Sweeney Todd

With Hairspray released, the next movie musical is Tim Burton's adaptation of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street hitting theaters this December with Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. Should be a real creepfest. Click the picture for a bigger look at the movie poster!

Because it's just too damn funny...

No substance here...just some fun and clever editing! Enjoy!

Kelly Clarkson Says Sorry, Tries Again

Kelly Clarkson is releasing new material! After months of drama and reported feuding with label head Clive Davis, Clarkson is finally apologizing. The singer's second album, Breakaway, sold over 6 million copies in the US while her new album, My December, has yet to go platinum (1 million units) or produce a hit single. Now...Clive and Kelly are back! The singer says she will release a new album next year that Clive Davis will completely be in charge of.

I'm quite pleased. I love Kelly's second album. It produced great radio hits for her (Since You've Been Gone, Behind These Hazel Eyes, and Because of You). I have been extremely disappointed with her latest album. I look forward to new material headed by Clive.

Nicole Richie Sentenced!

Nicole Richie has been sentenced to only FOUR days in jail for her SECOND DUI offense. The real question is whether or not she's pregnant. I think that she definitely deserves more time in the slammer...at least equal to the time Paris Hilton spent in jail last month. Of course, this information is not half as buzzworthy as the crazy items that are coming out about Lindsay Lohan since her arrest on Tuesday morning. Now apparently she stole a car as well. Take everything with a grain of salt remember...it's all rumors (and you know Lindsay's tired of em as her first single proclaimed) for now. Besides...Lindsay says she's innocent! HA!

Pollspot

Political Wire has some interesting polls I'd like to bring to your attention:

President Bush and Iowa:

As a back drop to the presidential campaign, SurveyUSA has tracked President Bush’s approval rating in Iowa for more than two years. This month’s 28% approval rating is his lowest ever and coincides with his highest-ever disapproval number, which is 69% today.

Arizona:

A new American Research Group survey in Arizona finds Sen. Hillary Clinton continues to lead the Democratic presidential race with 39%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 25% , Bill Richardson at 9% and John Edwards at 8%.

In the Republican race, Sen. John McCain leads Rudy Giuliani 32% to 23% in his home state, with 15% for Fred Thompson. However, McCain was at 45% in the February poll.

No surprise that McCain is leading in his home state. However, it is a surprise that he has dropped almost 15 percentage points. Still, he has a comfortable lead over Rudy Giuliani. Meanwhile, while no surprises at the Hillary and Obama dominance, it is more important to point out that Bill Richardson slightly wins over John Edwards in Arizona. This shows how the New Mexico governor is definitely more well known in the West and how he definitely will have an impact in the primaries.

National:

A new Diagio/Hotline national survey finds Sen. Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic presidential race with 39%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 30%, and John Edwards at 11%. All other candidates receive less than 5%.

On the Republican side, Rudy Giuliani edges out former Sen. Fred Thompson 20% to 19%, with Sen. John McCain third with 17% and Mitt Romney fourth at 8%. All other candidates receive less than 5% each.

Meanwhile, a new George Washington University Battleground Poll shows Giuliani edging Clinton in a general election matchup:
Clinton 44%, Giuliani 50%
Clinton 47%, Thompson 45%
Obama 52%, Giuliani 43%
Obama 56%, Thompson 36%

It's definitely interesting to point out how in this poll Clinton would lose to Giuliani but Obama would win over Giuliani. I definitely think Hillary Clinton would shut down the former NYC mayor just like she started to when they were both planning a 2000 senate run but Giuliani had to step down for health reasons.

Rumorville: The View

This is almost completely confirmed but I'll wait until we get an official announcement before I consider it not a rumor...sources close to ABC are announcing that Whoopi Goldberg and Sherri Shepherd have been offered the two vacant spots on The View panel replacing Rosie O'Donnell and Star Jones Reynolds. A full announcement is expected next week.

Mitt Romney vs YouTube

This article from the Chicago Tribune was brought to my attention discussing Mitt Romney's big mistake!

Here's a quote from the article:

"YouTube is a website that allows kids to network with one another and make friends and contact each other," Romney explained. "YouTube looked to see if they had any convicted sex offenders on their web site. They had 29,000."

WHOOPS! Come on Mitt Romney! Get with the times! YouTube allows users to share videos...MySpace allows the kids to networks with one another! As Ashlee pointed out, this just shows how disconnected he is with today's youth. It's also a bit of a slap in YouTube's face because the website has taken big steps to get out the word of the 2008 Presidential Election by allowing each candidate to have a page and post videos. Romney should have also known better because come September...he will be participating in the CNN/YouTube debate. Maybe someone should ask him about this little blunder?

UPDATE: Mitt Romney may NOT participate in the September CNN/YouTube debate. An even bigger slap in the face to YouTube.

According to Political Wire:

Two Republican presidential frontrunners, former Gov. Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani, are both considering not participating in the CNN/YouTube Republican debate in September.

According to Marc Ambinder, Giuliani “will most likely opt out” because of “unspecified scheduling conflicts.” The New Hampshire Union Leader reports that Romney “isn’t sure yet whether he’ll participate…but he’s no fan of the format.”

The Simpsons Movie

The Simpsons Movie hits theaters today (July 27th). The long running show film adaptation is currently getting good reviews at Rotten Tomatoes with 66 Fresh and 11 Rotten with more reviews expected to pour in. I myself have never been a fan of the show and have never even seen a full episode in my 20 years. However, I do looove that Spider Pig.

Edwards Leads in Iowa

Here's one state where Hillary Clinton is not leading. John Edwards is doing quite well in Iowa. Typically, John Edwards has been 3rd in most polls. I'm a little disappointed but I know that Senator Clinton will take the lead and I'm confident she can pull off a win in Iowa.

Iowa:

A new Research 2000 poll in Iowa shows John Edwards still leading the Democratic presidential race with 27% support, followed by Sen. Hillary Clinton at 22%, Sen. Barack Obama at 16% and Gov. Bill Richardson at 11%.

On the GOP side, Mitt Romney leads with 25%, followed by Fred Thompson at 14%, Rudy Giuliani at 13% and Sen. John McCain at 10%.

Courtesy of Political Wire

Mini-cast

Kevin Coughlin moderates a short special 10-minute episode of The Green Room dedicated to sports. Check it out below and check out our full episode and short video package a few posts below!

Mini-cast Episode 1

Beyonce Gets Busted!

Watch this before it gets taken down!

UPDATE: I told you to watch it before it got taken down!



Beyonce Knowles took quite the dive at a concert in Orlando recently while performing Ring The Alarm. Unfortunately for her, it's hilarious! Enjoy!

South Carolina is Clinton Country!

Clinton is doing the damn thing in South Carolina. This is important since South Carolina is one of the early primary state. I really hope she continues to do well here. I think this poll may have been taken before Monday night's YouTube debate so expect that debate to impact the next South Carolina poll. Whether that is good or bad for Mrs. Clinton...only time will tell? I'll keep my fingers crossed and pray for her success.

South Carolina:

A new Insider Advantage poll in South Carolina finds Sen. Hillary Clinton with a commanding 43% support, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 28% and John Edwards at 13%.Key findings: "Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama are splitting the African-American vote in South Carolina with both attracting support at the low 40% level. Only 8% of African-Americans now say they are undecided. And Clinton leads among white voters by an overwhelming 51%. The next closest candidate among whites is John Edwards at 18%."

Courtesy of Political Wire

ALSO...Please check out our first short video package below and our 3rd episode!

Cinemascope: Harry Potter Release Party

Check out our FIRST video package! This SHORT one minute piece showcases our coverage of the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. There are no spoilers. Also, check out our BEST podcast episode yet directly BELOW this post!

Harry Potter Release Party

Episode 3

Here is the latest episode of The Green Room. This is most definitely our best episode featuring discussion on last night's Democratic debate, Lindsay Lohan, and Michael Vick. Hit the link and keep it on in the background!

Episode 3

The Price is Drew Carey

Drew Carey has been tapped to replace Bob Barker as the new host of The Price Is Right.

New Format, Old Questions

The internet showcased how much it has changed politics and elections last night when Anderson Cooper moderated the first ever CNN/YouTube debates. The format was new...for the first time average citizens were able to ask the questions via video submissions through YouTube. But were they really? Not entirely...CNN still acted as gatekeeper and picked which questions would address the candidates. However, the change in format did make for a new and fresh approach to presidential debates. While the format was new, the questions were old. The candidates, for the most part, still addressed the questions that they were used to dealing with Iraq, health care, and gay marriage. However, there were some questions that were new and interesting...such as asking Senator Barack Obama whether he was "black" enough and whether Senator Clinton was feminine enough. There were also some questions that were new and not so interesting...such as who was your favorite teacher? Sorry, but I felt like that was a bit of a waste of time.

Now for the winner of the debate...the format! The new format giving viewers the opportunity to ask the questions was the real winner. None of the candidates really won the debate because they all performed well and even though the format was new...a lot of the answers we received still felt extremely scripted. Of course, that won't stop any of the campaigns from declaring victory (Senator Obama's campaign crowned him king as did Senator Bidens) For once I noticed that Rep. Dennis Kucinich and Senator Chris Dodd were given equal, if not more, time than the top tier candidates. With that said, the candidate who I felt performed the worst was Governor Bill Richardson and that's only because he started off shaky. He recovered soon enough and performed well. I almost must say that Mike Gravel is insane. He's very passionate and angry about the issues but he is too much of a loose cannon and combative. I do love his presence at these debates because you can always count on him for entertainment and to put the candidates in their place. My personal favorite, other than Mrs. Clinton of course, was Senator Joe Biden. I really feel that, if Hillary Clinton were not running, this man would be the best choice for president. He really knows his foreign policy and I think he would set a good domestic agenda.

While many media and pundits predicted that the candidates would attempt to bring down Hillary Clinton last night, I found that most of the attacks were towards Barack Obama. Former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel called Obama out for saying he does not accept money from lobbyists and Dennis Kucinich attacked Obama for saying that he never voted for the Iraq War. He made it very clear that Barack Obama never had the chance to vote for the Iraq war since he was not in office at the time and that Kucinich was actually the only candidate who had not voted for the war. I was pleased to hear Kucinich make this point because I'm tired of Senator Obama using this point when it is not entirely valid.

The big issue being discussed about last night's debate is the difference in answers between Senators Clinton and Obama regarding whether or not they would promise to meet with the leaders of Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea, etc. in their first term. Senator Obama answered first and said he would make that promise to meet with the leaders and Senator Clinton answered next saying she would not promise to meet with them because she would need to make sure that it wouldn't be used for propaganda. While it may sound like they answered completely differently, they did not. Hillary, like Obama, said she would seek diplomacy but she just didn't say she would go into it without thinking about it first. While I have no doubt that Obama would also not jump into talks with the leaders without investigation and thought, Hillary's answer came across far more experienced and thought out. It made Obama's answer seem very naive and, amateur. My friend and Washington D.C. intern Ashlee Tran says "Her response to the Iran/N Korea/Venez/Syria/etc. ques was measured, poised and exemplified her experience." This, to me, just showed how excellent Hillary Clinton is in the debate format and how Barack Obama is not quite there yet. Today, in regards to those responses, the Clinton camp is attacking the Obama camp for being naive and the Obama camp is attacking the Clinton camp for being a flip flopper and supporting the Iraq War. Yes, they are still using that argument. When all else fails...Obama's camp tries to hide behind Iraq.

One question I have to personally comment on is whether African-Americans should receive reparations for slavery. Only Dennis Kucinich said yes. I could not agree more. I mean no disrespect when I say that unless you were out there in the fields picking that cotton or doing other slave labor, then there is no way you should get any reparation for slavery because, guess what, you were not enslaved.

In closing, while all the candidates shone last night, Hillary Clinton looked and sounded the most presidential. This woman knows her stuff and she has the experience (and I'll dive further into this later because you know I can't let Kevin's post go unanswered). Anderson Cooper did a great job moderating. Ashlee Tran says Cooper "pushed the candidates and continued to probe for answers. One of the best moderators thus far. Plus, he knows when to cut Kucinich off and when to bring Gravel back to...earth." I very much agree. There is a lot more I could say but, perhaps, one of my other Green Room members will choose to analyze the debate further. All in all, a pretty entertaining and informative debate.

Lindsay Lohan Arrested for Drunk Driving... Again!

Surprise, surprise! Lindsay Lohan has been arrested for her second DUI in two months, following a 45-day stay in a California rehabilitation center.

Lindsay was pulled over early this morning in Santa Monica after police received a call about a car chase. Lindsay and two friends were reportedly in the pursuing car, a Denali SUV. The passengers in the second car, a Cadillac Escalade, called police to report the chase. A police spokesman said he believed the people in the two cars knew each other, put were unaware of who was in the pursuing car at the time of the call.

Lindsay failed a field sobriety test (after reportedly refusing to submit to a preliminary alcohol screening device) and was then arrested. At the station she registed a blood-alcohol level of about .12 or .13 percent, well above the .08 percent California limit, despite the fact that Lindsay has been wearing an alcohol-detecting anklet since she left rehab.

Sources have also claimed that police found cocaine in Lindsay's pocket. She was booked on suspicion of drunken driving, possession of cocaine, bringing a controlled substance into custody and driving on a suspended license. She was released after posting a $25,000 bail. Lindsay was due to appear in court on August 24 for her first DUI on May 26. It is now unclear how the second DUI will affect her appearance in court.

Sources: Yahoo News, Dlisted
-------

I actually had hope for Lindsay after she finished rehab! She really seemed to be very conscious of her sobriety, even wearing that anklet although she wasn't required to do so. I am a little surprised she was drinking and driving again so soon after rehab. Clearly the girl needs some help, and Promises was not the place to give it to her. At the same time, I am sick of hearing the sob story about little rich white girls in Hollywood who can't handle their fame. Look at Anne Hathaway, Mandy Moore, Amanda Bynes, Hayden Panettiere... These girls are rich, famous and grounded. If Lindsay absolutely has to go out and get drunk, despite being an admitted alcoholic, hire a damn driver! After a second arrest, her actions can only be considered stupid and careless. Up until now she has been lucky, as neither of her drunk driving incidents has killed someone, but she might not be so lucky again. It's time young Hollywood learns that their money does not make them above the law or above human decency.

Hillary and The Polls

Due to John's love fest with the new poll regarding Hillary Clinton, I feel obligated to point out the most recent New York Times/CBS News poll. While this one agrees with the positive findings of the Washington Post-ABC News Poll which John pointed out, the NYT/CBS poll found that "Forty percent of voters view her unfavorably, more than for any of the other major candidates for president (although they are not as well known)." The NY Times article went on to say that the poll showed "Neither men nor women fully trust that she is saying what she really believes."

The campaign has a long way to go and such a high unfavorable rating is a troubling sight. Whether she deserves it or not, Hillary is a polarizing figure and this problem might only worsen as the candidates further define their platforms. I wouldn't put up the "Mission Accomplished" banner just yet.

What Did You Think?

What did you think about tonight's CNN/YouTube Democratic Debate? Post a comment and we'll discuss it in this week's posts!

Clinton Widens Margin!

From PoliticalWire.com

By a wide margin, Democrats view Sen. Hillary Clinton "as the party's candidate best positioned to win the general election," a new Washington Post-ABC News Poll found, with 54% saying the former First Lady is the most electable candidate.

In the nomination race, Clinton leads with 45%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 30% and John Edwards at 12%.

Key finding: "Clinton's initial support for the Iraq war is not proving a significant impediment to her bid."

Hillary Clinton's lead continues to grow. As a supporter of Hillary, people have told me to worry because the frontrunner always falls. I'm not worried. I have full confidence in my candidate and know she can pull through and keep the momentum. Last week, Hillary squared off against the Pentagon on Iraq and she also put in progress new legislation with Senator John Kerry (D-MA) to push for an Iraq withdrawal. She's still doing her job as Senator and running for President and I'm proud. Tonight is the CNN/YouTube debates and I fully expect the other 7 candidates to gang up and try to bring Hillary down. She can pull through!

The CNN/YouTube debates will air on CNN at 7 PM EST. The Green Room will bring you a full analysis in a possible special episode after the debate.