Oh Lady Gaga….what will you come up with next? Lady Gaga released the video for her new song “Born This Way” and it was, to say the least, bizarre. The seven-minute-long video is filled with the usual things we expect from Lady Gaga—skin-baring sexuality and crazy get-ups—with some new things added to the madness, like unicorns and childbirth (which would explain why she showed up to this year’s Grammys in an egg a few weeks back). The song’s been getting a lot of love at the top of most charts, but it’s definitely not one of Gaga’s strongest songs. Like some critics are saying, it sounds like a recycled Madonna song and Gaga is too much of an original to be putting out recycled songs. Since this is just the first track of her new album, we’ll let this one slide, but hopefully the album will have stronger material than this.

Steve Carell is leaving The Office

The pivotal moment is close at hand. We all know it is coming and by god, we are salvaging each and every available moment of hilarity. That’s right dear readers – Steve Carell is leaving NBC’s The Office at the end of this season. Steve Carell has portrayed the main character of Michael Scott for seven seasons. He has served as that gooey substance keeping the show together. The Office is an ensemble series and many unique characters with very well developed personalities give the show its spark. However, it is Steve Carell’s presence that really acts as the heart of the series. The inevitable is knocking at our doors. A special, two-part episode entitled “Goodbye Michael” is set to air and it almost seems unreal that such a quirky character that we have grown to love and adore is leaving.

Perhaps the show will continue to hold water pull through on the backs of the rest of the cast. But there is still an enormous chance that Carell’s departure will be the catalyst that will lead to the shows demise.

– Alex Natanzon

We Heart Funny Brits!

 

Helen Mirren

 

 Ricky Gervais

 Russell Brand

The style of humor constructed by British writers, creators and actors within film and television has been around for decades. From classics like Monty Python, Are You Being Served? and Black Adder, to modern-day originals such as Coupling, Mr. Bean, Little Britain or The Office, Brits make us laugh by being cool, sarcastically honest and yet ridiculous. Today's celebrities with those quirky, familiar accents are unknowingly augmenting a trend of how we perceive entertainment, starting earlier this year when Ricky Gervais hosted the Golden Globes. Though some of his raw delivery and distasteful remarks appeared to shock a majority of American audiences, we still accept him and adore him for who he is. 

Now, more and more “hosts” are popping up on television are originally from overseas. Case in point: Saturday Night Live. Within the past two months, Russell Brand, Elton John and Helen Mirren all hosted the legendary SNL. Each of them brought their individual personality to the stage along with an exclusive array of comedic material, even if some may have been a bit more impressive than others (John, despite a cute opening monologue, played himself in almost every sketch minus the flamboyant cowboy in the 'Old West' saloon scene). Is it a new wave of comedy? Does the fact that the upcoming royal wedding suddenly make England's presence emanate across the borders? Though we may not realize it right away, there is a fresh je ne sais quoi about these lovable actors that make them fashionable in the world of pop culture.  

–Olivia Kinter

More than Just Sand Dollars for the Jersey Shore Cast

The cast of Jersey Shore is always giving people something to talk about. Today is no different as the latest story hitting the net is about the fact that the cast is getting a six-figure raise to shoot Season 4. So not only do they get to go to Italy to film for the fourth season, they’re all making a ridiculous amount of money as well. Really MTV? What have any of them done that is significant enough to warrant having a six-figure salary? They’re basically getting money for fighting and acting idiotically on TV. It just shows the ridiculous direction MTV is taking. They might as well change the channel name at this point since there’s really no music being played on MTV at all. For all reality show junkies and supporters this may not be a problem, but for true music fans we’ll just have to hope that MTV comes to their senses soon.

–Inayah Bristol

OMG NKOTBBSB!!!

First Nickelodeon goes 90s-retro, now this! It was announced the morning of April 5th that 90s boy bands Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block are going on tour together! The two bands are merging to create one supergroup called NKOTBBSB for their summer tour, which kicks off on May 25 in Rosemont, IL. This is the second time the two bands are singing together; they first merged during the 2010 American Music Awards to perform a medley of their songs. American Idol alum Jordin Sparks is reportedly opening. We couldn’t be more excited to relive our youth! But it’s an awfully long acronym for thousands of nostalgic twenty-somethings to be screaming. Might we suggest a name change? New Boys on the Backstreet, maybe?

–Freddie Morgan

Priest Trailer: Holy $%&!

You know a movie is going to be so-bad-it’s-incredible when its trailer is screened right before Battle: Los Angeles. Priest, starring Paul Bettany and Christopher Plummer, is exactly this film. Watching the trailer, we couldn’t help but be confused…a plot about a dystopian, Blade Runner-esque future, awkward liturgical robes, deserts, a nubile girl being saved (there’s always a nubile girl involved) and vampires? And it’s coming out in 3-D?! This looks like the gross-out movie of the summer…Sign us up, people. We are believers.

–Zoë Szathmary

Beyonce Kicks Papa Knowles to the Curb

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After two decades of pushing his daughter into the spotlight, Michael Knowles has ended his professional relationship with Beyoncé Knowles.  But of course, she claims it was on amicable terms. “I grew up watching both he and my mother manage and own their own businesses. They were hardworking entrepreneurs and I will continue to follow in their footsteps,” said Beyoncé.

She’s eager to follow in his footsteps? Hmm…we all love Beyonce, but we’re not so sure it was such a clean break. You know what we are sure of? Lindsay and her treasure of a dad, Michael Lohan.

–Diana M. Cholankeril