Source: WENN

Are you as shocked as I am?

One of the reasons some people were so annoyed with news that Kanye and Kim are expecting their first child is because of the assumption that this pregnancy is just another ploy to extend Kim’s already suspect fame as well as her bank account. Immediately, people starting coming up with all sorts of reality TV spinoff ideas like, a “Kim Gives Birth,” special or Kanye and Kim getting their own show like Khloe and Lamar, but sources tell TMZ that’s not about to happen.

“We’re told K&K want to keep that part of their lives separate from ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians’ … so they can ‘ensure real privacy’ for the baby,” TMZ reports.

“Further, we’re told Kim is saying the baby will NEVER be on the family’s show or have its own spin-off — nor will there be a ‘Kim Gives Birth’ TV special … she and Kanye are nixing that idea too.”

“Like so many Kardashian fans, we love it when this close-knit family gets even bigger. We look forward to sharing the joy as they prepare for more diapers, more bottle and without a doubt, more fabulous baby wear.”

Another insider also told the site that the Kardashian franchise, which includes the upcoming season of “Kourtney & Kim Take Miami” set to premier January 20, “will continue to cover all aspects of Kim’s life as it always has.”

So basically she’ll be all baby talk until little Yeezy’s head starts crowning. Let’s just hope the couple keeps that promise to not put their child in front of the cameras — although I’m sure there will be more than enough Twitpics, Instagrams, and commissioned photo shoots and magazine covers to make up for that.

Image: Joel Ryan/Invision/AP

Nicki Minaj is a star, whether you want to admit it or not. More than that, she is on the brink of ascending to new heights of celebrity. Television is the platform that will cement her “Icon of the Moment” status. An E! three-episode series, Nicki Minaj: My Truth will debut on Sunday, November 4 at 10:30 pm, preceding her debut as a judge on American Idol next year.

Her endorsements with Pepsi and Adidas, and the product deals with MAC and Elizabeth Arden fragrance are cute. But, her foray into television is a different ballgame. After being declared the clear winner in female rap, Minaj is working on pulling ahead of the pop star pack.

The next level of stardom for Nicki – true mainstream success, where parents and grandparents know your name – will require the star to face her most common criticism.

Minaj bristles at the mention of the dividing line between rap and pop in her image. She told Vibe magazine when promoting Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, “I cannot break my album down into how the normal person like yourself would break an album down and say, well this is rap and this is pop. There is no rap or pop for me. It’s Nicki Minaj. It’s one collective body of amazing work.”

But, her collective body of work debunks her point. Both of Minaj’s album releases can be divided into separate rap and pop discs, and have been criticized for “exploring her musical identity… rather than perfecting one.” She even employs a two-face strategy to music videos, releasing them in pop- and rap-themed pairs.

Minaj’s decision to embrace her inner theater geek and follow the larger than life path Gaga paved has paid off for her. But, the wigs, makeup, outfits, and personalities could also be her undoing. To those who aren’t firmly in her fan base, and some who are, she can come off as a screaming wall of color. She makes an entertaining spectacle, but is hard to connect with.

For all the personalities in Minaj’s arsenal, we have yet to be introduced to the one that really matters. Even her fans debate her true identity. Is she “old Nicki,” the mixtape diva whose return was called for before her debut album could settle on the charts, or the opportunistic pop princess that rose out of a Taylor Swift co-sign? Minaj has gotten away with being two stars at once. But, creating a brand with universal appeal requires a cohesive image.

The hallmark of an American icon is having something real – whether it is a captivating story or sheer talent – that fans from all walks of life can connect to. Minaj’s decision to invite E! cameras into her life and set up shop in America’s living rooms every week is a sign that she is ready to forge that connection. The only question is, which Barbie will we get? It’s time for the real Nicki Minaj to stand up.

Her performance on E! and American Idol will give a hint of who Minaj wants us to believe she is. She may opt to appeal to a broader audience and risk alienating her hip hop base beyond repair. Her on-set feud with fellow Idol judge Mariah Carey shows Minaj brought Queens with her, but too much attitude could alienate the parents of the kids who love her.

Minaj has another option, one that she rarely manages sonically. She could find a balance between her two sides, and meld them together into some type of the-hood-meets-Candyland concoction that leaves everyone craving more.

Whatever direction she chooses, Minaj’s next moves will be among the most important she has made. Watching her find herself should make for good television. Her performance will be an important determinate of how much longer we’ll be seeing her around.

C. Cleveland is a freelance writer and content strategist in New York City, perfecting living the fierce life at The Red Read. She is at your service on Twitter @CleveInTheCity.

Source: WENN

Nicki Minaj’s upcoming reality stint on E! is actually more like a mini docu-series, but depending on which personalities show up, things could start to resemble a reality show.

The deal with the show, “My Truth,” according to Perez Hilton, is:

For 21 days, E! cameras followed the Starships songstress around and caught every moment — from performing on-stage to her first days on the “Idol” set!

That’s where the drama begins as Nicki asks someone (possibly one of her personalities) in jest, “Do you hate Mariah?” Later she tells cameras in what appears to be a confessional type set-up, “ain’t nobody gonna run me off that show, playboy.”

From the short promo clip, the series seems more comical than drama-laden, but then again this is only 28 seconds of an hour-and-a-half’s worth of footage that is set to air. “My Truth” will debut November 4 at 10:30 pm on E! but so far, the dates for the next two episodes in the three-part series haven’t been announced.

Check out the promo below. Will you watch?

Source: WENN

Someone point me to the remote.

We really shouldn’t be surprised at this news, except for the fact that most celebrities don’t usually do reality shows until their fame has subsided. But in classic Nicki Minaj style of doing things her own unique way, the hip-pop star is rumored to be getting her very own reality show right now.

Perez Hilton, who recently interviewed the rapper dropped the news after their one-on-one, saying:

“Apparently, according to sources close to Her Minajesty, she forgot to mention one tiny little project in the works:

A REALITY TV SHOW!

That’s rights, we’re hearing EXCLUSIVELY at PerezHilton.com that all-Nicki series will be premiering on the E! network!”

In reality (the one we live in) the idea is totally genius, which is why I’m curious if Ryan Seacrest is behind this. But think about it, Nicki has a good five or six strong alter egos. Most celebrity reality shows give you one person, with Nicki it would be a toss up who we would see on the screen on any given day. To be honest, I just may be tempted to tune in and see if Onika actually shows up.

What do you think? Would you watch Nicki’s reality show?

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Source: Bossip.com

I’m done trying to fight the Kanye and Kim thing. Not that I was ever leading a crusade against them or anything like that but I’ve come to understand that these two are together, he appears to be happy, as evidence by the fact that they are practically joined at the hip, and he’s already been seduced by the attention whoredom that is the Kardashian empire. That being said, there is one thing I’d like him to consider doing: slow down.

Nose wide open would be an understatement for Ye’s disposition right now. The man hasn’t licked her head in an ad campaign or anything yet, but where he is, she is, where her family goes, he goes, and if he has some place he’s supposed to be away from Kim, he’s likely not there because he’s with her. Not to mention the color coordinating and twit-picing. It’s the classic puppy love stage and anyone who’s been there knows this is also one of the most dangerous phases of a relationship because all you tend to see is roses and sunshine and you overlook all the weeds and the darkness, i.e., the BS. I feel like Ye needs to go back to his lyrics from 2006 when he wrote “Drive Slow.” The chorus was “Drive slow homie. You never know homie, might meet some h*es homie, you need to pump your brakes and drive slow homie.” I’m not going to call Kim a you know what but the last part still stands: he might want to pump his brakes a bit—or a lot.

During Cannes, Ye was supposed to give a surprise performance at Provocateur with Kid Cudi who starred in the 30-minute art film, “Cruel Summer,” the rapper debuted during the festival. But when the show began, Cudi hit the stage, Swizz Beats hit the stage, and in Kanye’s place was fellow G.O.O.D music label mate Big Sean. Where was Ye? At an intimate dinner with Kim. On the surface, it might seem cute for a man to blow off “work” for his girl, but you also blew off marketing for your movie, you also blew off an engagement without giving any of the people you were performing with a heads up, as Swizz kept dropping hints to the audience that Ye was about to hit the stage, and you also blew some of your fans tolerance. I’m pretty sure he could’ve dropped a line or two and still had a nice meal with Kim. It’s a little soon to be putting pleasure before business in this situation.

On top of this news, there are reports that Kanye and Kim have both quietly put their LA homes on the market, but since we know about it, it’s obviously not all that lowkey. The story, according to Life and Style,  is that the plan is for Kimye to get a new place together in California—although they’ll only rent since it’s too soon to buy. E! says there’s no truth to this story, but I don’t exactly buy their line that the queen of look-at-me TV is moving because she wants more privacy. I’ll believe that when she stops letting cameras follow her around 24/7 for a living. E! probably just wants to break that news on their “Kardashian” finale which is why they’re in denial mode.

There’s also that pesky little detail of Kim being married. I know people date through divorce all the time but when it comes to a serial monogamist like Kim, Ye better watch out. He apparently already got heart broken by this girl once when she married Kris Humphries. If she gets too bored with him not doing anything with his music career for too long and decides to move on the next one, he’s going to be the one looking like a fool, not her.

We’ve decided Kanye may be dealing with some sort of rejection syndrome which is why he’s so enamored with Kim. He’s been wanting this girl for a long time and now that he’s finally bagged her he’s all googly-eyed and tongue-tied. I also feel like this is a little bit of Ye’s personality because he was all up on Amber like this from day one too. Sometimes that girl looked more like an accessory than a girlfriend on the red carpets and in Louis Vuitton ads the way she followed him around so PDA and getting sprung aren’t exactly new to Kim. But when I think about the rumors that Amber and her brother might have been stealing money right out from Kanye’s nose, I can’t help but think about the craziness he might not be sniffing out with the Kardashian klan. They definitely don’t need his money, but Kris Jenner, who he probably needs to watch out for more than Kim, is going to find some use for that man other than being her daughter’s boyfriend and he better make sure it doesn’t ruin his brand or his earning potential.

A lot of people think Kanye and Kim are two peas in a pod who make a great match. I don’t quite see that yet, but what I do see is a man well beyond smitten who jumped head first into something that’s so much bigger than him. If he doesn’t want to be a pawn in one of the Kardashian’s grand schemes he better slow it down just a tad and open his eyes—and close his nose just a bit. There is one bright spot in all of this that I have to admit though—at least Kim’s off the athletes.

Do you think Kim and Kanye seem to be moving a little fast?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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Source: Oddonion.com

I know you were on the edges of your seats wondering about this—just kidding—but I do think most of us are at least a little curious about what the heck Kim and Kanye actually talk about during their daily ice cream social, basketball game, dinner dates, and if we can bear to sit through an episode of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” we just might find out.

Continuing her trend of being a hypocrite—remember when she wanted to take things slow because of her divorce—Kim has now decided to air her very public relationship with Kanye West on the next season of the ‘Kardashians’ (despite saying she’d never put her life on television again). In an interview with E!, Kim told her network home:

“I want to show my life. If we are having dinner and he does show up, I’m sure we’re not going to go, ‘Stop the cameras!’”

We’re sure you’re not either because Ye already has a cameo in the TV spot for the show’s next season. Plus, you like attention like that. However we see KimYe on camera, Kim says it will be PG.

“I’m not going to be taking a bubble bath and drinking champagne or on a sex swing [on camera] like Khloé and Lamar do. It’s not going to be like that.”

“My heart’s a little more guarded,” she said. “I showed so much of myself in the past. You almost get embarrassed showing this big wedding, which I would have had cameras or not. So I think you want to just guard yourself.”

Should we already be prepared for her to contradict that statement as well? Also, I’m confused why she’s only almost embarrassed instead of full-blown humiliated by her over-the-top wedding and subsequent 72-day marriage? I guess a $40-million contract softens the blow. Oh Yeezy, what have you gotten yourself into?

Is there any slight chance you’ll watch this season of the “Kardashians” to see how Kim and Kanye interact?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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Source: Eurweb.com

At least one Kardashian has her priorities straight it seems. According to a number of reports Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom have decided to pull the plug on their “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” spinoff reality show due to the effect on Lamar’s career.

After being traded from the Lakers to the Dallas Mavericks last year, Lamar had one of the worst seasons of his NBA career, only starting in four out of 50 games before being placed on the inactive list mid-season. Sources reportedly told HollywoodLife last month:

“Lamar never thought being part of a reality show would have such an impact on his life. At the beginning, Lamar thought it would be fun to be part of the show. But when he got let go from the Lakers, he realized the show was nothing but a distraction.

“The show started taking a toll on Lamar and Khloe’s relationship when he got traded. It was kind of a wake-up call for Lamar. He’s scared about his future and his career.”

Take note Kanye.

This news comes just a week after The Kardashian Klan signed a three-year, $40 million deal for their original series “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” which makes the timing rather interesting, but a rep has said Khloe and Lamar haven’t officially called it quits for their series, it’s just “on hold.”

“It has NOT been cancelled,” the rep told PEOPLE. “It’s just on hold now while schedules are figured out. It will depend on their schedules, as Lamar’s basketball schedule is a priority.”

Hopefully Lamar has a basketball schedule to adhere to. According to USA Today, he’s at least hoping to make the U.S. Olympic team for this summer’s London Games and with the number of injured players who have been removed from the roster, he may get his chance.

After watching a few episodes of their show for the first time last night, Khloe does seem to be genuinely supportive of Lamar’s career so the likelihood of a season 3 coming soon seems pretty slim.

What do you think about the couple pulling the plug on “Khloe and Lamar?”

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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Source: Passion4food.ca

The Kardashian klan has just made another killing by snagging a $40 million deal for three more seasons of E!’s most popular series, “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”

The network said everyone is included in the deal from Kim, Kourtney, Rob, and Khloe, to Bruce, Kris, Kendall, and Kylie Jenner. TMZ also says Lamar Odom has his own deal to appear on the show and the “Khloe and Lamar” spinoff with his wife, and Scott Disick, the father of Kourtney’s kids also has a separate deal along with son, Mason.

Last season, the series brought in 3 million viewers on Sunday nights and it’s other spinoff, “Kourtney and Kim Take New York” has brought in good numbers as well. E! will retain the rights to those shows and have first dibs on any more spin-off projects that could come down the line. Many are already speculating about the possibility of a Kanye and Kim reality debacle, given their very public outings lately, but they’re likely getting ahead of themselves. E! hasn’t said anything about whether or not he will appear on the next season, which means the possibility is there but you just never know with Ye. Maybe he’ll just show up on camera and not say anything like he did during his recent “106 & Park” appearance.

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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I thought I’d seen the light at the end of the tunnel when the NY Post reported that the Kardashians were no loner sought after celebrities. The publication pumped out statistics that viewership of “Keeping up with the Kardashians” had dropped 14%, magazines with the sister’s faces on them were flopping, and they quoted one Chinatown nightclub owner who said instead of paying Kim $600,000 to host a party at his nightclub, he’d pay her not to show up. But thanks to Forbes—and actual reporting—it’s come out that the Kardashian’s are still Kashing in and their days (sadly) are far from over.

So what’s the real story? According to E!, this season of “Kourtney and Kim Take New York” is actually averaging its highest views in four seasons with over 3 million total viewers each week, which is up 43% from the prior season. The most recent Sunday night premiere also broke records as the most-watched ever, averaging 3.3 million viewers.

The Post almost got it right with the other stats but they were really just breeding false hope. Sales of magazines with Kim, Khloe, and Kourtney did decline slightly in December but that’s only because they were on the cover of four different publications, which over saturated the market temporarily. Even then, US Weekly, In Touch, Life & Style and OK! still reported average or slightly below average sales. And Travis Bass, the co-owner of Tribeca’s Red Egg, did say he wouldn’t pay Kim Kardashian to come to his club but not because she’s Kim Kardashian. The club has never paid a celebrity to host a party, plus he says the move wouldn’t appeal to his clientele.

One other rumor they fed was that Kim was replaced by a dog in the latest Skechers ads, but that’s not true either; her contract was just up. Bottom line? These girls aren’t going anywhere. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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For some people just getting a date can be a strenuous and stressful exercise. For others getting the date isn’t the issue, knowing how to act once you get the date presents a problem…or two.

If you’re a nervous dater you could be taking yourself out of the game before homeboy even has a chance to get to know you.

Your Tango.com put together a list of dating dos and don’ts for your the next time you step out for a night on the town. The list includes tips like stay off the phone unless it’s an emergency, don’t discuss sex too early unless that’s all you’re looking for, and be prepared to pay for the two of you if you ask him out.

For the full list you can head over to Your Tango.com and check it out.