Selasa, 16 Desember 2008

MTV News

MTV News

Britney Spears? Miley Cyrus? MTV News' Women Of The Year Countdown Continues!

Posted: 16 Dec 2008 05:00 AM PST

These are the ladies who have dominated the 2008 headlines — and the winner will be revealed Thursday.
By James Montgomery


Miley Cyrus
Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

Who was the biggest star of 2008? Who had the most impact on the year that was? Who inspired the most headlines or generated the biggest amount of buzz? It's really tough to say ... yet, for decades now, plenty of magazines have been doing just that (we're looking at you, Time). And so, after years of sitting on the sidelines, we here at MTV News have decided to get in on the act too.

Over the next few days, we'll be unveiling our list of the most fascinating, controversial and, well, BRITNEY!!! women of the year. These are the artists, actors and pop-culture heavyweights who dominated the headlines here at MTVNews.com (and no, Sarah Palin didn't make the cut ... we'll leave that to the folks at Time).

On Monday, we presented our picks for numbers 10 to 6 (read our first list of ladies here), and, boy, was there some controversy. Today, we're rolling out numbers 5 to 2, and we've got a feeling there's going to be a whole lot more shouting. Of course, we'd love to hear what you have to say — we'll even publish some of the best comments later this week — so if you agree with us (or if you don't), let us know in the comments below.

It all comes to a close Thursday, when we unveil our 2008 MTV News Woman of The Year. But until then, let the debate continue ...

(Check out picks 5 to 2 for MTV News' Men of the Year!)

5. Katy Perry

2008 Highlights: Went from being "that girl in the Gym Class Heroes video" to "that girl with the song about kissing girls" in a span of roughly one month ... Became the cause célèbre for blogger Perez Hilton ... Managed to offend both the Washington Blade and Christianity Today at the same time, a feat that was previously believed to be impossible ... Was disowned by her parents due to the lyrical content of "I Kissed a Girl" (or wasn't) ... Covered Madonna during the Video Music Awards (reading lyrics off her Sidekick) ... Became a doll ... Released "Hot N Cold," her second fantastic single of '08 ... Did a face-plant into a giant Quinceañera cake at Los Premios ... Hosted the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards while dressed as a linebacker ... "Screamed at a very unreasonably high pitch" when she learned of her Grammy nomination ... Landed two tunes on our "Best Songs of 2008" list ... Was the year's most divisive pop star — love her or hate her, you certainly had an opinion either way.

4. Miley Cyrus

2008 Highlights: Started the year being named one of Forbes' 20 richest under 25 ... Released a 3-D concert film that broke box-office records and has grossed more than $70 million to date ... Rocked the red carpets at the Grammys and the Oscars ... Won big at the Kids' Choice Awards ... Named the richest teen star by Parade magazine ... Exposed (sort of) on the Net, when photos of her in underwear are leaked ... Supported by the Jonas Brothers in the wake of the underwear scandal ... Caused a media firestorm after posing in a towel for Vanity Fair, later apologizing to fans ... Garnered support from stars like Nick Cannon, Madonna and Justin Timberlake ... Engaged in a fierce online dance battle with AC/DC (not that one) ... Broke up with boyfriend Nick Jonas and wrote best-selling album about it ... Inspired countless tween-pop imitators and then mocked them ... Debuted at #1 on the Billboard albums chart ... Threw her Sweet 16 party at Disneyland ... Reportedly started dating a 20-year-old underwear model ... Reportedly died ... Called death rumors "dumb" ... Related to the animated dog in the movie "Bolt" ... Nominated for Best Song at the Golden Globes ... Will probably end the year as the richest star under 25.

3. Taylor Swift

2008 Highlights: Successfully crossed over from country to pop, as signified by her nominations at both the CMA Awards and the Video Music Awards ... Linked to Jonas Brothers heartthrob Joe ... Co-hosted the VMA preshow ... Released second album, Fearless, which has sold more than 1.3 million copies to date (nearly twice as many as Beyoncé's I Am ... Sasha Fierce) ... Also sold another 3.5 million of her self-titled debut disc too ... Dumped by Joe Jonas (reportedly over the phone), wrote sad MySpace blog about it ... Voted for the first time, felt "completely American" as a result ... Addressed her breakup with Jonas in every manner of media possible ... Continued the media assault on Jonas in the MTV Newsroom ... Blamed the breakup on actress Camilla Belle ... Elicited an online response from Jonas, who called her accusations "not true" ... Borrowed Miley Cyrus' boyfriend for her performance at the CMAs ... Planned her 19th birthday party, asking for stationery as a gift ... Insisted that she was over Jonas ... Will never be wronged by a boyfriend ever again, we hope.

2. Britney Spears

2008 Highlights: Wow, where to begin ... Began 2008 as a troubled cautionary tale with a skeevy paparazzo boyfriend, an even skeevier "manager," an ongoing child-custody battle, a pair of bizarre trips to the hospital, a stint in the psych ward and a career that appeared — for all intents and purposes — to be over ... She ended the year with a mega-selling comeback album, a highly rated prime-time documentary, a pair of hit singles, huge videos, a sold-out tour, the most-watched clip of 2008 on MTV.com, and a career that seems to be bigger than ever ... There have probably been bigger comebacks in history (Lazarus springs to mind), but we can't think of any that have taken place over such a short period of time, with as much media coverage as Brit's did. Basically everything she did in 2008 was larger than life, paparazzi-soaked and analyzed ad infinitum — and she not only made it through with flying colors, she appears to have flourished. All of that means that Brit should probably be MTV News' Woman of the Year ... only she's not. Turns out, there's someone else out there who had a bigger '08. Who could it be? Check back Thursday to find out.

We'll be rolling out our Top 10 Men and Women of the Year all week! On Monday you got 10 through 6, today you have 5 through 2, on Wednesday we'll be recapping your reactions and opinions, and on Thursday the winners will be revealed! Who do you think the Man and Woman of the Year should be? Tell us now!

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Kanye West? Robert Pattinson? MTV News' Men Of The Year Countdown Continues!

Posted: 16 Dec 2008 05:00 AM PST

These are the men who have dominated the 2008 headlines — and the winner will be revealed Thursday.
By James Montgomery


Kanye West
Photo: Getty Images

Who was the biggest star of 2008? Who had the most impact on the year that was, who inspired the most headlines or generated the biggest amount of buzz? It's really tough to say ... yet, for decades now, plenty of magazines have been doing just that (we're looking at you, Time). And so, after years of sitting on the sidelines, we here at MTV News have decided to get in on the act too.

Over the next few days, we'll be unveiling our list of the most fascinating, controversial and, well, Jonas men of the year. These are the artists, actors and pop-culture heavyweights who dominated the headlines here at MTVNews.com (and no, Barack Obama didn't make the cut ... we'll leave that to the folks at Time).

On Monday, we presented our picks for numbers 10 to 6 (read our first list of men here), and, boy, were there some upset readers out there (mostly of the "Tokio Hotel fan" variety). Today, we're rolling out numbers 5 to 2, and we've got a feeling there's going to be a whole lot more shouting (though less Bill Kaulitz love). Of course, we'd love to hear what you have to say — we'll even publish some of the best comments later this week — so if you agree with us (or if you don't), let us know in the comments below.

It all comes to a close on Thursday, when we unveil our 2008 MTV News Man of the Year. But until then, let the debate continue ...

(Check out picks 5 to 2 for MTV News' Women of the Year!)

5. Robert Downey Jr.

2008 Highlights: Starred in a pair of movies you probably heard of this year — "Iron Man" and "Tropic Thunder" — and when we say "starred in," we really mean "totally, 100 percent outshone everything else to the point where it bordered on being ridiculous" ... Combined, "Iron Man" and "Thunder" grossed more than $420 million domestically ... Kicked Jack Black's ass in a viral video, something most of us have fantasized about doing for years now ... Was totally the coolest mofo backstage at the MTV Movie Awards ... Named "Actor We're Most Thankful For" by the MTV Movies brain trust ... Tapped to play Sherlock Holmes in Guy Ritchie's upcoming take on the literary detective ... Also onboard for "Iron Man 2" and "The Avengers" ... Landed a Golden Globe nom for his turn as "the dude playing the dude disguised as another dude" in "Thunder" ... Will probably also get an Oscar nod for the role ... Has seen (and probably done) sh-- that would turn your soul blue and is even more awesome because of this.

4. Robert Pattinson

2008 Highlights: Starred as Edward Cullen in a little movie by the name of "Twilight," which bowed in November to record receipts and mass hysteria ... Mobbed by fans at Comic-Con in San Diego ... Sang a pair of songs on the "Twilight" soundtrack ... Temporarily lost his hearing at the "Twilight" premiere in Hollywood ... Invited "Twilight" fans to hurl themselves at him ... Subject of innumerable bits of fan fiction too risqué and/or disturbing to reprint here ... Has amazing hair ... Quite possibly stole actress Camilla Belle away from Joe Jonas ... Will play artist Salvador Dalí in next year's "Little Ashes" ... Is so pale and brooding he might actually be a vampire.

3. Joe Jonas

2008 Highlights: Established himself not just as the prettiest Jonas Brother, but also the de facto "Ladies Man" of the group ... Defended Miley Cyrus during the height of "Mileygate" ... Misled millions of Jonas fans during an episode of "FNMTV," when he denied owning a Care Bears pillow ... Immortalized in wax, met Derek Jeter, all in the same week ... Dated burgeoning teen queen Taylor Swift ... Met Britney Spears backstage at the 2008 Video Music Awards and copped to owning her album ... Wore an amazing captain's hat in public ... Reportedly broke up with Swift over the phone and moved on to actress (and star of the JBs' "Lovebug" video) Camilla Belle with the quickness ... Subjected to a media assault unlike any the world as seen by Swift in the months following their breakup ... Responded to Swift's salvos with an extremely polite blog entry that never actually mentioned her by name ... Possibly lost Belle to "Twilight" star Robert Pattinson ... Should probably be worried about this ... Has eyebrows that could unfurl and hurt bystanders at any moment, yet still manages to get tons of girls ... Is an inspiration to us all.

2. Kanye West

2008 Highlights: Kicked off the year by announcing that he would headline the Bonnaroo festival, alongside acts like Metallica and Pearl Jam ... Released the philosophy book "Thank You and You're Welcome" (sample entry: "To most people, the saying 'to use someone' carries a negative connotation. But I don't see it that way. To 'mis,' 'over' or 'ab'-use someone is negative. To use is necessary. And if you can't be used, you're useless") ... Lost Album of the Year Grammy to Herbie Hancock, put on blast by country artist Vince Gill and seemed strangely unaffected by either of these things ... Launched ambitious (and costly) Glow in the Dark Tour ... Released bizarre "Flashing Lights" video, in which a lingerie-clad beauty kills him with a shovel ... Confirmed to headline Lollapalooza festival in hometown of Chicago ... Named "Hottest MC in the Game" by MTV News' Hip-Hop Brain Trust ... Booed at Bonnaroo after taking the stage at 4:30 a.m., blamed Pearl Jam for delay, destroyed computer's caps-lock key in the process ... Closed out Lollapalooza with triumphant headlining set ... Set to produce Jay-Z's Blueprint 3 ... Premiered new song, "Love Lockdown," at MTV Video Music Awards ... Arrested at LAX after scuffling with paparazzi ... Released 808s & Heartbreak, a somber and really excellent record that saw him ditching rapping altogether in favor of Auto-Tuned vocals and slinky synth lines ... Heartbreak debuted at #1 on the Billboard albums chart, beating Guns N' Roses' decade-in-the-making Chinese Democracy ... Appeared three times on MTV's "Best Songs of 2008" list ... Would normally be a shoo-in to be named "Man of the Year," except, as it turns out, there was one man who had a bigger '08 than even Kanye. Can you guess who it is? The answer will be revealed Thursday.

We'll be rolling out our Top 10 Men and Women of the Year all week! On Monday you got 10 through 6, today you have 5 through 2, on Wednesday we'll be recapping your reactions and opinions, and on Thursday the winners will be revealed! Who do you think the Man and Woman of the Year should be? Tell us now!

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Britney Spears: A Look Back At How The Pop Star Took Back 2008

Posted: 16 Dec 2008 05:00 AM PST

Now that Brit's riding a wave of success, it's hard to believe how she began this year.
By Jocelyn Vena


Britney Spears
Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

If anyone is the comeback kid of 2008, it's Britney Spears. That's pretty amazing, considering the fact that in just the first week of the year, she was placed in a hospital for psychiatric observation and lost custody of her two young sons. But over the course of the past 12 months, she seems to have recuperated her losses. She got back to work, showed off her comedic chops on TV, hit the recording and dance studios, won some VMAs, made a tell-all documentary and had a #1 single and album.

Here's a look back at the moments — from awful lows to victorious highs — that made up the year in Britney:

Britney Hospitalized
On January 3, Britney refused to turn her sons over to Kevin Federline's bodyguards and reportedly locked herself in a bathroom with Jayden James. Police, fire trucks and helicopters arrived at the scene, and the pop singer was taken to Cedars-Sinai, where she was held for mental evaluation. Spears wasn't charged with any criminal wrongdoing and was released from the hospital two days later.

Britney Loses Custody of Her Kids
Following Britney's first hospitalization, Federline gained sole custody of Sean Preston and Jayden James, and Britney's visitation with her sons was temporarily suspended.

Britney Hospitalized ... Again
In January 2008, the best way to describe Britney was as a "beleaguered pop star." She was rushed to the UCLA Medical Center after being physically removed from her home by authorities, only weeks after her first hospitalization. Both her parents were by her side, as well as constant companion and "manager" Sam Lutfi. She was released a week later.

Britney Hooks Up With, Then Ditches Sam Lutfi And Adnan Ghalib
Aside from Justin Timberlake, Britney has always had questionable taste in men. From Jason Alexander to Federline, Spears has always opted to have unfamous clingers-on by her side. And in 2008, that included paparazzo Adnan Ghalib and Lutfi, who managed to take control of the pop star's life and push away those closest to her in a very short time. With the help of her parents (and their lawyers), who filed a restraining order against Lutfi while Brit was in the hospital, she ultimately got rid of these questionable influences.

Britney Goes To Court— And Sometimes Doesn't
In 2008, Britney had a lot of dates with her lawyers. She was in court to regain custody of her kids (eventually getting her visiting rights restored), she was in court for her driving violations, and she was in court when her dad, Jamie Spears, took over control of her affairs in February. This court order may have taken away her right to make her own decisions, but it gave her the stability and structure she seemed to need.

Britney Makes Them Laugh
In a March episode of the CBS comedy "How I Met Your Mother," Britney showed everyone that she's up for making you laugh, intentionally, playing Abby the love-struck dermatologist's receptionist. She did so well, in fact, that she was asked to return for another episode, and some wondered if perhaps comedy could be a new career option for the "Mickey Mouse Club" alum.

Britney Hangs With Russell Brand ... And An Elephant
"How I Met Your Mother" proved she could be funny, so even skeptics were interested when she teamed up with VMA host Russell Brand for a promo spot. Ignoring the literal elephant in the room, the "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" star flirted with Brit relentlessly. And when Brand suggested there was some sexual tension between them, Britney won back our hearts and confidence by quipping dryly, "I didn't feel any tension."

Britney Finally Scoops Up Some Moonmen
With nearly a decade of VMA nominations and performances under her belt, Britney finally earned herself not one, but three Moonmen in 2008, including Video of the Year for "Piece of Me." Erasing the image of her 2007 VMA appearance, Brit glammed it up and giggled her way to victory at MTV's big show, which included a funny little opening skit with "Superbad" star Jonah Hill.

Britney Tells All In "For The Record"
In her very personal MTV documentary, Brit talked in great length about her breakups with Federline and Timberlake, discussed being a mom and how important her two sons are and opened up about her very public breakdowns. It also showed everyone the steps Britney was taking to making her big, splashy comeback with her new album, Circus.

Britney's Back On Top With Circus
On the heels of the less-than-stellar success of Blackout, Britney headed to the Circus and released her sixth studio album on December 2, her 27th birthday. The album and its first single, "Womanizer," have become smash hits. With first-week album sales of over 500,000 copies, the once-disgraced pop princess has managed to finish 2008 with a triumphant bang. And judging by ticket sales for her tour, 2009 might not be too shabby either.

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No Doubt Drummer Says New LP Won't Be Ready This Year

Posted: 16 Dec 2008 05:00 AM PST

'We're going to continue to work on music while we're traveling,' Adrian Young promises.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Matt Elias


No Doubt's Adrian Young at KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas 2008
Photo: MTV News

No Doubt had fans salivating when they announced in November that they'd be hitting the road in 2009. Earlier this year, frontwoman Gwen Stefani said a new album was in the works.

Now, drummer Adrian Young added to the No Doubt updates when MTV News caught up with him at the KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas '08 in Los Angeles.

While Young said there will be no new music from the group in 2009, he promises that the band is hard at work and has been for quite a while.

"We've been working on a new record off and on now for a bit of time, and we're going to continue to work on a new record next year," he said. "We're going to start touring in the spring of '09 through the summer, and we're going to continue to work on music while we're traveling. [We'll have] a mobile studio on the bus and eventually get to a new No Doubt record."

It's been seven years since the band put out new music, and despite the fact that bandmembers have pursued other projects, they always seem to find their way back to each other — as well as to their musical roots.

"It seems like we've always come from an eclectic background musically," Young said when asked what fans can expect to hear on a new No Doubt record. "But we seem to always gravitate towards reggae. I can't say that's what our record is going to be like, 'cause it's too early to tell, but what makes us feel really good is reggae music. I can play reggae music to my grave."

Many of No Doubt's contemporaries have sought new kinds of record deals in today's shaky music industry, but Young said the band has no plans to find a new label. "We're signed to Interscope Records and have been since 1991," he said. "And we will be for a very long time."

During No Doubt's hiatus, there have been many changes in the music industry, some brought about by the Internet. Young feels it's an interesting time for the band to release an album.

"On one level, it's scary to watch successful bands put out records and maybe they were less of a success than their past records, but it's also pretty awesome to watch any band put out a CD with all the different Internet accessibility," he said. "It's a little daunting to put out a record for a successful group. I don't know what's going to happen. We're going to see."

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'American Idol' Producer Says Paula Abdul's Job Is Safe

Posted: 15 Dec 2008 03:30 AM PST

Ken Warwick also addresses Abdul's comments that she warned producers about a potentially dangerous 'Idol' hopeful.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Katie Byrne


Paula Abdul
Photo: Jeffrey Ufberg/ WireImage

There are going to be some big changes when the new season of "American Idol" debuts next month, including the addition of fourth judge Kara DioGuardi as well as the reintroduction of the wild-card system. But one thing fans shouldn't expect to change is Paula Abdul's standing as one of the show's judges.

"There's never been any discussion that we would want to get rid of Paula," the show's executive producer, Ken Warwick, revealed to reporters Monday afternoon (December 15). "She's one of the foundation blocks of this series. And I certainly wouldn't want to lose her, and I don't honestly think America would want to lose her either. She keeps Simon well in control, which is worth its weight in gold."

And Warwick said he isn't the only one standing behind the judge. "America loves Paula. She's an integral part of this program. And as far as I'm concerned, I hope she's there till the day it comes off the air."

Warwick also addressed recent comments made by Abdul, who claimed she warned producers about season-five auditioner Paula Goodspeed. The "Idol" hopeful ended up overdosing on drugs outside Abdul's home in November. Warwick insists he was never told that Goodspeed could be a threat. "I was in the room, and I can absolutely put my hand to my heart and say I didn't know," he said. "If I thought anyone was dangerous for any reason, I would not let them in.

"The fact is, [Abdul] may have mentioned it to somebody," he further explained. "She certainly didn't mention it to me. She certainly didn't mention it to somebody with the clout to say, 'OK, we won't let this person in.' Personally, I wasn't aware of it. End of story."

He added that if producers think anybody is not stable enough to handle the auditioning process, they are inclined to not let them do it. "There have been people who have appeared aggressive to us that we haven't let through to the judges," he said.

He also noted that in cases where contestants seem dangerous, they don't let them in the room with Paula, Randy and Simon. "If we think that person is going to be a problem, then we don't let them get as far as the judges," he said. "I would never contaminate the credibility of the show by putting somebody through who was dangerous in any way. It's a really unfortunate situation."

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

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Fall Out Boy Quarrel With Cops, Lead Impromptu Sing-Along In New York City

Posted: 15 Dec 2008 03:06 AM PST

Group did manage to do a singalong -- without instruments -- before giving up on free concert.
By James Montgomery


Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz
Photo: MTV News

NEW YORK — The intention was good ... the execution, well, not so much.

On Monday (December 15), the day before their Folie à Deux album arrives in stores, Fall Out Boy had planned on staging an impromptu concert in New York's Washington Square Park. The only problem? They didn't bother to obtain a permit to do so, which drew the ire of New York's finest.

So, while a crowd of hoodie-clad FOB fanatics — who had learned about the gig just the night before on Pete Wentz's blog — and a throng of rather confused onlookers milled about (not to mention Cobra Starship's Gabe Saporta and Alex Suarez), the band and their management haggled with the NYPD about allowing the show to go on. In the end, they were told that picking up any instruments would earn them a complimentary trip to the slammer, so they did the next best thing: They led the audience in a sing-along.

"This isn't looking good," Wentz told frontman Patrick Stump. "But let's try to do it anyway."

So, crowded against a banister, with the park's famous arch and fountain just off in the distance, they launched into a version of "Grand Theft Autumn/ Where Is Your Boy," from 2003's Take This to Your Grave. Since they couldn't actually touch their instruments, Wentz and epically 'fro-ed axe-man Joe Trohman played air guitar (drummer Andy Hurley pounded on his knees), while Stump sung loudly, getting plenty of hope from the throngs of fans surrounding them.

Then — with a shouted apology from Stump — the performance was over, and as the assembled members of the NYPD looked on impatiently, FOB were packed into a waiting van and hustled away. And as they left the park, they had a quick second to reflect on the gig that wasn't.

"I'm kind of bummed by all that, to be honest. That was going to be awesome," Stump said. "Those cops back there — and I have no problem with the cops, trust me — but those cops were like the Grinch. They just took all the presents."

"We wanted to do something free and really spontaneous in the same park where, like, Bob Dylan and all these folk singers used to perform in the '60s. You know, with the same spirit," Wentz added. "And that — no one was going to get hurt, it was just fans — that was supposed to be like that. But in the '60s, they used to beat up folk singers, so, you know, at least no one got punched."

The Washington Square show was supposed to be the latest in an ongoing string of rather, uh, non-traditional events FOB have launched in promotion of Folie, including a massive viral campaign and Wentz dressing up as a donut deliveryman handing out golden tickets. And just because the gig didn't go off according to plan, Wentz wasn't discouraged. If anything, the whole incident left him determined.

"Basically, that just makes me want to do something even bigger, and I'm going to," he added. "I mean, I did a cover story with Out magazine, so part of me wants to spend a night in the clink."

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Axl Rose Addresses Guns N' Roses Turmoil In An Open Letter To Fans

Posted: 15 Dec 2008 04:16 AM PST

Reclusive singer has mixed it up with fans online several times in recent days.
By Gil Kaufman


Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose
Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ FilmMagic.com

You might not see him on the late-night talk shows or the covers of major magazines or hear him sitting in with the morning-zoo show in your hometown, but that doesn't mean Guns N' Roses leader Axl Rose isn't reaching out to fans.

The typically reclusive singer — who is the only remaining original member of GN'R — has done little to no promotion for his band's 13-years-in-the-making Chinese Democracy album, but over the past few days, he's been a staple on the message boards of several GN'R forums. On Sunday, he penned a 4,300-word open letter to fans in which he tried to clear up many of what he called the misconceptions and outright lies about his band and the album, which, despite the hype, has been quickly sliding down the charts after a worse-than-expected opening bow.

The sudden chattiness began Friday, when Rose popped into the "MyGNRForum" and mixed it up with fans. Some took him to task for being a hermit, even as he explained why he's often late for his shows (apparently he's a lifelong night owl) and wished the best for troubled former GN'R drummer and "Celebrity Rehab" castmember Steven Adler. He also mentioned that a video for the song "Better" was slated for release any day now.

Rose then hit the boards again Saturday, talking about an in-process autobiography/ legal record of the original band's breakup and the possibility that he would reunite with the original GN'R lineup for a charity concert, as long as the cause was right.

But it was his expansive letter on Sunday that really got Guns boards buzzing. After vehemently denying that he tried to pull a fast one by securing the Guns name for himself, explaining that it was a legal maneuver to protect the band and himself from the group's then-manager, Rose asked, "Why keep the name" considering all the other original members are gone?

"I'm literally the last man standing. Not bragging, not proud," he wrote. "It's been a f---ing nightmare, but I didn't leave Guns and I didn't drive others out. ... I earned the right to protect my efforts and to be able to take advantage of our contract I'd worked hard for where Slash's exact words were that he didn't care."

Rose wrote that he understood some fans favor a particular lineup of the band, but even with all new players onboard, he was adamant that Chinese Democracy is not a solo album. "A solo record would be completely different than this and probably much more instrumental," he explained. "I made a Guns record with the right people who were the only people who really wanted to help me try, were qualified and capable while enduring the public abuse for years. The songs were chosen by everyone involved. ... There's been a lot of pressure to go with using my name (all external), but that never felt right to me for this band, and the parameters in regard to this music have lots more to do with the mind set of Guns than something else.

"As far as a new name ... this is who I am, not whatever else someone else thinks of. I don't see myself as solely Guns, but I do see myself as the only one from the past making the effort to take it forward whether anyone approves or not and giving beyond what many would."

In fact, Rose wrote, retaining the name helped him keep pushing forward with the album, regardless of what anyone else thought or the reportedly astronomical $13 million-plus budget. And despite years of recording, an army of players and producers and what has been described as endless tinkering, Rose said the state of perfection he was looking for literally didn't happen until the "last round of mastering and swapping out a version of a track at the pressing plant that had gotten inadvertently changed at the last minute. Also, the name was what the industry wanted as well and the burden of keeping it was something to endure in order to make the record."

Rose frequently came back to what sounds like a wide array of legal battles that he suggested constantly delayed the album's release. But in the end, he said, he's made peace with the fact that some people will never think of the current lineup as the "real" GN'R. In fact, he admitted that even he refers to the current band as "Guns" and the classic Use Your Illusion roster as "Old Guns."

"They are amazingly supportive and do their best to keep me in up spirits and focused, which I had less and less of in Guns way before 'Sweet Child' caught on," he said of the current lineup. "If that were to change, then that may be something to look at. I hope for us to grow more together as we continue, so who knows. If I hadn't secured the rights, I don't know where I'd be, and I'd probably call what would then be the current lineup 'Those motherf---ers!!'

"The name is something I take great pride in, as I feel anyone who's been a part of it should, the same as other bands or teams etc.," he continued. "The burden when it is such is a nightmare but not as much or as hopeless as I'd imagine without it could have been. ... Having the name kicks your ass every night, as it's not some side project or something u can f--- off in. You don't deliver u get your ass handed to u. So it makes us work much harder than I feel we would outside of it and it hasn't been too ugly yet."

As for why the original band broke up, Rose portrayed his role as "goin' down with the ship," in the sense that he knew it was over before the band toured in support of their final original studio album, the two-part Use Your Illusion. But he held on until the end, he wrote, when the other members "felt for whatever reasons they either couldn't or wouldn't give what Guns required." He also disputed long-simmering claims that part of the reason the group fell apart was because he changed up the band's hard-rock style. At one point he claimed that Slash "hated a good portion" of the songs on the band's landmark 1987 debut, Appetite for Destruction, and that things between the onetime good friends began deteriorating not long after GN'R started touring in support of the debut.

"The music changed after Slash and I parted so the direction was where I took Guns not where I had intended or tried to go previously," he said. "It had a lot to do with not finding or knowing a more blues-based player that I found inspiring and I was really knocked down and beat up. ... I wasn't doing what was written so often about chasing fads, etc."

Finally, after all the rancor, the dredging-up of old wounds that are clearly still fresh (including Axl's apparent ire about the use of "Welcome to the Jungle" on "Guitar Hero"), the last man standing thanks his fans and wishes them happy holidays — until the next time he decides to open up a vein and let it bleed.

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