'Dancing with the Stars' Results, Week One: Who Got Kicked Off?

Monday night's premiere of the 13th season of Dancing with the Stars brought in over 19 million viewers to watch ersatz celebrities attempt to waltz their way off of Hollywood's C-List. How did everyone fare during last night's results show?

The result. Ballplayer Ron Artest got ejected. When it was revealed that Rob Kardashian, Nancy Grace, and Artest were in the bottom three, there was no chance for a first week upset. They all deserved to go. However, while it was unlikely that Artest would find the grace on the dance floor that he demonstrates on the court, there was something funny and unpredictable about him. (Witness his yell of "Who's coming with me?" after he heard the news.) Now we'll never know what would happen if, say, someone threw a Pepsi at him on the dance floor. The silver lining of his departure is that we don't have to pretend to call him Metta World Peace anymore. Though wasn't it fun to hear them say "Metta and Peta" over and over?

(LIST: Dancing With the Who? The Most Dubious DWTS 'Stars')
Most surprising moment: When we learned that Clooney castoff Elisabetta Canalis and partner Val will be coming back next week. More surprising is that they weren't even in the bottom three. Who are all these Canalis fans? What could they possibly be fans of—her dating acumen?
Least surprising moment: Rob Kardashian in jeopardy. Between the clips of Kardashian koaching from the sidelines and big sister Khloe yelling at judge Bruno to "clean his ears," the littlest Kardashian barely stood a chance. The fact that he has two left feet and no apparent personality doesn't help the situation much.
Best behind the scenes footage: Meeting the troupe. This group of dancers has a lot of talent, ego and Australians. Also they can say things like "We're young, we're sexy and we kill it on the dance floor" with a completely straight face. Actually, now we're jealous.

Best musical number: LMFAO. Sorry Harry Connick Jr. Your sultry smooth jazz vibes are undeniable, but watching the Chmerkovskiy brothers dance in tandem to LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" was simply hot.
Most baffling styling: Ron Artest's bleached facial hair. During last night's results show we saw that Artest had his natural dark hair in the behind-the-scenes training videos. Yet during his Monday night performance he had bleached blond hair, and then during judging he was brunet again. Maybe he would have made it another week if he had used his hair time to practice dancing.

Most cringeworthy moment: Behind-the-scenes footage of Rob Kardashian trying to impress "attractive older lady" Chynna Phillips with his "A Game." Just say no, Chynna! Coming in a close second was Nancy Grace asking Rob Kardashian where his Game Boy was in a deeply sad attempt at being funny. He's obviously a Sony PSP guy.

Most tense moment of the evening: When producers pitted Chynna Phillips, Chaz Bono, and J.R. Martinez against each other during one round of eliminations. While attentive viewers may have quickly realized the producers' ploy, some of us who were checking our Twitter feed may have had a moment of panic. There was a moment when we wondered whether voters could have ousted one of the top three dancers so early in the competition.
See you all here next week.

source: http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/09/21/dancing-with-the-stars-results-week-one-who-got-kicked-off/#ixzz1Yd34P3yY

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wife of Bob Hope, Dolores Hope, dies at 102

LOS ANGELES -- Dolores Hope, the sultry-voiced songstress who was married to Bob Hope for 69 years and sometimes sang on his shows for U.S. troops and on his television specials, has died at age 102.

Hope family spokesman Harlan Boll said Hope died Monday of natural causes at home in Los Angeles. He did not elaborate.

Bob Hope died at age 100 on July 27, 2003.

At her 100th birthday party, Hope appeared little changed: Her white hair was richly coiffed, her skin smooth and her voice deep and warm. She was brought to the party in a wheelchair but was alert and happy as she greeted old friends and posed for photographs.

Hope mused, "I thought it was going to be just another birthday."

In 1933, when Bob Hope was appearing in his first Broadway show, "Roberta," his friend and fellow cast member George Murphy persuaded him to visit the Vogue Club to "hear a pretty girl sing." She was Dolores Reade, a dark beauty whose singing of "It's Only a Paper Moon" entranced the young comedian.

"I'll never forget what a wonderful singer she was," said Rip Taylor. "In fact, that's how Bob and Dolores met.

It seems to me that they were always laughing."

Hope returned every night and soon he was escorting her to her hotel after her shows. They married Feb. 19, 1934, and she quit nightclubs to join his vaudeville act. Then she retired.

"Bob was the hot thing in New York then," she recalled in 1997. "I thought I'd better stay home and take care of Bob."

When they moved to Hollywood in 1938 for the beginning of his film career, Dolores stayed home and devoted her time to raising the four children the Hopes adopted: Linda, Anthony, Kelly and Nora.

"I had such a huge admiration for both of them," said Julie Newmar. "The quality it takes to get just one year older, says a lot about that fact that she lived to 102."

She continued singing at parties, and in the 1940s she began accompanying Hope on his Christmas trips to entertain U.S. troops. In 1966 she sang "Silent Night" to hushed thousands of GI's who then rose and gave her a thunderous ovation, many with tears in their eyes.

In 1990, Mrs. Hope accompanied Bob on his last Christmas visit to American forces, visiting troops who were in Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Storm. Marie Osmond, Ann Jillian and the Pointer Sisters did not perform, to avoid offending Saudi sensibilities about women entertainers. But Dolores Hope was approved and sang "White Christmas" to a rapt audience.

"She was the first lady of the USO," said Carol Channing. "They didn't come any more patriotic, caring or talented than Dolores."

She was born Dolores DeFina in 1909 in New York's Harlem to an Italian father and Irish mother, and grew up in the Bronx. Her diction faintly echoed the Bronx upbringing.

"My father died when I was very young, and there was just my mother, my sister and me," she remarked in 1982. "Were we a needy family? I always like what General Eisenhower said: 'We were poor and didn't know it.'"

She began singing early, worked as a model and a Ziegfeld showgirl and at 20 sang with George Olson's band. She adopted the name Dolores Reade, borrowed from stage actress Florence Reed. In her 80s, Dolores revived her singing career, recording three albums of old and new standards and appearing at New York's Rainbow and Stars as guest with Rosemary Clooney.

Aside from overseeing two homes-- the 18,000 square-foot mansion in North Hollywood and the 25,000 square-foot hilltop home in Palm Springs -- Dolores Hope worked indefatigably for numerous charities. From 1969 to 1976 she served as president of the Eisenhower Medical Center in Palm Desert, Calif., then becoming chairwoman.

In 1982, she explained her philosophy: "I like being with people, but I also need to have my time alone. I think it's terribly important to have some time during the day when you stop and take all the energy that you have given out and pull it back in, find the source of your energy. Then you work from there."

By Bob Thomas, The Associated Press

Associated Press Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang contributed to this report.

source : www.nola.com

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Anderson Cooper, Gloria Vanderbilt Address Carter Vanderbilt Cooper's Suicide

It's been more than two decades since Anderson Cooper's brother Carter Vanderbilt Cooper flung himself from the 14th-floor terrace of his family's NYC penthouse apartment. 

In a rare interview, Anderson, 44, sat down with his mom, Gloria Vanderbilt, and recalls that tragic day in 1988 when Carter, then 23, took his own life. 

"When he went … I thought he was going to come back, but he didn't," Vanderbilt, 87, remembers in the one-on-one conversation that airs Monday on Anderson's syndicated talk show. "He let go, and there was a moment when I thought I was going to jump over after him."
 

But the former fashion designer says Anderson, who was 21 at the time, gave her a reason to continue living. 

"I thought of you and it stopped me from [jumping]," Vanderbilt tells her son, whose eyes brim with tears. 

Although it is rare to hear Anderson or his mom speak publicly about their family tragedy, Vanderbilt wrote a book in 1997 called A Mother's Story, in which she discusses the medicine allergy she believes caused her son to make the spontaneous decision to kill himself. 

"The fatal loss stripped me bare," Vanderbilt says in the book of losing Carter, a seemingly confident Princeton graduate. 

Although Vanderbilt tells Anderson, "You never get over it, but you learn to live with it," the talk show host and CNN correspondent uses the heartbreaking experience as just one more reason to see his mom as an inspiration. 

"You have survived so many things," Anderson says. "This custody battle when you were 10 years old, the loss of your father when you were an infant, the loss of Carter, of my dad, your husband and so many others." 

"It hasn't made you tough," he continues. "It hasn't hardened you. You're still open to experience and open to new loss and open to new heartbreak and to new love."

source : http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20528974,00.html

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dancing with the stars season 13

Odds are already in for the latest group of would-be "Dancing With the Stars" champs, and we've got to say, we don't agree with all that everyone else is saying.

Zap2it has some superficial, arbitrary assumptions on the Season 13 cast members, too. And with the 12 contestants getting ready to hit the floor for the first time tonight (Sept. 19), it's our last chance to present our strongest (and weakest) hopefuls before they show us what they've got.

Factoring in potential fan appeal, assumptions on physical ability, partners and input from our bedazzled magic eight ball, we're more or less settled on how Season 13 will likely play out -- until we change our mind tomorrow. Have a look:

The presumably doomed:

Chynna Phillips
A lot folks say she's looking good, but we don't think this is the member of Wilson Phillips "DWTS" fans want to see on the show. (Was Carnie busy?) Also: partner Tony Dovolani, talented nice guy that he is, rarely manages to take anyone very far in the competition.

Rob Kardashian
If a lady Kardashian can't make it a month in, Rob probably can't stand much of a chance for success either. Partner Cheryl Burke is a powerhouse, but rumors of his relaxed rehearsal schedule have us thinking Rob might not be cut out for the rigors of "DWTS."

Nancy Grace
We've taken an informal poll, and no one is going to vote for you. Sorry.

The dark horses:

Carson Kressley 
Kressley doesn't spend as much time on the tube as he did in his "Queer Eye" days, but early promos and rehearsal shots have show that he remains quite charming. We also wouldn't be surprised if he has a surplus of rhythm.

Chaz Bono
Who has gotten the most publicity heading into Season 13? Chaz Bono. Who has equeal chances of alienating or endearing the "DWTS" fanbase? Chaz Bono. Who could we see getting the first cut or making it to the finale? Chaz Bono. Seriously, anything could happen with this one.

J.R. Martinez
Virtually unknown to primetime audiences, we have very little to go on with J.R. But he does have a solid partner in Karina Smirnoff and an unbeatable personal story, given the "All My Children" star's trials in Iraq.

The contenders:

Ron Artest
History shows that "DWTS" voters love professional athletes. History also shows that basketball players find less success on the competition than most sports stars. Still, folks love them some Metta World Peace.
 
David Arquette
This one goes into the premiere with the most personality. Arquette is always on and will almost definitely ingratiate himself with viewers right off the bat. The bizarre thought of him dancing, however, makes him a bit of a wild card. 

Elisabetta Canalis 
Listed as a favorite by most odds-makers, we're a little more skeptical of Clooney's ex-girlfriend. She's got the look -- and the least legitimate fame of the entire cast. And on this show, that's saying something.

The frontrunners:

Kristin Cavallari
Excluding the female pros, nobody in this cast looks better in a flimsy ballgown. No one. Cavallari would have to be completely lacking in moves to not go far this season.

Ricki Lake
Don't underestimate this lady. She's parlayed a niche acting career into a life as a TV personality and advocate, remaining in the public eye since the '80s. She also has returning pro Derek Hough at her side, and everyone knows he's a "DWTS" kingmaker. 

Hope Solo
Athlete? Check. Lovely? Check. Long-overdue-for-a-win Maksim Chmerkovskiy for a partner? Check. This gorgeous soccer goalie is our favorite going into the premiere.

We'll see how our theories shape up during the premiere performance show, but for now, who are your favorites?

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Photo/Video credit: ABC

source : http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2011/09/dancing-with-the-stars-season-13-forecast-looking-into-the-crystal-mirrorball.html

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