Kelly Clarkson, the first and best American Idol, is releasing her new album, "My December" on June 26.  Kelly wrote or cowrote every track on "My December."  As she told Entertainment Weekly, "The whole album is the story of the past two years, all the highs and lows."  The album was actually ready months ago, but the release was reportedly delayed because producer Clive Davis did not like the music.  Some reports said that Clive wanted Kelly to scrap the album altogether and record something entirely new. 

Fortunately, Kelly's choice to evolve as an artist - and stick to her convictions - won out.  The catchy "Never Again"  is already a hit on the Billboard charts.

In addition to her music, Kelly's weight has been the source of a lot of chatter lately.  Has the pop star put on too many pounds?  I think Kelly looks fantastic with a more normal, every-girl body.  I'm sick of seeing women diet themselves into stick figures, while claiming that they absolutely adore eating french fries (this means you, Nicole).  Kelly is honest about the fact that she eats what she wants and sometimes wants a cookie after a long day.  Who doesn't?

 

Weird News

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said of global warming:

"I guess I would ask which human beings -- where and when -- are to be accorded the privilege of deciding that this particular climate that we have right here today, right now, is the best climate for all other human beings."

Ooookay.

In other news, an Atlanta lawyer, Andrew Speaker, infected with a rare, contagious form of tuberculosis took several flights.  He says that he was told that he was not contagious or infectious to anyone.  But still ... Worst. Seatmate. Ever.

Lindsay Lohan's Breakdown

I admit it.  I like Lindsay Lohan.  Certainly, this is not a popular opinion, but I can't help it.  As an actress, I think that she has a natural and unaffected quality.  She was adorable in The Parent Trap and Mean Girls is one of the best teen movies of this decade.  A lot of Lohan-haters may be feeling some schadenfreude at her recent self-destruction, but I'd really like to see her pull a Drew Barrymore and come out of this period of her life a nicer, more centered person and a better actress.

It has been reported that Lindsay has checked into rehab.  I am definitely not a fan of the use of rehab as a PR tool (which seems to be happening with Hollywood types a lot lately), so I hope that Lindsay is truly trying to make a sincere attempt at recovery.  She is talented, charismatic, and very pretty.  Lindsay has definitely suffered from some pretty poor parenting, but plenty of people have overcome similar obstacles in their lives and have gone on to be positive, functioning members of society.  I believe Lindsay can do the same...if she wants to.

So what do you think?  In ten years, will we see Lindsay Lohan as an Academy Award nominee and owner of he own production company...or just another burnout?

Pirates of the Caribbean 3 - Record Opening Weekend?

Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End opened last night.  Most industry experts predict that it will take the bulk of the Memorial Day weekend box office.  But the true question is: how much money will the movie earn?  The Hollywood Reporter reports that Pirates is playing in a record 4,362 theaters, priming it for a huge pay-off.  Last year's Pirates movie became the biggest opening weekend of all time when it earned $135.6 million. This record was broken by Spiderman 3, which earned $151.1 million in its opening weekend.  Insiders are predicting that Pirates 3 will overtake Spiderman 3 this weekend, and that the combined power of Pirates 3, Spiderman 3, and Shrek the Third could make this one of the biggest Memorial Day weekends of all time. 

Unfortunately, as with Spiderman 3, the critical buzz surrounding the opening of Pirates is that the movie was crafted more as a product of a franchise than a cohesive film.  At over two and a half hours, the movie is extremely long, and some reviewers are saying that it is something of an incomprehensible mix of plotlines as the producers are trying to cram everything possible into the movie.  Johnny Depp fans will surely be overjoyed to see his latest vampy turn as Captain Jack Sparrow, however.  Yo ho. 

In other news ...

How amazing was the Lost finale? 

SPOILER SPACE FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NOT GOTTEN AROUND TO WATCHING IT YET

I figured out that the flashbacks were flash-forwards right away due to Jack's depressive behavior, but his final interlude with Kate brought forth so many questions - Who was in the coffin? One of the castaways?  Why would Kate not attend the funeral?  Is she in hiding?  When is the group actually rescued (clearly, the "rescue" at the end of the episode must be a red herring)?  Why does Jack want to go back to the island?  What an episode!

R.I.P., Charlie Pace.

Will we ever see an X-Files 2?

I will always remember 90s pop culture fondly - Clueless, Melrose Place, Seinfeld, and of course, The X-Files.  I recall sitting in the darkened movie theatre in June of 1998, beside myself with anticipation over The X-Files movie.  Mulder and Scully on the big screen!  Could life get any better?

Anyway, a few years later, Duchovny bailed, the show started to suck, and it was actually sort of a relief when it went off the air.  But when The X-Files was good, it was about as good as television can be.

Since The X-Files ended its run in 2002, there have been occasional rumblings over a potential sequel to the 1998 film.  Of course, it has all been very hypothetical and I've had doubts that The X-Files 2 would ever come to fruition.  However, lately, these rumblings seem to have some hint of a promise that the film may eventually find its way out of development hell.  According to producers, there is a script being written, and the actors are on board.

I know, "trust no one" and all, but when I really hope this film gets made.  I think the world is ready for 90s nostalgia.  And I miss Mulder and Scully.

 

Big Season Finales

Tonight marks one of the television season’s biggest evenings of the year.  Anyone who opts to go out and socialize tonight is crazy – Lost and American Idol are airing their season finales!  (Do you really want to be left out of the watercooler chat at work tomorrow?  I’ve already made the huge gaffe of missing Heroes.) 

 

Personally, I am most excited for Lost.  After a slow start, season 3 really kicked into gear, and last week’s episode left us with some particularly exciting developments.  Charlie is being held captive in an undersea hatch!  Jack is ready to battle the Others! Locke has a bullet hole in his stomach!  It is most likely that we will not get any of the answers that the Lost producers have been promising for so long and that the two hours will end with the majority of viewers throwing pillows at the television, screaming in frustration (and of course, counting the days until the season premiere).  As long as Sawyer refers to one of the characters by a funny nickname, I will be happy.

 

American Idol, meanwhile, will culminate in revealing whether Jordin or Blake will take the votes, this year’s title, and the dubious honor of releasing “This Is My Now” as their single.  Based on the performances, it has got to be Jordin.  And I’ve gone on record as a Blake fan.  All in all, this season was pretty lackluster, and made me long for the glory days of seasons one and two. (I cried when Kelly won, people.)

Favorite Prom Moments

Sometimes (or, let's face it, most of the time), proms in television and movies are more moving and hilarious than the real thing.  And with better clothes, prettier people, and perfectly choreographed dance routines that everyone in the room seems to know while still acting as if the dance is impromptu.  Cheers to prom season!

Al Sharpton takes the moral highground.

Remember about a month ago when everyone seemed to have an opinion on Don Imus?  In case you've forgotten, Don Imus is the radio shock jock who was fired for using racially and sexually derogative language against the Rutgers women's basketball team.  Most people seemed to agree that his comments were, at the very least, tacky.  But many also thought that the reaction of firing Don Imus was over the line and even hypocritical. 

So although Don Imus is no longer the go-to conversation for watercooler chat, the incident is still having repercussions.  Al Sharpton, naturally one of the most outspoken against Imus, recently said of Mitt Romney's presidential run:  "As for the one Mormon running for office, those who really believe in God will defeat him anyways, so don't worry about that; that's a temporary situation."

Nice.  I don't know which is more offensive - the comment about Mormons or the comment that God decides who will become the President of the United States. 

Ironically, Al Sharpton has been spending much of his time lately trying to "clean up" rap and hip hop music.  While I personally am not a huge fan of the language in many rap and hip hop songs, I tend to think that it is the individual's right not to buy music that offends them, just as it is the artist's right to express themselves however they want.  Sure, many of these songs can be distasteful, but do we really want to start legislating taste?  Is this not a slippery slope?  And isn't it ironic that Al Sharpton is standing on such a moral highground? 

Ultimately, I think that people should be able to say whatever they want, but that we all have the right in turn to think that they are complete morons and snicker about them with our friends.  That's really the American way.

We love Blake Lewis!
We are officially putting our support behind Blake Lewis,  American Idol's resident beat-boxer.  We were unsure about the beat-boxing at first, but now we are running around the office creating Mixes and squeeing, "I heart Blake!" at one another with tears in our eyes.  (Seriously.)

Blake Lewis totally commanded the stage during last night's Bon Jovi-focused "American Idol" episode.  And this will probably be a divisive and controversial statement, but he totally reminded me of of one Justin Randall Timberlake.  And for me, this is incredibly high praise.

Jon Bon Jovi did not seem too pleased with Blake's creative, remixed take on "You Give Love a Bad Name."  (Could you take yourself more seriously, JBJ?)  But Simon's mom loved it.  And we suspect that Simon's mom is a difficult lady to win over.

Marry me, Blake!

 

New planet!

Last weekend, I found myself in an argument with my friends about the benefits of space exploration.  Many of my friends feel that space travel is, and I quote, "an exorbitant waste," and that we should use the money and resources we spend on space exploration  on something that may benefit our own planet.  However, I had to disagree (though my friends felt that my argument was colored by my lifetime loving sci-fi TV shows). 

What if we deplete the resources on this planet in a nuclear holocaust? I argued.  Don't we need somewhere to go?  What about the scientific benefits of space exploration, such as weather forecasting?  WHAT IF THE ALIENS INVADE US? 

Gliese 581 c

Anyway, I felt that my argument was supported this morning by the announcement that astronomers have discovered the most Earth-like planet beyond the solar system.  The planet is named Gliese 581 c because it orbits the red dwarf star, Gliese 581 (in 13 days! What a quick year for future humans!) It is about five times as large as Earth and orbits its home star within the so-called habitable zone where surface water could exist under the right conditions.

So, maybe I'm not totally ready to buy a condo on Gliese 581c yet, but it's nice to know that we have options if the Cylons attack.