American Ido Recap: Auditions #4 - Hollywood.com

even close. She was either faking it or she was lone of individuals kids whose parents threw parties each generation they brought homewards so as to crappy little “Participant” ribbon from the school-wide mini-Olympics to the moment so as to she thinks rainbows gun down given away of her fanny. Jennifer can contain reflection Randy was too harsh, but someone desirable to say it.

There were others in a montage of bad singers, but to be scrupulous, they were so plain and uninteresting they’re not even worth mentioning. Seriously.

“Sometimes the deepest passion comes from friction.” – Steven
Yes, Idol can be cruel, but every now and then it can be downright diabolical, like in this episode anywhere they required two exes to try out collected. Chelsea Oaks and hold up Bolin used to day and sing collected and live collected, but they’re not acquaintances anymore. Clearly, this resources they be supposed to prepare something as stressful as auditioning used for American Idol collected. CLEARLY. In vogue truth they prepare sing very well collected, and they both contain huge voices on their own, but come again? The anguish, Idol? Of route, despite the statement so as to Chelsea’s boyfriend was now outside of the try out area, the judges continued to awkwardly impetus the sense so as to putting these two songbirds in the competition will tell somebody to them fall back in love. What going on for the poor boyfriend, JLo? WHAT ABOUT HIM?

“We’re warriors, man.” –Contestant
Now, at this time are two relatives who weren’t terrible but don’t be in the right place in this competition. One of them was sent homewards, and the lone with boobs got a ticket to Hollywood.

First was Allen Lewis, who sounded like Scott Stapp or hold up Thomas and looked like a biker who was eager to fuck shit up. Somehow, once they rejected him, Lewis did not move out in the manner of Steven Tyler with a sharpened pool cue as as a rule of us who were judging him based on his clothes like the superficial idiots we are had assumed; he simply whispered even the greatest musicians blow auditions and so as to he would try harder after that generation. What? No funny business…at all? Did he prevail on a reckon of whatever medication was keeping Steven from acting like a crazy person all episode?

Next, we heard Miss Teen USA 2009, Stormi Henly, attempt to wow the judges with her talents. She possibly will have in stock a alter, but as Steven pointed given away (yes, he’s my favorite; tolerate it and move on) her voice was dense, little and squeaky. Jennifer rightly voted “no,” but the other two idiots sent her through to Hollywood as she’s warm. This is worse than putting a girl through used for her skilled dampen machinery put on view; by smallest amount so as to obligatory production as a replacement for of now magically receiving a disproportionate amount of God’s gifts.

“You made me cry and I don’t even know why.” –Steven
Despite a bunch of pedestrian and downright awful singers, nearby were a the minority fruits from the judges’ pains. Adrienne Beasley told her story going on for growing up as a black girl with white parents, and while these little videos are regularly overdrawn and histrionic, she struck me as indeed valid; plus, once she sang her voice was indeed sad. I come to an understanding with Steven again. Imagine so as to. (This is preparatory to fret me.)

Jackie Wilson was and lone of the gain ones, belting given away a alter with skill and talent and hearkening back to Kelly Clarkson. She was by nix resources mind-blowing, but in the manner of the original partially of the exhibition, it was polite to envision so as to they possibly will bargain someone worthy of a ticket to Hollywood. Obviously, I’m favorable used for Jackie, but did anybody else’s jaw go down once she kissed her boyfriend (who I reflection was her DAD until so as to moment). Thanks used for the jarring addition of the record-skipping sound too, Idol; I wasn’t shocked sufficient as it was.

“You know, the acoustics production nix be relevant come again?.” – JLo
Alright, previously we encircling given away the twilight with the preceding the minority gain singers, let’s encircling up the awful ones. First we had Kameela Merricks wearisome desperately to sing “Satisfy You” but it was so bad so as to I don’t know if I can forever eavesdrop to so as to song again. My ears are scarred…and scared. It was now plain awful, but the girl was sweet so Steven tried to sport the Paula and be polite. He told her to production harder, but Randy came storming through and told her she be supposed to leave. It looks like someone is wearisome way too strict to be the recent Simon. It’s not up for grabs to turn out; now be manually, dawg.

We and axiom flashes of a girl sacrificing “I spirit Survive” to the tone-deaf gods and a guy in a head-to-toe (and stand facing too) blue body suit. Yep. No sense come again? So as to was going on for; we possibly will even envision his stand facing, so how would he demonstrate to his acquaintances so as to he was even on the exhibition? Moving on.

Latoya Moore insisted so as to she’s a “recording artiste,” donned a floor piece navy twilight gown and brought a single item of her “album” used for THREE judges to share. Clearly, this girl is an idiot or as Steven situate it so courteously, “Definitely unique.” Of route, once she opened her entry, she was loud, trying, and completely awful. Randy imitated her which is like sticking your tongue given away by so as to tot sitting after that to you by Starbucks on a Saturday morning – it now encourages them. Latoya continued singing as she missing the try out, suspended in the wings of the stage like a phantom of screechy tune previously walking given away and powerful Ryan so as to she now desirable to sing slower in order to prevail on so as to ticket to Hollywood. And we’ve got delusional looney add up to two.

“See, I think you be supposed to cry as you’re up for grabs to tell somebody to 40 million relatives cry…tears of joy.” –Steven
After conveyance through three gain guys who merited no more than 30 seconds of airtime altogether, the judges found the as a rule surprising contestant of the period. Matt Dillard dresses like a guy on a cartoon raise, but sings like an angel. After lending his voice to a Josh Groban song, he no more than merited two yeses from the judges, but got the luck to demonstrate he can prepare better in Hollywood.

And preceding, but not smallest amount, they saved the sob story used for the final contestant…again. This felt like a condensed version of yesterday’s try out exhibition, does it not? Even so, 15 time old Lauren Alaina’s story was poignant. She looks up to her cousin, Holly, who was diagnosed with a brain cancer and she’s burden Idol as a tribute. To ankle boot, Alaina’s got lots of personality and a serious prearranged of pipes. I’m getting a little hackneyed of Idol always ruling a way to base the exhibition with someone with genus problems, but I’ll admit it was cute watching her genus smile and march into the area as she got to sing an Aerosmith song with Steven. Say come again? You will going on for the man, but he’s really gain by making relatives feel special. See? He IS the recent Paula.

Now move out, have the benefit of your inventiveness previously the after that encircling of sharp-witted, obnoxious, screeching, terrifying auditions is previously us. Six days be supposed to be sufficient generation used for your ears to recover from this week’s onslaught.

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Bristol Palin cancels college sex talk after protests - Reuters

Bristol Palin, daughter of conservative politician Sarah Palin, appears on ABC's 'Good Morning America' show in New York November 24, 2010.

Credit: Reuters/Brendan McDermid

ST. LOUIS | Fri Jan 28, 2011 12:03pm EST

ST. LOUIS (Reuters) - Bristol Palin won't be speaking to Washington University students about teen pregnancy and abstinence after an invitation was withdrawn on Friday because of protests.

The University Student Health Advisory Committee had proposed the appearance next month as part of Student Sexual Responsibility Week, and the Student Union Treasury had approved spending $20,000 to sponsor the panel featuring Palin.

But "because of the growing controversy among undergraduates over the decision to pay for her talk with student-generated funds" the committee and Palin decided against the appearance, the university said in a statement.

The daughter of Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate and a relentless critic of the Obama administration, Bristol Palin, 20, became pregnant at 17 and is a single mom to a 2-year-old boy.

It was not revealed what share of the $20,000 would go to Palin.

A "No thanks, Bristol" Facebook petition against the appearance was started by College Democrats shortly after the plan was announced Wednesday and hundreds of students signed it Thursday. Others expressed displeasure during a packed meeting on the St. Louis campus.

Bristol Palin recently teamed up with Jersey Shore star "The Situation" for a public service announcement to prevent teen pregnancy, with Palin advocating abstinence.

The university has nearly 14,000 students and is among the Top 10 most expensive in the country, with costs of over $50,000 a year per student.

(Writing by Bruce Olson, Editing by Mary Wisniewski and Greg McCune)

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Charlie Sheen Enters Rehab, Two and a Half Men Shut Down (142) - E! Online (blog)

John Sciulli/Getty Images

Charlie Sheen is saying, "Yes, yes, yes," to rehab.

His rep just released a statement that the embattled sitcom star "has voluntarily entered an undisclosed rehabilitation center today.

"He is most grateful to all who have expressed their concern," the statement said. "Mr. Sheen asks that his privacy be respected at this time and that no additional information will be provided."

But what about Two and a Half Men? Earlier today, Sheen's rep said the actor would return to work next Tuesday…

RELATED: Source: Charlie Sheen doesn't think he has a problem

A statement issued by CBS Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television and executive producer Chuck Lorre says that the hit show has been placed on production hiatus.

"We are profoundly concerned for his health and well-being, and support his decision," the statement said.

Sheen was rushed to a hospital yesterday morning from his L.A.-area home because, he told friends and family, he was suffering severe abdominal pain, possibly due to a hernia from laughing so hard while watching television.

However, a source has told us that Sheen had been on a long partying bender that included a bevy of porn stars.

"He says things like, 'Men like me don't die,'" the source said yesterday, adding that the actor does not think he has a problem. "Give him some free time and he's off and running."

Let's hope any free time he has now will be spent on his recovery.

(Originally published Jan. 28, 2011, at 3:22 p.m. PT)

WATCH: In happier television news, did you see Ellen DeGeneres' birthday suprise from her wife?

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Demi Lovato's 'Shut Up & Love Me' Leaked (AUDIO) - Celebuzz

Get excited Demi fans: A previously unreleased song by Demi Lovato has been leaked online!
Hardcore Demi fans were sent into a tizzy on Tuesday when a short clip of “Shut Up and Love Me” was released online. Demi’s rep tells Celebuzz that the track is “an old song.” The track will most likely not be appearing on Demi ‘s upcoming 2011 album.
Listen to the clip below.

The clip is short but the lyrics still packed a big punch. “Shut up and love me,” Demi sings, “‘Cause you already got me/ I don’t need words, I need time in your arms.”
Last year the song was the subject of multiple Rick Rolling pranks pulled by Demi fans. Pranksters would set up videos on YouTube promising the “full song” but the hopeful viewer would be met with a Rick Roll. Oops!
What do you think of the authentic clip? Would you want to see this new song on Demi’s new album? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Demi Lovato Concludes Her Time at Rehab
The hard part for Demi Lovato is now over. The " Camp Rock " actress has concluded her time in rehab and returned to her L.A. home, People magazine reported. Lovato , 18, went to rehab last fall for “emotional and physical issues she has dealt with for ...
Demi Lovato completes rehab stint
London, Jan 29 : Singer-actress Demi Lovato has returned to her home in Los Angeles after three months of treatment at a rehab. "Lovato has completed her prescribed treatment and is in an outpatient programme near the treatment facility," contactmusic.com ...

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Movie Review: The Rite - Long Island Press

Anthony Hopkins (holding crucifix) stars in The Rite.

THE RITE

Warner Bros.

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Rated PG-13

2/4 stars

More suited to Sunday-school sermonizing than supernatural cinema, The Rite is a cautionary exorcism outing that seems to be targeting doubters in the theaters rather than those on the screen. Closer to documentary in its approach than make-believe mysticism, The Rite presumptuously intrudes into nonbeliever comfort zones, and is pretty much an alarmist downer following in the cloven footsteps of The DaVinci Code.

Pronouncing right away its more serious than imaginative intent, The Rite solemnly declares that what you are about to behold is based on true events. I’m not sure whether this is meant to keep unfocused viewers in line, or intimidate movie critics into dispensing glowing reviews in order to ward Lucifer away, or maybe a bit of both.

In any case, the story begins at a seriously creepy funeral home, where Dad the mortician (Rutger Hauer) tends to the dead and paints the fingernails of female corpses bright red, while his mute and traumatized son Michael looks on. Years later, Michael (Colin O’Donoghue) is an aspiring priest at a seminary school, who disappoints his father by not following him in the embalming biz. But when Michael begins to doubt his own faith and decides to drop out, his theological mentor (Toby Jones) knows just the cure…packing him off to Rome to take exorcism classes at the Vatican. Huh?

When Michael ruffles feathers at the school by insisting that those who show up for treatment are badly in need of a shrink rather than an exorcism, he’s assigned as an apprentice to Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins), an eccentric Welsh exorcist. Father Lucas scolds his intern—and by extension the audience—inferring that opting to not believe in the devil will not protect the young man.

And Michael is soon witness to unexplained frightening episodes of demonic possession exhibited by afflicted subjects seeking help from Father Lucas, including hokey stuff like suspect felines, a satanic mule, and armies of invading locusts that seem like they may have escaped from Geico commercials. And eventually the unfortunate exorcist is himself possessed.

Directed by Mikael Håfström (1408), scripted by Michael Petroni (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys) and based on the book written by Matt Baglio about Chicago exorcist Father Gary Thomas, The Rite stirs up sufficiently ominous occult atmosphere, which would have worked to hyper-chilling effect, had the production just not have taken itself so seriously. And also perhaps had the audience not been made to feel like they’re the ones who’ve just been exorcised, as they depart the theater looking over their shoulders.

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Family-Faith Review: The Mechanic - Oregon Faith Report

Family-Faith Review: The Mechanic
By Catholic Office of Film and Broadcasting

The Mechanic 00 This violence-fueled remake of the 1972 Charles Bronson thriller focuses on the relationship between a crack assassin-for-hire (Jason Statham) and the ne’er-do-well son (Ben Foster) of his murdered mentor (Donald Sutherland), whom he takes on as an apprentice. But the methodical killer’s new protege proves to be a careless, vengeance-hungry loose cannon. Though director Simon West pulls off some clever plot turns, they too often result in blood-spattered scenes of mayhem. Meanwhile, the central characters’ pursuit of base physical satisfaction leads them — and the audience — into a sleazy underworld of brothels. Excessive gory violence, some of it sadistic; strong sexual content, including graphic scenes of prostitution, lesbian-themed pornography and nongraphic male homosexual activity; upper female and brief rear nudity; a half-dozen uses of profanity; and much rough and crude language. O — morally offensive. (R) 2011

Full Review

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Taylor plays trumps in Hollywood - Sydney Morning Herald

Rachael Taylor ... Angels remake. Photo: Scott Barbour

AUSTRALIAN actress Rachael Taylor (pictured) has cracked Hollywood's big trifecta: a part in Grey's Anatomy, a new movie and a role in the remake of the cult classic Charlie's Angels.

The 26-year-old, who was forced to take out an apprehended violence order against her former boyfriend, actor Matt Newton, has signed on to star in the television remake.

She has been cast to play the role of Abby, a sassy young con artist-cum-self-defence expert.

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The original TV series starred Farrah Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith and Kate Jackson.

Newton, 33, recently checked out of a rehabilitation centre, while Taylor has reportedly started dating Australian actor Josh Lawson.

As well as securing the role in the high-rating medical drama Grey's Anatomy, Taylor is set to make an appearance on the big screen this year in the sci-fi thriller The Darkest Hour.

Production on the Charlie's Angels remake is set to start next month.

Minka Kelly who stars in Friday Night Lights and Annie Ilonzeh who is in General Hospital have already signed on to round out the trendy crime-fighting trio.

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'Another Earth' Wins Sloane Prize at Sundance - CDInsight

?Another Earth? Wins Sloane Prize at Sundance
At the Sundance Film Festival, the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film prize is awarded to a film which depicts science or technology as a major part of the film or that has a character who is a scientist, engineer, or mathematician. This year?s award went to Mike Cahill?s Another Earth. The winner of this award was chosen by a panel of film and science professionals.

Another Earth tells the story of a girl who gets into a car accident while looking at a planet and kills a mother and child. It stars Brit Marling and William Mapother.

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation gives a grant for this award in hopes of supporting filmmakers in making films that deal with science and technology related subjects.

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Comcasting the news - Variety

Posted: Sat., Jan. 29, 2011, 4:00am PTBrian Roberts has called it "the single most awesome asset" of NBC Universal. Comcast has vowed to protect and grow its operations.

Throughout the yearlong quest to secure regulatory approval for the Comcast-NBC U merger, Comcast execs cited their commitment to supporting the journalistic mission of NBC News as a key reason why the public interest would be served by the union of the Peacock and the nation's largest cable operator.

As such, NBC News has now been put on a pedestal in the enlarged NBC U operation. The division is expected to undergo something of a renaissance as the company's new corporate stewards try to live up to the high-minded promises made in the halls of Congress and the FCC. That dynamic puts NBC News in a unique position among its TV counterparts, almost all of which have been under pressure to rein in costs for years. Certainly the news wings of the Big Three networks have faced the challenge of becoming profit centers -- or at least not money losers -- since the late 1980s.

But NBC News, unlike CBS and ABC, is in hiring mode and is on top of the ratings.

"The news division is in a very strong position," says Barbara Cochran, former executive producer of NBC's "Meet the Press" and now a professor at the U. of Missouri journalism school. "I think there's every reason for Comcast to say, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.' "

But now Comcast has something to prove, namely that it will invest in newsgathering and that it will not interfere with NBC News coverage even if it conflicts with the larger corporate agenda.

The sensitivity that Roberts and new NBC U CEO Steve Burke have toward NBC News was evident Jan. 21 when MSNBC's signature star Keith Olbermann hastily announced his departure from the all-news cabler. By all accounts, Olbermann's exit was unrelated to the Comcast takeover, despite the timing of his announcement, which came just days before the merger was skedded to formally close.

Comcast jumped on the issue, and released a statement asserting: "Comcast has not closed the transaction for NBC Universal and has no operational control at any of its properties including MSNBC. We pledged from the day the deal was announced that we would not interfere with NBC Universal's news operations. We have not and we will not."

Most observers, including those who opposed the merger, agree that Olbermann's departure had nothing to do with Comcast.

The Olbermann affair highlighted the fact that Comcast execs, with no deep experience running a news division and a preference for staying under the radar, may find NBC News and MSNBC much harder to run than E! or the Golf Channel. And the Olbermann headlines have only increased expectations that Comcast will seek to make a major show of support for NBC News while the dust settles on the merger.

"We will be good to our word -- and we will be respectful stewards of the strong and iconic assets of NBC Universal, particularly NBC News," Comcast exec veep David Cohen wrote in a Jan. 18 memo outlining the final details of the company's agreements with the FCC and Dept. of Justice.

At the national level, the management of NBC News is expected to remain unchanged under president Steve Capus, who has headed the division since 2005 and has been with NBC News since 1993.

Amid the turmoil at the NBC broadcast network, NBC News has remained solid. Despite the defection of Katie Couric to CBS, the retirement of Tom Brokaw and the death of Tim Russert, "Today," "NBC Nightly News" and "Meet the Press" have remained on top of the ratings. MSNBC, once an also-ran in the cable wars, has found its competitive footing thanks to the leftward tilt driven by the success of Olbermann's nightly "Countdown" broadcast.

That void in MSNBC's lineup now presents an immediate challenge to Capus and MSNBC prexy Phil Griffin to maintain the cabler's momentum with the personalities now peppering the cable news net, chiefly Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell and Ed Schultz.

Susan Crawford, a Cardozo Law School professor who is writing a book about the NBC-Comcast merger, says she expects no immediate change in NBC News.

"I think Comcast will see it's in its best interest to maintain the status quo at NBC," she says.

That status quo includes keeping MSNBC's liberal posture.

"It would be wrong to say that Olbermann's exit represents a change in programming philosophy," Cochran says. "At the same time, this demonstrates that no matter how good the ratings, NBC News executives will determine when a host has crossed the line."

NBC News declined to comment for this story, as did Comcast Corp., which until the deal closes has no operational control over NBC.

Certainly Comcast is saying all the right things. Burke was at the NBC News upfront presentation last week, and spent 20 minutes backstage talking with MSNBC host Maddow.

Yet Comcast has sometimes run into controversy on the news side. In 2008, Comcast fired Barry Nolan, an anchor on its cabler CN8, after Nolan voiced displeasure over Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly getting a local TV award. Nolan sued. Comcast won.

Politically, some suggest Comcast might be uneasy with MSNBC's primetime lineup. Roberts and Burke have contributed to GOP candidates as well as Democrats. Comcast also has an interest in making sure it doesn't run afoul of regulators.

But Crawford noted that Comcast's distribution business depends on having top channels like ESPN and Fox News in its lineup.

"There is a concern that Comcast will want to be very polite to their sister oligopolies like Fox and not be edgy," she says. "Right now, MSNBC is providing the only response to Fox News. You can't be a pay TV distributor without Fox News."

Sources close to Comcast say that the company takes seriously its pledge for NBC News' editorial independence and points to its many commitments to regulators. Comcast's Cohen, in a December 2009 letter about the merger, said the company would continue corporate policy that ensures non-media corporate interests of GE and Comcast do not influence NBC News.

One of the commitments Comcast made to the FCC was to dramatically expand the volume of local news and informational programming produced by NBC and Telemundo-owned stations by 1,000 hours a year.

That pledge addressed the news question and also the concerns that the enlarged NBC U would be less attuned to the local needs of viewers in NBC and Telemundo O&O markets.

To assuage fears raised by watchdog orgs, Comcast further pledged that at least five of the 10 NBC O&Os would strike partnerships with what it termed "hyper-local news organizations."

The commitment calls for the NBC stations to provide financial support and resources to "locally focused, nonprofit news organizations relevant to each such station's market and/or region" in a news-sharing partnership. This provision has spurred media focus on the prospects of nonprofit news orgs filling the void in local and investigative news reporting, and has drawn rave reviews and hopes for the future.

Cardozo's Crawford thinks the nonprofit news deal could be a lasting legacy of the merger.

"It may be (that) the future of news is not ad-driven, that it really is a nonprofit business if anybody is going to do investigative reporting (at the local level)," Crawford says. "This nonprofit news element is genuinely in the public interest."

But observers say that only time will tell if NBC News and MSNBC will be impacted by the change in corporate ownership.

T. Barton Carter, a professor of mass communication at Boston U., takes politics out of the equation when considering why Comcast would realign a successful MSNBC.

"If you basically abandon a segment of the market that you previously staked out, and try to (move to) another, that doesn't necessarily make good business sense," Carter says. Contact Cynthia Littleton at cynthia.littleton@variety.com

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Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way' Leads New Era Of Outcast Anthems - MTV.com

Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way' Leads New Era Of Outcast Anthems - Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV Jan 28 2011 4:01 PM EST17,451Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way' Leads New Era Of Outcast AnthemsTaking cues from Frank Zappa, the Ramones and Nirvana, Gaga carries the torch for the outsider in pop music.By James Montgomery (@positivnegativ)

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In the 1970s, when disco was in full swing and rock and roll was posturing its way into arenas, four goony, glue-sniffing kids in Forest Hills, Queens, threw on leather jackets and began bashing out two-minute tunes with titles like "Blitzkrieg Bop" and "Beat on the Brat." They called themselves the Ramones, and not only were they probably the first punk band on planet Earth, but they were most definitely outcasts, in every sense of the world.

Of course, the Ramones certainly weren't the first musical outcasts. Theirs is a legacy that reaches all the way back to the dawn of recorded music, from the likes of the Hoosier Hot Shots and Slim Galliard, scatting madman Cab Calloway and the "shocking" Screamin' Jay Hawkins, to midcentury curios like bizarro bandleader Spike Jones, deep-fried '60s oddballs like Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart and even contemporaries like the Cramps and the Talking Heads. But unlike any who came before them, the Ramones helped usher in an era — and a genre — in which being odd was championed. It would continue through the 1980s, thanks to the Heads, West Coast punk acts like Black Flag and the Minutemen, and college-radio darlings like R.E.M. — and, of course, the eternally outcast world of heavy metal — then truly break through in the '90s, with the chart-topping success of Nirvana, Pearl Jam and the Smashing Pumpkins, and the rise of hip-hop outfits like the Wu-Tang Clan, the Pharcyde and the incomparable Kool Keith.

Of course, in the 2000s, things sort of petered out. Rock and hip hop became increasingly lunkheaded and lumbering, and the meek were shoved from the spotlight. And it bears mention that, even during the outcast heyday, for the most part, established acts — i.e., anyone who had plenty to lose — stayed as far removed from the fringe as possible, or if they dared stray outside their lane, they suffered the consequences (the classic example being, of course, Madonna, who nearly submarined her entire career with the simultaneous release of the Erotica album and its accompaniment, the coffee-table book "Sex"). There's a reason it's called "popular" music, after all.

These days, however, things appear to be changing. For the first time, established pop megastars are embracing those on the fringes of society — and finding success in the process. It all started, appropriately enough, with the rise of Lady Gaga, who made no bones about the fact that her earliest support came from the gay community, and over the past year, through videos like "Alejandro" and her campaign against "don't ask, don't tell," she has become the outcast icon of our time. Others followed suit — like Pink, who scored hits with underdog anthems like "Raise Your Glass" and "F***** Perfect"; Ke$ha, whose "We R Who We R" went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100; and even Katy Perry, who dedicated her "Firework" video to the "It Gets Better" campaign — and it truly seems that, for the first time since the 1990s, being an outcast was not only acceptable, it was downright mainstream.

Now, Gaga is poised to return with "Born This Way," the first single from her album of the same name. On Thursday, she released the song's lyrics, and if it's not already the biggest outcast anthem of all time, well, then it probably will be very soon. In fact, there's nary an outsider group Gaga doesn't mention in the song — gays, bisexuals, transgenders, ethnic minorities, the disabled, the bullied, the poor — which makes it, and its near-inevitable chart success, incredibly noteworthy. After all, here is Lady Gaga, currently the biggest artist on the planet, releasing a song that not only calls for acceptance of all people, but drags those who aim to oppress directly into the center of the ring. It is not only fierce, it's downright fearless. Gaga has plenty to lose, but she couldn't care less.

And perhaps "Born This Way" is just the byproduct of the era in which we live, a time when social mores are constantly debated, when boundaries are being expanded and contracted, almost daily, and when it truly seems possible that maybe — just maybe — the outcasts could inherit the earth. After all, Bill Gates was an outcast, Barack Obama was too — and look how things worked out for them. And while this may put the fear of God in some folks, it seems that change is inevitable, and, as it is wont to do, pop music is there to provide the soundtrack to all of that change. Just like in the 1960s, when the biggest rock and folk acts of the day led the charge for social rebellion, so too may Lady Gaga. And she'll do it on the biggest stage imaginable. Of course, that might just be speculation, but it's certainly been a long time coming.

What is your favorite outcast anthem? Let us know in the comments!

|Comment On This ArticleLady GagaPhoto: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

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Health Care Costs in Question as Obama Administration Grant Waivers - Fox News

By Jim AnglePublished January 29, 2011| FoxNews.com
The Obama Administration claimed Friday its health care law will bring down costs for everyone once it takes full effect in 2014, even as the President made fun of its critics.
"You may have heard once or twice that this is a job-crushing, granny-threatening, budget-busting monstrosity.  That's about how it's been portrayed by opponents," he joked to laughter among the crowd at a FamiliesUSA conference in Washington.
A new Health and Human Services Report states that families will save money under the law.
The original source of that conclusion is a 2009 analysis from the Congressional Budget office that looked at some provisions and predicted that "Average [health care] premiums would be seven to 10 percent lower..."
But the same analysis also predicted that other provisions of the law would have the opposite effect, saying "Average [health care] premiums would be 27 percent to 30 percent higher..."
That prompted Michigan Rep. Dave Camp, the Republican chairman of the Ways and Means Committee to issue a statement saying "This report would be laughable if it wasn't so disingenuous. The facts remain clear: the Democrats' health care law increases health care costs."
Meanwhile, the Obama administration has now tripled the number of waivers granted to employers who cannot meet with the requirements of the new law -- from a little more than  200 to more than 700.
"Even the Obama administration is admitting by granting these waivers that they better make some exceptions or they're going to have the unintended consequence of having more uninsured, not less," according to Jim Capretta of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a former official in the White House Office of Management and Budget from 2001 to 2004.
John Goodman of the National Center for Policy Analysis says  "What's happening is the federal government is trying to force workers to have a health insurance plan that's more expensive than they or their employers can afford."
The law now forces all plans to offer at least 750,000 dollars in annual benefits, but the administration has already granted waivers to McDonald's and other low wage firms.
Goodman and others fear employers will just drop insurance altogether and pay the penalties, or hire fewer people.
"The cheapest thing for an employer not to do is not to hire people," Goodman says, "to hire only temporary workers. To hire contract laborers. And then you get out from under the fines. You get out from under the mandates, but is that really where we want to go?"
Hundreds of entities from banks to church groups to school districts are saying they can't live up to the law.
The group also includes dozens of unions chapters, most of which supported passage of the bill -- from electrical workers to Teamsters to the Service Employees Union, which organizes low wage workers.
Even a union representing NY Firefighters asked for a waiver, as well as several states whose own health care requirements were lower than the new federal law.
The waivers last for a year but can be renewed until 2014, at which point everyone has to get insurance from their employer, or through state run exchanges where those making less than 80 thousand dollars a year will get federal subsidies.
"They will be eligible for a new federal subsidy structure that will provide them with discounted premiums. That's the new entitlement in the health care law that's going to be so expensive."
And at the moment, the cost is the hottest issue. The administration promises everyone can have better health care at lower prices. Critics say they're spending a trillion dollars over ten years... and that money has to come from somewhere.
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Obama's visit Penn State to spotlight energy research - Philadelphia Inquirer

Posted on Sat, Jan. 29, 2011 By Thomas Fitzgerald and Susan Snyder

Inquirer Staff Writers

President Obama will visit Pennsylvania State University's main campus Wednesday to highlight its cutting-edge research in energy efficiency, White House officials announced Friday.

The trip to State College is part of Obama's political push to capitalize on his call for more research and innovation in clean-energy technology during Tuesday's State of the Union address.

Penn State has been awarded a $122 million grant by the Department of Energy to use on its "energy innovation hub" at the Navy Yard, where the university is leading research into energy-efficient building design and retrofitting.

"We're thrilled," said Henry C. Foley, Penn State's vice president for research and dean of the graduate school, who will lead the effort. "We're going into a new era of science and technology led by him, and we're very happy to be a lead institution helping to drive this all forward."

Obama will visit labs related to architectural and structural engineering, he said. Penn State spokeswoman Lisa Powers said the university had 150 researchers working on energy efficiency.

"We're really excited that we're being recognized by the president for our work in energy research," Powers said.

Obama said during his address that the United States should get 80 percent of its electricity from clean-energy sources by 2035, saying it needed to step up its game to be competitive in the world economy.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu said Friday that energy efficiency would be a big part of meeting that goal. "Countries all around the world are moving to innovate in energy efficiency," Chu said in a conference call. "This is a race."

The university is to begin receiving its Energy Department grant money, the largest single grant in Penn State's history, on Tuesday.

Over the next five years, the federal government will provide a total of $129 million for the research project at the Navy Yard, which will involve researchers from academia, the private sector, and two national laboratories who will study ways to save energy and cut carbon pollution.

U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson (R., Pa.), who represents the State College area, welcomed Obama's emphasis on Penn State's work but said the president should also embrace the supply side of the energy equation.

Thompson said, "I am hopeful during his visit that Mr. Obama will touch on the importance of domestic energy production, especially oil, coal, and natural gas - each just as critical to any credible, long-term energy plan - and what steps the administration is taking to increase our domestic energy supply." Contact staff writer Thomas Fitzgerald at 215-854-2718

or tfitzgerald@phillynews.com.

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