Britney Spears on The Huffington Post

Britney Spears Craves Freedom, Excitement, Career Revival

2008-11-20T19:49:11Z

NEW YORK — Britney Spears is craving more freedom _ and less of the "control" that's stabilized her personal life and reinvigorated her career over the last several months.

In an upcoming behind-the-scenes documentary, the 26-year-old pop star says: "If I wasn't under the restraints that I'm under right now, with all the lawyers and doctors and people analyzing me every day and all that kind of stuff ... I'd feel so liberated, and feel like myself."

Mike Ragogna: Paul Simon's Lyrics & The Case Of The Vanishing Compact Disc

2008-11-18T11:01:47Z

Slumming at Borders this past week was a pretty rewarding experience for those of us who wandered around the music aisle. There under "S" appeared a new Random House-published book by singer-songwriter and vintage pop icon, Paul Simon, simply titled Lyrics. It is an assembly of just that, ranging from his Simon & Garfunkel days to his latest solo album, Surprise. What is refreshing about this book is that it not only documents every Paul Simon song you could think of (such as "Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover," a song he wrote for his son Harper to teach him about rhyme), but also rarities such as "Shelter Of Your Arms" that was written during his Hearts And Bones period, as well as the Graceland-era composition, "Changing Opinion," that appeared on Phillip Glass' Songs From Liquid Days album. Even Simon's Capeman musical is thoroughly represented, complete with all the lyrics to that production's final set list as it appeared on Broadway. Comparable to Joni Mitchell's 1997 book The Complete Poems And Lyrics, Simon's collection one-ups Mitchell's by supplying a forward by artist Chuck Close, an introduction by journalist David Remnick, and a few original handwritten pages of classics such as "Kodachrome," "Graceland" and his ever-relevant "American Tune." The book invites both fan and novice to catch all the double entendres, urban imagery, collegiate poetry, inside jokes, and general genius that can elude the most dedicated listener since Simon's recordings engage on more levels than their brilliant lyrics. And weaving through many of his songs' words is the idea that we are all interconnected, whether through romantic entanglements or global concerns. In "Citizen Of The Planet," a song left off of Simon's version of Hearts And Bones when it originally was recorded and mixed as the Simon & Garfunkel album Think Too Much, the author writes, "We are the citizens of the planet, we were born here, we're going to die here come what may." He doesn't mean this exactly as it reads since its verses are peppered with sarcasm, but that's the point. After reading the lyrics as prose, you get yet another kick out of what Simon says.

Now, let's pretend that while you were at Borders or Barnes & Noble with Lyrics tucked under one arm, you also wanted to buy the double or triple compact disc/DVD configuration of The Essential Paul Simon. Good luck. The problem of compact discs disappearing from the marketplace is worse than it was only a year ago. CD inventories, beyond Borders (traditionally, a strong music outlet), are way down. Store buyers just ain't a-buyin' from the labels, and it's looking grim all over. Circuit City's downsizing and filing for bankruptcy plus record label EMI's 1.2 billion dollar loss are giant signposts that the music industry's physical goods dilemma is reaching critical mass with an impending domino effect fast approaching. With download revenues not yet replacing the loss of physical sales, DVDs now claiming CD territory in Best Buy (coinciding with the chain's significant elimination of music endcaps), Borders and Barnes & Noble virtually hiding their music sections, and Starbuck's intense reduction of counter-promoted compact discs, it's easy to see that record companies are facing the worst marketplace ever that will result in a brutal fourth quarter. And contrary to the hype, the resuscitation of vinyl isn't even a band aid despite one-way sales, considering the manpower, time and expense involved. No matter how cool LPs are, vinyl absolutely, positively will not be the industry's savior, though tilting at that windmill reveals much about the music business' continued short-sightedness.

So how are these former music titans facing the impending battle for our entertainment dollar? In a reality where that dollar has more perceived value when spent on a Steve Martin or Michael J. Fox multi-movie box set or even a Superman or Matrix fourpack, what magic can record companies conjure to keep a 45 to 80 minute CD of merely music competitive? Theoretically, a strong release schedule could do the trick. But looking at recently shipped projects and near future releases, it's another yawn of a year's end with one big exception: Guns N' Roses' apocrypha, Chinese Democracy, that finally will be issued in a little over a week. However, this really, really long-awaited release had better turn out to be bigger than any November surprise Obama or McCain could have dropped since the weight of the music industry's future just might be resting on the shoulders of Axl Rose. Why so gloomy? Check out what else is coming down the pike by our pop standard bearers: Britney Spear's appropriately-named Circus, Taylor Swift's Fearless, David Archuleta's and David Cook's self-titled albums, Maroon 5's remix project, Beyoncé's I Am...Sasha Fierce and Ricky Martin's 17. Can you detect any life-changing records in this batch? See anything other than GNR's CD herding fans to stores by the hundreds of thousands?

Trying its best to pick-up the slack, the catalog world of reissues and compilations--once reliable income generators--unfortunately has had to cut back on releases significantly. Future highlights include UMe's deluxe edition of R.E.M.'s Murmur, Rhino's Led Zepplin box revisit, Genesis' Peter Gabriel years box, Legacy's Philly International repackaging campaign and whatever Shout! Factory has up its sleeve. Still, if that's the most adventurous the industry can get during a holiday season that used to support about ten Grammy®-worthy box sets, expanded reissues by the boatload, and significant, high profile, desirable hits collections, people are just not thinking hard enough. Yes, it's the economy, stupid. But no, it shouldn't mean roll over and play dead. As much as this article has downplayed it, there is one cue to take from the release of vinyl--find any existing demand and fill the pipeline. A synergy of niche releases combined with a guerilla-style marketing approach to more local outlets--we're talking Obama-like ground troops here--could begin the outreach process that traditionally has been limited to Special Markets or Special Products departments. Despite the angst-ridden strains from sales departments that can't quite figure out exactly how to do it, CDs, just as they are right now, should be proliferating everywhere since music potentially has a correlate to every product that is being marketed. The simple fact is when Singer Sowing Centers used to sell 45s in the very old days, no sales department resisted, they just sold music every place they could.

There is an even bigger issue than a more challenging consumer landscape. Look at that list of original artists with new releases again. See the problem? See why we should ban American Idol from the airwaves for about ten years? Take Clive Davis' apparently endless parade of mediocrity, add-in boy and girl band graduates, One Tree Hill-taylored emo and Britney clones by the half-dozen and there is, basically, the state of pop music today. It's also the reason why no one is rushing out to buy new CDs regardless of there being fewer places to buy them. This is all casual music, it's all pretty disposable and adds very little to the culture other than being tuneful wallpaper. Sadly, there are so few contemporary acts beyond The Black Eyed Peas, Joss Stone, Coldplay, Radiohead, etc. that don't appear as fabricated as High School Musicals 1-3. Artists of depth such as John Mayer and John Legend are currently such a minority that similarly talented singer-songwriters are always the last signings for labels (Verve and Concord the exceptions) despite the bigger picture. Following this template, there will never be another Paul Simon or Joni Mitchell, and probably not even a Neil Young or Bob Dylan. A&R departments have devoted much energy on signing and promoting kid stuff but have no clue what to do with artists that have multi-generational appeal or consciousness-raising ideas. And as labels abandoned every generation beyond the youngest to snag profits, we practically lost whole genres of music such as classical and true jazz. Sure, labels can complain about stores going away, marketing dollars shrinking, and iTunes being the only future. They could also reminisce about mean ol' Napster and unregulated file sharing that initially contributed to the music business' messy downward spiral. But if what record companies sold wasn't so disposable, maybe one little compact disc would have a greater perceived value than four boxed Tom Hanks '80s movies. Wait, that is still pretty hard to beat. But as we're waiting for the record business to reinvent itself, is it too much to ask for stores that sell Paul Simon's new book Lyrics to at least try and keep his Essential collection in stock?

Britney Cries: Life Is Like Jail, Groundhog Day

2008-11-17T23:18:33Z

The UK Sun got a longer look at the Britney Spears documentary airing November 30th on MTV. The first look at the show, seen here, showed Britney saying, "what the hell was I thinking." Spears filmed the series after a year in which she got divorced, acted out in public, shaved her head and went to a psychiatric ward. She is now able to see her two sons again, but she is in the care of her father and ex-husband Kevin Federline has custody.

But all may not be as it seems. According to the UK report:

in a new fly-on-the-wall documentary she tearfully admits: "There's no excitement, there's no passion.

"I have really good days, and then I have bad days. Even when you go to jail you know there's the time when you're gonna get out.

"But in this situation, it's never ending. It's just like Groundhog Day every day."...

She says: "I think it's too in control. If I wasn't under the restraints I'm under, I'd feel so liberated. When I tell them the way I feel, it's like they hear but they're really not listening.

"If you do something wrong in your work, you can move on, but I'm having to pay for a long time.

"I never wanted to become one of those prisoner people. I always wanted to feel free."

The show premieres in the UK December 1.

Wes Isley: Why Britney Won't Supply the Next Great Love Story -- But Gay Marriage Will

2008-11-17T15:57:27Z

If you were listing the greatest love stories of all time, it wouldn't include poor Britney Spears. Her most recent marriage ended after a little more than two years, but she might be better known for her infamously short 2003 Vegas marriage to a childhood friend that lasted only 55 hours. Is that a record?

Britney may be a pop star but she's hardly a star at marriage. But chances are she'll walk down the aisle again at least once, maybe more, in her lifetime. After all, this is a free country and she has every right. Which is precisely why I made Britney my target for the gay rights rally held in Greensboro, North Carolina, this past weekend. My rally sign read: "Britney Spears, 55 Hours. Me -- Never?" I borrowed the idea from a photo of a similar rally in California where people filled the streets to speak out against the passage of Proposition 8, which removed the right of gays and lesbians to marry in that state.

My point is this: If those who supported Prop 8 truly want to protect marriage, then they need to do something about the Britneys of the world, those heterosexuals, celebrity or not, who rush into marriage or marry for all the wrong reasons and -- surprise! -- end up divorced before all the wedding gifts are even opened. This kind of disregard by straight people for the sanctity of marriage is appalling to us in the GLBT community. Are they only driven by their sexual desires? Do they not know what real love is? And think of the children.

After the rally this weekend, I was discussing this dilemma with friends, and we have some suggestions for saving traditional marriage. First, outlaw divorce. If a guy knew he couldn't dump his wife for the next pretty young thing, he might think more carefully before getting married. Second, make getting married more like applying for a driver's license. An old-fashioned written test might discourage those who just aren't ready for the rigors of marriage. It seems churches would support these ideas since many of them frown on divorce. I think that's even in the Bible.

All kidding aside, I shouldn't pick on Britney or any heterosexual. Marriage is tough. My family has weathered its share of divorce, and although I'm not technically married to my partner, you don't last 14 years without being able to work through some rough patches. That's right, I said 14 years. Although it isn't state-recognized or church approved and didn't happen in Vegas, we've been through better or worse, sickness and health and all the rest for way longer than Britney can imagine. But we can't call it a marriage.

So what is it, exactly, that my partner and I have? Conservatives and religious extremists insist marriage is only between a man and a woman. My dictionary must be in league with them since it concurs that marriage is "the legal union of a man and a woman as husband and wife."

Fine, we don't have a marriage. But I think what we have is a great love story. For many in the GLBT community, society refuses to recognize our love, our families may disown us and we must work out our futures without the support systems that others take for granted. Think about your favorite love stories, and you'll always find two people whose love for each other is stronger than anything that separates them. You might think of the star-crossed lovers in Romeo and Juliet or even Carrie and Big in Sex and the City. Regardless of how their particular stories ended, they were in love and, ultimately, nothing stood in their way.

I may never have the right to marry my partner. Regardless, I will continue to love him as best I can. After 14 years, we have something special, something that everyone, including Britney, is searching for. And I don't need the approval of the state or any church to tell me it's special. If I can't have marriage, I'll settle for love.

Britney's Son Hospitalized, 'Doing Fine'

2008-11-10T13:05:42Z

NEW YORK — The youngest son of Britney Spears and Kevin Federline has been hospitalized for some kind of reaction but was expected to be discharged soon.

Two-year-old Jayden James was admitted to the Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center on Sunday after having "a reaction to something he ingested," a representative for Spears' family said in a statement.

Shelly Palmer: Madagascar Earns $63.5 Million at Box Office: MediaBytes with Shelly Palmer November 10, 2008

2008-11-10T09:26:45Z

"Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" took home the top spot at the Box Office this week. The DreamWorks-Paramount production took in $63.5 million at 4,056 theaters nationwide, besting runner-up Role Models by over $40 million. Madagascar helped increase Box Office earnings this week by nearly 30% over this week last year.

MGM announced that it will share some full length features via YouTube. The struggling studio will begin by hosting older films like "Bulletproof Monk" and "The Magnificent Seven", as well as original episodes of "American Gladiator." While MGM certainly isn't sharing prime content, the deal is notable as it is a crucial step for studios to take in digitally reinventing themselves.

MySpace COO Amit Kapur announced at Web 2.0 Summit that MySpace is working on a payment platform for widget developers. Rival social network Facebook has reportedly been developing a "PayPal" enabled micro-platform for months, however, MySpace may beat them to the punch. MySpace is also launching virtual gifts, which were popularized on Facebook.

Blockbuster CEO and Chairman Jim Keyes said that Blockbuster will begin to market a set-top box that can deliver movies on-demand this holiday season. The box, similar to offerings by Apple and Netflix, will serve up movies from Blockbuster's "Movielink" download service. The announcement is in direct contrast to a statement made by Keyes in August, which noted that Blockbuster was in no-rush to roll out a set-top offering.

Plus, today's consulting question, "Was Britney Spears really going to play the Virgin Mary in a movie?" Shelly has the answer on today's MediaBytes.

Shelly Palmer is a consultant and the host of MediaBytes a daily show featuring news you can use about technology, media & entertainment. He is Managing Director of Advanced Media Ventures Group LLC and the author of Television Disrupted: The Transition from Network to Networked TV (2008, York House Press). Shelly is also President of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, NY (the organization that bestows the coveted Emmy® Awards). You can join the MediaBytes mailing list here. Shelly can be reached at shelly@palmer.net

Britney Spears Joins Madonna In LA

2008-11-07T08:12:19Z

LOS ANGELES — Britney and Justin still share one bond: Madonna.

In separate appearances, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake performed Thursday night during Madonna's show at Dodger Stadium. The former pop power couple did not take the stage together, and it wasn't clear if they'd crossed paths.

Madonna Orchestrates Britney-Justin Concert Reunion

2008-11-06T08:52:48Z

If there's one thing we can count on from Madonna, it's the making of a little music history now and again.

Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake will be performing alongside the Material Girl Thursday when her Sticky & Sweet tour touches down at Dodger Stadium, E! News' Ryan Seacrest has learned.

"They are going to be onstage performing with Madonna," Seacrest said on KIIS-FM host DJ BoyToy Jesse's Wednesday-afternoon show.

Of course, while Timberlake and Spears have both collaborated with Madge individually, the exes haven't been spending much quality time together in recent years.

Craig Newmark: Great hyperlocal news coverage from UC Berkeley J-school

2008-11-02T16:19:50Z

A lot of people figure that the future of news belongs to big national publications, and many hyperlocal sites.

Students at the UC Berkeley journalism school are doing great work, recently starting six hyperlocal sites focusing on Bay Area communities including:

missionlocal.org in SF's Mission District
oaklandnorth.org in Rockridge and Temescal
inemeryville.org in the Easy Bay's Emeryville

A feed for all the sites is at localreport.org.

Check them out on Election Day for live reporting on precinct problems, voter tales and local views on the presidential race.

MissionLocal has a launch party this Thursday the sixth, 5-8 p.m. at Cava 22 (3239 2nd Street)

Britney Spears' Dad Gets Permanent Conservatorship

2008-10-28T19:08:20Z

LOS ANGELES — Britney Spears' father will maintain indefinite control of her personal and financial affairs after a court commissioner on Tuesday extended the arrangement beyond 2008.

The conservatorship, which had been set to expire Dec. 31, also allows the people controlling Spears' affairs _ a group that includes father Jamie Spears and several attorneys _ some say in her professional career.

Mark Bazer: Kevin Coval on The Interview Show

2008-10-22T13:42:43Z

Hip-poet Kevin Coval recently appeared on a talk show I host in Chicago at the Hideout called The Interview Show. Here is video of Kevin's performance and an interview with him. I hope you enjoy. Next Interview Show is November 7, at 6:30 p.m. My guests will be filmmaker Steve Conrad (The Promotion), playwright Kevin Huff (A Steady Rain) and sketch-comedy troupe Schadenfreude.

Mistrial In Britney Spears' Driving Case, Case Dismissed

2008-10-21T15:25:45Z

LOS ANGELES — Britney Spears has a license to go free. Jurors remained deadlocked 10-2 on whether she was guilty of driving without a valid California license Tuesday. A mistrial was declared, prosecutors said they wouldn't pursue the matter further _ and Spears was spared a criminal record when the judge ultimately dismissed the case.

Ten of the 12 jurors favored outright acquittal for Spears, who never appeared in court. Her attorney, J. Michael Flanagan, declared victory and criticized prosecutors for bringing a "fix-it ticket" to trial because his client is famous.

Both Sides Rest In Britney Spears Driving Trial

2008-10-17T08:36:24Z

LOS ANGELES — Britney Spears did not appear at her driver's license trial Thursday. Instead, her father did the talking.

Spears' defense consisted solely of the testimony of Jamie Spears, who told jurors his daughter intends to return to Louisiana once she has custody of her children. The singer's attorney, J. Michael Flanagan, said in his opening statement that she was exempt from having a California driver's license because she didn't meet residency requirements.

Britney Spears' "Womanizer" Video: Costume Changes And Sauna Time (VIDEO)

2008-10-11T08:33:03Z

Britney Spears' has released the video for her new song Womanizer.

In the three-minute video, the 26-year-old mother-of-two switches between different looks as she dominates a hapless man. The scenes of domination are interspersed with shots of the Spears naked and writhing in a sauna.

Britney is coming off of a recent triumph at the MTV Music Awards and an upcoming documentary in which she says of herself over the past few years, "What the hell was I thinking?

WATCH VIDEO:

Britney Speaks: "What The Hell Was I Thinking?" (VIDEO)

2008-10-10T08:50:07Z

***SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO***

NEW YORK - If you're wondering what was going through Britney Spears' head during her erratic era, you are not alone _ so does she.

"I sit there and I look back and I'm like, 'I'm a smart person. What the hell was I thinking?'" Spears said in an interview to air on MTV on Nov. 30, two days before the release of her new album. "I've been through a lot in the past two or three years, and there's a lot that people don't know."
The 90-minute special, "Britney: For The Record," was executive-produced by Spears' manager Larry Rudolph. It features behind-the-scenes footage of the singer and her talking about her life over the past two years.

She's got a lot to talk about: In that time span, she has gotten divorced, been through a custody battle, gone to rehab, had very public meltdowns and had one memorably bad performance at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Now on the comeback trail, Spears is releasing her sixth album, "Circus," on Dec. 2, her 27th birthday.

Spears says she's hoping this TV special will "set the record straight" about her life.

___

On the Net:

Britney Spears: http://www.britneyspears.com

MTV: http://www.mtv.com

Britney Spears Rejects Plea Deal In License Case

2008-10-08T16:10:26Z

LOS ANGELES — An attorney for Britney Spears has rejected a plea offer that would have placed her on a year's probation and forced her to pay a $150 fine in her misdemeanor driver's license case.

Attorney J. Michael Flanagan says Spears would consider an offer that reduces the charge to an infraction and requires her to pay a $10 fine. He says if the case does go to trial as scheduled later this month, he will appeal any conviction.

Matt Littman: The Real Reason Palin Lost the Debate

2008-10-03T17:23:05Z

Sarah Palin did not light the stage on fire last night, literally, as Democrats had hoped, or figuratively, as David Brooks and Rich Lowry seem to believe.

No, what happened instead was that Sarah Palin started out okay. She was folksy, she's good-looking, and she didn't sound like a political Britney Spears, which seems to be what many expected.

Watching the first part of the debate, as someone who is obviously in the tank for Biden, I thought, Palin's doing fine, for Palin (I thought her answers were painfully awful, and I wanted to beat my head against a spiked wall whenever she spoke, but I'm not an independent still looking to decide on a candidate).

However, as the debate went on, Palin lost it. And here's why: the folksiness wears thin. I know that the commentators afterward could not stop babbling about how great the folksiness is for middle America. Stop it. It's grating to people in any part of the country, because as Palin continued with her non-answers, winks, and jibes, there was no way to conclude anything but -- this woman has no idea what she's talking about.

It's great to be folksy for a couple of answers. But an hour and a half of this stuff is nauseating, and that's why she lost. When Biden would talk seriously about foreign policy or education, Palin would talk about the third-grade class watching the debate and getting extra credit. That may have worked at minute two of the debate. At minute 70, it just doesn't work anymore. She just seems like she's being too cute, which then comes across as an insult to people's intelligence.

And this is where the Republicans are really kidding themselves, particularly the in-the-tank types who don't get it. I'm talking specifically to David Brooks, Rich Lowry, Rudy Giuliani, who called this one of the best debate performances ever, and --Pat Buchanan.

They all have this completely wrong. Many Republicans, and certainly the undecided voters out there, are not jumping on their couches with excitement for Palin, as Brooks claims today. Many are ready to jump out their windows at the thought that this woman could be a VP nominee.

Last night, Sarah Palin seemed a little more "on" than she had been in her previous media appearances. But her down-home act gets very tired very fast. The hour and a half debate was just like the last month with Palin: good at the outset, then, holy crap, she really doesn't know her stuff.

The problem for McCain is that Palin is going to cost him the election.

The problem that the people mentioned above -- Brooks, etc. -- is that McCain is going to lose, and they will continue to write their columns, or, in Rudy's case, continue to be a disaster ambulance-chaser (but he's another story). When they do write their columns, it will be impossible to read them without giggling -- they thought Palin did great last night!

What does that say about them? Why would a reader take them seriously?

Read more reactions to the Biden-Palin Vice Presidential debate from HuffPost bloggers

Nick Antosca: Sarah Palin Responds to Nuclear Crisis

2008-09-29T15:40:44Z

The first time I heard the name Sarah Palin, I was about to get on a plane at JFK airport. Yeah, right, I thought. By the time I got off the plane at LAX, she was John McCain's running mate. Oh God, no, I thought. This is awful. She's just the kind of candidate to make a certain breed of undecided feel comfortable with his latent bigotry and down-home ignorance. She'll get hardcore conservatives and scrape off a few more Clinton supporters*

I could only hope that there would be time for inevitable fascination-fest to give way to a backlash. Katie Couric's interview sped up the process, for sure, as did Palin's nutty comments about seeing Russia from Alaska. Fingers crossed that she doesn't pull off that spunky mom-with-venom act from her convention speech at the debate this Thursday (and that Biden doesn't gaffe it up and distract from her incompetence). Regardless, more and more people are taking a moment to imagine this person in control of nuclear weapons. She doesn't have a clue what's going on or where she is--she's supposed to run the most powerful country in the world? On that thought, I'd like to introduce this brilliant little video that just popped up on Youtube:

Ha! It's hilarious because we might all be dead.

* Turns out Hillary Clinton was right--her most ardent working-class white voters really did remain skeptical of Obama:

Britney Spears Likely Going To Trial Next Month

2008-09-19T07:55:46Z

LOS ANGELES — Britney Spears' trial for driving without a valid California license is all set for next month _ and the attorney representing her in the criminal matter isn't happy about it.

J. Michael Flanagan, the pop singer's attorney, said the matter is going before a jury due to unfavorable "special treatment" by prosecutors and a judge. Because the violation is a misdemeanor, Spears is not required to attend the trial.

Lynn Spears On Britney: "Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda" (VIDEO)

2008-09-17T11:02:14Z

Lynne Spears appeared on Wednesday's Today show to promote her memoir "Through the Storm" and admitted they made mistakes parenting during Britney's quick rise to fame.

"It's kind of like Britney was sent out into the world a little bit prematurely," Lynne said, who also said she wasn't often with the then-15 and 16-year-old Britney, as she had a younger daughter, Jamie Lynn, still at home. "Did I want to be there? Of course!" she said. "Was it feasible? It wasn't."

Lynne compared it to parents sending their kids to college. "You don't really know what they're doing in college ... just as Britney set out two years earlier to be a star."

As for the fame, "It was more of an excitement at first. It seems like everything's fabulous: Look at the trips she gets to go on!"

She also talked about Britney's 55-hour first marriage and stint in rehab.

WATCH:

Britney Spears Releasing "Circus" In December

2008-09-15T11:12:42Z

NEW YORK — Britney Spears' second comeback is in full swing: She's due to release a new album in December, on her 27th birthday.

"Circus" is set for release Dec. 2, a little over a year after she released last November's "Blackout," which was perhaps her most critically acclaimed CD, but came during her infamous year of erratic behavior, rehab, custody battles and at least one hospitalization. She barely promoted it, and the album _ though it was certified platinum _ was one of her least successful.

Nina Spezzaferro: Spike Feresten's Dream: Jay Leno Moves to Fox

2008-09-11T08:21:43Z

When 8,000 Americans were surveyed for the JackMyers Emotional Connections Research Study on Late Night Television (2007), Fox's Talkshow with Spike Feresten was among the top rated Late Night shows across five Emotional Connections measures (based on adults 18 to 49 in multi-channel home). An impressive 47 percent of Talkshow with Spike Feresten viewers say they are likely to "consider advertising on these shows a recommendation and are more likely to consider purchasing products and/or services being offered," a much higher percentage than even Jimmy Kimmel Live or Late Show with David Letterman.

I recently spoke with Spike Feresten to get his take on why fans are so emotionally connected to the show. Fan interactivity and no-frills comedy attract loyal fans.

"The fans really respond to the comedy on the show and have really responded well to me. I'm not sure why that is. It's such a mysterious process - television. But they seem to be able to get behind the idea of an underdog late night talk show that makes them laugh on a consistent basis and isn't trying so hard to be big. We do our thing on Saturday nights and we're kind of laid back about it and I think they sense that and they're happy to go for the ride" said Feresten.

When asked what he felt about the show expanding to 60 minutes or moving to a more desirable timeslot (Talkshow currently airs on Saturdays at midnight), Spike responded, "Right now, we're very content toiling away in the middle of nowhere on Saturday nights for our crazy, drunken fans."

These "crazy, drunken fans" are big MySpace users as well. Fox created a MySpace page during Talkshow's first season and turned over control to Feresten during the show's second season. He noted, "I think they [Fox] were worried I might go nuts on it and get them in trouble but somewhere at the beginning of the second season, myself and staff members were able to interact directly with the fans." He went on to say being able to interact directly with fans has been invaluable in learning what fans love and what they hate. It turns out they love a segment on the show called Comedy for Stoners. They hate the Jonas Brothers, urging Feresten to take down some ironic posters featured in the background of one of his MySpace video blogs.

"I think back to when I was young and I was watching Saturday Night Live. If I could have emailed or messaged John Belushi or Phil Hartman, it would have been such a thrill to interact with them. So I really try to be conscientious about getting back to every single message people send to me," said Feresten.

Fan opinions aside, I asked Feresten his own feelings on the show. He shared that his dream guest would be Jay Leno so that he could present an offer from Fox to lure Leno to the network with an 11:30 p.m. slot. Feresten said, "I'm hoping if I convince Jay, they [Fox] will be very grateful and give me a 12:30 spot. We'll see." The upcoming third season will have some new features - a monologue and more musical guests. When asked whom Feresten would most want to perform on the show, he says Coldplay, Kanye West and Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters.

Feresten's favorite sketch is Idiot Paparazzi, which features real-life paparazzi hounding ordinary people who might bear a slight resemblance to an actual celebrity. It turns out the paparazzi get recognized more often than Feresten himself. They're also quite established paparazzi. "They've taken pictures you know," said Feresten. "One of the guys, Dano, you remember when Britney Spears went nuts with an umbrella? That was Dano's car. He owns the car and the umbrella."

Talkshow with Spike Feresten premieres its third season on Fox this Saturday at 12 midnight, following the season premiere of MADtv.

To communicate with or to be contacted by the executives and/or companies mentioned in this column, link to the JackMyers Connection Hotline.

This post originally appeared at JackMyers.com.

MTV Video Music Award Ratings: 8.4 Million Tune In To Watch Britney's Comeback

2008-09-11T08:18:10Z

Even without a performance, Britney Spears worked her magic for the "2008 MTV Video Music Awards."

More than 8.4 million viewers tuned in to Sunday's three-hour music event, a 19% increase over last year's viewership (and 46% higher than the 2006 tally).

Spears' heavily hyped kickoff to the 25th edition of the VMAs included no more than a taped bit with "Superbad" star Jonah Hill and a 30-second introduction, but the night gave the pop star the comeback she tried to achieve last year: Her clip for "Piece of Me" was awarded three moon men, the pop star's first wins in VMA history, including the prize for Video of the Year.

Andrew Cherwenka: We're Not All Talking About Palin

2008-09-10T23:12:18Z

A few quick searches on Technorati confirms it: We're not all talking about Palin.

The Obama machine continues to dominate the web, with mentions of his name in 1.7 million blog posts. McCain has just over half that number. The surprise here is Palin: For every blog mentioning her there are 11 on Obama and 6 on McCain. Seems low considering how much of a spark she lit but not shocking since her looks, family issues, and rousing speech are about all we have to go on right now.

Joe Biden has the same tired label on the web as he does in the press, with less than 100,000 mentions across the blogosphere. That's 60% of his rival for VP and even less than -- wait for it -- Cheney?

Clinton is still up there with McCain and attracts 6x more mentions than Palin. That's Clinton on Sept 10th. Although in fairness the number does include all blog mentions of Bill and the other Clintons - like, say, Mary Frances, the retired New Zealand field hockey player.

Where does Britney rank in this star-studded chart? She beat both Palin and Biden. Shame.

Diane Tucker: Selling Sarah (Or Why We Just Gotta Have More Controversy!)

2008-09-10T15:09:20Z

Unless you recently emerged from a coma, (and if that is the case, welcome back!), then you know I'm talking about Sarah Palin, the VP candidate who entered the '08 election so spectacularly she's known by one name now -- just like Madonna and Britney and Xtina.

Two weeks ago most Americans had never heard of Palin. Today she makes Barack Obama look like yesterday's celebrity (the one you don't Google as much anymore). It was an extraordinary "product launch" by any measure, one that forced the Democrats back on their heels. How did the GOP do it?

Start a controversy...

Controversy is a great way for a product -- or a candidate -- to become well known. Look at GoDaddy, which sells e-business software. Every year for the NFL Super Bowl, they put a half-naked chick in a commercial that gets banned from TV. That makes everyone want to see the commercial, so they go to GoDaddy.com to check it out. CEO Bob Parsons calls this marketing strategy "fun, edgy and a bit inappropriate." Remind you of anyone, politicos?

Go ahead, ruffle a few feathers...

Ruffling a few feathers always gets exposure. Look at Michael Moore, who uses controversy to promote his movies. It's no coincidence Fahrenheit 9/11 became a heated topic of national debate and an unprecedented documentary success, grossing more than $100 million on a $6 million investment. In the Wall Street Journal, Merissa Marr said "Picking a fight with the opposition is a key component of this type of marketing plan." Sound familiar, politicos?

Create a backlash...

Questions about Palin's VP qualifications were raised almost immediately. But many Obama supporters in the media went too far. In the New York Times, Judith Warner said this about Palin: "Could there be a more thoroughgoing humiliation for America's women?"

Say, what? Palin is a mother of five who made it on her own to become the governor of a state. She didn't get there because she was anyone's wife or daughter. "Sarah Palin is very accomplished," Hilary Rosen, HuffPo political director, told CNN's Larry King. But it was too late to stop the maelstrom.

Here's a sampling of responses to Judith Warner's remarks:

Those are some sour grapes, Judith. Just because the GOP practices a little affirmative action, women should be humiliated? So what do we tell the other candidate who's benefiting from affirmative action?
--posted by Peter

Meeow. What a perfectly catty little column.
--posted by S. Collins

Are feminist critics bothered most by the thought the first female VP might not be a feminist? You simply don't like her positions. And that's okay. But drop the self-righteous drivel. That is so 1980s.
--posted by Henry

This demonstrates something I've thought for years -- women are held down mostly by other women.
--posted by Observer

Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!

HuffPo blogger Mayhill Fowler wrote for OffTheBus, "A possible endgame in this election is that liberal media, particularly in the blogosphere and on cable news, will through their ridicule and cultural misunderstanding so incense small-town America that they'll drive those voters into the McCain-Palin camp."

Ya think? According to Nielsen, more than 37 million people watched Palin's acceptance speech. An implausible 38.9 million people watched McCain's acceptance speech. John McCain! Speaking! More viewers than Barack Obama! Would so many people have watched without all the controversy?

But it was risky, you say. What if Palin had stumbled during her speech? Whoops, ha, ha... members of McCain's inner circle had videotape of her previous speaking engagements. They knew how she would perform. It's called "being played" Dems and you fell for it. Again.

Poor Barack Obama. He understands what's going on. He accused GOP rivals on Wednesday of stirring phony outrage over a colloquial comment he made one day earlier about putting "lipstick on a pig," which he said was a clear reference to McCain's policies and not a derogatory slur against Palin. But nobody's listening, because we're in the Matrix. It's 1999 again, when we all thought calling a candidate "unqualified" would make him a laughing stock. Instead the joke was on us: all the controversy generated by cheap shots helped put him in the White House. Somehow, I imagined we'd be smarter this time.