Sabtu, 05 November 2011

MTV News

MTV News

Michael Jackson Doctor's Trial: No Verdict Yet

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 04:38 AM PDT

Jury is dismissed after first day of deliberations in Conrad Murray trial, which continues Monday morning.
By Kara Warner


Dr. Conrad Murray
Photo: Pool/ Getty Images

After nearly six hours of deliberation, the jury in the involuntary manslaughter trial against former Michael Jackson doctor Conrad Murray was unable to reach a verdict Friday (November 4). Judge Michael Pastor dismissed the five-man, seven-woman jury in the late afternoon, with deliberations scheduled to resume Monday at 11:30 a.m. ET.

The only news to come out of Friday's deliberation was that at one point, the jury requested to see evidence, which was brought to them in a box just before their lunch break.

With regard to where the case stands now, and whether the prosecution fared better than the defense, it's anyone's guess as to whether the verdict will be guilty or not guilty. The jury must now sift through 22 days of testimony from 49 witnesses, including some of Jackson's former employees, a number of Murray's girlfriends and patients, medical experts, police investigators and ER workers, to come up with their ruling.

In closing arguments Thursday, prosecutor David Walgren told the jury the evidence the state presented was "overwhelming" and showed that it was "abundantly clear" that Murray caused Jackson's death by acting in a negligent manner in providing the singer with the surgical anesthetic propofol in a non-hospital setting.

Defense attorney Ed Chernoff countered with arguments that investigators were sloppy in collecting evidence and that it was Jackson, not Murray, who was to blame because, according to the defense, the 50-year-old singer self-administered the fatal propofol dose that took his life on June 25, 2009.

Murray, who was being paid $150,000 a month to care for Jackson, had pleaded not guilty to the felony charge of involuntary manslaughter and is now facing four years in prison. But new sentencing laws in California aimed at mandatorily reducing state prison overcrowding mean that, as a nonviolent offender with no prior record, he could be sentenced to county jail instead. If that is the case, his sentence could be reduced to two years and, because of overcrowding in the Los Angeles County jail, he may be allowed to serve the majority of his time under supervised house arrest.

MTV News will be covering the Conrad Murray verdict live. Go to MTVNews.com for breaking news, reactions and analysis from Los Angeles or tune to MTV for the latest updates.

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Kim Kardashian: Will Breakup Ruin Her Image?

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 01:52 AM PDT

MTV News asked PR/celebrity experts to weigh in on whether backlash will have a lasting impact on reality star's popularity.
By Jocelyn Vena


Photo: Gareth Cattermole/ Getty Images

There's been some backlash since Kim Kardashian announced her split from husband Kris Humphries with critics arguing that she only tied the knot with the basketball player for money or publicity. It's an argument that Kim and her family, including Kardashian matriarch, Kris Jenner, have vehemently disputed.

Given the controversy surrounding the split, which came just 72 days after Kardashian and Humphries married in a lavish ceremony in August, can Kim get back in the good graces of the public that made her famous? MTV News asked some experts in the field to weigh in.

"She's always been controversial. Her career was forged in controversy and I don't think you care about the people who are haters out there," Howard Bragman, vice chairman of Reputation.com, told MTV News. "I think you care about your fans and those few million people who watch your show and buy your product and are supporters of hers, and that's what you have to focus on 'cause we live in a society full of haters. You can't live your life for those people," he added. "You have to live knowing your own truth in your heart and I think she goes forward."

Photos: Kim & Kris' short-lived romance.

David Caplan, a former editor at People and Star magazines, seemed to be onboard with Bragman's take on the Kim debate. In fact, Caplan said, Kim's marriage trouble may have strengthened her followers' love for her.

"I think to a certain degree, overall, she's actually still in the good graces of her fans, and I say that because her fans are so loyal and I really believe that — whether or not I agree with a lot — sort of the tenor and the vibe has been a lot of sympathy towards her because she's sort of saying, 'I made a mistake, I rushed into it,' " he explained. "And that's saving her from all of this."

As Kim copes with the fallout from her decision to divorce (and fans await the November 27 premiere of the second season of "Kourtney & Kim Take New York," which follows the first few months of the Kardashian/Humphries union), the larger question remains: What's next for the reality TV star?

"If you think people aren't going to watch when she starts dating somebody new, you're kidding yourself," Bragman predicted. "Of course they are; it's going to be a big event. She's going to have to put some separation between her public and her private life a little more," he continued. "She has to learn the lessons from this. She's got to take some time for herself.

Slowing down is one strategy, but Caplan believes that Kim will take another approach in the next few months. "I think, for Kim, she's going to continue working, she's going to continue running around," he said, "So it's not going to look like she's dwelling on this relationship. That's really going to help her image because she's going to be like, 'Listen, I work.' The story will follow her for a long time. People are going to be like, 'Who is she dating next? Is she ready?' The next step for her is to continue working."

Are you still a Kim Kardashian fan? Tell us in the comments!

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MTV's 'True Life' Hits NYC's Zuccotti Park Tomorrow

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 02:59 AM PDT

Special airs Saturday at 6 p.m. ET; Also, activist Davey D gives MTV News an inside look at the fiery Occupy Oakland protests.
By Uptin Saiidi


Bryan in "True Life: I'm Occupying Wall Street"

In the weeks since Americans fed up with the status quo hit New York's Zuccotti Park to protest issues like economic inequality and social injustice, the movement has spread around the globe. On Saturday at 6 p.m. ET, MTV's special "True Life: I'm Occupying Wall Street" will introduce viewers to a handful of the young demonstrators trying to bring about change.

But if there's another U.S. city that has taken to the spirit of the Occupy protests to the next level, it's surely Oakland, California. In downtown Oakland, about 7,000 activists turned out on Wednesday for a general strike, which led to arrests and business shutdowns; the nation's fifth largest port was even forced to close.

Activist and journalist Davey D, an associate of MTV News correspondent and Oakland native Sway Calloway, has been covering the events since they first started. He told us that Wednesday's events made a major statement.

"Shutting down the port of Oakland is a huge thing that hasn't happened in decades and hasn't happened in Oakland in over 65 years," Davey said. "It makes $8 million a day and the money goes toward the 1 percent. It's a tangible movement — each day you shut down something, it delays things."

The Occupy movements are being driven largely by young Americans at a time when the unemployment rate among youths under 25 is 18 percent compared to the national rate of 9 percent. In a recent MTV survey of young adults (ages 18 to 29), 72 percent said they were afraid they might not live up to their potential, while nearly three-quarters of people agreed with the statement, "things are unfair for my generation because we have to start our careers during this economic crisis."

MTV's special "True Life" episode follows a few supporters who fit that description, including Bryan, a high school grad from Massachusetts who doesn't see the long-term benefit of attending college when there are few jobs to had post-graduation. When viewers meet him, he's working to get Zuccotti Park clean after word comes down that the private park's owners want to temporarily evict the protestors in order to fix up the property themselves. Panic spreads as Occupiers fear the eviction will be permanent. College students Kait and Caitlin, who are so nervous about not being able to find a job that they've recruited friends into the rally, are also featured.

MTV's 'True Life: I'm Occupying Wall Street' airs November 5 at 6 p.m. ET.


Click through to "Voices From Occupy Wall Street" — our interactive photo gallery — and get to know 20 young demonstrators' motivations, hopes and goals.

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Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu To Party At Black Girls Rock!

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 05:09 AM PDT

Jill Scott, Estelle, Melanie Fiona and more also hit the stage to celebrate 'brilliance' of black women at show airing Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on BET.
By Rebecca Thomas


Mary J. Blige performs at BET's 2011 Black Girls Rock!
Photo: Scott Weiner/PictureGroup

NEW YORK — On a windy Saturday last month, the Paradise Theater in the Bronx was an undulating sea of sequins, stilettos and star power as the 2011 edition of Black Girls Rock! got under way.

An annual celebration of the accomplishments of black women in a myriad of spheres, from science and technology to the arts and politics, the event is the brainchild of philanthropist Beverly Bond, a onetime model/DJ. Imagine balling up the sentiments of your favorite empowerment anthem into a fist and then sprinkling them like confetti over a gathering of girls, and you might begin to get an idea of what it felt like to sit in that majestic theater during the taping of the show that night. You'll get to see for yourself when it airs Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET on BET.

Actresses Tracee Ellis Ross and Regina King opened their co-hosting gig — dressed in an ebony gown and an ivory sequined pantsuit, respectively — with some funny banter about their mutual connection to all-grown-up "Cosby" kid Malcolm-Jamal Warner (Ellis Ross plays Warner's wife on the brand-new BET sitcom "Reed Between the Lines," while King is his real-life leading lady). Over the course of the night, with assists from a series of celeb presenters like former MTV VJ LaLa Anthony and model Alek Wek, "BGR" '11 gave special nods to some much-deserving honorees. MTV News rode the D train to the Grand Concourse in the BX and previewed some of the highlights for you.

The Anthems
Any R&B diva worth her salt has at least one love-yourself tune to her credit, but if you're Mary J. Blige, the undisputed queen of hip-hop/soul, then you've got a catalog full of certified classics guaranteed to cure Superwoman syndrome. Fans were treated to a rousing, show-closing set that included MJB's "My Life" and "Just Fine." Soul sisters like Jill Scott (the poetic "Womanifesto") and Erykah Badu (an intergalactic "On and On") are just a few of the stirring performers who pass the baton to upstarts like Elle Varner and Melanie Fiona.

Who Run the World?
Yes, there was a 70-something gospel legend and a duo of trailblazing activists battling violence against women as part of the Rebecca Project, but some of the most impressive award recipients were girls barely out of their tweens. M.A.D. (Making a Difference) Girl honoree Leanna Archer, became CEO of her own natural hair-care products company at 13, and now just 15, heads up a foundation devoted to helping underprivileged kids in Haiti.

Girl 'Power'
While some of us are confronting the so-called "quarterlife-crisis" or maybe occupying Wall Street at 25, Angela Davis had just hit the quarter-century mark when she began building a formidable career as an activist, aligning with movements like the Black Panther Party. The Brandeis-educated Davis went on to spend the next few decades crusading for marginalized groups like African-Americans, women and prisoners.

The winner of this year's Icon Award admitted she used to feel "embarrassed" seeing her face staring back at her from T-shirts until she realized that the garments represented the "translation of the success of a movement." That's real girl power, and theatergoers thanked her (fists raised) with a standing ovation.

Screen Stars
Co-hosts Ellis Ross and King weren't the only big- and small-screen stars to grace the stage. Taraji P. Henson was honored with the Star Power prize. The actress was already a young mom to a son when she got to Hollywood, but it was her fictional role as mom to A-lister Brad Pitt in the "Curious Case of Benjamin Button" that earned her an Oscar nod in 2008 for Best Supporting Actress. In an upbeat acceptance speech, the extroverted Henson reminisced about praying for "longevity" back in those early casting call days.

Catch "Black Girls Rock!" Sunday on BET at 8 p.m. ET.

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'Breaking Dawn' Wedding Is 'Ceremonial,' Kristen Stewart Says

Posted: 03 Nov 2011 11:35 PM PDT

'Nobody saw it until I walked out,' actress tells MTV News of bridal gown.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Josh Horowitz


Kristen Stewart in "Breaking Dawn"
Photo: Summit

Twilighters who caught the premiere of an exclusive new clip from "Breaking Dawn- Part 1" got a taste of all the emotions coursing through the lives of Bella and her family (both the Swans and the Cullens) as she readies herself to marry her immortal beloved, Edward.

On Thursday, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner introduced the clip and stuck around for a lengthy Q&A after the clip's debut, during which they opened up about all the highly anticipated moments from the November 18 film.

During the "MTV First" live stream, the "Breaking Dawn" trio took a video question from Tiffany, who wanted to know if Stewart kept her Carolina Herrera creation a secret from her fellow castmates until she walked down the aisle.

"Nobody saw it until I walked out, which made me so ... " Stewart said before trailing off. "It wasn't about the dress; it was just everything involved. I was like, ugh, so very the center of attention at that very moment."

The moment she's referring to was an emotional one for the cast, who had spent three movies working up to the long-awaited nuptials between Bella and Edward. While it's believed the groom shouldn't see the bride before the wedding, Pattinson broke with tradition, much to Stewart's dismay. "He saw it before," she recalled. "And I was like, 'No, you can't.' It did feel, like, very sort of realistically ceremonial."

It was so "realistically ceremonial" that Stewart couldn't help but feel some real emotions the day they shot the buzzed-about scene. "It was very, very emotional for me," Stewart said. "I don't know about these guys."

Stick with MTV News for much more from our exclusive Q&A with Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner!

Check out everything we've got on "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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'Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas': The Reviews Are In!

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 04:07 AM PDT

Critics call flick a 'vulgar romp' that's 'frequently funny.'
By Eric Ditzian


Kal Penn in "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas"
Photo: New Line Cinema

Maybe it was when the baby huffs cocaine and starts crawling on the ceiling like she's in some "Exorcist"-meets-"Trainspotting" mashup. Or when Santa Claus gets shot in the face. Or every single second Neil Patrick Harris is onscreen. Who knows?

Eventually, though, and despite our lowered expectations headed into the theater with recollections of the clunker that was the franchise's 2008 sequel in our minds, we happily admitted that "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas" doesn't just have its share of funny moments, but in fact is a funny movie.

Not that everyone agrees. There are a lot of critics who weren't taken with these shenanigans, who found it tired and predictable. But such reviews are in the minority. The majority of critics maintain the stoney laughs are many, the 3-D effects are ridiculous (in a good way), and that the third "Harold & Kumar" deserves a place on every college kid's DVD shelf, right next to a copy of the original flick.

The Story
"This is indeed a Christmas movie, and when a mysterious package arrives addressed to Harold, Kumar knows he must deliver it in person. As for the package ... well, I'm spoiling nothing by telling you it contains a ginormous doobie, but what it really contains is a message of holiday love that will bring together the best-loved East Asian-meets-South Asian comedy duo of the 21st century. Also, it will burn down Harold's father-in-law's beloved Christmas tree and send Harold and Kumar out into the streets on Christmas Eve to negotiate with faux-ghetto tree salesmen (one of them the rapper RZA), introduce a baby to marijuana, cocaine and untold other illicit substances, interrupt a party of naked lesbian nuns and encounter a genuine, if distressingly gory, Christmas miracle." — Andrew O'Hehir, Salon

The 3-D
"Rude things — bodily fluids, body parts — along with glass shards and smoke rings (of a particularly potent sort of smoke) fly from the screen in such profusion that you may want to carry an umbrella into the theater with you to deflect them all. The makers of the comedy fully understand that 3-D is a gimmick much overused these days. And understanding that, they overuse it themselves in such a way as to cannily comment on the clichéd nature of the gimmick while expertly exploiting it to hilarious effect." — Soren Andersen, The Seattle Times

The Comparison
"After serving up a sly fable of minority empowerment in 'Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle' (2004) and gleefully lampooning George W. Bush's America in 'Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay' (2008), scribes Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg seem determined to avoid any hint of subversion here, content to serve up a crudely irreverent holiday laffer along the lines of 'Bad Santa,' if nowhere near as scathing. For a movie that sees fit to have jolly old St. Nick take a bullet to the face mid-sleigh ride, this vulgar romp is a generally harmless, heartwarming affair, a cinematic Christmas cookie almost sweet and flaky enough to cover the fact that it's laced with hash, cocaine and assorted bodily fluids, blood included." — Justin Chang, Variety

The Laughs
"[It] wobbles off the rails more often than it ought to. The first two 'Harold & Kumar' movies made no effort to stamp out racial stereotypes; instead, they reveled in them. But this third installment, as visually clever as it is, relies too much on dumb, crude jock humor: There seem to be more buxom, semi-naked girls clattering around in high heels than I recall from either of the earlier pictures. And a sequence in which Harris reveals that he's not really gay but just fakes it so he can get girls seems genuinely perverse, and not in the good way: Maybe watching Harris ogle the comely cuties in his chorus line is supposed to be funny, but it just comes off as crass and forced." — Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline

The Final Word
"All in all, it's a frequently funny return to form that embraces several universal truths: that Harold and Kumar are better off together than not (for our sake if not their own), that stoner comedies need not be lazy with their juvenile wares, and that the combination of waffles and robots is indeed an awesome one." — William Goss, Film.com

Check out everything we've got on "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Beyonce And Jay-Z Expecting A Baby Girl?

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 01:40 AM PDT

Kelly Rowland seemingly let the news slip on a red carpet in London.
By James Montgomery


Jay-Z and Beyoncé
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage

Are Beyoncé and Jay-Z expecting a baby girl? Well, according to one of Bey's closest friends, the answer is "yes."

While in London to attend the Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women of the Year Awards on Thursday, it was none other than Beyoncé's former Destiny's Child mate Kelly Rowland who let it be known — rather inadvertently, it would seem — that the high-powered couple would be having a girl.

"I'm so happy for my sister and her husband. They're so happy in this moment right now, as they should be. They made a little bundle of love. I'm so excited for them," Rowland told U.K. news agency Bang Showbiz. "I have no idea what I'm going to buy Beyoncé at the baby shower because Jay is going to buy that little girl every single thing possible. She won't be spoiled, but she will be very well looked-after."

So there you have it. Of course, there's yet to be an official statement from the couple, and a spokesperson for Beyoncé did not respond to MTV News' request for comment on the matter.

Last month, Rowland told MTV News that she was excited "to be an auntie" to the couple's child and added that she can't wait to babysit. And assuming she hasn't been placed on Jayoncé's blacklist for letting the information slip, Rowland also told Bang Showbiz she's planning to make herself available to help out the couple as much as possible.

"I'll be on hand for babysitting duties," she said. "And I'm actually very good with messy diapers."

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AnnaLynne McCord Fights Sex Trafficking With Somaly Mam Foundation

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 02:09 AM PDT

'90210' actress calls the girls she's met in Cambodia through the charity 'my heroes.'
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Cory Midgarden


AnnaLynne McCord
Photo: Jim Spellman/ FilmMagic

"90210" star AnnaLynne McCord is a real-life do-gooder. The TV star works tirelessly to help spread the word about various causes, including one that is especially near and dear to her heart.

"The Somaly Mam Foundation is an anti-trafficking organization, sex trafficking specifically," McCord said. "Somaly Mam is the founder. She was trafficked at 12 years old. She was sold for over a decade. She tells all of this in her book, 'Road to Lost Innocence,' which is absolutely heart-wrenching, but a remarkable story of just a heroine of our time, in my opinion. She is now my sister — my bong srey, as we say in Chmer [Cambodia's language].

"She is the embodiment of what forgiveness is, and if you read her story and you read the things that happened to this woman, and you see the way she speaks about her former captives and the people who even continue to do this to these girls, it's with love and forgiveness," McCord continued about Mam. "And it's something you can't even wrap your head around, because all I wanted to do was just, you know, get a bunch of AK-47s and go blow the place up. I was just was just so angry."

McCord has managed to channel that anger into working with the foundation and serves as a Goodwill Ambassador, noting that she shows her support helps on a daily basis.

"The girls make these bracelets and necklaces. ... They're hand-woven. Silk is a major industry in Cambodia, and it's also a form of therapy. It's very monotonous, wrapping the silk thread around the wooden looms. But I wear it because they, they're from the girls," she explained. "Pretty much my jewelry is something the girls put on me when I've been in Cambodia with them. And they're my world. They make all of the craziness about our industry make sense to me. And they are my heroes."

Other charities McCord works with include St. Bernard Project and Artists for Peace and Justice. McCord will appear on "When I Was 17" this weekend, along with Mike Posner and Estelle.

Lil Wayne Producer Inspired By Nirvana For <i>Rebirth II</i>

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 01:03 AM PDT

'I'm bringing it back with a new sound,' Detail tells Mixtape Daily of finding inspiration in the past.
By Rob Markman


Detail
Photo: MTV News

Behind the Beats: Detail

Though he is currently sitting atop the rap game, Lil Wayne transcends hip-hop. He flirted with rock early on, picking up the guitar for his "Leather So Soft" video with Birdman and again in his 2008 clip for "Lollipop." But it was his 2010 rock-inspired Rebirth album that really stretched the boundaries.

In October, on the set of Birdman's "Y.U. Mad" video, Young Money president Mack Maine told MTV News of Wayne's plans for a second rock LP. During the same sit-down, "How to Love" producer Detail spoke about his inspiration for crafting the tracks for Tunechi's Rebirth II.

"I've been listening to Nirvana, I've been listening to Pink Floyd," he told Mixtape Daily. "The zone I've been goin' in on this sh--, I'm bringing it back, back, back, back with a new sound."

Detail, who recently produced Bow Wow's "Sweat," is clearly not against finding inspiration in the past. Addressing any skeptics, the Detroit hitmaker promises that he will add his own unique twist. "We all get everything from the past musically, everything has been done already, so for me it's just taking those elements that I could ride in my car and enjoy and bring it back to something new," he said.

According to Mack, Weezy is not only working on Rebirth II but is actually at least 12 songs into his upcoming I Am Not a Human Being II as well. For the YM prez it is Wayne's ability to cross genres that makes him such a draw. "He captures all those different audiences, and then at a concert or a show, you bring all those different people together," Mack explained. "You bring your Rebirth rock people, you bring your Carter people and you bring your I Am Not a Human Being [crowd], and you have a great show. That's why we sell out arenas every night."

There is currently no release date for either LP, and when MTV News asked Wayne, he downplayed both albums. "I Am Not a Human Being II and Rebirth II are so not important right now," Tune said. "We got Twist coming, we got Tyga coming, and then we have Shanell coming, then we got Bow Wow — that's what's really important. What I'm doing is really never important, actually. I'm a very unimportant guy. It's just me."

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

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Katy Perry, Diego Luna Break Up In 'One That Got Away' Tease

Posted: 03 Nov 2011 10:57 PM PDT

Preview clip for Perry's Teenage Dream ballad hints at '11.11.11' release date.
By Jocelyn Vena


Diego Luna and Katy Perry in "The One That Got Away" music video
Photo: Jive

For anyone wondering who Katy Perry is pining over on her song "The One That Got Away," it seems the video may have the answer. The songstress has enlisted Mexican movie star Diego Luna to play the male lead.

In a teaser posted by the singer, Luna and Perry embrace and share longing looks and some flirty moments as a voice narrates the story. "The past is like a handful of dust," the voice-over says. "It filters through your fingers, disappearing little by little."

Of course, it's not all romantic: As a car zooms down a highway, a montage of the good and the bad times — there's fighting and Luna leaving Perry behind — helps tease a bit more about their love affair. "I wish, for one day, I could go back," the voice-over continues, "In another life, I would do things differently."

At the end of the preview, the date "11/11/11" flashes, signifying a possible release date for the video. (A rep for the singer hadn't responded to MTV News' request for confirmation by press time.)

"I'm so pleased to select 'The One That Got Away' as my sixth single because this song shows a very different side of me that I haven't shown with my past singles on this record. I think that everyone can relate to this song," Perry has previously said about the Teenage Dream ballad. "I wrote this song about when you promise someone forever, but you end up not being able to follow through. It's a bittersweet story — hopefully, the listener learns from hearing it and never has to say they had 'The One' get away."

It's certainly an on-trend video idea to use sweeping story lines to help shape the visual elements of tracks about the ups and downs of love. Joe Jonas made a similar move for his Parisian-set clip for "Just in Love With You" and Rihanna also explored some more serious story lines for her racy "We Found Love" clip.

Are you excited for Katy's new video? Tell us why in the comments!

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Mike Posner Drives Not-So-Cool Car, On 'When I Was 17'

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 01:28 AM PDT

'It was a really cool car — in '87,' he says on latest episode, airing Saturday at 11 a.m. ET/PT on MTV.
By Henna Kathiya


Mike Posner
Photo: MTV News

"Cooler Than Me" singer Mike Posner wasn't exactly all that cool when he was 17.

He recalls driving around in his first car on this week's episode of MTV's "When I Was 17," airing Saturday at 11 a.m. ET/PT on MTV. The singer gives a shout-out to his great aunt on the episode — which also features Estelle and AnnaLynne McCord — for being gracious enough to give him her old car when he was 17.

"My Great Aunt Dorothy — hi, Aunt Dorothy! — she gifted to me her '87 Volvo," he recalled. "And it was a really cool car — in '87. The only problem was, I got it in, like, 2005."

The "Please Don't Go" singer would try to assert himself on the road but found it hard with his clown-car horn. "The great thing about this car was that it had this kind of clown horn. I would be really mad, like people would cut me off, and I'd hit my horn, and it would be like 'beep beep' and I was just like, 'Ugh.' "

We're sure Mike has updated his vehicle now to something a little cooler with a more aggressive horn to help ward off aggressive drivers.

"When I Was 17" — this week featuring Estelle, Mike Posner and AnnaLynne McCord — airs on Saturday at 11a.m ET/PT on MTV.

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Nickelback Backlash: Detroit Fans Petition Against Band

Posted: 03 Nov 2011 11:12 PM PDT

Band's halftime performance at Lions' annual Thanksgiving game 'is completely unfair' to the team's fans, online petition says.
By James Montgomery


Nickelback's Chad Kroeger
Photo: Getty Images

It's not exactly breaking news that Nickelback tend to elicit a certain level of, uh, acrimony from music fans (perhaps they've never heard "Bottoms Up"?), but up until now, we thought they were pretty cool with fans of the Detroit Lions.

Apparently not. Or at least not with Lions backer Dennis Guttman, who has started an online petition asking the team to scrap a planned Nickelback performance during halftime of their annual Thanksgiving game — mostly because, for the first time since the Barry Sanders heyday, the Lions are not abysmally awful (they're 6-2), and their Turkey Day tilt against the undefeated, Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers will have the eyes of the nation firmly fixed on the Motor City.

"This game is nationally televised; do we really want the rest of the U.S. to associate Detroit with Nickelback?" Guttman wrote. "Detroit is home to so many great musicians and they chose Nickelback?!? ... This is completely unfair to those of us who purchased tickets to the game. At least the people watching at home can mute their TVs. The Lions ought to think about their fans before choosing such an awful band to play at halftime."

To be fair, maybe Aretha Franklin, Bob Seger, Kid Rock, Jack White and/or Ted Nugent passed on the Lions' offer. It's not exactly clear if the team will actually listen to Guttman's plea (a spokesperson for the Lions did not respond to MTV News' request for comment on the matter), though, at press time, more than 35,000 disgruntled fans have signed the petition.

Reps for Nickelback did not respond to MTV News' emails about the petition, though last week, when the band stopped by the newsroom to talk about their upcoming Here and Now album (before the Thanksgiving performance had been announced), they spoke about ignoring the jabs from their detractors and focusing squarely on servicing the fans that have made them one of the biggest rock acts on the planet — online petitions be damned.

"When you play a Nickelback show, I mean, there is every range of person that you could possibly imagine on the face of the earth [in the audience], and you couldn't peg one on the street to save your life," frontman Chad Kroeger said. "I think we can all pick out a Slipknot fan, but it's tough to pick out a Nickelback fan, because they're all so different."

What do you think about the anti-Nickelback petition? Let us know in the comments!

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Drake, J. Cole, Big Sean Round Out Wale's Dream Tour

Posted: 03 Nov 2011 11:25 PM PDT

Maybach Music labelmate Meek Mill would also make the lineup, Wale says of 'doing something for us and our generation.'
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway


Wale
Photo: Natasha Chandel/ MTV News

Having the support of veteran rappers like Jay-Z and Rick Ross has been helpful for Wale throughout his career, but the relative newcomer hopes to one day band with hip-hop's next generation of MCs in making their own impact.

Wale hit the road with J. Cole and Big Sean a few years back, but for his dream concert run the D.C. rapper hopes to gather some of the game's newest talent to create a tour that rivals the grandiose concerts of yesteryear.

"I've been talking to a couple of artists about doing something for us and our generation," Wale revealed when he appeared on this week's "RapFix Live." "Something that feels like the Hard Knock Life Tour, something that feels like the Up in Smoke Tour from back in the day."

On the 1999 Hard Knock Life Tour, Jay-Z hit the road with DMX, Method Man, Redman, Ja Rule and his Roc-A-Fella clique. Similarly, Dr. Dre banded with Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and Warren G for his 2000 Up in Smoke Tour. Those historic runs have been the "Ambition" MC's inspiration.

"My dream tour would be like, me, Cole, Drake, Sean, Meek," Wale told "RFL" host Sway. "I think that would be dope, something like that; big venues."

On Tuesday Wale released his sophomore album, Ambition, with Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group. Aside from his current single, "Lotus Flower Bomb," featuring R&B singer Miguel, Wale collaborates with two of his dream tourmates: Big Sean, on the Diplo-produced "Slight Work," and Meek on the LP's title track.

Would you buy tickets for Wale's dream tour? Tell us in the comments!

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Kelly Clarkson Recalls 'American Idol' Reservations

Posted: 03 Nov 2011 11:20 PM PDT

'We were just like, 'Oh, I don't know if this is really what I want to do,' because it's a lot,' Clarkson tells MTV News of the night she won 'Idol.'
By Christina Garibaldi


Kelly Clarkson
Photo: MTV News

It's hard to believe that it's been almost 10 years since Kelly Clarkson was crowned the first winner of "American Idol."

Since then, she has become one of the most successful "Idol" alums ever, releasing five albums (her latest, Stronger, landed the #2 spot on the Billboard albums chart), winning two Grammy Awards and solidifying herself as a pop diva who belts out powerful breakup anthems.

Yet, looking back on that night that America voted her the winner, Clarkson recalls her hesitation in becoming the pop star she always imagined herself to be.

"Honestly, even the night I won, I remember Justin [Guarini] and I talking. We were just like, 'Oh, I don't know if this is really what I want to do,' because it's a lot," Clarkson revealed to MTV News. "But I just really loved singing, and at the end of the day, it's worth it."

Clarkson has made the most of her time since that night in 2002, but has this journey been exactly how she pictured it? "Actually, this is exactly what I thought it was gonna be like," Clarkson said. "I never was that kid that was, like, smoke and mirrors. I knew it was going to be hard work, and I knew there'd be a lot of sacrifice."

Even with all her successes over the years, there have been some low points for Clarkson as well. Prior to the release of her third album, My December, it was publicly known she was at odds with her label over the album. But Clarkson said, if given the opportunity, she wouldn't change anything about that time in her life or her career.

"Not even the crappy stuff," she said. "Because it all builds your character. It molds you, and you go through it for a reason. No, I wouldn't change anything."

Now, in between her busy work schedule, the "Mr. Know It All" singer still finds time to watch the show that started it all, but she has yet to watch former "Idol" judge Simon Cowell's new show, "X Factor."

"I watch all of them," Clarkson said. "I haven't seen ['X Factor'] because I've been out of the country, but I watch 'The Voice,' I watch 'American Idol' — I watch all of it."

What do you think of Kelly Clarkson's latest album? Let us know in the comments!

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Estelle Recalls Losing Her 'V-Card,' On 'When I Was 17'

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 12:20 AM PDT

'Looking back, it was nothing like I thought it would be,' she says on upcoming episode, airing Saturday at 11 a.m. ET/PT on MTV.
By Sara Waber


Estelle on "When I Was 17"
Photo: MTV

English R&B singer Estelle shares a very personal milestone in her life on this week's episode of MTV's "When I Was 17," airing Saturday at 11a.m. ET/PT: She recalls losing her virginity, and it wasn't exactly what she hoped for.

"I didn't have a boyfriend, per se," she says in the episode, which also features Mike Posner and AnnaLynne McCord. "I definitely fancied a few guys. There was one particular guy that I fancied. He was cute, he was short, he had a gold tooth."

Like all good friends, Estelle's mates blabbed to him. "My friends told him I fancied him, and then he knew where I lived, and he would just start hanging out outside my house," the "American Boy" singer recalls. "So this guy was, like, my first full-out crush, all that good stuff."

Maybe she didn't like his baggy jeans, but she was about to find out what's underneath them. "Eventually, I lost my V-card. Looking back, it was nothing like I thought it would be. It was horrible."

Needless to say, Estelle and her mystery man didn't have a fairy-tale ending. "We actually got along as friends, and then we did it and it was ... ehh. And then we split up.

"In hindsight I should have waited," she added.

"When I Was 17" — this week featuring Estelle, Mike Posner and AnnaLynne McCord — airs on Saturday at 11a.m ET/PT on MTV.

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Michael Jackson Doctor Trial: Sizing Up Defense, Prosecution Cases

Posted: 03 Nov 2011 10:49 PM PDT

Two lawyers watching the case weigh in on who presented strongest argument in Conrad Murray trial.
By Gil Kaufman


Dr. Conrad Murray (file)
Photo: Getty Images

It's up to the jury now. After six weeks of testimony, the seven-man, five-woman jury in the involuntary manslaughter case of former Michael Jackson doctor Conrad Murray began their deliberations Friday morning (November 4).

They've heard from 49 witnesses, including some of Jackson's former employees, a number of Murray's girlfriends and patients, medical experts, police investigators and ER workers. In closing arguments on Thursday, prosecutor David Walgren told them the evidence the state presented was "overwhelming" and showed that it was "abundantly clear" that Murray caused Jackson's death by acting in a negligent manner in providing the singer with the surgical anesthetic propofol in a non-hospital setting.

It capped weeks of prosecution testimony that pointed to the many alleged breaches of professional conduct by Murray, who Walgren painted as an opportunist lured by a big payday into providing medical services that were out of the norm, dangerous and, ultimately, deadly.

Defense attorney Ed Chernoff countered with arguments that investigators were sloppy in collecting evidence and that it was Jackson, not Murray who was to blame because, according to the defense, the 50-year-old singer self-administered the fatal propofol dose that took his life on June 25, 2009. As we await the jury's verdict, we asked a pair of lawyers not affiliated with the case to break down both sides' arguments and weigh in on how each did in presenting their cases.

"If he's convicted, I'm not sure it will be due to any tactical errors on the part of his defense team," said Robert Weisberg, a law professor at Stanford University and faculty co-director of the school's criminal justice center. "This case does not jump out at me as one where there was any alternative strategy. If he's convicted, it's because he's guilty, and based on the evidence it's not looking good for him."

Weisberg praised the prosecution's case, pointing out the strength of the rebuttal testimony of prosecution anesthesia expert Dr. Steven Shafer, who was recalled to the stand to poke holes in the alternate death scenario laid out by defense witness Dr. Paul White.

Los Angeles-based criminal defense attorney Mike Cavalluzzi said he thought the prosecution told a "great and very tight" story over the course of the trial, beginning with Jackson's longtime confidant and director/choreographer Kenny Ortega. It was the "This Is It" director who opened testimony in late September by telling the jury "my friend wasn't right," setting the chaotic scene at the rehearsals for the show.

As for the investigative mistakes that Murray's lawyers pointed out during their cross-examination of prosecution witnesses, Cavalluzzi said he felt those arguments were "grasping at straws" by the defense and had no real relevance to the negligence accusations against Murray. "Those felt like red herrings," said Cavalluzzi, who has worked a range of criminal matters in L.A. courts from misdemeanor battery to homicide. "There was very compelling evidence from doctors about the extreme deviations from standard care by Murray even before June 25, by administering propofol in a residential setting and then laying out, piece-by-piece, how many deviations there were."

He also said that the testimony of nurse practitioner Cherilyn Lee, who was called by the defense, was very compelling. "I'm not sure it helped the defense," Cavalluzzi said. "She said Jackson was begging for propofol and she knew never to accede to that request. It made the defense position so difficult when every objective medical professional said the conduct Murray engaged in was extremely dangerous."

What could the defense have done differently? Weisberg said he wouldn't fault them for the case they put up, aside from what he called the very unusual tactic of voluntarily having Murray speak to police in a taped interview two days after Jackson's death.

The jury has to bring back a unanimous verdict on the single felony count, and Cavalluzzi said what they most likely took away from the testimony of the doctor and nurses who took the stand for the defense is that Murray should not have been administering propofol to any patient, let alone someone who clearly had substance abuse issues like Michael Jackson.

"The character witnesses were brought up to make you think that Dr. Murray is a nice person, but involuntary manslaughter is not a crime of moral turpitude," Cavalluzzi explained. "It is not a crime which bad people engage in bad behavior. Nobody is accusing Dr. Murray of stealing or intentionally harming anyone. What they're saying is that he may have been a good man who made a horrible mistake and that the mistake that he made rises to criminal negligence, which makes him guilty of involuntary manslaughter."

If Murray gets off, though, Cavalluzzi predicted it would be because of his generous reputation as laid out by former patients, which could cause some doubt as to whether Murray did something that killed Michael Jackson or if Jackson administered the fatal dose himself.

"It's a very, very tough case," he said. "I think it's compelling in so many ways, as an insight into the genius of Michael Jackson and the price he paid ... he wanted to deliver such an extraordinary concert and that, it killed him."

MTV News will be covering the Conrad Murray verdict live. Go to MTVNews.com for breaking news, reactions and analysis from Los Angeles or tune to MTV for the latest updates.

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Justin Bieber Addresses Paternity Suit On 'Today'

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 06:09 AM PDT

'I know I'm going to be a target, but I'm never going to be a victim,' Bieber says.
By Jocelyn Vena


Justin Bieber on the "Today" show on Friday
Photo: NBC

As more details surface about the paternity suit filed by 20-year-old Mariah Yeater against Justin Bieber, the pop singer is addressing the allegations head on.

Earlier this week, Bieber released a statement saying, "it's sad that someone would fabricate malicious, defamatory and demonstrably false claims," and tweeted, "so I'm going to ignore the rumors ... and focus on what is real. An opportunity to help by doing what i love. Judge me on the music! Love y'all!"

When he stopped by the "Today" show on Friday morning (November 4) to promote his latest album, Under The Mistletoe, Bieber also spoke candidly about Yeater's claims. "I'd just like to say basically that none of those allegations are true," he told Matt Lauer. "I know I'm going to be a target, but I'm never going to be a victim."

See How Top Beliebers Are Supporting Justin

Yeater claims she had unprotected sex with Bieber a year ago in a backstage area at one of the singer's concerts and that her 3-month-old baby is his. According to an upcoming issue of Star magazine, "in a hand-signed affidavit, sworn under the penalty of perjury, Yeater told a California court that Bieber propositioned her on October 25 of last year, when she was 19. The pair had a sexual tryst after his concert and backstage at L.A.'s Staples Center, it's alleged in court papers."

Bieber explained on "Today" that the logistics of her claim don't fit with his hectic schedule. "I think it's crazy because every night after the show, I've gone right from the stage right to my car," he explained. "So it's crazy that some people want to make up some false allegations, but to set the record straight, none of it is true. Never met the woman."

While the case is ongoing, Bieber is focusing on the positive, which includes his charity work. "Like I said before, there's going to be good and going to be bad about this business and I want to focus on what's real, like my fans are real, the charity work that I'm doing with this album is real and this is real," he said speaking about all the fans that showed up at Rockefeller Plaza to catch a glimpse of the teen star. "I do it for these guys and I'm really happy to be here in New York and it's been fun."

Should Bieber Fight Back? Rant and Rave on Facebook

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'Tower Heist' And 'Harold & Kumar' Battle For Social Media Buzz

Posted: 03 Nov 2011 11:01 PM PDT

It's a battle of the comedies on NextMovie's new MovieTracker.
By Eric Ditzian


Ben Stiller and Gabourey Sidibe in "Tower Heist"
Photo: Universal Pictures

For the past few days, following an early Times Square screening, the MTV Newsroom has been buzzing about "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas." "Can you believe it was actually damn funny?" one movie nerd would say to another. "I mean, the last one stunk."

That's the buzz in here. And out there too, a fact that our friends at NextMovie have made abundantly clear with their new MovieTracker, a cool application boasting a fancy-schmancy algorithm that measures what people are saying on Twitter and Facebook and lets us know which movies people are psyched about. Think of it like a Billboard music chart, but instead of tracking album sales, it tracks Internet movie buzz in real time.

As of this writing, "Harold & Kumar" has risen to the #2 slot, with loads of positive tweets coming in. The public seems to be in agreement with star John Cho, who told MTV News recently of his onscreen partnership with Kal Penn, "We are without a doubt the best Korean-Indian stoner comedy duo in cinematic history."

It's going to be a very comedy-centric weekend at the multiplex, which is honestly a bit confounding from a programming standpoint. Yes, the hard-R "Harold & Kumar" and the PG-13 "Tower Heist" are targeting different moviegoers, but there's undoubtedly some overlap between those two audiences. And "Tower Heist" is going to come out on top, even if it's currently trending one notch below "Harold & Kumar" on the MovieTracker. (Last week's big winner, "Paranormal Activity 3," was planted at #1 at press time.) Expect "Tower Heist," starring Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy, to reel in around $30 million this weekend. "Harold & Kumar" will probably fall shy of the $20 million mark.

Will the MovieTracker adjust to reflect these box-office predictions? Keep checking back to see what's up and what's down, what's buzzing and what's bombing all weekend long.

Check out everything we've got on "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas" and "Tower Heist."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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'Tower Heist': The Reviews Are In!

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 09:57 AM PDT

Most critics are lukewarm on the Eddie Murphy, Ben Stiller caper flick.
By Kevin P. Sullivan


Ben Stiller and Gabourey Sidibe in "Tower Heist"
Photo: Universal Pictures

The 99 percent finally have their own heist movie! In "Tower Heist," Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller team up to take back money from an evil executive who Ponzi-ed it away from the staff of his New York apartment building.

The reviews certainly aren't glowing, and most paint it as a less entertaining "Ocean's Eleven" but admit there are some laughs to be had. We've rounded up some of the reviews to give you an idea of what the critics are saying. Take a look below to find out if you should join in on "Tower Heist."

The Story "The employees at a gilded Manhattan apartment complex, led by manager Ben Stiller, decide to rob the ass of a Madoff-like billionaire in the penthouse (a supremely slimy Alan Alda). Why? He's bilked them out of their pensions. Stiller recruits a bankrupt resident (Matthew Broderick) and a bellhop (Michael Peña). But the friskiest conspirator is Slide (Eddie Murphy), a thief with his own agenda." — Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Eddie Murphy "Here, though, Murphy's crow's-feet are showing, and while it should help promote his gig as next year's Academy Awards host, the casting makes 'Heist' a jumble of a film. As occasionally convincing as co-stars Ben Stiller and Casey Affleck can be as blue-collar workers bilked of their pensions, Murphy's role seems to be a criminal Yoda: a wisecracking ex-con with street smarts, staccato delivery and quick grin." — Scott Bowles, USA Today

The Action "It runs a refreshingly unbloated 104 minutes, and the action scenes are less frequent and less destructive than we're used to in our late-Michael Bay era. Not that this movie skimps on the spectacular stunts — one pivotal scene involves a Ferrari being lowered from a skyscraper window by a winch while a man dangles from the front fender — but in comparison with, say, the last 'Fast Five' movie, this is a miniaturist character study." — Dana Stevens, Slate

Gabourey Sidibe "And Gabourey Sidibe, the striking plus-size Oscar-nominated star of 'Precious,' makes her Hollywood leap as a feisty Jamaican chambermaid who gets in on the heist action. (The girl's got mad safecracking skills.) I don't know why Ratner and cinematographer Dante Spinotti felt compelled to push the camera in close, as if gawking at Sidibe's dramatic coloring and size. But then, I also don't know why she wasn't used more." — Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

The Direction "Mr. Ratner goes for the safe bet and the easy score, which means that, for all his shows of solidarity with the working stiffs, he has more in common with the wealthy scam artist who took their hard-earned money." — A.O. Scott, New York Times

The Final Word "This is a sadly common example of a filmmaker designing his production for inattentive, lazy audiences who don't really care about story coherence or consistency. It's a 'turn off the brain' movie." — James Berardinelli, Reelviews

Check out everything we've got on "Tower Heist."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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