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Are You Tired of Watching Celebrities on Reality Shows?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:30:14 PDT

CBS today announced the lineup for its Secret Talents of the Celebrities series, which, if you hadn't heard of it before now, is exactly what you think it is: a reality show with celebrities (of the George Takei/Mya/Danny Bonaduce class) showing off their secret talents for America in a series of weekly competitions. Other than the little thrill I got from learning Takei would be singing country, my general reaction was a weary "eh." I suppose I'm just tired of the whole "watch celebrities do stuff you didn't know they could do" genre - and of celebrities on reality TV in general.

But are viewers at large also over it? The 20 million people who watched the premiere of Dancing with the Stars on Monday don't seem to be. Plus, there are some celebrity circus shows in the works for this summer, as well as the normal spate of VH1 and MTV fare like Celebrity Fit Club and That's Amore, so it seems like programmers are banking on this genre working for a while.

Are you in the weary sigh crowd - or the "Sheila E. juggling? I'm so there!" camp?

CBS Trots Out Three New Reality Series

BuzzSugar — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:35:52 PST

As the writers' strike rolls on, networks are turning to more and more reality series to keep primetime feeling fresh. So far, the strategy seems to be working: In general, viewers are embracing reality shows, with American Gladiators having one of the best premieres this season and other series, including The Biggest Loser, getting great ratings.

So it shouldn't be surprising that there's even more reality coming our way. CBS announced three of its upcoming reality series today, and they're getting closer and closer to the faux programs 30 Rock's Jack Donaghy supposedly bought for NBC. No, there's no Are You Stronger than a Dog - but these series aren't far from it. To see what they are, just

Trending on Très - Disney Princesses With an Artistic Twist

TresSugar — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 03:05:00 PST

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Jennifer Lawrence and Her Hunger Games Guys Share Big Production Secrets

Allie Merriam — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:37:21 PST

Jennifer Lawrence and her costars from The Hunger Games, Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson, are on the cover of this week's The Hollywood Reporter. Along with their blockbuster's director, Gary Ross, the actors shared some of the secrets behind their much-anticipated movie. They dished on Hunger Games production details like what the stars got paid, how long they're contracted for, and which actresses were also in the running to play Katniss Everdeen. Gary dished out praise for Jennifer, who revealed that she had a tough time deciding to take the role. Liam also shared some advice given to him by his action star brother, Chris Hemsworth. Highlights from The Hunger Games interview include:

Jennifer on deciding to take the potentially life-changing role: "It was the middle of the night in England, and I was in bed when I got the call. And I was so in love with the books and the script, and suddenly it was right in my face - and the size of the decision was terrifying. . . I called my mom and she called me a hypocrite, because when I was doing indie movies and everyone was asking why I didn’t do studio movies, I said, 'The size of the movie doesn’t matter.' And she said, 'Here’s a movie you love and you were thinking of turning it down because of its size.' I thought, 'I don’t want to miss out because I’m scared. Me being scared, I never want that to stop me from doing something.' But I knew in my heart that I wanted it - it was about working out all the fears."
Liam on getting diet advice from his brother Chris: "My brother Chris texted me before shooting and told me to lose weight. He said, 'It's called The Hunger Games, not The Eating Games!'"
Gary on Jennifer's acting: "There's such a power and a truth to her acting. She has absolute, total control over what she's doing. I've never worked with anyone more talented than her - ever. A talent like this comes once in a generation."

Check Out the 2012 People's Choice Nominations Before the Show Airs Tonight!

Becky Kirsch — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:02:20 PST

The People's Choice Awards are tonight, so now's your chance to get a good look at who's up for the trophies. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is dominating the movie categories, especially since there was no Twilight film eligible for this year's awards (though Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattinson still earned nods because they appeared in other movies). Vampires are still big at the PCAs, at least for the TV categories - The Vampire Diaries and its stars are all over this list. On the subject of the small screen, the awards have brought in another distinction for television: network shows and cable series are now separated (and fan favorite Game of Thrones pops up for its first season).

You'll be able to watch the results when the show airs tonight, and remember: we are LIVE from the red carpet and backstage throughout the show! The live show starts at 5 p.m. PST/ 8 p.m. EST, and you can watch us here.

To get the full list of nominations, just keep reading.

Alton Brown Plays a Bigger Role in The Next Iron Chef Than You Might Think

Susannah Chen — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 09:14:49 PDT

Since day one, Alton Brown's been host of the competition The Next Iron Chef, and this star-studded season, which premieres tomorrow night at 9 p.m., the Food Network favorite will be back and bigger than ever.

Earlier this month, I ran into Alton at the New York City Wine & Food Festival, where he talked about what makes The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs different from previous seasons, and why he's not just any old TV host.

More on the show - including his opinion of the final outcome! - when you read ahead.

Clive Owen Says He and Jason Statham Rehearsed For "Weeks" Before Taking Each Other On in Killer Elite

Lindsay Miller — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:56:47 PDT

Clive Owen is equally known for action roles and dramatic performances, and the actor gets the chance to combine those talents in his upcoming spy thriller Killer Elite. The movie is based on the book The Feather Men, thought by many to be based on true events, about a secret group of British special-forces agents. Clive plays Jason Statham's adversary in the movie, which also stars Robert De Niro and Chuck's Yvonne Strahovski, and said he and Jason rehearsed some of their intense fight scenes for weeks before the cameras rolled. He also told us how his makeup artist helped create the physical transformation required for his character. Watch our interview with Clive and be sure to catch Killer Elite when it hits theaters this Friday.

Fashion's Night Out Is Tomorrow - Our List of the Best Parties and Events!

Chi Diem Chau — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 19:06:08 PDT

Fashion's Night Out is tomorrow - which parties are you hitting up? Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour created the ultimate shopping extravaganza, Fashion's Night Out, in 2009 and the festivities are still going strong. This year's schedule is super packed and we have the latest for you with party announcements from Stella McCartney, Aldo, and Diane von Furstenberg. As expected, it's going to be a hoopla of fun, fashion, and shopping tomorrow. Check out the latest list of events and don't forget to dress to impress!

Diane von Furstenberg NYC: Hit up DVF's Meatpacking locale and sip cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while you shop. A photo booth will be on hand so you can capture the moment and also take a whiff of DVF's new fragrance, DIANE.

QVC NYC: It's going to be a star-studded night at QVC's party at The Suspenders Building in NYC with guest appearances from celebrities like Heidi Klum, Kris Jenner, Melania Trump, Olivia Munn, Camila Alves, and Isaac Mizrahi. Check out the live broadcasted runway show, receive makeup consultations, along with free giveaways and cocktails.

More happening events and parties!

Parks and Recreation's Ron Swanson: 10 Fun Facts About the Man Behind the Mustache

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 08:00:00 PDT

On Parks and Recreation, Nick Offerman plays one of the show's most fascinating characters: Ron Swanson. The curmudgeonly government official loves every kind of meat, barely tolerates people, and hates his same-named ex-wives. Over the course of three seasons, Offerman has managed to make Ron hilarious and surprisingly likable. He and series creator Mike Schur recently chatted with reporters about the upcoming season of the show, and Offerman revealed some details about himself that rival Ron's persona.

He Has a Secret Love For Ballet
Offerman responded to a question about which of his own personality traits he wants Ron to adopt by saying, "I have a penchant for the ballet, and I’ve been pitching the fellows for the whole time we’ve been in production for a Ron Swan Lake episode."
His Onscreen Ex Is His Real Wife
You may not know that Offerman is married to Parks and Recreation guest star Megan Mullally, who plays Ron's second wife, Tammy 2. He sang her praises, as well as Patricia Clarkson's, who will be on season four as his first wife, Tammy 1: "We’ve been incredibly fortunate with the selection of ladies that have graced our stage with their presence, talent, and beauty. I think what the audience will be surprised to learn is that Tammy 2, played by Megan Mullally, the gorgeous Megan Mullally, may turn out to be the most kitten-like, timid women of the Tammys. I am about as giggly as a schoolgirl to have landed in a position where I’m portraying a man who has made love to both Megan Mullally and Patricia Clarkson. That is a consummation devoutly to be wished."

To find out what other delightful details Offerman revealed about himself, just

He Really Plays the Sax Noting that Ron's wood shop is Offerman's wood shop in real life, Schur divulged another Offerman skill that has been integrated into the show. Schur said, "The Duke Silver saxophone playing is also a real-life Nick Offerman thing. Nick really plays the saxophone, that’s really him playing in the episode from season two. . . . There’s no end. We could probably just base episodes around Nick Offerman’s real-life skills and have a long and happy run."
He Thinks His Appeal Is in His Scent When Offerman was asked why he thought audiences had responded so well to Ron Swanson, Offerman credited his smell. "I usually assume it’s my musk that attracts people. I keep the dander to a minimum and I keep it clean, but I use just a little bit of hibiscus oil behind each shoulder. That would be my guess."
He May Be Patricia Clarkson's #1 Fan Offerman confessed his admiration of guest star Clarkson, admitting, "I’ve been such a huge fan of hers for many years, and it’s nothing short of a dream come true that I got to actually work in scenes with her. When the possibility arose, I couldn’t believe my lucky stars. And she even surpassed our expectations. Not only is she a gorgeous and an incredible actress, but she is insanely hilarious to boot. I think everybody on set was just bowled over with how funny she was on the show."
He's Not Starving Himself to Fit Hollywood's Ideals Offerman did a nude photo shoot with wife Mullally last year, and he joked (I think) about his unusual preparation method. "To prepare for that photo shoot, we took a three-week tour of Europe where I sampled the sausages of five nations, ending with a 16-inch long bratwurst in the town square of Prague, a mere 18 hours before that photo shoot. And if you look closely in the picture, you can make out a bulge that I think is representative of that particular pork sausage."
He Believes a Real Man Should Have Hair on His Chest Offerman's other tidbit about his photo shoot led to him decrying the trend of manscaping, declaring, "I can legitimately say that I insist on no shaving or waxing. I think that the emasculation of the modern man in popular culture is something that has weakened our society considerably. I don’t know why a heroic male these days has to have a hairless torso. You know, when I grew up admiring Joe Don Baker swinging a baseball bat and walking tall, he was a hairy son of a b*tch. And to me, that’s a hero. You know, I’m a big fan of your Brad Pitts and your Jude Laws, but I’d like to see a little hair on their chests if they’re going to be beating somebody up."
He Uses Spot-On Fish Metaphors Offerman offered up a little-heard analogy after he talked about his favorite things about playing Ron: "I love when I get to eat meat. I love when I get to dangerously make out with my wife to the point of destroying buildings and furniture. And I love everything about it. Every time I’m handed a new script, I feel like a large-mouth bass at a night crawler convention."
He Has a Hard Time Keeping a Straight Face . . . Offerman finds it a challenge to keep it together while filming the show, saying "One of the hardest things about the job, when you are working with a cast of 10 home-run hitters, is simply tolerating their skill without busting out laughing. For me especially, when Ron is supposed to be unmoved, which is quite frequently, especially in the face of Andy or Leslie just being the most amazing clown right up in my face, it can be really difficult. But at the same time, that’s what makes the job so fun - when we do have a moment to break out and laugh at each other, because we’re watching the funniest work going today."
In Fact, He's a Giggler Perhaps my favorite thing I learned about Offerman was something Schur let slip when he talked about how much the cast laughs on the set. Schur said: "I’m an uncontrollable giggler, as is Nick, as is Amy, as is Aziz. Everyone on our show loves to laugh and giggle. It makes for such a nicer, more-friendly environment."

Chris Hardwick Explains How to Level Up Your Life

Kelly Schwarze — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 05:01:00 PDT

So you have an uncanny ability to quote every Star Trek captain within the context of normal conversations, but what do you do with such a talent? I spoke with Chris Hardwick, host of the Nerdist podcast and Web Soup, nerd culture icon, and author of the upcoming book Nerdist: How to Reach the Next Level (In Real Life) after a special recording of the podcast at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco to learn more on why nerds and their dedication to nerd culture positions them perfectly for a lifetime of success.

The key characteristic that makes nerds and geeks their charming selves, according to Chris, is their "unnatural ability to focus on things to an atomic level." Turns out, the trait that once caused parents grief at bedtime, because you just wouldn't put down the science-fiction books, is the necessary nugget to make your dreams a reality. "If nerds have proven anything," Chris said, "It is that they have an innate ability to throw incredible amounts of focus at things." The key is channeling that near-obsessive dedication and focus on a hobby to the specific task that will allow you to take over the world.

While the book, with full guidance on reaching the next level, isn't released until Nov. 1, stay tuned for more of my conversation with Chris, including Doctor Who and Star Trek fan love, just how much cats rule the Internet, and his nerdiest secret.