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Courtesy of Paramount
Paramount Pictures just released a slew of G.I. Joe pics and I don’t know about you but I wish this summer were next summer. Growing up, I played with the tiny action figures and watched the cartoon religiously. Only drawback of next summer being this summer? I’m a year older, and I miss Indy on the big screen. Read the rest of this entry »

We snapped Gwenyth Paltrow leaving her appearance on Good Morning America, where she promoted her new megaflick Iron Man. That movie kicks ass - great script, awesome performance by Robert Downey, Jr. in the lead, and the effects are mad cool. Paltrow’s excellent in the Girl Friday role as well. With that all said, it’s clear Iron Man is the best superhero movie since Blankman - easy.

Photo/Mike DiScuillo

David Cook has a chance to win American Idol but me thinks it’ll take a ’stache to solidify it.

Grow a mustache Mr. Cook. You’ve taken so many chances this season, why not take another one …only this time on your face.

Delightfully reeking of awkwardness
By Jon Chattman

Whether it’s the appeal of its ultra-eccentric stars or the hilarity of sketches involving such gems as hidden camera prankster Spaghett or father-obsessed singer Pierre , Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! has provided a belly of laughs on the Cartoon Network since it debuted last year. While the show continues to gain momentum, the truth is Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim have been splitting sides for years on the ‘net long before they took to the Adult Swim airwaves.

Thecheappop.com recently interviewed the wunderkinds behind “The Christmas Wish” and countless other examples of overall hilarious awkwardness, and found them super nice and, um, eccentric. Fittingly, the interview will play out the same. It will be uncomfortable for everyone involved while, at the same time, quite funny. With that in mind, for the first time ever, I will go against journalistic integrity and transcribe the interview in real time as I write this story in a wonderful and honest play-by-play style that would do Vin Scully proud if he knew who I was. Since it’s in real time, I will not rewind the tape. I’m a fast typer so I’m not worried about not capturing authentic soundbytes. If I do, however, I’ll simply paraphrase what either Tim or Eric said while keeping their statements true. We’ll start the interview as soon as I jump out of my office, and scream “Spaghett!” Done and done. Read the rest of this entry »

Diamond is forever
By Jon Chattman

Next week, American Idol contestants will be coached by the one and only Neil Diamond. So far, this season’s guest instructors (or whatever you want to call them) have been sort of uneven. Whereas Dolly Parton helped Michael Johns reach new heights (a lot of good that did in the long run - tsk, tsk), Andrew Lloyd Webber couldn’t do much for Jason Castro. That said, there is no question Neil Diamond will be a perfect ten for the final five contestants. Diamond is a Greek God whose career credits are legendary. For starters, he’s score numerous hit songs for himself and others (somewhere UB40 is smiling- I stress “somewhere”), and the Jazz Singer artist is the only man alive who got Sir Laurence Olivier to wear a yarmulke. We could go on, but like Idol itself, this article is going to let the contestants shine. We all know song selection is important on the show, and with the contest winding down swiftly, never before has that been more true. So, since they asked (they really didn’t), I’m here to recommend song choices for each of the contestants for next week. My gut tells me each contestant will perform two songs (that’s how it’s been in the past on the show), so here’s my breakdown of who should perform what, and why. Read the rest of this entry »

Big Thing
By Jon Chattman

My sister had the biggest crush on Simon LeBon growing up but turned her back on him when he showed up unshaven and with a mullet for the “Wild Boys” video. That is a true story. So is this. Outside of Radio City Music Hall, I bumped into the band before they hit the stage as they posed for pics for Japanese press. I was in a haze, and literally bumped into Nick Rhodes. That was cool. Why? Because Duran Duran are cool. They were cool in the 1980s, and they’re cool now. Duran Duran are never not cool. Read the rest of this entry »

Movember founder Adam Garone met up with yours truly in NYC to discuss The Book of ‘Bert’ and plans for the upcoming Movember event in - when else? - November! thecheappop is going to go full throttle with Movember this year. Stay tuned for details how you can help raise money for prostate cancer research by merely growing a straggly mustache like yours truly!

This is my now
By Jon Chattman

After watching the wonderfully inflated Idol Gives Back - well DVRing through it anyway - it dawned on me that next year’s show needs a format change. Instead of star upon star asking for pledges, and heartfelt and emotional vignettes featuring trips to less fortunate parts of the world, I suggest next year’s Idol Gives Back be focused solely on… wait for it… me. Read the rest of this entry »

Rich and I were on the Covino & Rich show on Sirius’ Maxim Radio this afternoon. Together, the four of us assembled an all-’stache/all-star lineup of baseball’s best ‘berts.’ We also chatted about the book, took phone calls, the birth of the ‘bert,’ and overall best ’staches of all time. The guys were very cool and down-to-earth, and it was an awesome time. Cool two dudes with mustache envy no doubt.

‘Bert’ authors meet Oates at BMI event in NYC
By Jon Chattman
On Monday March 3, Jon Chattman and Rich Tarantino, co-authors of The Book of Bert: High-Class Stars with some High-Class ‘Stache, met rock legend John Oates face-to-face during his performance at the New York Songwriters Circle at the Bitter End in Manhattan.
Read the rest of this entry »