I The Behrend Beacon
Imago (im-may'-go, im-mah'-go): noun - an insect in its final, adult, sexually mature, and typically winged state.
One of my best memories of home was watching my hated little brother go on his first date. “Good luck, imago, ” I said. He thought I said “amigo.” Ha, ha, but l didn’t.
Oscar nominations announced
Producers
scramble for
post-strike
organization
Bv Connor Sattelv
entertainment editor
asso6o(p psu.edu
Feb. 22. 2008
This Sunday, performers and
nominees alike will take a sigh of
relief as they can finally put the
Writers' Strike behind them and
enjoy this year's Acadamy
Awards. The 80th anniversary of
the Oscars will he its usual self.
reported organizers. Exciting,
glamorous, and complete with all
of America's favorite stars, the
Oscars award show promises to
be one to remember.
However, things were not look
ing so bright several weeks ago.
when the show's planners still
had to think about the Writer's
Guild of America's picket line.
What would have resulted, had
the strike not ended, would have
been a "toned-down" version of
the show. Musical acts would
have still performed, and accord
ing to telecast producer Gil
Cates, "there was going to be a
lot of energy for that." Some
actors, producers, and even work
ers. though, refused to cross the
picket lines should the Acadamy
Awards be held during the strike.
"It would have relied mostly
on film clips." Cates said, "and
historical clips, because this is
the 80th anniversary of the
awards.
Workers are scrambling to
combine elements of the previ
ously planned show, known now
as the "B show." with the com
plete version, the "A show."
What will result will hopefully
draw enough viewers to separate
the show further from the
Grammy award show, which
made one of its worst showings a
few weeks ago. drawing far less
than most TV shows. It was also
a noteworthy occasion for the
Grammys. as it was their 50th
Colbert’s presidential race
cut short
By Connor Sattely
entertainment editor
dssoh<)( r ' psu.cdu
Nov. 2. 2007
Comedian Steven Colbert
made the first real step
towards a Presidential bid
by filing to appear on the ballot in
South Carolina as a Democrat.
The decision of whether Colbert
would get a spot then fell to the
Democratic Party in South
Carolina. Unfortunately, that
group of people shot down the
popular TV host because he did
not meet the requirements for a
spot on the ballot.
The Democratic Party has two
requirements for those who want
to get a ballot spot in the state:
that he or she is viable nationally
and has spent time campaigning
in the state.
Carol Fowler, the chairman of
the state Democratic Party, as
Comedian Stephen Colbert
' r/r [ i "p i "p r p /\"'i nyfri 1 ] it
Noteworthy Oscar Nominations
BEST ACTOR, LEAD BEST PICTURE
G. Clooney : Michael Clayton Atonement
D. Day-Lewis: There Will Be Blood j uno
J. Depp: Sweeny Todd Michael Clayton
T. Lee Jones: In the Valley of Elah No Country for Old Men
V. Mortensen: Eastern Promises There Will Be Blood
BEST ACTRESS, LEAD
Ellen Page: Juno
Julie Christie: Away From Her
Marion Cotillard: La Vie en Rose
Laura Linney: The Savages
Cate Blanchett: Elizabeth
anniversary.
Jon Stewart, announced some
time ago as the host of this year's
show, hosted 2()o6's extravagan
za as well, getting mixed reviews
from the audience of his humor.
His jokes included several jabs at
Hollywood.
"A lot of people say that
[Hollywood| is too liberal." he
said, "out of touch with main
stream America, an atheistic
pleasure dome, a modern-day.
beachfront Sodom and
Gomorrah, a moral black hole
where innocence is obliterated in
an endless orgy of sexual gratifi
cation and greed. I don’t really
have a joke here. 1 just thought
you should know a lot of people
are saying that."
The popular TV show, much
like the show's organizers, has
been winking overtime to create
material. Only eight days are
available to Stewart after he spent
most of his time during the strike
in South Carolina
quoted b\ CNN. said "he does
not appear to be campaigning to
win it he i' onh runninii in one
Main Democrats in the state
spoke out puhlically about
Colbert's run. claiming that it
cheapened the Democratic
process, and that he would not be
shown any leniency in the laws
that he w as required to follow.
"Stephen Colbert clearly didn't
qualify under our rules, and it
would have been a mistake and
wrong to violate our rules." said
Charleston Democratic party
chairman Waring Howe.
Reaction among Behrcnd stu
dents tends to be a lack of sur
prise.
“It was dumb, of course." says
Behrend student James Wolfe.
“But it would have been awe
some if he had won. It would
have been kind of scary, too."
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
BEST DIRECTING
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Source: www.oscar.com
preparing for his fake news show,
Comedy Central’s The Daily
Stewart had let Cates know
that had the strike not ended, he
would not have been the host of
the show.
The writers of The Daily Show
will be working together with
Stewart to get his material togeth
er. The host insists that his famil
iar team is glad to get back to
work after the strike, and is trying
quickly to create the best show
possible.
"We're like puppies right
now." Stewart said. "It’s a lot of
adrenaline and enthusiasm."
These qualities are something
that Hollywood has been lacking
over the past few months, as
shows tried to return mid-strike.
With any luck, the team putting
together the Oscars this year will
be able to return the glamorous
element to awards show where
the Grammys have failed.
Student Daniel Frankel agrees,
and says that Colbert should have
followed a much different strate
“If he w'as serious." he says,
“he definitely would have started
sooner. Everything he d.a was
last minute, and even when he
announeed it, I was thinking,
"Wow, that’s really sudden.’”
Though Colbert’s run seems to
be over, the shot at the White
House may have done more than
elicited some laughs amongst his
fans. Many claim that his presi
dential bid could have just been a
ploy to sell more copies of his
book. "I Am America (And So
Can You!)”
The book focuses on things that
Colbert thinks are trying to
threaten our country, and his var
ious solutions on how to save the
For this year, his run for the
White House seems to be done
early, as he has said he will not
seek the Republican ticket’s spot
due to a $35,000 Fine that he
would have to pay for the spot.
As Colbert’s fanbase grows,
there remains no doubt that he is
one of the most popular comedi
ans of the modern age, and his
fans could expect to see a repeat
performance in four years.
Perhaps Colbert’s fake bid will
encourage imitations from fans
or fellow comedians.
Maybe next time, it will be
serious. But, then again,
Colbert’s antics rarely are.
Actor Heath Ledger dies; autopsy
results
By Evan Koser
entertainment editor
emksl Io@psu.edu
Jan. 25, 2008
Police have yet to find the reason behind the
death of 28-year old actor Hearth Ledger this
past Tuesday.
On Jan 22, Ledger was found dead in his fourth
floor apartment at 421 Broome Street in New York
City. A police statemr
his housekeeper,
Solomon, arrived aroui
PM for her daily r<
When Solomon eni
his bedroom at 1:00
to change a light bui
Ledger was face dowi
on his mattress, sleep
ing and snoring heavi
ly. Apparently, whei
Ledger’s masseust
Diana Wolozin arrivei
at 2:45 PM, Ledger w
unresponsive to his
phone when he did
exit his bedroom at tht
meeting time. Still ui
sponsive. Wolozin ct
9-1-1 at 3:26 PM. He w'as
pronounced dead ten minutes later when he did not
respond to defibrillation and CPR.
Police said that six types of prescription drugs
were found in Ledger's apartment, including anti
anxiety medications and sleeping pills. Authorities
have announced that preliminary autopsy results
were inconclusive. According to police estimates, it
could be approximately ten days after the actor’s
death until a cause of death can be found.
Near Ledger's bed, a twenty dollar bill was found
rolled up, but tests confirmed the absence of any
drug residue. Police have also mentioned that there
were no illegal drugs found anywhere inside of his
apartment. Antihistamines were found and it has
Kanye West wins album
sales battle over 50 Cent
By Erik Holman
staff writer
ethso29@psu.edu
Sent. 20. 2007
On September 11th, 2007. an
album battle of epic proportions
had started between performers
Kanye West and Curtis "50 Cent”
Jackson. The popular rappers had
a musical showdown as both
decided to release their third solo
albums. West’s “Graduation” and
Jackson’s “Curtis,” on September
11th, 2007. West and Jackson
have both released platinum sell
ing albums in the past, so the
anticipation for each new CD
grew with the approaching
release date. Prior to this date,
each had released three singles to
increase the hype for their new
products: West had “Stronger,”
“Can’t Tell Me Nothing,” and
“Good Life,” while Jackson had
“Straight to the Bank,” “1 Get
Money,” and “Ayo Technology.”
When those albums were
released in stores that day, the
stakes were high and experts and
fans alike speculated on which
would sell more. Jackson even
stated he would “retire from solo
records” if West’s sales were to
exceed his. An on-campus poll of
students showed that popular
Each week, tfce
sOmeof
4 Nov. 1(5,
inconclusive as to cause
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
West and Curtis face off prior to
releasing their albums.
opinion at Penn State Behrend
favors West. Freshman Andres
Emedan states, “West’s music is
catchier and I can relate to his
lyrics better. His music provides
a more positive message. Not so
much about killing people.”
There are a few who stick to
Jackson’s side, such as freshman
Kyle Gerhart, who simply com
ments, “50 Cent has better beats.”
At the end of the first week, the
results were out: West’s
“Graduation” sold over 930,000
copies and reached first place on
■ featured an entertainer of the week, Ina tribute to
we passed away this year, we nowfeature otif
ofthe Year: 2007 " \ '*}'
Friday, May 2, 2008
been confirmed that three of the drugs had been pre
scribed in London, as Ledger had been filming in
Europe. The only statement confidently held by the
police is that Ledger may have accidentally over
dosed.
Ledger mainly starred on television series
throughout the majority of the nineties. He began
his acting career at the age of twenty in Hollywood.
He will have his final, posthumous appearance in
rT ' u “ Dark Knight” as Batman’s iconic archne
;er. The role is surpris
; and twisted, straying
om his common pattern
ten heroic and compas
late roles. The film is in
an actor in a leading role.
Ledger has also starred in “The Patriot" (2000),
“A Knight’s Tale” (2001). and “The Brother's
Grimm" (2005). His latest role was in “The
lmaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” which was set
to be released in 2009; however, production has
halted in light of the actor's untimely death.
Those who have had the opportunity to work with
Ledger have expressed their deepest condolences
and regret about the actor’s death. "He was just tak
ing off and to lose his life at such a young age is a
tragic loss. My thoughts and prayers are with him
and his family," says actor Mel Gibson, who played
Ledger’s father in “The Patriot.”
the Top Album Billboard, while
“Curtis” sold almost 660,000 and
came in second. The count is not
final, but it is pretty clear who has
won the “rap battle.”
One other performer who had a
part in the race was Kenny
Chesney, who came in third on
the charts with over 300,000
albums sold.
Although Jackson promises his
retirement because of Kanye’s
sales, Jackson decided not to
hang up his career anytime soon,
much to the dismay of Kanye's
faithful. Instead, Jackson found
alternatives to cope with the
sales, stating that West’s label
Def Jam “rigged the sales
charts,” that Def Jam gave West a
better promotion, and claims his
own label Interscope was not pro
moting him well enough. Jackson
also made a new vow that he
would release an album when
Def Jam has its next huge release.
So this “rap battle” would offi
cially become an all-out war
between rappers. Keep an eye out
for an upcoming “50 Cent vs.
Jay-Z” battle, or any other artist
on Def Jam’s record. For now, it
appears that West is the
“Stronger” competitor and a true
musical champion.
: ' i'iz 'l'
»st-production stages
ind footage will remain
inaffected by his death.
Thus far, the only known
effect his death may
lave may be on the viral
marketing surrounding
is character.
In 2005, Ledger starred
Ennis Del Mar in
-okeback Mountain. ”
role earned him an
idemy award nomination
the best performance by
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