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Stephen Colbert Reveals Major Drama Behind Daft Punk's Day-Of Show Cancellation

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bryan cranston stephen colbertLast week, Stephen Colbert released an incredible video of Daft Punk's hit summer song "Get Lucky," featuring tons of celebrities lip-synching the lyrics after the band cancelled their appearance on "The Colbert Report" over a conflicting gig on MTV's upcoming Video Music Awards.  

But turns out that was just the tip of the iceberg.

In an interview on Paul Mercurio's podcast, Stephen Colbert revealed that his team of writers worked for an entire month leading up to Daft Punk's scheduled appearance — because the group refused to talk or perform (!) during their appearance on his show.

"They said, 'Do you want to cancel?' I said, 'No, this is an interesting challenge,'" Colbert explained, revealing that one idea was to perform a six-minute monologue while Daft Punk just nodded alongside him.

Colbert also set off to film the star-studded dance video to work around the group's demands, which they ultimately didn't like and said they were "uncomfortable" with.

Another idea was to enlist the band's manager and tease him about the group not performing.

"I wish we could have done this joke," Colbert explained, "It was: 'Paul [Hahn, their manager], can I ask you -- how do I even know it's them in the robot outfits, how do I even know it's them?' And he goes, 'Stephen, if it wasn't really them, they'd be doing the song." Badoom ching.

But as we all know now, Daft Punk never made it to "The Colbert Show."

Just one day before the group was set to arrive in New York from Paris — paid for by the Comedy Central show — Colbert was informed of their conflicting VMA appearance.

The show host said he was "confident it would work out," but hours before the show he was left without a guest.

"Ultimately, I would say, I understand that the VMAs have got their own rules, and Daft Punk, that's a big important thing to have done," Colbert said, "but I'm the guy who's completely screwed here. I don't have a show tonight."

Meanwhile, the VMAs executive producer tells The Hollywood Reporter"We don't put restrictions on anyone  — it was up to that artist and their management what they wanted to do."

So after Daft Punk bailed, Colbert booked Robin Thicke  who is also scheduled to perform at the VMAS.

Listen to Colbert tell the whole story in his own words below (24:15 to 47:45):

Now re-watch the star-studded "Get Lucky" spoof featuring Bryan Cranston, Jon Stewart and many more:

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Video Archive

SEE ALSO: Daft Punk Cancelling On Stephen Colbert Resulted In The Best Celebrity Dance Party To 'Get Lucky'

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16 Things You Never Knew About The New Golden Age Of TV

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A new book by GQ writer Brett Martin called “Difficult Men” tells the behind-the-scenes story of the new “golden age” of television. You know the shows that make up this new golden age: “The Sopranos, Breaking Bad,” “Mad Men,” “The Wire,” “Deadwood,” and several others.

Here are a few things you didn't know about this new golden age.

1. After the pilot of "The Sopranos" was made, creator David Chase was kind of hoping that HBO wouldn't pick it up. Chase was hoping instead that HBO would just give him the cash to turn it into a feature-length film. Chase always hated TV and wished he had been a filmmaker instead.

david chase sopranos

2. In "The Sopranos," the interior shots of the Soprano's home in New Jersey were actually filmed at the SilverCup studios in Queens, N.Y.

silvercup studios

3. David Chase hates the writing of Aaron Sorkin, and believes you can't be a fan of both "The Sopranos" and "The West Wing." Chase considers the too-smart style of dialogue in "The West Wing" to be unrealistic, and he hates the "walk and talk."

west wing 

4. David Chase also hates shots of the back of characters' heads. When Matthew Weiner — who was a writer on "The Sopranos" and worked under Chase — got his own TV show, he made the main logo just that: a shot of the back of someone's head. You know the show and the image, and it was seen as a big "screw you" to David Chase.

MAD MEN logo

5. Matthew Weiner carried around the "Mad Men" script for years everywhere he went so he could show it and give it to whoever he saw.

matthew weiner mad men

7. HBO could have had "Mad Men," but it went through a period of turmoil where creative types felt the network was not receptive to their pitches, and that's how it landed on AMC.

mad men amc logo

8. "Mad Men" star Jon Hamm was the perfect person to play Don Draper. Not only does he possess that perfect old-fashioned handsome look, he grew up in a messy home (lived alone with his dad and grandmother) which gave him the perfect background to play his emotionally damaged character.

don draper mad men jon hamm

6. In the early casting of "The Sopranos," David Chase considered Steven van Zandt for the role of Tony. Of course van Zandt ended up playing Tony's sidekick Silvio Dante. Van Zandt always had qualms taking a job away from an actual actor, though he ended up being cast in the role, which was named after a character that Van Zandt himself had written in a script.

steve van zandt

7. The hit show "Damages" — about a brilliant and mercurial lawyer named Patty Hewes who treats her employees cruelly — was written by Todd Kessler, a former writer on "The Sopranos" who felt he himself  had been treated cruelly and mercurially by "Sopranos" creator David Chase.

glenn close Todd Kessler

8. The cruel character Livia Soprano (Tony's mom) was based on David Chase's own mom.

livia soprano

9. The show "Breaking Bad" is inseparable from its gorgeous Albequerque landscape. But originally it was going to be shot outside of Los Angeles.

walter white bryan cranston breaking bad

10. There's a good reason that the final season (season five) of "The Wire" was the worst one. Ed Burns, the longtime creative partner of show creator David Simon, had left the production after season four.

ed burns David Simon the wire

11. While shooting "The Wire," Dominic West (who played McNulty) was the most popular celebrity in Baltimore among the actors. When it came to female attention, "a man could live off his leftovers" said another actor.

dominic west

12. Before going with Dominic West for McNulty, "The Wire" creators considered names like Donnie Wahlberg, Josh Brolin, and even John C. Reilly.

john c. reilly

13. The old NBC show "Homicide: Life On The Streets" was based on a book written by "Wire" creator David Simon titled "Homicide" based on his year spent going undercover with the Baltimore police department.

david simon the wire

14. David Simon actually wrote one episode for "Homicide: Life On The Streets" but it was deemed too dark to run in the first season. So the episode ("Bop Gun") about a tourist in Baltimore who gets killed ran in the second season.

homicide life on the street bop gun

15. "The Wire" character Stringer Bell was based on a real Baltimore gangster, who took business classes, and was heard on a wiretap discussing laissez-faire economics.

the wire stringer bell

16. Of all the shows, the writer's room for "Breaking Bad" was the happiest. Creator Vince Gilligan hates the concept of an "auteur" and says that everything is a collaboration. This is in stark contrast to almost all of the other shows, whose creators famously act like dictators.

vince gilligan breaking bad

Now check out — The full book 'Difficult Men' >

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Jimmy Fallon Reveals 'Awful' 5-Year Fertility Struggle Leading To Surrogate

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Jimmy Fallon wife Nancy Juvonen

Jimmy Fallon, 38, recently revealed that he and his 46-year-old wife, Nancy Juvonen, welcomed their 3-week old daughter via surrogate.

On this morning's "Today" show, Fallon opened up about the long, 5-year process it took the couple to start their family.

"We've tried a bunch of things," the "Late Night" host explained to Savannah Guthrie. "Anyone who's tried will know, it's just awful."

After having shared past attempts and disappointments with friends and family, the couple kept recent tries a secret.

"We tried before, we told people and then it didn't happen," he recalled. "And it's just really depressing. It's really hard on everybody." 

Ultimately, a surrogate proved fruitful for Fallon and Juvonen, who welcomed daughter Winnie Rose a day after the Royal baby's birth.

"It's not Winnie-the-Pooh at all," Fallon said of his baby girl's name. "My wife and I got engaged in New Hampshire at this lake house that her family's had forever, and it's on Lake Winnipesaukee. And so we went there every summer as we were dating."

As for other couples experiencing fertility issues, Fallon urges them not to give up.

"I know people have tried much longer (than we have), but if there's anyone out there who is trying and they're just losing hope … just hang in there," he insisted. "Try every avenue; try anything you can do, 'cause you'll get there. You'll end up with a family, and it's so worth it. It is the most 'worth it' thing."

He added, "I'm just so happy right now, I'm freaking out."

Come February, the new dad will be busy with his new "Tonight Show" hosting duties, in addition to diaper duty.

Watch Fallon discuss the struggle to start a family in his own words:

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

SEE ALSO: Jimmy Fallon Reveals He And 46-Year-Old Wife Had Baby Via Surrogate

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SPECTACULAR NOW: Ralph Lauren's Son Produced The Indie Film Of The Summer With His Own $3 Million

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Andrew Lauren Dylan Lauren Spectacular Now

Andrew Lauren may be the eldest son of billionaire designer Ralph Lauren, but he isn't following in his father's fashion footsteps.

Instead, the 44-year-old movie producer is betting on all-star indie films, such as 2005's "The Squid and the Whale," on which he served as executive producer.

Most recently, Lauren produced "The Spectacular Now," a critically acclaimed coming-of-age drama starring Shailene Woodley.

Some are even calling it "Summer's Best Romance."

After the script bounced around for five years, Lauren eventually decided to invest millions in the film to make it come to life.

"Shunned by film financiers, Lauren was forced to foot the nearly $3 million budget by himself," according to The Hollywood Reporter. "But the indie producer was game. After all, he has quietly built a reputation for backing scripts deemed commercially unviable."

It didn't hurt that Scott Neustadter, who wrote the screenplay, was Lauren's former intern.

"It seems like everyone was afraid to touch it," Lauren tells THR of the film that opened Aug. 2. "It dealt with issues that were controversial. But to me it touched on them in a very gentle and very authentic way. It was about real kids, not about Hollywood-ized kids."

But just because he comes from a billionaire family doesn't mean that Lauren is simply bankrolling projects.

"I don't consider myself a bank, so I don't like those types of projects where all they want to see is your pen," he says. "I'm very selective. I don't make a lot of movies.  But I make films that I'm proud of, that I can look at, look on my shelf and say, 'Wow, I made that. That was pretty good.'"

As for his financial tactic on "Spectacular Now," Lauren says "I felt like the risk of taking less money up front would potentially give us a better reward in the back."

And it looks like it will pay off.

The film opened last week to a stellar $50,000 per-screen average in just four theaters, already grossing over half a million dollars.

SEE ALSO: 16 Things You Never Knew About The New Golden Age Of TV

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This Incredible Kendrick Lamar Verse Has The Hip-Hop World In A Tizzy

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kendrick lamar

Last night Big Sean released "Control (HOF)"— a seven-minute epic featuring Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica that was originally intended for his upcoming album "Hall of Fame."

Today, Kendrick's verse is the only thing anyone in the music world is talking about.

Over three and a half minutes the L.A. rapper positions himself as the new best rapper alive, calling out every relevant MC by name and (most combatively) declaring himself "the King of New York." The verse itself — the way he growls his way through clever allusions and wordplay, promising to "drop a bomb on this s***" before exceeding our wildest expectations for that promise — is meant to stand as evidence that his boasting is justified.

It's not a diss track. It's a trash-talk session. It's a call to arms.

Hip-hop is a competitive endeavor. It's a rap game with one king. This is Kendrick seizing the Iron Throne, and in doing so, urging his rivals to seek it themselves.

Here's the money section of the verse (audio below):

Im usually homeboys with the same n***** I'm rhymin with
But this is hip hop and them n***** should know what time it is
And that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big KRIT, Wale
Pusha T, Meek Mill, A$AP Rocky, Drake
Big Sean, Jay Electron', Tyler, Mac Miller
I got love for you all but I'm tryna murder you n*****
Tryna make sure your core fans never heard of you n*****
They dont wanna hear not one more noun or verb from you n*****

There's an inherent irony here. 

Kendrick is nudging hip-hop toward new era of competitiveness, but he's doing so while sharing a track with Big Sean and Jay Electronica — the very people who he sees as lesser rappers (justifiably, in Big Sean's case).

In addition, Kendrick has been a big proponent of the current era of collaboration in hip-hop — where the biggest rappers team up like the Miami Heat, and anyone is open to appearing on anyone else's track.

This widespread collaboration across regions and sub-genres has been a great thing for hip-hop. Some of the best songs of the last 18 months have been posse tracks like "Mercy" or "1Train" or even "U.O.E.N.O." which can't really be attributed to a single artist.

But in hip-hop there has always been a king. Kendrick knows this, and he claimed the crown in the most explicit terms possible.

The full NSFW track (Kendrick starts at the 3:00-mark):

Here are the lyrics in full:

Tell Flex to drop a bomb on this s***
So many bombs, ring the alarm like Vietnam in this s***
So many bombs, make Farrakhan think Saddam in this b****
One at a time, I line 'em up and bomb on they mom while she watchin' the kids
I'm in a destruction mode if the gold exists
I'm important like the pope, I'm a muslim on pork
I'm Machiavelli's offspring, I'm the king of New York
King of the Coast, one hand, I juggle them both
The juggernaut's all in your jugular, you take me for jokes
Live in the basement, church pews and funeral faces
Cardio bracelets for my women free as I'm in Vegas
Who the f*** y'all thought it's supposed to be?
If Phil Jackson came back, still no coachin' me
I'm uncoachable, I'm unsociable
F*** y'all clubs, f*** y'all pictures
Your Instagram can gobble these n***
Gobble d*** up 'til you hiccup
My big homie Kurupt
This the same flow that put the rap game on a crutch
I've seen n***** Transform like villain Decepticons
Mollies'll prolly turn these b****** to f*****' Lindsey Lohans
A bunch of rich a** white girls lookin' for parties
Playin with Barbies wreck the Porsche before you give 'em the car key
Judge me 'til the monarchy, blessin's to Paul McCartney
You called me a black Beatle, I'm either that or a Marley
(I don't smoke dope m*****f***** I sell it)
I'm dressed in all black, this is not for the fan of Elvis
I'm aimin' straight for your pelvis, you can't stomach me
You plan on stumpin' me? I've been jumped before you put a gun on me
I put one on yours I'm Sean Connery
James Bond, wasn't none of you n***** climbing 100 mil in front of me
And I'm gonna get it even if you're in the way
And if you're in it, better run for pete's sake
I heard the barbershops be in great debates all the time
Who's the best MC? Kendrick, Jigga and Nas
Eminem, Andre 3000, the rest of yall
New n***** just new n*****, don't get involved
And I ain't rockin no more designer s***
White T’s and Nike Cortez, this is red corvettes annonymous
Im usually homeboys with the same n*****im rhymin wit
But this is hip hop and them n***** should know what time it is
And that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big KRIT, Wale
Pusha T, Meek Mill, A$AP Rocky, Drake
Big Sean, Jay Electron', Tyler, Mac Miller
I got love for you all but I'm tryna murder you n*****
Tryna make sure your core fans never heard of you n*****
They dont wanna hear not one more noun or verb from u n*****
What is competition? I'm tryna raise the bar high
Who tryna jump and get it? You better off tryna skydive
Out the exit window of 5 G5’s with 5 grams
With your grandad as the pilot he drunk as f*** tryna land
With the hand full of arthritis and popping prosthetic leg
Bumpin Pac in the cockpit so the s*** that pops in his head
Is an option of violence, someone heard the stewardess said
That your parachute is a latex condom hooked to a dread

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Here's The 3D-Printed 'Game Of Thrones' iPhone Dock That's Banned By HBO

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Game of Thrones iPhone Dock

Fernando Sosa has a custom 3-D printing business, in which he offers to make models, prototypes and replicas of new products. He has a few spectacular samples for sale on his website, nuPROTO.com, including a cyborg spider and a pair of Death Star Christmas tree ornaments.

But his most famous product is a Game of Thrones iPhone dock, which allows you to perch your phone on the Iron Throne, the show's infamous seat of kings, which is made entirely from the swords of vanquished enemies.

You can't buy one, though.

HBO sent Sosa a cease-and-desist letter, saying that the throne was its intellectual property and that nuPROTO did not have a license to sell it. Sosa has attempted to find out who does have the license, or to obtain one for himself, but without luck.

He's had to refund money to all the customers who bought one before HBO contacted him.

“That throne, it took me months to make,” Sosa told Wired. “I modeled every sword, it was really a lot of work.”

Here are a few images of the not-to-be-sold Iron iPhone throne.

Before Sosa can print the model, he had to create a schematic diagram:

Game of Thrones iPhone Dock

The throne is then printed as a 3-D, solid plastic object:

Game of Thrones iPhone Dock

The model is then meticulously painted:

Game of Thrones iPhone Dock

Here's how the finished product looks when it's in use:

Game of Thrones iPhone Dock

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A Compilation Of The Best 'That's What She Said' News Bloopers

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No news network is exempt from a few embarrassing bloopers.

But WorldWideInterweb took it to a whole new level when they compiled a video filled with the best double-entendre-filled news clips that could easily end in the punchline ... "That's what she said."

While some anchors are oblivious when discussing "the money shot," others know they've committed a crime with a shake weight that is about to be turned into a viral video.

In the words of one Fox News anchor, "Oh god, oh the internet — what they're going to do with this one!"

Watch the funny video below:

SEE ALSO: Local News Reporter Accidentally Draws A Penis On Traffic Map

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These Reporters' Twitter Accounts Have Been Hacked By The Syrian Electronic Army

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The Syrian Electronic Army — a group of hackers that may or may not be allied with the Assad regime in civil war-torn Syria — has struck again.

The hacks happened despite Twitter beefing up password security after several accounts, including the White House, were hacked several months ago.

This time, some reporters appear to be the victims. Here's who was hit:

Jason Reid, Washington Post sports columnist:

SEA Jason reid
Mets beat reporter Mike Puma of the New York Post:

SEA Mike Puma
The social media management and analytic firm SocialFlow was also allegedly hacked, and the SEA showed this screen grab of the inside one of its dashboards:

SEA Socialflow

The New York Post's main account is up and running , and seems to be unaffected.

UPDATE: This post originally said that Sara Morrison, media reporter for the Wrap, was hacked. While Morrison did tweet as if she had been hacked, she was, alas, joking.

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Boutique Worker Accused Of Racism Fires Back At Oprah

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oprah winfrey

A store clerk who allegedly told Oprah Winfrey she couldn't afford a $35,000 handbag has come forward to tell her side of the story. 

Winfrey told Entertainment Tonight that a worker at the Trois Pommes boutique in Zurich refused to let her see a Tom Ford handbag, and called the incident an example of "racism." 

The clerk told local newspaper SonntagsBlick that she has felt "powerless" since the incident and denied that she didn't let Winfrey see the bag. 

MailOnline transcribed her comments to the Swedish paper. 

"I simply told her that (the Tom Ford bag) was like the one I held in my hand, only much more expensive, and that I could show her similar bags," the woman said. "It is absolutely not true that I declined to show her the bag on racist grounds. I even asked her if she wanted to look at the bag."

The owner of the shop also defended her worker, blaming the misunderstanding on a language barrier. 

Winfrey has also backtracked, apologizing for naming Switzerland as the country where the incident happened and implicating the shop. 

SEE ALSO: 15 Hot Brands Vying To Be The Next Lululemon

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Journalism Has Entered A Golden Age

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Smallville Daily PlanetCNN host Brian Stelter was kind enough to have me on his show, "Reliable Sources," over the weekend. In response to one question, I said that journalism has entered a "golden age."

Judging from the Twitter reaction, many of Brian's viewers agreed. 

One viewer, however, a former print journalist, called this assertion "absurd."

It's true that "golden age for journalism" is not usually the first thing that you hear when you go to conferences and listen to panels of middle-aged newspaper people talk about the state of the newspaper business.

But I wasn't talking about the newspaper business.

I was talking about journalism.

And what I was suggesting is that — far from the picture of unremitting gloom occasionally painted by newspaper folks — journalism is now in better shape than it has ever been.

Consider:

  • The world is vastly better informed than ever before. Yes, there have been high-profile examples of "iconic" news organizations cutting back or shutting down, but there has also been a mind-boggling explosion of other news and information sources over the same period, including Facebook, Twitter, blogs, Bloomberg LP, Google, WikiLeaks, thousands of digital news and information sites, YouTube, and the installation of cameras, audio recording devices, and instant publishing tools in the pockets of nearly two billion people worldwide. Meanwhile, the vast majority of traditional news organizations including TV, radio, magazines, and even most newspapers still exist, and many are thriving. The standard by which the health of journalism should be judged is the degree to which important facts are being unearthed and shared and important stories are being told. And even the most diehard newspaper fan would admit that, these days, more people around the world are being informed about more important facts than ever before.
  • More great journalism is being produced today than ever before. There are thousands upon thousands of successful professional news organizations in the world, and they employ hundreds of thousands of professional journalists. In addition, anyone in the world with an Internet connection can now create journalism — and lots of them do. You don't need a printing press to create and distribute journalism anymore. You don't need a broadcast network or a radio station. All you need are your eyes, ears, nose, and storytelling and digital publishing tools, the latter of which are included for free on every smartphone. If anyone anywhere publishes an important fact or tells an important story, people will find it and share it. And it will get the attention it deserves.
  • Every journalist on earth can now reach nearly every human on earth —directly and instantly. On the Internet, everything is a click away. What's more, on the Internet, all stories can be stored permanently and viewed from anywhere, anytime. Compare that to the world of 20 years ago, when news had to be distributed on paper or broadcast over ephemeral air waves, and news consumers had to either lay their hands on a newspaper or magazine or plop themselves (at the appropriate time) in front of a radio or TV.
  • The struggles of the traditional news business have been greatly exaggerated.  Despite all the hand-wringing about the hardship in the newspaper business, the world's overall news-gathering and publishing capacity has been radically increased over the past decade. Even within professional journalism, the overall picture is healthy. Yes, some newspapers and magazines have closed. Yes, others are cutting back. But the TV news business is still growing, and many newspapers and magazines are hanging in there. And, importantly, the growth of professional digital news organizations is exploding.
  • Digital news organizations now employ a whole new generation of talented journalists, and these organizations are getting better, more comprehensive, and more sustainable by the day.  In the early years of the cable news business, the capabilities of networks like CNN were a mere fraction of what they are today. Today's native digital news organizations are already producing excellent journalism, and their talent, reach, and resources are continually increasing. Over the next few decades, vast new global news brands will be built that take full advantage of the capabilities of this new medium. And they will produce journalism that is more comprehensive, faster, more efficient, and more effectively distributed than ever before.
  • The proliferation of mobile gadgets has made it possible to consume news anywhere 24 hours a day. As recently as 20 years ago, news consumption was limited to morning and evening papers and TV and radio broadcasts. For most of the past two decades, meanwhile, this consumption was largely limited to anywhere you had a tethered Internet connection. Now, you can get your news anywhere, anytime, in the palm of your hand. Just as important, you can immediately share it.
  • Today's journalism now offers a full range of storytelling formats: No longer are journalists limited to text when telling their stories, or to an occasional picture, or to broadcast "packages" produced with audio and video. Today's journalists can use whatever storytelling tools and formats will best communicate their stories, and they can mix and match them in whatever way is most efficient and effective.
  • There are no longer any time or space limits for any story. Stories in print or broadcast are constrained by physical time and space, regardless of the merit of the material. Digital stories aren't. If the best story length for a reader is just a link to another web site, today's journalists can publish a link. If the best story for the reader is a book-length investigative article, the journalist can write one of those. If the best story for the reader is a short or long video, or audio snippet, the journalists can produce those.  Each story can be exactly as long or short as it needs to be.
  • There are no space or topic constraints for the broader publication. In the physical world, publications have to be either general (newspapers or broadcast news networks) or specialized (focused magazines or networks). In the digital medium, there is no such limitation. A fully developed digital news network can (and will) be both extraordinarily broad and extraordinarily deep. 
  • Publications can now take advantage of many different forms of distribution. We still have paper, air wave, and cable distribution. And we also now have digital distribution, which is vastly more flexible, cheaper, and ubiquitous. With digital, content can roam free: There's no all-powerful "gate-keeper" who can control information, set the terms of the conversation, and capture an outsize share of influence and profitability. And digital publications can build many different sources of distribution within the medium, including direct, search, social, and referrals, thus further reducing dependence on "distributors."
  • There is now more media accuracy and "consensus knowledge" than ever before. Yes, social media and news organizations still get things wrong. But that's nothing new. And thanks to the 2 billion fact-checkers who use the Internet every day, all information can be instantly and publicly challenged, debated, debunked, and sometimes even corrected by the source publication faster than ever. And the subjects of journalism can respond to stories directly, without the need of an intermediary.
  • It is easier than ever before for talented aspiring professional journalists to start practicing their trade. Think you might want to be a journalist? Then start being one! All you need is a laptop, a cellphone (camera), a blog, and a few social media accounts. Once you demonstrate that you are good at unearthing facts, sharing images, and telling stories readers like, you'll be off to the races.

I could go on.

But you get the picture.

The business of journalism is changing, certainly, especially at newspapers. You can't have change without loss. And loss is often painful and disruptive.

But journalism itself is entering a new golden age.

And, contrary to the assertions of some newspaper owners, even the journalism business is going to be okay.

In fact, when some of today's upstart digital news organizations have matured, and the transformation of the newspaper business is complete, the journalism business is not just going to be okay. It's going to be excellent.

All we have to do is get through this tumultuous transition period.

In the meantime, journalism itself has never been in better shape.

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The 30 Sexiest People Behind The Scenes In Hollywood

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mark boal kathryn bigelow

Behind the stars who shine in the spotlight on a day-to-day basis are an entourage of people who keep them looking good.

Daniel Craig has stunt double Bobby Holland Hanton to pull off James Bond's most daring moves. The Kardashians share the styling expertise of Monica Rose before walking the red carpet.

Makeup artists, publicists, stylists, and lawyers pull together celebs' images, while directors and screenwriters are the brains behind the projects that make them famous.

We discovered 30 of these Hollywood insiders who are quite the lookers themselves.

#30 Theresa Kang

Age: ~34

Her role: Scripted TV Agent, William Morris Endeavor

This agent has a reputation for being "shrewd and savvy"— which plays in favor of her clients, the show-creators of "Rogue," "Happy Endings," and "Awkward."

The UCLA grad handled small-screen projects by Steven Zaillian, Seth Gordon, and Guillermo del Toro.



#29 Ra Vincent

Age: N/A

His role: Set Designer

The New Zealand native decorated the set of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy before working on "The Hobbit," for which he received a nomination for an Academy Award in production design. 

Vincent's artistic talents extend off the screen as well — he made a 30-foot-tall model of Gandalf for the Wellington, New Zealand premier of "The Hobbit," which he says took two weeks to sculpt and another week to paint.



#28 Robin Baum

Age: N/A

Her role: Publicist, Slate PR

Baum is one of the most powerful publicists in Hollywood, whose clients include Johnny Depp, Ryan Gosling, Naomi Watts, and Orlando Bloom.

In 2001, Russell Crowe thanked her during his Oscar acceptance speech for "Gladiator."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
    






MAP: The Most Famous Celebrity From Each State

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Celebrities are often proud to brag about their hometowns.

Whether it's commemorating their birthplace in song like Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" ode to New Jersey and Jay Z's "Empire State of Mind" or giving back in times of need like Carrie Underwood's hefty donation to Oklahoma after a tornado devastated the area in May.

But sometimes it's easy to forget that glamorous celebrities didn't just appear in a spotlight in Los Angeles or New York City — so we wanted to remind you.

See where your favorite celebrities were born and raised, and who is from the same place as you.

Then click here to learn more about which celebrities are from which states >

Celebrities Map UPDATED

Now learn more about where each celebrity grew up >

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The Most Famous Celebrity From Each State

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Celebrities Map UPDATED

Celebrities can be huge sources of pride for their home state, and the feeling is often mutual.

A New Hampshire diner named a burger after native Adam Sandler that was recreated in his films "Eight Crazy Nights" and "Grown Ups 2."

Former Brooklyn Nets part-owner, Jay Z, gave New York a new anthem with the Grammy-winning "Empire State of Mind."

Other celebs give back in times of tragedy.

Country girl Carrie Underwood donated $1 million to relief efforts after a tornado devastated her home state of Oklahoma in May, while Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi serve as co-chairs of New Jersey's Sandy Relief Fund.

While many relocate under the bright lights of New York City or Los Angeles, some celebs hold onto their residency.

A member of the North Carolina State "Wolfpack," Zach Galifiankis owns a 60-acre private farm in the rolling mountains of North Carolina.

We searched for the celebrities who exude the most state pride and contribute to their home state's character. Bonus points given if the person was actually born there.

Did we get your state right? Click to see a full, annotated version of the map above.

Alabama: Born in Cullman, country boy Channing Tatum called his uncle's 300-acre ranch in Wetumpka his "favorite place on the planet, by far."



Alaska: Grammy-nominated singer Jewel grew up living a subsistence lifestyle in Homer, where her family remains and stars in Discovery Channel's reality show, "Alaska: The Last Frontier."



Arizona: Emma Stone lived by a golf course her parents owned in Scottsdale before convincing them, via PowerPoint presentation, to move to L.A.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
    






Oprah Hijacks 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' To Give Away A Car

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Oprah Winfrey went on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" to discuss new movie "Lee Daniels' The Butler" out Friday.

In the film, Oprah plays the wife of Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker) a butler who served for eight presidents in the White House.

In the middle of her interview, Oprah abruptly stopped to bring a young woman down from the audience. She then proceeded to mock the famous giveaways from her previous ABC talk show and give away a donated car from Ford.

According to TV Guide, the Jimmy Kimmel team came up with the idea for Oprah to mock her famous season 19 moment from nearly a decade ago.

"She [Oprah] liked the idea that she was overcome with this affliction, and that she had to shake it out of her system," said Molly McNearney, one of the head writers on Jimmy Kimmel. "She just wanted to randomly select someone. So she did."

Here's school teacher Britney's reaction to hearing she received a car:

oprah car kimmel

Kimmel's reaction is great, too.

oprah winfrey jimmy kimmel

SEE ALSO: The most famous celebrities from every state

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Marissa Mayer Is So Glammed Up In This Gorgeous Vogue Photoshoot You Won't Recognize Her


JOB OF THE WEEK: Sr. Consultant, Comcast Cable

We Surveyed Everyone At BI About How They Listen To Music — Here's What We Found

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Earlier this week, New Yorker music critic Sasha Frere-Jones organized a discussion between three of modern music's most respected and thoughtful players to discuss the state of their industry, and how — or if — anyone can still make money off of music in 2013.

The whole thing is a must read.

But a quote from Dave Allen, a founding member of seminal British rock group Gang of Four and now an executive at a Portland-based marketing agency, had the line of the debate:

Musicians are now in the T-shirt/Kickstarter/BandCamp/Spotify/Twitter/Facebook business. In the end, it’s not the big tech companies or the conglomerates driving this, it’s the users who tell us what they want. Spotify simply managed to find the problem and solve it, as did Apple with the iPod and iTunes. 

We'd been planning to send around a survey that addressed this topic, and the post finally gave us the needed spur.

The results pretty much confirm everything Allen says.

Our office is filled with 20- to 40-something young professionals, a group who enjoy the disposable income to indulge their musical tastes.

They were asked the following questions:

1)  When was the last time you bought a physical piece of music, like a CD or record?
2)  How frequently do you pay to download music?
3)  Do you stream music? If so what service do you use? And do you pay for it?

We also had people discuss whether they less-than-legally download music, whether via file sharing or through a Torrent site (which are basically the 2013 version of Napster).

And we invited everyone to riff on their listening habits, and we got some enlightening soundbytes.

We got 35 responses in total.

The takeaway: It is now clear that everyone listens to music in their own special way; no one person's system is the same as the next anymore.

In fact, we had to go through multiple formulations to put together tables that accurately captured the responses we received.

That said, some clear patterns emerged.

There is one caveat: Half of America listens to music in their cars, an item no more than a handful of respondents to our survey own.

Anyway, let's go to the charts.

Paying to download: End of an era?

The advent of the iPod and it iTunes is generally credited with ushering in a new era of music consumption, as well as pulling the music industry out of its Napster-induced tailspin.

But our survey suggests that era may already be waning: The majority of BI'ers say they hardly ever, or never, pay to download music anymore. 

downloads

And here are some quotes that flesh out these results:

"I download music pretty regularly. I probably spend about $30/month downloading music off iTunes. I like to support the bands I like by buying their albums. Torrenting isn't worth it to me. I would rather pay and know what I'm listening to is the right version/good quality."

"I've stopped buying music online, too, since I can get just about anything on Spotify. I don't download illegally, it's too much effort and not worth potential computer viruses."

"I never download anymore - just invested in Spotify premium."

Spotify versus Pandora: the Swedes have the edge

For the 32 who say they stream music, Spotify bests Pandora 14 to 10. Several respondents said they do use both, but leaned heavily toward one or the other, and in that case we scored in favor of the preference. Four individuals said they use both equally. The services in the "other" category included iTunes Match, iTunes radio, GrooveShark, and 8tracks.

spotify versus pandora

Comments:

"I like the randomly-generated choices of Pandora better than picking and choosing my own playlists on Spotify, when I can just use iTunes for that."

"Spotify when I know what I want to listen to, Pandora when I feel like being surprised. I like it better than the radio feature on Spotify."

"I go through phases. But since using Spotify, I'd say I listen to 95% of my music through that and haven't touched my MP3s hardly at all since. Its also increased my rate of music discovery, which is great. I never listen to the radio as it sucks. "

"I use  Spotify  on the computer mostly, Pandora on the go."

Paying to stream: Pandora's free-rider problem

Not a single respondent giving a definitive answer who uses Pandora said they pay for the service's premium version, which cuts out ads, allows for offline listening through a Desktop app, and ostensibly provides higher-quality audio.

On the flip side, among Spotify users, more said they pay for the premium version — which allows you to listen offline, on any device, and without ads — than said they stay with the free version.

pay vs free

And some color:

"I no longer buy music . Spotify has everything I need, and I'm just fine 'renting' it all for $10 per month."

"Today, I think Spotify makes sense, but I'm too cheap to pay for it on my phone. I like iTunes Match because it's all of my music on my phone. If I want to test something out, I use free Spotify on desktop and if I love it, I buy it."

I stream, mostly using Spotify. I pay the $10 a month for the premium, so I can listen on the computer at work and iPad/phone at home. "

"I'm using premium most of the time these days. I stream exclusively. You Tube is a close-second."

Physical music purchases: Reelin' in the years

You may have noticed your local Tower and Virgin records are no more.

That's probably because, from our perspective, the last time one of us bought a CD or disc was, by median year, 2008, among those who provided a definitive answer.

year last boughtFree or less-than-legal downloading: It happens, but not in a vacuum

Most respondents also said they download music for free in some form — whether through a musician who posted a new track on their own website or a free, legal service like SoundCloud; a "social" site like DropBox; or from what we're going to call a less-than-legal service like Pirate Bay, where users upload music they've already bought for others to download for free.

But rare was the case where someone procured music for free to the exclusion of everything else.

And some even said it was amoral not to pay!

There was no good way to quantify these responses, but here are some illustrative comments:

"I download mixtapes and singles that aren't on Spotify, maybe twice a month or so."

"A few friends and I share a Dropbox and exchange music that way."

"I don't file-share because I have no reason to keep files — I prefer to stream everything." 

"I Torrent, mainly Pirate Bay." (from a Pandora user)

"It doesn't seem right. I have only relied on it for things all but impossible to get online or in a store like international music or film. I would rather pay a reasonable subscription fee and sleep better at night."

"I'm embarrassed to say that I've tried torrent, and can never get the damn things to load properly."

Well, there it is. Please let us know if there's anything more you think we should follow up on (except what music we're actually listening to — some of us are a bit chagrined by that one ... ).

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How To Make 12 Iconic Movie Drinks

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bill murray suntory lost in translation

Hollywood and booze have been synonymous for a long time.

So it's no surprise that many iconic beverages gained prominence in our bars and restaurants thanks to the silver screen.

From cult movies to blockbusters, many films' secret stars are really the cocktails consumed by overpaid actors.

We picked out 12 famous adult beverages to grace some of the best movies in history.

Casino Royale (2006) - Vesper

James Bond is of course known for a martini, "shaken, not stirred." In this 2006 remake, he got a little more specific.

Recipe:

  • 3 measures of Gordon's Gin
  • 1 measure of vodka
  • 1/2 measure Kina Lillet
  • lemon peel for garnish


The Big Lebowski (1998) - White Russian

Perhaps the most iconic cult movie of all time, Jeff Bridges brings us "The Dude"  who drinks one these in just about every scene.

Recipe:

  • 1 1/2 oz vodka
  • 3/4 oz Kahlua coffee liqueur
  • 3/4 oz cream (The Dude uses half and half mostly, and non-dairy creamer in one scene)


Groundhog Day (1993) - Sweet Vermouth on the rocks with a twist

Bill Murray keeps living the same day over and over again in this classic. He orders this drink to win the affection of the leading lady. "It always makes me think of Rome. The way the sun hits the buildings in the afternoon," Murray says tenderly.

Recipe:

  • Sweet vermouth
  • Ice
  • Lemon twist


See the rest of the story at Business Insider
    






7 Things We Learned From Aaron Paul's Awesome Reddit AMA

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aaron paul reddit

Following the epic season 5 return of AMC's "Breaking Bad," actor Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman) hosted a Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA).

Previously, fellow co-star Bryan Cranston hosted an AMA back in June. We're pretty sure this one tops Cranston. 

Paul opened up about his favorite scenes, episode, and a time he blacked out on set.

We've compiled a few of his best responses.

If you have time, you should seriously consider checking out the AMA in its entirety.

He received a concussion and had to go to the ER while filming Season 2, Episode 2 "Grilled":

"Raymond Cruz who played Tuco gave me a concussion during the episode Grilled where Tuco takes Walt and Jesse to his shack in the middle of nowhere where we meet the famous Uncle Tio. Tuco takes Jesse and he throws him through the screen door outside, and if you watch it back you'll notice that my head gets caught inside the wooden screen door and it flips me around and lands me on my stomach and the door splinters into a million pieces. Raymond just thought I was acting so he continued and kicked me in the side and picked me up over his shoulder and threw me against the house, but in reality I was pretty much unconscious the other time. I kept pleading to him saying "stop". The next thing I know I guess I blacked out and I woke up to a flashlight in our eyes and it was our medic. And then I hopped up acting like nothing wrong, but it appeared like I was drunk, and I kept saying "let's finish the scene" but then my eye started swelling shut so they took me to the hospital. Just another fun day on the set of Breaking Bad!"

The most difficult scene for him from "Breaking Bad" was in Season 2, Episode 12 "Phoenix":

"I honestly think the hardest scene for me to do was when Jesse woke up and found Jane lying next to him dead. Looking at Jane through Jesse's eyes that day was very hard and emotional for all of us. When that day was over, I couldn't be happier that it was over because I really, truly felt I was living those tortured moments with Jesse."

His favorite episode of "Breaking Bad" is Season 2, Episode 9 "4 Days Out":

"I loved everything about that episode. I loved the dynamic between Walt and Jesse through the entire thing about how they were just desperately trying to find a way out of the predicament they were in. I loved shooting that episode. It was mainly just Bryan and myself for the entire thing. And that's always a good time. Plus that's the episode where Jesse truly thought deep down inside that they were about to build a robot to save them. That line was actually improvised. I remember that scene, it was a Friday night, and we had wrapped. In the scene I asked Walt "What are we going to build?". He says "you said it before" and then I was supposed to just supposed to stand there with a confused expression on my face. But then Nick, our focus puller, told me I should respond to Walt's question wit "A robot?". So we pretended there was something wrong with the initial shot so I could do it again.

Watch the scene:

Paul never had any acting classes. He's a natural:

"The only training I have is really trial and error. I never went to any sort of class. When I came out to LA I was 17 years old and I sat in on two different classes. What I saw during those classes was them doing these strange acting exercises which I didn't understand. I always just thought "hey, pretend like you're being someone else and that's all there is to it." I wasn't a fan of those classes so if I go into an audition and fail miserably, I just think to myself "well, let's not do that again" and "do better." So that's really it. I just force myself to truly believe that I am living the situation through the character."

His favorite scene from "Breaking Bad":

"I have so many favorites, but the first thing that comes to mind right now is the infamous dinner scene with Mr. and Mrs. White. I think the glass of water became Jesse's security blanket it in a way and I love that about that scene. But there's been so many fun scenes to shoot. So anytime I as Jesse Pinkman can release my pent up anger told Walt is always a good time. So the time that Jesse shows up to Walt's house and thinks that he found on that he poisoned Brock, and he puts a gun to his head. That was a lot of fun."

Bryan Cranston was always walking around set in his underwear.

"Another funny fact about Bryan Cranston - we all know that from Malcolm in the Middle to Breaking Bad, his characters tended to wear tidy whities, but what you don't know is that any close-up shot of Bryan on Breaking Bad where you didn't see the lower half of his body, his pants were always off. His pant were always off. True story, I'm not even joking. His pants are always off."

You can enter to win a chance to watch the "Breaking Bad" series finale with him and the cast!

"The final episode ever will be played at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on Sept. 29 and the tickets will go on sale the day after Labor Day and all of the proceeds will go to benefit Kind Campaign. There will be a Q&A following the finale with myself and a few of the cast members.

But you can go to omaze.com/breakingbad now and enter for the chance to hang with me and the cast at the finale. Every entry supports Kind Campaign."

Paul filmed his favorite five moments from his Reddit AMA. Check them out below:

SEE ALSO: Get caught up with the season return of "Breaking Bad"

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Thirty-Six Years Without The King Of Rock 'n' Roll

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Elvis Presley, the King Of Rock 'n' Roll, died 36 years ago today.

Each year, thousands of fans line up for hours to visit Presley's grave inside Graceland, his estate in Memphis, Tennessee. The singer was 42 at the time of his death.

Watch below how loyal Elvis fans celebrate his legacy.

 

Produced by Reuters

SEE ALSO: Why Six Of The 20 English Elite Soccer Clubs Are Now Owned By Americans

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