Beyoncé, Lady Gaga Top VMA Noms

If Simon Cowell has his way; he wants her as 'X Factor' judge

(NEWSER) - Who could possibly take the place of Paula Abdul on X Factor ? If Simon Cowell has his way, it will be Beyoncé—and he's offering her a cool $100 million per season (total contract: $500 million) to do it, according to Media Take Out . If she accepts the full-time judge job, she'll be the highest-paid person on TV, reports the New York Post , which notes that the idea isn't totally out-there: Beyoncé would reportedly prefer not to go on tour for the first few years of Blue Ivy's life, meaning this gig could ensure the world doesn't forget about her. More»

Concert riders reveal what performers like to eat

(NEWSER) - Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez certainly aren't the only divas in Hollywood: Nicki Minaj's concert rider, recently revealed in a magazine interview, show that she has some pretty involved backstage demands as well. Those include three 12-piece buckets of spicy fried chicken, no thighs, and scented candles smelling like baked goods, the Daily Mail reports. The Huffington Post rounds up the food requests of 13 other celebrities:

• Jordin Sparks: The American Idol alum only wants healthy food, including a jar of kosher pickle spears.
• Lady Gaga: Her rider doesn't demand food at all, just beverages including Red Bull.

Joseph and Cynthia Germanotta need help, says critic

(NEWSER) - New York's new restaurant, Joanne, gets a scathing review in the Post by restaurant critic Steve Cuozzo, a fact about which few would probably care ... except that the restaurant in question is owned by Lady Gaga's parents, Joseph and Cynthia Germanotta. In his amusing critique, Cuozzo starts off by noting that the restaurant appeared to be "running mainly on acrid-smelling burnt vinegar wafting intermittently through the raucous dining room." As for the celebrity chef running the debacle, "I felt sorry for Art Smith, the fine chef who somehow hooked up with Lady Gaga’s parents," Cuozzo muses. More»

Matthew Broderick stars in 'Matthew's Day Off' for Honda

(NEWSER) - The full-length Ferris Bueller-inspired Super Bowl ad is here, and AdWeek dubs it "awesome." Matthew Broderick stars in "Matthew's Day Off," a Honda ad in which he calls in sick to a film shoot in order to do all sorts of fun stuff in his CR-V. The extended version of the ad (watch in the gallery) clocks in at nearly two and a half minutes, and according to its YouTube page, features more than two dozen references to the 1986 movie. "Broderick doesn't sully the original film's reputation here," writes Tim Nudd. "Quite the opposite—this is how a tribute should look." More»

Singer discusses baby Blue Ivy Carter in new interview

(NEWSER) - It's difficult to believe that Beyoncé would give her first interview since the birth of her daughter to a UK tabloid, but that exclusive is exactly what the UK's Star claims to have. "Nothing can describe the feeling," the singer apparently told the magazine. "You have the instant connection once you know your child is growing inside you, but when you hold it for the first time, the words can’t be found. … A child is the greatest gift you can receive." More»