Burger King ad with Blige stirs criticism

NEW YORK (AP) – A Burger King commercial featuring Mary J. Blige singing about chicken has been pulled. But the fast-food chain is blaming music licensing issues for the decision – not criticism of the ad. The spot debuted this week. In it, Blige sings soulfully about chicken snack wraps. But as the video went viral, some in the black community criticized the ad as stereotypical. The black women-oriented website Madame Noire likened it to “buffoonery.” Burger King said Tuesday the commercial was pulled because of a licensing concern. The company said it hopes to have the Blige “ads back on the air soon,” though a spokeswoman would not comment on whether they ads would…

Nicki Minaj’s new album won’t silence her haters

Nicki Minaj’s new album ‘Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded’ will do nothing to silence her haters (theGRIO) It’s the moment fans (and haters) have been waiting for: Nicki Minaj’s much-hyped Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded has finally been released. Will her new album silence her very vocal critics, or just add more fuel to the fire? A second studio album typically comes at great risk for an artist: can they continue to deliver music the fans love, now that they’ve tasted the sweet flavor of success? Or will they flounder in a creative rut as they navigate their newfound career in the music industry? Getting to release a sophomore album is a feat unto itself, often rewarded with greater creative freedom…

Chris Brown steals woman’s iPhone, under investigation

Miami Beach police check Chris Brown phone theft claim MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Police are investigating a woman’s claim that singer Chris Brown stole her iPhone outside a South Beach nightclub when she tried to take a picture of him. A police incident report released Thursday says Christal Shanae Spann, 24, and her friends spotted Brown and rapper Tyga leaving the Cameo club early Sunday. Spann told police she saw Brown get into a black Bentley, and she used her phone to take a picture of him sitting in the car. According to the report, Spann claims Brown grabbed her phone and said “… you ain’t going to put that on no website,” and drove…

Rihanna Falls On Stage During Live Performance

Rihanna Falls During Loud Tour Live Performance (AOL) Rihanna took a tumble at a recent Loud tour stop in Canada. Midway through performing her hit single, ‘What’s My Name?’ at the Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta on June 22, the Bajan pop star, dressed in her trademark bikini outfit and heels, tripped over her own two feet and fell to her hands and knees. But RiRi, whose Loud tour kicked off June 4 in Baltimore, proved she could recover as quick as her Loud single hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. She got up and shrugged off the fall, picking up into the next dance move and singing “Oh na na.” The tumbling…

Marlon Wayans on Tracy Morgan: ‘He has to be a little more responsible’

(EW) Everyone from Tina Fey to Chris Rock seems to have an opinion about Tracy Morgan, who made headlines after he made a series of homophobic jokes during a stand-up show in Nashville last week. Now Marlon Wayans — who co-starred with Morgan in the 2006 comedy Little Man — has added his voice to the fray. “He has the right to say what he says,” the comedian told reporters at the 15th Annual Webby Awards yesterday. “But he has to be a little more responsible and write a little bit and think a little more before he does it next time.” “But that’s why I don’t like people having cameras in the comedy clubs,” Wayans…

Baby Babble or Secret Language?

Babies Learn How Conversation Works Before They Learn Words (ABC) A viral video of two diaper-clad babies babbling in the kitchen has people wondering what the tots are talking about. Eighteen-month-old fraternal twin boys Sam and Ren appear to be having a grown-up conversation complete with questions, answers, facial expressions and gestures — even the odd laugh. But they aren’t speaking English. “These kids are right on the cusp of language,” said Stephen Camarata, professor of hearing and speech Sciences at Vanderbilt Kennedy Center in Nashville Tenn. Instead of producing words, the boys are making different sounds in the tone and rhythm of speech. WATCH: “They’re using the intonation patterns of sentences — imitating sentences in a…

CBS Offers Charlie Sheen ‘Two And A Half Men’ Job Back: Report

Charlie Sheen, CBS In ‘Two And A Half Men’ Return Discussions: Report (NYDailyNews) Looks like “Two and a Half Men” may be whole again soon. Without determining who represents what fraction, NBC’s Jeff Rossen is reporting that, according to a source close to Sheen, two weeks after Sheen was fired from the show, the $2 million an episode man may get his job back on the biggest sitcom on television. “Sources close to Charlie Sheen tell NBC News, CBS has offered him his job back. Discussions ongoing. Not a done deal,” Rossen said via Twitter. Of any reporter, Rossen would know; Sheen has praised the reporter who interviewed him for his multi-part NBC special report (part one…

Charlie Sheen To Make $7 Million On Tour

Charlie Sheen has sold out shows in Detroit, Chicago and New York City for the Charlie Sheen LIVE: My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not an Option Show tour and reports say that the project will be enormously profitable for Charlie. According to TMZ, Charlie stands to make $7 million in one month, reporting that the actor has agreed to perform to at least 20 dates raking in between $250,000 – $275,000 per show. Perhaps while Charlie keeps winning, so will disaster victims in Japan. The actor’s official website states, “Charlie will be donating one dollar from each ticket to… the Red Cross Japanese Earthquake Relief Fund.” Earlier this week, Charlie released a trailer for a new short film…