Your thoughts?
White House Correspondents' Dinner: Obama Jokes About Radical Second-Term Changes
President Barack Obama joked Saturday about his plans for a radical second-term evolution from "strapping young Socialist" to retiree golfer, all with a new hairstyle like first lady Michelle's.
Obama used this year's annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner to poke fun at himself and some of his political adversaries, asking if it was still possible to be brought down a peg after 4½ years as commander-in-chief.
Entering to the rap track "All I Do Is Win" by DJ Khaled, Obama joked about how re-election would allow him to unleash a radical agenda. But then he showed a picture of himself golfing on a mock magazine cover of "Senior Leisure."
"I'm not the strapping young Socialist that I used to be," the president remarked, and then recounted his recent 2-for-22 basketball shooting performance at the White House Easter Egg hunt.
But Obama's most dramatic shift for the next four years appeared to be aesthetic. He presented a montage of shots featuring him with bangs similar to those sometimes sported by his wife.
Obama closed by noting the nation's recent tragedies in Massachusetts and Texas, praising Americans of all stripes from first responders to local journalists for serving the public good.
Saturday night's banquet not far from the White House attracted the usual assortment of stars from Hollywood and beyond. Actors Kevin Spacey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Claire Danes, who play government characters on series, were among the attendees, as was Korean entertainer Psy. Several Cabinet members, governors and members of Congress were present.
And despite coming at a somber time, nearly two weeks after the deadly Boston Marathon bombing and 10 days after a devastating fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, the president and political allies and rivals alike took the opportunity to enjoy some humor. Late-night talk-show host Conan O'Brien headlined the event.
Some of Obama's jokes came at his Republican rivals' expense. He asked that the GOP's minority outreach begin with him as a "trial run" and said he'd take his recent charm offensive with Republicans on the road, including to a book-burning event with Rep. Michele Bachmann.
Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson would have had better success getting Obama out of office if he simply offered the president $100 million to drop out of last year's race, Obama quipped.
And on the 2016 election, the president noted in self-referential irony that potential Republican candidate Sen. Marco Rubio wasn't qualified because he hasn't even served a full term in the Senate. Obama only served less than four years of his six-year Senate term before he was elected president in 2008.
The gala also was an opportunity for six journalists, including Associated Press White House Correspondent Julie Pace, to be honored for their coverage of the presidency and national issues.
The New Yorker's Ryan Lizza won the Aldo Beckman Award, which recognizes excellence in the coverage of the presidency.
Pace won the Merriman Smith Award for a print journalist for coverage on deadline.
ABC's Terry Moran was the winner of the broadcast Merriman Smith Award for deadline reporting.
The Celebs come out AT The NBC Upfronts
Doing his best Morris Day & The Time impersonation, "America's Got Talent" host Nick Cannon donned THIS outfit for the 2013 NBC Universal Summer Press Day....and had his mirror and mirror guy on hand. That damn Nick...
Easter brunch fresh. Held at Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa in Pasadena, California, Mr. Cannon kicked off the event in his springtime swag complete with an attendant and a cane.
Nick's "AGT" judge Mel B. has already drawn some "boos" from the studio audience during tapings, but we'll give her applause for her red carpet look.
She added a little springtime "spice" to the event while rocking a body hugging black dress with a center panel of contouring with black and white stripes. Nice.
Meanwhile, Cash Money recording artist Christina Milian looked like a doll...who couldn't stop playing in the concealer....as she promoted her gig on "The Voice."
She looked fab in a lace blue mini dress and nude heels. Super cute look for her. No more ring though? Maybe she didn't want to continue to lead her fans on with making them believe she and boyfriend Jas Prince are engaged.
Before the red carpet, Christina got her nails and toes pampered, tweeting "Quick pedi w the crew.. Lol".
Ray J, who's hosting Bad Girls All-Star Battle, walked the red carpet. This guy...
The reigning Miss USA, Nana Meriwether, looked amazing as well.
Fab times all around.
'Idol' Panic: Secret Plot to Replace Mariah Carey With Jennifer Lopez Fails
Jennifer Lopez and Mariah CareyThe plan to bring back Lopez midseason was abandoned when Carey's team threatened legal action, sources tell THR.
With ratings in a steep slide, American Idol producers and Fox executives in recent weeks hatched a dramatic plan to jump-start the show: replace judge Mariah Carey with Jennifer Lopez, according to knowledgeable sources.
'American Idol' Alums Advance on 'The Voice''Glee' First Look: 'American Idol's' Jessica Sanchez Finally Arrives 'American Idol': David Cook, Lee DeWyze to Perform on Results Shows'American Idol': Season Three's All-Girl Final Four on Season 12's Female Showdown'American Idol' Winner Fantasia: A Decade On (Video)These sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Carey, who was touted as the big new addition to the judge’s panel this year, responded with a threat of litigation. With that, the plan was dropped, though Idol's producers still are negotiating with Lopez -- who served as a popular judge during the past two seasons -- to appear on the show’s finale in May. And insiders say a search already has begun to replace Carey, most likely Nicki Minaj and possibly the entire judge’s panel for next season.
"This is just another ridiculous Idol judge rumor, likely started by talks of Jennifer performing on the finale," a Fox spokeswoman tells THR in a statement. Producer Fremantle NorthAmerica declined comment. A rep for Carey denies these allegations. Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe tells THR, "I have not been included in any conversation regarding replacing Mariah with Jen this season."
American Idol kicked off its 12th season on solid enough footing. Earning a 6.0 rating in the key adults 18-to-49 demographic and 17.9 million total viewers in its January return, the 17 percent dip was less precipitous than some of the bigger drops in recent years. But the months since have been less kind. The Wednesday performance show is averaging a 4.3 rating in 18-to-49, its worst performance since its inaugural season in 2001. And it is dropping nearly every week.
Even worse for Idol, the robust reboot of NBC’s The Voice with Shakira and Usher recently has seen ratings climb to a 5.2 in the demo during the same week Idol bottomed out with a series-low 2.8. Adding insult to injury, Idol made headlines last week when preliminary numbers showed its total viewers for a results show was beaten by a repeat of CBS' The Big Bang Theory.
Sources say Fox reality chief Mike Darnell and Fremantle’s Cecile Frot-Coutaz have been especially concerned about the Idol ratings trajectory, and they hoped that a surprise shake-up on the judges' panel would help. Carey, a multiplatinum and Grammy-winning singer, is perhaps Idol's most pedigreed judge ever. But despite her eight-figure salary, she has seemed passive and disengaged in her comments on the show, failing to generate the type of fan following that Lopez had when she judged.
By contrast, Minaj has turned into Idol's sharp-tongued firebrand, especially seated next to more vanilla judge Keith Urban and stalwart Randy Jackson. Nonetheless, internal Fox research is said to show that Minaj is not a hit with some of the show's audience. "The core viewer is a Midwestern, Southern, older woman who is threatened by Nicki’s aggressiveness," says one knowledgeable source.
Producers are said to have pushed for the pairing of Carey and Minaj, thinking it would provide for a panel of diverse opinions and make for good TV if they were in conflict. But Idol insiders fear the dynamic has turned off some loyal fans.
Because producers backed off their plan to shake up the show midseason, attention is said to already have turned to next season. A source who has been approached as a possible judge replacement tells THR that Idol producers are looking for “not necessarily a star” to join the show. That might include a music professional with strong credentials.
Dwyane Wade Divorce Details: She Gets $25k Monthly & LOTS More Later
Dwyane Wade and Siohvaugh Funces-Wade during happier times
*It’s a fact, it’s cheaper to keeper. But if she be ka-razy, maybe it’s worth it to keep ‘er. Maybe.
Anyway, as you might expect, Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade‘s been doing his damndest to keep the public out of his business regarding his divorce.
Yes, just like you’d do, he’s been trying to keep the details hush-hush, but unfortunately, as Jose Lambiet’s Gossip Extra is reporting, some numbers popped up in court papers recently filed in Miami-Dade County.
And it ain’t pretty.
Wade, 31, is paying ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches-Wade a whopping $25,000-a-month.
That’s in addition to her living and travel expenses, estimated at about $10,000-a-month.
Oh, yes. There was that little $1 million lump sum payment when the divorce became final last year.
And all of that is just a down payment!
Keep in mind that Wade has custody of their two young children, with some visitations for Funches-Wade.
The paperwork appeared in response to the ex-wife’s request to see her two boys more.
But while the divorce is final, some issues are still being debated.
In Miami, it’s about the children.
In Wade and Funches-Wade’s native Chicago, it’s about the money.
Let’s just put it this way, Funches-Wade is asking for half of everything Wade made between the time he was drafted by the Miami Heat until their divorce.
Hopefully there will be enough left for Gabby Union.
Sheree Whitfield Unpleased With Iyanla: Fix My Life: ‘I Felt Misled’
DMX (real name Earl Simmons) ain’t the only one pissy these days with one of OWN’s popular shows, Iyanla: Fix My Life. Last weekend, Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Sheree Whitfield and her ex-hubby, Bob Whitfield, took their problems to TV, for expert advice for Iyanla Vanzant.
And while we were conflicted on whether or not the show helped them co-parent, Sheree is none too pleased about her experience. Reportedly, the ex reality star has released a statement, telling us exactly why she felt the session was ‘one sided’:
I thought it was an opportunity to inspire single parents in our situation. However, once shooting began I felt misled because the line of questioning was centered more on accusations of my shortcomings as a wife versus how we can begin to resolve our issues…Although I was caught off guard by what felt like a very one-sided and judgmental approach to therapy, what I did take away from this experience is that I must continue to take responsibility for doing the work to be a better person. I am completely committed to making sure that I am a positive and healthy mother for my children and being a role model for the young women that I mentor. Sheree has yet to comment about her experience on twitter, nor has Iyanla defended or responded. But what are YOUR thoughts? Behind the scenes, do you believe that Sheree may’ve been mislead by producers? Or was she unpleased with her portrayal on the show?
Essence Atkins Tries to Come for Tyler Perry
In a candid interview Essence Atkins says Tyler Perry's little experiment of casting Kim Kardashian in Temptation failed...
Essence tells Sister 2 Sister
"I found it interesting that Tyler did that with Temptation, hiring Kim Kardashian because she has 16 million Twitter followers, which would seem like a brilliant marketing plan."
"He has one of the biggest Twitter personalities out there in his movies, and he had one of the worst box office weekends."
"It’s not a failure, but it did worse than his movies usually do just based on him. I thought that was an interesting finding. Your experiment didn’t work."
"People want to see good stories. It’s not necessarily that they want to see Kim Kardashian in a movie. They want to see her in a bikini. They want to see her with Kanye. They want to see her on her show talking about her life with her sisters, but that doesn’t mean that they want to see her in a movie.”
Temptation pulled in over $22 million in its debut weekend, making it Tyler Perry's second highest box office gross for a movie not starring Madea. Why Did I Get Married Too is no. 1 in that catagory with a $30 million opening weekend take.
Madea Goes to Jail raked in $41 million in its opening weekend becoming Tyler Perry's largest opening weekend to date.
Miguel, Frank Ocean, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera & MORE At The "Time 100 Gala"
The "Time 100" Gala was held recently honoring Miguel, Frank Ocean, Shonda Rhimes and others who made the list of the world's most influential leaders. Frank Ocean (shown atop with Justin Timberlake) was among the celebs who celebrated being chosen for the Time 100 issue, which lists the world's most influential artists, politicans and newsmakers.
Held at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Frank walked the red carpet with his lovely mother Katonya Breaux Riley.
When asked how he felt about being included on the list, Frank told MTV News, "Pretty cool. The whole list is pretty rad, a pretty good assortment of folks. A very varied assortment of human beings in all different spaces and cool, very cool."
Miguel, shown atop with Christina Aguilera, was also on the list of the world's most influential leaders.
As famous folks like actress Amy Poehler celebrated his influence, Miguel told MTV News that he hopes to work with President Obama one day on projects that will influence families and American citizens. He said,
"...And I think family is, having a great family, or just two people in the family that help raise a child makes a huge difference on the kind of citizen they become and how competent a citizen they will be. And if there's anything we can do socially, economically or culturally to encourage that or affect that, that's something I'm interested in collaborating for."
Singer Raphael Saadiq, who made the "TIME 100" in 2012, attended the gala with Kim Porter on him arm (not THAT Kim Porter!).
CBS Early Show anchor Gayle King attended the gala.
"Scandal" creator Shonda Rhimes was also on the 2013 TIME 100 list.
Senior Advisor to the POTUS Valerie Jarrett, who also made this year's TIME 100, looked amazing in her flowing blue gown.
Congrats to the honorees.
Shyheim Arrested On Felony Gun Charges
Shyheim, a former 90′s child rapper affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan, has been arrested on felony gun and drug possession charges stemming from a raid of his Staten Island New York apartment.
The 35-year-old rapper was arrested after a raid last Friday that allegedly turned up illegal guns and drugs. The gang unit of Staten Island says they found a .32 caliber Serrifile Inc, a Terrier One revolver and five rounds of ammo under a mattress.
A previous criminal record forbids Shyheim to have possession of guns.
In addition to the guns, court papers say that police found 41 files of heroin, a single Xanax pill and other paraphilia, apparently for selling and weighing drugs.
Those who don’t know, Shyheim is the cousin of Ghostface Killah.
Ouch: Former NBA Star Allen Iverson Admits To His Wife That He Couldn’t Afford A Cheeseburger….
Damn, we all watched Allen Iverson when he was on top of his game and doing BIG things in the NBA. Wearing the hottest gear, sporting the hottest shoes, rolling in Benzs and living the life. Now he can’t even afford a cheeseburger?! That’s right Gumbumpers, the former NBA star is no different than many other celebs who didn’t take care of their ends. He made over $140 million dollars playing basketball AND had a huge Reebok deal with various endorsement deals. His story is a cautionary tale to athletes and anyone else who comes into a lot of money.
Via Washington Post:
Three years after Iverson’s last NBA game, the spotlight has shifted from his play to his flaws. His refusal back then to play by society’s rules was seen as an independent player’s quirks, part of the character and the brand, same as his cornrows and tattoos.
For the past three years, as Iverson chased an NBA comeback, his marriage fell apart and much of his fortune – he earned more than $150 million in salary alone during his career – dissolved. Now, those who once ignored past signals have recognized that basketball may have been the only thing holding Iverson’s life together.
Iverson stood during a divorce proceeding in Atlanta in 2012 and pulled out his pants pockets. “I don’t even have money for a cheeseburger,” he shouted toward his estranged wife, Tawanna, who then handed him $61.
Allen Iverson signed huge contracts: a six-year deal in 1999 worth $70.9 million and, four years later, a new agreement worth $76.7 million. Reebok signed him to a huge endorsement deal, including a deferred trust worth more than $30 million, a lump sum he can’t touch until he turns 55.
His play kept his shortcomings in the shadows, but at home, his behavior caused increasing worry. Tawanna testified that her husband was undependable and volatile. Alcohol intensified his flaws, she said, leading him to skip milestone events and stagger through others.
He hadn’t been present for Tiaura’s birth in 1994, and three years later, when Allen Jr. was born – they would call him Deuce – Iverson was “very intoxicated” and unable to drive her to the hospital, Tawanna told the court.
Allen will be eligible to receive what’s left of his Reebok money in June 2030.
“I put it in God’s hands. I’ve accomplished a lot in the NBA, and if the road ends here, then it does. And I’m not bitter about it. I don’t feel no type of way. I just understand that He helped me accomplish a lot of things in the NBA. I’ve done so many things that people thought that I couldn’t do. But at some point, it comes to an end. And regardless of however it comes regardless if it’s retirement, injury, or whatever at some point, it comes to an end. Now, if I get a chance to play again. I would love the opportunity.” – Allen Iverson
WOW!
Damage Control : Is Beyonce Banning Photographers From the ‘Mrs Carter Show’?
Rumor has it, Beyonce’s camp wants to control her likeness and image, in a serious way. As you’ll recall, there were reports that Beyonce’s publicist weren’t too pleased about the unflattering photos that hit the ‘net, after her Super Bowl performance. So much so that they emailed a few outlets, asking for the images to be replaced with ones that they had selected.
And it looks like they’ve learned their lesson from that fiasco. Allegedly, Bey’s banning all photographers from her Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. According to Gigwise, professional photogs at Bey’s shows will be hard to come by. “Instead,” photography blog FStoppers reports,
“[Beyonce's camp] would provide 3-5 pre-approved images their own photographer shot for the media to use after each show.”
No official response from Bey’s camp so we shall see. In the meantime, peep some Mrs. Carter Show concert footage.
P.S. If the rumors are true, do you understand why Beyonce is banning photogs from her show?
Gabrielle Union, Kelly Rowland, Kerry Washington & Halle Berry On PEOPLE's 2013 World's Most Beautiful List
Gabrielle Union is among the beautiful brown chicks who grace the pages of People Magazine's 2103 World's Most Beautiful List. The star of BET's Being Mary Jane, tweeted a pic from behind the scenes of her shoot where she celebrates turning 40. She told the magazine that she's "the woman I've always wanted be."
Kelly Rowland is also on the list where the magazine touts her natural beauty. Ms. Kelly went makeup-free for her photoshoot and played up her gorgeous skin. She recently revealeved that Beyonce and Michelle Williams will make appearances on her upcoming Talk a Good Game disc. She said,
"I did a collaboration with Beyonce and Michelle. It's a song produced by Harmony Samuels.... It just feels so good and it's so soulful and the girls voices sound incredible on it."
Kelly's album drops this summer.
Naturally, Halle Berry made the list for the umpteenth time. The expectant mother is currently reprising her role as Storm in X-Men: Days of Future Past.
And "Scandal" star Kerry Washington helps round out the list. Fans of the actress will be able to check her out on the big screen when Peeples hits theatres on May 10.
AND FINALLY FROM THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART FILES
‘Strung Out’
Look at these two honeymooners….straight to the moon Alice!
HAVE A GREAT WEEK AHEAD EVERYBODY!!!
EFREM
