Poor Katharine McPhee did not know what she was in for when she went on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to promote Smash last night. But she handled a flirty Russell Brand like a champ!
When McPhee came out on stage, Brand wouldn’t move from the guest chair, so she sat down on his lap. Then Brand got a little touchy-feely. Watch the awkwardness below: READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Russell Brand called in to Howard Stern’s radio show this morning ostensibly to promote Brand X, but Stern was more curious to talk to Brand about his divorce from Katy Perry, which was finalized two days ago.
Much like his appearance on Ellen, Brand seemed determined to take the high road, passing on opportunities to dish on his ex-wife. While the full interview isn’t available online, you can listen to a clip where Brand says, “[Before] we got married, I just thought, ‘I’ve got to marry her, I just love her so much.’ And then we got married and I thought, ‘Okay, this isn’t really working out.’”
MTV reports Brand touched on tabloid rumors that their issues had to do with whether or not to start a family, but didn’t want to give details, saying, “’I don’t want anything to hurt her. She’s younger than me, she’s a young woman and she’s beautiful and she’s sensitive and I care about her deeply.” He also dismissed rumors that her parents (and their religious beliefs) contributed to the end of their relationship. READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Katy Perry — Richard Drew/AP
Katy Perry’s 3-D extravaganza Part of Me hit theaters this week. Obvious self-reflective implications aside, it’s strange that Perry chose this title from her collection because it’s lyrically the least Katy Perry-ish song in her repertoire. “Part of Me” foregoes the whipped-cream-and-rainbows sensibility that so perplexes (and captivates) my colleague Annie Barrett. It speaks of overcoming adversity and seeks self-empowerment. It’s also a hit job.
I’m not here to sift through the dross surrounding Perry’s divorce from Russell Brand. And I can’t fault Perry for documenting the unraveling of the relationship in the documentary — not to do so would be as glossy and inauthentic as one of her lolliprops. Still, it seems this song speaks to a potential directional shift in girl pop that, frankly, is troubling. Perry and her fellow hit-churner Taylor Swift have taken the break-up song to a new level, crucifying their exes publicly — to massive success. It begs the question: When did a few cute girls’ personal burn books turn into the American songbook? READ FULL STORY »
Welcome to ‘What Is Your Damage,’ Annie Barrett’s summer shop of all the melodrama and self-absorption she misses from springtime reality TV. Every Tuesday and Friday, she’ll rant about a current offense to her humanity, then assess readers’ damages via video replies. Don’t be shy about admitting what annoys or intrigues you. We’re all in this pop cult together!
What is your damage, Katy Perry? You’re making me feel like a hard old bitch.
Until yesterday my impression of you had been somewhat vague, a smattering of visuals and a strong if nonsensical set of aural hooks. If I heard your name, I’d think of rainbow sherbet , hot dogs that are really people, Snoop Dogg rolling a pair of sugarcube dice, and gummy bears come to life. Basically a child’s, or stoner’s, paradise. (If you did a “Downtempo Snaxxx Remix” of each hit single, by the way, you could easily corner another segment of the population.) I’m pretty sure I could pick your voice out of a police lineup, for crimes against candy. And without even trying, I somehow know all of your singles. Are there drugs in those? I hear them once and by the second go-round I’m BELTING them like some wall-licking beast.
READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Fox
The worst thing you can say about Brand X, Russell Brand’s new FX-sponsored experiment in late-night comedy, is that the show has so many clashing tones and underlying concepts that it feels like a mulch of about 50 different ideas mashed into a half hour. The show looks a little bit like a stand-up set filmed at your local high school. Brand moves around on stage, delivering jokes in front of a studio audience. The show’s logo looks like leftover publicity material from the early days of SpikeTV; the set is backdropped by a John Paul Goode map illustrated (if the end credits are to be believed) by iconic street artist Shepard Fairey. READ FULL STORY »
Though Katy Perry has previously discussed her divorce from comedian Russell Brand, the “Firework” singer explained to Jay Leno last night why she’s not shying away from it in her upcoming concert film, Katy Perry: Part of Me.
A purple-haired Perry told Leno that she wanted to give fans an honest look at life on the road in her movie — even if it meant documenting her personal turmoil. Brand announced he was filing for divorce from Perry, who was on a world tour for much of 2011, last December. “It wasn’t always exciting to watch those unflattering scenes where I’m crying and having an intense moment,” Perry said. “But I think that people will relate to the movie even more seeing me at my lowest point and now at my highest point.”
Watch a clip below.
Image Credit: Mcheal Rozman/Warner Bros
Russell Brand discusses the one that got away.
Since announcing they were divorcing in December, Russell Brand and Katy Perry have been mostly mum about their split. But with a new movie –Rock of Ages– to promote, Brand stopped by Ellen today to open up for the first time about the duo’s 14-month marriage.
It could have been a slightly awkward return engagement, as last time Brand appeared on Ellen, in early December, they were facing rumors that things had gone south and were divorcing. At the time, Brand insisted the rumors weren’t true. This time, obviously, things had changed.
Apparently they plan to have the most drama-free divorce in Hollywood, as Brand had only positive things to say about his time with Perry. “Sometimes when you’re in a relationship I suppose it doesn’t work out, does it? But that doesn’t mean I regret it or anything.” He called her a “beautiful human being” he only had “love and positivity” toward. Hats off to Brand for keeping the talk classy–at least until he pens Booky Wook 3.
Watch Brand discuss Perry, as well as get the comedian’s thoughts on that crazy Time magazine cover, below:
Testifying before the U.K. Parliament today, Russell Brand talked about his 12 arrests and quoted holographic rapper Tupac Shakur. According to The Guardian, Brand’s main objective today was to advocate for treating drug addiction as a health and social welfare issue rather than as a criminal one. Despite cracking jokes, the funnyman got serious for a few moments, saying, “It is more important that we regard people suffering from addiction with compassion and there is a pragmatic rather than a symbolic approach to treating it.” Watch excerpts of Brand’s testimony below. READ FULL STORY »
