- Artist: Justin Bieber
- Label: Island Records
- Director: Roman White
- Album: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Justin Bieber - Mistletoe
Ke$ha - Blow
- Artist: Ke$ha
- Label: RCA
- Director: Chris Marrs Piliero
- Album: Ireland My Ireland
Genelle Frenoy Georgianna Robertson Georgina Grenville Gina Carano
Does Britney Spears Have 'The X Factor'?
MTV News takes a look at the pros and cons of bringing Spears onboard as a judge for the reality singing competition.
By John Mitchell
<P>The news that <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/spears_britney/artist.jhtml">Britney Spears</a> is reportedly in final negotiations to <a href="/news/articles/1680782/britney-spears-x-factor-judge-offer.jhtml">join "The X Factor"</a> has set the <a href="http://newsroom.mtv.com">MTV Newsroom</a> on fire. Opinion on whether the pop star is a good fit for the reality singing competition has been sharply divided, so we decided to take on the topic the way we're sure Simon Cowell did before making Spears a reported $10 million offer: a good, old-fashioned pros and cons list. </P><P> </P><P><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:698603/cp~vid%3D698603%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Amtv.com%3A698603" width="460" height="260" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="."></embed> </P><P> </P><P><big><b>Pro: She'll attract viewers</b></big><br> </P><P>The <a href="/news/articles/1671220/x-factor-simon-cowell-ratings.jhtml">debut season of "The X Factor"</a> performed well below expectations. Its heavily hyped premiere pulled in 12.1 million total viewers and a meager 4.4/12 rating in the advertiser-coveted 18 to 49 demographic. That's about half of what the 2011 season of "American Idol" averaged ("Idol" is having its own ratings woes this season), and it didn't even win the night: Emmy-winning sitcom "Modern Family" drew 14.3 million viewers and a 6.0/15 for its season premiere. </P><P> </P><P>The poor ratings precipitated the overhaul that saw judges <a href="/news/articles/1678191/paula-abdul-exits-x-factor.jhtml">Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger</a> and host Steve Jones fired from the show. </P><P> </P><P>There's no question that Spears would bring viewers to "The X Factor." She enjoys a large and devout fanbase who will basically follow her just about anywhere. And beyond her own fans, Spears' celebrity would also likely draw attention from the general public, who will tune in simply to see how she does. </P><P> </P><P><big><b> Con: She's become nervous on camera </b></big><br> </P><P> </P><P>Though she can still wow a crowd live in concert, as evidenced by last year's successful tour behind her hit album <i>Femme Fatale,</i> Spears has become increasingly tentative during interviews. She rarely grants on-camera sit-downs, and when she does, she seems nervous and uncomfortable. </P><P> </P><P>To be a strong judge or mentor on a reality show, you have to be <i>very</i> comfortable on camera. Part of what made Jennifer Lopez click last season on "Idol" was that she came across as confident, direct and often empathetic. She even broke down in tears after <a href="/news/articles/1658584/americaon-idol-top-24.jhtml">sending home contestant Chris Medina</a>, whose fiancée suffered a severe brain injury in a car accident. The key word here is <i>after.</i> It's hard to imagine Spears being able to keep it together and deliver such difficult news in similar circumstances. </P><P>It's worth noting that a high-drama situation arose on the first season of "The X Factor" -- one that left <a href="/news/articles/1675936/x-factor-rachel-crow-elimination-reaction.jhtml">contestant Rachel Crow sobbing</a> onstage and Scherzinger a wreck ... a wreck who received <a href="http://www.thefablife.com/2011-12-05/paula-abdul-and-nicole-scherzinger-receive-death-threats-after-the-x-factor-elimination/" target="_blank">death threats</a>. Producers should also consider whether it's wise to send Spears, who has dealt with emotional issues in the past, into a genre that thrives when the emotional stakes are high. </P><P> </P><P><big><b>Pro: she is a contemporary artist</b></big><br> </P><P>One of the things we like most about <a href="/news/articles/1680496/the-voice-battle-rounds.jhtml">"The Voice"</a> is that its judges — Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton — are all active artists. They are all still hitting the studio to make hit records, and that lends a great deal of credibility to their opinions when they critique a contestant's performance. We don't mean to slight Abdul or Scherzinger, but you could argue that a legacy singer who hasn't released an album in over 17 years and a performer who has had a difficult time getting her own solo singing career off the ground aren't the best judges of who does and does not have "The X Factor." </P><P> </P><P>On the other hand, Spears may be. <a href="http://newsroom.mtv.com/2011/03/29/britney-spears-femme-fatale-reviews/">Last year's <i>Femme Fatale</i></a> gave Spears three top-10 singles — the most of any of her seven albums — and earned some of the best reviews of her career. While it's true that she did not write or produce much of the record, she was most certainly involved in picking her collaborators, which actually could speak well of her ability to know talent when she sees it. Spears also smartly chose red-hot rapper Nicki Minaj to open on the North American leg of her tour. </P><P> </P><P>When it comes to the contemporary pop music scene, Spears knows what works. </P><P> </P><P><big><b>Con: She's not known for her singing</b></big><br> </P><P>Unlike Aguilera, whose talent as a vocalist is indisputable, Spears is not known for her singing. By signing her to judge and mentor a singing competition, "X Factor" producers are setting themselves up for inevitable criticism. "Who is Britney Spears to judge a singing competition?" critics will scream (and they won't be wrong). </P><P> </P><P>When Aguilera critiques a performer's vocals, she speaks with authority — and her ear for singing proved to make her the most discerning judge on the "Voice" panel during the <a href="/news/articles/1679565/the-voice-christina-aguilera-jonathas-usher.jhtml">blind auditions</a>. Spears' judging style will likely be based on liking what's already there, but she's not going to have much insight on missed notes or pitch, which will cripple her ability to further mentor her team. How can she help them improve as vocalists when it's a truth universally acknowledged that she's not really a vocalist herself? </P><P> </P><P><i>Do you think Britney Spears is a good choice for "The X Factor"? Let us know in the comments below.</i></p>
Related Videos Related ArtistsAshton Kutcher to Star in Steve Jobs Biopic -- Huh?
Looks likes all that practice playing a computer-genius billionaire on Two and a Half Men has paid off for Ashton Kutcher (well, paid off more than the $700,000 he reportedly gets per episode): The actor is attached to play late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, a.k.a. the ultimate computer-genius billionaire, in the indie biopic Jobs, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
'Total Recall' Trailer: Five Things We Want To See
We're holding out for some nods to the original in upcoming sneak peek.
By Kevin P. Sullivan
Colin Farrell in "Total Recall"
Photo: Sony Pictures
We saw the teaser for the trailer earlier this week, but soon the first full-length preview of the "Total Recall" remake will be upon us. Gone are the Martian setting and Arnold Schwarzenegger, but in their stead, we have a new star, Colin Farrell , and a new leading lady, Kate Beckinsale.
Even as goofy as it is, the original "Total Recall" is a modern sci-fi action classic, so expectations are high for this remake, which prefers a look that's more "Minority Report" than early '90s science fiction.
Here are the five things we want to see in the "Total Recall" trailer:
Benny
In the world of pre-kill Schwarzenegger puns, few stack up quite like "Screw you!" As the helpful cab driver-turned-traitor, Benny played a big role in the original film, and his death made for one of the biggest laughs. Even if it's a glimpse at the cab or — if we're lucky — a Martian drilling rig, we can keep our fingers crossed that Farrell has been brushing up on his pun delivery.
Three-Breasted Woman
Perhaps the most memorable image from the original 1990 film, the three-breasted woman has to make an appearance at some point in the film. Including at least a hint of the lady with the extra something-something would also signal to doubtful fans that this is a remake that honors the past, as well as moves the story further into the future.
Kuato
There are two very specific reasons why Kuato is something to look forward to in the remake of "Total Recall." One is that when Kuato showed his face in the original, the world met one of the most bizarre sci-fi creations of all time. Secondly, Bill Nighy is slated to appear as the conjoined leader of the rebellion. If anyone can tackle a character as out there as that, it's certainly Nighy, who threw himself entirely into playing a half-man, half-octopus for the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies.
Bryan Cranston
There's a reason Walter White from "Breaking Bad" has been making random appearances in movies from "Contagion" to "John Carter." It's because Bryan Cranston makes everything better. In the new "Total Recall," Cranston is playing Vilos Cohaagen, the same evil corporate executive from the original. We've all watched Cranston break bad for four years. Now we get to see him go all the way.
Some Connection to the Original
When remaking a movie that came out a little more than 20 years ago, there's sure to be a lot of lingering loyalty to the original. Fans will want to see some concrete through-line from the Schwarzenegger "Total Recall." This will be difficult since the new version uses many of the same characters, but an acknowledgement of the first film will do wonders to earn the confidence of hardcore fans.
Check out everything we've got on "Total Recall."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Links for 2008-03-20 [del.icio.us]
- Lindsay Lohan and Calum Best sex tape scandal
Lindsay Lohan has done it again! There is now a picture of her giving oral sex to Calum Best. Be sure to take a look at the picture. The image is safe to view but we do have the link to the image that is NSFW.
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