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The Globes, when it came to best original song, largely stayed mainstream, passing up selections from Mary J. Blige ("Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire") and newcomer Sad Brad Smith ("Up in the Air"), two songs considered favorites for scoring nominations in the like-minded category for the Oscars, to instead recognize the likes of U2 and Paul McCartney.

Rounding out the best original song category for the Globes is a film-only cut from the cinematic interpretation of the musical "Nine," a traditional ballad from "Avatar," and "The Weary Kind" from the music-centered "Crazy Heart." The latter brings a new name to the Hollywood gala in singer-songwriter Ryan Bingham, and is receiving a large, late-season push from Fox Searchlight.

Don't look to the Globes as a foreshadowing of the Oscars, as the latter are typically a bucket of unpredictability. Academy voters nominated only three songs for the 2009 gala, including two from "Slumdog Millionaire," and the year prior choose three songs (three!) from Disney's modern fairytale "Enchanted."

The Golden Globes, however, have no trouble filling out the category, and Pop & Hiss handicaps it below.

Too big to be ignored: The marquee names in this season's music and film awards race are clearly U2 and McCartney. But neither should be the shoo-in that was Bruce Springsteen's self-titled track from "The Wrestler." McCartney's "I Want to Come Home" is a piano-based slow dance, with touches of string orchestration, and it's aimed squarely at your heart. McCartney's vocals are as soft and comforting as a holiday-season fireplace and some homemade gingerbread. What it lacks in excitement, it more than makes up for with coziness. If the film it graces, "Everybody's Fine," was one that was being taken seriously, the song might have been more than holiday gooeyness.

U2's "Winter" from "Brothers" takes a more serious route. "Now I'm 25," sings Bono, "trying to stay alive, in the corner of the world, with no clear enemies to fight." U2's Bono and "Brothers" director Jim Sheridan are regular collaborators, as the star has worked on his "In the Name of the Father" and "In America." The band's "Winter," however, could have used some of the gospel atmospheres of the act's 2009 effort "No Line on the Horizon," as it's a snails-paced somber number with some oh-so-serious, look-at-me flashes of rhythm. This is awards-season solemness by the book.

The spoiler: Though "Crazy Heart" won't be the kind of music/film sensation that was "Once," it should prove to be a December surprise. With Jeff Bridges playing a down-on-his luck country musician, and respected composer-writer T Bone Burnett ("O Brother, Where Art Thou?") supplying the music, "Crazy Heart" won't be overlooked come Oscar time for the original song category. Showcase song "The Weary Kind" is an artful choice to win this category, even if it's a little on the sleepy side. Rootsy singer-songwriter Bingham shares a songwriting credit, and his scruffy, whiskey-stained vocals are the centerpiece, although there are brief touches of a country slide scattered among its finger-picked base. Like the other two songs mentioned in this post, it's a downbeat offering, but one that's at least more rugged than emotional.

The standards: A massive James Cameron film with a ballad sung by a pop/R&B star, "Avatar" and its "I See You" threaten to be completely unavoidable over the next few weeks. There's plenty of A-list names behind the song, which was composed by James Horner and Simon Franglen. Kuk Harrell, of "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" fame, shares a songwriting credit. But make no mistake: This is a massive end-credits song for an adventure film, complete with the big vocal build from Lewis that such a track requires. There's something charmingly old-fashioned about its grand orchestral burst in its final minute, but it lacks the hook to become the wedding party staple that was "Titanic's" "My Heart Will Go On."

As for "Cinema Italiano" from "Nine," Kate Hudson handles herself well, and this is the only song in the category that actually bares a bit of fun, but it's still world music for the dinner-party set, and the token nod for the year's big musical.

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY found writing a song for ROBERT DE NIRO's new movie EVERYBODY'S FINE a therapeutic experience, but the storyline mimicked aspects of his own life.
De Niro plays a widower attempting to reconnect with his offspring at Christmas time.
The former Beatle, who lost his first wife Linda in 1998, tells Daily Variety, "It's not necessary for me to relate to a project that I'm writing about, but if I do, it's more interesting.
"The De Niro character lost his wife, has grown-up children and wants to get them together for Christmas. I know that syndrome."

“Crazy Heart,” written and directed by Scott Cooper, is a small movie perfectly scaled to the big performance at its center. It offers some picturesque views of out-of-the-way parts of the American West, but the dominant feature of its landscape is Bad Blake, a wayward, aging country singer played by Jeff Bridges.





Those last four words should be sufficient recommendation. Some of Mr. Bridges’s peers may have burned more intensely in their prime, but very few American actors over the past 35 years have flickered and smoldered with such craft and resilience. Neither blandly likable nor operatically emotional, this actor has a sly kind of charisma and a casual intelligence. You suspect that he may be smarter than some of the characters he plays — the lounge musician in “The Fabulous Baker Boys,” the deadbeat bowler in “The Big Lebowski,” the egotistical author in “The Door in the Floor,” to take just a few examples — but also that he knows every corner and shadow of each one’s mind.

Unlike Mr. Bridges, Bad, who is 57, seems to be running on the last fumes of his talent. He drives from one gig to another in a battered truck, playing bowling alleys and bars with local pickup bands and sleeping in less-than-deluxe accommodations. He smokes and drinks as if trying to settle a long-ago bet between his liver and his lungs about which he would destroy first. The chorus to his signature song (one of several written especially for Mr. Bridges) observes that “falling feels like flying, for a little while.” That time has long since passed for Bad, who is scraping the bottom and trying not to complain too much about it (except when he can get his agent on the phone).

The hunt for Tiger Woods is on, or at least the first photographs of the golf superstar since his late-night car crash and damaging news of his marital problems.

The winner of 14 majors has virtually disappeared since driving his SUV into a tree during a bizarre accident outside his Orlando-area home last month. His wife, Elin Nordegren, has also laid low, though photos of her surfaced this week, her hand showing no sign of a wedding ring.

Except for a few posts on his Web site, where Woods apologized for "transgressions" and said he was taking an indefinite leave from golf, the world's best player has gone underground. And that, of course, has driven up the market value for his photographs.

"He's on top of the list," said famed paparazzo Ron Galella, who once had his jaw broken by Marlon Brando and is the subject of a documentary by Oscar-winning director Leon Gast that will premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

"The only bigger one would be Brad Pitt with Jennifer Aniston, his former wife, if they ever got together," Galella said. "Tiger is hot now."

The word paparazzi comes from a character in the film "La Dolce Vita," although they often make life anything but sweet for athletes and celebrities.

Some of them go to lawbreaking lengths to get the exclusive shot, scaling walls, hanging out of trees, and even chartering helicopters if it means getting a picture of something within a gated community — one such as Isleworth, where Woods and his family have their home.

The value of the photographs depends on several factors, said Frank Griffin of the Bauer-Griffin Agency, including things like quality and setting. If the picture were of Woods crying or contrite, it would be more valuable than one of him smiling.

The company said it was standing by the world's No. 1 golfer, who said on Friday that he was taking an "indefinite break" from the sport.

"Upper Deck will maintain its exclusive agreement with Tiger in both our sports cards and memorabilia categories, and we look forward to his eventual return to the PGA Tour," Upper Deck Chief Executive Richard McWilliam said in a statement. "Tiger and his family have our full support."

Woods has served as an exclusive spokesman and autograph signer for Upper Deck since 2001.

Woods, 33, last week admitted cheating on his Swedish wife Elin Nordegren as allegations of multiple extramarital affairs rocked his life and career.

The golfer's public standing has plummeted as a parade of up to 13 women -- from cocktail waitresses to porn stars -- came forward to say they had had flings with the married father of two.

In the latest USA Today/Gallup poll, Woods' "favorable" rating dropped to 33 percent from 85 percent in June 2005. His "unfavorable" rating surged to 57 percent from 8 percent.

A Washington Post-ABC News poll found more than four in 10 Americans hold an unfavorable view of Woods and more than a third -- whether golf fans or not -- believe companies should not continue to use Woods to endorse their products.

Findings like those are making companies nervous.

Long before he made tabloid (or even sports page) headlines, Tiger Woods was devastated by his own father's philandering, according to his high school sweetheart.

Dina Parr, whom he dated during high school and into his freshman year in college, exclusively tells E! News that Woods would call her from the road during the summer to talk about his parents' relationship.

"He would just call crying and say, 'My dad is with another woman,' and that would be all he could say," she says. "He would be so upset, so I just tried to be there for him and listen to him."

Woods was famously close to his dad, Earl, who died in 2006.

"He loved his father," Parr tells E! News in the exclusive interview. "And I know that was the one thing about his dad that he could never get over. So yeah, it's interesting that it's turned out that he's doing the same thing."

More than a dozen different women have been mentioned in reports about Woods' infidelities.

In announcing Friday that he was taking "an indefinite break" from golf, the 33-year-old struggling star finally admitted in so many words to being unfaithful to his wife of five years, Elin Nordegren.

The doctor, Anthony Galea, was stopped in Toronto on Oct. 15 carrying human growth hormone and Actovegin, an unapproved drug in the United States. His attorney, Brian H. Greenspan, said Galea is expected to learn of charges related to conspiracy, controlled substances and customs violations from the Royal Canadian Police in a Toronto courtroom Friday.

Greenspan said Galea was carrying "a very, very small amount of HGH" for personal use. HGH is illegal without a prescription in the United States and Canada, and it is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency and nearly all professional sports leagues.

t is not uncommon for the FBI in Buffalo to be notified of apparent attempts to enter the United States with illegal drugs, and opening an investigation would be standard procedure, two officials said. A government source said the office "wouldn't be concerned necessarily with who the users are but that doesn't mean [it] wouldn't interview them."

Greenspan described Woods as a patient whom Galea "assisted in his rehabilitation program" after knee surgery last year.

Greenspan said Galea never prescribed banned or illegal drugs to any professional athletes and that Woods had no connection to the case. . . .

In Los Angeles, Illinois insurance executive Michael David Barrett pleaded guilty to secretly shooting nude videos of ESPN reporter Erin Andrews, who called her stalker a sexual predator and said she hopes he "never sees the light of day." Barrett pleaded guilty to interstate stalking after Andrews urged the judge to give him a harsh sentence and not allow him out on bail.

Streep is enjoying a second lease on her acting life after three years of commercial and critical success in ever-changing roles, and she is delighting a new generation of fans not even born when she won her last Oscar for 1982's "Sophie's Choice."

She earned double Golden Globe nominations on Tuesday for diverse roles of eccentric real-life cook Julia Child in "Julie & Julia" and a mature divorcee who revels in an affair with her ex-husband in the upcoming comedy "It's Complicated." Hence the line, "I'm a bit of a slut!"

Sandra Bullock also is enjoying somewhat of a rebirth at age 45, as she declared herself "slack jawed with awe" at getting two nominations for romantic comedy "The Proposal" and feel-good football drama "The Blind Side."

She appeared in no movies in 2008 and only one in 2007, "Premonition." While a third 2009 film, "All About Steve," failed to stir much interest, Bullock nevertheless surprised audiences with the success of "Blind Side."

Both she and Streep are bucking Hollywood convention that says once actresses reach a certain age in their mid 30's, good roles dry up and what's available are middling supporting parts while the best jobs go to youngsters.

"Older women is a category Hollywood has written off, but this proves that nobody knows nothing. No matter all the surveys they take and all the focus groups, someone can come along and have their greatest success at this point in life," said Pete Hammond of awards website www.The Envelope.com.

"Streep and Bullock have been smart enough in their choices to have a career that lasts more than a few minutes and now they are reaping the rewards," he said.

For Streep, the recognition by Golden Globe voters follows a run of roles that have thrilled audiences, including the fierce fashion boss of "Devil Wears Prada" (2006), hippie single mom in musical "Mamma Mia!" and severe nun in "Doubt."

Those roles reminded 21st century movie-goers just why Streep is regarded as among the greatest living film actresses, and seemed a long way from the intense parts, many with foreign accents, that made Streep's name three decades ago.

In the 1980s, she won Oscars for Holocaust drama "Sophie's Choice" and "Kramer vs Kramer," about two parents battling for custody of their children.

After more than 70 other awards, Streep "almost plays like a newcomer" said Dave Karger, senior writer with Entertainment Weekly. "I think all the awards voters are realizing that Streep has not won an Oscar in 25 years -- before Carey Mulligan was alive," Karger said.

Britain's Mulligan, 24, the fresh face of "An Education" also earned a Golden Globe nod on Tuesday, along with Emily Blunt, 26, for "The Young Victoria" and Gabourey Sidibe, 26, for "Precious".

While Mulligan and Blunt are known as up-and-coming actors, Sidibe is completely new to audiences. All three are considered Oscar contenders, and there is no doubt that the Golden Globes will elevate their position in the media spotlight.

Frances Bean Cobain, born August 18, 1992, was the first — and, as it would turn out, only — child of Courtney Love and Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. From the minute she came into the world, she was famous.

Photographers clamored to snap her picture. Journalists lined up to crown her as the heir to the throne, the princess of rock and roll. Even her godparents — R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe and actress Drew Barrymore — were famous. And, yet, very little is actually known about Frances Bean. She's given only a handful of interviews. She interned at Rolling Stone magazine. And, by all accounts, she's tried very hard to live a normal life. At least as normal a life as the daughter of rock royalty can have.

"These people are fascinated by me, but I haven't done anything," she told the magazine. "I'm famous by default. I came out of the womb, and people wanted to know who I was because of my parents. If you're a big Nirvana fan, a big Hole fan, then I understand why you would want to get to know me, but I'm not my parents. People need to wait until I've done something valid with my life."

In the same interview, she declared her love for musical theater and "Sex and the City," called herself "a shoe junkie" and talked about the possibilities of an internship with Rolling Stone in the summer. She also credited her grandmother, Wendy O'Connor, with helping her remain rooted.

"We've moved so much, and my life has been so inconsistent," Frances said."[She's] the most constant thing I've ever had. I'm really lucky, because I've been able to go places and meet people you can only dream of, but she's probably the person I respect most out of anybody in the world."

Two-time Olympic beach volleyball gold medalist Kerri Walsh is pregnant for a second time.

Walsh is due at the end of May and her agent says she could be back as early as the end of the 2010 season.

Walsh and her husband, fellow beach volleyball pro Casey Jennings, had a son last May. After planning to take the whole year off, Walsh returned to the AVP tour in August.

The pregnancy was first reported by universalsports.com.

Official Video Preview Rihanna Hard (feat. Young Jeezy)


Rihanna's new video for the single "Hard," featuring Young Jeezy, will make its debut on Thursday. The single is the latest from her album, Rated R, which was released in late November.

Rihanna's new video for the single "Hard," featuring Young Jeezy, will make its debut on Thursday. The single is the latest from her album, Rated R, which was released in late November.

In the music video, directed by Melina Matsoukas, Rihanna appears in military-inspired attire, though she is given plenty of opportunity to show some skin as well.



"It's couture military," Rihanna recently told MTV News. "Everything is surrounded around the idea of something military. We have tanks, we have troops, we've got helicopters, we've got explosions. We've got lots of cute outfits, lots of bullets. It's crazy."

The video for "Hard" will make its debut on MTV and VH1. MTV's Buzzworthy blog is also currently offering a 30-second sneak peek.

by RTT Staff Writer

Rihanna's appearance served as an inspiration to countless viewers, giving many girls and women the strength to break free from physically and emotionally abusive relationships. Her courage to come forth and share her story, despite the shame and criticism from many, was very heroic. It was a grand step in a positive direction to turn a painful situation into something good.

However, her latest move, allowing racy images to adorn the cover and pages of GQ magazine, leaves one wondering, what in the world she and her marketing team were thinking…or were they thinking at all. Knowing the mass numbers of impressionable young girls who admire and are influenced by her style and talent, who thought appearing on the cover with little more than a birthday suit, and other pictures that leave little to the imagination was a good idea?

Perhaps the intent was to visually express her strength, power and ability to take control, but is the message clear, or does it send the opposite message to young impressionable girls and boys that a woman is only the sum of her parts? Despite her enormous talent and breathtaking beauty, we find her, like so many others promoting a message that implies that power is based on what's between your legs instead of what's between your ears. The real power is in the desire and ability to deny the continued sexualization and degradation of women, especially with young impressionable eyes looking and taking notes.

The hope moving forward is that Rihanna and other powerful women of influence will recognize that their choices, both large and small, have an impact on those who look up to and admire them from afar. Every action they take and every word they speak can positively or negatively impact the decisions and actions of the next generation.

This October the singer grabbed Paris fashion week with both hands and took on the front-row challenge as if it were a fashion decathlon. From harem and lace at Balmain, to sheer bandages at Gareth Pugh, to tweed and pearls at Chanel, Rihanna was perfectly, if joylessly, ­on-message at every show. And you thought that Lady Gaga worked up a sartorial sweat.

Senator Joe Lieberman says he is encouraged by the direction the health care talks are going and is getting close to being able to vote for reform. This comes after he threatened to oppose the legi.

US actor Morgan Freeman is seen here on December 8, after a media briefing held in Johannesburg. Freeman playing Nelson Mandela in "Invictus" and Penelope Cruz in "Nine" look likely to take home Golden Globes nominations along with films "Julie & Julia," "Inglourious Basterds," "The Hurt Locker" and "Up in the Air.

Organized and chosen by members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the Golden Globes will be held in Beverly Hills on January 17; they are traditionally seen as a key indicator in the battle for honors at the Oscars.

The excitement starts at 1300 GMT as singer-actor Justin Timberlake joins actor John Krasinski to unveil nominees in 25 categories in film and television.

Though 67.4 percent of films that won best picture at the Academy Awards also won a Golden Globe, in recent years the awards have proved an unreliable barometer of Oscar winners.

The rags-to-riches drama "Slumdog Millionaire" is the only film in the past five years to have followed up a best picture statuette at the Golden Globes with victory at the Oscars.

So far this year, no one film has emerged as a clear awards season.