Does Britney Spears Have 'The X Factor'?

MTV News takes a look at the pros and cons of bringing Spears onboard as a judge for the reality singing competition.
By John Mitchell

<P>The news that Britney Spears is reportedly in final negotiations to join "The X Factor" has set the MTV Newsroom on fire. Opinion on whether the pop star is a good fit for the reality singing competition has been sharply divided, so we decided to take on the topic the way we're sure Simon Cowell did before making Spears a reported $10 million offer: a good, old-fashioned pros and cons list. </P><P> </P><P> </P><P> </P><P><big><b>Pro: She'll attract viewers</b></big><br> </P><P>The debut season of "The X Factor" performed well below expectations. Its heavily hyped premiere pulled in 12.1 million total viewers and a meager 4.4/12 rating in the advertiser-coveted 18 to 49 demographic. That's about half of what the 2011 season of "American Idol" averaged ("Idol" is having its own ratings woes this season), and it didn't even win the night: Emmy-winning sitcom "Modern Family" drew 14.3 million viewers and a 6.0/15 for its season premiere. </P><P> </P><P>The poor ratings precipitated the overhaul that saw judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger and host Steve Jones fired from the show. </P><P> </P><P>There's no question that Spears would bring viewers to "The X Factor." She enjoys a large and devout fanbase who will basically follow her just about anywhere. And beyond her own fans, Spears' celebrity would also likely draw attention from the general public, who will tune in simply to see how she does. </P><P> </P><P><big><b> Con: She's become nervous on camera </b></big><br> </P><P> </P><P>Though she can still wow a crowd live in concert, as evidenced by last year's successful tour behind her hit album <i>Femme Fatale,</i> Spears has become increasingly tentative during interviews. She rarely grants on-camera sit-downs, and when she does, she seems nervous and uncomfortable. </P><P> </P><P>To be a strong judge or mentor on a reality show, you have to be <i>very</i> comfortable on camera. Part of what made Jennifer Lopez click last season on "Idol" was that she came across as confident, direct and often empathetic. She even broke down in tears after sending home contestant Chris Medina, whose fiancée suffered a severe brain injury in a car accident. The key word here is <i>after.</i> It's hard to imagine Spears being able to keep it together and deliver such difficult news in similar circumstances. </P><P>It's worth noting that a high-drama situation arose on the first season of "The X Factor" -- one that left contestant Rachel Crow sobbing onstage and Scherzinger a wreck ... a wreck who received death threats. Producers should also consider whether it's wise to send Spears, who has dealt with emotional issues in the past, into a genre that thrives when the emotional stakes are high. </P><P> </P><P><big><b>Pro: she is a contemporary artist</b></big><br> </P><P>One of the things we like most about "The Voice" is that its judges &#8212; Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton &#8212; are all active artists. They are all still hitting the studio to make hit records, and that lends a great deal of credibility to their opinions when they critique a contestant's performance. We don't mean to slight Abdul or Scherzinger, but you could argue that a legacy singer who hasn't released an album in over 17 years and a performer who has had a difficult time getting her own solo singing career off the ground aren't the best judges of who does and does not have "The X Factor." </P><P> </P><P>On the other hand, Spears may be. Last year's Femme Fatale gave Spears three top-10 singles &#8212; the most of any of her seven albums &#8212; and earned some of the best reviews of her career. While it's true that she did not write or produce much of the record, she was most certainly involved in picking her collaborators, which actually could speak well of her ability to know talent when she sees it. Spears also smartly chose red-hot rapper Nicki Minaj to open on the North American leg of her tour. </P><P> </P><P>When it comes to the contemporary pop music scene, Spears knows what works. </P><P> </P><P><big><b>Con: She's not known for her singing</b></big><br> </P><P>Unlike Aguilera, whose talent as a vocalist is indisputable, Spears is not known for her singing. By signing her to judge and mentor a singing competition, "X Factor" producers are setting themselves up for inevitable criticism. "Who is Britney Spears to judge a singing competition?" critics will scream (and they won't be wrong). </P><P> </P><P>When Aguilera critiques a performer's vocals, she speaks with authority &#8212; and her ear for singing proved to make her the most discerning judge on the "Voice" panel during the blind auditions. Spears' judging style will likely be based on liking what's already there, but she's not going to have much insight on missed notes or pitch, which will cripple her ability to further mentor her team. How can she help them improve as vocalists when it's a truth universally acknowledged that she's not really a vocalist herself? </P><P> </P><P><i>Do you think Britney Spears is a good choice for "The X Factor"? Let us know in the comments below.</i></p>

Related Videos Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1680800/britney-spears-x-factor-judge-singin... "> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1680800/britney-spears-x-factor-judge-singin...

Jennifer Gimenez Jennifer Love Hewitt Jennifer Morrison Jennifer ODell Jennifer Scholle

Lady Gaga Launches Born This Way Foundation

'This is not an anti-bullying foundation; this is a youth-empowerment foundation,' Mother Monster says at Harvard launch event.
By Jocelyn Vena

<P>Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, took over Harvard University to launch their Born This Way Foundation on Wednesday (February 29). In front of a crowd that included Oprah Winfrey, the New York natives kicked off their inspirational foundation, hoping to empower the youth of America. </P><P> </P><P>"I was recently with the great Gloria Steinem, who said that sometimes the only way you can get attention to a problem is to freak people out," Oprah said at the event." 'Break the form,' she said. You have to stop playing the game in order to change the content. Lady Gaga, with her music and her message and her own story, is breaking the form, and she is changing consciousness. She says that she wasn't put on earth just to sing songs; her passion is to be that force for good. The <i>Born This Way</i> Foundation is in line with so many of my core beliefs." </P><P> </P><P>Gaga enthusiastically opened up about the foundation and what she hopes to do with it. "I just have one thing to say before we get started: We got Oprah! ... Thank you from all of us &#8212; from my entire team, from my mother, from the bottom of the hearts of so many people who believe in what we're doing today," she said, wearing a chocolate-brown gown, brown lace gloves, towering platforms and a sparkly fishnet hat. </P><P> </P><P>"I'm not here today to give you an answer. And I'm not here to tell you I can solve these problems [of bullying]. This is about transformative change in culture over a period of time. One of the most important things I wanted to share with all of you today, it's no secret I speak out against bullying. This is not an anti-bullying foundation; this is a youth-empowerment foundation," she continued. "This is about changing the climate of the school environment and not putting the power in the hands of the teachers or the government. It is about the bubble effect. I don't believe they have the answers; I believe that you do." </P><P> </P><P>In addition to her fans, Gaga said her biggest influence to start the foundation is her own Mother Monster. "My mother really inspires me, because she talked about giving back ever since I was very, very young," she said. "And the more that I got to know my fans, the more that I realized that not everybody has that support system at home." </P><P> </P><P>Her mother later enthused that despite the snow outside, "It is even more beautiful inside because we are launching the foundation. The youth that is listening: you are the leaders of our future." </P><P> </P><P>Gaga also revealed another aspect of the foundation: "There is a bus now called the Born Brave Bus. So the Born Brave Bus is essentially a bus that is going to travel and follow my tour bus around the country, and it will welcome anyone from any walk of life to come and hang out and talk about love, acceptance, kindness and so forth. And the best thing about it it's going to be fun. It's going to essentially be a tailgate. This is not about saying, 'I need help,' but if you do, you can come. If you want to help someone else, you can come and say 'Hey, what's up?' " </P><P> </P><P>At the end of the day, Gaga said the foundation "is all about saying the power is in your hands. There really is sort of a focus on the victim, but what I want to point out today is that the victim and the bully are on the same playing field. How do we say, 'You are both equal members of society'? How do we not save not just the victim, but also the bully? I want the <i>Born This Way</i> Foundation to empower the youth of the world." </P><P> </P><P>Gaga further explained that one of the core values is teaching her fans to empower themselves to be "brave." </P><P> </P><P>"This, again, is not focused on bullying, the bravery aspect; I want for young people to know they have the power," she said. "How can we inspire young people to know they have the power to be brave?"</p>

Related Videos Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1680176/lady-gaga-launches-born-this-way-fou... "> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1680176/lady-gaga-launches-born-this-way-fou...

Denise Richards Desiree Dymond Diane Kruger Dido Diora Baird

Rihanna, Usher Added To Grammy Nominations Concert

Lady Gaga, Ludacris, Lupe Fiasco and the Band Perry also scheduled to perform at November 30 event.
By Jocelyn Vena

<P>Rihanna and Usher have been added to the performance lineup for "The Grammy Nominations Concert Live! Countdown to Music's Biggest Night," set to go down November 30. </P><P> </P><P>They join already announced acts Lady Gaga, Ludacris, Lupe Fiasco, Sugarland and Jason Aldean. Country crossover act the Band Perry will perform a full concert of their own after the Grammy nominations concert wraps up at L.A. Live's Nokia Theatre. LL Cool J will again host the show, which will air at 10 p.m. on CBS, Billboard.com reports. This marks the fourth year the Recording Academy had held one of these concerts. </P><P> </P><P>As some of music's biggest names take the stage during the special, the nominations for major Grammy categories will be announced. The awards ceremony will go down February 12 at the Staples Center, and will air live at 8 p.m. </P><P> </P><P>Over the course of her career, Rihanna has taken home four Grammy Awards including Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Umbrella," two trophies for "Run This Town" (including Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration) and Best Dance Recording for "Only Girl (In the World)." Rihanna is currently riding high on the forthcoming release of her new album, Talk That Talk, and two buzzworthy singles, "We Found Love" and "You Da One." </P><P> </P><P>In the thirteen years he's been nominated for Grammys, Usher has amassed seven, including wins for Best R&B Vocal Performance Male for "U Remind Me," Best R&B Vocal Performance Male for "U Don't Have To Call," Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Yeah," Best Contemporary R&B Album for <i>Confessions</i>, Best R&B Vocal Performance By a Duo/Group for "My Boo," Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "There Goes My Baby" as well as Best Contemporary R&B Album for <i>Raymond v. Raymond</i>. </P><P> </P><P>Recently, he has been taking over airwaves with his David Guetta track, "Without You."</p>

Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1674539/usher-rihanna-grammy-nominations-con... "> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1674539/usher-rihanna-grammy-nominations-con...

Esther Cañadas Eva Green Eva Longoria Eva Mendes Evangeline Lilly

Nicki Minaj Storms Off American Idol! (Video)

Nicki Minaj storms off American Idol after another heated fight with Mariah Carey and it was all caught on camera. The feud between these two dueling divas escalated last night and ended with Minaj wondering if she should even be on show. Fans of AI got an extra special treat last night, a front row seat to the feud between Nicki and Mariah. We have been hearing the rumors that these two have been at each others throats since day one but this is the first fans have really got to see it. Minaj was none too happy and Carey wasn’t her only target fellow judges Keith Urban and Randy Jackson were also on her list. The drama went down at the auditions in Charlotte, North Carolina shortly after Idol hopeful Summer Cunningham made her debut. The 20-year old sang ‘Lean on Me’ but it wasn’t her rendition of the song that sparked the feud, it was her words that annoyed Urban. Summer said that she had “done the country thing” during her attempt at a musical career. Keith didn’t take too kindly to that remark and declared ?I always get thrown when people say they have ?done the country [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/wFnak5UpBCw/

Aki Ross Alecia Elliott Alessandra Ambrosio Alexis Bledel Ali Campoverdi

Ke$ha Celebrates National Coming Out Day

'We R Who We R' T-shirts support the Human Rights Campaign.
By Jocelyn Vena

<P>Kesha has joined forces with the Human Rights Campaign to help celebrate National Coming Out Day on Tuesday (October 11). </P><P> </P><P>The pop singer created a special message T-shirt, featuring a purple zebra, that proclaims "We R Who We R," the title of her hit anthem about individuality. The shirts sell for $35, with all proceeds supporting the HRC's work to achieve equality for the LGBT community. </P><P> </P><P>According to the

target="_blank">HRC website

, only 1,000 shirts will be produced. </P><P> </P><P>Others are also using the day to bring awareness to LGBT issues. Several notable celebrities will be honored by the Equality Forum, which is hosting an event and profiling notable LGBT members in pop culture. </P><P> </P><P>As LGBT History Month rolls on throughout October, Ricky Martin, Wanda Sykes, "Glee" creator Ryan Murphy and Pedro Zamora, a former "The Real World" castmember turned AIDS activist, all will be profiled by the organization. </P><P> </P><P>"We're the only minority worldwide that's not taught history at home, in school or religious institutions," said Malcolm Lazin, Equality Forum's founder and executive director. "Like every group that's been marginalized, it really helps to make the case why we should take real pride in ourselves and our community." </P><P> </P><P>Since launching the program five years ago, over 200 icons have been profiled, including Jane Lynch, Lady Gaga and Neil Patrick Harris. Lazin called LGBT month "empowering and life affirming." </P><P> </P><P>The message comes amid increased awareness about young people being bullied, including MTV's A Thin Line campaign. The MTV film "DISconnected," which premiered Monday night, focuses on issues in a world where technology controls personal lives. </P><P> </P><P>"I see the viciousness of people every day," said

id="1672289">"Jersey Shore" star Vinny Guadagnino

on the "DISconnected" after show. "I kind of want to be a soldier in the field, so to speak, and try to combat the negativity with a positive message. I want to help open people's eyes up, like this movie does, to the negativity." </P><P> </P><P><b>Check out the

href="http://www.facebook.com/MTVDisCONNECTED">Facebook

page for "DISconnected."</b></p>

Related Videos Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1672294/kesha-national-coming-out-day.jhtml "> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1672294/kesha-national-coming-out-day.jhtml

Ana Ivanovi Ana Paula Lemes Ananda Lewis Angela Marcello Angelina Jolie

Les News, 012813

? Cats Love Stuffed Animals. [Buzzfeed] ? Azealia Banks will drop her first album single YUNG RAPUNXEL on February 12. [ONTD!] ? J. Law poses with folks. [PopSugar] ? Barbara Walters has chicken pox. [GossipCop] ? Hello there, Edwin. [Oh La La] ? I’ll believe this when I see it. [Towleroad] ? Prince Harry gets [...]

Source: http://www.pinkisthenewblog.com/2013-01-28/les-news-012813

Charli Baltimore Charlies Angels Charlize Theron Chelsea Handler Cheryl Burke

Amy Poehler Announces Debut Book

Her hit show ?Parks and Recreation? knocks it out of the park season after season, and now Amy Poehler is giving the writing game a shot.

According to a report, the former ?Saturday Night Live? comedienne has signed with It Books and her first opus will hit shelves next year.

The publisher explained that the book will be ?an illustrated, non-linear diary full of humor and honesty and brimming with true stories, fictional anecdotes and life lessons.?

Honcho Carrie Thornton gushed, ?I was blown away by Poehler?s creativity and her passion.? Stay linked to the GossipCenter for further details regarding Amy?s forthcoming masterpiece.

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/amy-poehler/amy-poehler-announces-debut-book-798572

Ashanti Ashlee Simpson Ashley Greene Ashley Olsen Ashley Scott