Doesn't NBC know what it's doing by canceling
Law & Order? They are basically canceling Broadway, too, since
L&O is the only decent-paying gig around town for actors, and cutting jobs for one-third of the New York film industry (the other two-thirds revolve around making
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and
Law & Order: Criminal Intent). But fret not: Anthony Anderson will continue to get work, of that we’re sure.
Law & Order: L.A., which you had no doubt been clamoring for, comes to NBC this fall. And that “chung chung” sound will live on, forever, in the thousands of reruns TNT will continue to broadcast, until the end of time.
The final episode of Law & Order
will air Friday, May 28.
Guitar playing was not enough for blond Texan Casey James, whom
American Idol viewers said goodbye to last week, leaving Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze to battle for the top honor. Though it’s not a surprising final showdown, it will still be interesting to see which singer with the ridiculously staged-sounding last name takes home the ninth season of
Idol. Plus, Simon Cowell’s on his way out, so you have to catch his rumored reunion with
Paula Abdul, who allegedly has plans to make an appearance during the finale. And speaking of comebacks, pop princess Christina Aguilera is still trying to make the second coming of her career happen and will perform on this week’s finale.
The season finale of American Idol airs on Wednesday, May 26 at 8:00 p.m. EST on Fox
Yes, we know. It sounds exactly like Ace of Base’s 1994 hit single “Don’t Turn Around.” But really, is that so bad? If Lady Gaga’s last music video for “Telephone” is any indication, her latest visual song representation for “Alejandro” will certainly knock your pants off (that is, if you’re wearing any). Fashion photographer extraordinaire Steven Klein is reportedly directing the video for the Spanish-style song and with
one teaser image allegedly “leaked” online, it appears that a yellow-and-red clad Gaga will be working at McDonald’s and dating a bevy of boys with bowl cuts. The blogosphere has also been buzzing that Gaga actually did amputate one of her legs—or at least made it appear that way for the upcoming video. Hot like Mexico rejoice indeed.
Lady Gaga’s
“Alejandro” music video is rumored to premiere on Tuesday, May 25
Its ‘90s week, in 2010! Both the Smashing Pumpkins and the Stone Temple Pilots have new albums out on Tuesday, because you need a couple reasons to feel old and weird. Remember: Justin Bieber wasn't even born when Billy Corgan put out his first album. And yet, Corgan still names his albums like a 16-year-old Heavy Metal fan: The new Pumpkins album is called Teargarden by Kaleidyscope 1. Hopefully we can look forward to more Teargarden by Kaleidyscope discs in the future. Not that we will ever, ever say the album name out loud.
Teargarden By Kaleidyscope 1: Songs for a Sailor
will be released on Tuesday, May 25.
And our other ‘90s throwback: The Stone Temple Pilots, who have "successfully" reunited and are now minting money appealing to a Generation X sense of nostalgia. The upcoming self-titled album is their first since 2001, and it comes in the wake of a big legal battle with Atlantic Records, who valiantly tried to stop it from ever happening. But the world demanded Scott Weiland, apparently, so now we have it. How exciting.
Stone Temple Pilots
will be released Tuesday, May 25.
The ultimate honor in the art and journalism worlds will be bestowed upon its 2010 winners this week in a ceremony at Columbia University. The prestigious recipients include the Broadway musical drama
Next to Normal, Paul Harding’s novel
Tinkers, Rae Armantrout’s book of poetry,
Versed, and self-taught composer and musician Jennifer Higdon, who is the first woman to win the Pulitzer for music in more than a decade. “I think of music as a
communicative art,” Higdon told NPR. “There's something about music that just goes straight to a person's heart or has the ability to do that, so 'accessible'—to me—means you're doing your job as a composer.” On another musical note, late country star Hank Williams will also be honored with a Special Citation for his contributions to music.
The
Pulitzer Prizes be awarded at a luncheon on Monday, May 24 at Columbia University’s Low Library
Miley Cyrus may have come between former
Barney costars and fellow Disney darlings Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato, but the teenage girls are making beautiful musical together again… sort of. Cyrus, who needs no introduction (we’ve all seen the
lapdancing video), Gomez, the star of Disney’s
Wizards of Waverly Place, and
Sonny With A Chance’s Lovato, are offering their songs “7 Things,” “Falling Down,” and “Here We Go Again” to gamers on Guitar and Band Hero. Those of you who do not have a child, niece, nephew, or know anyone else under the age of 10 probably don’t recognize these Mickey Mouse-made triple threats, but believe us, the tween world could not be more excited to download and rock out to these on Wii, Xbox, and PlayStation… hopefully with more clothes on than the
Hannah Montana star.
Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, and Selena Gomez’s songs will be available for download on
Guitar Hero and
Band Hero beginning Tuesday, May 25.
Wynonna Judd must know she’s no Ashley. Besides offering breakfast all day and some of the greasiest comfort food this side of the Mississippi,
Cracker Barrel chains are now offering a line of shirts, sunglasses, handbags, and more from the country music superstar. The Kentucky-born Grammy-winning artist is going back to her roots by partnering with the “old country store” to put out some seriously shiny products ranging from a “subtle” sparkly knit shirt to sunglasses with rhinestone studs. Cap the collection off with clutch wallets, mugs, and journals, and there’s really no reason for the Southern belle in your life to shop anywhere else. “I think that Cracker Barrel represents everything that the Judds stood for: family, food and fellowship. I love the rocking chairs and I feel really good when I go to Cracker Barrel,” Judd said in a statement. “I wanted items that women would see as useful in their everyday lives. All of our selections are high-quality, too. It’s like my mother said, ‘do it right, or don't do it at all.’”
Wynonna Judd’s collection of retail products will be available at
Cracker Barrel nationwide beginning on Monday, May 24
Sweden: Safe social democratic welfare state? Or Scandinavian murder kingdom... of death? Based on news reports, and our own research, the former seems correct. But based on the late Stieg Larsson's insanely popular series of crime novels, of which
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is the last, the latter seems a little more accurate. Scandinavian noir—including Henning Mankell's popular Inspector Wallander series—is popular right now, maybe because there's something enjoyable about the disconnect between our perceptions of Sweden as a safe liberal place and the Sweden that gets presented in the books. Or, maybe just because we like to read about murders.
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest will be released Tuesday, May 25.
Yes, this really is the title of John Grisham's new book:
Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer. It is his first young adult novel, and it is about a "kid lawyer" (note: Not an actual lawyer who is licensed to practice law) named, obviously, Theodore Boone, who solves crimes, and does lawerly type things. Then there is a real crime—a murder—and Theodore Boone is the only person who can make sure justice is done. This will probably sell six trillion books and be made into a movie starring one of the Jonas brothers. And, having conquered Young Adult, then Grisham can move on to dominating the cookbook market.
Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer
will be released Tuesday, May 25.
