Kim Kardashian, Fergie and the $600000 Secrets of Booking Celebs for New …

By Mikey Glazer at TheWrap

Fri Dec 30, 2011 2:53pm EST

Detractors may slug New Year’s Eve as “amateur night”, but for celebs and the pop culture industry, it’s a professional night on the clock.

While Jay-Z, Kanye West and Coldplay headlined the opening of the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas a year ago, one of the big draws this year is Kim Kardashian at TAO inside the Venetian.

TAO is paying the reality mogul $600,000 for a series of appearances beginning on New Year’s Eve, according to multiple reports.

This year, Kardashian filmed several scenes for her E! reality show inside the club.“

Having a good time on New Year's Eve doesn't come cheap -- for the bookers.

The average New Year’s Eve fee for relevant talent is $100,000,” Jack Colton, a Las Vegas nightlife expert and creator of the popular nightlife website JackColton.com, told TheWrap. “An A-List celebrity moves up to $250,000, and for a major grab can go as high as $1 million. Your Lady Gaga's and Jay-Zs would be considered major grabs,” Colton said.

“It’s a talent arms race, especially in bigger cities,” added publicist Melissa Berger, whose clients include frequently booked "Dancing Wth the Stars" coach Karina Smirnoff.

"It's like 'Who are you' if you don't have someone like Deadmau5 on New Year's Eve," adds talent manager Mike Petolino.

Of course, it's not always about money. For some talent, like Kardashian, it’s a question of performing in their favorite place.  Breakout DJ and producer Kaskade told TheWrap at November’s “Twilight” premiere that his favorite U.S. venue is Marquee (inside Las Vegas’ Cosmopolitan). On Saturday night, he’ll be commanding $250 a ticket for his performance there.

For other celebs, a highly promoted appearance is a professional calling card to corporate America. “When you go to Vegas, you want to be on the same radar as venues that have Jay-Z hosting the weekend after you,” says Berger. “It sets a dynamic, and could even show brands and businesses that the talent is a good fit to be a part of their company.”

Then there's the plain old visibility factor. Black Eyed Peas front woman Fergie, to quote one of her own songs, “just can’t get enough.” After a 2011 that included monster promotional appearances on the Super Bowl halftime show, “American Idol" and countless award shows, Fergie takes on one last gig as she opens the Las Vegas outpost of 1 OAK at the Mirage. In a two-for-one booking, husband Josh Duhamel is expected by her side.

Across the strip, Axl Rose and the latest incarnation of Guns ‘N Roses will play the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

And coasting on his "Dancing With the Stars" fame, brother Rob Kardashian hosts at Tryst inside the Wynn, with ticket prices starting $175 lower than his sister’s $225 opening price at TAO.

Even those who cover celebrity news are cashing in. “Extra” host Mario Lopez plays hooky from L.A. outdoor mall “The Grove” (where he tapes “Extra”) to headline “Big Bang NYE” at another outdoor mall complex, Hollywood and Highland. 

Tom Cruise’s son Connor, who’s recently started accepting publicity heavy red carpet gigs as “DJ C-Squared," is a late addition to the performing talent at that L.A. bash.

As for the party patrons who shell out for the experience, it comes down the Facebook effect -- sharing the experience in real-time or the day after online, a promotional windfall for all involved. “Even a picture from a distance or to hear a celeb you see in magazines speaking on the microphone, you can say ‘I was there!'" says Berger.

Related Articles:  What New Year's Eve With a Star Will Cost You Gerard Butler Enjoys a Liquid Breakfast, Serena Williams Goes 'Undefeated'

Katy Perry Reportedly Asked Russell Brand to File Divorce Papers to Not Upset …

Celebrity Gossip - ENTERTAINMENT

Published December 31, 2011

| FoxNews.com

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  Reuters

  Feb. 13, 2011: Singer Katy Perry and husband British actor Russell Brand arrive at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

There seems to be an additional twist to the breakup of singer

To Read The Full Article, Click Here: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/12/31/katy-perry-reportedly-asked-russell-brand-to-file-divorce-papers-to-not-upset/

Zooey Deschanel Gets Bluesy With Joe Gordon-Levitt (watch!)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel sing a sweet two-part harmony on Nancy Wilson’s “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve.” Why aren’t they dating? Oh… that’s right Scarlett Johansson.

Deschanel, who recently split from husband Ben Gibbard, frontman for Death Cab for Cutie, posted a video of the duet on her Web site, HelloGiggles. Beside acting, Deschanel plays off-again, on again in a band.

“I have known Joe Gordon-Levitt for going on 12 years,” Deschanel wrote introducing the video. “We first met in the summer of 2000 while doing a tiny movie called ‘Manic,’ where we bonded over a mutual appreciation for Harry Nilsson and Nina Simone and I have been lucky enough to call him one of my dearest friends ever since.

“When we did ’500 Days of Summer’ 8 years later, we spent every lunch hour dancing to Marvin Gaye in the hair and make up trailer; we had loads of fun.

“I hope to do a thousand more movies with him because he’s simply the best. But in the meantime, we made a little New Year’s duet for all of you! The original by Nancy Wilson. ENJOY! Don’t forget to check out Joe’s web site hitrecord.

Deschanel, 31 and Gibbard, 35, went to the Emmys together in September and appeared happy,” according to People. They wed in 2009.

Zooey currently stars as a single women “finding her way” in her late 20s in “New Girl,” a Fox sitcom. The series returns Jan. 17.

Gordon-Levitt is reportedly dating Johansson. He has three new movies in the works, including “Dark Knight Rises.”

Check out their video below.

Related Posts: Check Out These Stories!

• 

Perry, who is rumoured to have been blind-sided by the move, is yet to address …

• Perry, who is rumoured to have been blind-sided by the move, is yet to address split
• It has been said that Brand didn't approve of her partying lifestyle and new claims suggest that he told her to 'tone it down'

By
Natalie Trombetta and Alanah Eriksen

Last updated at 8:46 AM on 31st December 2011

Russell Brand has said that he still 'adores' his wife Katy Perry despite filing for divorce from her yesterday after just 14 months of marriage.

In a sentimental statement he informed that the couple were ending their marriage, but said he hoped that they would remain friends.

It

To Read The Full Article, Click Here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2080449/Russell-Brand-says-cares-Katy-Perry-files-divorce-14-months-marriage.html

It’s a Girl! Rebecca Gayheart and Eric Dane Are Parents Again

Matthew Simmons/Getty Images

Dr. McSteamy is a McDaddy once again!

Grey's Anatomy doc Eric Dane's wife Rebecca Gayheart has given birth to the couple's second daughter.

A rep for the proud parents confirmed to E! News that "Rebecca Gayheart and husband Eric Dane welcomed Georgia Geraldine Dane on December 28th, just in time for the New Year! Both mom and baby girl are happy and healthy, Billie is thrilled to be a big sister, and dad is getting ready to live in a house full of ladies!"

PHOTOS: Top 10 Celeb Kid Pics of 2011

Eric and Rebecca will definitely have their hands full now, since they're already in full-on baby mode with 10-month-old daughter No. 1, Billie Beatrice.

Not to worry, though, dutifully daddy Eric definitely seems up for the gig!

In any case, little GG is a much more welcome arrival for the couple than the surprise they had earlier this month when a huge eucalyptus tree crashed through the wall of their Beverly Hills home. Yikes!

We're glad everyone dodged that potential disaster, and congratulations to the whole family on the new arrival.

RELATED: See who's next in line in our Baby Bumpin' gallery

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Photos: Shortest Celebrity Marriages

Unique pet products

To Read The Full Article, Click Here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-viral-short-celebrity-marriages-pg,0,3423290.photogallery

Beyonce and Jay-Z: Crazy baby rumors — is the little one here?

Plenty of folks are crazy in love with the idea of Beyonce giving birth. But what's actually going on?

Our baby bonanza begins with a blog report this week saying B and husband Jay-Z reserved more than half of the luxurious birthing suite at New York City's St. Luke's hospital for the arrival of their firstborn.

On Dec. 27, MediaTakeOut.com said that hospital staff was put on alert that "a very high profile patient was checking in ... to give birth" and it was in fact Jay and Bey.

Camps for both remained silent, but the reports snowballed -- even suggesting Beyonce has already delivered a baby girl named Tiana May Carter (Tiana is the name of Disney's first black princess, People points out). 

We wouldn't get too excited; speculation has been a central theme in the diva's pregnancy. Thanks to some lumpy shapewear, conspiracy theorists doubted she was with child at all. Those allegations were later dismissed as "ridiculous." 

As we toboggan into 2012, the Ministry has a piece of advice for those on Beyonce bump watch: Relax. Confirmation of the golden child's arrival will come in due time, no doubt followed by some terribly glamorous first-photo spread.  

In the meantime, enjoy this Beyonce countdown. 

RELATED:

Beyonce goes mod for her new 'Countdown' video

Beyonce throws a 'Party' with sis Solange, Kelly Rowland [Video]

Beyonce lifts the veil around her marriage, identifies some of her style icons

-- Matt Donnelly
twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Photo: Beyonce at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles. Credit: Jason Merritt / Getty Images

Photos: Mariah & Nick Share Twins’ First Christmas

Merry Christmas from Dembabies!

And, judging from the family photos, it was a very merry Christmas, indeed.

As her twin brother Moroccan Scott — dressed in a pumpkin suit — smiles for the camera in one shot, Monroe cuddles up with mom Mariah Carey and Santa Claus for a sweet picture-perfect memory in another.

Courtesy Dembabies

But while the big jolly man in the red suit was oh-so cheerful, 8-month-old Monroe seemed less than thrilled with her visitor.

Dad Nick Cannon, on the other hand? Well, he must have made the nice list this year, as the festively dressed singer and a surprised Santa are seen getting silly on the couch.

Before bidding the babies farewell, Santa even took time out to fulfill his duties: downing his milk and cookies.

Until next year, Santa!

Justifying horror of graphic rape in ‘Dragon Tattoo’

A vile creep manacles a young woman to the bed and rapes her so violently she can barely walk afterward. The camera unflinchingly captures much of the brutal violation -- her struggles to get away, his obese body forcing himself atop her, her piercing wail.

We watch. Some of us turn away and close our eyes.

The graphic, harrowing attack appears in -- of all things -- a major holiday film release, the R-rated mystery "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," based on the lurid but immensely popular first novel in the best-selling trilogy.

For many moviegoers, the explicit scene is an endurance test, as excruciating to soldier through as when James Franco used a blunt pocket knife to hack away at the gristle and bone of his own pinned arm in "127 Hours."

And like many rape sequences, the one in "Dragon" -- along with another violent scene depicting the savage justice the lead character Lisbeth Salander exacts on her odious attacker and an earlier one in which he demands oral sex -- will surely offend some. But it will also be viewed as necessary by others and perhaps even leave a few perplexed that someone might blast the filmmaker for having shown way too much.

That these provocative sequences can trigger such a potent and varied response is no surprise. Rape scenes in movies, including the assault on Dakota Fanning's character in 2009's "Hounddog" and the notorious nine-minute one in the 2002 French import "Irreversible," set off a

firestorm of controversy

and outraged many. (Although much was written about those films, American audiences made sure to avoid both. "Hounddog," in particular, was resoundingly panned by most critics; the art-house film "Irreversible" has some supporters.)

But "Dragon" is different. It's packaged as entertainment and is a major Hollywood release. It also is one of the year's better-reviewed films. (I, too, gave it a glowing review.)

Word that "Dragon" so graphically depicts the harrowing rape of the Lisbeth Salander character (played by "The Social Network's" Mara Rooney) has made a couple people I know reconsider whether they'll even see it. And that's entirely understandable.

The question, then, is: Did the Oscar-nominated director David Fincher really need to make that attack so viciously explicit? I say yes, with qualifiers. Considering the source material and the dark vision he and the late author Stieg Larsson have strategically set forth, that scene sticks true to the story's disturbing themes and provides crucial insight into Salander, the film's fascinating and whip-smart central character.

Did it bother me -- someone who's a confirmed horror film buff? Of course! As well it should.

Rape is a despicable, repugnant act of violence, and both Fincher's film and the excellent 2009 Swedish version are right to portray it in all its horror. It is entirely debatable whether that scene could have been shortened and accomplished the same goal. But remember, you could say the same about extreme violent content in other films. This is Fincher's grim vision, and I'd hate to see someone go in and splice up "The Departed," "Saving Private Ryan" or "Pulp Fiction" because they show scenes that are hard for many of us to watch.

There's no denying that Salander's rape and her retaliation are essential plot developments that further the story and make us better understand why she is so fierce and so feral around others. With her Mohawk, piercings and cut-to-the-bone glare, the computer hacker is an unforgettable force and presence. She's also a true survivor -- one of the strongest and most compelling female characters to come around in years.

But reading about the awfulness perpetrated on her in a book and watching it transpire on screen are entirely different experiences. Films -- especially ones that depict acts of violence -- have the power to burnish images into our subconscious forever. Books undeniably create powerful visions in our imagination, but there's a more visceral jab to the senses when packaged visuals come at us on screen.

Still, just like books, movies deserve freedom, and should not shy away from provocative or controversial subject matter. Fincher certainly never has. Just watch "Fight Club" or "Se7en."

Rape scenes don't always need to be graphic to be disturbing. Some recent films have evoked the horror in less explicit ways, including "Precious: Based on the Novel Push By Sapphire" (incest) and "Martha Macy May Marlene" (in which the head of a cult sneaks into bed and rapes a young woman while she sleeps), to name a few. They're quieter films with different tones, and the filmmakers did what made artistic sense in context and tone.

"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" is a different kind of movie. It is first and foremost a genre picture -- a compelling thriller about moral and societal corruption, along with other thought-provoking issues. One of its overriding themes explores the evil that men can do to women -- a deeply personal topic for the late Larsson, who reportedly witnessed a gang rape when he was a teenager.

That's exactly why "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" must disturb us. It must make us uncomfortable and must make us squirm in our seats. Because when it does, we're forced to face of one of the world's evils in all its gut-wrenching horror.

Doomed US teen shares life after death experiences

By Mira Oberman (AFP)
–
3 hours ago 

CHICAGO — A week before Ben Breedlove died of a heart attack, the Texas teenager posted a remarkable video describing the peace and bright lights he'd found the other times his heart stopped.

Breedlove, 18, tells his story with simple note cards and the occasional smile, sitting close to the camera and stepping back just once to show the scar from when a pacemaker was implanted to help his troubled heart.

It is a remarkably hopeful video, though Breedlove also describes the fear he lived with after being born with a serious heart condition and disappointment that he could not play sports and "be the same as everyone else."

"The first time I cheated death was when I was 4," one of the cards said.

Breedlove had a seizure and as nurses rushed him down a hospital hallway, he told his mother of the bright light overhead.

She said she couldn't see anything, but he felt his fear and worries washed away and couldn't help smiling.

"I can't even describe the peace, how peaceful it was," he wrote. "I will NEVER forget that feeling or that day."

Breedlove nearly died again a few months ago when his heart stopped during a routine surgery to remove his tonsils.

"It was a miracle that they brought me back," he wrote. "I was scared to die but am SO glad I didn't."

Breedlove's heart stopped again on December 6. He was at his Austin high school and sat down on a bench after feeling like he was going to faint.

He passed out and when he woke up, he couldn't talk or move. He could only watch and listen as paramedics put shock pads on his chest.

He heard them say that his heart had stopped and that he had no pulse, which he explains by the fact that "when people's bodies 'die' the brain still works for a short time."

"I really thought to myself, this is it, I'm dying," he wrote.

"The next thing that happened I'm not sure if it was a dream or vision. But while I was still unconscious I was in this white room. No walls, it just went on and on..."

He found himself standing with his favorite rapper, Kid Cudi, and they were both dressed in really nice suits.

"Why he was the only one there with me, I'm still trying to figure out," Breedlove wrote.

"I had that same feeling, I couldn't stop smiling. I then looked at myself in the mirror and I was proud of MYSELF. Of my entire life, everything I have done. IT WAS THE BEST feeling."

Kid Cudi put his hand on his shoulder and then Breedlove's favorite song came on, the part where Cudi raps "when will this fantasy end... when will the heaven begin?"

Cudi told him "Go now" and Breedlove woke up.

After viewing the video, the rapper said he broke down in tears watching it.

"This has really touched my heart in a way I cant describe, this is why I do what I do. Why I write my life, and why I love you all so much," Kid Cudi wrote on his blog.

"I know Ben is at Peace, and I hope he gets a chance to sit and talk with my Dad."

Breedlove ended his video with four final cards: "I didn't want to leave that place. I wish I NEVER woke up. Do you believe in angels or God? I Do."

Breedlove died at Christmas and his family said in his death notice that it was a gift from God.

"We know the Lord used the amazing life of our precious son to reach a weary world on Christmas night, just as He did over 2000 years ago with his own Son," they wrote, and urged people to find the video that Breedlove posted on YouTube on December 18.

The video, which can been seen at http://youtu.be/tmlTHfVaU9o and http://youtu.be/a4LSEXsvRAI, soon went viral.

• Link to Ben Breedlove video:
  http://youtu.be/tmlTHfVaU9o

Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved.
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