studio chiefs who continue to view “films with women at the center are niche experiences.”

And I freely confess: I whooped and hollered with unabashed glee when Texas boy Matthew McConaughey – who, as you doubtless have heard, I discovered years ago at SXSW when I reviewed Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre
for Variety – got the Oscar as Best Actor for his richly detailed and
deeply moving portrayal of hustler turned AIDS activist Ron Woodruff in Dallas Buyers Club.

Co-star Jared Leto gave an eloquent enough speech while accepting his Oscar as Best Supporting Actor.
But McConaughey was the one firing on all cylinders, thanking everyone
from God Almighty to director Jean-Marc Vallée to a dad swilling Miller
Lite somewhere in heaven while clutching the gold, beaming brightly and,
briefly, dancing an expression of happy gratitude. Awright, awright, awright!

Some other random observations about the Oscarcast:

BEST REMARK FROM A WINNER TO A FAWNING AUDIENCE: Cate Blanchett: “Sit down, you’re too old to be standing!”

SAME TIME, NEXT YEAR… MAYBE: Jim Carrey made but a
fleeting appearance, to intro a film-clip montage, but he scored big
laughs – yes, even with his borderline-lame LSD joke – and his uncannily
accurate imitation of Bruce Dern was downright hilarious. (So hilarious, it had Dern himself roaring with laughter.) Why not give him a chance to liven up the whole freakin’ show?

JUST WONDERING: Am I the only one who expected Ellen to wind up asking Meryl Streep to just get up and take that group photo ?

GO AHEAD, ADMIT IT: Sure, Lupita Nyong'o won the Best Supporting Actress award (for her excruciatingly powerful performance in 12 Years a Slave). And, God bless her, she richly deserved it. But c’mon: Julie Squibb of Nebraska had the best film clip in this category. Come to think of it, she had the best film clip of anybody nominated in any category all evening, right?

BEST PRESENTER-TO-PRESENTER BANTER: Bill Murray to Amy Adams: “Baby, you look like $146 million domestic.” (Props also to Murray’s evidently impromptu shout-out to the late Harold Ramis “for Caddyshack, Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day.”)

FALLEN STARS: The people who put together the annual
“In Memoriam” tribute usually catch heat for neglecting to include this
aged celebrity or that industry insider, and the segment as a whole
often is mocked as… well, take your pick: Too lachrymose. Too ponderous. Too, well, sad.

But this year’s tribute to film folks no longer with us struck me as much classier and more subdued than usual this year. For one thing, everyone from gone-too-soon Paul Walker to veteran producer A.C. Lyles to master animator Ray Harryhausen got pretty much the same time on screen. (A personal observation: Very, very glad to see my friend Roger Ebert made the, ahem, final cut.)

The decision to use Roger Williams’ ineffably haunting theme from Somewhere in Time to underscore the presentation was a masterstroke.
And yes, Bette Midler brought it all home with an effective and
affecting rendition of her signature tune, “Wind Beneath My Wings.”

It’s a shame that they couldn’t, or wouldn’t, include Sarah Jones in the lineup, despite the much-publicized campaign to honor the young camera assistant who was killed Feb. 20 during the location filming of Midnight Rider.
But, yes, that was her name you saw flashing on the screen before the
commercial break, on a plug for the longer “In Memoriam” tribute that
appears on Oscar.com .

UNMENTIONABLE, UNFORGETTABLE: It would be needlessly
unkind to remark about the appearance of two female presenters who
likely have grounds to sue their plastic surgeons. (Both reminded me, alas, of the old joke about the woman who had her face lifted – and then dropped.)
And I just can’t bring myself to say anything about… Well, no, that’s a
lie, I can bring myself to say I have the utmost respect and admiration
for Sidney Poitier.
It’s just that I felt very melancholy while seeing him looking so frail
– even while coming off so effortlessly elegant and dignified – while
serving as a Best Director presenter.

Truth to tell, I’m even more grateful than I might normally be that
Poitier also appeared during one of the evening’s “Celebrating Heroes”
montages (or whatever the hell they were called), looking fine and in
his prime in Norman Jewison’s In the Heat of the Night . Yes, even after all these years, it’s always a terrific rush to hear: “They call me Mister Tibbs!”

GOOD SPORT OF THE EVENING: Brad Pitt, hands down. Not only was he a nifty presenter and a supportive partner. (Note the way he proudly applauded Angelina Jolie’s win of an honorary Oscar.)
He was one of the first celebs to get out of his seat and join the fun
when Ellen called for folks to join her in that group shot.
And when Ellen started handing out pizza – well, I’ll be damned if he
wasn’t the first dude to start handing out paper plates and napkins
before he chowed down . Don’t know about you, but I want him to drop by for my next party.

AND SPEAKING OF PIZZA: Gee, do you think this place will enjoy an uptick in business after tonight?