This Year’s Inspirational Pop Culture Moments (Part 2)

Photo by Pop Culture Passionisats

As 2010 comes to an end, we look back and pick our Ten Most Inspirational Pop Culture Moments of the Year. Here's the second half of our selections. To see numbers six through ten check out last week's post.

5. True Blood Stars Support a Local Family
True Blood co-stars and newlyweds, Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin, wanted to help out a family that was clearly going through a hard time. 47-year-old Kirk Darnell died suddenly, leaving behind a wife and five children — and no life insurance policy. Eight months later, mom Missi and her daughter Genevieve were hit by a car and killed as they walked to a local store. The remaining Darnell children tragically lost both parents and a sister in less than a year. Moyer and Paquin donated items for a silent auction that took place during The Darnell Family Fundraiser in Venice, California on October 10. And they showed up to offer their support in person as well.

4. America's Got Talent Star Tries to Help His Grandmother
America's Got Talent winner, the 30-year-old singer/songwriter Michael Grimm, plays what he calls "Mississippi River Music... New Orleans funk to Memphis soul." At the age of four, Michael was saved from a life living in the Mississippi welfare system by his grandmother. His grandparents home, the one he was raised in, was destroyed by Katrina in 2005. Michael's main reason for wanting to win "AGT" is to have the money to buy his grandmother a proper home. He declared, "I want to get her out of that situation. So no matter what happens here, I'm getting her out of there."
http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/

3. Fighting AIDS through Soccer with Ethan Zohn
After a grueling battle fighting cancer (now in remission) Ethan Zohn, the Survivor: Africa winner, is even more dedicated to combating HIV/AIDS in Africa. Seven years ago the reality show winner took part of his winnings to start Grassroot Soccer, a non-profit company dedicated to educating African youth about AIDS with the help of professional soccer players. In July his work came full-circle at the World Cup in South Africa. This summer Grassroot Soccer teamed up with (RED) to create a youth camp, the Grassroot Soccer (RED) Holiday Skillz Program, giving the children of Africa a safe, healthy, educational place to go while the schools were shut down for the tournament. During the week-long program kids learned about preventing and fighting AIDS, played some soccer, and watched the World Cup in a safe environment. Zohn said the philosophy taught to the kids at GRS "is to find a great support system, to have a positive attitude, to stay healthy, and you can extend your life," a message he adopted in his own recent brave battle with cancer.

2. Ellen DeGeneres Gives $30,000 Scholarship to Teen Banned from Prom
In March The U.S. District Court ruled that a Mississippi school violated the Constitutional rights of student, Constance McMillen, when they banned her from attending the prom wearing a tux and holding hands with her girlfriend. Sadly they were not required to reinstate the event, so the parents threw the kids a substitute dance where all are welcome and many supporters rallied around the teen. One big fan was Ellen DeGeneres, who invited the girl on her show. She told Constance she was an inspiration for standing up for her rights. Ellen said it was up to Constance and her generation to enlighten the world about the fallout of discrimination. DeGeneres gave the student (who has a 3.86 GPA) a $30,000 scholarship check from tonic.com.

1. Alison Arngrim Overcomes Her Own Abuse to Help Others
Most people know her as Nellie Oleson from Little House on the Prairie, but there’s a lot more to Alison Arngrim than meets the eye. In her memoir Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated she talked about a childhood of being left at home in the hands of an abusive brother. As with many people in her situation, especially children, Arngrim suffered in silence. Alison learned how to deal with situation by being acting out her aggression and anger through the raging Nellie Olsen.

Now as an activist, Alison works for PROTECT, the National Association to Protect Children. In a recent exclusive interview she spoke to us about what’s next on PROTECT’s agenda, “We've got a bunch of legislation passed... but there is a petition saying to President Obama, to Congress, 'We support the immediate arrest of known predators—people who are known to be committing these crimes right now. And we request that you allocate appropriate funding to these agencies. Could you sling a few dollars towards the cops who are waiting to go arrest these people?' So that's our biggie right now." To lend your support to PROTECT go to their website and sign their Child Rescue Petition.

For more inspiring stories visit Beliefnet Idol Chatter.

Our 10 Favorite TV Characters from 2010 (Real and Fake)

Photo by Michael Desmond/NBC

Each year we are saddened when some of our favorite TV shows go off the air and we feel as though we've lost a friend. But as the cycle of TV life goes, new shows come to replace them, introducing us to different characters and bringing us unknown playmates. 2010 was a good year for new friends. Here's our list of our latest favorite TV personalities (real and fake).

10. Madhuri from Outsourced 
We admit it. We didn't get Outsourced the first few times we watched it. We thought it was trying a bit too hard and felt a little forced. We also didn't latch on to any of the characters. But over time the show has found its groove and we are starting to relate to the personalities. And we are especially developing a real soft spot for Madhuri (played by Anisha Nagarajan) who is so shy she can't be heard. A trait we can surely relate to.

9. The Girls from Jersey Couture
Over the summer we went to NBC/Universal's Press Day and were introduced to the cast of Jersey Couture. We thought it was just another reality show trying to capitalize on the fascination with New Jersey. And in a way it was. But what we didn't count on was that the mother-daughter-daughter team actually had a lot of heart and soul and just wanted to make people happy. Sure Diane, Kim and Chrissy from Diane & Co. may have slightly different taste in fashion than we do, but in Chrissy's own words, "It might not be beautiful to us. It might not be beautiful to you, but who are we to judge that it's not beautiful for them?"

8. Hayley Taylor from The Fairy Jobmother 
In these tough economic times, it makes sense for a reality show centered on helping laid off workers find jobs. And so as all good reality shows do, Lifetime turned to the Brits and found Hayley Taylor.  The Fairy Jobmother travels the country spending a week with various families affected by unemployment. And even though she is blunt and honest with her subject, she's also got a soft tender side. In most episodes Haley sheds a tear along with us when we hear the tragic stories these families are facing.

7. Johnny Weir from Be Good Johnny Weir
Ice skating fans have known the deliciously flamboyant Johnny Weir for years, watching him compete in the Olympics and waiting to see what wild costume he would wear in the rink next. He's had his share of controversy and is thought to be the bad boy of skating. But this year the Sundance Channel took us inside the figure skater's world on Be Good Johnny Weir. We followed the champion around to practices and competitions. We got a glimpse inside his home life and his road to the 2010 Olympics. We love Johnny more than ever before. Now rumors are swirling that he's retiring and going to fashion school. No one asked us, but we think that would make a great season two.

6. Max Burkholder from Parenthood
As big fans of both Lauren Graham and Peter Krause, we were very excited for the season premiere of Parenthood. What we did not expect was that our favorite character would be the young son of Krause's character. In the first episode the family learned that Max Braverman has Asperger's Syndrome and we learned that 13-year-old Max Burkholder is an outstanding actor.

To find out who we chose for numbers one through five visit Yahoo.com.

For related stories check out:
Fairy Jobmother Prizepack Winner Announced 
An Interview with the Women of Jersey Couture


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Pop Culture Passionistas' Picks for 2010

As the year winds down, we pick our favorites in entertainment. From TV to music to arts and fashion... see what grabbed our attention in 2010.

TV: The Glut of Good Shows

We tried to pick one TV show or moment that summed up the best of TV this year and we just couldn’t do it. Instead we were struck by the fact that we’re in a new Golden Age of the medium. We’re not saying that shows like The Choir and Rescue Me will live forever alongside The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Bob Newhart Show, on the list of best series of all time. But Modern Family just might and Mad Men certainly could.

MUSIC: Nick Hornby and Ben Folds — Lonely Avenue

When we heard that indie-musician Ben Folds was teaming up for another celeb-infused project we couldn’t imagine whom it would be this time. After all he’d already famously paired with William Shatner to produce his brilliant album Has Been and helmed the Dresden Dolls’ Amanda Palmer’s first solo album. Who next? Sing-Off co-star Nick Lachey? Nope. Folds made the oh so hip choice of writing songs with Nick Hornby, the author of music themed novels like High Fidelity and Juliet, Naked.

BOOK: Patti Smith — Just Kids

We haven’t really listened to Patti Smith music since our moody college days, so we didn’t really pay attention when this autobiography of her relationship with artist Robert Mapplethorpe hit the stands (or Kindles). But when Just Kids won the National Book Award for non-fiction, we swung by the local library and picked up a copy. Twenty-four hours and a box of Kleenex later and we were done. Whether you like Smith or Mapplethorpe’s artistic endeavors is irrelevant, if you’ve ever been in love or lost your best friend, this is a must read.

MOVIES: The Secret in Their Eyes

No one really saw this Argentinean crime-thriller, no pun intended, that made it’s U.S. debut this year. And we blindly stumbled upon it one rainy Saturday night. What we discovered was a riveting film, with some of the finest acting we’d ever witnessed by Soledad Villamil and Ricardo Darin. But the scene stealing star of the movie is Javier Godino whose chilling performance actually made us queasy. This Spanish-language Silence of the Lambs will keep you on the edge of your seat until the bitter end.

FASHION: Jeggings

Let us be clear. We do not own jeggings… although we’ve seriously toyed with the idea. We feel like we might be a little too long in the tooth and wide in the hip for them. But whenever we hear Kim Kardashian say she wears them everywhere because they’re so comfortable, we think, “Maybe she’s on to something.” And when Conan O’Brien sported a pair on his new TBS show we knew there was no turning back.

FOOD: Gourmet Food Trucks

This foodie craze seems like its time might have come and gone fairly quickly. We’re not saying they’re going away but the hour-long lines to get a high-end taco might be dwindling. That said we do enjoy slipping out every now and then on the hunt for gourmet treats on wheels. Among are favorites are the Coolhaus ice cream sandwiches, the originator called the Kogi BBQ and the Food Network’s Great Food Truck Race darlings Nom-Nom. But our quest for 2011 is to track down Chef Ludo Lefebvre wagon for some legendary Ludobites fried chicken. Fire-up the GPS and the ovens.

ART: Jell-O Art

One of our most joyous discoveries this year was artist Liz Hickok and her Jell-o landscapes. When you see her San Fran cityscapes and White House recreation, you’ll understand why Liz was given the Food Network Award for “Best Use of Food as Art Medium.” Not only does she build wobbly, architectural masterpieces, she adds to their eerie quality with spectacular, Beetlejuice-like lighting effects. The result is like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Unlike Twinkies, Jell-O has a relatively short shelf life so Hickok’s masterpieces don’t last long, which is a shame. But she captures her work in photographs and videos. Check them out at her official site.

The Top 10 Celebrity Scandals of 2010

We like to stay out of the gutter here at Pop Culture Passionistas, but no year end wrap-up would be complete without mentioning the, shall we say, missteps of some of Hollywood's biggest and brightest. And so without further adieu, and just once a year, the top 10 celebrity scandals from 2010.

10. Jesse James Cheats on Sandra Bullock 
All seemed right with the world for Sandra Bullock early this year. She was getting all sorts of praise and awards for her role in The Blind Side and she seemed happy with her home life with reality TV star Jesse James. Then just a few days after winning the Oscar her world came crashing down when rumors of Jesse's affair with Bombshell McGee began surfacing. Fortunately for Sandy a new baby and a few months alone helped her realize she's better off without him.

9. Lindsay Lohan Goes to Rehab (Again)
To be honest we've sort of lost track of Lindsay. In and out of court, jail and/or rehab so often we can't keep count. The latest news has something to do with allegations of assault on a worker at the Betty Ford Center where she currently resides. We didn't care enough to read the details and are pretty sure you don't want them either.

8. Paris Hilton and the Borrowed Purse
It ranks up there with "the dog ate my homework" for the lamest excuse for getting out of jail. When Paris Hilton was arrested in August for possession of cocaine her defense was "It wasn't my purse." Then the story switched to it was her purse, but it wasn't her drugs. Ultimately she admitted to possession and was put on probation for a year. But she better be sure of what's in her purse from now on because another slip up and she'll be sent to jail for 12 months.

7. The Jeremey London Kidnapping Case
This summer Party of Five star Jeremy London claimed he was kidnapped in Palm Springs, held at gunpoint, driven around for 12 hours and forced to do drugs. No one, including his own family, believed him and the case became a version of he said/he said with his accused kidnapper maintaining is innocence. During this season of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, London still claimed the violent crime took place and he will some day be vindicated. The case is still pending in the Palm Springs courts.

6. Brett Farve
One word of advice to all the famous people out there with an inclination to cheat on your spouse. Voicemail, texts and emails can be saved and used against you. Never leave a paper trail (or in this case a e-trail). Farve admitted to sexting Jets' host Jenn Sterger but claimed the photos of his private parts were not his. That should make his wife, kids and new grandchild feel much better.

For numbers one through five on our countdown visit Yahoo.com.

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Bob Newhart – Our Pop Culture Mascot of 2010

Pop Culture Passionistas/Archive of American Television

We feel very blessed by all of the amazing pop culture moments that we experienced in 2010. For two girls who love entertainment as much as we do, it really couldn’t have been a better first year for Pop Culture Passionistas. We met a lot of incredible people even if only for a few minutes. And with that said, as we look back at how the year unfolded one person stands out as our PCP Mascot of 2010. That man is Bob Newhart.

When we were kids we loved The Bob Newhart Show. Even thought it seemed so grown up, without anyone our age to identify with (except maybe Howard Borden), we really dug the psychiatrist series. His dry wit was not lost on us.

As we started to do work with the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' the Archive of American Television last winter, one of the first interviews we were asked to cut was Bob’s. Oddly enough a random photo of Bob even sits on a shelf in the edit bay we we work in at the Academy, smiling down at us as we snip away (digitally, of course). And with each clip we pulled we realized that, not only was Newhart a brilliant comedian, he was a heck of a nice guy, too. A rare fete in Hollywood.

We were thrilled in April when we were asked to film interviews on the red carpet at Bob’s 50th Anniversary in showbiz. Finally standing face-to-face with the man. And as his friends Tim Conway, Bob Daily and Don Rickles joked about their buddy Bob, it became apparent that we weren’t the only ones happy to be in his presence that night.

Bob may not be getting the press that Betty White got in 2010. Associated Press didn’t name him Entertainer of the Year like they did her. And Time chose Mark Zuckerburg to grace their cover. But if we had to pick one guy that stood as our symbol that all things are possible with hard work, love of family, a good work ethic and a little bit of humor, it would be Bob.

So thanks, Bob. We look forward to seeing you on NCIS next year and to all the jokes you’ve got left in you for many years to come.

Jersey Shore and The Office T-Shirt Official Giveaway Rules

1. Program Description/Eligibility: No purchase necessary. This promotion is open to Pop Culture Passionistas readers who are legal residents of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia. The promotion begins on January 5, 2010, and ends on January 14, 2011 ("Entry Period"). Only one prize in each t-shirt style will be awarded.

2. How to Enter: Send an email with the subject JERSEY SHORE T-SHIRT GIVEAWAY and/or THE OFFICE T-SHIRT GIVEAWAY to popculturepassionistas@gmail.com. You can enter to win both shirts, but you need to send a separate email for each drawing. If you don't specify which shirt you want, the entry will be disqualified. The email must contain your full name and complete mailing address as well as shirt size for prize delivery if you are declared the winner. You can enter once per day. On January 17, 2011 one winner will be selected in a random drawing from eligible entries received to win a one of the two available t-shirts. Random drawings will be from among all entries received during the entry period. No responsibility is assumed by Pop Culture Passionistas for lost, late, or misdirected entries or any computer, online, or technical malfunctions that may occur. Odds of winning a prize depend on the number of eligible entries received.

3. General Conditions: Entrants agree to abide by the terms of these official rules and by the decisions of Pop Culture Passionistas, which are final and binding on all matters pertaining to this giveaway. This giveaway is governed by the laws of the United States. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply. Return of any prize/prize notification as undeliverable may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner. Entrants further grant to Pop Culture Passionistas the right to use and publish their proper name and state online, in print, and in any other media in connection with the contest. Acceptance of a prize constitutes permission for Pop Culture Passionistas to use winners' name and likeness for advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation unless prohibited by law. By entering, participants release and hold harmless Pop Culture Passionistas, their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, and agents from any and all liability or any injuries, loss, or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with this contest or any prize won.

4. Internet: If for any reason the Internet portion of the program is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of Pop Culture Passionistas that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this contest, Pop Culture Passionistas reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process, and to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the giveaway. Pop Culture Passionistas assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications-line failure, theft, or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries. Pop Culture Passionistas is not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any computer online systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, or software, or for failure of any e-mail or entry to be received by Pop Culture Passionistas on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any Web site, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to participant's or any other person's computer related to or resulting from participation or downloading any materials in this giveaway.

5. Winner Notification: Winner will be notified by email and announced on the Pop Culture Passionistas website on January 17, 2011.

Our Best 2010 Brushes with Celebrity

Between living in the Los Angeles area and writing about pop culture as a career, we have had a lot of brushes with celebrity this year. In the past twelve months we've conducted more than 110 interviews with big stars, rising stars and wanna be stars. From the red carpet at the Emmys to jury duty with a pop culture twist, it's been a year filled with idols, unknown gems and several random encounters. Here's our top ten.

10. The Pop Culture Trifecta — Nellie, Mary Ann and Cissy
We hit the pop culture trifecta the night we went to a book signing including Alison Arngrim (Nellie from Little House on the Prairie), Dawn Wells (Mary Ann from Gilligan's Island) and Kathy Garver (Cissy from Family Affair). And if we had to choose the best moment of the night it would have to be Alison telling us all about her media feud with Melissa Sue Anderson.

9. A Chat with Bryan Batt
For us Mad Men has made only one big mistake in its four seasons on TV — letting go of Bryan Batt. We loved Sal and were sad to see him written off the show. So we were more than excited when Bryan penned a book about his mom and growing up in New Orleans called She Ain't Heavy, She's My Mother. And then we got the chance to talk to him on the phone. We only got 30 minutes but we could have talked for days. Sadly Bryan's mom passed just this week. Our thoughts go out to him and his family.

8. Advice from Morgan Fairchild
One random day we had just finished eating lunch with a friend as Falcon Crest's Morgan Fairchild walked in and sat at the table next to us. We had some left over desserts including a large piece of red velvet cake. As we were dividing up the goodies and discussing the transaction, Morgan leaned over and said to us, "Never give up the red velvet." Words to live by.

7. Donald Trump and Alan Alda All in One Day
Talking to either one of these two gentlemen would have had us pretty excited. We've loved Alan Alda, of course, from M*A*S*H but also from one of our favorite musicals The Apple Tree. And Trump, well he's Trump. He also happens to be charming and on the mastermind of one of the best reality shows out there — The Apprentice/Celebrity Apprentice franchise. But this time we talked to them back-to-back. A surreal day to be sure.

6. Judge Lance Ito at Jury Duty
One fine fall day we were called to jury duty. And as we awaited our turn, a special guest came into the jury room — the biggest star to ever grace the L.A. legal system — Judge Lance Ito. Yup, O.J.’s Lance Ito. Mr. Media Circus himself gave us a brief lesson on the history of the building we were in, but managed to leave out the parts about the O.J. and Phil Specter trials. Fortunately we were not placed on Ito's 35-day murder case set to begin that afternoon.

5. A Phone Call with The Fabulous Beekman Boys
Planet Green was premiering a new show that sounded interesting. So before even seeing an episode of The Fabulous Beekman Boys we got a 30-minute one-on-one interview with Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge. We thought, sure, why not? So we chatted with the adorable gay couple from New York City who bought a goat farm in Sharon Springs, New York and were living a modern day Green Acres. As soon as we hung up the phone, we knew that they were destined to be reality TV stars. Can't wait for season two.

4. On the Red Carpet with the Cast of Glee
Red carpet events are always exciting. The adrenalin gets going and the heart starts pumping as the limos pull up, the camera rolls and we get to talk to famous people. One of the most exciting red carpets this season was the cast of Glee at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. One after another they strolled in as fans screamed across the street. Matthew Morrison, Lea Michelle, Cory Monteith, Chris Colfer, Kevin McHale and the Holy Grail — Jane Lynch. What a night.

3. Our Red Carpet Date with the Cast of Modern Family
This night was pretty much the same thing as the Glee night, but this time the limos held Ty Burrell, Eric Stonestreet, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Sofia Vergara, Julie Bowen and Ed O'Neill. The cast of our favorite show on TV right in front of our little old microphone. It doesn't get any better.

2. Legends of the Red Carpet — Bob Newhart and Don Rickles
Oh wait, it does. The same red carpet a few months later and we're talking to some of the biggest comedy legends that ever lived. In a special tribute to Bob Newhart, we got to say "Hi Bob" to Newhart himself and talk to some of his best friends including Tim Conway, Julia Duffy, Marcia Wallace, Bill Dailey, Fred Willard and the great Don Rickles. It still feels like a dream.

1. The Mother of all Red Carpets — The Emmys
And just when we thought, "we can't top that," we got invited to the red carpet at the 62nd Annual Emmy Awards. Our heads were spinning from seeing the stars. We were able to interview celebrities from our pop culture hero Joel McHale to comedy legend Lily Tomlin. We spoke to Kevin Bacon, Kevin "Dot Com" Brown, Gail Simmons, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Piers Morgan, Ann Margret and many more. But perhaps the highlight of the day in the strangest way possible was our few minutes with Dr. Jack Kevorkian. Inside during the show, we did press room interviews with Tom Hanks, Al Pacino, Kyra Sedgwick, Jim Parsons, Eric Stonestreet and Claire Danes. Can we come back again next year?


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This Year’s Inspirational Pop Culture Moments (Part I)

As 2010 comes to an end, we look back and pick our Ten Most Inspirational Pop Culture Moments of the Year. Check back next week to see the final five. 

10. Balthazar Getty Reunites a Family

Former “Brothers and Sisters” star Balthazar Getty took a beating in the tabloids over the last couple of years. His highly publicized relationship with starlet Sienna Miller, while he was still a married father of five, didn’t sit well with a lot of fans. But Balthazar made a recent push for publicity recently — not to promote a new show but to help out a dear friend. In early October, Getty was seen on the streets of Los Angeles handing out fliers in search of a man named Rocky. The mentally challenged son of friends had been missing for two years, but the family had not given up hope that they would find him. Thanks to Balthazar’s act of kindness, a 40-year-old man fitting Rocky’s description was identified in San Antonio, Texas. His family quickly hopped on a plane and they were reunited. Nora Walker would be proud.

9. Portia De Rossi Goes to the Light

Portia de Rossi has had to keep some of Hollywood’s deepest secrets. For years she hid her homosexuality, fearing that it might impact her ability to get roles. And, she now admits, that she was on a 300-calorie a day diet that whittled her down to a shocking 82 pounds. In her 2010 memoir, “The Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain,” she discussed her battle with bulimia and anorexia, and her dark existence in the closet. These days, Portia DeGeneres (her new legal name) is married to talk show host Ellen — out of the closet, healthy, and clearly happy. And very brave to share her emotional journey, not only in her new book but with Oprah and Ellen on their talk shows.

8. Bringing Home the Bacon Kevin Bacon

Every once in a while, an idea is so brilliant we think, "Really, no one thought of that before?" Such is the case with the all bacon Kevin Bacon sculpture. Yes, that's correct. J&D Foods in Seattle, Washington commissioned the life sized Bacon bust by Mike Lahue in conjunctions with their partners at What Do Bacon Do? The wood based sculpture is covered in seven bottles worth of bacon bits and five coats of lacquer. So, no matter how much you love Kevin Bacon, be warned—this is not edible art. The piece was auctioned on eBay to benefit the children's cancer charity Ashley’s Team. A bidder simply known as t***r purchased the sculpture on October 9 for $4,150.06. Even, PETA will have a hard time fighting against that cause.

  

7. Sean Penn Dedicates Himself to Haiti

“The Bourne Identity” director and “Covert Affairs” producer Doug Liman, spent time in earthquake torn Haiti with Academy Award winner and humanitarian Sean Penn. In a conference call interview, he explained Penn's dedication to the rebuilding of the ravaged country:

"When I first got there with Sean it was right after the earthquake, nobody was living inside. Everybody was living in a tent. Most people were living on the runway, one of the taxiways at the airport because that was sort of semi-safe. Where Sean was out in the middle of Port au Prince at this… country club and the interesting thing was when I went back a month and a half ago, almost all the other non-profits down there, those people have all moved into homes or hotels. Sean is still in literally the exact same tent he was in, in mid-January. It gives a real sense of urgency to helping these people when you yourself are living under the same conditions they are… What Sean is doing there is simply remarkable and inspirational.”

6. Eva Longoria Is “Making a Difference”

Eva Longoria is a glamorous TV actress, but when the Desperate Housewives' cameras stop rolling and the paparazzi are done snapping photos, Eva is grounded in a very deep connection with her family – especially her oldest sister. Lisa Longoria was born intellectually disabled. To honor her sister, Longoria founded the charity Eva’s Heroes. Among its events and activities, the organization offers a very special program near Corpus Christi, Texas. Eva’s Heroes Executive Director Christiane Perkins-Garcia told NBC about the opportunity for kids near Corpus Christi, “I saw the need for just a fun place for kids to go while Mom and Dad are still at work. But in a supervised and safe setting where we have staff trained to handle the special needs that are students have.”

EVA’S HEROES LINKS: http://www.evasheroes.org/

Our 2010 Top 10 Musical Moments on TV

If you read our blog on a regular basis you know by now that besides being TV freaks, we're also big fans of musical theater. So when our favorite television shows mix in a song and dance we are in Pop Culture Passionistas heaven. 2010 saw a resurgence of very special episodes of some of our favorite TV series as well as some striking musical performances on talk shows and other events. Here are our favorite musical moments from the year.

10. Jimmy Fallon and Paul McCartney Sing "Scrambled Eggs"
Most Beatles fans know that when Sir Paul penned "Yesterday" he sang the dummy lyrics "Scrambled eggs. Oh my baby, how I love your legs." So when the former Beatle appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon earlier this month the pair performed a duet of the entire ode to their favorite foods. Jimmy looked like a kid in a candy store while singing with the legend.



9. Mouse Rat Performs "Sex Hair" on Parks and Recreation
Andy's band Mouse Rat got another turn in the spotlight this season at the Pawnee telethon. Leslie's big guest, basketball player Detlef Schrempf, was detained by Tom at the Snakehole Lounge. So Mouse Rat was called in to headline the 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. slot on the charity event. Their performance of "Sex Hair" set off a string of completely inappropriate telethon events culminating in Leslie's mooning the camera on the hilarious episode.



8. KD Lang Sings "Hallelujah" at the Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics opening and closing ceremonies in Montreal had big shoes to fill after the summer extravaganza in Beijing. And so they purposefully kept it simple. And honestly, it was a little bit of a let down. The closing event was nice but unmemorable until KD Lang stepped onto the stage and sang Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." She brought down the house. No acrobats, no fireworks, no multitudes of choreographed shapes lowering and raising in time to music, just a powerful voice and a beautiful song.



7. The Sound of Music Cast Reunion on Oprah
For the first time in 45 years, the entire cast of The Sound of Music reunited for an interview on Oprah Winfrey's show. Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer and the actors who played all seven children came together to talk about the making beloved film. And as if that weren't cool enough, Oprah brought out the Von Trapp Children Singers — a group comprised of the real Captain and Maria Von Trapp's descendants. They sang a stunning version of "Edelweiss" as the cast looked on and footage from the film played behind them. There was not a dry eye in Oprah's house, or ours.



6. The Choir Sings at Royal Albert Hall
The Choir was definitely one of our favorite shows of the year and we're sad to think that the one brief season might be it for Gareth Malone and his underdog singing groups. If you missed it, the show was sort of a real life Glee with Malone visiting schools and towns with absolutely no musical experience, or even interest, and creating choirs. Perhaps the most powerful was the series of episodes at the Lancaster School, an all male sports academy where they were taught that "boys don't sing." That was until Malone recruited over 100 lads and arranged for them to perform at the Royal Albert Hall. Chills from head to toe.



Visit Yahoo.com to see our picks for numbers one through five.

For relates stories check out:
The Choir Is Filling Our Glee Void
Your Art Could Be on Parks and Recreation


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The Double Dream Hands Revolution

When you first start talking to composer/choreographer/teacher John Jacobson one thing becomes imminently clear — he’s a nice guy. You’ll also learn really quickly that he had no intention of becoming an Internet sensation. And yet, he has. If you haven’t seen (or done) the Double Dream Hands dance, made famous on YouTube, well frankly, you haven’t lived.

Jacobson never expected the video, which started as a music-learning tool for kids, would be pirated by an unknown enthusiast and uploaded to YouTube. In fact he learned of the move, when a friend emailed him to say the video had hits. Jacobson contacted his co-writer to let him know, “I called up the guy Mac Huff who wrote the song with me and I said, ‘Mac, do you know that 30,000 people looked at this thing?’ And he said, ‘Well call me when it’s 100,000.’ And that was like that night.”

Now he’s not only topped the 1,000,000 mark, a number of parody videos have popped up, too. Our favorites are the Beyonce “Single Ladies” mash-up and “Double Dream Paws,” but please don’t try that one at home. Jacobson’s surprised by some other versions. He explained, “The really surprising ones to me are the ones that are… college kids. College guys in their dorm rooms are all getting together and doing the double dream hands… and laughing hysterically and having a really good time… I think that’s all wonderful.”

Of course it pales in comparison to the 3,000,000 kids that watch the hundreds of other videos that John has made as teaching aids for students all over the world. But we have a feeling the "Double Dream Hands" machine is just building up steam.

And for those of you who are wondering, the real name of John’s song is “Planet Rock.” The term dream hands came during a discussion with kids one day when John was asked to describe one of his signature moves. He recounted, “I sort of wrap my hands around the back of my head. And… a kid asked me one time, ‘What do you call that move?’ And… I jokingly said, ‘Well that’s a dream hand because it’s like you’re taking a dream out of your head and throwing it up into heaven.’”

The phrase and the move stuck and the dream continues. So without further ado, we present the best of John Jacobson and “Double Dream Hands.”

"Double Dream Hands!"/"Single Ladies" Mash-Up

"Double Dream Hands" Bollywood

"Double Dream Paws"

"Double Dream Hands" Extreme

"Double Dream Hands" in the Dorm

See Jim Henson’s Muppets Stuffed and Unstrung

 

As the official website for Henson Alternative Stuffed and Unstrung points out, “People used to say, ‘Puppets are lame. Improv usually sucks.’” And from that one simple slogan, the team behind the irreverent, live show wants you to know that this is not just another trip to Sesame Street.

In the show six comedians work with 80 Henson puppets, which they want to be clear are not Muppets, in a “100% uncensored show.”

You have two choices of how to watch the action unfold. You can keep your focus on two large TV screens on either side of the stage, which allows you to enjoy the illusion that the puppets are acting of their own free will. Or you can check out the action on the stage, and get a rarely seen view of the puppeteers driving the action. They’re out in full force, not hidden behind some face brick wall or pedestal.

In an interview on the Henson.com Podcast, Brian Henson explained the genesis of the show, “What we set out to do was develop a new comedic voice for puppets. And we started working with Patrick Bristow with comedic improv… improvising with puppets.”

The company’s early improv bits were initially performed for friends and industry insiders. And then they took to the road including gigs at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the Big Laugh Comedy Festival in Sydney, Australia.

Henson continued, “We performed a little bit around the world and it was always very, very popular. So we thought it would be great to do a proper show in New York.” Produced by Westbeth Entertainment and Henson Alternative, Puppet Up! hit the Union Square Theatre in NYC for a couple of months this past spring.

Now Henson Alternative is bringing Stuffed and Unstrung home to Southern California for the holidays. And while it may not be what Muppet purists have come to expect from the franchise, Henson says the show is “going back to the roots of my dad, Jim Henson, where he started doing puppets for adults and then started working down into the family.”  

There are only six shows scheduled at the Irvine Barclay Theatre from December 29 through January 2, including two seatings at 7 and 10 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. What better way to ring in ’11? Tickets range from $38 to $55 and are going fast so book now. Buy online or call 949-854-4646 ext. 1. The Irvine Barclay Theatre is located at 4242 Campus Drive in Irvine, California.

If you can’t make it to Irvine, don’t be disappointed. There are lots of great clips up on the Stuffed and Unstrung site.

For more pop culture stories read:

Discount on Great Pop Culture T-Shirts

Sesame Street Healthy Habits for Life

Happy Humbug Day

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Our TV Christmas Wish List

Photo by Michael Yarish/FOX

When we were kids, starting on the day after Thanksgiving we began to eagerly anticipate the arrival of the Sears Wish Book. The 500+ page catalog was our bible when it came time to put in our order with the big man in the North Pole.

And when we say order, we mean a big honkin' order. We did not simply make a brief request for one or two toys from Santa. We would sit with the Sears catalog and carefully comb through it page by page, over and over. Our lists were detailed itemizations including page, price, size, color and sometimes quantity. After all you can never have too many refills for your pot holder weaving machine or enough packets of frosting for your Easy Bake Oven cakes.

We are happy to say we have outgrown our more-than-slightly commercialized view of the holiday season. And we no longer receive the Holy Grail of gift giving catalogs. But we still have a few items we want to put on our wish list and we hope that Santa will reward us with a couple of our television dreams.

10. A Project Runway All-Stars season: We're loving Top Chef All-Stars and we are beyond excited for the Amazing Race season with our favorite couples. We know Project Runway did that one challenge a few seasons ago with some past contestants (and we know the move to Lifetime might complicate things), but we want a full on head-to-head featuring the best of the best like Santino, Mondo, Seth and Christian.

9. A boyfriend for Kurt on Glee: Everyone else gets to hook-up, and Kurt deserves to be happy too. We're tired of seeing his sad little moping face. And while we're talking about Kurt and Glee, we want to see way more of Kurt's dad, Burt (played brilliantly by Mike O'Malley.)

8. A DVR with no space limitations: So much TV, so little hard drive space.

7. Put American Idol out of its misery: We like to keep our blog positive and focus on the good things on TV, but American Idol is making that pretty hard. We're not sold on the idea of JLo and Steven Tyler saving the flailing series, so we're putting our money on Mark Burnett's new show, Voice of America, to be the final nail in the AI coffin.

6. A new show for Duff: We are so sad Ace of Cakes got canceled and we're holding our breath waiting to see what Duff Goldman's next project will be. Rumors are he's in development on something new, but if Mary Alice and Geoff don't come along, we're not watching.

5. A new season of The Choir: What a tease. Just 13 episodes of Gareth Malone and The Choir and poof, he's gone. We need more Gareth and we need it now.

4. Change Kathy Griffin's mind: We still have not accepted the fact that Kathy Griffin does not plan on making another season of My Life on the D-List. And although it sounds like she's developing a scripted series, we like following Kathy on her crazy promotional jaunts and worthwhile charitable events. Please come back, Kathy.

3. An on set visit/interview with the cast of Modern Family: We've interviewed them all briefly on the red carpet, but we have so much more to ask.

2. A PR trip to the West Coast for The Fabulous Beekman Boys: We're so tired of reading about book signings and craft events for all the lucky New Yorkers. We California girls need some Beekman love and a taste of BLAAK cheese.

1. Bring Sal back to Mad Men: We don't like the smarmy new art director Peggy has to work with and as the show approaches an era of free love, it seems like the right thing to do.

BONUS: Oh, and by the way, we never got that Barbie Carousel Kitchen we wanted in 1974, so if you could throw that in too we'd be ever so grateful.

For other holiday stories check out:
Who Won the Awkward Family Photos Contest?
Shirley Jones and Patrick Cassidy in a Holiday Spectacular


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Rock with You Blends Michael Jackson with a Latin Beat

 

Seaon Stylist Bristol grew up loving Michael Jackson and his music. So when the King of Pop died suddenly in July of 2009, Seaon set out to create a tribute to the star. That celebration of Jackson's music is coming to life in Rock with You at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood, California, starting on December 23.

But this is not just another Jackson tribute. This show fuses Michael's music with Latin beats and jazz stylings. The numbers are performed to Salsa, Cha-cha-cha, Merengue and even Latin Hip Hop rhythms. In a recent interview Seaon told us he got the idea while working on a Broadway show after Michael's passing. He recalled, "His death came as the ultimate shock and disbelief to me. I started to think of all the different tribute shows that were happening and they all seemed the same to me. I was working on a Broadway production at the time to fuse Latin and Jazz together, and then the idea hit me. I did not only want to pay him tribute, but I wanted to celebrate his music and his moves. Being of a heavy Latin and jazz influence, I noticed that no one had created a show of this nature, so I set out to make it a reality."

He claimed that in the beginning he wasn't sure if the concept would work. But he said, "[The] musician and singer instinct in me kicked in, and I decided to trust and run with it. After the first two arrangements were completed, I couldn't stop dancing. It's truly addicting. I didn't know what to do to continue making this a reality. All I had was a vision, a dream, the love of Michael and some high-energy Latin rhythms. I figured, run with it, let's see how it flies. And boy, has it flown."

We thought it was unusual that the show was being promoted as a holiday event, but Seaon explained that the cast would be performing some of Michael's favorite Christmas songs that he sang with The Jackson Five. They also have added the Harmonies Girls Choir to join in on a Christmas medley and a "heal the world" medley of songs Michael sang with kids. Seaon commented, "This is a show about fusing cultures and rhythms, about coming together and feeling the joy of our humanity through music and dance. It crosses social, cultural, spiritual, ethnic, economic, language and age barriers. It promotes peace on earth simply by virtue of its existence and the positive energy it radiates. What better time of the year to debut this show? It's the ultimate non-Christmas, Christmas show. It's not only celebrating Michael's music it celebrates life. It's hot and spicy but always wholesome. It's emotionally and physically moving and always uplifting."

Season also said he is proud to present a show that honors his Latin heritage. He remarked, "Even in Los Angeles with our enormous Latino population, there are still, unfortunately, only a limited number of events that embrace the Latin community as an important constituency of the mainstream audience, and even fewer that actually dare to be innovative."

According to Seaon, Grammy nominated Latin musician and composer Rebeca Mauleon wrote most of the musical arrangements for the show. He related, "When we first met it was love at first sight... in the creation department that is. She saw my vision, and being a true MJ fan herself, she was already familiar with the music and fully understood the hybrid we needed between Michael's originality and intricate Latin rhythms. We worked day and night to get every beat and mood right, and I couldn't be prouder of the work we've accomplished together."

Seaon has been a Michael Jackson fan since he was a young boy in South America and his father would send him Michael's records and videos. He remembers the way he and his friends would feel when they would gather around to hear the latest song. He expressed, "This is precisely what I wanted to bring to the stage when I created this show Rock With You. I wanted to show the level of excitement that we felt as kids through his music, but also infuse it with our special Latin roots and culture… His music is infections. It just makes you want to dance and move and sing. And that's precisely what Salsa and most other Latin rhythms do to your soul and your spirit. Now can you imagine the combination? It's incredibly infectious and you just can't sit still."

Seaon thought back to the first time he ever saw Jackson. "I remember the exact moment I first saw MJ perform. Growing up in South America, we were raised really poor, and couldn't afford a television. One of my neighbors, however, did have a television and the kids and I would all stack around their outside window trying to peek in to get a view. Most often they were rather mean to us and would close their windows, but the first time they invited us in to sit down and enjoy a viewing was the most memorable time for me. This is because the first video I ever saw on live television was Michael Jackson's Thriller. How funny is that? The first thing I've ever seen on TV happened to be the biggest project of my life. I don't think that's a coincidence at all. Love it."

Although no members of the Jackson family have been to the show yet, many of Michael's colleagues and dancers have seen it. Season said they are "completely blown away by the originality of the concept. They have personally expressed interest in coming on board and assisting on certain details, since they obviously have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Michael. I accepted, of course, because this adds a unique overtone to the show. In some way I feel like we're getting MJ's approval and that's important... Just to imagine that MJ is smiling down on us, watching us as we celebrate his work the best way we know how — Latin style."

Rock with You is at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood from December 23, 2010 through January 2, 2011. For more information visit their website or call 818-508-4200.

For other theater stories check out:
An Interview with the Cast of Cinderella
he First Jo-el Rocks Bethlehem and Burbank


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