Michael Jackson + Herb Ritts + Naomi Campbell = Genius. "In the Closet"

One of my favorites. Coincidentally Herb Ritts also died at the age of 50.

Farewell, Michael Jackson

Today I lost a piece of my childhood. As a kid who grew up in the '70s, Michael Jackson was part of the fabric of my life.

In truth, I can't remember a time when I didn't know who he was. From watching the Jackson 5ive cartoon on Saturday mornings, to trying to copy his Moonwalk (and failing), to seeing him in concert twice, to wearing out my copy of Thriller, Michael Jackson was always there.

The first time he toured Australia, I had a friend whose sister was working as a maid at Michael’s hotel. She and some of her co-workers went to clean Michael’s suite and found the carpet had been pulled up and Michael in the center of the room working up a sweat, dancing. “Come and dance with me,” he said softly, smiling, “Come on.” They giggled and shook their heads, worried they would get into trouble if they did, but a voice in their heads was also saying, “Only a fool would try to dance with Michael Jackson.” It would have been like trying to take on Michael Phelps in the pool. But that image is one that has always stayed with me. A lonely guy isolated by his awe-inspiring talent.

He was a man who brought so much happiness to the world, and exhibited such exuberance and joy, but I don’t think Michael Jackson was a happy person. Robbed of his childhood and subjected to abuse by his father, it’s not surprising to me that when Michael grew up, he loved to spend time in the company of children. But that came at a cost. He paid a multimillion-dollar settlement in 1993 to a 13-year-old boy he allegedly abused (charged were never filed), but was acquitted of similar accusations in 2003. I think people tend to forget that he was found not guilty.

Michael began taking painkillers and sedatives like Valium and Xanax in the wake of the child abuse charges. And while he is said to have died of a cardiac arrest today, I fear that (like Elvis Presley) an autopsy will find that Michael died of complications from prescription drug abuse.

It’s hard not to draw comparisons between Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley. The King of Pop and King of Rock and Roll had so many similarities beyond their talent. And their connections were solidified when Michael married Elvis’ daughter, Lisa Marie, in 1994, when Michael was reeling from the child abuse allegations and turning to drugs. “I didn’t believe he did it,” Lisa Marie said. “I wanted to save him. I felt like I could do it.”

But two years later they split and Michael Jackson’s downhill spiral continued. The following years saw the man who broke a record as “the first entertainer to earn 100 million dollars in one year” teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. (Coincidentally, Elvis reportedly had less than $1,000,000 when he died.)

In the same way that people of a certain age can tell you where they were when John F. Kennedy and Elvis died, in years to come, we’ll all remember where we were when Michael Jackson died. But rather than recall June 25, 2009, I will remember the music, the dancing, the man. Thanks for the memories, Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson - Remember The Time
by hushhush112

TMZ Claimed Michael Jackson Was Dead At Different Times

TMZ has a habit of backtiming their stories to look like they have got the exclusive on almost every celebrity news story.

The following story showed up on TMZ's website at 5:20 p.m. today.

Then a few minutes later, they backtimed the story to 4:00 p.m.

Realizing they might be in trouble for doing that (as we learned later from Jermaine Jackson that Michael only arrived at UCLA Medical Center at 3:14 and was worked on for an hour), they quickly switched back to 5:20 p.m. again.

Click on the pics to see enlarged versions of the page that clearly show the times.

Lame.

Breckin Meyer Responds To Perez Hilton

Love me some Breckin Meyer. I hope Perez realizes how ridiculous this week has been.

Breckin Meyer Responds to Perez Hilton - watch more funny videos

Hugh Jackman Meets With Miley Cyrus

The Daily Express is reporting that Hugh Jackman had a meeting with Miley Cyrus and her mom at Morton's Steakhouse in L.A.

"They had a few producer-type folks with them. It looked like some sort of business," a diner told the Daily Express.

OK, so here's my guess on what they were meeting about. Hugh is set to star in a film called Personal Security, playing a tough New York City cop who is forced to be a bodyguard for a spoiled heiress.

Miley as a spoiled heiress? Not much of a stretch is you ask me.

Jeremy Piven Slams I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here

Jeremy Piven is obviously feeling pretty good about his career at the moment.

He said on Twitter today: "Off the record I'm running lines so I don't have to eat blended dung beatles in the jungle for cash and prizes..."

Must be suffering from mercury-inspired short-term memory loss—he's obviously forgotten about the atomic fallout over his early departure from Speed the Plow on Broadway.

Jeremy, if you ask me, you are about one plate of sushi away from it. Entourage won't last forever, ya know.

And I'd avoid running into Lou Diamond Phillips in the future. He's looking lean and mean after eating all those dung beetles in the jungle. He could take you.

And I don't think he'll take you up on your offer to hug it out.

Adam Lambert On Glee

Perez Hilton just Tweeted that Adam Lambert has filmed a cameo on Glee, to air in the fall.

Perfect casting!

A former high school theater geek on a show about high school theater geeks.

Can't wait.

Time For A Makeover, Kate Gosselin

Now that the Gosselins have finally called it quits, you know what that means—it's time for Kate Gosselin to have a breakup makeover!

And the first thing I would start on is that heinous hair.

Thanks to ivillage.com, I can show Kate how much better she'd look if she tried on a celeb hairstyle.




She's about as well-liked as Sarah Palin.


Maybe she wants to take the style of a similarly named star, like Katie Holmes.


While, it wouldn't be much of a difference from her current hairstyle, there is nothing very Posh about Kate.


Somehow, I don't think Michelle Obama would be flattered.



Alas Kate is not a cool mom like Gwen Stefani.


Funnily enough, I think Paris Hilton's hairstyle suits her.


Hasn't Jennifer Aniston been through enough???

Separated at Birth? Johnny Depp & Elijah Wood

US Airlines Have The Worst Food In The World

It's official. Three US airlines have been voted as having the worst food in a poll conducted by SeatGuru.com. Participants said that American, United and US Airways had the worst meals, while Singapore Airlines had the best.

When it came to other categories, those three airlines didn't fare any better, also being voted as having the most uncomfortable economy and business class seats and the rudest flight attendants.

Now I know why I find the flights from the US to Australia so hellish!

When asked which celebrity couple they would most like to sit between, the respondents overwhelmingly said they didn't want to sit next to anyone (56%). Out of those who don't mind getting up close and personal with a star, the most popular choices were President Obama and the First Lady, followed by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, the Beckhams, Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, and Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen.

I'd rather sit next to Mini-Me. He wouldn't take up any room at all, I could easily climb over him to get to the bathroom and he'd probably get drunk straight away, fall asleep and not bother me for the rest of the flight.

Emma Watson Is Flawless In Teen Vogue

Wow! Talk about growing up right in front of our eyes! Emma Watson looks amazing in the new issue of Teen Vogue.

We initially met Emma when she was 9 years old in the first Harry Potter film; now she's 19! Boy, that makes me feel really old.

Emma plans to juggle filming the last Harry Potter movie with university, where is set to study
English literature and art and live in the freshman dorms with a roommate (which her co-star Daniel Radcliffe told her was crazy). But Emma claims, "I really want anonymity."

She says she's not sure about continuing her career in acting: "There's not, like, a burning passion in me that I have to act and I don't care what I do. Until something comes along that I feel as strongly about as I did Hermione—like, I felt that it was life or death—I don't want to act again."

Light Really Does Shine Out of Beyonce's Ass

Twilight's Edward Meets Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Brilliant.

Look-Alike Couples: Kelly Osbourne Is Turning Into Her Boyfriend Luke Worrall

Kelly Osbourne has been known to change her look now and then, but in her latest makeover she has morphed into her boyfriend, model Luke Worrall.

The couple was photographed at Milan Fashion Week with matching peroxided 'dos.

What is it about celeb couples that they feel the need to look like each other?

Is is the inner actor that feels they need to mirror their partner?

Kelly isn't the first one to do it and she won't be the last. Take a look at these celeb look-alike couples.

Brad Pitt is a serial look-alike offender.

It began with Gwyneth Paltrow, moved on to Jennifer Aniston (they got matching highlights for their wedding day) and then Angelina Jolie.

I find it cheesy. Kind of like dressing twins in matching outfits.

Tom Cruise couldn't pull it off with Nicole Kidman (her curly red hair probably got in the way), but he's managed to transform current wife Katie Holmes into a not-so-mini me.

Then Katie did played the look-alike card with their daughter, Suri.

But it didn't work out quite so successfully for J.Lo when she went ghetto for Diddy.

And Jessica Simpson really showed that she was a dumb blonde when she dyed her hair brown to match then-beau John Mayer's.

As if that was the key to a lasting relationship with that love rat.

Ashlee Simpson is following in her big sister's footsteps in more ways than one. She's sporting the same sideswept bangs as her rocker husband, Pete Wentz.

Does the couple that straightens together stay together? Maybe. As long as they don't fight over custody of the eyeliner.

iPhone Art: Ditch Your Paintbrush

OK, this might be the thing that makes me finally buy the iPhone.

You can use a program called Brushes to create mini works of art that make a video of the work in progress.

Brilliant!

The $4.99 program allows you to use different brush strokes, to zoom in and to erase and redraw. All with your finger!

Retired graphic artist Susan Murtaugh, who did the peony painting below, sells prints of her digital art (you can see her creations here) and Jorge Colombo recently used Brushes to create a cover image for the New Yorker magazine.

Check out the ABC News report on the phenomenon.



Here's a look at the creation of a mini masterpiece.

TMI on Twitter?

Attention celebrities. Remember how you have complained about your lack of privacy and the media’s constant presence in your lives?

Well, you can’t have it both ways. You can’t demand to be left alone and then tell the world about the minutiae of your life and wonder why the press and paparazzi are interested. It’s time to shut up already.

I am stunned and more than a little amused by the updates stars feel compelled to Tweet to their followers. Over the past few days, Dancing With the Stars’ Lacey Schwimmer told me she had boiled chicken and steamed vegetables for lunch and that she thought the new season of So You Think You Can Dance is “blah.” Al Roker told me that Bob Costas used a Clorox wipe to remove Mr. Goodbar from his white pants at the US Open. Kirstie Alley told me she was hungry. Sherri Shepherd told me she cried during her workout with her evil trainer. Jeremy Piven asked me to hang with him at a bar in Chicago. Hairspray director Adam Shankman told me he was missing his dogs and that he wouldn’t be home in L.A. for a while (burglars take note). Ryan Seacrest told me he had a meeting with Lindsay Lohan. Lindsay Lohan sent me a topless picture of herself, told me that Justin Timberlake was cheating on Jessica Biel and then claimed that her Twitter account had been hacked. And Jane Fonda showed me a picture of her naked knee before she had surgery on it.

While Twitter has demonstrated its usefulness as an information tool during the current Iran election protests, I find the compulsion that the famous and not-so-famous have to share everything on Twitter is reminiscent of a kid standing in the middle of the playground and shouting “Look at me! Look at me!”

Self-affirmation? Yes. Self-promotion? Definitely. Self-indulgent? Absolutely.

And, like watching a car crash or I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, I am mesmerized and powerless to look away.

Lacey Schwimmer Slams So You Think You Can Dance

Lacey Schwimmer, who didn't win So You Think You Can Dance, and is now a featured performer on Dancing With The Stars, is slamming the show that introduced her to the world via her Twitter account.

Her comments began on June 11, when the top 20 performed on the show, and she said, "Is at home watching a certain reality show....and is very disappointed :/"

But this week she followed it up with: "a certain reality show is starting to get on my nerves. no longer professionals....just generic...blah" and "uhhmm im sorry im beeing catty but im like gasping for air on how bad it is this season."

Then she responded to one Twitterer who was sad that Max was cut. Lacey said: "honestly hes no partner dancer....yuck"

Ouch!

And that's when people started to get a little annoyed. And I agree with them, who died and made Lacey Schwimmer the dancing queen?

But she snapped back and reminded us all: "maybe you forget i went to top 4 on sytycd? and have more qualifing dance credits than many." She want on to defend herself, saying,"i never said i wasnt greatful....infact i love it for what it has done for me and my brother and friends."

But the battle continued to rage and Lacey responded: "all 3 people who are not liking my opinion... relax....i know what dancing is. and im allowed an opinion...sorry you feel the need to attack."

I for one am looking forward to what she says this week. But if she criticizes Evan Kasprzak or Brandon Bryant, she'd better watch out!

Ryan Kasprzak's Season 6 Audition for SYTYCD

Yay! Ryan Kasprzak has made it to Vegas for the next season of So You Think You Can Dance.



Below, he explains the tattoo he and his brother Evan share.


He's even come up with a name for fans Kasprzaktivists.

In an interview with the Oakland Press, Ryan revealed that he there was an upside to being cut in season 5.

“If I had moved on, there would not be as much upside for me as there is for Evan,” he admits. “It’s a wonderful gift because now people are talking about me as a choreographer. If I was on the show as a dancer, that conversation wouldn’t be happening. I still get to be a part of the show because I’m still choreographing for Evan. For me it’s like having two seasons — one choreographing and next season I’ll be dancing. Yeah, I’m upset, but I understand, plus it’s really been a surprising gift.”

So even though Nigel Lythgoe said he wouldn't bring Ryan in as a choreographer this season, Ryan is getting to choreograph Evan's solo performances, which we'll get to see if (gasp) he ends up in the bottom three.

Simon Cowell Admits He Made Mistakes With Susan Boyle

Simon Cowell has admitted that he made mistakes over the handling of Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent.

In a candid first-person piece for the UK's Daily Mail, Simon responded to the criticism over his handling of some of the young contestants on the show (who ended up sobbing and in tears) and of the frumpy 48-year-old internet sensation (who ended up in a psychiatric hospital after losing the competition).

"Looking back on it all, it has become clear to me that we didn't handle the situation with Susan as well as we could have," he admitted. "Yet to be honest, when I analyse exactly what happened, I don't know that I could have done it any differently."

"I had never met Susan Boyle before she walked on to the stage in the Glasgow auditions. I remember vaguely thinking 'I hope she is not another singer', as we'd had so many that day. Then after she sang, I thought she had come over well, but not sensationally. I certainly didn't think: 'Here comes a phenomenon who is going to become the most famous woman in the world, I wonder if she can mentally cope with it?' I thought she looked a bit eccentric and certainly a character, but that was all.

"Then, several weeks later, after Susan had become a global sensation, we were on a satellite link to the Oprah show together. She seemed fine with all the attention - I thought she was utterly charming and really thrilled with what had happened. I thought - perhaps naively - that she was in control. When I asked her if she was enjoying herself, she replied: 'Simon, I am having the time of my life.' I was pleased. I thought whatever happens, we have changed this lady's life.

"Then, in the semi-finals, the pressure and her nerves were beginning to get the better of her. As the final approached, I started getting calls from the production team. It had become clear that Susan was finding the experience difficult to cope with. So I said, 'Make sure she has a friend with her all the time. Make sure she has any help that she needs.'

"Just before the final, I went to see her. She looked tired, but had one of her closest friends with her who was being a great support. I said: 'Susan, are you sure this is still all OK?' And again she said, yes, she was fine. I told her the most important thing was that she enjoyed the experience; that it had to be the best night of her life.

"Even then, I didn't pick up on any unduly troubling signs. She was nervous, yes, but...she understood the significance of the night. Then, during the final show, at the crucial point when the dance group Diversity won, I looked over at her face and thought: 'Christ, she doesn't know how to deal with not winning.'

"It was a bad moment. Afterwards, I went over and gave her a hug and tried to reassure her. 'Susan,' I said, 'my offer to record an album with you still stands.' And we agreed that we would work together; that it wasn't the end of the road for her.

"After that, I left the studio. I remember having a drink that night and trying to relax, but still feeling a bit strange. Something just didn't feel right. And sure enough, it wasn't. No need to repeat the details here - that wouldn't be fair to Susan.

"On a practical level, the question was whether she wanted to go ahead with the Britain's Got Talent live tour. I wasn't sure, so we gave her the opportunity of not taking part. But, after a few days at home in Scotland, Susan was determined that she wanted to do at least some of the dates.

"It was agreed that it would be under her terms, and whenever she felt it was too tiring she could choose not to participate. The nights she has performed have been incredible. There are still ups and downs, yes, but, when she does perform I am thrilled by the reception she gets. Suffice it to say that whatever happens in the weeks ahead, I will continue to support her.

"But the question remains: Should we have done things differently? Perhaps the ones who can best answer that are Susan Boyle's family. Last week, I met them in my London office and I asked them: 'Tell me honestly; did we do right or did we do wrong?'

"What I meant was, was it right to allow Susan to carry on performing in the show once it became clear that she was finding it stressful? And they said, unanimously, that we did the right thing. They said that Susan has always wanted to sing and had sat at home for years, wishing that she had a chance.

"We had given her that opportunity. Even so, all this has raised some serious issues about the show, primarily about who should be on it and who should not. Should someone like Susan Boyle, a woman who was naive dealing with fame and that kind of exposure, be on it? Should we impose a minimum entry age and introduce some form of stricter psychological screening for applicants?

"I'm not so sure. How could that work? There is no easy way of achieving fame, and no guaranteed or trusted way of dealing with it. Facing a series of public votes on a talent show is psychologically tough. Yet who has the right to ban Susan Boyle, or anyone like her, from trying to sing her way out of one life and into another? She is one of those people - and there are millions of them in this country - who simply need a break. Nobody pays them any attention.

"Now, for the first time in her life, people are looking at Susan Boyle. Yes, there have been problems, but overall I think it is a positive experience for her. I'm glad we gave her this opportunity and - more importantly - I think Susan is as well."