LADY GAGA'S NEW HIT SONG 'BORN THIS WAY'

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THE WEB GOSSIP
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Peter Boyle

MARS GOODBYE – Kenneth Mars, the actor who played two of Mel Brooks’ zaniest characters, has passed away of pancreatic cancer. He was 75. He had been on Broadway and appeared in several hit TV shows (including Get Smart and Gunsmoke) when he was cast as the Hitler-loving playwright in Brooks’ 1968 comedy The Producers. Six years later, he was cast as Transylvania’s one-armed, eye-patch-wearing police inspector who leads the rioting townspeople against the titular monster Peter Boyle, in Young Frankenstein. My favorite scene in that movie was when he was playing a game of darts, and he kept his waiting darts pinned on his, obviously, fake arm. Terribly funny! Along with the late-Marty Feldman, another of Brooks’ repertory company has passed on. He will be greatly missed.


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Lady Gaga

LA GAG GAGA – According to The Daily Beast’s Jacob Bernstein, “Lady Gaga’s new song ‘Born This Way’ was intended as an anthem to diversity and acceptance, but her fan base thinks it’s just a pandering piece of pop. She implores listeners ‘don't be a drag, just be a queen,’ and continues ‘it doesn't matter whether you love him or Capital H-I-M.’ The singer has said she wanted to create the ultimate gay anthem, and perhaps she’s succeeded, as by last Friday night it had topped the iTunes charts and gotten a stellar plug from her gay consigliere in cyberspace, Perez Hilton”. Still, among a specific set of urban gay men, the reaction was surprisingly mixed. Aaron Hicklin, the editor of Out said, “Gaga shmaga.” He urged friends to go out and buy the new Adele album instead. Eric Ord, an openly gay real estate agent in New York said, “I think she sees herself as the gay messiah and it bugs me.” He continues, “The song would be like white people writing a song about breaking free from slavery and expecting black people to worship us for it.” And, Aaron Newbill, a modeling agent, referred to a recent quote where Gaga said she wrote the song in 10 minutes. “She should have taken at least 11,” he said. Just for the record, as I posited on Monday, the new song sounds too damn much like Madonna’s “Express Yourself,’ and, though she’s gone to great pains to deny any shameless behavior … it’s just too damn close. I must admit that it does sound great on the radio every time I've heard it … but, it does bring to mind Madonna every time and what a great track “Express Yourself” was.


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Mostly Moptop

GET BACK (WARDS) -- Long Island’s Mostly Moptop will perform their Beatles Tribute show in reverse chronological order at the Dix Hills Performing Center this Saturday, February 19; From the group’s intense break-up period between their Let It Be and Abbey Road eras, and, all the way back to the first glorious moments of Beatlemania as it hit around the world in 1963. Just as people used to their records backwards to hear strange clues and conspiracy secrets (real or imagined), Mostly Moptop will takes their audience through an amazing trip through their unbelievable catalog; from the end … to the beginning. The group features our friends Anthony Pomes and John Tabacco. You can get tickets here.

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Matthew Perry

TV WARS – Have any doubts that the TV-scene is a tough road to hoe? Entertainment Weekly last week listed the TV shows that would definitely would return; those shows on the dreaded bubble; and, the shows that most certainly would by using these catchy phrases: Sure Things For Next Season; Strong Odds; Could Go Either Way; Danger Zone; and, Dead And Buried. Ouch! My favorite show of the last few years Fox’s Fringe is fighting for its life; I hope it makes it as it's firing on all cylinders this season. Another fave, NBC’s The Cape is sadly a goner; and, the brand new Chicago Code featuring Jennifer Beals and Jason Clarke, is terrifically well done. It’s from Shawn Ryan who created The Shield. In fact, when I watched its debut last week; it instantly reminded me of that show. Delroy Lindo as a corrupt politician (hey … aren't they all?) was rather splendid too. Ratings weren't great … but, I'd give it a view. Also, Matthew Perry’s Mr. Sunshine was rather delightful in its fits of ironic humor. I have spoken to people who loved it; and, ones who hated it. I loved it. Ratings wise; its doing quite nicely. Exceptionally good TV!

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CITYBOY ENDQUOTE– Bruce Pegg, CEO of CITYBOY RECORDS, says: “In 2010, rock only accounted for 3% of total music sales. Rock is dead, they say? This City Boy remembers when they said that in 1976. And, they said it in 1991. It’s now 2011. Time for another 6-string revolution to begin. Long live rock!"

Photos By: RD/Orchon/Dziekan/Kirkland/GDP Photos/Walter McBride/Retna