- Wednesday, January 18, 2012

LL Cool J tapped as first Grammy host in seven years

After seven years with a no-host format, the Grammys will have an emcee — LL Cool J.

The Grammy-winning rapper and actor said the Feb. 12 broadcast is “gonna be a great night” and said his hosting duties are a dream come true, the Associated Press reports.

The Recording Academy already has named some performers — the Foo Fighters, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars and Jason Aldean.

While it will be LL Cool J’s first time hosting the Grammys, he has hosted the live Grammy nominations concert since it began in 2008.

The Grammys will be broadcast on CBS from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The rap legend is a star on the network’s “NCIS: Los Angeles.”

Teen targets ’Modern Family’ episode about cursing toddler

An anti-profanity crusader on Tuesday asked ABC to pull this week’s “Modern Family” episode in which a toddler appears to use a bleeped curse word, the Associated Press reports.

“Our main goal is to stop this from happening,” said McKay Hatch, an 18-year-old college student who founded the No Cussing Club in 2007. “If we don’t, at least ABC knows that people all over the world don’t want to have a 2-year-old saying the F-bomb on TV.”

“We hope they know better,” Mr. Hatch said. He’s asking his club’s members, whom he said number 35,000 in the United States and about three dozen other countries, to complain to ABC.

ABC has yet to respond, he said Tuesday. The network had no comment, a spokeswoman said.

In the episode titled “Little Bo Bleep,” which was set to air Wednesday, 2-year-old Lily shocks parents Mitchell and Cameron (Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet) with her first expletive.

The dads, who are preparing Lily to serve as flower girl in a wedding, now have an added parenting challenge.

The tot is played by Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, who said the word “fudge” during taping.

Steven Levitan, creator and executive producer of the sitcom with Christopher Lloyd, told the Television Critics Association last week that he’s “proud and excited” about the F-word plot line ABC was persuaded to allow.

“We thought it was a very natural story since, as parents, we’ve all been through this,” Mr. Levitan said to EW.com. “We are not a sexually charged show. It has a very warm tone, so people accept it more. I’m sure we’ll have some detractors.”

The program, which won the Emmy Award for best comedy in the fall, was named best musical or comedy series at Sunday’s Golden Globes ceremony.

Mr. Hatch, who is from South Pasadena, Calif., and attends Brigham Young University in Rexburg, Idaho, said he began his anti-profanity club in 2007 when he noticed how rampant cursing was at his school and how it was linked to bullying.

Rachel’s two dads finally to appear on ’Glee’

It may have taken nearly three seasons, but Rachel’s (Lea Michele) gay dads will finally make an appearance on Fox’s “Glee.”

Musically inclined actor Jeff Goldblum and Broadway veteran Brian Stokes Mitchell have booked the plum roles, the Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. The actors will first appear in the Feb. 14 Valentine’s Day episode, titled “Heart,” as first reported by TV Line.

“Glee” co-creator Ryan Murphy told the Hollywood Reporter in June that he was “really interested” in seeing the two characters, who have been referenced countless times but never seen on screen.

“I’m really interested in seeing Rachel’s gay dads, who we’ve never met,” he said at the time. “I’ve said that I don’t want to do that. But maybe now is the time to do it.”

Mr. Goldblum, whose credits include “The Fly,” “Jurassic Park” and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” has a roster of Broadway credits, including “The Pillowman,” “Two Gentlemen of Verona” and “The Exonerated” and is an accomplished jazz pianist.

Mr. Stokes Mitchell, meanwhile, is a Tony winner for his performance in Broadway’s “Kiss Me, Kate” and has been nominated for three other Tonys for his performances in “Man of La Mancha,” “King Hedley II” and “Ragtime.” His small-screen work includes “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Frasier” and “Ugly Betty.”

Both actors are slated to sing in the episode. They join a season that so far has featured a slew of guest stars in parental roles as McKinley High’s seniors — including Rachel, Finn (Cory Monteith), Mike (Harry Shum Jr.) and Kurt (Chris Colfer) — head toward graduation.

“Glee” returns with its Michael Jackson tribute episode at 8 p.m. Jan. 31 on Fox.

’X Factor’s’ Chris Rene signs with Epic Records

Chris Rene is continuing his relationship with L.A. Reid.

The ’X Factor’ alum, who placed third in the reality competition’s inaugural season, has just inked a deal with Epic Records, the Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Mr. Rene should be in good company at his new home, as the label helmed by Mr. Reid was expected to announce on Wednesday a deal with fourth-place finisher Marcus Canty. Could Brian “Astro” Bradley, perhaps the competition’s most controversial contestant, be next? Speculation has swirled regarding the 15-year-old’s impending deal, which could find him at Epic or in the company of winner Melanie Amaro at Sony.

With the ink still drying on his contract, Santa Cruz-based rapper Rene likely will see between $150,000 and $500,000 from the label — a respectable but significantly smaller payout than Miss Amaro’s $5 million deal with Sony.

As part of his Epic debut, Mr. Rene will record a new version of his self-penned audition song, “Young Homie.”

Compiled from Web and wire service reports

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