Access Hollywood

JRock's Radar: Just Over 'The Hills'

2008-05-13T20:26:10Z

Los Angeles is one of the most diverse cities in the world. So, it is difficult for me to believe the hype when it comes to the show “The Hills.”

As I watched the season finale, I couldn’t help but think about the fact that every season I look for (and never find) people of color in any storylines. The only reoccurring black role is Spencer’s 645 BMW.

Yes I still watch, it’s a guilty pleasure, but who’s to blame?

]]> Are the writers at fault for not writing any into the script? Or is it that, in “reality,” they don’t know any. Maybe that’s the reason for all the drama. If they spent more time on culture instead of couture they might not argue as much. This show has become so scripted, they don’t even bother to match the voiceover tracks with the footage they’re using.

I understand the argument that they move in a close circle, but I can’t co-sign that.

Even Jed Clampett had to stroll though South Los Angeles to get to Beverly.... Hills that is.

Will 'The Bachelor's' Matt & Shayne Make It To The Altar?

2008-05-13T19:29:50Z

Don't expect a wedding anytime soon between "The Bachelor's" Matt Grant and his chosen one, Shayne Dahl Lamas, who admit they are in no rush to the altar. 27-year-old Matt popped the question last night on the show to 22-year-old Shayne with a 2.85-carat, 60 thousand dollar platinum and diamond Tacori engagement ring. He chose the perky blonde actress (daughter of actor Lorenzo Lamas) over sweet and sporty Chelsea, who left bitter and unhappy.

This morning on a conference call with reporters, the happy couple was bombarded with questions about the show's poor track record. Not a single of "The Bachelor's" twelve unions has actually ended up in a marriage. Only one even remains intact (Byron and Mary). Ten ended up breaking up.

But Shayne defended their union telling reporters, "We are engaged and we are going to get married and its forever."

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However, the couple says they are going to take some time to get to know each other better. Hmm. Let's see. If you are going to propose to someone and commit to spending your entire life with him or her, shouldn't you already know each other well enough? I don't understand on this show how someone can say they are falling in love with two women and then go and pop the question to one of them.

I will say about these two that I do believe that they truly are a good match for each other. They seem to have fun together and have a similar sense of humor. Despite Shayne's high maintenance LA girl demeanor, she and Matt seem genuinely in love….at least for right now. When I inquired whether Matt was freaked out by Shayne's shoe addiction he admitted he had his own love of shopping. In fact, the two nearly collided recently during a shopping trip to Barney's in Beverly Hills. Turns out Shayne was shopping for shoes and texted Matt, who was also at Barneys. Because of the show rules they could not see each other in public. So, Shayne had to leave the store immediately.

If these two do go the distance, I think it has to do with the fact that during the show's three-month airing, they had been able to spend several clandestine days together in Palm Springs. This has been an issue in the past where the couples were only allowed to see each other once after taping ended and between the time when the finale aired. In fact, Matt and Shayne say they spent much of the time watching the show together. It was tough for Shayne to watch Matt being romantic with other women. However, Shayne revealed that she created an alter ego for Matt called Bob. Bob was the man who was going out on dates with other women. Bob was the guy saying he was falling in love with Chelsea too.

I wonder if Bob will be the one to call off their engagement?

The couple was very cryptic about their plans going forward in terms of a living situation. Shayne lives in LA and Matt lives in London. They explain they will be traveling for a while and making a decision later. Matt says his bank job is on hold for him if he wants to return. I have a feeling these two are going to stay here in LA and ride the reality show wave for as long as they can.

I've decided to no longer be ashamed of my "Bachelor" obsession and will continue to cover it until the put this show out to pasture. Tomorrow, I will be speaking with Deanna Pappas, who on Monday on ABC becomes the fourth gal to become, "The Bachelorette."

Miley Cyrus Debuts New Single

2008-05-13T19:05:06Z

Miley Cyrus is back to just being Miley. With the photoshoot uproar behind her, the Disney star debuted a new single Tuesday morning on the syndicated radio show Elvis Duran and the Morning Zoo.

The angsty single, "7 Things," chronicles a painful breakup, begging the question, is the tween sensation singing about ex-boyfriend Nick Jonas.

In the song, Miley rants, "You're vain, your games, you're insecure/You love me, you like her/You make me laugh you make me cry."

]]> Miley Cyrus is back to just being Miley. With the photoshoot uproar behind her, the Disney star debuted a new single Tuesday morning on the syndicated radio show Elvis Duran and the Morning Zoo.

The angsty single, "7 Things," chronicles a painful breakup, begging the question, is the tween sensation singing about ex-boyfriend Nick Jonas? (CLICK HERE to listen to it!)

In the song, Miley rants, "You're vain, your games, you're insecure/You love me, you like her/You make me laugh you make me cry."

"7 Things" is the first single off Miley's new album, which drops on July 22.

JRock's Radar: Eureka!!!! How I Got My Wife Hooked on 'Celebrity' Sports

2008-05-12T23:01:02Z

As many of the gentlemen out there know, it's a major dilemma when you want to watch hours of sports on television and the wife, girlfriend, shorty, little lady, significant other, or special friend (didn't want to leave anyone out) is not going to have it. Well, here is a little gem I tripped upon while watching a fight last year. After talking her into watching it, I started pointing out the celebrities in the audience and making comments about them. It had the effect of a good jab, it doesn't really hurt your opponent, but it does set up the rest of your punches. Since celebrities are my business, I was able to watch the fight and keep an ongoing conversation about each person at the fight.

Before you knew it, the twelve rounds were up Money Mayweather has his hand up in victory and then sambas his way to “Dancing With The Stars.” What a victory. For me. All I had to do was do what she loves to do anyway - gossip about celebrities. GENIUS! This worked so well for me that I have not missed a fight all year and my wife watched the Oscar De La Hoya vs. Steve Forbes fight without me and reported all the ringside details. She didn't record the fight for me, but sports watching etiquette comes later on in the lesson plan.

Now, of course I had to try this theory out on every sport I watch. And surprisingly it works. Some sports came really easy. Thank you, Gisele Bundchen and Jessica Simpson. You made last year’s football season one of the best ever. Please continue your work on behalf of the league (at least my fantasy football league), you’re truly helping to bring families together. Sorry, Cowboys fans, I'm a Dolphins fan, someone else had to feel our pain. Thank you, Jason Taylor, for your work on the field and on the dance floor. I can hear myself on the couch now, "Look, dear, Jason Taylor just got another sack, pass me the chips."

]]> Baseball took two stages. First we went to a Dodgers game in the cheap seats with some friends. No celebs up there, of course I knew there wouldn't be any up there, but getting her to be ok with spending money on great seats was not the battle for that day. When she saw the celebs at the game on “SportsCenter” that night, my work was done. Next time I took her by myself and sat in the seats I wanted to sit in. I hit her with the Juan Pierre lyric ("I use to steal the bases like Juan Pierre") from the Jay-Z / Beyonce single "Crazy in Love." And pointed him and the other celebs out. Grand slam, baby.

Basketball is another easy one. Try these: "Hey, babe...is that Leo DiCaprio at the Celtics game?" or "Was that Vanessa and Zac at the Lakers Game?" Enjoy.

I will admit I've had some troubles with and am still having troubles with Golf, especially if Tiger is not in the field. I can't pull the "you’re watching history" card on her. This weekend presented an even greater challenge. When I put the Players Championship on, Bob Costas immediately says, "Stay tuned for our five hours of coverage." Come on man, you're killing me. I mean I know that, you know that, everyone tuned in knows that, except the lady right next to me who immediately screams, "No way, not gonna happen." It was a good thing that Paul Goydos is from my hometown of Long Beach. That's right the LBC. Represent! I dropped a Snoop Dogg reference and told my Tiger hitting golf balls into my high school tennis practice (practice!) story. Solid! Congrats to Sergio Garcia for taking it down. Don't get used to it. And as far as The Ryder Cup, not going to happen. Yeah I said it!

As far as hockey, I got nothing for ya. Please let me know if you have any advice. Actually, never mind, some battles just aren't worth fighting.

The moral of this story is a little Access Hollywood a day will equal hours of countless sports moments. Trust me, it works.

JRock's Radar: My Ole... New Kentucky Home

2008-05-09T14:46:31Z

Well it was another great race at the 134th Running Of The Kentucky Derby. Big Brown showed his superiority on the track and the celebrities jockeyed for position just outside of him. As we all now know “The Derby” is an event that brings out the who’s who in sports, entertainment, politics, and business. There is a section at Churchill Downs called Millionaire’s Row that will soon need to be changed to Billionaire’s row, because a million might not be enough anymore.

Rohena Miller and Junior Bridgeman of The Grand Gala asked me to come out and enjoy the festivities again this year, so of course I did not hesitate to accept the invitation. The Grand Gala is an event that benefits the 828 Foundation which, in turn, donates to other local youth organizations in Louisville.

The Grand Gala is the premiere event during the derby and the best part about it is a black event. Black tie with Black people, it’s a beautiful thing. Celebrities and athletes like Michael Jordan, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Michael Strahan, Nicole Murphy, Gabrielle Union, Tichina Arnold, Lynn Whitfield, Tracy Edmonds, Dwyane Wade, Vince Young, Byron Leftwich and Dwight Freeney all came out to have a good time and support the 828 Foundation.

]]> I get a chance to do some cool things because of my job and I know it’s a blessing.

This year was really special for me because I took my dad John Munnerlyn with me. Yup, Pops made the trip and he was hilarious. I mean I’m pretty jaded because of what I do, so seeing celebrities doesn’t really swing me either way. (Well except when I met Cosby, good story, but for another blog) Watching Pops taking it all in from an outside perspective was awesome. Sometimes I think people in our business forget it is ok to be a fan.

That being said in the race for our attention, celebrities take their careers in different directions often time to please us, the fans.

So I want to put this generic question out there. Who is the biggest celebrity?

If we ranked them who would be number 1? A friend of mine introduced me to www.celebrifantasy.com. It’s a site that ranks celebrities like you would rank players in a fantasy draft. AWESOME! Paula Patton, heads up your stock is about to go up.

Castro Gets Cast Off: Why He Says He Was Ready To Go

2008-05-08T18:21:36Z

Never before on "American Idol" have I seen a contestant look more like they were ready to leave than Jason Castro. Obviously, everybody else noticed it too.

So, it was no surprise when on a conference call with reporters this morning the first question out of the gate was, "did you forget your lyrics on purpose?" It's something Simon Cowell pondered after the show on Tuesday night. This would have been my question too but I didn’t dial in quick enough. So, someone else got to ask it. What was Jason going to say though; especially with a slew of "American Idol" people sitting they’re with him? Would he admit it? I was pretty convinced he did forget them on purpose. However, Jason surprised me when he told reporters that up until last night he was still in it to win it, saying,

“I definitely did not do that on purpose. I couldn’t believe I forgot such a popular line, you know, something that is like written on your soul. Somehow it slipped my mind.”

On the opposite coin though, Jason said he was ready to leave last night because, unfortunately, with his lack of performing experience, he couldn't handle the pressure,

"I think what it came to down to was just my inexperience. Once we doubled up on songs I wasn't really able to focus. My mind was just split and I couldn’t deliver either / or."

]]> Unlike all of the other season seven Top 12 contestants, Jason came into the show with virtually no performing background. He only first picked up a guitar his freshman year of college and to date has performed less than ten times in public. The longest show he has ever done (here in LA) was about thirty minutes.

It was, in fact, that lack of experience that Jason says gave him his ticket to Hollywood in the first place,

"I think it was the potential just because I was new at it. Especially like the nature of the show, I think I’m very much what the show was originally about. I'm kind of as raw as it gets. I haven’t done much of anything singing wise."

Just to clear up one other thing that’s been floating around the Internet about Jason. He swears he did not mouth the words "don't vote" after his performance of "I Shot The Sheriff." Jason explains,

"I was saying 'vote' and then I said it again because I was kind of trying to emphasize that but nobody heard me. I remember going and sitting down and thinking about it and that they kind of have the same syllables and it's gonna look like 'don’t vote'. That went through my mind. I consciously the second time only said 'vote' once when they were doing the numbers."

I have a very fun surprise for Jason tomorrow. Be sure and check accesshollywood.com for my interview with him Friday afternoon.

Stopping Traffic – Meeting Prince Caspian

2008-05-08T16:23:25Z

By Kathy Suarez,
Access Field Producer

When I was in high school and for part of college, I considered myself a bit "boy crazy" -- at least, that's what my friends would tell me. I would do the usual "OMG! OMG! OMG! He's looking at me! OMG he's so hot! I'm in love!" thing, regularly.

But when I settled down and got married, I locked up that "boy-crazy teenager part of me" in a box and hid her in the back of my sock drawer, never to come out again.
Well, it appears that since working at Access Hollywood, that crazy teenager has escaped several times from her hiding spot. I am sure some of you might remember my NKOTB incident last month. And, oh, one of my other favorites, the night I interviewed Justin Timberlake for the first time. I literally rushed home after work and changed into the sexiest top I had so he would notice me (I got more stares from construction workers and dog walkers that night though).

Regardless, my body collapsed when I saw him. My heart literally pounded so hard the whole neighborhood could hear, and my palms sweated profusely to the point that I formed a sweat puddle around me. Needless to say, I could barely remember any of questions when Justin approached. All I could do is look into those baby blues and fantasize about me being the girl in the "Senorita" video. And ever since, he's been my celebrity crush.

Click Here To Watch Video Of Wednesday Night's 'Prince Caspian' Premiere

Now, fast forward to last night. I'm standing at the Ziegfeld Theater for the premiere of "Prince Caspian" and all everyone keeps buzzing about is how devastatingly gorgeous Ben Barnes is (he plays Prince Caspian). That's just impossible. No one is as hot as Justin Timberlake in my book. Suddenly the flashes go off like mad, and this image of total hotness appears before me. He's like a perfectly sculptured Greek god. My mouth literally dropped.
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Can I jump the press barricades now?! And here we go again. My heart starts thumping and I'm getting fidgety. I made sure to put on 10 coats of lip gloss so he could see his reflections on my lips. And what happens when he comes out?! Total blank! I can't speak. He is too good looking.

And he's looking at me! Well, he has to, since I am interviewing him. Whatever, he was still looking at me.

I finally snapped out of it and got those questions in. He's completely modest, happy to be part of this movie franchise (he will be back for the third film) and family-oriented (he talked about spending time with his family in NYC).

Did I forget to mention that he's single?! Not that that does anything for me, but I could always live through someone else. The good news is, I have found my new celebrity crush, the bad news... poor Justin Timberlake has been dethroned.

I cannot wait until this film comes out so I can go and stare at Ben Barnes, Hollywood's next heartthrob, for a good three hours. It will be worth the ten dollars I spend at the movie theatre.

And if she's lucky, I'll let that boy crazy teenager out of her box to come with!

Access 3000: Nancy's Memorable Moments

2008-05-07T20:42:06Z

Wow… 3000 episodes of Access Hollywood and I have been here for every one. I am going on my 12th year here at Access! Of course, I started when I was just 15-years-old!!!! And boy what a ride it has been!

I can remember, as if it were yesterday, my very first interview. It was with Keanu Reeves and I was so nervous that I just laughed throughout the entire interview. No matter how he answered, I just let out this big belly laugh like it was the best thing anybody had ever said. He must have thought I was a bit whacky... hopefully, he realized I was just green.

The one question I get asked almost daily - so who are your favorite celebrities? Who do you enjoy interviewing the most? I always answer Richard Gere, because I had a crush on him for so long. I developed the crush when I was a little girl and snuck into the theater to see "American Gigolo" before the age I was allowed and caught a glimpse of his behind. Oh my... how my crush started that day!

I remember one of my first interviews with him. I was so tongue-tied... I could not get my questions out. My face turned bright red because of it and then my producers started yelling, "Get her some water, get her some water!" And that just made things worse! But actually, it all turned out just fine because I had to confess my crush to Richard and we have had the best relationship ever since.

]]> He has given me exclusives on many occasions and we have such a nice rapport. Some of the other people I often talk about, as being my "favorites" to interview are Julia Roberts, Halle Berry, John Mayer, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Katherine Heigl, and Robin Williams. They don't take themselves too seriously. They are such pros at doing interviews and will answer any question... knowing how to handle themselves… and they will give you something interesting to use even if they don't want to specifically give the answer.

As we look back at old footage, I remember what fun I have had throughout the years. There are so many great memories. I remember introducing Gwen Stefani to a completely star-struck Julia Roberts. We were at the "America's Sweethearts" premiere and I was in the middle of interviewing Julia Roberts when we both realized Gwen Stefani was walking up the red carpet behind Julia. Julia became visibly shaken and nervous. I asked her what was up and she said that she was Gwen's biggest fan. I said that I would introduce her. Julia said no 'No'… .that she was too nervous. I proceeded to ask her if she realized she was Julia Roberts. Of course, when Gwen walked close, I wasn't about to lose the opportunity. I introduced them and they hugged and hugged. Julia was like a little girl... very cute moment.

I also remember some very special sentimental moments. I remember when Halle won her first big award.. .a Golden Globe for her portrayal in "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge." She was so happy and had not spoken to her mom yet after winning. I handed her a portable phone and said, 'Give your mom a call.' She did and it was one of our sweetest moments ever, seeing something so real. Then, Halle went on to win so many awards including an Oscar and made history in the process.

The 1997 premiere of "Batman & Robin" was one of our first big premieres. It was when George Clooney was Batman... that's how long ago it was. And he had a long-time girlfriend with him... hmmm... odd. And Arnold Schwarzenegger, our California governor, was Mr. Freeze. My, how times have changed!

I also get asked often which interviews took me by surprise. I always answer that one with Madonna. The first time I interviewed her I went in not knowing whether we would click. I pictured her as being entirely different than what she was. I so enjoyed our interview.... intelligent, informative, direct.. and she was so nice and classy to everyone in the room. Then I did a very long exclusive interview with her right after her adoption of David. That's is when I saw even more... the softer, very genuine side of her. She remains one of my favorite people to interview to this day.

I am also often asked about big gets. Jack Nicholson… I mean who is not a fan of his! I remember the first event I was going to where he was in attendance. My producer said we were going to try really hard to get an interview with Jack. I said I didn't think there was any way, as "he just doesn't do interviews." But when we got there, I just went up to him and started talking and we talked for 20 minutes. It was such a fun, great interview. Since then, he has been very kind granting me several interviews at various events.

I could continue about more favorites, but it would take me too long to write. I am honored to have been a part of Access since the very get-go. You know, as often happens, other great opportunities have come along, but I have never chosen to leave because I love what I do and the people with whom I do it!

TaleSpin: Behind The Scenes At Britney's Hearing

2008-05-07T18:44:15Z

Access has a behind-the-scenes story of Britney's appearance in court on Tuesday...

SURROUNDED: In a dress you could almost call demure, Britney was escorted by 5 LASD deputies and an entourage that included parents Jamie and Lynn. Brit (wearing a serious expression) was holding onto her mother's hand. Also there, two power attorneys; Blair Berk (who is handling the conservatorship) and Stacey Phillips (who is handling custody issues) along with teams of Lesser Attorneys from both their offices. Our reporter Selin Dark says Britney was under a tight rein, with parents and attorneys huddled closely around her. But Selin notes they treat Britney like she's "delicate." When she entered there was absolute silence. She and her ex did not make eye contact at all.

SHARP DRESSED MAN: In contrast with his ex, Kevin Federline (who arrived first) looked cocky and in control of the situation and himself. Head shaven, he wore a cream-colored striped suit and matching shoes. To Selin he looked "like he was walking a red carpet.” Interesting to note that reporters asked both "who are you wearing" but got no answer.

]]> MOUTHPIECE: What do K-Fed and Bob Dylan have in common? They have the same publicist. Elliot Mintz, a long-time Hollywood publicist (Dylan, Yoko Ono, Don Johnson, Paris Hilton are current or past clients) gently worked the press in the lobby of Superior Court building after the hearing, confirming dates for drinks with reporters at the Polo Lounge in the Beverly Hills Hotel. We also spotted him face-to-face with K-Fed's attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan, going over what Kaplan would say before the massed cameras outside and how he would say it. What Kaplan said is that his side is seeing progress in the way Britney is managing her life and agreed with the decision to give her more time with sons Sean Preston and Jayden. That decision by Commissioner Scott Gordon is the one thing that put a smile on Britney's face when the hearing ended.

THE MEDIA PACK: Approximately 25 media organizations have people in the courtroom and the hallway for part of the proceeding. Outside about 75 people waited and hustled according to our producer on the scene, M.J. Farhan. Paparazzi lurking around the basement parking area (waiting for Britney's exit) were ordered out by guards. Their dogs were enough to scatter the shooters. The money shots -- one lucky shooter got a picture of K-Fed from a freeway overpass, sitting in the front seat of Mark Kaplan's car. And one civilian, in court for his own hearing, got 20 seconds of Britney on a camera phone.

WEIGHT LOSS: This story goes back to when Britney's Conservatorship case was being heard by Commissioner Reva Goetz. Her Honor, watching coverage of the event on television one evening, thought the courtroom sketches made her look too fat. We're told she asked the artist the next day to "draw me a little thinner." That evening viewers saw a sketch of a visibly thinner Commissioner Goetz on the news.

CELEB DUTY? Several civilians at LA Superior Court captured Britney in the hallway walking into the courtroom on their camera phones. Amongst those that were caught? An attorney. Yes, folks, even an attorney for another case tried to get in on the Britney action!

MovieMantz Rantz: Close Encounter Of The Wall-E Kind!

2008-05-06T23:21:21Z

]]> The film takes place in the year 2805. After a mass exodus of mankind, Earth has been completely deserted, save for a lonely little trash compactor with big eyes, a cool-sounding voice and a heart of gold.

Given Pixar’s track record, “WALL-E” is bound to please grown ups and children alike, but coming from this grown-up – who, for better or worse, is still very much in touch with his inner child – WALL-E just might be the most popular movie star this summer.

And with sad puppy-dogs eyes like those, there’s no question that everybody in the universe is gonna want a WALL-E of their own!

Will "The Bachelor's" Matt Grant Seal The Deal?

2008-05-06T21:53:42Z

ABC promises that next Monday night's episode of "The Bachelor: London Calling" will be "the most romantic finale ever"! Of course, they also consistently make these annoying proclamations about it being the "most ever" something in practically every episode. So, 'Don't believe the hype,' is what I'm saying here people.

However, it has been revealed that the 27-year-old British "Bachelor," Matt Grant, will propose to one of the final two remaining ladies - which include 24-year-old pharmaceutical sales rep Chelsea Wanstrath and 22-year-old actress Shayne Llamas (daughter of Lorenzo Llamas). I'm sure ABC wanted us to know their would be a proposal since last season's Bachelor, Brad Womack, brutally dumped both his babes at the end of the show.

This morning, on a conference call with reporters, I had the chance to personally grill Matt about his engagement. Apparently, some tabloids have been reporting that he proposes to one of the ladies (I think Shayne) so he can marry his way into becoming a U.S. citizen. I hadn't read these reports at all though, when I jokingly asked Matt if he was proposing to get himself a green card. After a hearty laugh Matt launched into a rant against the tabloids,

"That was the most farcical rubbish I have ever read in my life. I took real offense to that because they were calling me a fraudster. I thought in the U.K. you could sue people for that because of defamation of character, but hey, I think that’s part of the process of being in Hollywood isn’t it? Even if I'm here for a limited time."

I also took him to task by asking if he felt it was proper to propose to someone when he has admitted he was in love with two women. Shouldn't the person you ultimately pledge to spend the rest of your life with be someone you are in love with 100 percent?

]]> I give Matt props for his candor but I’m still not convinced by his argument when he replied,

"I can only be honest. I was never going to go on here [the show] and act and lie and deceive. I did have feelings for the final two and that’s something that we as a couple have to sort of get to go beyond. We have talked about it. We understand that we were put into effectively an unrealistic situation, this reality television, and you have to accept - we have both got brains and stuff - that it wasn’t going to be easy afterwards. We have had deep and frank conversations about what was going to be shown and how things are."

The one thing Matt and his chosen lady do have going for them is that they have been able to spend more time together since the show wrapped production than any other past "Bachelor" couple,

"I didn’t want to fall into this trap. I have heard that was an issue in the past. We both really pushed and the guys [ABC production] have been really really helpful to have lots of secret rendezvous. So, we have met up loads of times."

Whether or not this union will last remains to be seen but when asked by a reporter if he thought this relationship would make it to the altar Matt pondered,

"Would I be like the super Bachelor if I manage to pull it off?"

Why yes, Matt, you would.

The Final Four "American Idol's" Hit The Vegas Strip

2008-05-05T22:12:27Z

This week the final four "American Idol" contestants Syesha Mercado, Jason Castro, David Cook and David Archuleta will select and sing a song from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s list of “500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll”; a permanent exhibit showcased at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.

What better place to get in the rock and roll mindset than Las Vegas. No they were not out partying like rock stars til the wee hours of the morning like most folks do in Vegas. The four contestants traveled this weekend to Sin City looking for a little love and found it at the Beatles Love show at the Mirage Hotel. Access Hollywood had a camera at the Mirage and before the Cirque Du Soleil show spoke to the contestants.

When asked what he thought his chances of becoming the winner of Season Seven, David Cook gave a typical politically correct "Idol" friendly answer.

"The only answer that I can come up with is that I have a 25 percent chance of winning 'American Idol.' There is three performances left and I think we are all in it to win it. So, it is anybody’s game," he said.

]]> David also addressed how incredible it was having his brother, Adam, who has been battling cancer, in the audience two weeks ago.

"It meant a great deal. It means a lot when anybody that I care about comes to the show. So, it was great to have him there. Hopefully he will be able to make it back," David added.

Now that Syesha Mercado is the last female standing, she says there is only one downside to being left in the competition.

"It feels really good really good. The only bad part about it is you know when you are getting ready I need more time! Everybody is cool so I like being with the guys. So, I am going to hold it down for all my girls out there," Syesha told us.

David Archuleta may have missed his high school prom, but he swears it was not as big of a deal as some made it out to be.

"I think I would much rather be here anyway!" Archuleta admitted.

TV Ratings Report: Thursday Night Slump

2008-05-02T17:04:12Z

With the writers strike over, many in the TV industry are hoping that all those viewers they lost would flock to their TV sets now that there are new episodes of their favorite shows. Well keep hoping, networks. Things are down all over.

For example, last night's number one show "CSI" was seen by almost 18 million viewers. The crime drama is up from last week by 800,000 people. This is a good number and most shows would kill to get it but “CSI” used to be TV’s number one show and would bring at least 24 million a week.

"Grey's Anatomy", the night's number two show, finished with 15 million viewers. The medical soap opera is down from last week by just over 1 million. Maybe it’s the overexposure of the show’s stars, either in the news or on the big screen but “Grey’s” like “CSI” is down significantly. In fact, “Grey’s” and “CSI” would often compete for the week’s top spot.

]]> "Ugly Betty", which was seen by 8 million last night, is also down from last week by about a million people. The good folks at the mouse house are certainly wishing upon the star that an appearance by volatile supermodel Naomi Campbell on “Betty’s” season finale and continuing rumors of Lindsay Lohan guest starring will get people to tune in.

Now I love “Scrubs” and “30 Rock”, I tune in every week but despite having award winning and critically acclaimed comedies, NBC continues to struggle on Thursday night. The Peacock didn't even come close to breaking into the double digits, averaging just 7 million viewers for the night. Even the venerable "ER" is way down, bringing in just over 7 million people. I used to watch “ER” back in its heyday and it was a great show but after the core cast left, things really took a slide. It’s depressing.

This was a show that would bring at least 35 million viewers a week and was the number one show for years. I really believe "ER" should have left the air 5 seasons ago when it was still popular. If “Seinfeld” taught us anything, it’s to always go out on top and leave people wanting more. Unfortunately, When “ER” goes off the air next season, most people won’t even care.

Live From Churchill Downs: Meet Big Brown

2008-05-02T14:37:02Z

I was just 3 feet away from the Jack Nicholson of horse racing. Maybe I should say the Emile Hirsch of racing as the aura is vast but the experience is not. "Big Brown" is as big a stud (Colt really) and a star as there is here in Louisville, Kentucky...after only 3 big races, he's favored to win the Kentucky Derby 3 to 1.

Sam Flood, the NBC Sports producer running the show out here for the network took me back to the stables. Multi-million dollar training stables, one after the other, it was impressive. But around "Big Brown" was crime scene tape and major security which now makes him the Angelina Jolie of horse racing.

I was star struck. The trainers let us in close enough to watch “Big Brown” walk in a slow circle around the stables...he had just gotten a bath and needed to air dry. Seriously.

]]> "Why don't they towel him off?", some ignorant bystander says (me). "He has to completely dry" is the answer. Like if you towel off your hair, its still damp. And Brown must not be at risk of catching a cold in his stable.

Makes sense, I know.

Anyway, it was a thrill to meet "UPS" as he's been nicknamed. (What can Brown do for you?). Big Star, no publicist.

My First Madonna Concert

2008-05-01T21:15:56Z

by Bret Hyde, Access Hollywood staffer

So last night, the hottest ticket in New York was the Madonna show at Roseland, a 3000 person ballroom in the heart of Manhattan's theater district, around the corner from Letterman. People lined up down 52nd Street and back up Broadway (some up to four days!) for a chance to see the Material Mom in a more - ahem - intimate setting than her usual room twenty blocks south at Madison Square Garden. The occasion for the show was the release of Hard Candy, Madonna's latest album of dance music which was produced by, among others, Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, and Pharrell Williams. I was sent by Access to record the video footage of the concert you might have seen on our show. I had never seen Madonna perform live before, and since I wasn't about to shell out $300 to see her any other time, I was curious to say the least about the spectacle I was about to witness.

I showed up at Roseland promptly at 8 only to find out that Madonna was not going to take the stage until 10. After I was finally allowed in a little before 9, we were escorted to the press area upstairs. As I passed by the stage, I noticed a case full of guitars, which struck me as odd seeing as how this was supposed to be a dance album, and Madonna is ranked somewhere between Mick Jagger and Bono for their guitar prowess. I plugged my deck into the box and now had an hour to mingle backstage. Now let me say upfront, I never saw Madonna backstage. They were keeping her in some room far, far away from the press until she went out on stage. However, I did pass the time with her dancers and backup singers.

Also Rosie O'Donnell passed through and Josh Groban hung out following his performance on Letterman earlier that night.

The craft service table had a bunch of sandwiches and chips laid out, along with the requisite coffee urns and cooler full of water and Diet Cokes, but it was festooned with signs reminding the people who were not part of the tour that the food was not for them, and yes, that meant you.

]]> The opening DJ set the mood by playing various candy themed songs as the hour grew closer - I Want Candy, Candy Girl - you get the drift, until finally it was 10 o'clock, and the DJ booth spun around to reveal Mrs. Ritchie resplendent in black and perched on a golden throne. This might have been a one-off concert, but she certainly didn't skimp on the showmanship. LED screens, lasers, HD cameras on dollies - this might have been a scaled down version of Madonna's regular show, but it still blows most other acts out of the water (An aside-KISS played the Lane Bryant fashion show at Roseland a few years ago, complete with full makeup and pyro - That was awesome).

Madonna opened with the title track from the album, and needless to say the crowd was very excited to see her. Which brings me back to the guitars. A few songs in, Madge was handed a guitar and strummed the opening riff to Satisfaction.

"Did you guys think you were at a Rolling Stones show? F*** that", she said.

Now keeping in mind that the Stones are pretty much the only band around that can beat Madonna in terms of longevity and average ticket price, it seemed like an apt reference. And while I would have loved to hear Madonna's take on the tune, she instead played Hung Up.

The fellow who inducted Madonna into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year, Justin Timberlake, joined her onstage for Four Minutes. Now I've seen a number of shows at Roseland (My Morning Jacket, Trey Anastasio, Gov't Mule, Jennifer Lopez' record release show, etc.) and the place can get pretty tight pretty quickly. All I can say is thank God I was upstairs and not on the floor when Timberlake came out. The place went nuts. They didn't care that Madonna is nearly twice as old as Justin or that the lyrics included such immortal lines like:

Madonna:
I want somebody to speed it up for me then take it down slow
There's enough room for both

Justin:
Girl I can hit it back just gotta show me where it's at
Are you ready to go?

It was the highlight of the evening.

It is generally the policy of most venues to only let TV crews record a minute or two of selected songs, and such was the case here. Following the JT/Madonna duet, the publicists told us it was time to pack up and go, and since as it turned out, Madonna was only going to play for a few minutes longer (bringing the total running time of the show to a whopping 38 minutes).

As I exited through the back door of Roseland, a crowd had gathered across 53rd Street. The music was still audible through the walls, and these people had gathered to hear what they could from an artist who, if no longer in her prime, still had the power to command the attention of her loyal fans. All in all, a memorable night for everyone lucky enough to be there.