The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade got "Rick Rolled"
by the Cartoon Network float for 'Fosters Home for Imaginary Friend.'
The Rick Roll is an Internet prank where you send your friends and
co-workers disguised links to the YouTube video
of singer Rick Astley's 1988 song "Never Gonna Give You Up." The float
concept was that while the imaginary friends were singing a friendship song, Astley 'suddenly' pops out to lip-sync his hit song. Note to
Matt: You're not supposed to tell people when it is coming!
• • •
Lynne Spears tells a British television show that daughter Britney is "a wonderful mother – she's funny, she's extremely affectionate. ... [At] home, where there's nobody around, she's very normal."
That's good to know, but funny and affectionate won't win a custody battle.
• • •
Shenae Grimes, who is one of the stars of the new 90210, tells People that none of the rumors about her are true. The Canadian actress has been a victim of rumors of eating disorders and bad behavior. "Meet me in person, and you can't say anything. No bones sticking out," Grimes told People. And as for being a prima donna on the set, Grime says "The hours I work I definitely can't."
• • •
Olympic champ Michael Phelps took his Vegas cocktail waitress girlfriend home to Baltimore to meet the family over Thanksgiving. The two have been dating for two months, meeting after his historic run in Beijing. She is a waitress at the Palms Casino Resort, and he was in Vegas working on his poker game, hoping to qualify for the 2009 World Series of Poker.
• • •
The surprise elopement by the stars of The Hills may not technically be legal, according to E! Online. The two had a ceremony, for sure, since it was documented for the show and tabloids. However, turns out they didn't file the necessary paperwork to make an international wedding legit. The couple said in a joint statement, "We had a beautiful ceremony here...officiated by a minister and
photographed by the hotel photographer. ... And, like other elopements that happen outside the country, we'll take care of the legal details when we get home."
• • •
Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose is claiming malpractice on Dr. Pepper. The soda company, in a publicity stunt, said that if Guns N' Roses released the long overdue "Chinese Democracy" album in 2008, they would buy a Dr. Pepper for every person in America. The album was started in 1994, before band members started quitting in frustration with Rose. So nearly 15 years later, the singer made good, and the Dr. Pepper web site was down during the period which people could claim vouchers for their free 20-ounce bottle of soda.
• • •
The Hogans are still feuding. Linda Hogan's new boyfriend tried, unsuccessfully, to get a restraining order against the Hulkster. And Linda, herself, is unhappy with her $40,000-a-month alimony payment, calling it a "drop in the bucket" compared to what Hulk Hogan has access to.
• • •
American Idol champ David Cook's self-titled debut entered the Billboard Top 200 chart at No. 3, behind Beyonce and Nickelback. Cook's album sold 289,0000 copies, to Nickelback's 327,000 and Beyonce's 430,000. David Archuleta, who sold 183,000 in his first week, dropped to No. 11 after debuting at No. 2 last week.
Amy Winehouse was hospitalized again on Sunday for what her spokesman said was 'an adverse reaction to medication.' This is Winehouse's second time admitted to a London hospital in the last month. Her rep, Chris Goodman, says that it is an allergic reaction of some sort, and that she is being tested and observed for the time being.
She was hospitalized earlier this month with signs of a chest infection, after being diagnosed earlier this year with what her father said were early signs of emphysema.
• • •
Now that she has a quick divorce from Guy Ritchie, Madonna has been seen out and around with baseball star Alex Rodriguez. The two flew from Atlanta to Miami after Madonna finished the Georgia leg of her tour. But the reunion will be short, according to People, which reports that Rodriguez will be spending Thanksgiving with his ex-wife, Cynthia, and two daughters.
• • •
With TRL over, Carson Daly will have something new to keep him busy -- a baby. Daly and girlfriend Siri Pinter are expecting their first child in early spring. "Carson is thrilled to be a father and they are looking forward to an extra special Thanksgiving this year with family and friends," his rep told People.
• • •
Pete Wentz told Ryan Seacrest during an interview where the name Bronx Mowgli came from for his son with wife Ashlee Simpson. The name, particularly middle name Mowgli, had people scratching their heads with the news. Wentz told Seacrest, "The Jungle Book was something that me and Ashlee bonded over. It's a cool name." Mowgli was the boy raised by wolves in the Disney film based on the Rudyard Kipling book.
Wentz refused to give the reason for the first name Bronx, telling Seacrest: "We came up with the idea Bronx. ... It's kind of cool to just leave the narrative what it is. People are stoked or pissed or whatever. And you're like, you know what: I don't think anyone really has the real story."
• • •
Hugh Jackman says that George Clooney "hazed" him for being named People's Sexiest Man Alive this week. Jackman says Clooney called him at 2 A.M. and jokingly snapped at him, "'Shut up, Jackman! I know what you did! You started this big campaign that's been going on and took the title away from me."
• • •
E!Online speculates on some unlikely performers honoring Barbra Streisand at the Kennedy Center Honors next month. They say Beyonce, Queen Latifah and Ne-Yo will be performing songs from Babs' catalog during the show, which also honors actor Morgan Freeman, choreographer Twyla Tharp and rockers Pete Townsend and Roger Daltrey of the Who.
And then stick him in a comfy chair somewhere outdoors in Riyadh, toss in a few animals and turn on a TV camera?
A. Possibly the single biggest test of Maria Bartiromo's career:
To clarify: Bartiromo not only kept a completely straight face while saying "Your Highness" to a guy in a mullett -- she did it four times. And that, dear boy (here Sir Ian McKellen pulls off his glasses and mops his damp eyes, overcome), is journalism.
It's also a sign the Apocalypse is not merely nigh, it's bringing five horsemen: White (symbolizing pestilence), Red (symbolizing war), Black (symbolizing famine), Pale (symbolizing Death) and Camel (symbolizing the reign of Arab trillionaires resembling Billy Ray Cyrus).
But until Endtimes take us, let us raise our crusty coffee cups to Bartiromo, who at 41 is a shimmering example of why it's really stupid to clear newsrooms of all veteran journos and replace them with newbies happy to make $15K, create online photo galleries of dog birthday parties and cover Jane Craig's worst nightmare:
Britney Spears has wrapped up a couple of things in court, and is now headed to Europe to promote her forthcoming album Circus.
Spears traveled from Los Angeles to Frankfurt, Germany to make several
appearances. She will also appear on a French television show, and
perform on Simon Cowell's X Factor.
• • •
Quasi-celebs Heidi and Spencer from "The Hills" have shocked everyone by announcing that they had eloped to Mexico. Heidi says that they were married near Cabo San Lucas at the One & Only Palmilla Resort. Heidi has some mending to do in her family because she didn't even tell her father her plans.
• • •
Travis Barker explains his lawsuit blaming the pilots and defective aircraft for the accident that killed four and injured Barker and Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein. Barker told E! Online, "if something goes wrong that's not supposed to go wrong or you fall victim of it, I think you should be compensated."
• • •
There's a chance that former NFL quarterback Michael Vick could be released to halfway house as soon as today by accepting a plea deal in for his part in a dog fighting ring. The bad news though, is he still has problems with the IRS, which says he still needs a 2007 tax return and that he owes $1.2 million despite filing for bankruptcy.
• • •
A man was killed at the Scientology 'celebrity center' in Los Angeles, when he stormed the front door carrying two samurai swords. Mario Majorski was shot dead by a security guard who said he feared for his life. Majorski was once a Scientologist, so deep, that he was part of a lawsuit against a professor who called the religion a 'cult.' No one is sure what drove him to come armed to the celeb center.
• • •
Oprah Winfrey is asking a judge in Philadelphia to throw out the defamation lawsuit brought against her by the former principal of her South African school. Nomvuyo Mzamane is seeking more than $250,000 in damages over statements made by Winfrey about Mzamane failing to protect the children from a matron who was later accused of abusing the students.
Wrote this at 1:50 p.m. EST ---- still trying to get past it:
OK, it's mid-day ... we've had absolutely nothing stronger than coffee ... and we just saw CNBC's Maria Bartiromo repeatedly use "Your Highness" to address a guy with a mullet.
A guy worth $30 billion, give or take, and rocking a mullet.
See you at the a bank. No shoving, no line-jumping.
The American Music Awards were last night
and the big winner was Chris Brown, who took home awards for artist of
the year, male pop/rock artist and male soul/R&B artist. It also
was a good night for 'American Idol' alumni. Chris Daughtry won for
pop/rock group, Jordin Sparks won for adult contemporary music, and
Carrie Underwood captured the award for country album.
Michael Jackson has reached a settlement with a sheik
in Bahrain over the money the King of Pop was given after his 2005
molestation trial. The son of the King of Bahrain provided Jackson a
safe haven, fronted him money, and reached an alleged agreement to
collaborate on new music with Jackson. Jackson insisted that the $7
million was a gift, but the sheik was taking him to court in London.
Hours before he was to leave for London to finally testify, Jackson's
team of lawyers reaches a settlement with the sheik.
• • •
Comedian David Spade turned heads last year when he was linked to Heather Locklear after she split from rocker Richie Sambora. Well, Spade has now been linked to Desperate Housewives star Nicollette Sheridan, who has recently split from crooner Michael Bolton. The two were spotted cuddling and kissing at a party celebrating Sheridan's birthday at an L.A. restaurant, called Luau. They arrived separately, and dined separately briefly, but were soon together, as they were a couple of weeks ago when spotted together at the same restaurant.
• • •
Former 1980's child star Jodie Sweetin has filed for legal separation from her husband Cody Herpin, and is trying to cope with the stress. The couple have a 7-month old daughter, Zoie. Earlier this year Sweetin announced that she had been a methamphetamine addict. Right now, she's trying to stay positive. Sweetin's agent said, "Her focus is the baby ... Jodie's
got a huge support system in her family and friends and she thinks this
is what's best for her."
• • •
Ashlee Simpson and hubby Pete Wentz welcomed their son over the weekend. Bronx Mowgli was born Friday, weighing 7 pounds, 11 oz., and 20-1/2 inches long.
• • •
Travis Barker is suing the owner and makers of the Learjet that was involved in the crash earlier this year. The negligence lawsuit says that the aircraft was "defective," resulting in the crash that killed four and severely injured Barker and friend Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein.
Turbaconducken? Dig out those stretchy Zubaz pants from '92 and make ready, ye who would be fed, to call upon The Bird.
This baby is exactly what it sounds like: an amped-up version of the tailgating staple, except now completely invaded by bacon.
How invaded?
Think of it this way: If the fowl is Stirling Bridge, the bacon is William Wallace. If the turkey is Normandy, every strip of fatty pork goodness is an Allied troop storming its surface, intent upon total domination. (Actually, that bacon-strip-to-Allied-troop ratio is pretty damned close.)
And, since you may be just days away from encountering this at your Thanksgiving table, let's break you in fast.
(1) Turbaconducken is not pretty. The word "abatoir" may come to mind. Or "autopsy." We're not kidding:
(See also: "Alien," 1979)
(2) With 5 pounds of bacon, a pre-cut chicken, a duck and a 15-pound turkey, you're creating essentially a meat dam -- first for your oven, then for your gut. Plan accordingly.
(3) It goes like this: Get up around 6 or 7 a.m. Pour a big glass of wine. Wrap bacon around the chicken pieces. Wrap bacon around the duck halves. Then wrap your hand around the glass and chug. For this is what you will have:
and:
(See also: "Aliens," 1986)
(4) Using whatever tasteless metphors work best, cram those puppies into the turkey cavity with extreme prejudice and malice aforethought, and then -- what, you thought you were done? -- wrap strips of bacon around the entire thing, winding up with:
(See also: Buffalo massacre scene, "Dances with Wolves," 1990)
(5) Pop it in the oven for the next 10 or so hours. Don your loosest clothing. (6) Pull from oven. Cool for 20-30 minutes, using time to pack bag for extended hospital stay. Carve. Consume.
This comes to us from the magnificent bounty that is the website "BaconToday," whose creator, Corey James, has got to have a Buffalo connection, as there's simply no other explanation for it. So, enjoy. Wait -- did we tell you shrimp jambalaya stuffing goes in the turkey before the chicken and duck? Ah well. Save that for when you want to go over the top.
Madonna and Guy Ritchie's divorce is on the court calendar this morning in London, where a preliminary divorce decree is expected to be issued. A divorce, ending their eight-year marriage, will go into effect in six weeks and a day. Although Ritchie is entitled by British law to part of her earnings, he is said to be settling for less than $3 million, but will share custody of their sons, Rocco and David Banda.
• • •
Michael Jackson is expected to appear in person in a London court Monday after his barrister withdrew a plea that Jackson was too sick to make the trip from the United States. Jackson is being sued by an Arab sheik for more than $6 million, which the son of the king of Bahrain says he gave the singer in exchange for an autobiography, some albums and shows.
In the new 90-minute documentary that will be shown Nov. 30 on MTV, Britney Spears says she married Kevin Federline "for the wrong reason. Instead of following my heart and doing something that made me really happy, I just did it for the idea of everything." She also says that during the bad days of shaving her head and being hospitalized, "I had totally lost my way, lost focus, lost myself."
• • •
At the Hollywood screening of her documentary, a group of fans who applied to attend complained that they were ignored and the cutest and most provocatively-dressed fans were picked from the crowd. But they already had to fill out an online questionnaire asking questions about their appearance and were asked to wear cutting-edge fashions.
• • •
Paris Hilton was out for dinner and hit a nightclub the day her breakup with Benji Madden was confirmed. An eyewitness said she "looked distraught and completely lonesome," didn't speak with anyone at the club and spent her time talking on her phone or texting.
• • •
Shia LaBeouf's wrecked Ford F-150 truck got only two bids on eBay, and sold for $7.100. The "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" actor's truck was damaged and he was injured in the July 27 crash.
• • •
Reports that Ed McMahon had a heart attack are incorrect, says TMZ.com. Like many in L.A., he was suffering from respiratory distress due to the fires.
• • •
Jennifer Aniston is "really computer-illiterate ... when I see people on their BlackBerrys, working them like some girls use a hair dryer, I'm just stunned,"she tells the New York Times Magazine. Aniston is crafty enough to be able to spot people who are taking her photo with their cell phones. "My favorite move is when people pretend they're on the phone," she says, "and they kind of dial and take the picture at the same time."
• • •
Tom Hanks' wife, Rita Wilson, agreed to pay $75,000 for a vintage Beatles poster if the seller, Melissa Pearl, came up with a certificate of authenticity. When Pearl failed to got the document, Wilson backed out and Pearl demanded the selling price as well as $300,000 for her "time and trouble" in seeking for the document. Wilson is in court trying to get the deal tossed out.
This is early Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanzaa all rolled into one: You won't be left hanging until 2009 after tonight's episode of "The Office" -- more have been added.
"The Surplus," airing Dec. 4, puts a match to the incendiary combination of surplus corporate money, a divided staff and Dwight helping Angela and Andy map their wedding at Schrute Farms.
"Moroccan Christmas," airing Dec. 11, almost needs no explaining. You've got a holiday and an ethnic element. It writes itself.
Some last-minute items while we wait for tonight's episode, "Blame Toby":
Spin-off? We don't need no stinkin' spin-off: After months of speculation, "Office" exec producers Greg Daniels and Mike Schur cleared it up on Tuesday: Yes, there's a new show in the works. Yes, Rashida Jones co-stars. But no, this is not the long-rumored spin-off, because Jones isn't playing Karen Filippelli, Jim Halpert's former flame. Which is not to say that we won't ever see Karen on "The Office" again.
Here's one more deleted scene from last week's "The Business Trip," confirming the quiet genius of Ed Helms:
And the very first new webisode, available as of today:
Lastly, if your Secret Santa this year winds up being the company "Office" freak, look no further.
Jennifer Garner has successfully received a court order protecting her against a man she says has been stalking and harassing her since 2002. Garner's complaint says that Steven Burky has been sending "packages and letters containing delusional and paranoid thoughts and following me around the country."
This past year, Garner says Burky's "obsessive and harassing behavior has escalated to the point of becoming dangerous and threatening."
TMZ says that Burky is currently on a psychiatric hold, and that LAPD is taking the threats against the actress very seriously.
• • •
She may be looking for a new BFF, but she's given up on her BF, I guess. Paris Hilton and boyfriend Benji Madden have split up after nine months of dating. "She is saddened by the breakup but they're just too different and they wanted different things in life," a source said.
And it looks like one of Paris' charges may have spilled the beans. Wannabe BFF and reality show contestant Vanessa Fontana seems to have let it slip to Life & Style, telling them "Paris and Benji have split. I love Paris, and I just want her to be happy. I think that they'll be better as friends." Hilton was forced to reverse her reps comments of denial and confirm the split hours after Fontana blabbed.
• • •
People has named Aussie actor Hugh Jackman their Sexiest Man Alive. Wolverine tops James Bond (Daniel Craig), Mad Men's Jon Hamm, High School Musical's Zac Efron, among others.
• • •
Pop punk trio Blink 182 says that Travis Barker's recent plane crash has gotten them back together as friends, but they're not so certain a reunion is in the works. The trio split up in 2005, calling it an 'indefinite hiatus,' but bassist Mark Hoppus concedes that "Life is too short." So keep your fingers crossed.
• • •
David Archuleta sold 183,000 copies of his self-titled album, allowing him to debut at No. 2 on the Nielsen SoundScan list, well behind teen country singer Taylor Swift's nearly 600,000 albums sold.
• • •
The hullabaloo over Jackson Browne's suit against John McCain for using the song "Running on Empty" without Browne's permission continues. McCain's lawyers say that it was "free use" because McCain was using it in a campaign to run for President, and not making money off of it. (I guess soliciting campaign contributions doesn't count?) He also says Browne only sued him to get free promotion for his latest CD, which was released a month later.
