I would say that Beyonce’s comeback is in full-force, but in my dreamscape, she never left! Last week, B whet our appetite for her upcoming album by hitting us up with one of her new tracks “If I Were A Boy”, but today – oh today! – B has delivered a duo of compelling vids for us to munch on.

“If I Were A Boy” is a platform for B to display her acting chops, and from where I’m sitting, she’s doing a heckuva job. The storyline isn’t forced, and the moment in the video where she re-exchanges roles with her boyfriend is eerie, but it works. See for yourself:

And “Single Ladies” reminds us that even without flashy transitions and crazy cuts, B’s bomb body and slinky popping skills can still make us drool:

No lie, “Single Ladies” is hunger-inducing! I gotta go grab some lunch, but first, one more look!

Some impatient Mad Men viewers were beginning think that the AMC drama would neglect showing the role that black people played in New York’s advertising industry in the 1960’s, but patience is indeed a virtue.

In the most recent episodes, Matthew Weiner and the rest of the Mad Men creative team have been granting the black characters more screen time. True to the era, their roles still are mainly confined to those of elevator doormen and housekeepers, but these characters make the most out of their limited time on camera by contributing much needed words of comfort and common sense to the series’ primary cast of troubled personalities.

I’m anticipating even more depth will be added to both the African American characters and the show as the impending civil rights movement approaches. I tell you, this series gets it right every week!

Whether it’s tackling topics of marital, gender, or economic issues, AMC arrests my attention for an hour every Sunday night – retaining me in the nostalgic, if at times ominous, world of this gem.

And, as a fan of the series, I dare you to give Mad Men a look-see, in hopes that you’ll join the pack of die-hard viewers. Because, Emmy awards aside, if AMC doesn’t see that we’re watching this compelling drama, we might have to bid Don Draper and Company farewell sooner than we’d like, and wouldn’t that be maddening for the state of Sunday night television?

At the 2008 Fox Reality Channel Really Awards, I chatted with tons of your favorite reality stars. Here are a few of the red carpet moments that kicked the evening off.

Antonio Sabato Jr. gets ready to headline his own dating show.

Mary Murphy recalls one of her least favorite So You Think You Can Dance contestants.

Jerry Springer speaks candidly about the wildness of The Jerry Springer Show and America’s Got Talent.

I’ll be putting more up in the next week or so – stay tuned!

  

Whitney Port heads to "The City"

We all knew it was bound to happen! MTV has confirmed that Whitney Port – known for being Lauren Conrad’s patient co-worker on The Hills – has been given her own spinoff titled The City. Here’s an excerpt from an MTV press release issued today that gives us an idea of what we have to look forward to in ’09: 

With a great new job at global design house, Diane Von Furstenberg, a best friend from her past and a guy she’s head-over-heels for, Whitney is taking a huge chance at a brand new life.  Surrounded by all new friends, pursuing a fresh love life, and starting to work in the upper echelon of the fashion industry is a lot to navigate for a new girl in the big city… especially one who has everything to lose.  In a city full of people with their own agendas, Whitney will have to quickly decide who she can trust and who to stay away from.

I say kudos to Whitney. She’s always come across as one of the more grounded and career-driven Hills cast members, and doesn’t anyone who can shake off the embarrassment of falling down a flight of stairs live on Good Morning America deserve her own series?

Beyonce has returned to deliver us a much welcomed addition to our fall soundtracks with a strong and sincere new single – “If I Were A Boy”. Take a listen to it below:

While the theme of Beyonce’s track is similar to that of Ciara’s simililarly titled “Like A Boy” – a woman disillusioned with her beau’s behavior fantasizes about the luxuries that come with being a more liberated member of the opposite sex – the conviction that Beyonce’s voice boasts during “Boy” is more reminiscent of Dorothy’s cry to to escape “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”.

Even though the song’s concept stems from an escapist frame of mind, the tune’s tone is rooted in reality. Long story short – I expect it to be firmly planted at the top of the Billboard charts come Halloween – where it deserves to be!

After watching what was advertised as the Making the Band 4 season finale where the future of Danity Kane would be decided, I still couldn’t tell whether or not the group would continue to exist as a five member band. MTV has announced that there’ll be a live season finale next week where the group will open up about the status of the group. Arghh – that network knows how to keep me coming back for more!

But regardless of how this season ends, my craving for MTB 4 action was more than satiated during the last 20 minutes of this episode. I’m so used to seeing carefully crafted and staged moments on reality shows that I was NOT expecting to see Diddy get down and dirty with the unsuspecting ladies of DK.

The stakes for these women are significant – one wrong move, and any one of them could go from being an international pop star to a footnote in the history of Bad Boy Records – the tension during the episode’s final moments was so strong that I had to document how the temperature in my apartment escalated during each beat:

Warm: After congratulating them on their achievements, Diddy dismisses Day 26 and Donnie from his boardroom. Diddy wants to speak with Danity Kane alone – uh-oh!

Warmer: Diddy tells DK that his vision for the group is not being fulfilled (see below). He then puts Aundrea and Aubrey on the spot by revealing that they’d previously sent him emails expressing their displeasure with the group.

Hot: Dawn admits that the girls have trust issues with each other.

Sweltering: Diddy trades barbs with Aubrey again, but this time he tells her that she’ll no longer be in Danity Kane!

Since the episode cut right after this moment, I’m not sure if Diddy was threatening Aubrey or if he plans on following through with his statement. We’ll have to tune-in on October 14 at 9p ET/PT to see what really goes down when Diddy and the ladies open up to Sway. In the meantime, I’ll try to cool down by catching up on this week’s episode of Fringe.

Since the US government is attempting to rescue the nation’s economy by dishing out $700 billion to bailout Wall Street, I think it’s high time that we music-lovers took some action to save the bleeding music industry.

Over the past few years, there’ve been tons of albums that, for one reason or another, got lost in the musical shuffle when they dropped. So let’s resuscitate the music industry by undertaking a CD Bailout!

All you’ve got to do is rummage through the discount bin at Best Buy, and purchase a few albums that underperformed during their initial release but that you think deserve a second chance.

To get you started, I’m listing 3 albums that I invested in that I wish would’ve gathered more steam and/or radio airplay:

Paris – Paris Hilton – It’s tempting to view Ms. Hilton singing career as a footnote on her increasingly impressive/shocking resume as an “entertainer”, but the tracks “Screwed” and “Stars are Blind” are evidence that with Scott Storch behind the keyboard, the heiress can carry a note or two.

A Beautiful World – Thicke – Before he started using his first name, Robin, as a part of his stage moniker, Thicke released this eclectic piece of work that flirted with Rock, R&B, and even Latin sounds. Interscope may have had a tough time marketing this debut, but I’ve never had a tough time grooving to “Brand New Jones” or “Flex”.

Blackout – Britney Spears –This album was well-crafted, slickly produced, and fun – Britney’s public profile wasn’t. After jamming to “Radar” and “Hot as Ice”, you’ll forgive Brit for the frightening head-shaving incident.

Buy an album, save the world…or at least the music industry! What album do you think went unappreciated when it came out but has provided you with abundant melodic pleasure?