Ellen Off "American Idol", J.Lo On!

Ellen announced earlier today via her Twitter and website that she had officially resigned as American Idol judge. She claimed it was ultimately too difficult for her to judge young talent, and her shooting schedule became too taxing. Ellen's original statement:

A couple months ago, I let FOX and the "American Idol" producers know that this didn't feel like the right fit for me. I told them I wouldn't leave them in a bind and that I would hold off on doing anything until they were able to figure out where they wanted to take the panel next. It was a difficult decision to make, but my work schedule became more than I bargained for. I also realized this season that while I love discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent, it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings. I loved the experience working on "Idol" and I am very grateful for the year I had. I am a huge fan of the show and will continue to be.

Well, we didn't have to wait long to see who would be replacing Ellen. Nikki Finke reported today that J.Lo would be replacing Ellen as Idol judge. This is an extremely intelligent, strategic move for Lopez, considering the revival of her musical career has been far from successful (I mean, we all remember that horrendous performance of that godawful song, Louboutins, at the AMAs, right?). Idol will definitely keep her in the public eye, considering Americans keep coming back to watch this season after season. Personally, I tuned out after season one. Kelly Clarkson was enough for me. How many have there been now? 8? 12? 50? Before we know it, this will turn into Real World and we'll end up with just about million seasons.

Target Announces William Rast x Target line

I really didn't see this one coming--Target has partnered with William Rast to create a diffusion line which will launch in stores and online on December 19, 2010. William Rast is designed by Justin Timberlake and best friend, Trace Ayala. The line is most widely known for its denim, but it carries mens and womenswear with a Southern influence. Their jeans normally retail for $189-$200+, with leather jackets in the $400+ range, and shirts in the $150 range. Since this is the first time Target has teamed up with a premium denim brand, there must be some kind of jean collection in the works, in addition to some jackets, tees, and dresses, I'm sure. It'll be interesting to see what their signature logo will look like on jeans with a Target pricepoint.

With Mulberry already in the works, and now William Rast, things are starting to look up in terms of Target collabs. The last Jean Paul Gaultier collaboration was a disaster, and Zac Posen was sadly underwhelming. Hopefully Mulberry and WR really bring it.

Joe Zee Dons a Chanel Gorilla Suit in Hot NYC Weather

I am in love with Joe Zee, and this video gave me even more of a reason to love him (as if I really needed that). Yes, that Joe Zee, your fearless creative director of Elle, or perhaps better known as the best thing about MTV's The City. In this video he sports a fur Chanel suit from the f/w 2011 collection and gallivants around NYC like it's nothing.

I LOVE THIS MAN.

The best part is when he visits the zoo and sips on a Starbucks latte in this get-up. Oh god, help me now. I need this man in my life.

Why "Modern Family" Deserves to Win the Emmy and a Convincing For Your Consideration Poster

I am a huge fan of Modern Family. I remember watching the pilot episode and thinking, now this is what television is supposed to be like. Modern Family is a show without any filler or fluff, and it is genuinely hilarious and heartfelt. Yes, I am a big fan of its top contenders like The Office and Glee, but this show has that extra special touch to it, one that isn't tainted by stupid Hollywood stereotypes and trends. This isn't a good cop, bad cop show, or yet another show about vampires, or a coming-of-age high school dramedy, this is just pure quality.

If that doesn't convince you, maybe this will. Hopefully all the Emmy voters catch this in Variety. Sofia Vergara running down the street naked would not be a bad thing at all. Ed O'Neill, on the other hand, would be.

It's a Miracle! DirecTV Saves 'Damages'!

It's true, it's all very true! Damages has been saved! A couple of months ago, it was widely believed that the show would be canceled due to poor viewership, and I even thought there was no chance of the legal drama coming back. Now I am a HUGE, no--massive, no, wait--ginormous fan of the show, and as much as I hoped for a return, I was sure it was a goner. This was difficult to accept and I mourned and dealt with its cancellation with absolutely no grace. Now I am not ashamed of that. This was my favorite show, damnit, and if it was canceled, I was going to raise all hell. I whined, bitched, and moaned (like any other mature adult would do upon receiving news that their favorite show was most likely down the crapper, I' m sure) about this for weeks on end, with no light at the end of the tunnel.

Today, DirecTV has earned itself a new fan. DirecTV stepped in, just as they did with Friday Night Lights, and saved Damages from cancellation, by ordering two more seasons of the show, which will start airing in 2011. However, instead of airing on DirecTV first, and then on its original network afterwards just as Friday Night Lights did on NBC, Damages will only be airing on DirecTV 101, and not on FX as well.

Read more about this on Deadline Hollywood.

Now it's time for me to go outside (despite this nasty, hot L.A. weather), take a huge breath of air, and scream at the top of my lungs. WEE!

First Theatrical Trailer of "The Social Network"

The much buzzed about trailer of The Social Network has hit the web. Just in case you've been living under a rock, this is the movie about Facebook. Yes, Facebook. Even more unbelievable, it's directed by the amazing David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Zodiac, Fight Club), so the very idea of this movie went from lame to awesome in just about two milliseconds. It also stars Jesse Eisenberg, as Mark Zuckerberg (the creator of Facebook), Andrew Garfield, and Justin Timberlake, who plays Sean Parker, the creator of Napster.

This movie has been on my mind for awhile, and I'm incredibly curious to see how it turns out. I am in love with Jesse Eisenberg, because he's adorable, brilliant, and endearingly awkward. I swear, after Adventureland, I'd watch anything with him in it. Millions of people use Facebook everyday, but they may not know anything about its meteoric rise to popularity, and ultimately, notoriety. It's a story that revolves around the sudden acquisition of billions upon billions of dollars for a young college kid, and the vicious legal battles on ownership, copyright infringement, and privacy that ensued.

The marketing campaign started virally with cryptic posters, a vague website titled '500 Million Friends', and audio teasers here and there, but we've barely seen any footage of the film. Now we finally have a full length trailer. Check it out below.

The Social Network opens 10/1/10.

Five Minutes of "Inception"

I am ridiculously excited for Inception. I've been talking about this movie for months and now we're just four days away from its release.

It's already been generating great reviews, and it's really no huge surprise because with Christopher Nolan at the helm and a cast that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Cillian Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Marion Cotillard, you just can't lose. Now put that all together and add a mysterious plot with breathtaking cinematography and you get a huge box office success. Not Iron Man or Twilight huge, but absolutely respectable numbers, and a potential Oscar contender.

Watch five minutes worth of clips below and check out Inception this Friday, July 16 in theaters.

Selfridges' Horrifyingly Disrespectful McQueen Display

Well, this is just disgusting.

This is the latest Selfridges window display which features a McQueen dress hung in what looks like a makeshift noose. Tell me that doesn't leave a bad taste in your mouth. What an incredibly insensitive thing to do, especially since McQueen took his life only a few months ago. Regardless, it's just inappropriate. Period.

More Bad News for NBC: Leno's Ratings Lower than Conan's Last Year

Yikes. Looks like NBC is in more hot water. Not only are two of their biggest stars leaving the network, but Jay Leno's Tonight Show is suffering huge losses.

After a highly publicized battle of The Tonight Show hosts between Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno, it looks like NBC should be biting its tongue for giving back The Tonight Show to Jay Leno, and claiming that he could produce higher ratings. Not only are Leno's current ratings lower than Conan's ratings while he was hosting the talk show, but they're lower than his own ratings from the previous year. Not only that, but Leno's show costs $10-$15 million more than Conan's did. Looks like Jay just couldn't recover after the backlash he received for taking back The Tonight Show. Now that's just gotta hurt, NBC.

So what does this all mean for the imminent future for Jay Leno and The Tonight Show? It would look incredibly foolish to replace Leno after that whole Leno/Conan debacle only a few months back, but what can NBC do now that The Tonight Show is only raking in 4 million viewers a night? Who knows, but it'll be interesting to see how this whole thing unfolds, especially since Comcast is on the brink of taking over NBC in a multi-billion dollar deal, and I can't imagine they're very happy with the chin's ratings.

Stay tuned for plenty of backpedaling and a Tonight Show campaign push, with plenty of big star appearances, I bet.

Read more on this at the NY Post website.

Alec Baldwin Leaving "30 Rock"

Looks like Alec Baldwin will not be renewing his contract after it expires in 2012, which marks the end of 30 Rock's sixth season. There have been rumors and claims before that he planned on quitting 30 Rock, or possibly acting altogether, and now it looks like that finally may be true. Alec told CNN earlier this week that he plans to stop acting altogether to pursue "a normal life", and that he doesn't see that happening while he's still considered a celebrity.

Um, I'm not sure if anyone has broken the news to Alec yet, but you can't just magically undo the makings of a celebrity, especially if you've been on a hit sitcom for four seasons that has consistently generated multiple Emmy wins for you. But hey, you can't blame a guy who just wants to live a "normal life", whatever that means.

It'll be interesting to see if this will really happen. Will season six be the last season with Jack Donaghy?

What will NBC do without the beloved characters of Jack Donaghy and Michael Scott, a.k.a. the reason the network has managed to stay afloat ratings season after the next? This news comes on the heels of Steve Carrell's announcement that he will be leaving The Office once his contract ends next year, marking the seventh season of The Office. Yikes. It's not looking too good for the peacock network.

2010 Emmy Nominations Are In!

The 2010 Emmy nominations were announced this morning at 5:30am PST. Huge scores for Fox's Glee, which nabbed 19 nominations and the HBO miniseries The Pacific, which scored 24 nominations.

I'm still reeling over the fact that Glee received 19 nominations. Unbelievable. I like the show and all, but let's get real here. The show is a reinvention of Popular, Ryan Murphy's short-lived WB show on the perils of high school, with the musical stylings of some very talented teens injected into it. Before I get labeled as a Glee naysayer, let me be the first to say that I am a fan of the show. I like it because it's upbeat, jazzy, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with a musically fueled show, and it's great to see a television show with a unique format. However, I'm not entirely convinced that the show fully qualifies as a comedy. It's entertaining, yes, but it lacks on the comedic end. When you can count the number of jokes, most of which are delivered by the supporting cast (i.e. nominated actress Jane Lynch and Chris Colfer, also nominated) in one episode on your hand, it's never a good sign. This is why I'm surprised by Matthew Morrison and Lea Michele's nominations for best actor and actress in a comedy series, as they don't really do the heavy lifting when it comes to jokes. However, I have to give credit where credit is due and state that Jane Lynch fully deserved her best supporting actress in a comedy series nomination for her hilarious, and cutthroat portrayal of a high school cheerleading coach out to destroy the glee club. Jane is fantastic as Sue, and she's a great actress, which is exactly why the Academy also recognized her for her guest role on Two and a Half Men, doubling her Emmy nom tally.


Now on the upside, I posted last month that Conan's shot at landing an Emmy nomination for his seven month stint on The Tonight Show was a longshot, but today, it was once again reaffirmed that America, and specifically the Academy, loves Coco. Not only was the show nominated, they received four nominations in total. Who's jumping for joy? Oh, me! ME! I should also mention that Jay Leno was totally left out of the category of best variety, music, or comedy series, or any category at all, for that matter. Noticeably absent also was Dave Letterman, who was rocked by a year of controversy when news broke of blackmail attempts about his trysts with female staff members.

More great surprises:

• Nominations for ALOT of Modern Family's supporting cast including Julie Bowen, Sofia Vergara, Ty Burrell, Eric Stonestreet, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson. How incredible is that? My new favorite show on television is getting recognized in a huge way! Now how often does that happen? To top it all off, a Modern Family best comedy series nom (not surprising, but still incredibly great!).
• Will Arnett's (30 Rock) and Fred Willard's (Modern Family) nominations for best guest actor in a comedy series make me want to jump for joy.
  
• Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler finally getting nominated for their work on Friday Night Lights, a show with a huge, dedicated fan base, but little award recognition.
• And finally, not so surprising, but very awesome: Hugh Laurie, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Martin Short, Rose Bryne, Amy Poehler, Toni Colette and Glenn Close's nominations for best actor in a drama series (House/Breaking Bad), best supporting actor in a drama series (Breaking Bad/Damages), best supporting actress in a drama series (Damages), best actress in a comedy series (Parks & Recreation/United States of Tara), and best actress in a drama series (Glenn Close), respectively. The news of Glenn and Rose's nominations are bittersweet though, because the great Damages has been canceled, effectively making my love-hate relationship with television grow a little stronger on the hate side.
  

Disappointments:

• Okay, seriously now, where are my best drama/comedy noms for House, Damages, and Parks & Recreation? I thought House had a strong season this year, particularly with the 2 hour season opener. I won't even get into Damages because I might start weeping like a little girl. And Parks & Recreation? Easily one of the most hilarious shows on television.
• I say it year after year, but how can we still go on rewarding 30 Rock? 30 Rock fans (this includes me), don't tell me that we haven't experienced a serious decline in quality in this show? The degree of nonsensical shenanigans on this show is unbelievable. I get that that's the point, but it doesn't garner laughs anymore. It garners question marks, general confusion, and what the hell's?

Enough of my rambling. List of nominees below:

Drama Series
• Breaking Bad
• Dexter
• The Good Wife
• Lost
• Mad Men
• True Blood

Comedy Series
• Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Glee
• Modern Family
• Nurse Jackie
• The Office
• 30 Rock

Lead Actor, Drama
• Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
• Michael C. Hall, Dexter
• Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
• Jon Hamm, Mad Men
• Hugh Laurie, House
• Matthew Fox, Lost

Lead Actress, Drama
• Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
• Glenn Close, Damages
• Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights
• Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU
• January Jones, Mad Men
• Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Lead Actor, Comedy
• Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
• Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Matthew Morrison, Glee
• Tony Shalhoub, Monk
• Steve Carell, The Office
• Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Lead Actress, Comedy
• Toni Collette, United States of Tara
• Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
• Tina Fey, 30 Rock
• Lea Michele, Glee
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
• Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Supporting Actor, Comedy
• Chris Colfer, Glee
• Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
• Ty Burrell, Modern Family
• Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
• Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
• Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Supporting Actress, Comedy
• Julie Bowen, Modern Family
• Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock
• Jane Lynch, Glee
• Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
• Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
• Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men

Supporting Actor, Drama
• Michael Emerson, Lost
• Andre Brauer, Men of a Certain Age
• Terry O’Quinn, Lost
• Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
• Martin Short, Damages
• John Slattery, Mad Men

Supporting Actress, Drama
• Sharon Gless, Burn Notice
• Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
• Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
• Rose Byrne, Damages
• Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
• Christina Hendricks, Mad Men

View the full list here.

Alexander McQueen Cruise 2011 First Look

This is the first collection post McQueen's death back in February. The collection was designed under the guidance of Sarah Burton, the newly designated creative director of the McQueen label. Burton was previously McQueen's right hand woman when it came to design and execution. She had worked with McQueen for over 14 years, and if anyone understands the McQueen aesthetic, it's Burton.

Check out a sneak peek of the cruise 2011 collection below. Looks great so far. I can't wait to see more! I think it's a fantastic continuation of the brand's legacy as its still feels uniquely McQueen. It's really amazing to see his aesthetic live on. That gorgeous red strapless dress that pools out in a delicious pile of chiffon? That's definitely something I could see Lee himself design.






Image source.

Trailer Leak: "Let Me In"

The much anticipated trailer for the American remake of the successful Swedish vampire flick, Lat den Ratte Komma In (Let The Right One In), has leaked.

Let Me In is based on John Ajvide Lindqvist's bestselling Swedish novel, "Lat den Ratte Komma In" and the Swedish movie of the same title. I've seen the original, and haven't read the novel, but the movie is great and disturbing enough as it is. I hear the movie (the original) is much more toned down compared to the novel. It will be interesting to see how Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) has adapted the movie for an American audience. My worst fear is that the darkness of the book and original movie will be lost in the American remake.

I'll be crushed if this movie is a complete flop creatively. I love the cast -- Chloe Moretz (who kicked major ass in Kick Ass) and Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road) star in the story of a bullied, young boy (McPhee) who befriends his new neighbor (Moretz), but soon discovers that she is a vampire. Now before you cast judgment on the idea of another vampire flick, these aren't soft vamps like the ones in the Twilight saga. The story is highly disturbing and dark, and the character development goes beyond two young kids in puppy love. At least that's what I'm expecting from this remake.

Check out the leaked trailer for Overture's Let Me In below: