BuzzSugar

Link Time! 9/18

BuzzSugar — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:30:38 -0700

Read an excerpt from Juliana Hatfield's memoir. - Rock and Roll Daily
Rainn Wilson talks about planning a vicious attack on Ricky Gervais. - E! Online's Watch With Kristen
Five steps to fixing Saturday Night Live. - The TV Addict
BET presents . . . an award show without women. - Popwatch
Grey's Anatomy gets the Lolcat treatment. - TiFaux
Do you buy Nicole Kidman as an action star? 'Cause she might become one. - Cinematical
Which female novelists would make your list of the funniest writers ever? - Jezebel
Check out this Dexter-inspired townhouse! - CasaSugar
Do the books about Carrie Bradshaw as a teenager = too much of a good thing? - The Frisky
Handicapping which Fall TV shows are likely to be axed first. - Vulture

The 2008 BET Award Winners

BuzzSugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 23:45:12 -0700

Well, there may not have been any robot suits at this year's BET Awards, but there was plenty of other entertainment, starting with Usher's pyrotechnic performance and continuing through T. Pain's transformation of the awards show into a circus. He told the audience to "ride with the ringleader," since "this industry is my circus."

There were some fierce performances from the female side as well, with Alicia Keys bringing up girl groups of yore, SWV, En Vogue and TLC, for a medley of the groups' hits, which definitely got "Waterfalls" stuck in my head for the foreseeable future. Kanye West took away two awards and performed with Young Jeezy. The actor and actress taking home awards this year were Halle Berry and Denzel Washington, and Al Green received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

For a full list of the 2008 BET Awards winners, read more.

FEMALE R&B ARTIST:
Alicia Keys

MALE R&B ARTIST:
Chris Brown

GROUP:
UGK

GOSPEL ARTIST:
Marvin Sapp

FEMALE HIP-HOP ARTIST:
Missy Elliott

MALE HIP-HOP ARTIST:
Kanye West

NEW ARTIST:
The-Dream

COLLABORATION:
Kanye West f/T-Pain, "Good Life"

VIDEO DIRECTOR:
Erykah Badu and Mr. Roboto

VIDEO OF THE YEAR:
UGK f/Outkast, "International Player's Anthem (I Choose You)"

ACTRESS:
Halle Berry

ACTOR:
Denzel Washington

FEMALE ATHLETE:
Candace Parker

MALE ATHLETE:
Kobe Bryant

BET J AWARD:
Raheem DeVaughn

VIEWER'S CHOICE:
Lil Wayne, "Lollipop"

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:
Al Green

HUMANITARIAN AWARD:
Quincy Jones

Source

2007 BET Award Winners

BuzzSugar — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 12:00:27 -0700

At this year's BET Awards, held last night at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Dreamgirls stars Jennifer Hudson and Beyonce came out on top. Each lady brought home two awards: Hudson for Best New Artist and Best Actress, and Beyonce for Best Female R&B Artist along with Video of the Year for "Irreplaceable." Beyonce also gave a whole new meaning to doing "the robot" in her crazy mirrored gold leggings.

Mo'Nique hosted the awards for the third year in a row. Other notable winners include Forest Whitaker for Best Actor, T.I. won (again) for Best Hip-Hop Artist, LeBron James took home Male Athlete of the Year while Serena Williams was named Female Athlete of the Year. Scoring the Lifetime Achievement Award was Diana Ross, and Don Cheadle was honored for his efforts to raise awareness about the genocide in Darfur.

To see a full list of winners, read more

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Beyonce - "Irreplaceable"

BEST GROUP
Gnarls Barkley

BEST ACTOR
Forest Whitaker

BEST ACTRESS
Jennifer Hudson

BEST HIP-HOP ARTIST
T.I.

BEST COLLABORATION
Ludacris f/ Mary J. Blige - "Runaway Love"

BEST NEW ARTIST
Jennifer Hudson

BEST MALE ATHLETE
LeBron James

BEST FEMALE ATHLETE
Serena Williams

BETJ COOL LIKE THAT
Gerald Levert

BEST GOSPEL ARTIST
Kirk Franklin

BEST MALE R&B ARTIST
Ne-Yo

BEST FEMALE R&B ARTIST
Beyonce

VIEWERS CHOICE AWARD
Birdman and Lil Wayne "Stuntin' Like My Daddy"

Source

Buzz Gift Guide: Goodies For Grandma

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:30:00 -0800

Let the holiday gift lists keep rolling: Yesterday, I gave you my picks for dad, and today I'm tackling grandma. Sure, she pretty much likes anything you give her, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't put thought into her presents to show your appreciation.

Classic movies, Mary Tyler Moore, and TV game shows always seem like a safe bet, or if yours is like mine and can never find her reruns of King of Queens on the tube, I've thrown in a handy-dandy TV Guide subscription. I'm thinking of giving her that along with a Betty Draper tee - just so she can remind people of who the original 60s glam housewife really was.

Oh, and once you're done buying for grandma, don't forget to check out all of the gift guides across the Sugar network.

TV Tonight: V Premiere

BuzzSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:30:28 -0800

The Visitors are coming! Tonight, V invades ABC with an updated redo of the eighties sci-fi series. I'm still somewhat confused over why the network is splitting up the season into two separate installments (the first four episodes now; the rest in March), but you can bet I'll be watching to assess if the show is worth following into Spring.

If you're not familiar with the original - or didn't take a peek at the my video of the first ten minutes - the storyline follows a group of aliens who visit Earth seeking resources in exchange for their advanced technology. But as you might guess, their "good" intentions aren't what they seem. Scott Wolf of Party to Five fame is one of the stars, along with Elizabeth Mitchell from Lost - which is perhaps why I'm already drawing up comparisons to that fan favorite. (Seriously, ABC even has a Peace Ambassador Program online that viewers can join. The Dharma Initiative, anyone?)

I doubt I'll be as addicted to this new group as I am to the Oceanic gang, but I am loving the trailer thanks to Muse's "Uprising" as its theme song. Check it out for yourself, and tell me if you'll be tuning in this evening, when you read more.

What to TiVo: Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:50:05 -0700

ABC has It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, and is new with Dancing With the Stars and The Forgotten
CBS has repeats of NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, and The Good Wife
FOX is new with So You Think You Can Dance
NBC is new with The Biggest Loser
The CW has repeats of 90210 and Melrose Place
Bravo is new with Flipping Out
Comedy Central is new with The Daily Show With Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report
FX is new with Sons of Anarchy
Spike TV is new with The 2009 Scream Awards
BET has The Hip Hop Awards '09
MTV is new with Michael Jackson This is It Movie Special and The Hills and The City
Late-night highlights include Courteney Cox and Florence and the Machine on The Late Show With David Letterman on CBS; Ewan McGregor and Tina Fey on The Jay Leno Show on NBC; Garry Shandling and Paula Deen on The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien on NBC; Dr. Oz on Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC; and Alicia Silverstone and Salman Rushdie on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson on CBS

Buzz-Worthy Video of the Day: Adam Lambert's Time For Miracles

BuzzSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:30:04 -0700

Adam Lambert's new song "Time For Miracles" leaked online a few days ago, and I was admittedly mixed about it. Now, the music video for the song is making the rounds on the blogosphere, and I'm actually digging it more than I thought I would!

It's from the upcoming film 2012, so it has the obligatory movie scenes, but dare I say, Lambert's pretty darn sexy in it. (I bet TresSugar would agree with me!) Plus, the way he starts wailing around the three-minute mark could even give Christina Aguilera a run for her money. I'm still waiting for his video duet with Kris Allen, but until then check out "Miracles" and tell me what you think when you read more.

Adam Lambert | MySpace Video

90210 vs. Melrose Place: Which Was More Scandalous?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:30:45 -0700

Tuesday night's soapy dramas packed several surprises into this week's episodes - 90210 introduces a whole new character to love (or hate) and Sasha drops a bomb on Dixon; while over on Melrose, Riley and Jonah's seemingly perfect relationship is quickly unraveling. But the biggest surprise of all? Ella was nice. I know, crazy stuff.

Ready to pick apart a few plot lines (spoiler alert!) to determine which show was this week's juiciest? Let the battle begin when you read more.

90210 point: Annie steals a car! In her defense, she was talked into doing it by Jasper, because he wants to film the heist for his "movie." (I purposely put movie in airquotes, because who knows if this guy is for real. I don't trust him.)
Melrose Place counterpoint: Lauren finds out that David has been doing some stealing of his own when diamonds spill out of his bag. She makes a deal with him that she won't turn him in, if he stops. Not that Lauren should be doling out moral advice...

90210 point: A new surfer girl named Ivy arrives, and after accidentally hitting Liam's car, the two get competitive on and off land. He cuts her off at a surf contest, and she fakes a cramp to win. (This is also known as foreplay.) Their flirty antics grab Naomi's attention, who answers back by ditching her relationship with Richard - and her chances at college - for his roommate Jamie.
Melrose Place counterpoint: Violet gives the evil eye to anyone who comes near Auggie. When she sees his concern for Riley, she hints to Jonah about their questionable friendship to help break things up. And those sparrows in the complex that Riley and Auggie seem so smitten with? I doubt it's a coincidence that their nest was later smashed. Watch out Riley - my bet is Violet's gunning for you next.

90210 point: Dixon gets frustrated that he can never be seen with Sasha and dumps her. When she shows up later, he thinks that she's making amends, but actually, she's pregnant. This isn't necessarily new teen territory, but pregnant when you're in an underage relationship? Now that's scandalous.
Melrose Place counterpoint: Where do I begin with Jonah and Riley? First Auggie lets it spill that Riley kissed him, then Riley doesn't 'fess up the truth to Jonah, then Jonah grabs a drink with the hot new film exec who's helping him with his script (Step Up's Jenna Dewan!). We all know where this is headed...
90210 point: Debbie is still fuming over Harry calling her Kelly by accident, but matters worsen when Harry plans to have lunch with her and then cancels to comfort Kelly. Deb shows up to Harry's office with some food, and surprise - Kelly is there. Later, he teases Kelly about how Deb thinks she has a crush on him, but when Kelly doesn't respond right away, Harry realizes it's true. Do you think they're going to have an affair?
Melrose Place counterpoint: Riley models for another fashion shoot, and is asked to get topless by the photographer (Jo from the original Melrose!) In an even bigger shocker, Ella stands up for Riley when Jo starts throwing a few verbal punches at her from behind the camera. She even calls Jo a sell out. Awww, Ella, you do care.

I'm going to have to give this week's round to 90210 yet again. The guys from Melrose weren't bringing that much new drama to the table, but how can you compete with an illegal pregnancy and a car-napping? Do you agree, or should the Jonah and Riley storyline earn Melrose more points?

On a side note, is 90210 setting up Silver and Teddy? Looks so, but I hope not!

Don't forget that you can keep talking about these questions and the rest of the episode over in the 90210 Superfans group in the Buzz Community. Check it out!

Photos courtesy of The CW

Joss Whedon Headed to the Director's Chair For Glee!

BuzzSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:30:36 -0700

News doesn't get much better than this: Joss Whedon is coming on board to direct a future episode of Glee! I'm a long-time fan of the man behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer and his signature brand of biting humor. Whedon's no stranger to musicals either (hello, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog). I think he'll be the perfect fit for the gleeks, and I can't wait to see what he brings to the show. A blood-sucking rival chorus? Robotic-type high schoolers a la Dollhouse?

Whatever the case, I bet a dose of Whedon sci-fi would add a lot of fun to the storyline, and I wouldn't mind seeing the show do something completely one-off for an episode. The show could benefit from some fresh meat, right?

Are you a Joss Whedon fan? What do you make of this news?

Photos courtesy of FOX and Source

New Moon Soundtrack Out Today! What to Sink Your Teeth Into

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:44:25 -0700

The film version of this Fall's sequel to Twilight isn't all fans have been rabidly anticipating - the New Moon soundtrack picked up enough steam to be released today instead of next Tuesday. It's no wonder it was rushed out; Death Cab for Cutie's video for "Meet Me on the Equinox", premiered to much fanfare, as did the tracklist, revealed barely a month ago.

The wait is over, and you can go buy the disc, download it, or stream the soundtrack on MySpace for free today. I've been listening for the past couple of days, and like my feelings for Robert Pattinson, I'm crushing pretty hard on it. Music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas did a great job compiling songs - all originals for the soundtrack - that evoke the teenage heartbreak vibe of New Moon while featuring a roster of talented bands.

Find out what's worth the iPod space when you read more.

I'm a pretty big Death Cab fan, but "Meet Me on the Equinox" doesn't do much for me - instead, The Killer's "White Demon Love Song" is the better rocking, evocative love song.

It was interesting to me when people were perplexed about Thom Yorke's appearance on this soundtrack, when there was an awesomely-placed Radiohead song over Twilight's end credits. Yorke's solo effort, "Hearing Damage" has the same edgy feeling as "15 Step," and I'm definitely trying to figure out when it will play in the movie (it sounds ideal to break down to).

It's fun to play the where-does-this-song-go game; "Monsters" by Hurricane Bells has to be played when things are good between Bella and Jacob, while "The Violet Hour" by Sea Wolf is another one of the few upbeat songs on the album. I'd bet the relieved-sounding ballad "Shooting the Moon" by OK Go ends up being one of the movie's last songs.

Considering the movie's plot, there are the expected mournful tunes, such as the remarkable "Possibility" by Lykke Li, who came into my consciousness last year and is about to hit everyone else's this year. Grizzly Bear's Slow Life also beautifully illustrates Bella's sad sack mood (total break up song).

Stephenie Meyer's favorite band Muse of course appears with "I Belong To You" - and it's a lively, bittersweet track (I'm betting it's wrapping up the credits).

Have you gotten a chance to listen to the New Moon soundtrack? Tell me what songs have caught your ear below, and to talk more album reviews, join the Music Review Group or the Movies of Twilight group in the community!