Lady Gaga's Madame Tussauds Wax Statues Unveiled

Little monsters turn up in NYC for unveiling of Gaga in a hair hat.
By Jocelyn Vena, with additional reporting by Evan Leong


The Lady Gaga wax figure at Madame Tussauds in New York City
Photo: Gary Gershoff/ Getty Images

All day on Thursday (December 9), Madame Tussauds unveiled eight wax versions of Lady Gaga all over the world, including at the museum's European outposts, as well as one in New York's Times Square. MTV News was on hand for the NYC unveiling of the pop star's wax likeness, where her little monsters showed up dressed up in Gaga-like garb to catch a glimpse of the statue.

For the New York version, Gaga appears in a sheer black dress paired with a wide-brim hat made of hair, a look she wore to the Consumer Electronics Show back in January. Earlier in the day, figures were unveiled in Asia and Europe, and they fittingly each have their own unique fashion statement, which Gaga fans were invited to help pick out. In Berlin, Gaga wears a blazer, leotard and hair bow; in London the figure dons a Philip Treacy telephone hat and sparkly navy Armani suit; in Amsterdam, she's in a nude bodysuit, a white blazer and a towering purple beehive. Her skintight black harlequin outfit is featured in Hong Kong, and her wire "wing" dress is on display in Shanghai. Gaga statues are also making their debut in Los Angeles and Las Vegas later in the day.

"As one of the biggest and most unique talents in the world, Lady Gaga is the perfect subject for the biggest figure launch in Madame Tussauds' history," a November press release said, explaining why Gaga was getting so many statues. "All of the styles being worked on are classic Gaga, and we're sure her fans will be delighted with the unique looks when we unveil the figures next month."

Gaga is one of the many pop stars to get a wax statue this year. She joins Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian and Gwen Stefani as some of the latest celebs to be immortalized for the museum.

Which is your favorite Lady Gaga wax figure outfit? Discuss it in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653942/20101209/lady_gaga.jhtml

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How Bali is becoming even greener

bali, green living, springs
bali, green living, green school
bali, green living, green school
bali, green living, green village villas
bali, green living, green village villas
bali, green living, springs
bali, green living, school
bali, green living, ubud
bali, green living, springs
bali, green living, springs

In Indonesia, the concept of green living is starting to take hold.

This archipelago of more than 17,000 islands stretched along the equator is home to Bali, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and it has seen resorts, tourist facilities, ugly hotels, clubs and all the trimmings that go with those developed over the last several decades.

Now, the island is not only pushing a trend to create structures that preserve the natural environment, it is also establishing new forms of education.

A school, new housing and an affordable luxury holiday retreat show how fast the movement is progressing.

Click "View Gallery" above for more images.

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Source: http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/escape/wear-your-tree-your-sleeve-green-living-bali-291359

Ashley Olsen Ashley Scott Ashley Tappin Ashley Tisdale Asia Argento

'Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides': Trailer's Five Coolest Moments

We break down the best scenes, from a first look at Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow with Penélope Cruz to high-adrenaline action.
By Eric Ditzian


Penelope Cruz in the trailer for "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides"
Photo: Disney

"It's a completely different beast," said "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" scribe Terry Rossio of the fourth film in Disney's seafaring franchise.

Not only is the latest installment being described as a stand-alone with regard to plot, one not significantly interwoven with story lines past, but a new director is now in charge (Rob Marshall has replaced three-time helmer Gore Verbinski) and familiar stars Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom are nowhere to be seen.

So yes, the new film represents a break with the past, but "On Stranger Tides" is hardly an unrecognizable creature, as the brand-new trailer makes clear. It's got swashbuckling battles, don't-take-us-too-seriously-this-is-Disney-after-all laughs and, of course, Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow as the hippest cat on the high seas. Here are our picks for the trailer's five coolest moments:

Hello, Penélope
We got our first official look at Penélope Cruz in "Pirates" last week. Now, as we see her swinging a sword, sailing a ship and harassing Jack Sparrow in two languages, we know she's going to be a worthy adversary and love interest for the Captain. Her line reading toward the end of the trailer — "How is it we can never meet without you pointing something at me?" she asks — is a perfect example of how she'll toe the line between adversary and paramour.

Welcome Back, Jack
We missed you, buddy! Though the action takes place in the 1750s, Sparrow is a very 21st-century sort of hero, variously brave or petrified, jokey or focused, as the occasion demands, and self-aware at every turn. He'll fight — zombies, mermaids, evil pirates — but only with devil-may-care style and a keen sense of moral rectitude. His quest here is to locate the Fountain of Youth, as well as to further cement his legacy in the Pirate Hall of Fame.

Blackbeard
Cruz isn't the only new pirate in "Pirates." Played by Ian McShane, Blackbeard is, according to Sparrow, "the pirate all other pirates fear." He also happens to be Cruz's dad and is on the same quest as Jack: find the Fountain of Youth. And according to Blackbeard, either they both succeed or they both fail. "If I don't make it to the Fountain, neither will you," he says.

You Always Get What You Want
A look at Rolling Stones rock god Keith Richards done up in his pirate gear is worth the price of admission, and Disney was kind enough to drop in a few seconds of the guy in the first trailer. Reprising his role as Captain Teague from the previous installment, Richards delivers some weighty advice to his son Jack: "Don't be a fool, Jackie. The Fountain will test you." The guy has been to hell and back again, so perhaps Sparrow should listen to daddy, no?

Fiery Action
With Marshall in the director's chair and new to the world of action-oriented franchise films, some may have worried that "On Stranger Tides" would suffer from a dearth of high-adrenaline exploits. This trailer should disabuse you of that notion. Explosions are unleashed, nasty creatures attack and swords clank at every turn. The flick's May 20 release date can't come soon enough. It's only — sigh — 157 days away.

Check out everything we've got on "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1654182/20101213/story.jhtml

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Grammy Hits And Misses: Ke$ha Shut Out, Bruno Mars Cleans Up

Big Boi and Alicia Keys are also left out, but Florence and the Machine and Ray LaMontagne get some much-deserved love.
By Gil Kaufman


Ke$ha
Photo: Kristian Dowling / PictureGroup

What would the annual Grammy nominations announcement be without the next-day quarterbacking and bellyaching about who got dissed and who got just the right amount of Academy love?

While this year's batch of contenders is mostly devoid of the WTF factor of past nomination seasons, when veteran acts such as Steely Dan, Robert Plant and Herbie Hancock sucked most of the air out of the room, there were still plenty of surprises, omissions and flat-out questionable choices to go around.

The one most people were buzzing about Thursday (December 2) was the blank delivered to Ke$ha, who earned a grand total of zero nominations for her debut, Animal, despite launching several hits and earning a major spot in the pop-culture universe in 2010. The snub was even more noticeable because one of her producers, Dr. Luke, was nominated in the producer category and four of the eight songs that earned him that spot were from Ke$ha's debut.

We spoke to Entertainment Weekly music critic Leah Greenblatt about that oversight and many others in this year's nominations. She said the Ke$ha situation was surprising, especially considering the love that the similarly poptastic Katy Perry got for Teenage Dream, which has sold well but, like Animal, was not critically adored upon release.

"But I think it's really cool to see Florence [and the Machine] get that nomination [for Best New Artist], and I think it's awesome that Esperanza Spalding also got nominated [in that category]," she said of the little-known jazz singer who likely sent many people to Google on Wednesday night.

Greenblatt was also excited that raspy-voiced singer Ray LaMontagne snagged a spot in the Song of the Year category for "Beg Steal or Borrow" and another in the Best Contemporary Folk Album category.

"As fogie-ish as the Grammys are, it seems like this year they went more towards a Teen Choice Awards direction with a noticeably younger group of nominees," she said, wondering if it was a conscious decision to try and make the show hipper or if it's a signal of the changing demographic of Grammy voters. "And I think Bruno Mars deserves all of his nominations," she added about the singer/songwriter/producer who scored seven nods. "He only had one hit, but he really shaped popular music this year with the songs he did for Travie McCoy, B.o.B and Cee Lo. He brought so much musicality to R&B and pop. He's making music and playing instruments and he's insanely melodic. He's not just jacking samples."

As for how Eminem ended up with the most nominations at 10, she chalked it up to the "Sandra Bullock factor," speculating that Grammy voters might have just thought it was Marshall Mathers' time to shine again. "He's not universally liked for his sparkling personality, but it seems like it's his time," she said of the rapper, who had the year's best-selling album with Recovery and stormed back with some of the most melodic, accessible music of his decade-plus career. "It almost seemed like he was deemed safe enough for the Grammys this year ... and the album is so incredibly commercial. It's as safe as Eminem gets."

As for who got left off, Greenblatt said she was surprised at the lack of "American Idol" names on the list, with season-eight winner Kris Allen getting shut out and that season's runner-up, Adam Lambert, only getting a bid for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Whataya Want From Me."

And for a song that was one of the best-selling singles of the year, it was surprising that Train's "Hey, Soul Sister," Grammy bait if there ever was, managed only one nod for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals — for a live version of the tune.

There were other glaring omissions to be sure: no love for rappers Rick Ross and Big Boi, just a pair of nominations for last year's big winners Kings of Leon, a shutout for Lady Gaga's smash "Bad Romance" in the Record and Song of the Year categories (it did show up in Best Female Pop Vocal Performance) as well as for B.o.B and Hayley Williams' mega-hit "Airplanes," which scored only a Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals acknowledgment.

Greenblatt was also disappointed that Alicia Keys' The Element of Freedom got blanked, despite the handfuls of Grammys the singer has taken home in the past. And considering its major impact on the pop-culture landscape, "Glee" only got noticed in the Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media category and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals for "Don't Stop Believin'," which Greenblatt said may have had something to do with the fact that the songs on the show are covers and not original compositions.

In the end, though, she said this year's Grammys were mostly devoid of the giant head-smacking omissions and inclusions of past years and with the strong recognition to a new generation of singers, another potential sign that the show might be inching in a new direction.

Which artists or albums do you think got too much (or not enough love) this year? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653445/20101202/kesha_.jhtml

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Selena Gomez Picks Justin Bieber Over Drake For Best New Artist Grammy

'I hope [Bieber] wins, but I love Drake as well,' she tells MTV News.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting Audrey Kim


Selena Gomez
Photo: Angela Weiss/ Getty Images

Selena Gomez may not be up for a Grammy this year, but she was on hand at the Grammy Nominations Concert Live special last week, where she helped announce the Song of the Year nominees alongside Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl. While that category may have some strong contenders, the Best New Artist category will certainly have everyone buzzing come Grammy night in February.

Acts like Florence and the Machine, Mumford & Sons and Esperanza Spalding are in the running, but the frontrunners seem to be two of America's favorite Canadians: Justin Bieber and Drake. So who does Gomez want to win?

"I would have to say Bieber just because I know how hard he works," she told MTV News at KIIS FM's Jingle Ball 2010 in Los Angeles over the weekend. "I hope he wins, but I love Drake as well. It's a really hard category so I don't know who's going to win, but of course I have to say Bieber."

Drake may be facing off against Bieber at the Grammys, but Gomez will face off against her pal at the People's Choice Awards in the Favorite Breakout Artist category. The other contenders include B.o.B, Bruno Mars and Ke$ha. But Gomez, who is nominated with her band the Scene, doesn't think she has a chance.

"I'm not going to win that, especially if it's People's Choice," she said. "I've completely accepted the fact that I will not be taking that one home, but I'm very excited to be nominated."

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653592/20101206/gomez__selena.jhtml

Ashley Tappin Ashley Tisdale Asia Argento Aubrey O\\\\\\\'Day Audrina Patridge