From the King of Pop to the Boss, the Super Bowl stage has played host to some memorable performances; MTV News looks back on the best.
By James Montgomery

Madonna

Photo: Martin Fraser/ Getty Images

On Sunday night, Madonna will join an exclusive club that includes the likes of Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Diana Ross and, uh, Up With People when she performs at halftime of Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis.

Yes, you’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger stage than the big game — last year’s Super Bowl was watched by some 111 million Americans — which is why the producers of the halftime festivities always recruit the biggest stars to perform (except for 1999, when Big Bad Voodoo Daddy inexplicably found their way into the proceedings). And Madonna most certainly fits that bill, which is why, while we’re not quite sure what she’ll bring to the Super Bowl stage — aside from her promise that it’ll be “the greatest show on earth” — we’re reasonably confident that it’ll be a performance folks will be talking about on Monday. And probably Tuesday too.

Of course, if Madge wants to secure her spot among the all-time greatest Super Bowl halftime performances, well, she’ll definitely have to deliver the goods. Over the years, some of the most prodigious talents have gotten lost in all of the ephemera that comes with a Super Bowl slot (lasers, explosions, confetti, marching bands, will.i.am), but still others have risen to the challenge, delivering performances that have thrilled, chilled and even made us forget about the game itself. Here’s a look at our favorite Super Bowl halftime performances.

Check out photos of past Super Bowl halftime shows!

Diana Ross, Super Bowl XXX: The dynamic Diana stole the show in 1996 with a classy, brassy performance that featured nearly as many of her biggest hits as it did costume changes. Her voice was in prime form, powerful enough to outshine a full gospel choir, an army of tuxedo-clad dancers and, of course, end-zone pyrotechnics. But it was her exit — lifted from the stage via helicopter, while blowing kisses as the chorus of “Take Me Higher” blasted through the stadium — that truly put this one over the top.

Prince, Super Bowl XLI: Not even a near-constant downpour could dampen this 2007 performance from the Purple One, who stalked across a custom “symbol” stage (while wearing a kerchief tied around his head), wailed on approximately 46 guitar solos, begged the audience to “take my picture,” out-watted the famed FAMU marching band, covered the Foo Fighters and even managed to freak out network censors by casting a lengthy (and quite phallic) shadow from behind a piece of fabric. So, you know, it was just your average Prince show. Oh, and then he did “Purple Rain” in the rain. Meta.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Super Bowl XLIII: They opened with Springsteen leaning on Clarence Clemons (a nod to the cover of 1975’s Born to Run), begged the viewing audience to “put down the chicken fingers,” and then absolutely, positively destroyed the stage in Tampa with a set that featured classics like “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” “Born to Run” and “Glory Days.” And then Springsteen finished things off by shouting, “I’m going to Disneyland!”As several fans have come to say, this wasn’t a halftime performance, it was a football game played around a Springsteen concert. As an added bonus, this is also the performance that gave us the now-immortal meme.

Michael Jackson, Super Bowl XXVII: It started with the late, great King of Pop magically leaping from the Rose Bowl scoreboards to his stage on the 50-yard line, featured a staggering 3,000 dancers, some killer choreography (the Moonwalk!) and a career-spanning medley of Jackson’s hits (everything from “Billie Jean” to “Black or White”). And as if MJ’s performance wasn’t testament to his superstardom, how about the 90-second ovation he received before ever singing a word? It was almost enough to make one young writer forget the Bills were on their way to losing a third-straight Super Bowl. Almost.

U2, Super Bowl XXXVI: If there is another band on the planet more capable of seizing the moment than U2, well, we’d like to meet them. In this case, that meant performing at the first Super Bowl since the 9/11 attacks, before an audience of millions still reeling and recovering. And, in typical form, Bono and company didn’t shrink from the spotlight. Though there were more than a few highlights, their solemn, spiritual performance of “Where the Streets Have No Name” — which saw the names of all the victims of 9/11 projected behind them — was not only the most memorable of the night, it’s without a doubt the most memorable (and chill-inducing) in Super Bowl history. And then, to top it all off, Bono pulled back his jacket to reveal an American flag. Game over.

What songs do you want Madonna to perform during the halftime show? Leave your comments on our Facebook page!

Related Artists

• Madonna

This source for this article is MTV, the best music source!

Hot Internet Ideas: Press here to learn about watch the Stanley Cup Online.

‘Scrubs’ alumn Sarah Chalke has landed the lead in an ABC multi-camera sitcom pilot called “How to Live With Your Parents for the Rest of Your Life.”

You can find the original article and other great content at this URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weblogsinc/tvsquad/~3/mdchzbX4dRU/sarah-chalke-cast-parents_n_1254935.html

Hot Internet Ideas: Doesn’t your wife deserve an amazing Christmas present this year? Check out the wife Christmas present for great Christmas ideas for your wife.

This week’s “Castle” is going totally film noir. In “The Blue Butterfly,” Castle and Beckett discover that the murder case they’re investigating is linked to a homicide from 1947 involving a lot of mystery and a very tough private detective. They soon realize that they have to crack the old case to solve the new one, and we get to see them acting out the parts in some very cool flashbacks.

Yes, it’s another chance to see Castle and Beckett hooking up onscreen, without them actually hooking up (oh, those smart “Castle” writers!), but if Castle’s private eye guy is really the cream in Beckett’s femme fatale character’s coffee as she says, why is he kissing another woman?

Check out our fun first look at this stylishly cinematic episode.

You can find the original article and other great content at this URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weblogsinc/tvsquad/~3/zr1hq7d4Rhs/castle-first-look-castle-_n_1254776.html

Hot Internet Ideas: Have you ever tried creating your own cartoon character? It makes for a great Facebook photo!

Video directors Megaforce open up about working with Madge, Nicki and M.I.A. — and why the kiss didn’t make the cut.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Rob Markman

M.I.A., Madonna and Nicki Minaj in “Give Me All Your Luvin’ “

Photo: Interscope

After fans heard that Madonna had enlisted Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. for her single and video for “Give Me All Your Luvin’,” it really felt like anything could happen with those three equally eccentric and visual artists all joining forces. What they ended up creating was an eye-catching clip full of masked cheerleaders, hot football players and lacy outfits (designed by Norma Kamali) that every fan of Madge’s “Like a Virgin” era will go crazy over.

The video feels distinctly Madonna — she is the star, after all — but Nicki’s and M.I.A.’s presences are felt between the cheerleader chant and their equally funky verses.

“[It was] quite intense but we had a lot of fun. … It’s like shooting three presidents or something like that,” Clement Gallet, from video-directing team the Megaforce, told MTV News about the shoot. “I think everybody’s a bit stressed. We had time to speak to discuss the idea, to do the fittings. So you have time to meet the people first. I think we maybe thought it would be harder to have these three famous women on set, and I think everything went quite well.”

While the trio’s collaboration made headlines, so did a kiss Nicki tweeted about that she shared with Madonna on the New York set back in December.

“That’s funny, ’cause that’s something we didn’t really see,” he added. “Basically, it was Nicki Minaj’s birthday on the shoot, but we were — as always, as the directors — stressed about the next scene and whatever happens, that when the birthday cake arrived, we were already prepping the next scene and we didn’t see what happened. And we learned about it on Twitter. So basically, we cannot tell you about the scene,” he joked.

Do you wish Nicki and Madonna’s kiss had made it into the video? Let us know in the comments!

Related Photos

• Five Key Moments In Madonna’s ‘Give Me All Your Luvin’ Music Video

Related Artists

• Madonna
• Nicki Minaj
• M.I.A.

This source for this article is MTV, the best music source!

Hot Internet Ideas: Want to learn how to do something cool? Read how I learned to save YouTube videos to my computer.

Miller took MTV News back to the ‘Burgh and introduced us to some of his city’s hottest up-and-coming talent.
By Rob Markman

Mac Miller

Photo: MTV News

Yes, the world knows Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller, but Pittsburgh has a wealth of hip-hop talent. With the Steel City’s two breakout stars already accounted for, MTV News took a trip to the ‘Burgh to see who’s got next.

“A lot of people are talented. There are just a million talented people out there,” Miller told MTV News when he took us on a tour through his hometown in December.

Acts like Boaz, Chevy Woods, B White and Mayo of the 58’s, Jabari X and Varsity Squad have been repping Pittsburgh locally for some time now, and while Mac supports all the city’s homegrown talent, if he had to pick one act to break out nationwide, it would be the Come Up, a.k.a. the duo of Vinny Radio and Franchise.

“I brought them on tour and I plan on bringing them out on tour, so if it’s up to me, they’re gonna be the next people that come out the ‘Burgh,” Miller said. “But there’s definitely a lot more people who could; it’s not just Vinny and Fran.”

Mac Miller introduces Pittsburgh’s hottest producers.

The Come Up exist as a part of a larger hip-hop collective called the 58’s, along with rappers B White and Mayo. That union exemplifies the type of unity that exists in Pittsburgh’s rap scene.

“It’s a small city … so pretty much we’ve all been familiar with each other for a long time,” Franchise said. “Everybody in this city who’s pretty much doing it legit, we’ve all been trying to get it and put the city on.”

Taylor Gang’s Chevy Woods echoed a similar sentiment. “Everybody’s hardworking, and it’s not like a big music scene out there, so when you got somethin’, you just go with it,” he said. “Everybody sees the light that shines on [Wiz Khalifa] and Mac [Miller] and now it’s trickling down to everybody else.”

Wiz Khalifa motivates Pittsburgh’s up-and-coming artists.

There is a pretty diverse group of rap characters that come out of Pittsburgh. Wiz is a hitmaker who dedicates a lot of his catalog to partying and getting high, while Mac embodies a youthful spirit. Boaz is street, and female MC Kellee Maize spits sociopolitical bars. “To be honest, I do think Boaz is right there on the cusp. I think I’m maybe close to the cusp too,” Maize said, laughing.

“I just bring that underground feel,” Boaz said, describing his deeply rooted street sound. “I embrace the culture of that poverty line that I’m speaking about.”

For years, Time Bomb has been an epicenter for Pittsburgh hip-hop. More than just a clothing store, Time Bomb has become a place for local ‘Burgh MCs to congregate and sling their mixtapes to hungry fans. The shop’s owner, Brick, has seen many young artists walk through his doors, including Miller and Khalifa. When it comes to the future of Pittsburgh hip-hop, Brick is a wide-eyed optimist.

“I think Mac and Wiz opened the door, but there’s gonna be an army of producers, an army of rappers, and they’re gonna be all different. People know: Pittsburgh, it is what it is, it’s a hardworking town,” he said. “I can name 100 people, because I want everyone to make it from here, you understand? This is Pittsburgh.”

Who do you believe will be the next rap act to emerge from Pittsburgh? Tell us in the comments!

Take a look back at MTV News’ Back to the ‘Burgh with Mac Miller and see how we spotlighted the city’s vibrant hip-hop scene.

Related Videos

• Back To The ‘Burgh With Mac Miller And Wiz Khalifa

Related Artists

• Mac Miller

This source for this article is MTV, the best music source!

Hot Internet Ideas: Did you know that you could create your own cartoon character? It

Star of Nickelodeon’s new show tells MTV News her dad was reluctant to let her enter ‘this crazy business.’
By Christina Garibaldi

Cymphonique Miller

Photo: MTV News

Nickelodeon is getting ready to rock. On Saturday, the network will premiere its new show “How to Rock,” starring rising teen star Cymphonique Miller. Miller is a familiar face at Nickelodeon, having guest starred on “True Jackson, VP” and “Big Time Rush,” but this time she takes on the role as leading lady on the show, which is based on the book “How to Rock Braces and Glasses” by Meg Haston.

Miller plays high school student Kasey Simon (think Rachel McAdams’ character in “Mean Girls”), leader of the Perfs, the most popular girls in school. But Miller’s character quickly finds herself kicked out of the “cool crowd” after she gets braces and glasses.

But Kasey won’t let the “make-under” get her down. She becomes friends with a new group of students and winds up as the lead singer of their new band, Gravity 5.

“[It's] almost kind of like a battle of the bands, and the Perfs are sort of like the mean girls.” Miller recently told MTV News. “It’s like the Perfs are always planning some certain way to stop Gravity 5. You can see lots of crazy physical comedy and crazy stunts in the show, ’cause every week we do something totally silly and outrageous.”

Miller, who sings and co-wrote the show’s theme song, “Only You Can Be You,” is no stranger to the spotlight; her brother is actor/rapper Romeo, and her dad is hip-hop mogul Master P. Yet, that doesn’t mean it was easy for Miller to persuade her dad to let her star in “How to Rock.” She said he didn’t want her to be involved in “this crazy business” until he realized how passionate she was about it. So he gave her his approval, on the condition that she keeps up her grades.

“We put education first in our family, and Romeo is like my inspiration because he was not only doing film and everything, but he also went to college, he went to USC,” Miller said.

“They’re always just constantly telling me to not get into this business for the wrong reasons like fame or money or else you will never be happy, so just do it because you love it.”
It seems like Miller certainly is loving what she is doing on “How to Rock” and hopes fans can relate to the show’s positive message.

“I hope that fans and the viewers can just take from the show is to find friends who love you for who you are, because it’s all about friendship with this show,” Miller said. “What they should learn is that at the end of the day, there’s nothing more important than being yourself.”

“How to Rock” premieres Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET on Nickelodeon.

Are you excited for “How to Rock”? Let us know in the comments.

This source for this article is MTV, the best music source!

Hot Internet Ideas: If you ever want to copy DVDs, read this 1 Click DVD Review to discover the easiest way to copy DVDs.

Fag. Homo. Queer. These were the words I grew almost accustomed to hearing as I walked the halls of my school. I hated those words. The truth is that I really didn’t even understand what they meant. To me they just became bad words, words I never wanted to hear, and things I never wanted to be. Why did they call me those things? Why did I have to suffer through that relentless taunting? I remember getting tunnel vision as I walked those halls, trying to blur everything around me like a Van Gogh painting: if I just focused on where I was going, then maybe they would leave me alone, for once. It never happened. Without fail, someone would make some asinine comment about the way I walked or talked or looked.

Who the hell are these so-called normal people? It’s really ridiculous when you think about it. There is no such thing as normal. Normal people to one person are complete oddities to someone else. But for some reason, human beings have this subconscious fear of what they don’t know, don’t understand, or deep down are themselves. So we make fun. We verbally jab at people to make ourselves feel better. What other reason would kids have for tormenting other kids for being gay? I hated every time I was picked on, but in hindsight, it made me who I am today. It gave me a thicker skin. It still hurts when someone says something today, and if anyone tells you it doesn’t, that person is a complete liar. Nevertheless, now I feel I’m able to cope with it better.

From my earliest memory, I knew I was different from most. I just didn’t know what it was that made me different. My mother used to say that aliens had brought me to Earth to test her. If those aliens were cross-dressers with a passion for pop divas, she might be right. I wasn’t the easiest child. Yes, even then, I was ready to have my diva status. I was also painfully shy. So my mother spoke for me, a lot. Even to this day, I catch her doing it. She thought she was protecting me, but she was really covering me with a security blanket and then throwing me to the wolves. I was totally ill-prepared for the type of mental abuse I would receive on a daily basis. It is abuse. Mental abuse can be just as damaging as physical abuse, just without the visible scars. All the taunts and jeers just told me that I wasn’t good enough, that I wasn’t worthy, that I was nobody. I got it from school, and then I would return home, where my father would either ignore me or scream at me because I hadn’t put the cap on the milk jug or some other miniscule thing.

I had friends, I had my mother, and I had my sister (when she was younger, at least; popular teenage girls and older gay brothers do not always mix well), but still there were so many times I felt utterly alone. Invisible. I just wanted someone to notice me or care about me. I just wanted validation. Validation, I’ve learned, is what most people want. We want someone to validate us. We seek it all the time, through our relationships, our jobs, our children. We just want someone to say that we are important and we are valued. We just want simple validation. I wanted it so bad at one point in my life that I tried to take my own life to get it. It was the ultimate cry for help. I needed someone so desperately to love me and make me feel whole. The reality of it was that there were already so many people around me who did, but I couldn’t see it through my pain. I couldn’t see the love around me because I had no love in my heart for myself. I believed I was this horrible person because everyone had made fun of me. I let them take control of my life even when they weren’t in it any longer. I was so damaged that I couldn’t see that all I really needed was myself. I needed the love from myself.

Fag. Homo. Queer. To that I say, “Yes I am!” I am all those things that they said I was. I am effeminate. I do like other men. I do walk with a swish. I am proud to be a gay man. I am proud to be who I am, and who I always was deep inside the shell of that scared little boy. I wear those names as badges of honor now. I know that those were the words spoken by ignorant children who were raised by ignorant parents. I know that ignorance is the major downfall of the human race. Maya Angelou says, “When you know better, you do better.” I know better, and I am doing better. It is through sharing our life experiences that we all begin to realize that we are not so different from each other. We all just want to be loved.

You can find the original article and other great content at this URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weblogsinc/tvsquad/~3/r74KUJ7_c30/anti-gay-bullying_b_1251097.html

Hot Internet Ideas: Mouse click here to know more about TiVo Christmas.

Though Super Bowl XLVI is sure to bring plenty of real-life drama and entertainment when the New England Patriots and the New York Giants go head-to-head on Sun., Feb. 5, TV’s scripted football moments throughout the years have been equally captivating.

From the heartfelt moments of “Friday Night Lights” to the hilariously absurd on “Family Guy” to the progressive storylines of “Dawson’s Creek,” college, high school and even pee-wee football has often taken the spotlight on the small screen.

In honor of this weekend’s Super Bowl, check out our favorite fictional TV moments from the field — the ones that made us laugh, cry and inspired us to get in the game.

You can find the original article and other great content at this URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weblogsinc/tvsquad/~3/aH3aVc1qAGs/super-bowl-best-tv-football-moments_n_1253705.html

Hot Internet Ideas: Mouse click here to know more about Christmas Gifts for your mom.

‘What he did at his height, he was brilliant,’ Run tells MTV News of ‘Soul Train’ legend.
By Rob Markman

Don Cornelius in 1973

Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/ Getty Images

There will never be another Don Cornelius. With his television show “Soul Train,” the iconic producer and host put audiences on to the latest music, fashion and dance steps every week. Artists like Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye and Run-DMC all took to Cornelius’ stage and delivered some pretty memorable performances.

Cornelius was found dead in his Los Angeles home after police responded to a shooting call on Wednesday. While the cause of death has not been established, multiple outlets have reported that it appears to have been a suicide. In the wake of his death, the “Soul Train” host has remembered by many in the music community, including Rev Run, who spoke to MTV News on Thursday (February 2) about Cornelius’ impact.

“What he did at his height, he was brilliant. He was the Jay-Z of his time,” Run said. “He was cool. He was the coolest of the people dancing in his crowd.”

Love, Peace and “Soul”: Don Cornelius Remembered in Photos

Run recalled watching the show as a kid and seeing iconic performances by Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye. The rap icon was such a fan of Cornelius’ “Soul Train” that when he finally appeared on the show in the 1980s with his group RUN-DMC, the magnitude of his appearance didn’t quite sink in.

“As a kid, before I had any experience in it — Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye — it was just cool; it was just big,” Run said, still humbled by his appearance on the show more than 30 years later. “I was happier watching it from home. … It was bigger than me and more cooler than me.”

The “Run’s House” star marveled at Cornelius’ contributions to pop culture. “Not only was he a great businessman, but he brought us what the cool was,” Rev Run said. “He knew James Brown and Marvin Gaye, he’d knock on their bedroom door and say come do my show. Well connected, he was the man, like I said, Jay-Z.”

Share your condolences with Don Cornelius’ friends and family, as well as you favorite “Soul Train” memories on our Facebook page.

Related Videos

• Iconic Host Don Cornelius Dead At 75

Related Photos

• Don Cornelius: A Life In Photos

This source for this article is MTV, the best music source!

Hot Internet Ideas: Want to know what is tops in your world? Check out this top 10 of all that is great!

MTV News takes a closer look at the latest sneak peek.
By Kara Warner

Jennifer Lawrence in “The Hunger Games”

Photo: Lionsgate

Anytime we see anything new from “The Hunger Games,” it’s like Christmas came early around here. On Thursday (February 2), we were gifted with a brand-new teaser trailer for the film, which is set to air on Super Bowl Sunday.

The one-minute spot features some familiar elements shown in the first full-length trailer, but there are also several juicy new items to look out for.

Here are the five key scenes in the new “Hunger Games” teaser:

Silver-Tongued Caesar Flickerman
Finally, we’re starting to get sneak peeks at more key “Hunger Games” players. In this case, we get a good long look at (and listen to) Stanley Tucci as sweet-talking official “Games” interviewer Caesar Flickerman. Think of an over-caffeinated, duplicitous Matt Lauer, if you will. Flickerman’s job is to get the tributes to open up to him and “perform” for the Capitol audience. There is a perfect example in the teaser, as Tucci-as-Flickerman asks Katniss a loaded, personal question: “What did you say to your sister when you volunteered at the reaping?”

“I told her I would try to win for her,” Katniss answers sincerely.

“And try you will,” Flickerman adds with dramatic intonation in his voice, before bending down and kissing Katniss’ hand.

Katniss Gives Prim The Mockingjay Pin
For the book lovers out there, yes, this scene is different from how Suzanne Collins wrote it in the book, but it makes sense in the emotional context of the film. We see Katniss give her little sister a mockingjay pin and say, “As long as you have it, nothing bad will happen to you, I promise.” This is significant because the mockingjay is seen as a rebellious symbol to the Capitol. It should also be familiar to fans who’ve read the books, as the symbol graces the cover of “The Hunger Games.”

Cinna’s Secret Gift
This one relates to the opening scene of the teaser. Just before Katniss is sent up to the arena for the start of the Games, her intuitive stylist Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) pulls out the mockingjay pin that she gave her sister back in District 12 and pins it underneath Katniss’ jacket. It’s a powerful moment, in that it shows how in tune Cinna is with his tribute and that he believes in her strength, along with the fact that Prim somehow sent it along, because Katniss promised her that “nothing bad will happen” to her if she wears it.

Katniss in Her Yellow Dress
Again, this one is for our fellow readers of the book, but holy cow, they show Katniss in her yellow dress! It’s a very brief moment, but a loaded one. Without going into spoilers, because there are more than a few surrounding this particular look, the yellow dress Katniss wears is her most innocent-looking. Cinna designed it to showcase the softer side of the “girl on fire,” and the color was to be more like candlelight than flames.

More President Snow And Effie Trinket
We’ll take as many teases of the supporting players as possible, like the brief glimpse we get of Donald Sutherland’s likely first scene in the movie as President Snow. “Welcome! And Happy Hunger Games!” he says via a big-screen monitor transmitting the opening of the games from the Capitol. His voice has the perfect amount of gravitas and disturbing excitement for the upcoming bloodbath. And the puffiness of his white hair only adds to his menacing-but-stately look. Plus, we get a little more from uppity type-A escort Effie Trinkett, who eats up anything and everything official from the Capitol. “I just love that!” she says breathily after President Snow kicks off the reapings.

Head to NextMovie for a chance to win a “Hunger Games” prize pack, including two tickets to the premiere!

Check out everything we’ve got on “The Hunger Games.”

For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

Related Videos

• MTV Rough Cut: Jennifer Lawrence And Josh Hutcherson

This source for this article is MTV, the best music source!

Hot Internet Ideas: Have teenagers that you need to buy Christmas gifts for? If so, check out the article popular teen gifts and find out what they are into.