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Brooke Burke Fired From 'Dancing With The Stars' Weeks Before New Season

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Brooke Burke will not be returning to “Dancing with the Stars.”

ABC confirmed the news to Gossip Cop on Friday night, shortly after the co-host revealed to E! that she was fired less than a month before the new season begins.

Matthew McConaughey Is Nothing Like His Rom-Com Characters, Says Wife Camila Alves

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Before his recent impressive streak of serious roles in "Dallas Buyers Club," "True Detective," "Wolf of Wall Street" and the likes, Matthew McConaughey was known for his sappy (but fan favorite) rom-coms. Movies like "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," "Failure to Launch," and "The Wedding Planner" gave women everywhere an image of the ideal guy in mind. That is, until now.

In an appearance on "Inside the Actors Studio," McConaughey was revealed to be nothing like the sweet, caring gentleman he used to portray on screen.

McConaughey wife, model Camila Alves, was in the audience when her husband spoke of his craft. When asked if his offscreen demeanor resembles his onscreen, rom-com persona, Alves revealed that "It's very funny because people see him onscreen or out there in public in a certain way, and they have this vision of him being this romantic and so passionate. Just very romantic and grabs you and kisses you. And sometimes I'm like, 'Who is this guy? Can you be a little bit of that?' Sometimes I'm like, 'Can we bring that guy home for a little bit?'"

Dreams shattered.

McConaughey, 44, did manage to salvage some romance when James Lipton asked the two how they met and if it was love at first sight. "It was for me!" the actor said to the mother of his three children.

"That's the first time you've said that," Alves replied.

You guys. Too sweet!

The two met at a bar in 2006 and got married in 2012.

Maria Von Trapp Dies At 99

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STOWE, Vt. (AP) — Maria von Trapp, the last surviving member and second-eldest daughter of the musical family whose escape from Nazi-occupied Austria was the basis for "The Sound of Music," has died. She was 99.

Von Trapp died at her home in Vermont on Tuesday, according to her brother Johannes von Trapp. "She was a lovely woman who was one of the few truly good people," he said. "There wasn't a mean or miserable bone in her body. I think everyone who knew her would agree with that."

Maria von Trapp was the last surviving member of the seven original Trapp Family Singers made famous in "The Sound of Music." Their story was turned into a Broadway musical in 1959 and a 1965 film, which won the Oscar for best picture. Trapp was portrayed as Louisa in the film and musical.

She was the third child and second-oldest daughter of Austrian Naval Capt. Georg von Trapp and his first wife, Agathe Whitehead von Trapp. Their seven children were the basis for the singing family in the musical and film.

"The Sound of Music" was based loosely on a 1949 book by von Trapp's second wife, also Maria von Trapp, who died in 1987. It tells the story of an Austrian woman who married a widower with seven children and teaches them music.

In 1938, the family escaped from Nazi-occupied Austria. After they arrived in New York, the family became popular with concert audiences. The family eventually settled in Vermont, where they opened a ski lodge in Stowe.

Von Trapp played accordion and taught Austrian dance with sister Rosmarie at the lodge.

She wrote in a biography posted on the Trapp Family's website that she was born in the Austrian Alps after her family fled fighting from World War I.

"Growing up we were surrounded by music. Father played the violin, accordion and mandolin. Mother played piano and violin," she wrote. "I have fond memories of our grandmother playing the piano for us after meals."

Her biography on the website also said that she worked as a lay missionary in Papua, New Guinea.

Rosmarie von Trapp, Johannes von Trapp and Eleonore Von Trapp Campbell were born to Georg von Trapp and Maria von Trapp.

Justin Bieber Rejects Prosecutor's Plea Deal, Refuses To Submit To Random Drug Testing

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Justin Bieber will REJECT the plea deal prosecutors in his Miami Beach DUI case have offered ... and a big reason is because he doesn't want random drug testing.

TMZ broke the story ... prosecutors offered Bieber a deal they often give to first-time DUI offenders ... it includes community service, an alcohol ed course and random drug testing.

Sources connected to Bieber tell TMZ ... there are several reasons they aren't buying what prosecutors are selling. First, there are huge problems with the case -- they believe the cop lied when he said Bieber reeked of booze (he only blew a .014), and he was also lying about observing Bieber drag race -- the GPS device registered a very reasonable 27 MPH.

Ludacris Fights For Full Custody In Legal Battle With Tamika Fuller

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Rapper Ludacris wants to do something so shocking, it will send shock waves through the rap community -- he's fighting for CUSTODY of his kid.

Luda and baby mama Tamika Fuller are duking it out in an Atlanta court over custody and child support. They had a baby girl 2 months ago and Tamika's been taking care of the kid.

The rapper now says in legal docs he's a "fit and capable parent" and should get full physical custody. He offers up his parental resume, saying he's always been "an active father" to his 12-year-old girl.

Miley Cyrus Kisses Katy Perry During Bangerz Tour Stop

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Miley Cyrus kissed a girl this weekend during a performance of her single "Adore You" at her latest Bangerz Tour stop at Los Angeles’ Staples Center. That girl was none other than Katy Perry, years after she sang about her own endeavors with kissing a girl and liking it.

Perry was in the audience at Cyrus' show and was beckoned to the stage by the 21-year-old singer. Cyrus climbed down from the platform to plant a kiss on Perry's lips. This isn't the first time Cyrus has shown her admiration for the "Roar" singer. Last year, she took to Twitter to discuss a dream she had about Perry which was a "good time."

Check out photos and video from the moment below.








Amy Adams Wows At The Costume Designers Guild Awards

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Amy Adams showed some major leg at the 16th Costume Designers Guild Awards on Saturday evening (Feb. 22). The 39-year-old walked the red carpet at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in a gorgeous teal gown, before being honored with the Lacoste Spotlight Award. Congratulations!

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amy adams

Proof That Black And White Will Never Go Out Of Style

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There's just something about the classic black and white combo. It gives off a suit-and-tie vibe that makes an outfit feel more dressed up than usual.

This week on Instagram, we've been seeing all things black and white, whether they were mixed and matched or simply worn as a head-to-toe solid color. (Remember that fabulous all-white ensemble from Derek Lam's amazing Fall 2014 collection?)

And fashion blogs have gone gaga for this trend, too -- just check out these awesome Instagram shots as proof.


















Justin Bieber's 'Broken' Drops After Weeks Of Drama

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Justin Bieber recruited rapper Blake Kelly for his new song "Broken" which made its debut this weekend. The first track the young Biebs has released since his recent arrest, "Broken" has the 19-year-old singer addressing the drama, singing, "I guess they want a reaction / I ain't gonna give it to 'em." Bieber then sticks it to his haters, crooning, "I cannot be broken / like I know you were hoping."

Take a listen to Bieber's "Broken" below.

'Heroes' Will Return As An NBC Miniseries in 2015

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Save the cheerleader, save the world ... again?

NBC announced that they are bringing back "Heroes," the sci-fi series that ran from 2006-2010, in miniseries form that will debut in 2015.

"We’re thrilled that visionary creator Tim Kring was as excited about jumping back into this show as we were and we look forward to all the new textures and layers Tim plans to add to his original concept," said NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke. "Until we get closer to air in 2015, the show will be appropriately shrouded in secrecy, but we won’t rule out the possibility of some of the show’s original cast members popping back in.”

Some of those original cast members such as Hayden Panettiere and Zachary Quinto went on to bigger projects, like "Nashville" and "Star Trek" respectively, so whether they will return remains to be seen.

Before the 13-episode miniseries debuts, there will also be a digital series that introduces the new characters and plot.

Check out a very short video teasing "Heroes Reborn" above.

What do you think, "Heroes" fans? Are you excited for another (unexpected) chapter in the "Heroes" saga?


Kiss' Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Performance Canceled After Dispute

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WALL TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — Kiss won't rock and roll all night — or at any point during the day, either — when they are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April, the band said Sunday.

The 40-year-old group is unable to agree on which lineup should perform during the April 10 ceremony in New York City, and has decided not to plug in at all. The dispute concerns whether original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss would join Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley in a live performance, or whether the current lineup of Stanley, Simmons, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer would play instead.

In a message on its website, Kiss said it won't perform with any lineup, calling it "an emotional situation where there is no way to please everyone."

"Our intention was to celebrate the entire history of Kiss and give credit to all members, including longtime present members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, and additionally Bruce Kulick and Eric Carr all who have made this band what it is, regardless of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame's point of view," the band wrote on its web site. "Although Kiss has moved forward far longer without them, Ace and Peter are at the very foundation of what we have built and this would all be impossible had they not been a part of it in the beginning."

The band made no mention of former guitarists Vinnie Vincent, who helped kick off the band's unmasked era, or Mark St. John, who was with the band briefly in 1984 and who died in 2007.

"It is over 13 years since the original lineup has played together in makeup and we believe the memory of those times would not be enhanced," Kiss wrote on its site. "To bring this to a quick end, we have decided not to play in any line-up, and we will focus our attention on celebrating our induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame."

The festering dispute was brought to a boil when Frehley called into the Eddie Trunk's syndicated radio show Friday night to say that Simmons and Stanley had rejected a reunion with the original four members for the induction.

"They just shot down any type of reunion with us," Frehley said during the broadcast. "It's very frustrating. It's what the fans wanted, it's what the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wanted, and it's not gonna happen. You don't want to do something for the fans after 40 years of them supporting you?"

The band's statement said it has never refused to pay with Frehley and Criss.

Criss, who lives in Wall Township, N.J., said he wanted to let fans know there would be no reunion before they bought tickets for the induction ceremony, which range from $120 to nearly $600.

"This is disgraceful, and I feel bad for the fans who were looking forward to the four of us being inducted together," he said.

Criss did not indicate whether he would attend the induction; Frehley said he is unsure whether he'll be there.

Kiss began in 1973, and the original lineup played together until 1980. They reunited from 1996 to 2000, but the band has continued with replacement members wearing the Frehley and Criss makeup and costumes.

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Wayne Parry can be reached at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC

These Actors Are Very Different Ages Than The Characters They Play

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Ever wonder why the TV characters of your acne-ridden, awkward teen years looked so put together? Well, aside from having professionals to take care of their hair and makeup needs, a lot of them were well into their 20s while playing high schoolers.

From "90210" to "Pretty Little Liars," these 12 actors are much older than the TV characters they play.



Bastille's 'Bad Blood' Album Tops The Charts After Brit Awards

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LONDON, Feb 23 (Reuters) - English singer-songwriter Sam Smith seized the top spot in Britain's music charts on Sunday with his track "Money On My Mind", ending Clean Bandit's four-week stint at number one, the Official Charts Company said.
It said Smith's success at the BRIT awards, where he won the Critics' Choice award, had helped him sell 108,000 copies with his debut track. It was the first time the winner of that award had debuted in the top spot, it said.
The British pop world's show of the year was held earlier this month.
Smith's success pushed Clean Bandit's "Rather Be" down to third place, while Pharrell Williams took the second spot with his track "Happy".
A collaboration between Christina Aguilera and A Great Big World - a song called "Say Something" - went in straight at number four.
In the albums chart, British band Bastille stormed back to number one with their record "Bad Blood", thanks, the Official Charts Company said, to their own success at the BRITs, where they were named as the Best British Breakthrough act.
The Arctic Monkeys, who also did well at the awards, climbed nine places to finish at number two with their album "AM". (Reporting By Andrew Osborn; Editing by Larry King)

'My Drunk Kitchen' Makes Brownies With Mary-Louise Parker

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Actress and all-around awesome lady Mary-Louise Parker ("Weeds") joined Hannah Hart in her drunk kitchen this week and they made brownies... because obviously.

Watch the episode above and then enter to win a chance to bake brownies with Parker yourself by making a donation to Hope North Uganda.

'Pompeii' Box Office Falls Short As 'The Lego Movie' Continues To Dominate

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Action-packed new releases couldn't stack up to 3D hit "The Lego Movie," which took the No. 1 slot in its third weekend at the box office.

The Warner Bros. animated film bested Relativity Media's "3 Days to Kill" and Sony's "Pompeii" on their opening weekends. "The Lego Movie," featuring the voices of Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks and Morgan Freeman, earned $31.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The domestic total has passed $183 million.

Heading into full-fledged franchise territory with a sequel set to release in May 2017, "The Lego Movie" is the highest grossing film of 2014.

"It's been really tough for any of the newcomers to displace 'Lego,' " said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak. "They had such a great release date that put them in this perfect position to dominate the marketplace for several weeks. For 'Lego' to earn $31 million in its third weekend, that would be impressive in its first weekend for any film in the first quarter."

Relativity Media's crime drama "3 Days to Kill," starring Kevin Costner and Amber Heard, came in second with $12.3 million in its first weekend at the multiplex.

"Pompeii," Sony's boiling gladiator drama starring "Game of Thrones" star Kit Harington, took the third-place slot with $10 million. There was a fairly even gender split for the Constantin-financed film, with the audience breaking down as 52 percent male and 48 percent female. The film's slot in the top five was steered mostly by viewers under 30.

"Pompeii got savaged by critics," Dergarabedian said. " '3 Days to Kill' wasn't loved by critics either, so you had two films that didn't have a shot at taking 'Lego' out. But these movies did about what we would expect."

In its second weekend, the Sony and MGM reboot "RoboCop" dropped from third to fourth with $9.4 million. Starring Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman and Michael Keaton, the modernized sci-fi film (the 1987 original starred Peter Weller as a cop who gains a new robotic body) is down 57 percent from last weekend's domestic opener.

"The time of year that we're in, the movies just aren't the critics' darlings," Dergarabedian said. "These films give people options. But they won't necessarily set the world on fire at the box office."

Sony's George Clooney-directed "The Monuments Men" was pushed down to fifth place from last week's fourth-place spot with $8.1 million.

Still, Sony dominated the multiplex with four films in the top 10. "About Last Night," starring Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy, Joy Bryant and Regina Hall, gained $7.4 million in its second weekend after a strong Valentine's Day opening. It is down a hefty 71 percent from its opening with a $38.15 million domestic total.

Kevin Hart's "Ride Along," also starring Ice Cube, marks another hit for the comedian as it remains in the top 10 for the sixth weekend in a row. The Universal Pictures buddy comedy earned $4.7 million. It has gained over $123 million domestically since it opened on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.

Because of its vast success, the studio has secured "Ride Along 2." Tim Story will be back to direct, while Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi will return to pen the sequel.

Disney's "Frozen," locked in at No. 8, refuses to thaw with $4.4 million over the weekend and $980 million worldwide. The animated musical is the third-highest grossing domestic animated release of all-time. It surpassed "Despicable Me 2," becoming the second-highest grossing animated release ever. It is the highest grossing original animated release of all-time.

Rounding out the top 10, Universal's "Endless Love," starring Alex Pettyfer as the romantic lead opposite Gabriella Wilde, brought in $4.3 million, while the Colin Farrell-starring drama "Winter's Tale" gained $2.1 million.

Next weekend, the action releases continue as Liam Neeson's "Non-Stop" hits theaters. Lupita Nyong'o, nominated for a best supporting Oscar for her role in "12 Years a Slave," also appears in the film.

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Estimated weekend ticket sales Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:

1."The Lego Movie," $31.5 million.

2."3 Days to Kills," $12.3 million.

3."Pompeii," $10 million.

4."RoboCop," $9.4 million.

5."Monuments Men," $8.1 million.

6."About Last Night," $7.4 million.

7."Ride Along," $4.7 million.

8."Frozen," $4.4 million.

9."Endless Love," $4.3 million.

10."Winter's Tale," $2.1 million.

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Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by 21st Century Fox; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

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Follow AP Film Writer Jessica Herndon on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/SomeKind

Turns Out Charlie Sheen Is Engaged To A Married Woman

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As if Charlie Sheen didn't already have enough controversies under his belt, it looks like he may be about to add "home wrecker" to his roster as well. The on-again, off-again troubled actor recently became engaged to his girlfriend of four months, former porn star Brett Rossi, and if that wasn't crazy enough, it turns out Rossi isn't even a single woman! The 24-year-old blonde bombshell is currently married and it's unclear if divorce proceedings have been filed. Either way, the situation certainly throws a wrench into Sheen and Rossi's wedding plans.

Atlanta Neighborhood Group Protests Justin Bieber's Residency

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TMZ recently reported that Justin Bieber is looking to move to the Buckhead area of Atlanta, but his potential neighbors have responded in protest.

A group called the Buckhead Neighborhood Coalition took to Facebook to organize resistance at Bieber's prospective address on Monday. The event -- which claims the move would put their children in danger -- currently boasts nearly 300 participants.

The group writes:
As a community here in Buckhead, we have worked hard to achieve our goals and get to where we are. Justin Bieber's relocation to Atlanta can be nothing but bad for our children, as well as the community. Some can't even let their children play in the driveway without fear; he has raced vehicles under the influence, before. What's to say he won't do it again? As a home owner down the street from this residence, one can assume many people will be contacting real estate agents soon enough.


Le petit Canadian seemed to respond, tweeting, "I guess I'm an easy target for some. I'm still human. I will continue to meet hate with love." Although, it is further unclear whether by "love" he actually means "drag racing," "spitting" and / or "peeing."




[h/t Gawker]

'Girls' Season 3, Episode 8 Recap: 'Incidentals'

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Note: Do not read on if you have not yet seen Episode 8 of "Girls" Season 3, titled "Incidentals."

After last week's summery, narcissistic "Girls" episode, I was a little worried that the season would only go downhill from there. Luckily, I was wrong.

Sure, there were no choreographed dance routines in "Incidentals," but it was still a top-notch episode. We got to see all the girls together again, Patti Lupone showed up and Hannah, Marnie, Jessa and Shoshanna were at their best ... and worst.

With 10 being the most self-involved and 1 being the least, see how each of the girls scored in Season 3, Episode 8 of "Girls" titled "Incidentals."

Hannah:

The episode opens with Hannah sitting at a restaurant waiting for Patti Lupone to show up. She's pretty impressed with herself, much to the annoyance of the waitress, who has no idea who Patti Lupone is. Unfortunately Hannah never gets to show her off to the waitress because Patti fails to show up, so Hannah goes on a mission to find her. She's on deadline, after all -- she can't let GQ down!

Hannah finds Patti at rehearsal, where she agrees to give Hannah five minutes. The two of them discuss the bone density drug that supposedly worked miracles on Patti's faux-Osteoporosis for about a minute before bonding over their hatred of exercise. Halfway through, Hannah gets a call from Adam: He got cast in a Broadway show!

Patti isn't exactly jumping for joy at Hannah's news. Good luck, she cries -- he'll become an asshole! He'll cheat! Hannah tries to reassure Patti (and herself) that Adam is actually very funny looking, but Patti isn't convinced.

“The elephant man got laid a lot," she says.

Meanwhile, back at GQ, Janice & Co. are working on a listicle: 16 Reasons Why We’d Love To Stay At The Gramercy. And she's picked Hannah to spend the night there with her friends. Even better, she just got her first check from GQ. And it's more than her rent! So she decides to head to the meatpacking district and "make it rain" before hosting a party at the Gramercy for Adam, his new Broadway pal Desi and all of her friends. Looks like working in advertorial isn't too shabby after all.

She didn't do anything extraordinarily wonderful, but compared to last week Hannah was a saint.

Overall self-involvement: 5.

gramercy

Marnie:

Well folks, it's another rough week in Marnie-ville. While she's innocently piling some mochi onto her yogurt, Soo Jin from her Booth Jonathan days appears behind her. Unlike Marnie, Soo Jin's doing well. She's opening her own gallery in NoHo because, she explains, she seriously like DGAF (doesn't give a fuuuuucckkk).

Their interaction is a little awkward, and Marnie makes it more awkward when she gives Soo Jin a sideways hug that she holds for a little too long as she says "I'm so happy for you."

She heads over to Ray's later with some pizza, where he swiftly breaks up with her. "I want a girlfriend, Marnie. Like a legitimate girlfriend," he says, adding, "I realize this doesn't make sense biologically."

“Was this your plan the whole time, Ray? To humiliate the girl you couldn’t get in high school?” she screeches.

Things start to look up when she makes her way to the Gramercy, receives a heartfelt hug from Hannah and becomes enchanted by Desi. The two start to hum a few tunes together, and it's pretty cute.

Also, Marnie has an AOL email address.

Overall self-involvement: 6.

girls

Jessa:

Just last week, Jessa was spouting inspirational happiness quotes and turning down alcohol. This week, she's doing coke with her British rehab friend Jasper.

Jasper found her at her place of work, Sweet Emma. I'm confused both by how Sweet Emma stays in business and how Jasper found her, but he did, and despite Jessa's halfhearted protest -- “I have a job, I eat lunch every day .. I’m healthy! And the last thing I need is to be hanging out with you” -- it doesn't take him long to convince her to do a little coke with him.

Jasper and Jessa show up high at the Gramercy hotel where Hannah notes that she probably shouldn't have taken Jessa out of rehab, but Shoshanna's just excited to be able to have a conversation with people who talk as fast as fast as she does.

Well, Jessa's off the bandwagon. And it's not looking good.

Overall self-involvement: 9.

Shoshanna:

Last week's outburst was cool, but it looks like Shosh is back to her old self. She doesn't say anything extraordinarily stupid, but she does deliver one of the best lines of the episode:

“I recognize you from your part in 'One Tree Hill.' You played Lennon the disabled hockey player,” she says to Desi in complete awe.

As for Hannah, she shares Patti Lupone's worry also worry that her friend's relationship is doomed. "Oh my god, are you scared he’s gonna leave you for Sutton Foster?" she asks.

She may not have seemed like the brightest crayon in the box, but rest assured that Shoshanna is not intellectually unstimulating. Jessa saw her read the newspaper on her phone once.

Overall self-involvement: 4.

Girls" airs on Sundays at 10 p.m. EST on HBO.

Jimmy Kimmel Baby: TV Personality's Wife Molly McNearney Is Pregnant

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NEW YORK (AP) — Jimmy Fallon may be the late night host with a new show, but Jimmy Kimmel has reason to celebrate, too.


Kimmel and his wife Molly McNearney are expecting their first child together, his rep Lewis Kay confirmed Monday.


The TV personality first made the announcement during a taping of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," airing Wednesday.


Forty-six year old Kimmel already has two children, a 20-year-old son and 22-year-old daughter, from a previous marriage.


It will be 35-year-old McNearney's first baby.


The couple got married last July.


McNearney also is the co-head writer of "Jimmy Kimmel Live."


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Online:



http://abc.go.com/shows/jimmy-kimmel-live

'Late Night With Seth Meyers' Features Joe Biden And Amy Poehler (VIDEO)

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NEW YORK (AP) — The monologue jokes were mostly thin and the host seemed stiff delivering them.

But jokes about the Winter Olympics that already felt irrelevant, and a few opening-night butterflies for the guy voicing them, could be excused. Soon enough, Seth Meyers seemed to gain control of his inaugural edition of "Late Night." Part of his subsequent comfort level had to be explained by his savvy choice of guests. Amy Poehler, his longtime pal and former "Weekend Update" deskmate on "Saturday Night Live" was the first guest of NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers."

His other guest: Vice President Joe Biden, who's a talk show all by himself.

When Biden arrived to join Poehler, it made for a cozy trio. After all, Biden and Poehler have a history of their own, reaching back to his cameo appearance last season on her NBC sitcom "Parks and Recreation."

"Amy really helped me with the Secret Service," said Biden, who reported that when he had finished shooting his "Parks and Recreation" scene and was making his departure, the smitten Poehler grabbed a Secret Service agent by the lapels and demanded, "You take care of him!"

Poehler joked that she and Biden now plan to make a film together called "Snakes on a Train." Then she declared that she was running for president in two years.

But when Meyers asked Biden what his own 2016 political plans might be, he sidestepped the question. He said he had meant to make a major announcement on the show, but changed his mind. As he explained to Meyers, "Tonight's YOUR night. So I hope you'll invite me back."

The premiere of "Late Night with Seth Meyers" (which taped Monday evening for airing at 12:35 a.m. EST/11:35 p.m. CST), represented the final step in NBC's talk-show turnover.

Meyers, who until early this month was an "SNL" veteran and co-anchor of its "Weekend Update" newscast, is filling the vacancy left by Jimmy Fallon after five years as "Late Night" host.

Fallon, of course, moved up last week to be host of "The Tonight Show," replacing Jay Leno.

So far, the late-night changes are paying off. Riding the crest of NBC's Olympics coverage, "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" was seen by an average of 8.5 million viewers in its first week, the biggest "Tonight" audience in decades.

Can the 40-year-old Meyers make the most of this popular lead-in?

He comes to his new role as a talk-show host with demonstrated skill and appeal from his years as an "SNL" writer and performer.

He is known as a TV star who doesn't hog the spotlight and enjoys playing the straight man. He is also known as cerebral, which, if not moderated, could work against him: One of his monologue jokes hinged on the viewer knowing who Doris Kearns Goodwin is. It wasn't very funny either. And flopped.

Other jokes were more successful, even if they were larded by Meyers' insistent pause-and-grin pacing.

He announced that the brassiere turns 100 years old this week — "and so does everyone who still calls it a brassiere."

He noted that the Arizona Legislature passed a bill that would allow business owners asserting their religious beliefs to deny service to gay customers: "Some businesses have already put up signs that read, 'Nice shirt, nice shoes, no service.'"

Later, he took another swing at Arizona during what may emerge as a durable humor franchise: Venn diagrams displaying what two seemingly different things have in common. One example: The intersection of Russia and the NBA was revealed to be "Places That are More Gay-Friendly than Arizona."

The setting for Meyers' "Late Night" is a sleek, art deco design. Sliding screens substitute for curtains.

As with most other talk shows, Meyers' format provides for a musical guest. On his first night, it was the band A Great Big World.

Speaking of music, a valuable asset is the leader of Meyers' house band, Fred Armisen, himself a musician as well as a comedian-performer — and clearly a funny sidekick. During a brief exchange, Meyers, playing the able straight man, questioned Armisen on one of his many projects, a new series on the History channel.

"It's called 'Recent History,'" said Armisen, deadpan. "It only goes back the past hour or so, but it has an historical spin. Very serious. Very dry."

One other feature that seems to have potential: Meyers' skill at relating a story. From his desk, he told a charming anecdote about an outing with his wife that went awry. With apparent effortlessness, he brought the tale to a finish by observing, "It's hard to feel macho when you're holding a tiny dog and another man is changing your wife's tire."

Words of wisdom, Seth. And funny, too.

Meyers' "Late Night" might prove easy to like.

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Online:


www.nbc.com


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EDITOR'S NOTE — Frazier Moore is a national television columnist for The Associated Press. He can be reached at fmoore@ap.org and at http://www.twitter.com/tvfrazier
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