WebProNews

Author: Val Powell

  • Tommy Lee Jones Makes Directorial Return With “The Homesman”

    Tommy Lee Jones may just have made his own feminist take on the western. The western is an iconic genre that has been around since the early days of American cinema, and while it’s a genre that’s mostly peppered with hard-living cowboys and bounty hunters, it’s rare that we get to see the female perspective regarding the old west. The Homesman, Jones’ latest directorial effort, opts to shine the light on the plight of the average American female during the Wild West.

    The Homesman is about Mary Lee Cuddy (played by Hilary Swank) who takes it upon herself to transport three women who were driven mad by the harsh realities of frontier life to the care of a woman in Iowa who has offered to take the women in. Cuddy and the three women are escorted by a deserter named George (played by Tommy Lee Jones) and together they face Native American tribes, freighters, and many other threats.

    Jones claimed that he is not interested in the western as a genre. “What I do have an interest in is making movies about the history of my country, where I live. Anyone who wants to be an artist makes work about where he lives,” Jones said about the film’s style and subject matter. He added, “The Homesman isn’t a western movie, but a movie that is about the history of women in my family. I don’t think there is a woman around who hasn’t been objectified or trivialized because of her gender.”

    Ever since debuting at Cannes, The Homesman garnered mixed to positive reviews. The New York Post praised Jones’ direction and called the film “a rare 21st-century Western without shootouts or explosions”.  Film blog The Playlist, however, called it a flawed but enjoyable film that still has its merits. According to the review, “It’s an odd enough bird that it’s more than worth the watch”.

  • Emma Stone Makes Triumphant Broadway Debut

    On November 11, Emma Stone made her highly anticipated Broadway debut as Sally Bowles in the musical Cabaret. It was an important moment for the actress, who has been vocal about her desire to perform in a musical, especially one as iconic as Cabaret. In an interview with HitFlix, the star said, “Honestly, I’m having the time of my life. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it’s the most fun I’ve ever had. So it’s one of those. I guess this is what being a parent might be like but without the child part.”

    Stone’s boyfriend, actor Andrew Garfield, was there to show his support for the actress. “Andrew came sharply dressed in a suit. Andrew came backstage after the show with Emma’s mother and his guests. He kissed her and congratulated her,” a source told Us Weekly. According to reports, Garfield made it a point to attend Stone’s Broadway debut before flying off to Taiwan to shoot the upcoming Martin Scorsese film Silence which also stars Liam Neeson and Adam Driver.

    Garfield and Stone met on the set of The Amazing Spider-Man and the two started dating in the summer of 2011. While the two have been seen in public together, they have managed to keep their relationship private. In a rare candid interview with ABC Nightly News, Stone talked about her beau. “He’s obviously one of the greatest actors, I think, we have alive today. He’s also just a remarkable human being. I love him very much,” she said in the interview.

    #lovehim #happythursday

    A photo posted by Emma Stone (@emmastone) on

    Stone took over the role of Sally Bowles from Oscar nominee Michelle Williams. She is joined in the play by Alan Cummings, who’s been seen lately in the role of Eli Gold in the hit TV show The Good Wife. Sam Mendes directed the musical which is being staged at Studio 54 in New York City. This current production of Cabaret run for the next three months.

  • Prince Charles Urges Constituents To Reconnect With Farming

    To celebrate his 66th birthday, Prince Charles wrote a foreword for Country Life magazine, in which he described his worries on the future of the countryside and urged people to value it or risk losing it.

    “People in the UK are now four or more generations removed from anyone who actually worked on the land – and it frequently shows in their attitudes,” wrote Prince Charles. “The rich, natural tapestry that is the countryside we value so highly does not just happen by itself. But that delicately woven tapestry is facing unprecedented challenges.”

    Last year, Prince Charles reportedly guest-edited for the magazine as a way of celebrating his 65th birthday. The monarch turns 66 on Friday, November 14. “We are delighted that the prince agreed to mark his 66th birthday by writing a powerful leader on the importance of preserving the countryside and its way of life,” said Mark Hedges, editor of Country Life.

    Post by Charles,Prince of Wales.
    “The prince has a deep understanding and connection with every aspect of people working and living in rural Britain, from highlighting the hardship facing hill farmers who, last year, earned on average £8,000 to the 60,000 new entrants needed in the UK farming sector to secure its future, to the importance of preserving village schools, pubs and shops at the heart of country communities,” added Hedges. Unlike his more conservative mother, Prince Charles has been outspoken on topics such as the environment, being the owner of the successful organic farm Duchy Home Farm. He runs several organic groups besides the Countryside Fund, which gives support to farmers and tackles issues such as rural isolation and the decline of communities. Prince Charles in his piece emphasized the importance of the farmer “as food producer, at the front and centre of the picture.” “It would not only be a folly to lose agricultural land, it would be equally foolish to use it in ways that are not environmentally sustainable in the long term,” wrote Prince Charles.

  • Chelsea Handler Upstages Kim Kardashian’s Derriere Pic On Instagram

    In response to Kim Kardashian’s Paper magazine cover in which she bares her buttocks to the world, Chelsea Handler posted a pic of her own bare derriere on Instagram. In a post dated November 12, Handler showed a split screen of Kardashian’s viral cover with a bathroom selfie the former Chelsea Lately host took.

    Handler’s Instagram post, which shows her recreating Kardashian’s pose, but with her tan lines and without digital correction, reportedly hit more than 57,000 views within one hour.

    “Can you believe more than 2 ass can fit on the same screen? Guess which one’s real. Your move, instagram,” wrote Handler on her post.

    Can you believe more than 2 ass can fit on the same screen? Guess which one’s real. Your move, instagram.

    A photo posted by Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) on

    The last sentence was reportedly a dig that Handler made at the photo-sharing app, which the comedian challenged when it took down a photo of herself riding a horse topless in mockery of Vladimir Putin last month. Instagram’s policy on nudity states that, “accounts found sharing nudity or mature content will be disabled and your access to Instagram may be discontinued.” After her photo was removed, Handler at the time posted a screenshot of her photo next to Putin’s picture with the caption, “Taking this down is sexist. I have every right to show I have a better body than Putin.” Handler also posted a screenshot of the policy violation notification from Instagram with the caption, “If a man posts a photo of his nipples, it’s ok, but not a woman? Are we in 1825?”

    If a man posts a photo of his nipples, it’s ok, but not a woman? Are we in 1825?

    A photo posted by Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) on

    TMZ reported that after posting the picture of her buttocks, Handler again posted her topless shot on Instagram. Her photo had a caption asking why the company was okay with photos of hers and Kardashian’s bare butts, but not with her exposed breasts. “I’m so confused,” Handler wrote.

    Meanwhile, Handler wasn’t the only one to spoof Kardashian’s Paper cover, as memes about it have sprung up all over the Internet.

  • Meghan Trainor Raves About Ariana Grande’s Thigh-Gap

    The “All About That Bass” singer recently expressed her appreciation for a body type other than her own curvy one. In an interview with Cosmopolitan.com, Meghan Trainor admitted she thought highly of Ariana Grande’s thigh-gap, or the space between her thighs.

    Trainor was asked in the interview to play a game called “Bass or Treble,” in which the singer is supposed to say “bass” whenever she approves of something or “treble” when she doesn’t like it. Trainor weighed in on topics such as Peeta from The Hunger Games and Fifty Shades Of Gray, and when the subject of thigh-gaps came up, she said she liked them.

    “If you rock it, bass, I don’t know. I like Ariana Grande’s nice thigh-gap. She’s got good legs,” Trainor said.

    Apparently, the comment made by Trainor elicited some negative reactions on the Internet that accuse her of countering the body positive message of “All About That Bass,” which embraces being plus-sized. However, the singer reportedly knows what it’s like to be uncomfortable with her body, and wrote the song in order to convince herself that she was beautiful.

    “I wrote the song as a ‘Wow, I really wish I felt like this’ … now I go out there and I’m like, ‘It’s all about this bass. It has helped a lot,” said Trainor.

    It seems that the song worked as Trainor now no longer feels pressured to look the way pop stars are expected to look. “There’s no diets planned and there is no you gotta work out … I don’t do that. I ate pizza yesterday and I am eating Chinese food later today. It’s gonna be great. But so far people have actually told me I look like I’ve lost weight. I think it’s because I’ve been standing all day or dancing,” Trainor said.

    Recently, Trainor announced that she would be rescheduling her Corpus Christi performance, which she postponed in September due to illness, to December 1 at the Planet 102.3 Jingle Ball. September ticket holders may exchange their tickets for the new date by November 21.

  • Kim Kardashian Poses Naked For Magazine Cover

    For the Winter issue of Paper magazine, Kim Kardashian made its cover go viral on the Internet by posing naked and displaying her biggest asset: her tush. Kardashian actually graces the cover of the magazine twice, and one of the covers features her generously oiled backside as the star.

    The covers were released by Paper on Tuesday, November 11, with their goal to “Break The Internet” emblazoned across the images of Kardashian. In one shoot, Kardashian is fully clothed, wearing a black dress to recreate the French photographer Jean-Paul Goude’s “Champagne Incident” image. On the other cover, Kardashian is seen lowering the same dress to expose her oiled butt.

    “Paper Magazine new cover alert! – such an honor to work with the legendary Jean-Paul Goude!!!! Shot this in Paris. Can’t wait for you to see the whole issue,” Kardashian wrote in the caption of an Instagram she posted of one cover. It featured Kardashian popping a bottle of champagne that appears to fall into a glass balanced on her butt.

    “And they say I didn’t have a talent…try balancing a champagne glass on your ass LOL #BreakTheInternet #PaperMagazine,” Kardashian added on Twitter. The 34-year-old reality star reportedly shared both images with her fans on social media.

    “For our winter issue, we gave ourselves one assignment: Break The Internet,” said Paper. “There is no other person that we can think of who is up to the task than one Kim Kardashian West. A pop culture fascination able to generate headlines just by leaving her house, Kim is what makes the web tick.”

    Apparently, not everyone was pleased with Kardashian’s display, as Glee’s Naya Rivera commented on her post, “But…you’re someone’s mother…”. Meanwhile, Brian Moylan of Time compared Kardashian’s butt to “a glazed Krispy Kreme donut” and “the biological equivalent of click-bait.”

    “We can’t help but pay attention to it, but we’re always upset by the lack of substance,” Moylan wrote.

  • Ashley Tisdale Teams Up With Shoe Brand To Benefit Charity For Childhood Cancer

    Using her sense of fashion to benefit a worthy cause, Ashley Tisdale has teamed up with a shoe brand to raise money for research on childhood cancer. Tisdale is working with ShoeDazzle on a project called ShoeDazzle Cares, an initiative that hopes to benefit charitable organizations.

    As part of the initiative, Tisdale has selected a black bootie from ShoeDazzle to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The High School Musical star told Entertainment Tonight that the faux leather and suede bootie was perfect for the fall season. “I love how it has multiple straps, and since it’s all-black, it goes with everything. It’s easy to pair with anything like an oversized sweater and leather leggings,” Tisdale said.

    Tisdale previously recorded a single and donated part of its proceeds to the hospital in September to celebrate Childhood Cancer Awareness month. She reportedly chose the charity because both her grandmother and aunt passed away from cancer. “And when I chose the charity, they said they would love for me to actually spend some time at the charity before I give them any money, which I thought was really admirable,” Tisdale said.

    Tisdale reportedly bonded with an 8-year-old patient named Bailey, whose shoe design the actor plans to auction for charity. “I am so inspired by the work of St. Jude. Spending time with the children there is truly rewarding and I admire them so much. I encourage everyone to join the fight against childhood cancer and give back,” said Tisdale.

    Recently married, Tisdale also spoke about how it was to be a newlywed with musician Christopher French. The couple started dating in December 2012 and finally tied the knot on September 8. “It’s great! It doesn’t really feel like anything has changed even though it has. It’s like I’m married to my best friend,” she said.

  • Chance The Rapper Receives Award In Chicago

    On Sunday, November 9, Chance the Rapper was given the Outstanding Youth of the Year Award by the state of Illinois. The rapper took to twitter right away to share the news. “’For your outstanding contributions to the youth of the State of Illinois’ it’s an honor to bear that weight,” the young rapper tweeted. He also shared a picture of him and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel on his Instagram account with the caption, “I received the most important award I will ever win today”.

    Chance the Rapper got the award for his work with his father on the #SaveChicago campaign. The campaign aims to spread the word about gun and gang-related violence in the city of Chicago. The rapper has spoken openly about how he was affected personally by violence especially after an incident where one of his friends was killed in a street brawl.

    — Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) November 9, 2014

    Chance talked about the incident with MTV News. “I watched it happen,” he said in the interview. “He was 19 when it happened, I was 18, and I just turned 20 this year. It’s just crazy because I have a few friends that were older than me, but now I’m older than them.”

    He also explained that he is baffled by how people tend to romanticize life in Chicago despite the fact that murder is pretty much an everyday occurrence. “People wanna romanticize it and say, ‘there’s two sides to it, and it’s a beautiful love/hate story of violence and music.’ But it’s really just a very scummy place where people don’t have respect for other people’s lives. And it’s not gonna change until somebody, anybody, puts it right in front of everybody else’s faces.”

    Recently, Chance the Rapper appeared in the Adult Swim animated series Black Dynamite as the voice of Bob Marley. He was joined in the episode by Erykah Badu, who voiced the roles of a prostitute as well as Marley’s wife, Rita.

    — Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) November 10, 2014

    — [adult swim] (@adultswim) November 8, 2014

  • Kendra Wilkinson’s “I’m Single” Comment Taken Out Of Context

    On November 10, Kendra Wilkinson made the news after an interview with Dish Nation. “I’m single for the time being. That is what I am trying to escape from. I am going to have some thinking time in the jungle,” she said in the interview. Wilkinson is currently in Australia to join the reality show I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! It was also reported that the star was not wearing her wedding ring when she got to Australia.

    While this led to speculation that Wilkinson has split up with her husband, former NFL star Hank Baskett, her rep has revealed to Us Weekly that the interview was taken out of context. “She said she was single ‘for the time being here’ in Australia — physically apart from her husband and kids. Kendra and Hank continue to work on their marriage. Nothing has changed,” her reps said in a statement.

    A source has also told E! News, “Kendra and Hank are still together. I think there were a lot of liberties taken with the interview saying she’s still single. They’re just trying to drum up press for the show. She and Hank have not split.”

    Wilkinson and Baskett’s marital problems began after it was revealed that Baskett cheated on his wife with transsexual model Ava Sabrina London. However, in a November 7 interview with Access Hollywood, Wilkinson apparently forgave her husband for his transgressions. “He’s not what anybody thinks. He loves me and we’re gonna be together, for the rest of our lives. We’ll prove it, we’ll prove it… until we’re 100 years old. We’re gonna be together forever.”

    Wilkinson added, “There are curveballs that are thrown at you and you just have to get over it and forgive. If you believe you’re perfect and you don’t believe in forgiveness you’re not meant to be married. He went through an identity crisis.”

  • Dean McDermott Quits “True Tori”

    Dean McDermott Quits “True Tori”

    Dean McDermott revealed that he will be quitting the reality show True Tori. The show, which focuses on Tori Spelling’s personal life, has been taking its toll on McDermott. Now in its second season, the show has shined the spotlight on McDermott’s drug and alcohol addiction as well as his affair with a woman named Emily Goodhand. According to McDermott, “I’m not going to continue with the show. We have five more shows left. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t keep opening a vein, opening my soul and sharing my feelings and thoughts and demons with the world. I don’t watch it, I can’t. It’s really difficult… I can’t do it any more, for my soul.”

    McDermott told E! News that he and Tori were not on the same page when it comes to quitting True Tori. “She finds it really helpful. It’s really expedited the conversations that needed to be had in the beginning. And just for me I just think bearing my soul and putting it all out there, I want some of my privacy back. I feel raw.”

    — In Touch Weekly (@intouchweekly) November 11, 2014

    While he’s no longer part of True Tori, he did talk about how he and Tori are in good terms despite the fallout from his affair and his departure from the show. “Today we are on really good terms. We’re on really good terms. Right now T is, we’re nursing her back to health. She was just in the hospital with bronchitis and pneumonia. Always a sense of humor. It’s such an emotional show and emotionally draining and she is such a hands-on mom and she’s got a crazy work schedule,” he said.

    On a recent episode of True Tori, Tori met up with McDermott’s ex-wife Mary Jo Eustace. This is one of the first times that the two have met since McDermott and Eustace split up because of his affair with Spelling.

  • Amy Schumer Makes “Pussy” Okay On Comedy Central

    It is now okay to say “pussy” on Comedy Central. All thanks to Amy Schumer, of Inside Amy Schumer fame, as well as the show’s executive producers. During the second season, the slang for female genitalia became a point of contention due to the fact that “dick” and other terms for the male sex organ are used freely in other Comedy Central shows including The Colbert Report and South Park.

    On Saturday, November 8, Schumer and the show’s executive producers attended the New York Comedy Festival to talk about the show to a sold out crowd at Paley Center. Executive producer Jessi Klein brought up the topic of their fight to say “pussy” on air and referred to their victory as a “great moment in U.S. history”.

    — Entertainment Weekly (@EW) November 10, 2014

    In the end, it was Inside Amy Schumer executive producer Dan Powell who took action. According to Powell, “Halfway through the first season, we started to realize that a lot of the show was addressing women’s issues and gender politics. I’d written a letter, sort of like I’d write to my congressman, and I guess it struck a chord.” Schumer calls the letter Powell’s “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” moment.

    Of course, in true Inside Amy Schumer fashion, they used the word in a sketch involving animated meerkats that satirizes Hollywood’s treatment of female celebrities.

    Amy Schumer is a stand-up comedian who joined the fifth season of NBC show Last Comic Standing, a stand-up comedy competition, where she finished fourth. Back in 2010, Schumer did her first Comedy Central special and this marked the beginning of her partnership with the company. She appeared in the Comedy Central roasts for Charlie Sheen and Roseanne Barr and in June 2012, she started working on a show for the network which would eventually become Inside Amy Schumer.

    Schumer will next be seen on the film Trainwreck, a film she co-wrote with director Judd Apatow.

  • Lil Kim Talks Motherhood, Prepares For Soul Train Performance

    Earlier this year, rapper Lil Kim gave birth to her first child. With this new addition to her family, it seems the 40-year-old is finally getting her career back on track as well. HipHollywood managed to interview Lil Kim as she was rehearsing for her upcoming Soul Train performance with Missy Elliott and Da Brat on November 30. “I’m just really excited to see my friends. Missy Elliott is my sister. She’s a long-term friend and just someone that I love dearly,” Kim told HipHollywood.

    The baby, which Kim and her boyfriend Mr. Papers named Royal Reign, was born on June 9. The healthy baby girl weighed 6 lbs 5 oz. and measured in at 19.5 inches. During a recent appearance on 106 and Park, Kim called motherhood “the most expensive gift God has ever given me” before adding “And the most beautiful gift God has ever given me.”

    Lil Kim released her new Hardcore mixtape back in September, and she revealed that being a mother played an important part in getting back into the rap game. “After I had my baby, I was like I have to get right to it. I have to make sure that that baby has everything and doesn’t want for nothing.”

    Mr. Papers shared an image of the couple’s new child on Instagram with the caption “Everybody say hi to my beautiful a** daughter Miss Royal … #LilPapers my lil Scooby snack.”

    Everybody say hi to my beautiful ass daughter miss Royal… #LilPapers my lil scooby snack ..

    A photo posted by Papers ima King from #honduras (@mr_papers) on

    Lil Kim, Da Brat, and Missy Elliot will be performing their hit song “Not Tonight” for the Soul Train Awards. This will mark their first time to perform together since 1998. There have been many changes since the thren: Kim is now a mother, and Missy Elliott has lost a lot roughly around 70 lbs. Elliott recently revealed her new figure at the Alexander Hwang x H&M collection launch back in October.

  • Jennifer Lawrence Says No To Twitter

    In an interview with BBC 1’s Nick Grimshaw for his radio program, Jennifer Lawrence talked about her aversion to social media. The star was there to promote her new film Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 with her co-stars Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth. “I will never get Twitter. I’m not very good on phone or technology. I cannot really keep up with emails so the idea of Twitter is so unthinkable to me,” the actress said.

    Lawrence added, “If you ever see a Facebook, Instagram or Twitter that says it’s me, it most certainly is not.” And while there is an official Jennifer Lawrence Facebook page, it’s being run by her representatives. Speaking more about why she won’t sign up for social media, Lawrence tellingly said, “Because the internet has scorned me so much, I feel like it’s that girl in high school that I’m like ‘Oh you want to talk about her? Yeah I’ll do that’.”

    Back in September, Lawrence became part of a massive nude photo leak that also targeted other celebrities including Rihanna, Kate Upton, Selena Gomez, and Kim Kardashian among others. Lawrence spoke to Vanity Fair about the incident, saying, “It is not a scandal. It is a sex crime. It is a sexual violation. It’s disgusting.” She added, “The law needs to be changed, and we need to change. That’s why these web sites are responsible. Just the fact that somebody can be sexually exploited and violated, and the first thought that crosses somebody’s mind is to make a profit from it. It’s so beyond me. I just can’t imagine being that detached from humanity. I can’t imagine being that thoughtless and careless and so empty inside.”

    It is believed that the celebrities’ iCloud accounts have been hacked and the pictures were then proliferated online on sites like 4chan and Reddit. Apple confirmed the iCloud hack, but have denied that it was caused by a breach in their security system.

  • Leelee Sobieski Has A Second Child, Son Named Martin

    Back in July, Leelee Sobieski gave birth to her second child with fashion designer Adam Kimmel. Sobieski’s representatives confirmed the pregnancy when she appeared in a fashion show back in May sporting a very visible baby bump. Aside from that public appearance, she pretty much kept her pregnancy a secret. The baby, which they named Martin, joins their first child Louisanna Ray who is now four years old.

    In an interview with People in 2010, Sobieski talked about the joys of motherhood. “I just can’t believe I’m a mom. It’s weird! You look at your own mom differently. I realized, ‘You changed all my diapers? You did that?’ You really appreciate your mom,” she said in the interview. She added, “When I was pregnant, I kept praying, ‘Please give me a lovable and loving, mysterious daughter that I can be fascinated by’.”

    Kimmel and Sobieski got married in 2009. Kimmel is the son of American real estate developer Martin Kimmel and grandson of boat racer and designer Donald Aronow. Sobieski revealed that she remained a virgin until the couple’s wedding night. “I guess 26 is kind of old to lose your virginity, but it was important to me that I remained a virgin until after I was married,” she said in an interview with Access Hollywood. “It wasn’t for any religious reasons or anything like that, but simply because, to me, my virginity was the most precious gift that I could ever give to a man, and I wanted to be sure I was giving it to the right man.”

    — Us Weekly (@usweekly) November 10, 2014

    Sobieski will next be seen in the film The Last Film Festival alongside Dennis Hopper, Jacqueline Bisset, and Chris Kattan. The actress has also been seen in the small screen recently, appearing in The Good Wife as well as starring in the police drama NYC 22.

  • Lana Del Rey Gets Punched In The Face Twice In Eminem Lyric

    Lana Del Rey has just been dissed by Eminem. Eminem released a video of his new freestyle rap to promote the compilation Shady XV. In the video, Eminem even referenced the incident involving Ray Rice and his wife Janay. “I may fight for gay rights, especially if they d–e is more of a knockout than Janay Rice. Play nice? B–ch I’ll punch Lana Del Rey right in the face twice, like Ray Rice in broad daylight in the plain sight of the elevator surveillance / ‘Til her head is banging on the railing, then celebrate with the Ravens.”

    Del Rey is only the latest celebrity to be targeted by Eminem in one of his songs. In the past, the rapper has attacked Britney Spears (who he also briefly mentions in the video), Christina Aguilera, and Kim Kardashian.

    An article published by The Guardian talks about Eminem’s use of misogyny in his lyrics as a means of furthering his career. “We pretend to be shocked by his words, and yet the world remains as misogynistic as ever. He causes temporary controversy until we move on to something else, forgetting why we were upset in the first place. As a method of inserting himself into the current cultural conversations surrounding women (and in particular, women in music), attacking women in his singles offers instant selling publicity,” it said in the article.

    Female rapper Azealia Banks took to twitter to defend Del Rey. “@LanaDelRey tell him to go back to his trailer park and eat his microwave hot pocket dinner and suck on his sister’s tiddies,” Banks tweeted.

    In a 2012 interview, Del Rey professed her love of Eminem’s work. She said, “He really changed my life. I didn’t know music could be intelligent. He wasn’t just rhyming for rhyme’s sake. That made me think I could actually talk about the way things actually were. He’s a genius.”

    Del Rey has yet to comment on the controversy.

  • Anna Kendrick Opens Up About Criticism Regarding Her Looks

    Anna Kendrick is one of the most high profile actresses in the movie industry right now. But it seems all is not perfect in the world of Ms. Kendrick. Despite nabbing the cover spot on the December issue of Marie Clare, the star talks about the constant criticism she’s been given because of her appearance. She tells the magazine, “The most common thing that I get is, ‘Am I the only one who doesn’t think that Anna Kendrick is pretty?’ And you’re like, ‘No, you’re not the only one. Arguably, all of the boys in my high school agree with you.”

    The Pitch Perfect star has always been self-deprecating when it comes to her looks, even describing herself as “not beer-commercial-babe hot”. In an interview with Glamour magazine back in August, Kendrick talked about her image and how it doesn’t affect the kind of roles she’s been given. “The thing is, my appearance — that’s never been my moneymaker. I’m fine being small. I’m fine being all the things I am. And I’m happy I’m not supposed to be on the ’50 Most Beautiful’ list all the time, because that would be super fucking stressful,” she said.

    Kendrick has always been known for her quirky, out-of-left-field roles, and she says that her unique take on Cinderella for the film Into the Woods is no different. “You see what happens after she marries the prince, when you start to face problems in seemingly perfect situations,” she explains. “The interesting thing about her is she overthinks things, she’s uncertain–we don’t see that in most versions. In a lot of ways, I think it’s this incredibly brave story. She’s neglected and abused her entire life she finally gets love and it’s not the kind of love she was looking for, and she stands up for herself.”

  • Myles Munroe And His Entourage Killed In Plane Crash

    Dr. Myles Munroe, a preacher, author, and business coach, was killed on November 9 after his private plane crashed in the Bahamas. There were no survivors in the accident which also took the life of Munroe’s wife, Ruth. Some of the other identified casualties were members of Bahamas Faith Ministries International including the group’s senior vice president Dr. Richard Pinder and Pastors Lavard and Radel Parks and their son Johann Parks.

    The plane crashed while attempting to land at the Grand Bahamas Airport. According to the investigation, severe weather conditions was a factor in the crash. Munroe’s Lear 36 Executive Jet reportedly struck a shipping container crane as it tried to land. It was also reported that a commercial flight arriving on the same route and time as the private jet turned back because the weather made it impossible to land.

    The group was on their way to the Global Leadership Forum, an event organized by Munroe that was scheduled to take place this week at the city of Freeport.

    Former UN US Ambassador Andrew Young was scheduled to speak at the event. His office released a statement on the tragedy, saying “Ambassador Young expresses his deep sadness over the tragic death of his friends Dr. Myles and Mrs. Ruth Munroe. He offers condolences to the Munroe family and the families of the other souls who lost their lives as a result of this shocking plane crash.”

    Bahamas Faith Ministries International also issued a statement following the accident. “Words cannot express our profound sense of loss for all of the team members on this tragic flight,” the group said in the statement. “Dr. Munroe was our visionary, our founder, our mentor, adviser, father figure and friend. He was a global leader and icon and was respected worldwide.”

    Munroe founded Bahamas Faith Ministries International back in the early 1980s after studying at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Since the group’s founding, Munroe became a noted religious figure not only in the Bahamas but also around the world.

  • Marlo Thomas To Receive Presidential Medal Of Freedom

    Marlo Thomas To Receive Presidential Medal Of Freedom

    Marlo Thomas is one of the 19 recipients receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from the White House. The medal is the highest civilian honor given to “individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”

    Thomas, a native of Detroit, Michigan, rose to prominence as an actress. She is best known for her work in the television series That Girl which aired from 1966 to 1971. She now serves as the national outreach director for St. Jude’s Children Hospital, a facility founded by her father in 1962. The hospital focuses on pediatric cancer and other diseases plaguing children.

    In a statement released by the White House, they said, “Whether championing equality for girls and women, giving voice to the less fortunate, breaking barriers by portraying one of television’s first single working women on ‘That Girl,’ or teaching children to be ‘Free to Be You and Me,’ Thomas inspires us all to dream bigger and reach higher.”

    Other recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom include author Isabel Allende, journalist Tom Brokaw, economist Robert Solow, composer Stephen Sondheim, actress Meryl Streep, and musician Stevie Wonder, among others.

    U.S. Representative John Dingell will also be receiving the award. Dingell represents Michigan’s 12th Congressional District and is the longest-serving congressman in U.S. history. He will be retiring soon, after serving since 1955.

    According to President Obama, “From activists who fought for change to artists who explored the furthest reaches of our imagination; from scientists who kept America on the cutting edge to public servants who help write new chapters in our American story, these citizens have made extraordinary contributions to our country and the world.”

    The ceremony will be held at the White House on November 24th.

  • Natalie Morales Planning To Leave ‘Today’ Amidst Power Struggle?

    Natalie Morales, the popular co-host of the Today show, is reportedly seeking greener pastures. According to speculation, this is due to the tense atmosphere behind the scenes of the NBC Show. Sources have told Page Six that Morales is locked in a power struggle with fellow Today show host Tamron Hall and NBC News chief Deborah Turness.

    Morales joined the show back in 2006 as a national correspondent but she was eventually promoted to be the co-host of the show’s third hour. However, she has yet to nab the top anchor spot despite her relatively long history with the company. When Ann Curry left in 2012, Morales was passed over for the job. The gig instead went to Savannah Guthrie.

    According to Page Six’s NBC source, “There’s a lot of tension. Natalie and Tamron are competitive, and there was a big blow up in October between the two. Deborah has an issue with Natalie and has sided with Tamron. There has been zero communication between Deborah and Natalie for a long period of time. It’s the talk of NBC staff.”

    Another insider claims that, “Natalie’s agent at WME has been reaching out discreetly looking for other opportunities for her. She could be interested in a talk show.” WME declined to comment on the matter, however.

    It was also reported that Morales had lunch with the Today show’s executive producer Don Nash to air her grievances, but she didn’t get the reassurance she had hoped for regarding her future with the show.

    In a statement released by Nash, he denied the rumors by saying, “This is total nonsense. As the ‘Today’ show continues to gain momentum, it sounds like someone is trying to stir up trouble that doesn’t exist. Natalie Morales is valued by everyone at the news division from the top down, and her future is with the ‘Today’ show and NBC News.”

  • Valerie Bertinelli Calls Christina Aguilera A B*tch

    During last week’s episode of Watch What Happens Live, Valerie Bertinelli opened up about an incident involving Christina Aguilera. Bertinelli, who was there to promote her show Hot in Cleveland, was asked by Andy Cohen about her ‘feud’ with the singer. “I didn’t have a feud with her,” Valerie began. “I was a fan at that time – a long time ago – and I went up to her ’cause she was at a Van Halen concert, and I said, ‘Oh my god, I think you’re a beautiful singer.’”

    According to the sitcom star, Aguilera brushed her off and reportedly said, “Yeah, whatever.” “She gave me the cold shoulder and I thought, ’B****, I’m a fan. You can’t be nice to me?’” Bertinelli says she hasn’t ran into Aguilera ever since. “She might have gotten better. But I heard she hasn’t,” she said in the interview.

    A few days after Bertinelli talked about the incident, Aguilera seemingly dismissed the actress yet again. On Friday, November 7, the singer posted a photo of herself inside a recording studio with the caption “In more important news…” This may be a coincidence, but the timing definitely lends itself well to rumors that this was indeed a response to Bertinelli’s story.

    Back in 2008, the actress also talked about the incident in a radio interview. She said, “I met her, and she was so mean to me.” Bertinelli added, “You know what? Forget you! I don’t need your new album!’ What’s up with that? She’s too young to be blowing people off.”

    Bertinelli was known for her role as Barbara Cooper Royer in the sitcom One Day at a Time. She married rock star Eddie Van Halen on April 11, 1981, and together they raised their son Wolfgang. The couple divorced back in 2007, and in 2011, she married financial planner Tom Vitale.

  • James Earl Jones Receives Award For His Voiceover Work

    The 83-year-old James Earl Jones is known for his unique voice. He has voiced Mufasa in The Lion King as well as Darth Vader in the Star Wars films. It seems the actor is finally being recognized for his voiceover work after it was reported that he has received a special award from the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences.

    On Sunday, November 9, Jones received the Voice Icon Award at the first Voice Arts Awards. The Voice Arts Awards aims to recognize voice acting talent in film, TV, as well as commercials and videogames. The ceremony was held at the Museum of Moving Image in New York City.

    For the November 9 installment of NPR’s “My Big Break” series, Jones talked about his life and his work. “I loved the Army, I almost stayed in the Army,” Jones said about what he would have done if he wasn’t acting. “I was pre-med in college and couldn’t handle that. I considered being a priest at one point — I’m glad I didn’t do that.”

    In 1969 he won a Tony Award for his portrayal of boxer Jack Jefferson in the play The Great White Hope. Jefferson was based on real-life pugilist Jack Johnson. Jones reprised the role when The Great White Hope was adapted for the big screen. “The Great White Hope put me on the cover of Newsweek magazine,” he says. “One day that week, somebody noticed you.”

    But what he’s clearly remembered for is for his role as the voice of Darth Vader, one of the most iconic villains in cinema. He revisited the role recently for the animated series Star Wars: Rebels. When the pilot was re-aired for ABC, a new scene was added featuring James Earl Jones as the legendary villain.

    “We wanted to do something special for the ABC broadcast,” executive producer Dave Filoni said in a news release. “We’ve added a scene which gives audiences insight into the Inquisitor and includes a cameo by Darth Vader voiced by the distinguished actor James Earl Jones.”