Gossip and Gab » Laura Vess

Madonna 2012 world tour dates announced

Laura Vess — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:50:32 +0000

Legendary pop icon Madonna announced the dates for a new 2012 world tour on Tuesday. The Madonna 2012 tour will roam through the Middle East, Europe and North America before heading below the border for dates in South America and Australia. The tour will launch in Tel Aviv, Israel on May 29th in support of Madonna’s new album, MDNA.

Now is the perfect time for Madonna to take advantage of the heavy public and press attention she garnered from her over-the-top, extravagant Super Bowl halftime show. Whether you loved it or hated it, the Madonna halftime show was truly a spectacle to behold and has all eyes once again riveted to the Material Girl.

The new Madonna album, MDNA, will launch online and in stores on March 26. The first stop on the Madonna 2012 world tour is set for three days later in Tel Aviv. Madonna will swing through several other cities in the Middle East before heading to Europe for a slew of dates from Milan to Moscow. The Madonna 2012 world tour will land in North America on August 28 in Philadelphia, PN at the Wells Fargo Center.

So far, dates through November 17th in Atlanta have been announced and you can find them below. Further dates and locations for the South American and Australian legs of the tour will follow later. Tickets for many of the earlier dates will go on sale over the next few weeks.

Madonna 2012 World Tour Dates & Locations:

May 29 Tel Aviv, Israel Ramat Gam Stadium On sale Feb. 10

June 3 Abu Dhabi Yas Arena On sale Feb. 27

June 7 Istanbul, Turkey Turk Telecom Arena On sale soon

June 11 Zagreb, Croatia Maksimir Stadium On sale Feb. 17

June 14 Milan, Italy Stadio San Siro On sale Feb. 13

June 16 Florence, Italy Stadio Franchi On sale Feb. 13

June 20 Barcelona, Spain Palau Sant Jordi On sale Feb. 16

June 24 Coimbra, Portugal Estadio Cidade de Coimbra On sale Feb. 11

June 28 Berlin O2 Arena On sale Feb. 13

July 2 Copenhagen, Denmark Parken Stadium On sale Feb. 13

July 4 Gothenburg, Sweden Ullevi Stadium On sale Feb. 17

July 7 Amsterdam Ziggo Dome On sale Feb. 11

July 12 Brussels Stade Roi-Baudouin On sale Feb. 17

July 14 Paris Stade De France On sale Feb. 14

July 17 London Hyde Park On sale Feb. 10

July 21 Edinburgh Murrayfield Stadium On sale Feb. 10

July 24 Dublin Aviva Stadium On sale Feb. 17

July 29 Vienna Ernst-Happel-Stadion On sale Feb. 24

Aug. 1 Warsaw National Stadium On sale Feb. 17

Aug. 7 Moscow Olimpiski Arena On sale soon

Aug. 8 St. Petersburg, Russia SKK Arena On sale soon

Aug. 12 Helsinki, Finland Olympic Stadium On sale Feb. 14

Aug. 15 Oslo Telenor Arena On sale Feb. 20

Aug. 18 Zurich, Switzerland Stadion Letzigrund On sale Feb. 24

Aug. 21 Nice, France Stade Charles-Erhmann On sale Feb. 14

Aug. 28 Philadelphia Wells Fargo Center On Sale Feb. 13

Aug. 30 Montreal Bell Centre On sale Feb. 18

Sept. 1 Quebec City Plains of Abraham Site On sale Feb. 17

Sept. 4 Boston TD Garden On sale Feb. 13

Sept. 6 New York Yankee Stadium On sale Feb. 13

Sept. 10 Ottawa Scotiabank Place On sale Feb. 13

Sept. 12 Toronto Air Canada Centre On sale Feb. 13

Sept. 15 Atlantic City, N.J. Boardwalk Hall On sale Feb. 27

Sep. 19 Chicago United Center On sale Feb. 13

Sep. 23 Washington, D.C. Verizon Center On sale Feb. 13

Sept. 29 Vancouver, Canada Rogers Arena On sale Feb. 13

Oct. 2 Seattle Key Arena On sale Feb. 13

Oct. 6 San Jose HP Pavilion On sale Feb. 13

Oct. 10 Los Angeles Staples Center On sale Feb. 13

Oct. 13 Las Vegas MGM Grand On sale Feb. 27

Oct. 16 Phoenix US Airways Center On sale Feb. 27

Oct. 20 Dallas American Airlines Center On sale Feb. 27

Oct. 24 Houston Toyota Center On sale Feb. 27

Oct. 27 New Orleans New Orleans Arena On sale March 5

Oct. 30 Kansas City, Mo. Sprint Center On sale March 5

Nov. 1 St. Louis Scottrade Center On sale Mar. 5

Nov. 3 St. Paul Xcel Energy Center On sale Feb. 27

Nov. 10 Cleveland Quicken Loans Arena On sale March 5

Nov. 15 Charlotte, N.C. Time Warner Cable Arena On sale March 5

Nov. 17 Atlanta Philips Arena On sale March 5

TBC Miami To Be Confirmed On sale soon

VIDEO: Did CBS Reporter Serene Branson Have Stroke on Video?

Laura Vess — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 22:39:31 +0000

Reporting on the Grammy Awards last night took a scary turn when CBS reporter Serene Branson looked like she might be having a stroke live on video during a report from the red carpet. The young CBS Los Angeles reporter slurred her speech, could not seem to formulate coherent words and, to some, appeared to have weakness in one side of her face. Many viewers wondered whether they were watching Serene Branson having a stroke live on video.

CBS Reporter Serene Branson, CBS News Los Angeles

Warning to readers, this video may be disturbing to some viewers.

CBS spokesman Mike Nelson released a statement saying Serene Branson was “examined by paramedics on scene immediately after her broadcast. Her vital signs were normal. She was not hospitalized. As a precautionary measure, a colleague gave her a ride home and she says that she is feeling fine this morning.”

It has been speculated that Branson might have suffered a transient ischemic attack, or TIA, that caused aphasia — altered speech patterns. A TIA is caused by a temporary blockage or disturbance of blood supply to an area of the brain and causes stroke-like symptoms. TIAs can be precursors or warning signs for full-blown strokes that may occur in the future.

No further comment has been released so far from CBS or Branson.

Michael Douglas Throat Cancer Diagnosis

Laura Vess — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 20:45:48 +0000

Oscar-winning actor Michael Douglas has been diagnosed with throat cancer, according to a statement released by his spokesman on Monday. Doctors found a tumor in Douglas’ throat and plan to treat the actor with radiation and chemotherapy. Doctors believe he will make a full recovery from the disease after treatment.

Michael Douglas (Photo: Stephen P. Weaver)

Douglas is “very optimistic” about the treatment he is undergoing for the disease, he said in a statement to People.

This has been rather a rough year for Michael Douglas, whose son, Cameron Douglas, was jailed earlier this year on charges of conspiring to sell crystal meth and herion.

The 65-year-old actor and husband to Catherine Zeta-Jones will undergo eight weeks of radiation and chemotherapy treatment for the throat tumor. After that, Douglas will be working hard on promoting his new Wall Street sequel film, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, which debuts in theaters later this year.

>> More Celebrities: Justin Bieber Pranks Twitter Hacker by Posting Phone Number

Glee’s Jane Lynch iPhone 4 Parody Ad – VIDEO

Laura Vess — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:19:06 +0000

This is definitely the funniest thing I’ve seen all day! The Jane Lynch iPhone 4 video from Electric Spoofaloo features the Glee star comparing herself to the new iPhone 4 in an Apple parody ad. You have to see this! If this doesn’t make you LOL, we feel bad for you because your sense of humor probably needs a tune-up.

Jane Lynch in iPhone 4 parody ad (Take180.com)

In the spoof commercial, Jane Lynch says she was “lost once too” just like the new iPhone 4 prototype, except she wasn’t lost in a bar, she was lost in an “underground pleasure lair.” Lynch also says she too has “a camera on my front, but I tell people it’s a third nipple so they don’t feel less than.”

Our favorite line though is Lynch saying she ”used to have multiple apps, God I miss the nineties.” And what were the nineties like the fake Apple guy asks? “Like clusterbombs going off in my pants,” Lynch says.

Is there anything this woman does that isn’t just freaking hilarious?

Paula Deen Robbed by Maid of $10,000 in Jewelry

Laura Vess — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 20:33:59 +0000

Food Network star Paula Deen has accused her former mail of stealing more than $10,000 in jewelry and other items from her house. Deen fired the maid, Mary Alice White, when she discovered the theft and had her arrested. Stealing from your employer is stupid enough, but White took it a step further toward complete idiocy by getting caught red-handed.

Paula Deen (Food Network)

Paula Deen and husband Michael Groover claim Mary Alice White stole loads of items from them between August 2009 and May 2010, according to TMZ.com. Groover says he found some of the missing jewelry in White’s possession and they immediately fired her.

Paula Deen is the star of Food Network’s Paula’s Home Cooking and several other shows. She also recently published a memoir, It Ain’t All About The Cooking.

White was arrested on May 5 and charged with felony theft. No word yet on a court date.

Jon Gosselin Says TLC Ruined Him – But Didn’t He Do That Himself?

Laura Vess — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:22:15 +0000

When the hell will Jon Gosselin just STFU? His 15 minutes of fame are so over. And yet, here we are talking about him again. I know, we’re equally as guilty of being media whores. But honestly, Jon Gosselin is suing TLC for ruining his reputation? What the hell is he smoking?

Or snorting, as the case may be. There are those rumors out there lately Jon Gosselin is rather fond of pepping himself up with a cocaine buzz. We’re not really sure we believe that, though we do have to wonder if Kate Gosselin found some way to leak that rumor just for a bit of revenge.

In any case, this whole business with Jon Gosselin counter-suing TLC claiming they mucked up his future career and exploited his children (and himself) are just ridiculous.

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Hey Jon, YOU signed up to have your life all over the television on Jon & Kate Plus 8. You put your hancock on that contract saying you wouldn’t sell your soul to every tabloid or TV talk show that came begging for a quote – without TLC’s permission. That’s why it’s called an EXCLUSIVE contract, or were you strung out that day and weren’t paying attention?

Okay, we’re done ranting about douchebag Jon Gosselin – again. We promise to down a couple of stiff drinks before we hit the keyboard again. After all, we’re sure you’re just about as sick of hearing this asshat’s name as we are.

>> More on this topic: Jon Gosselin Sues TLC, Claims He’s Too Famous to Get a Real Job

After ‘Dollhouse’ Cancelled – Joss Whedon Fans Wonder What’s Next

Laura Vess — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:15:12 +0000

Joss Whedon may have lost his shirt gambling on Dollhouse, but his fans never seem to lose faith in him. Dollhouse was cancelled by FOX this week after failing to draw in competitive ratings for the show’s second season, but Whedon fans continue to believe in his talent despite his seemingly cursed track record of cancelled series.

No one probably could have predicted Joss Whedon’s series remake of the cheesy Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie would go on to run successfully for seven seasons. But Whedon managed to take an impossible concept and turn it into a riveting, passionate series that converted millions of viewers into rabid fans. Unfortunately, many of his other brilliant ideas have failed to pan out quite so well.

Firefly also had a rabid fan base of ‘Browncoats’, but not enough of one, and it was cancelled despite its fabulousness before it even really got off the ground. The Buffy spin-off Angel managed to struggle along for five seasons, but was always a pale shadow in comparison to Buffy. Now Dollhouse, too, has received the dreaded cancellation notice.

Yet, Joss Whedon is still revered as one of the most influential people in sci-fi and fantasy TV programming. J.J. Abrams once said Whedon is “an object of worship for viewers who like their television smart and funny and transcendent.” We have to agree, even when he just ups and kills off our favorite characters out of nowhere – seemingly just for the fun of it.

As Jessica over at SmallScreenScoop.com writes: “I mean, we call him a God as a joke but we also sort of mean it. Joss is God. We don’t always agree with him, but we always respect him.”

And as Jessica says, we hope Joss Whedon will “never stop doing your thing” even when it crashes and burns or never gets the appreciation it deserves. Because true art is art created out of love. Whether or not a Whedon project is a hit or not, you always know – as he’s often said – it was something done out of joy and the desire to try something unique and different.

So keep on keeping on Joss, we’ll be there, patiently waiting to see what awesomeness you’ll be pulling out of your bag next.

>> More on this topic: Dear Joss Whedon, Don’t Stop Believing

Adam Lambert Says Glam Album Cover is ‘Deliberately Campy’

Laura Vess — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:07:04 +0000

American Idol rocker Adam Lambert took to his Twitter account Wednesday to defend the cover of his new album, For Your Entertainment. The Adam Lambert album cover has been criticized by some as being over-the-top, cheesy and compared to bad “fan art”.

Adam Lambert, however, think some people just don’t get the joke. Lambert’s whole identity as a musician is based on being over-the-top and outrageously glam. The openly gay rocker enjoys flaunting his androgyny, wild hair and glam clothes. Adam Lambert doesn’t just have an amazing set of pipes, the boy’s also got style falling out of his ass like a shower of diamonds. And he’s not afraid to show it!

“Thank you to those who appreciate and understand that the album cover is deliberately campy,” Lambert posted on his Twitter feed. The American Idol runner-up, who is himself a living homage to ’70s and ’80s glam rock, said the cover is “an homage to the past. It IS ridiculous. For those that don’t get it: oh well. Glad to have gotten your attention.”

Indeed, he has. And we get it Adam and we think it’s fabulous. Good for you for not playing it safe one damn bit. Hell, we want to frame the damn thing!

Obama Nobel Peace Prize Win Inspires Controversy and Hope

Laura Vess — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 19:06:40 +0000

The announcement earlier this week President Barack Obama had won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize left many around the world questioning why he should be awarded such a prestigious honor. After all, Obama is just barely into his first term as president.

Republican backlash was quick, Democratic defense strong and hoards of opinions flew on both sides. Some felt President Obama deserved the Nobel Peace Prize because of his efforts at international diplomacy and strong desire to bring positive change in his home country. Others argued the freshman president hadn’t done nearly enough to warrant such a huge honor so soon.

We’re a bit personally torn about the Nobel Peace Prize win for Obama. While he certainly is a big dreamer and has done amazing things for the image of America on the world stage, we are still fighting wars on two fronts with no end in sight. Obama has huge hopes for the future of our country, but so far has constantly hit a brick wall in trying to push change through congress.

In essence, we have to defer to one of our own dear contributors, Chris Witwer, for her thoughtful review of the controversy on her own Felsputzer blog. As Chris states, perhaps we should regard Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize win as a message of hope for the future. After all, we could all use a little more hope in our lives in these trying times.

Gourmet Magazine Shuts Down After 68 Years

Laura Vess — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:26:25 +0000

After 68 years of tempting the appetites of readers, the Conde Nast publication Gourmet has been shut down. Conde Nast will also close down Cookie, Modern Bride and Elegant Bride, according to an announcement from the publishing company.

“Gourmet magazine will cease monthly publication, but we will remain committed to the brand, retaining Gourmet’s book publishing and television programming, and Gourmet recipes on Epicurious.com,” Conde Nast CEO Chuck Townsend stated in a company memo. We will concentrate our publishing activities in the epicurean category on Bon Appétit.”

“The editorial and business staffs of Modern Bride, Elegant Bride, Gourmet, and Cookie all have earned their magazines large and devoted followings. We have been proud to publish these titles, and we are grateful to the staffs for their hard work and dedication,” Townsend stated.

The websites Gourment.com and Cookie.com will reportedly remain in operation at least through the end of the year.