When we interviewed Freaky Eaters' nutritionist JJ Virgin at the start of the show's second season, she told us, "People tune in for the freak factor." If you want to know what she means, look no further than the video below that TLC put together in advance of Sunday's two-part season finale (airing at 10/9c). It's a corn-starch chewing, maple syrup-dousing, food-regurgitating orgasm of tartar sauce. Or something...
In the proverbial So-Bad-It's-Good Hall of Fame, a wing must be devoted to the local commercial. Amateurishly shot, oddly cast and often hawking things you never knew you needed (and, even after the commercial has aired, probably still aren't convinced), these things camp up local TV in a distinctly scrappy way (my all-time favorite: Select Dental). A few years ago, YouTube hitmakers Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal hooked up with MicroBilt and began producing commercials for small businesses that would go on to garner millions of views on their YouTube channel. These commercials have all the stiltedness and eccentricity of regular local commercials with an added layer of cleverness (see their SOBERING Tattoo Commercial, in which tattoo artists from Austin, Texas' True Blue Tattoo gravely list the repercussions that come from being inked, like, "Elderly women will be afraid of you"). McLaughlin and Neal achieve an impressive balance, teasing out the weirdness of the businesses they rep without ever coming off as mean. They're bringing their local-commercial shooting from the computer screen to the flatscreen with IFC's Rhett & Link Commercial Kings, which premieres Friday at 10/9c...
In a scene from this week's The Glee Project (airing Sunday at 9/8c on Oxygen), the aspiring TV stars perform a rendition of Tears for Fears' "Mad World" (in the style of the remake that Michael Andrews and Gary Jules did for the Donnie Darko soundtrack). They've clearly taken a page from Glee's Lady Gaga episode...
Aside from the impressive, horrifying and ultimately failed sword-swallower, Steven Retchless defined what America's Got Talent is all about on Wednesday's episode: being a one-person freak show. I do mean that in the nicest way, as part of what makes him so freaky is his adeptness at swinging, wiggling and falling from the poles he dances on. Sharon Osbourne called him "all things to everyone" (although there's no mistaking him for my dentist), while Piers Morgan's feedback was: "I didn't get it"...
Jason Patric is taking the lead role in the FX pilot Powers, the network announced Wednesday. The procedural is based on the comic book series, published first by Image Comics and then by Marvel's Icon imprint. Patric will play Christian Walker, a homicide detective who investigates cases involving people with superpowers (referred to as "powers"). Charles S. Dutton (as Walker's boss), Lucy Punch (as his partner) and Bailee Madison are also set to star...
Glen Campbell is living with Alzheimer's disease, he has revealed in an interview with People magazine. Though Campbell was diagnosed six months ago, the 75-year-old "Rhinestone Cowboy" singer, who hosted The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS from 1969 to '72, is just going public now in advance of his upcoming farewell tour...
Oh look, just what pop culture needed: another remake of an '80s movie. At least the forthcoming Footloose is set in modern day. The plot, as outlined by this trailer, seems similar enough (oppressive small town attempts to ban dancing, but can't keep the twinkle-toed teens down for long!) to Herbert Ross' 1984 original...
George Clooney and Italian actress Elisabetta Canalis have announced that they are parting ways. "We are not together anymore. It's very difficult and very personal, and we hope everyone can respect our privacy," read their joint statement announcing the end of their almost two-year relationship...
Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is expecting a child. Her father-in-law, Amitabh Bachchan announced the pregnancy on Tuesday via Twitter: "NEWS NEWS NEWS !! I AM GOING TO BECOME A GRANDFATHER .. AISHWARYA EXPECTING .. SO HAPPY AND THRILLED !!!" The news was later confirmed by her manager, according to Reuters...
Tom Hanks isn't the most likely candidate to show the world that dance is the true international language, but he did it anyway on Tuesday's episode of Univision's Despierta America. Watch as he dances through the weather report of the Spanish-language broadcast alongside Chiquinquira Delgado...
If you had any doubt that Palin is a brand, doubt no more: Sarah Palin and daughter Bristol have filed to trademark their names, The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire blog reports. Bristol Palin says she lost her virginity while drunk in new memoir Sarah's trademark will cover "educational and entertainment services, namely, providing motivational speaking services in the field of politics, culture, business and values," as well as "information about political elections" and "a website featuring information about political issues." Bristol's is for "educational and entertainment services, namely, providing motivational speaking services in the field of life choices"...
Megan Fox and John C. Reilly will make cameos in the Sacha Baron Cohen vehicle The Dictator, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The exact nature of their appearances is being kept under wraps...
Mike Tyson is bringing a loose version of his life to HBO, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The series titled Da Brick will be directed by Spike Lee, written and run by John Ridley and have some participation from Entourage creator Doug Ellin and his producing partner, Jim Lefkowitz...
Alan Ball has revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that he's discussing a deal to continue as True Blood showrunner for the series' fifth season — but what happens after that is anybody's guess...
Ron Howard is negotiating to direct a film based on the 1970s real-life rivalry of Formula 1 racers James Hunt and Niki Lauda, according to Entertainment Weekly...
Amber Ojeda knew that this week's Platinum Hit rapping challenge would pose a problem for her, but given her emotional outpouring upon her elimination, she didn't know how much of a problem it would be. Criticized for not contributing enough and also for the supposedly small amount she did contribute (guest judge Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, for example hated her line that described "running rhymes through my head in my canopy bed") to Jackie's embarrassing rap about being white, Ojeda left the competition in tears and doubt. Below, she talks about getting her confidence back, how Kara DioGuardi offended her, Nick's lechery and why she thinks the warzone vibe of the show is counterproductive...
It's not quite on the level of last week's Joy Behar Show debacle, but this clip from Gene Simmons' appearance on Monday's episode of The Talk is worth at least a wince. In it, co-host Sharon Osbourne calls Simmons out for "many, many years ago" saying that unlike the kids on The Osbournes, his kids (as seen on Gene Simmons Family Jewels) are not on drugs and for calling Ozzy Osbourne "sad." Catch up with today's news While it's kind of amazing to watch celebrities drop the veneer of politeness and discuss their beef openly and civilly on daytime television, their exchange is...
El Willy, the Chihuahua who stands on his hind legs and swivels his hips to approximate a salsa dance, is on his way to becoming a YouTube superstar, as he should be. The dog has more swagger than an entire season of Dancing with the Stars. Where's El Willy's inspirational package about how dance makes a big impact on the lives of remarkable young animals? Anyway, El Willy is from a long line of hind-legs standing, dancing-aping animals on YouTube. His work is very impressive, but perhaps you prefer the work of Hot Salsa Dog or Dancing Merengue Dog...
In its first-season finale, Game of Thrones tied up its loose ends as well as a sprawling fantasy epic could be expected to. More importantly, it left us wanting more by introducing us to Daenerys Targaryen's little ... friends. We bid our spoiler-filled goodbyes below. TVGuide.com's Hanh Nguyen is an avid scripted-TV watcher, a horror-avoider and someone who's read George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire book series, on which HBO's Game of Thrones is based. Colleague Rich Juzwiak rarely watches scripted television, is a gorehound and became alerted to Martin's existence just recently, as he started researching this new swords-and-sandals (well, boots) series. He knows nothing of these sorcerers (if that is indeed what they are), while Hanh is something of an expert (read: fantasy/sci-fi nerd). Each week, he'll try to make sense of this crazy new show by enlisting Hanh's expertise. It may turn out to be a test of tolerance: in this case, the Games begin after the TV is off...
The video for "Weird Al" Yankovic's much-discussed Lady Gaga parody "Perform This Way" has at last arrived and it's ... kind of unnecessary? True to Al's form, the visuals are literal translations of his lyrics, but skewering someone as outlandish as Lady Gaga feels like shooting fish in an egg. We don't need Weird Al to tell us that Lady Gaga wears silly things, and then show us how silly they are by wearing them himself. Most of us have functioning eyeballs and were able to take in the intentional spectacle of the meat dress or police-tape outfit the first time around...
The question for any show that purports to help distressed and/or disordered people is straightforward: How much is it actually helping? A&E's Hoarders, which returns for its fourth season Monday at 9/8c, is no exception. To help sort it out, we spoke to Geralin Thomas, a certified professional organizer specializing in chronic disorganization. She's appeared on roughly 20 episodes throughout Hoarders' run. Like the show she's on, Thomas "tends to gravitate to helping people with mental health challenges and physical health challenges get organized." By phone, Thomas told us about the effect that working with challenged people has on her, whether the TV production helps or hurts the organizing process and how the show's exposure of hoarding has helped people pinpoint their own problems...
A&E's Hoarders returns for its fourth season on Monday at 9/8c, and we have an exclusive clip from the premiere. In it, a woman named Phyllis describes her fascination with dolls, which has led her to amass 50,000 of them. The scene in which she performs "doll surgery," amputating the hands of some to be placed on others, is among the oddest moments this very odd show has ever featured...
