Almost Famous New York

That Is Brand New Information! Are the 'Friends' Reuniting?

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:34:00 -0500

Friends is getting back on the air! Only...not really.

Don’t be too sad because we will see David Schwimmer on his former co-star Lisa Kudrow's Showtime show, Web Therapy. We know all of you Friends fans out there will be tuning in.

We got all the scoop! Are you ready for the upcoming episode's juicy storyline? Spoiler alert!

Well, David’s character will apparently see Lisa’s character (Fiona) having sex with his father. Yuck. After witnessing the awkward & dirty deed, the traumatized Schwimmer can now only picture himself sleeping with Fiona lookalikes. Wait...what? His therapist then recommends he watch the two have sex again to move past this odd fetish/obsession. Again...what?

The new season is not set to premiere until this summer but it definitely looks likes something to tune into. Sounds like one twisted season. Are you excited Pheobe and Ross, I mean Lisa and David, back onscreem together? We sure are!

Snooki Makes A Confession...Sort Of

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:05:00 -0500

Is the world's favorite guidette admitting she's bisexual?

The Huffington Post reports Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi saying, "I would consider myself bi. I've done stuff with girls before. But I would never be with a girl because I like... penis. But I've experimented." A little TMI, though it's not that we expected anything less from the bladder control-challenged 24-year-old.

During past seasons, Snooki has kissed fellow cast member, Deena Nicole Cortes, and even her off-shore bestie, Ryder. In other words, like many ladies seduced by liquor bottles married to Ke$ha, Polizzi admits to having "bar-sexual" tendencies when under the influence & under the spell of house music.

These days, however, the pint-sized princess of Poughkeepsie is keeping busy in a committed relationship with Jionni LaValle, who's own appearances on the Shore indicate his disapproval of the over-the-top behavior of his little Snooki.

If you're not sick of the gang and their shenanigans yet, make sure to tune in to MTV every Thursday at 10 for a fun night of killing those smart brain cells.

See + Be Seen: Fashion Week A-List Tracker

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:40:00 -0500

Fashion Week is notoriously known for having an infestation of who’s who in the industry; with a-list style enthusiasts among the large crowd of important people. With 100-and-something-thousand people attending this whirlwind, where does one even begin looking to spot these show stoppers?

Here at Joonbug, we have come up with 3 magnetic force fields that celebrities and models never fail to gravitate towards.

First on our list: The Front Row at Lincoln Center. Anyone who is anyone will be sitting in this V.I.P section of the shows. It’s a perfect place to look for well-known fashion editors, celebrities, other designers and fellow model competition. Though getting to this roped off gold mine is impossible, on-lookers will have just as great a view of them as they do on the show itself. Let’s face it; the front row seats are just as much a part of the show as the collections being presented. And a quick tip with that note, study what they are wearing as well! The front row’s fashion sense is usually very complimentary to what is in style at the moment or trends that will start coming our way. Even if you don't have access to the shows, you can stake out near the tents and check out who's going in and out. It's worth a shot to get a glimpse of your favorite designer/model/star.

When the shows are over, like everyone else, these peeps are looking to kick back and have a good time so finding where they frequent is key to the search as well. Chelsea Market in and of itself is a perfect place to go, however One Lucky Duck’s Pure Food & Wine restaurant seems to be a hot spot for a-list sightseeing as it is a health-nut and vegan’s haven. Another great place to grab a cocktail as well as do some important people watching is across from the Lincoln Center at a place called P.J. Clarke’s.

And remember, this is a week of fashion celebration! Going to after parties is a great way to spot models and celebs during fashion week; some of them are hosting parties, and some are even DJs. The Chelsea Club is a magnet for celebrities and models on a normal night but when fashion week hits, this is the spot to see the stars. On the other hand, fashion week can be hectic and some would rather chill at a chic, low-key bar, than get rowdy at a chic, up-beat spot- decisions, decisions! The Electric Room at the Dream Hotel is the perfect place to kill two birds with one stone: lay back and have a cocktail, while spotting the who’s who! The new Le Baron on Mulberry will also, without a doubt, be hosting some of the hottest, most exclusive parties.

Another (obvious) draw, is The Meatpacking District. Spots like SL, Abe & Arthur's, Catch, The Double Seven, and 1Oak will be packed to the the brim with notables. And even if you can't get past the velvet rope, you can still post outside and people watch. We're sure you won't be the only one!

Good luck with your celeb search and see you at NYFW!

The 'Dance Moms' Vs. Katherine Heigl

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:03:00 -0500

Katherine Heigl feuding with someone? Again?

The former Grey's Anatomy actress has always kept it real. Who is she picking a fight with this time? Basically, everyone associated with the Lifetime reality show Dance Moms. Although this time around, she may be in the right.

Katherine Heigl turned to her iVillage blog and expressed her disappointment with dance tyrant Abby Lee Miller, as well as the mother/daughter dynamics of the show. Right below are just a few excerpts from herentry:

"I watched with open-mouthed amazement as girls as young as seven were encouraged to dress provocatively and shimmy around a stage doing a dance performance that could just as easily been a burlesque routine...I kept thinking all these girls were missing is a pole! I was also horrified by the way their instructor spoke to them when she felt they weren't up to snuff...It was demeaning, belittling, and downright unkind...There is no reason to diminish anyone's self-esteem in order to get them to try harder next time. Especially not a child's."

Any watcher of the show, like yours truly (it's a guilty pleasure!), you are pretty aware that dance coach Abby Lee Miller is pretty...scary. An understatement more or less, but yes she don't take no bull. As word of Heigl's rant got out, the first Dance Moms response was surpisingly not from Miller herself but instead from one of the dancer's mothers Christi Lukasiak. She says to 100.7 Star (from Pittsburgh), "First of all, the music doesn't seem all that adult. Second of all, I recall Katherine Heigl being in a movie about sleeping with an older man when she was about 12, so..."

SNAP!

"...And she doesn't know that when I put my daughter to bed every night, you know, like, we have a long talk, and the kind of relationship I have with her. I don't let anybody mess with my kid. C'mon, have you seen the show? I'm constantly going to bat. I think if anybody fights for their kid, it's me, you know?" In other words? "Katherine Heigl can suck it," the radio host said. Lukasiak agrees and states, "Yeah, that's what I say, but you said it, not me. I'm just agreeing."

From the looks of this, girls and women alike will probably be catfighting until the age of 100. One can only imagine what Abby Lee Miller is scheming thinking when/if she heard of this little Katherine Heigl drama. We should learn to fight like men: grunt a little, throw a few punches untill someone get's a black eye, and the loser buys the two a round of beers. Barbaric, yes. Time-saver? Definitely

Leslie Carter Dies From Suspected Drug Overdose

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:08:00 -0500

So sad.

Leslie Carter, sister of Nick and Aaron Carter, has passed away. Her sudden death has left her family shocked and devastated.

The autopsy has not yet determined the cause of her death but a close source has said that Leslie had been battling a prescription medication addiction. In an attempt to better herself, she had moved from Canada to Upstate New York and was staying with family.

The family she was staying with had said that they left her alone for an hour in order to run errands. When they returned, they had found Leslie unconscious.

Nick is currently on a solo tour and has every intention to continue to perform. He is dedicating the remaining shows to his little sister.

Here is what Nick has to say: “Performing is cathartic to me, and I am dedicating the rest of my tour to my sister since she loved to watch me perform.”

Aaron is currently starring in the off-Broadway show, The Fantasticks. He’s letting his understudy perform for him while he takes a few days off to mourn his sister’s passing.

The spokesperson of the show, John Capo, had said: “His Fantasticks family loves him and offers him support and prayers during this difficult time. Aaron’s understudy and friend, Matt Leisy, will be covering Aaron’s role until his return. We thank everyone for the outpouring concern for Aaron.”

Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Carter family at this time. R.I.P. Leslie Carter.

Laughing with Comedian Tommy Davidson

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:55:00 -0500

Comedian Tommy Davidson doesn't discriminate. He'll find something funny in everyone and everything, from black people to white people to Obama and even dinosaurs. This comedy vet has been doing stand-up since the 80's and is widely known for his impersonations, made famous on In Living Color in the '90s. You can also catch him in chuckle-worthy flicks like Booty Call, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls and Juwanna Mann.

Who were some of your comedy heroes growing up?
Richard Pryor number one. Bill Cosby. Eddie Murphy.

How did you get into Comedy?
A friend of mine asked me to try it one night. And he asked me to do it… there was a situation where he could get me on stage. So I did it that night and have been doing it ever since. That was in ’86.

What would you be doing if it weren’t for stand-up?
I would probably be a chef somewhere in a nice restaurant. I was trying to get into culinary school and was trying to get into restaurants as a teenager. I had a whole career in cooking.

How is comedy today different from comedy in the 80’s and 90’s?
There’s not a lot of places that you can go on television that have comedy play. In the '90s, they just had more opportunities for TV, comedy specials and stuff. Now it's mostly clubs and that’s it. It’s real limited on cable, what you can do. I think that’s the biggest difference. They just don’t have as many comedy specials as they used to.

You’ve performed all over the world, what stands out in your mind? Hmmm.. probably Afghanistan. That’s the first time I’ve been to a place with an actual war... it just felt good that I could make people laugh that were under so much pressure... and get such a warm feeling. That was actually Thanksgiving last year.

So you’re an Obama fan, what did you think of his recent State of the Union address?
I didn’t have a chance to watch it because I was running around promoting my show, but I did catch a rebroadcast of it. I like what he’s doing.

What do you do outside of making people laugh? I like to do the regular stuff. I love the movies, you know, going to the mall. I’m like really, really normal. I love documentaries, I love to read. I love concerts and stuff. I go fishing on my yacht.

What advice do you have for wanna-be comedians?
I would say don’t take no for answer. Be on stage seven nights a week. Period.

Where?
I’d say LA.

Anything else you'd like to add?
Yeah, Miami is one of my favorite places. You will see why when I do my performance.

Said performance took place at Ricochet Bar & Lounge in Midtown on the 30th. (The venue features a comedian on the last Monday of every month.) Most of the people seated at the triangular bar and in their plush lounge seats didn't notice when Tommy casually walked in through the front door. I was one of the few that got to greet him before he went on the corner stage. It's definitely an intimate spot, "more like a poetry lounge" in his words.

Opener Forrest Shaw first took the stage claiming you always "need a buffer" before the main act. He was amusing, finding humor in the national debt, and being broke, and the government, and being broke, and drugs, and being broke. I'm not sure, but I think the dude wants more money. (Too bad comics don't get tips like Strippers. Maybe they should start doing laugh dances... LOL)

Davidson kept the crowd laughing continuously through the evening. It's like watching someone with tourette's and ADD who just chugged a Red Bull as he transitions lightning-fast between sound effects, voices, facial expressions, and even some beatboxing. If you're towards the front, don't be surprised if you get singled out and become part of the show.

The best impression of the night was Obama, with Davidson claiming he "Stutters better than most politicians can speak." Oh, and remember how he said we'll see why Miami is one of his favorite places to perform? I'm pretty sure it's because we provide a big Latin crowd that can fully appreciate all of his bi-lingual bit on Spanish Soap Operas, Singers and TV Announcers. The show concluded with him fulfilling the crowd's request for his famous Sammy Davis Jr. impersonation (with a twist though, as he called it "Dr. Jekyll and Sammy Davis Jr. Hyde.)

Definitely check out one of his upcoming shows if you can:

FEB 02-04: Captain Brian's in Marco Island, FL
FEB 09-12: Stress Factory in New Brunswick, NJ
FEB 16-19: The Comedy Factory in Baltimore, MD

(Full Schedule Here)

Kristen Bell's Breakdown Over Sweet & 'Slothy' Surprise

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:42:00 -0500

Sloth is definitely a deadly sin - deadly enough to make an emotional birthday girl cry!

Girl-next-door actress Kristen Bell just gave us another reason why it is so damn difficult to hate her. The 31-year-old star from Veronicas Mars fame stopped by The Ellen DeGeneres Show recently for a little chat. Currently, Bell is appearing in the Showtime series House of Lies and is also featured in the upcoming film Big Miracle. The real story here, however, is when the Bell excitedly talks about the memorable birthday she had last year.

Warning: the truth may reveal excessive cuteness and make us even more jealous of these two adorable lovebirds. The full interview will air today on, but for now we all got a sneak peek at Kristen's little cryfest over her sloth obsession. On her 31st birthday, Kristen's fiancé Dax Shepard surprised her with a visit and sent her to the back rooms for her present. She says, "...I thought, 'There's a sloth near. There's a sloth here; it's close; it's going to happen."

As the thought of even coming close to interacting with her dream animal approached her, Kristen claims she immediately broke down and became overwhelmed with tears of excitement. Shepard then proceeded to capture the star's reaction all on video, clearly showcasing the actress in a gleeful cry. So cute!

Take a look for yourself:

Boy, this really shows how we seriously do not know what goes on behind the closed doors of Hollywood... Real scandalous stuff here: sex...lies...now sloths. What's next, Chuck Norris unveils his Lisa Frank sticker collection? Blasphemy.

Inside Talent Resources' Suites at Sundance

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:05:00 -0500

Every year movie (and party) lovers from all over the world flock to Park City, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival. It's the world's largest independent film festival and includes 10 days of non-stop films, celebrities, parties, mingling, and networking. And Talent Resources has certainly returned to Sundance 2012 with a bang! Their gifting suites have been jam-packed with celebrities swooping up gifts from sponsors such as Rachel Roy, Sean John, Cream of Wheat, The Teaologist, DL1961 Premium Denim, Prasad Medical Skincare, and more!

Everyone from William H. Macy to Mary J. Blige has shown up to get their hands on free goodies. But it wasn't all about receiving; celebs also gave back by signing custom silver Cream of Wheat thermoses that are to be donated to the Ronald McDonald House charity.

Perhaps the most important sponsor of all (everyone has to eat, right?), was New Yorks' very own French restaurant, Beaumarchais, who served up delectable appetizers such as Croque Monsieur sandwichs, brioche french toast, and tuna tartare. If the amazing food wasn't enough, guests enjoyed live sets from DJ Silver Medallion and Mick Boogie while sipping specialty cocktails (including Teaologist's delicious coconut tea concoction) from Voli Vodka and Refine Mixers. Some of the celebs in attendance included Emma Roberts, Mary J. Blige, Laura Prepon, AnnaLynn McCord, Wilmer Valderamma, Ben Flajnik, Lizzy Caplan, William H. Macy, Carrie Preston, Lil Jon, Mario Lopez, Maria Menounous, and Aziz Ansari.

All images by Jerritt Clark for Wireimage

Hollywood's Touch Of Evil

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:01:00 -0500

Last month, New York Times Magazine gathered the year's best film performers to create a short series of beautifully chilling videos directed by Alex Prager called A Touch Of Evil. Killers, crooks and crazies are just a few of the villianous archetypes that were selected and portrayed by our favorite actors. (Watch the whole series here.)

There's Brad Pitt as the madman, where he says he was channeling ‘‘Peter Lorre — with a dose of Kramer.’’ He was praised last year for Moneyball and The Tree of Life. Mia Wasikowska becomes and axe-weilding home wrecker reminiscent of The Shining. Her best performances include Albert Nobbs, Jane Eyre and Restless. Rooney Mara, leading "lady" in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, dresses as the sociopathic Alex from A Clockwork Orange. Gary Oldman imitates a creepy ventriloquist dummy in his spooky spot. Quite a different role from his performance in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Kirsten Dunst plays a seemingly innocent siren, until the very end of the spot. She was acclaimed for the indie film Melancholia last year. George Clooney plays a military tyrant in his flick. ‘‘I picked Captain Bligh because I liked his hat. Bad guys don’t think they’re bad guys. In film, the best evil performances are when the actor remembers that," he said of the role. You probably saw him in The Descendants and The Ides Of March last year. (And if you didn't, you should!) Ryan Gosling disappears before your eyes as an invisible villian, saying ‘‘I don’t really know if the Invisible Man is a villain or not, but I just don’t trust the guy." He scored a hat trick of great performances last year in The Ides of March, Crazy, Stupid, Love and Drive.

Other actors in the series include Adepero Oduye from the film Pariah, Michael Shannon who starred in Take Shelter, Jessica Chastain who appeared in Take Shelter, The Tree Of Life and The Help, Viola Davis, also starring in The Help, Glenn Close, who starred in Albert Nobbs and Jean Dujardin from The Artist.

Brad Pitt (Finally) Wants To Marry Angelina Jolie

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:33:00 -0500

Another power couple might be walking down the aisle in the future.....

Brad Pitt spoke to The Hollywood Reporter, “We'd actually like to, and it seems to mean more and more to our kids. We made this declaration some time ago that we weren't going to do it till everyone can. But I don't think we'll be able to hold out.”

He and long-time partner Angelina Jolie have held out long enough, so they definitely deserve to do this for themselves. "It means so much to my kids, and they ask a lot. And it means something to me, too, to make that kind of commitment."

When asked if he proposed to Jolie already, he coyly said, "I'm not going to go any further." Eep!

The Moneyball actor did however reflect on his lows he faced in the past. "I used to deal with depression, but I don't now, not this decade – maybe last decade," says Pitt, "But that's also figuring out who you are. I see it as a great education, as one of the seasons or a semester. 'This semester I was majoring in depression. "

At the end of the day, we just want them to be happy and not rush things like some other celebs. Good luck for them two lovebirds!