Darren Criss Tributes Michael Jackson In “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’”
Darren Criss obviously knows how to dance — after all, he had to show off his moves nightly during his three-week run in the Broadway show How To Succeed — but we had no idea he knew how to dance. Blaine is the lead Gleek in this performance clip of “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’”, from Glee’s upcoming tribute episode to Michael Jackson, and we have to say, he fills the Gloved One’s shoes pretty well. Watch Darren take on the King of Pop below.
Though we’re impressed by Criss being able to recreate much of Jackson’s legendary choreography (bonus points for the crotch grab; negative points for no moonwalk), we were temporarily distracted by the dead animal perched on top of Kurt’s head. Wait, that’s a hat?
Glee’s Michael Jackson tribute episode, “Michael”, airs on Fox Tuesday January 31. Check out more preview pics from the episode in our gallery.
Hugh Hefner Talks Lindsay Lohan’s Playboy Spread: How Did He Get Her to Go Naked?
Playboy
Nothing makes it into the pages of Playboy—and much less onto the cover of Playboy—without Hugh Hefner‘s approval.
And when his editors back in Chicago first proposed the idea of getting Lindsay Lohan in the flesh…the magazine’s founder wasn’t convinced at first.
“It really came as a surprise to me,” Hefner acknowledged in an exclusive sit-down with E! News. “I kind of had mixed emotions about it initially, and then it turned into something bigger than life.”
Lohan has all the right parts in all the right places, doesn’t she? What wasn’t Hef sure about?
MORE: Could Lindsay’s Playboy shoot mark her big comeback—or totally not?
“I wasn’t quite sure where she was at in her life, obviously,” he said, smiling. “It depends on whether it’s Tuesday or Thursday.”
In fact, Hefner said, the reason he ordered that Lohan’s pictorial be reshot—which it was, right before her recent five-hour stint in jail—because he wasn’t satisfied with the style of the spread, finding it unflattering and not as polished-looking as he wanted.
And he’s the expert.
Hefner said that he didn’t speak to Lohan directly about the redo but that he communicated to the crew exactly what he wanted—and they delivered.
“The pictorial and the concept for the pictorial came from me,” he explained. “She had done semi-nudes before. I wanted to do something that would be memorable. So what is more natural, since she is a huge fan of Marilyn Monroe, than do something that is a tribute to the red-velvet, Tom Kelley photo shot of Marilyn Monroe that was our very first Playmate?”
When asked about the rumor that Lohan didn’t want to pose completely naked at first, but that Hefner pushed for it, he confirmed that story was true.
MORE: Check out Lindsay’s praiseworthy probation report!
“I think it was essentially mama and the folks around her that kept pushing for less nudity,” Hefner remarked. “And I said, ‘We’re doing a nude pictorial here. We’re going to do it in a very classy way and we’re going to do it in a way in which it will not be forgotten.’”
Is he happy with the finished product, which he agreed to put on sale 10 days early after photos of the pictorial leaked online?
“I think it was accomplished beyond anything I could have possibly imagined,” Hef said contentedly. “People will not forget this pictorial.”
And, since it came out before Christmas instead of afterward, he said cheekily, “It became a stocking stuffer!”
Michael Jackson’s hair to be incited into a roulette ball
Strands of Michael Jackson’s hair are set to be turned into a roulette ball.
OnlineGamblingPal.com bought the locks of the late singer’s hair – which were retrieved when he stayed at the Carlyle Hotel in New York before his 2009 death from a Propofol overdose – for $10,871 and plan to use them to create the unusual tribute to Michael.
The company said in a statement on their website: “OnlineGamblingPal.com is delighted to announce that is has acquired some of pop legend Michael Jackson’s hair for $10,871, which will now be transformed into a one-off roulette ball.
“As big Michael Jackson fans, we were left deeply saddened when he passed away in 2009. And to thank him for the years of entertainment he gave us, we wanted to create a unique tribute to the undisputed King of Pop.
“So when we found out that a sample of his hair was to be auctioned off, we seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do just that.”
The company added it is fitting that the roulette ball will be used to entertain people as the ‘Thriller’ hitmaker did throughout his life.
They said: “As its proud new owners, we have decided to convert Michael Jackson’s hair into a roulette ball – an appropriately unique way to immortalize a small part of a truly peerless entertainer.
“The ball itself will be made to the highest professional standards, ensuring it will be eligible for use at any licensed casino’s roulette table. Indeed, considering Jackson dedicated his life to entertaining millions, the prospect of this very special ball captivating crowds at roulette tables seems like a fitting use for it.
“We would therefore like to encourage any casino interested in using this unique ball at its tables to contact us. Together, we can ensure Michael Jackson continues to rock and ‘ROLL’ forever.”
