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27 Awesome Photos of Cultural Icons at Prom

By Emily Temple on

Now that May is here, there’s no ignoring it: our tackiest American teenage rite of passage is approaching. That’s right, it’s prom season. Whether this conjures up cringe-worthy memories or no memories at all for you, not to worry — hosts of your favorite cultural icons have gone through it too, with varying degrees of grace. Click through for a collection of some of the greatest photos of actors, politicians, musicians, and even writers in their prom-night… Read More

Web

What’s On at Flavorpill: The Links That Made the Rounds in Our Office

By Alison Nastasi on

Today at Flavorpill, we celebrated Movember with these celebrity mustache mash-ups. We explored the thirteen best vagina/food metaphors of song. We vowed to play the 100 best video games of all time. We became obsessed with skydiving cats. We watched one man read Fifty Shades… Read More

News

The Morning’s Top 5 Pop Culture Stories

By Caroline Stanley on

1. Last night on The Daily Show, Robert Pattinson and his new best friend Jon Stewart ate pints of ice cream and only talked about his recent breakup with Kristen Stewart a tiny bit. [via Gawker]

2. Here’s the international trailer for a new adaptation of Great Expectations that stars Helena… Read More

News

The Morning’s Top 5 Pop Culture Stories

By Caroline Stanley on

1. It’s official: Francis Lawrence (Water for Elephants, I Am Legend, Constantine) will direct Catching Fire, the second installment of The Hunger Games franchise, with production on the film slated to begin in August. [via Deadline]

2. Should we be worried that Joseph Gordon-Levitt has cast his Angels in the Outfield costar Tony… Read More

Books

The Year in Disturbing Celebrity Book Deals

By Judy Berman on

Celebrity book deals practically exist to piss us off. While there are certainly exceptions to the rule (such as the recent, glowingly reviewed tomes by Jay-Z and Steve Martin, as well as Patti Smith’s National Book Award-winning memoir), most stars just aren’t writers. And few things are more annoying — especially for those of us who write for a living, or have aspirations of doing so — than the news that a functionally illiterate reality TV star is preparing to “write” a memoir, children’s book, or novel. After the jump, we take a look at the year’s most irritating examples, from the Salahis to Snooki. … Read More

Television

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s Greatest Guest Stars

By Margaret Eby on

A little known fact: We, the world, owe the existence of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to Will Smith’s financial difficulties. In the heady late 1980s, Smith had squandered his earnings from his rap career and was in deep trouble with the IRS when he was approached by a WB executive about starring in a new show, loosely based on his own persona. Smith’s compromise was our sitcom gain: who can deny the hilarity of the smooth-talking Prince’s dancing or his constant goof-ups with partner-in-crime Jazzy Jeff? Over the six years of the show, Fresh Prince was not only fun, it was culturally relevant. A Young Kathy Griffin had her first television break on the show; and the program hosted numerous big name guests, from Oprah Winfrey to Chris Rock. After the jump, our roundup of some of the best guest stars on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. … Read More

Television

Who Will Be America’s Next Top Oprah?

By Judy Berman on

All across these great United States, stay-at-home moms are heaving a deep sigh of relief. Oprah may be gearing up to leave her unbelievably popular daytime talk show in September 2011, but don’t worry: She’s not going to leave her loyal viewers high and dry. Ms. O will be naming a successor, and she’ll do it the 21st-century way — via reality TV competition. The Mark Burnett-produced Your Own Show: Oprah’s Search for the Next TV Star won’t debut until January, but we’ve decided to give Her Oprahness a hand in selecting the finalists. Our picks for O’s replacement are after the jump. Add your suggestions in the comments. … Read More

Books

The YA Publishing Freak Show

By Judy Berman on

Some of our most cherished childhood memories involve YA novels, from the wholesome Baby-Sitters Club to the trashy Sweet Valley High to Lurlene McDaniel’s oddly alluring books about teenagers with terminal illnesses. But back in our day, young-adult books weren’t written by reality-TV celebrities like Lauren Conrad. And while we realize that many YA authors are still primarily authors, we find ourselves overwhelmed by the recent spate of random celebrities, from politicians to musicians to talk-show hosts, penning books for tween audiences.

After the jump, we wade through the hordes of famous people who have remade themselves as young-adult authors. Use the comments to let us know whether you’re for or against this bizarre trend. … Read More

News

The Morning’s Top 5 Pop Culture Stories

By Caroline Stanley on

1. After Katy Perry ripped off their album title, Beach House is threatening to record a song called “I Kissed a Girl.” [via Vulture]
2. Some news that will make our prepubescent male readers happy: Playboy plans to unveil a 3D centerfold in their June issue. [via AP]
3. In the… Read More

Web

The 7 Most Influential Women in Pop Culture

By Caroline Stanley on

Tonight our friends at the 92YTribeca host a talk entitled Young Women, Feminism and the Future: Third Wavers Then and Now. The panel is an interesting mix of writers and activists: Jennifer Baumgardner (Look Both Ways: Bisexual Politics), Amy Richards (co-founder, Third Wave Foundation), Veronica Chambers (Miss Black America, Kickboxing Geishas), Allison Wolfe (Bratmobile), and Debbie Stoller (Editor-in-Chief, BUST Magazine). We caught up with Stoller over email, and asked for a list of the women who she sees as the most influential in shaping today’s pop culture landscape. Click through to find out what she had to say, and weigh in with a comment. … Read More