Let's face it: the weather is not cooperating in much of the country when it comes to barbecues and whatnot for Memorial Day 2013. So, obviously, you should do nothing but consume endless culture instead. And there's a lot out there! But, really, there's only so much time in a long weekend. We've clocked it for you.
There have now been two cases of animal actors being fired from stage productions this month. It appears some cats and dogs can't take direction like they used to, and that the life of a pet thespian is pretty demanding these days.
Last night ABC debuted Splash, the almost so-unreal-it's-real reality show in which "celebrities" (air quotes definitely necessary), well, in which people jump into water on television. And guess what? It actually may be a hit.
The Bolshoi, Russia's prestigious ballet company most recently known as the site of a horrendous acid attack, is now being slammed by one of its former ballerinas as a "brothel," where dancers were forced to sleep with oligarchs.
Towards the end of a CW special that featured a wax-figurine Ryan Seacrest, some celebrities of questionable status, and a lot of the rat-pack schtick, the omnipresent singer debuted a genuinely interesting and surprisingly emotional music video.
The troubled Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles is going to try surviving on its own after apparently rejecting an offer from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to merge into a kind of super-museum.
A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.
Another day, another old Star Wars actor semi-confirming that the original trio is indeed coming back for the next installment.
Season two of Girls ended on a — sort of — upbeat note on Sunday after a seriously dark turn, but a call for extras indicates that the HBO hit will be taking a trip to rehab sometime in the third season.
The movie's costume designer used "items from mall stores like Hot Topic, Victoria's Secret, and Forever 21 to keep a sense of realism at play" for the film itself. But new items from Opening Ceremony, the New York-based fashion tastemaker with a penchant for high mark-ups, range in prices from $20 to $90. There are bracelets.
At his album release party Timberlake basically confirmed a rumor started by Roots drummer Questlove that The 20/20 Experience, officially out today, was only the first half of a comeback album that wasn't... or might not be.
You may have been too busy watching fancy fare like Top of the Lake or Bates Motelto care, really, but the 16th season of Dancing with the Stars premiered last night. And it's got a breakout star.
A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.
While you're filling out your expertly analyzed bracket, you might want to take a look at how March Madness fandom is spread across the country with this map from Facebook.
After a performance at SXSW, the preppy, Afropop influenced band has released two new studio tracks off their upcoming album, Modern Vampires in the City, and they're getting good early buzz.
After arriving late to court, by way of private jet and glitter-bomb, and in a ridiculous get-up, Lindsay Lohan accepted a plea deal that will send her to a "locked" rehabilitation facility for 90 days.
Not a single episode could air during season one without an overanalysis of controversial themes and Dunham's perceived agenda. And so in season two Dunham's agenda was to address controversial themes head-on, or indirectly, but mostly on purpose. Let's discuss.
Along with maybe a few actual viewers, they're brewing a high-profile controversy because, well, the actor who played the devil on Sunday night's episode maybe kind of sort of looks like the President of the United States.
"Bow Down/I Been On" may in fact be two different songs, but it's definitely bizarre, allegedly arrogant, and not exactly getting universal praise from fans and critics. All of which means there are reason to gripe, and many ways in which to do so.
A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.
Welcome to the beginning of the end of Alex Trebek. The struggles of Matt Lauer at the Today show have gotten the rumor mill in full gear, with Anderson Cooper, Brian Williams, and Dan Patrick now in the mix. Let's examine the possibilities.
Love is love again.
The rumors are true: Timberlake will be performing at SXSW, taking the stage at the last of the Myspace Secret Shows on Saturday night in Austin. Which makes all too much sense, since Timberlake himself is an investor in the (outdated) social media company.
The bidding war for Tribune Company newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune, looks to have another moneyed influencer beyond the Koch brothers and Rupert Murdoch.
The beloved, short-lived drama Veronica Mars created history—and debate—this week when its creator and star quickly funded a follow-up movie using Kickstarter.
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone opens today with middling to bad reviews, but even though the movie is off to an iffy start, its star Steve Carell may have a lot to look forward to this year—maybe even an Oscar bid.
A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.
Forget crazy. Forget the Lindsay Lohan dig. Justin Bieber ended his lengthiest written statement on his world-famous social-media accounts on Thursday by thanking his fans, because Justin Bieber knows how to use his millions of followers to insulate himself from bad press.
We're no fashion historians, but we looked at some old photographs of style icons against the brand-new Mad Men promo shots — and we saw some striking parallels.
Even though she called it "Kindergarten reading material," the magazine synonymous with promoting a certain women's body type asked Dunham to imagine having a perfect body type. But she came prepared.
The First Lady covering Vogue for the second time is one of those events that so instantly and obviously fascinates inquiring eyes of both the political and fashion worlds that it begs for comparison.
A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.
As Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio emerged Wednesday at a joyous Vatican and took the papal name Francis, there was no joy on Facebook for guys with the name Francis Pope — or Frank Pope, for that matter. We got in touch with one, and he's used to it.
Ads, photos, and promos are beginning to flood the cultural zone, leaving Mad Men fanatics grasping for answers about season six. Of course, there are no answers. There are never any early answers with one of television's most over-analyzed shows.
In mocking what she perceives as "hipster" culture, Swift walks a fine line between condemning it and embracing it, and she loses points on all fronts for creativity. We've seen this video for "22" before, haven't we?
As if the Justin Timberlake hype train wasn't in high enough gear after his album and Jimmy Fallon debut, it kept on rolling Tuesday night into Wednesday, so let's see how his side career/brand management is going at this very moment.
A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.
There was no new pope on Day One of the conclave at the Vatican, although there should be one soon. So what will his name be? Here's a look at the frontrunners, based on popularity over time.
She has been ubiquitous on newsstands over the past year, but she doesn't necessarily have the magazine sales numbers to justify her presence. Is she overexposed? Not sexy enough? Or is Harry Styles somehow to blame for all of this?
The first review of It's All Good has arrived, and it appears that Paltrow has settled in comfortably to her position as object of ridicule, forevermore. Indeed, Gwyneth may have finally out-Gwynethed herself.
He's in the midst of spending the week with Jimmy Fallon, and The 20/20 Experience is streaming on iTunes. Frankly, it's all a bit much. Let's evaluate the hype level — on a scale of one to 10 — for each element of JT's endless media tour.
It's been a strange road for Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby, but now a very 3D Fitzgerald adaptation is finally getting it's big break: Gatsby will premiere on opening night at Cannes this May in a surprisingly bold turn for the film festival.
A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.
While it can be tough to keep track of the actually exciting news amidst all the panels and tweets from both the interactive and film parts of the festival, well, there might be a Trainspotting sequel! And people have seen the new Arrested Development episodes now!
In this week's New Yorker, David Remnick takes us behind the scenes of the Bolshoi, the institution at the center of the acid-throwing attack, revealing that, behind all the pirouettes, there has long been strife that mirrors Russian society.
Meet Brian Sanders, the famed illustrator recruited by creator Matthew Weiner to create what is sure to be a ubiquitous new ad to advertise a show all about advertising.
A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.
Harmony Korine's new movie, about kids played by former Disney stars doing very bad things with a cornrowed James Franco, has its U.S. premiere this weekend at SXSW, and it's sure to be the topic of too many discussions. And look here: it already is!
Brett Ratner's gay slur cost him the a shot of producing the Oscars, but now that he's been certified homophobia free by GLAAD, he can perhaps rest easy knowing that Seth MacFarlane will be the name most often associated with offensiveness and the Oscars.
This interactive map demonstrates how women's voting rights and roles in the political process of countries around the world have changed over time. Which is to say, slowly, but still: progress.
Critics might not think Oz the Great and Powerful is, well, all that great or powerful, but the movie is selling so many tickets for its opening weekend, that Disney, seeing green, is already making plans for a sequel.
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