BuzzSugar

Buzz In: Which Comedian Would You Have Wanted at Your Graduation?

BuzzSugar — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 13:30:28 -0700

Sad. The students at UCLA were trying to get new Los Angeles resident Conan O'Brien to give the commencement speech at their upcoming graduation, but he said "no." I think they were on the right track with a comedian (especially one who has done well with this in the past) instead of an actor, like their earlier choice of James Franco.

This got me thinking of my fantasy graduation ceremony, which would feature a Jon Stewart speech. Do you remember his amazingly hilarious speech to the class of 2004 at the College of William and Mary? Here's a snippet:

Today is the day you enter into the real world, and I should give you a few pointers on what it is. It’s actually not that different from the environment here. The biggest difference is you will now be paying for things, and the real world is not surrounded by three-foot brick wall. And the real world is not a restoration. If you see people in the real world making bricks out of straw and water, those people are not colonial re-enactors - they are poor. Help them. And in the real world, there is not as much candle lighting. I don't really know what it is about this campus and candle lighting, but I wish it would stop. We only have so much wax, people.

See? Comedians make good graduation speakers. Who would you have wanted at yours?

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Graduation to Open in Time for, Yup, Graduation

BuzzSugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:30:31 -0700

Maybe it's that heist and scam movies are on everyone's brains these days or maybe it's aiming to coincide with the end of the school year, but whatever the reason, the bank heist flick Graduation - which has been completed for a while now - just got a release date of May 2. This time it's not college kids scamming casinos but high school seniors who risk their entire futures to rob a bank. Their intentions, however, are good: one of their mothers is a cancer patient who can't pay her hospital bills.

For the most part, I find this kind of story endlessly interesting, and while the trailer gives away huge chunks of the plot, I'm curious to see the outcome of the kids' efforts: will they get away with it? Will the mother receive her treatments? Also, the movie stars Chris Lowell of Veronica Mars. To check out the trailer and tell me what you think, read more.

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Kanye's Living "The Good Life" Today

Molly — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:29:18 -0700

After a week chock full of excitement, Kanye is still going strong, this time releasing his newest video off Graduation for "The Good Life" (feat. T-Pain). Awww, look! MTV named it as their jam of the week - must be part of that metaphoric olive branch they're extending to Kanye after he pledged to boycott the network post VMAs.

In case you somehow missed that tantrum (how?) - it was typical Kanye babyness. He is having the last laugh, though. Initial (and unofficial) numbers are projecting what you predicted correctly: Kanye will outsell 50 Cent in the first week. Did you buy any of the new music yesterday?

To see the video for "The Good Life" and hear a little more of what I think of it just read more

Hopefully this will put the moody rapper in good spirits for his Emmy performance (featuring Rainn Wilson - awesome) this Sunday. Oh, and about this video, I think it's pretty aesthetically pleasing and the song just makes me smile. Another win for Kanye. You?

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Kanye vs. 50 Cent: Whose Album Will Sell Better?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 10:35:42 -0700

So, who's going to be the king of hip-hop? Kanye West and 50 Cent go head-to-head today with the release of their new albums, Kanye's Graduation and 50's Curtis. AOL has all of Curtis streaming online this week, and we've already heard a couple of the new songs from Kanye, "Can't Tell Me Nothing" and "Stronger." With so much hype around today's releases, I'm wondering: Whose album will be at the top of the charts next week?

Music Video: Kanye West, "Can't Tell Me Nothing"

BuzzSugar — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:28:11 -0700

File this under one of the most wonderfully weird things I've seen all week. In this new video for Kanye West's "Can't Tell Me Nothing," off the upcoming album Graduation, comedian Zach Galifianakis and singer-songwriter Will Oldham lip-sync Kanye's lyrics while playing ghetto Amish dudes on a farm.

I am a big fan of the insanely prolific Oldham, who records stunning alt-country music under various monikers, including Bonnie "Prince" Billy and Palace Brothers. (Any other Oldham fans out there?) But I never thought I'd ever see Oldham dancing around in red jogging shorts in a Kanye West video while an indie comedian thrusts his hips at a tractor. I would love to know how these three got together. Oh, there's also a Sound of Music-like troupe of dancing girls. You've really gotta see this; you can watch the video online at Kanye's web site.

via Pitchfork

Music Video: Kanye West Feat. Daft Punk, "Stronger"

BuzzSugar — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 14:52:45 -0700

Kanye West looks cute even when he's wearing those cheesy plastic sunglasses from the '80s that look like venetian blinds. Perhaps if I had a pair, I could get a better grasp of this new video for "Stronger," which is a take on the song "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" by French electronica duo Daft Punk. The track will appear on Kanye's next album Graduation, due out in September.

For the robotic, synth-happy song, Kanye goes with some dystopic Japanimation-inspired visuals - complete with mysterious subtitles - and casts himself as some sort of sci-fi protagonist. I'm not really loving the song, but the video is fun to watch. Tell me what you think when you read more

Kanye West - Stronger
Uploaded by Sugarwill

Thanks to Stereogum for the tip.

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Kanye West and Chris Martin Collaboration Coming Soon

BuzzSugar — Wed, 16 May 2007 07:02:03 -0700

I was excited after merely hearing rumors about a Kanye West and Chris Martin collaboration, so now that the news has been confirmed, I have very high hopes for this interesting (and handsome) partnership. According to NME, West and Coldplay's Martin are teaming up on a track called "Graduation," which will appear on West's third album, due out in September.

Also called Graduation, the new album is West's first since 2005's groundbreaking Late Registration. Martin already honed his hip-hop chops on "Beach Chair," a track off Jay-Z's Kingdom Come, and Kanye, of course, is no stranger to collaborations, remixes, and other musical dabbling. Let's just hope his song with Martin is better than his somewhat unnecessary remix of T-Pain's "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')" - though I think it's hilarious that he references "Run's House." To hear Kanye's latest remix, read more

Thanks to Idolator for posting the track.

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Pass or Fail: 10 Shows That Went From High School to College

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:30:07 -0800

High school shows always face a challenge with their young characters, and its name is graduation. Many make the leap to college, but not every show survives the jump. Gossip Girl is currently wrestling with the transition - and so far, the storylines haven't been able to keep up with those of their high school days. Since it's hardly the first time a show has continued on to the university, let's take a look back at those before Gossip Girl - and whether they did or didn't make the grade.

View Slideshow ›

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:30:00 -0800

Looking for some fresh picks to add to your Netflix queue? I've got you covered. Just take a peek at these three new releases coming out on DVD today.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra

Many of you said that you weren't psyched to see the slick action update on the classic toy in theaters, but perhaps you'll feel differently now that it is available to watch at home. G.I. Joe has that loud, flashy, blockbuster appeal which can make for a perfect weekend rental - even if it's pretty much mindless entertainment. (Plus, I know how much you love Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Channing Tatum!) Bonus: If you're a CGI geek, the special two-disc version includes a behind-the-scenes look at the special effects.

37%

Two more new releases when you read more.

I Love You Beth Cooper
Hayden Panettiere stars as the title character - the hottest girl in school and long-time crush of the film's nerdy hero, Denis. When Denis wins class valedictorian, he uses his graduation speech to profess his love to Beth. Lucky for him, the act of courage works in his favor, and Beth shows up at his house. You can pretty much guess what happens from there - her boyfriend is not pleased, threatens to beat Denis up, etc. - but the DVD features an alternate ending to spice things up. Critics panned its release, but if you're a devotee of the teen sex comedy genre, then this is one to put on your viewing checklist.

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Food Inc.

Ever wondered where the meal on your plate really comes from? Food Inc. is a documentary that breaks down America's food industry step by step - from the farms where it's produced, to the big brother-like companies that monopolize it, to the supermarket. It's an interesting - albeit frightening - insider's peek that is packed with expert info. (Even my health guru, FitSugar, gave it her stamp of approval.) Consider this your brain food for the week - but if I were you, I'd refrain from eating while you're watching it.

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Do You Care About Post-American Idol Albums?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:30:48 -0700

The music industry has been in a tizzy ever since Adam Lambert left the American Idol stage - remember that Rolling Stone cover? Well, Lambert is releasing his debut album next month, along with fellow AI alum Kris Allen, and just today his newest song, "Time For Miracles," leaked online. (Listen here.)

The track is for the upcoming film 2012, but I'm admittedly feeling a little meh about it. It reminds me of Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" for Armageddon. That's not a bad thing, but I was hoping for something a little more unique from the outlandish Lambert. Luckily, the song reportedly doesn't reflect the sound on his final album, which is supposed to be more glam, less classic rock.

But if I'm going to be 100 percent truthful, my interest in Idol graduates - even Lambert - usually wanes somewhat after the show's finale. They're built up so much on AI, but once the winner is announced, I tend to forget about most of the contestants. (The exception being Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson, of course.) Still, I'll probably check out Lambert and Allen's respective albums out of curiosity.

How about you? Do you care about post-Idol albums?