Idolator: pete wentz

Maybe Pete Wentz Did Bring The Music Video Back

Dan Gibson — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:15:00 EDT

Another Friday, another installment of FNMTV starring our pal Pete Wentz. This week, there are mysteriously only three new videos (T.I., No Age, and Day 26) to go with two live performances (Rihanna and Maroon 5 featuring Rihanna). I wondered what effect the program had on the number of videos played on MTV, and there's good and bad news. The good (?) news: MTV is certainly devoting a larger amount of its airtime to music videos. The bad news: I hope you like Boys Like Girls.

The weeks prior to the FNMTV premiere almost seemed like a setup for the show's premise. Two hours of videos in the morning, one hour of TRL in the afternoon, and 21 hours of Made reruns, the new roommates on The Real World, etc. That made for 23 video plays on Wednesday, June 11, and 21 on Thursday, June 12. (Note: A "play" may not be an entire video; it's just enough of a clip to be counted as a by the computers charged with tracking these sorts of things.) FNMTV premiered June 13, and you can see a huge spike in the number of music videos played: 50 video plays were tracked this past Wednesday, while 58 were tracked yesterday. Although that just meant you got to see at least part of this clip some 11 times over the two days—

—as well as that painful Boys Like Girls video 12 times. Is this an improvement? Maybe, although that depends on whether you value Lil Mama over A Shot At Love II. Is it fair to say the music video is back on MTV if only three or four music videos (and a few live performances) get added to the channel's rotation each week? Will this whole thing be out the window by the fall? I'm still a little bitter that all we got of "Bastards of Young" was 30 talked-over seconds, so maybe I'm the wrong person to ask.

FNMTV [MTV Online]

Pete Wentz Brings Music Back To MTV, Keeps Network's Celebrity Glorification Quotient Intact

Maura Johnston — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EDT

After a lot of buildup that stretched all the way to an Idolator reader poll, I watched Pete Wentz's effort to bring videos back to MTV, FNMTV Premieres, on DVR-delay Saturday morning. And it was... OK. Friday night's premiere didn't result in ground-breaking TV by any stretch, but it wasn't completely awful despite the musical presence of both will.i.am and the Pussycat Dolls. The biggest complaint I had, really, was that the show was full of filler; Anthony's prediction last week that the hourlong show would air seven videos in toto was actually over the night's tally by three. (A few older videos got a bit of screen time, but most of the music within was papered over by Wentz's explaining the clips and the collective "whooooo"ing of the well-manicured crowd.)

As Dan Gibson noted in an IM to me, it's hard to not at least appreciate the effort; surely every reader of this site has made the "lol, MTV doesn't show videos anymore" joke at least once in the past five years. The live-performance aspect of the show was also noble, and having Snoop Dogg and Panic at the Disco collaborate on "Gin And Juice" at the show's end was fine (as a bonus, it made me dig up Sissy Bar's MySpace page).

I wasn't surprised that only 30 seconds were allotted to each of the "vintage" videos that aired on the broadcast, which included Idolator pick "Bastards of Young." More irritating than that, really, was the fact that for a show that was supposed to be about the music and its associated videos, FNMTV sure felt like it had to remind viewers over and over that, yes, the people on screen were famous, solo-album flops be damned. The filler ranged from a NBC Summer Olympics-reminiscent look at the "rise" of Flo Rida to an awkward interview between Wentz and the Pussycat Dolls, and recaps of the featured clips were provided by both an instant text-message poll of the crowd (the cell-phone era equivalent of "it has a beat and you can dance to it," I guess) and a video review panel that featured MTV News' James Montgomery and the Gym Class Heroes' Travis McCoy spouting reasons why each video may have been worthy of "instant classic" status. The extra padding and the fact that commercial interruptions were limited dragged the show out, and I was left to wonder why some of these bits weren't cut in favor of another Panic performance, or maybe—gasp!—another video?

It seems odd that the attention-span-challenged youth of today really need six minutes of filler and an invitation to make their own video responses in order to properly process a clip attached to a four-minute pop song, even one as shitty as the one accompanying the Pussycat Dolls' unintentional ode to the end of the 21st-century gilded age, "When I Grow Up."

If you fast forward to the end, you can see Scherzherface making a series of increasingly crazy faces (and miss most of the song, to boot).

I suspect that week two of the show will reveal some tweaks—apparently in addition to the four new clips (including one by Vampire Weekend, oh boy) we're going to see live performances by both Lil Wayne and Duffy. Here's hoping they team up for a performance, just for the sake of making her a bit interesting.

FNMTV Premieres [mtv.com]

Mr. Wentz, We Have Your Video

Dan Gibson — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EDT

We're excited to announce the winner of Idolator's first "What Should Pete Wentz Play On His New MTV Show That Apparently Is Going To Be Better Than The Press Release Or The Title Made It Sound?" poll. First of all, thanks to Pete for sending some traffic our way with his blog post reminding people to vote. Secondly, thanks to the eighteen people who had the good sense to vote for "Fish Heads." I thank you, America thanks you, Barnes & Barnes thank you. And now, our winner...

The Replacements - Bastards Of Young

The 'Mats barely pulled out the win over Buggles, and if our pick isn't going to be "Fish Heads," I'm certainly thankful the alternative is both a great video and a great song. Plus, everyone likes the Replacements, with the possible exception of anyone who ever booked them for a gig.

F'NMTV premieres June 13, and as someone who doesn't get out much on Friday nights, I'll be ready to see the Idolator contribution to the program, as well as, apparently, a video tribute to mustaches. Looking forward to it!

Helping Pete Wentz, Part Two

Dan Gibson — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:15:00 EDT

Well, the polls have closed, and we have our nominees for Idolator's suggested "vintage video" for airing on F'NMTV, Pete Wentz's attempt to bring music videos back to MTV's prime-time programming hours. We did get a few suggestions, some of which could have been, well, a little better. (No offense intended to the suggestee, but really, "Cantaloop"?)

Think about it this weekend. Vote with your hearts, people.

Earlier: Pete Wentz Wants Our Help

Pete Wentz Wants Our Help

Dan Gibson — Fri, 30 May 2008 11:30:00 EDT

Earlier this week, I apparently upset Pete Wentz a little bit when I posted about his new MTV show, which upset his posse (my favorite comment: "ps. dan gibson = a bitch, perez hilton = amazing, pete wentz = my hero"). I certainly hope that he and I can get past this difficult stage in our relationship, so I'm going to assume his original "MTV doesn't play videos, man" post was sincere, and that, as he mentioned in his blog, he really does want our help picking a "classic" video. So let's give him all the help, hugs, and love that Idolator is known for.

Pete said:

Please suggest a video you want me to play for the vintage/classic video segment. Maybe you can run a poll on your site (which is way more popular than my blog, meelikey.com, i promise you ive seen the numbers). I promise to watch your selections carefully but I must warn you that I may do so under the influence of some Coconut Juice.

Since there hasn't really been a channel showing only the videos I want to see since the demise of "The Box", I thought it would be best to take nominations from our readership, with a poll to determine our official suggestion for Pete's Big Music Show to follow later today.

First, my personal video preferences:

The Happy Mondays - Step On:

Really, how can you go wrong with the Happy Mondays (although my wife might disagree)?

Barnes & Barnes - Fish Heads:

This video was a big hit on Nickelodeon's music video program when I was a kid, which qualifies it as a classic, maybe.

Los Fabulousos Cadillacs - Matador:

Oh, MTV Latino, you gave me so much, it's all I can do to try to return the love.

Let the suggestions fly, and be sure to check in later for the poll.

a message from the most powerful man in music [meelikey]
Earlier: Do I Want My "F'N MTV" Hosted By Pete Wentz?

Do I Want My "F'N MTV" Hosted By Pete Wentz?

Dan Gibson — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:00:00 EDT

As a follow-up to the already extensive coverage of Pete Wentz's music-saving MTV program, we can now reveal that the show has a name (albeit a terrible one, "F'N MTV"), a time slot, and a network-wide initiative behind it (at least for the summer).

The new program, hosted by Wentz (making his original post complaining about the lack of music on MTV seem more like a somewhat clever marketing ploy than actual heartfelt emotion), will air on Friday nights, with performances and/or new videos from Panic at the Disco, Flo-Rida, The Ting Tings, Snoop Dogg, Lil' Wayne, The Pussycat Dolls, Duffy, Boys Like Girls and Vampire Weekend. Good thing, because I just can't seem to get enough of those musical acts these days. So underexposed, the lot of them.

The show is, predictably, a part of a multimedia extravaganza with some sort of text and website based voting throughout the week, possibly to choose which videos will be played, but just as likely to determine what color hoodie Wentz should don. According to MTV President of Entertainment Brian Graden "MTV's new paradigm enables us to not only initiate a conversation around music via flagship premieres, but also reflect that conversation back on television in real time. F'N MTV, along with interactive amateur competitions like 'America's Best Dance Crew' and 'Making the Band,' the perennial viewer-driven 'TRL,' further MTV's mission of enabling this generation's great musical democracy." I'm glad someone's working on this democracy thing, because the democracy I'm most familiar with sadly lacks a feature in which I get today's hottest ringtones sent directly to my phone.

MTV TO LOAD UP ON MUSIC THIS SUMMER WITH F'N MTV [HITS Daily Double]

Pete Wentz Is The Most Powerful Man In Music

Dan Gibson — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:00:00 EDT

When Pete Wentz blogs, people pay attention. According to his always fascinating, yet capitalization-challenged blog, "mtv has greenlit an hour long show to be aired live once a week this summer." The show will apparently feature a number of video premieres, a classic video, and a live performance. Pete mentions the show is scheduled for the summer, which means the show may not be around once another Real World/Road Rules Challenge is ready to air, but we'll take what we can get. (Right, Pete?) Also, he would like everyone to know he likes s'mores. Oh, to be a below-average bassist in a somewhat enjoyable band! [a boy's life]

Pete Wentz Has A Dream

Dan Gibson — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:00:00 EDT

According to some of our commenters, showing music videos on television is a dead scene. However, one man is willing to stand up against the forces of commerce and targeted market research and make the contention that music videos should make a triumphant return to the screen. That man is Pete Wentz.

Are you sick of 30-second clips on TRL? Vexed by the one single hour of videos smashed between reruns of Made and Cribs? Pete Wentz knows your pain, and he's going to start himself a riot (although he's not quite mad enough to utilize the shift key.

i could only assume that you would be completely frustrated with the same things i am with mtv. it is a network called music television that does not play music videos. and when they do play videos it is in 30 second clips on TRL or underneath the credits of whatever reality show. the truth is we have a collective memory of videos. certain ones we can all sit and look back and say "oh i remember that" or "i cant believe axl rocked the nwa hat and the bicycle shorts in the same video". people say that with the a.d.d. generation people cant pay attention to a whole music video whenever we have asked. that people wont watch those anymore. i disagree. as most of you do as well. the truth is whole videos should be played. bands should play live. premieres should be a big deal like they used to be, not just a snippet of a video. artists should be able to let their imaginations go and know that people will be able to see what they have crafted. artists should talk about their videos. we should and can make the music video important again.

The music video should be important again! Pete Wentz is doing all he can, people. Did you see the Tyga video? He's pouring his heart into this business, and MTV can't be bothered to show FOB's "Beat It" cover more than five times this week?

In honor of Pete's (oddly timed...shouldn't he be on a honeymoon or something?) grandstanding, here is the video with an all-too-brief shot of Axl in a NWA hat, "You Could Be Mine":

Also, my personal favorite music video, "Lucas With The Lid Off":

the response to the most obvious poll ever: [meelikey.com]

A YouTube Tribute To Ashlee Simpson & Pete Wentz

Anthony Miccio — Mon, 19 May 2008 12:30:00 EDT

Despite the attention their weekend nuptials received, Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz have left most of the quote-feeding to the anonymous sources who tip off the tabloids. Aside from that glorious "rock n' romance" interview for People—in which Pete revealed that Ashlee without makeup reminds him of when he was little in the summer, back when he had a boner for Jessica Rabbit—there hasn't been much chatter from the couple themselves as to what makes their union so magical, so worthy of our attention. So here are five clips that help capture the essence of the Hot Topic generation's romance for the ages.

"I'm locked down with a lady right now..."

"Baby, get me the Cheetos!"

"Why don't girls have pockets, again?" "Because they have boyfriends, silly!"

"Disney movies..." "she's pretty awesome naked."

"It's nice that he understands my life and we understand each other... and are like able to work that out and...you know, like, we have our own personal relationship, too, and you know, he kind of keeps me grounded."

Aww, it's nice to have your own personal relationship with someone. Good luck, kids! May you never be caught crying "you can have what's left of me!" at 3 a.m. on Vh1.

Pete Wentz On The Hot 30 [YouTube]
Ashlee Simpson Pretending To Be Pregnant [YouTube]
The Kids' Choice Awards 2008 [YouTube]
Pete Wentz & Ashlee Simpson talk with Eric Blair 08 [YouTube]
Ashlee Simpson on her relationship with Pete Wentz [YouTube]
Ashlee Simpson + Pete Wentz (The Cure - Love Song) [YouTube]

Seventeen Magazine Lets You Openly Judge The Taste Of The Stars

Dan Gibson — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:30:00 EDT

Seventeen (which the idea of my infant daughter reading someday fills my heart with dread already) is rolling out widgets that are complete with animated somethings and interactive whatsits, which play tracks selected by today's biggest pop stars with sizable teen audiences. Apparently, if you are in fact a teenage girl, you could express your fandom for your favorite artist by embedding this sort of thing on your Facebook page. Instead, let's just take a look at the artists' choices, and validiate our existing feelings about their artistic output!

First up, Idolator's new BFF, Pete Wentz:
THE LOWLIGHT: We get it, Pete. You're a complex sea of emotion. But no one should have to sit through Bobby Vinton's "Mister Lonely," Simon & Garfunkel's "The Only Living Boy In New York," and a Bright Eyes track in a row. Things are going so well these days, buddy. Would it have killed you to throw Paul Anka's "Having My Baby" on there? It would have been a nice touch.
THE HIGHLIGHT: Hands down, it's "Young Turks."

Next up, Panic At The Disco's Brandon Urie—who, to his credit, didn't just copy Pete's list then remove its hooks:
THE LOWLIGHT: Really, who's still listening to Bright Eyes these days?

THE HIGHLIGHT: Supposedly, these mixes are supposed to be for the summer, and at least Brandon starts off with a Beach Boys track, although one with little connection to the summer in "God Only Knows." "American Girl," "I Want You Back"—all fine choices, but who couldn't have a good time at a summer barbecue where "Don't Stop Me Now" was heard blaring from a cheap stereo?

Finally, because I'd prefer to ignore the Jordin Sparks and Rihanna lists, here's everyone's third- or fourth-favorite country starlet of the moment, Taylor Swift!
THE LOWLIGHT: An appearance by the official shoeless songwriter of the summer, Jack Johnson makes sense, but at this point, the 15-minute timer should be expiring on Ingrid Michaelson, right?
THE HIGHLIGHT: While I applaud Taylor Swift for continuing to head up a Better Than Ezra resurgence by featuring "Our Last Night", my son's favorite song, "It's The Night Time" by Josh Rouse, makes a somewhat strange appearance. That almost makes up for the Corrs track.

It's nice that a few decent songs are making their way to Seventeen's readership, but there's no need to create another generation of Bright Eyes fans. No reason at all.

Jango Partners with Seventeen.com to Create Co-Branded Celebrity Music Widgets [Business Wire]

Fueled By Ramen Is Ready To Suck You Into Its Revenue Stream

Maura Johnston — Mon, 05 May 2008 16:00:00 EDT

If you want to learn how to market your band/club/burgeoning multimedia empire in the late oughts, make time to read this New York Times profile of Fueled By Ramen, the label that, according to the Times, "has its acts promote one another as well as the company itself." And they aren't kidding on that last point—flip on TRL right now and you'll see that a bunch of the label's bands, including Panic At The Disco, Cobra Starship, and Gym Class Heroes, are being interviewed by Snoop Dogg and that Aussie VJ who can't convincingly read a cue card to save her life. But it gets better: The show will culminate in ramen-eating contests between members of the bands and some of their fans. Not only is that some great branding-reinforcement (what other label could have an equivalent contest? "Get a K Records tattoo faster than your favorite band can" just doesn't have the same amount of flair), all this coordinated sucking up of noodles is inevitably going to launch thousands of bandom stories. We'll have Kate report on those ASAP, don't worry. [NYT]

Pete Wentz: A Lover And A Fighter

Anthony Miccio — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT

Pete Wentz is being sued for a beatdown he helped security give a heckler that we reported last June. One wonders what could make such a pleasant, sensitive man like Wentz open a can of whup-ass on someone, and the answer appears to be mocking Ashlee Simpson. If you want proof of how googly-eyed Wentz is for his future wife/babymama, you need look no further than the interview People's Most Beautiful Couple of '08 gave the mag about their "Rock'n'Romance." Warning: The following quotes are not for easily queased.

PW: "The red hair - I think it's awesome!"
AS: "Thanks, babe."
PW: "I had a super Jessica Rabbit crush when I was little. She had red hair like you..."

PW: "Sharing a bathroom with a girl is awesome 'cause I'm just like, 'Oh I'll try this thing.' I honestly don't really know what most of the stuff I use is. I did a facial [mask] today. I think the eye hole went over my nose. I don't buy those kinds of products [as gifts for Ashlee] cause I'm nervous I'm gonna screw up - she likes La Mer only."
AS: "You buy me good jewelry. And you bought me a good Dior bag the other day that I loved."
PW: "I was spending a lot of money at Dior so I kind of like -"
AS: "You were like, 'I feel guilty! I'll get something for her.' He's the best at surprising me. He always does little things here and there that surprise me..."

PW: "[Without makeup,] she reminds me of when I was little in the summer."
AS: "That's cute."
PW: "There's a very specific moment, like, when I was driving in the car with my parents. I don't know. It just reminds me of it. I don't know why."

Awwwwww! And he'll even protect her honor by throwing in some kicks when security pummels a heckler. Hey wait, did she dye her hair red while pregnant? That can't be healthy!

Fight fallout: Wentz sued [Chicago Sun-Times]
Ashlee Simpson & Pete Wentz's Rock'n'Romance [People]

Pete Wentz Hacked By Nicest Nerd In The World

Maura Johnston — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:45:00 EDT

No, really. Instead of using a bug lurking in the content-management system of the bassist/entrepreneur's newest blog to post e-graffiti like "LOL FOB SUX" or "Bittersweet World > Infinity On High," some anonymous hacker merely used said glitch to let Pete and the world know that maybe it was time for a system upgrade. And s/he fiddled with the site's RSS feed so that it actually works now, too! Whoever it is claims to be a member of the Scientology-baiting "void of human restraint, such as pity or mercy" Anonymous, which just goes to show you that Internet philanthropy can sometimes come from the weirdest places. [a boy's life / Photo: AP]

This Man Would Like You To Trust Him With Your Hair

Dan Gibson — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:00:04 EST

Sometimes there's news that hits the wire that seems like it merits some sort of bloggo remark or more appropriately, should be broadcast as widely as possible to warn the populace. So here, the first (and likely last) appearance of a "feature" entitled "Presented Without Comment":

Pete Wentz to open 'punk'-themed beauty parlor: Not surprisingly, the salon is unisex. Also, a guy who was on a reality show I don't really remember will be the head stylist. [NY Daily News]

Korn Guitarist Forms New Band: It should be noted that James "Munky" Shaffer's new band, Fear and the Nervous System, also includes Limp Bizkit's Wes Borland and Faith No More's Billy Gould. [LiveDaily]

Janet Jackson is considering having her eggs frozen: Later in the piece, taken from Janet's appearance on the Tyra show, Janet mentioned that she might be "allergic to marriage." It could not be confirmed, but we hear that quiet sobs were heard from the side of the stage, interspersed with someone saying "So So Def." [Boston.com]

[Photo: AP]

Maybe I'm just showing that I'm suffering ...

Maura Johnston — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 09:45:54 EST

Maybe I'm just showing that I'm suffering from severe celebrity-baby-bump fatigue, but this clip of Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson saying they're going to do their part for the world by bringing a Cheeto-soaked infant into it—in part because "you can't download a baby"—made me giggle quite a bit. (Also: How many irony-challenged gossip blogs do you think are going to take this clip as an admission that Ashlee is pregnant by day's end? I'm going to put the over/under at 10.) [friendsorenemies.com]

Pete Wentz is no stranger to blogging and ...

Maura Johnston — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:55:56 EST

Pete Wentz is no stranger to blogging and was not very happy with this year's Grammy nominations, so it's probably unsurprising that he watched the Grammy Awards from his couch and then posted his reactions to the Internet afterward. Too bad, though, that we didn't get his take on Alicia, dead Sinatra, and Herbie Hancock in real time! Maybe next year? [MTV]

Guylinered Mall Emos Meet Juno Writer Diablo Cody (And Our Brains Explode From The Self-Satisfaction)

Jess Harvell — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:40:48 EST

Despite its Entertainment Weekly cover-story-garnering, Billboard chart-topping, near-universal acclaim, there are those of you^* who, like me, think Stripper! Turned! Writer! and Oscar-nominated Juno uberhack Diablo Cody was sent as an emissary from the quirkiest circle of hell to torture us with her agonizingly overworked slanguage, insufferable hipster manque caricatures, and plot points that are indie movie cliches inbred until they're cross-eyed and unable to walk properly. And those folks will be delighted to learn that Ms. Cody's next feature—a comedy-horror film involving cheerleaders, demons, and more forced, semi-comprehensible sass than one script can withstand—is now rumored to be courting two real-life emo stars to possibly play Nikolai, frontman for the film's "Satanic emo band." Yeah, we know.

More interesting, perhaps, are two names that are being bandied about for Nikolai; he's the leader of the Satanic emo band that starts all of the problems that turns Needy into an ass-kicking monster fighter. The production is looking at two legitimately emo dipshits - Pete Wentz of Fallout Boy and Joel Madden of Good Charlotte. These names horrify me, and just typing them out has awoken some kind of genocidal monster in me - I want to torch your home if you own a Fallout Boy record. I want you removed from the Earth (Ron Paul supporters are next). Here's to hoping that the third name on the list, One Tree Hill's Chad Michael Murray, is who they go with.

Us too! Hell, we'd probably even be cool with one of the Madden brothers. Because just in case you think I'm being too hard on Cody's screenwriting abilities, or Pete Wentz's acting chops, please avail yourself of some of the dialogue from the leaked script from Jennifer's Body, and then imagine Pete saying "Slow down tardy slip. You sound like a sped" in a Clandestine Industries-branded hoodie-cape. Sigh.

Jennifer's Body Is Going Authentically Emo [CHUD]
Diablo Cody's Next Catchphrase? "Fried Bologna Is The Bomb!" [Defamer]

^* And seriously, how happy was I to read Maura's post and see how many Idolator readers also broke out in quirk-related hives during Juno? (Not alone! Not alone!) I have deep, deep issues with this whole 21st-century "Tracy and Hepburn diluted through bong water, a half-finished BA, and back issues of Sassy" aesthetic, but I'm holding back because before I know it I'll be dissing Arrested Development and everyone will suddenly turn on me.

Those of you wondering about Pete Wentz's ...

Maura Johnston — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:45:25 EST

Those of you wondering about Pete Wentz's assertion that Fall Out Boy's Infinity On High directly inspired Cloverfield—and worried about the eleven billion nausea-inducing tribute videos and fanfics such a paring would inspire—can put your suspicions to rest: Screenwriter Drew Goddard merely said that he listened to the album a lot during his writing of the movie, and that he wasn't mentally working out some Wizard Of Oz-slash-Pink Floyd-style mashup while drafting its pages. Well, OK, this news probably won't stop the fanfictioneers, but then again, a monster attack on New York City probably wouldn't either. They're that dedicated! [MTV / Photo: Getty]

Indie Rocker And Emo Doofus Want You To Get Out And Vote For The Guy You Were Probably Gonna Vote For Anyway

jharv — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 11:45:09 EST

The Obama campaign can finally relax, because two of the most important musical voices of two distinct generations have officially come out in favor of the '08 prez candidate and gawky dreamboat, and they're committed to spreading the good word to two very crucial voting blocs: "tweens with no vote (and Maura)" and "NPR listeners/Pitchfork readers who already vote Dem unless there's a wacky third party."

First the opinion of the more subdued, casual Mr. Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy:

"I've been an Obama supporter from day one," says Wentz. "After watching the New Hampshire primary, I couldn't just be an observer anymore - I had to act. Barack is the first politician who's ever made me feel like our voices actually matter."

And now the slightly more impassioned Mr. Win Butler of the Arcade Fire:

Barack is the first candidate in my lifetime to strip some of this bullshit away, and I just hope we don't blow this chance. man if we miss this opportunity we don't deserve it...how bad does it have to get?
fuck!!!!!!!!

Yes, it must really be terrible up there with your socialized medicine and ample basketballs. Don't waste all those government-funded exclamation points on us, defector.

Who's in for Team I Supported Obama before Pete Wentz Endorsed Him for Little Girls [icecreamheadcahes]
Arcade Fire [Official Site, but you gotta click "Win" and then "Win's Scrapbook" because of course the Arcade Fire are too frou-frou just to have a damn blog]
Related: The Indie Rock Presidential Primary [torr.typepad.com]

Angry (Or Old) (White) Dudes Believe Grammys Controlled By Other (Old) (White) Dudes

jharv — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST

Following last week's Grammy nominations, two rockers, Trent Reznor and Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy, have taken to their blogs to blast the nominating body for being run at the whim of "fifty-year-old white men" and "out of touch old men." The hell you say! Still, while not exactly a new criticism of the crusty ol' Grammys, Reznor and Wentz's grievances shouldn't be dismissed out of hand, and so we've presented them for you side by side (or one right under the other) to judge for yourself the validity of their beef.

Mr. Reznor:

While the music industry is doing everything they possibly can to go out of business, can we all make sure to rid ourselves of the Grammys, too? Out of touch old men jacking each other off.
ENOUGH!
Have a nice day.

Mr. Wentz:

the first reaction is jealousy mixed with a slight sense of entitlement. we just want to be a part of your club. we feel like the orphans in the movie the warriors, when we are just dying to be the baseball furies. the truth be told though when you explore it further than that you realize much more. other than the fact that we play the events for you and the right parties all the time (which is a bit embarrassing either for you or us, not sure which, possibly both. its kind of like being invited to a birthday party and then not allowed to eat the cake.)- it shouldnt mean much. (almost) noone in this industry has vision beyond the fear that this week is their last paycheck. we want our songs to be immortal and a statue doesnt do anything to help them live forever. it is the people that live and die with them in their ears and throats that give them life. we wont lie to you, accolades from our peers feel great. however, a fifty year old white man shouldnt decide whether we are relevant or not- and he doesn't. we wanted to thank you for making us feel relevant- for sitting up all night to get into our shows and for buying our music. it means more in the wake of moments like this. we know who we are based on those who would walk through hell with us. this is not a disappointment, rather a revelation on what is truly important. thanks.

Well, with Reznor this anti-academy ire feels slightly more credible/less sour grapes-y, especially considering the dude's been on a burn-down-the-industry tear for years now. Plus he's succinct. (Though at 42 he should probably be careful throwing around the words "old men" as an epithet.) On the other hand, Wentz comes off like the expected whiny wanker, though in keeping with emo fashion he does admit to the jealousy angle up front, and to further cover his ass he did go on to tell MTV that he didn't, like,really care. But whereas Reznor wants to ditch the awards entirely, you do get the impression Wentz would be more than happy to keep them if the nominees were being decided by 15-year-old white girls rather than 50-year-old white men.

Got Bitterness? [Fall Out Boy]
A Suggestion [NIN Blog]

The Latest In Phony Sex Tapes: Production Values! Pete Wentz! That "Hell's Kitchen" Chick!

mjohnston — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 09:30:48 EST

The rumor that there was a sex tape featuring Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz must have thrilled that cougar-mom who was waiting in line at Sam Ash a few weeks ago, but sadly for her, it isn't real. Which is to say that the footage does really feature him, but he's in "character," acting alongside Bonnie Muirhead, a.k.a. Bonnie from Hell's Kitchen, in a scene from his pal's film Goodnight Moon. What does it say about my blase attitude toward these OMG SEX TAPES that my first thought upon reading about this wasn't "how stupid can people be to think that a sex tape with a soundtrack and multiple camera angles is real??", but "Aw, man, Julia was robbed"? Anyway, the offending scene is after the jump, so as not to get the few of you who are actually at work today fired.

Journal: Nov. 21, 2007 [falloutboyrock.com]
The Pete Wentz Sex Tape [YouTube]
[Photo: Getty Images]

Teenage Girls (And Their Mothers) Line Up To Meet, Potentially Defile Pete Wentz

jharv — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:32:20 EST

An hour-long signing at a musical instrument shop on a chilly November evening will usually only attract hardcore music geeks. Unless you're Fall Out Boy bassist/petty eyelinered dictator Pete Wentz signing at a Manhattan Sam Ash store. In which case you attract a bananas number of hormonal high school girls and at least one self-professed cougar out to show ~~a guy who displays his junk on the Internet~~an emo bandleader how an older lady could change his life. Idolator videographer Alex Goldberg braved the deafening squeals of Wentz-related joy to find out just what it is about this doof that gets panties of all ages in a knot.

Pimp daddy Joe Simpson on the bouncers who ...

mjohnston — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:17:26 EDT

Pimp daddy Joe Simpson on the bouncers who got into a scuffle with him, Pete Wentz, and daughter Ashlee on Sunday night in Las Vegas: "[They're] just mad they make $12 an hour." On the bright side, we now have a definitive leader in the "first against the wall when the inevitably bloody class war comes" race. (Donald Trump must be so relieved.) [NYDN]

Fall Out Boy Should Be Sent To Bed Without Their Supper

jharv — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 09:30:00 EDT

Not content with luring my co-worker into their gilded palace of emo sin and trying to outdo young upstarts Panic! At The Disco for costumed bufoonery, Fall Out Boy are now spraying their musk all over one of my favorite books, with "a Where The Wild Things Are theme" for their upcoming tour. "'Where the Wild Things Are' is a great narrative," Pete Wentz told MTV as he beamed with delight over this next conceptual slight of hand: "It's kind of a takeoff on the idea of young wild things wearing Dior ankle-monitoring bracelets." Oy vey. But wait, Wentz isn't done making you question why god allows bad things to happen to us all, because he's considering Tay Zonday as the band's opening act, going so far as to cruelly compare Zonday's infernally froggy croak to Fall Out Boy's already put-upon frontman Patrick Stump. You gonna take that, Maura?

Fall Out Boy Becoming Monsters Of Rock For Fall Tour [MTV]

Pete Wentz's Hipbones To Be Jutting Out At A Mall Near You

mjohnston — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 13:00:00 EDT

Here's one of the ads for Pete Wentz's forthcoming line with DKNY Jeans, which will hit stores this fall. We were sure that his initial foray into the department-store world would have been a cry-proof brand of eyeliner for MAC, but maybe young men's departments won't be ready for their makeup counters until Spring '08.

Pete Wentz For DKNY Jeans [Just Jared via Radar]

More On Pete Wentz's Chicago Massacre

Brian Raftery — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 11:29:38 EDT

It looks like the Fall Out Boy bassist really did bring the ruckus at a show in Chicago last night. From Chicagoist, who also provided the above bloody photo:

From what we could see, Pete decided to have a "word" with a heckler who teased him about his relationship with Ashlee Simpson on his way out, and the shit (and a well-aimed beer bottle) then promptly hit the 'fan.' It wasn't immediately clear what Wentz down, but we caught a glimpse of Pete on the floor with the other dude on top of him. To the venue's credit, they hustled us out of there and were ready and waiting when the cops arrived.

That's all well and good, but what punny title will Wentz use when he eventually writes a song about this? We're going with "You Put My Heart In The Foreground (But Left Your Blood On The Floor)."

More Than We Bargained For [Chicagoist]

Today In Somewhat Unexpected, Completely Alleged Pop-Star Brawls

Brian Raftery — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 09:25:15 EDT

It's been almost three years since we bore witness to the fight between Glenn Danzig and the North Side Kings—a.ka. The Tussle In Tuba City—and America' musical heroes are still getting into brawls. First off, a tipster wrote in about an alleged fight involving Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz, who supposedly lashed out during a performance last night in Chicago. According to our spy, Wentz was none too plussed about comments being made an employee at the venue, and stopped the show after first few songs so he could do some pummeling. Any further details? Send them along to tips@idolator.com.

Meanwhile, according to TMZ.com, Timbaland—who's touring overseas with Justin Timberlake—was arrested in Germany Sunday for allegedly assaulting a bar patron who didn't want the producer talking to his girlfriend. If the brawl was anything like Timbaland's recent live shows, it was 45 minutes long, and punctuated with random references to Aaliyah.

Pete Wentz's Definition Of A "Dive" Needs A Bit Of Work

mjohnston — Tue, 01 May 2007 15:05:01 EDT

Last night was the opening party for the limited-edition New York emo-dude-owned bar Angels and Kings, and Page Six was there, inquiring as to why Pete Wentz and his pals would need to open up their own hideaway:

Wentz told Page Six he was tired of clubs with strict door policies and pretentious, uptight atmosphere and wanted to launch a place for his pals to kick back. "It's different when you want to bring your friends to a place . . . and maybe we're just not cool enough to get in. We really just want someplace where we can hang out and be ourselves." Will the Fall Out Boy be there? "Yeah, I'm just gonna be local and drink umbrella drinks," he said. "It will be a bit of a dive, which we need."

But not enough of a dive that there won't be a velvet-rope/red-carpet area outside, right? Aw, don't worry, Pete. We understand: Vomit from non-famous patrons is just icky.

Loser Joint, Bathroom Sex [NY Post]
[Photo: Getty Images]

Liner Notes: Pete Wentz Prepares To Spend Time With People Over The Age Of 21

Brian Raftery — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 14:37:19 EDT

- Pete Wentz is opening a "dive bar clubhouse" in Manhattan, the name of which will be 42 words long and include six puns. [New York Magazine]
- Madonna may have met with the father of her six-month-old Malawian child over the weekend. Then again, she may not have met with them. [People]
- 50 Cent's new album, Curtis, will be released in June; guest stars Akon, Eminem and Justin Timberlake will all do their best to cover up the fact that Fitty sounds like monosyllabic billy goat. [Billboard]

Fall Out Boy Is Not Monkeying Around When It Comes To Product Placement

mjohnston — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 17:06:55 EDT

Perhaps more notable than the number of chimpanzee co-stars in Fall Out Boy's video for "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs" is the high product-placement quotient throughout the whole thing—we didn't do an exact count, but it seems like Nokia probably got as much screen time as the band's guitarist. We guess that all those animal-wranglers must have caused the clip's production budget to go sky-high, thus making it ripe for subsidization, but are the makers of TAG Body Spray really trying to reel in the emo-kid crowd with a promise that even chimps will kiss your butt after you use it?

Thnks Fr Th Mmrs [YouTube, via The Hotstuff Files]

Pete Wentz Knows What Boys Like

Brian Raftery — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:17:20 EST

Pete Wentz's saucy Vice interview—in which the Fall Out Boy singer allegedly revealed some of his favorite under-the-covers peccadilloes—might have disappeared from the web, but the new issue of Blender finds him providing more details on his far-ranging sexual appetite:

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TASTE IN SEX?
I tend to be a bit prudish. I'm a make-out king—I'll kiss anybody—but as far as going further than that, I wanna keep my number down. I don't wanna tell my future wife, "Yeah, I've been with, like, 50 people." But when I'm with somebody, the caveman in me wants it to be completely deviant. Like, "Oh this isn't supposed to go in there? Then that's where it has to go."

SO, MAKE-OUT KING, YOU"VE KISSED BOYS?

I have. Anybody above the waist is fair game.

Hey! He stole that "above the waist" line from our grandmother, shortly after tonguing her at the 2004 Warped Tour.

Once Again, Pete Wentz's Oversharing Gets Him Into Trouble

mjohnston — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 10:19:03 EST

Laura at The Modern Age points to a Vice interview with Pete Wentz that was on the site for a day before being taken down. She's curious if the interview got pulled because it was fake, or because Island Records was shocked by Wentz copping to taking downers and kicking down hotel-room doors. Or maybe it's how the interview starts off with a bang:

VICE: On a scale of one to ten how much do you enjoy anal sex?
Pete Wentz: (Without hesitating) Ten.

Later, Wentz cops to some rockstar-by-the-book behavior:

Come on, you've sold like 36 million records. Specifics please. Err... Well the other night we got back to the hotel and I had a lady friend back with me.
Anal?
No, no! I was a little drunk and had taken a few downers to get me to sleep and we'd ordered a load of room service that just didn't turn up so I went down to the kitchen to try and see what the deal was and got really lost. I made my way back to the room somehow and was knocking on the door but no one answered. I got kinda mad and started kicking the door down 'cos I thought the chick was, like, robbing me or something. All of a sudden her head pops out of the door opposite and she's like freaking out going: "You've just kicked down 602. We're 603."

Oh, those wacky bass-playing lyricists. Honestly, there's nothing here that's too outlandish, especially in the Vice context. Unless it's the revelation of Wentz's foreplay techniques from years past that's freaking the label out—after all, "dry hump her to try and get her into it" is way below "nude self-portraits" on the list of sensitive-guy ways to get a young lady into the mood.

FALL OUT BOY - Q&A [vice.typepad.com, via The Modern Age]

Apparently, Even "Cool" People Are Not Immune To Charms Of Justin Timberlake

mjohnston — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 09:47:52 EST

Today's New York Times has some shocking news about the fanbase of Justin Timberlake:

Youthful urbanites who normally wouldn't admit to filling their iPods with anything remotely Top 40, let alone the music of a performer who can sell out Madison Square Garden, as Mr. Timberlake, 26, did for tonight's show, are suddenly unashamed of their copies of "Justified," his first solo album, or "FutureSex/LoveSounds," his recent chart-topper produced by Timbaland. Members of the Flaming Lips, Coldplay and Keane have come to his shows, and his music is a staple of cooler-than-thou fashion week.

On Monday, at an after-party for the Marc Jacobs show at the club Eugene, the D.J. Duane Harriott played "SexyBack," and the crowd of models, art directors, designers and other insider types hit the dance floor with abandon. "It's a timeless song," Mr. Harriott said, favorably comparing it to the Michael Jackson tune he spun next.

Pete Wentz, the bassist for Fall Out Boy, said at the party: "The cool thing about Justin Timberlake is that he's one of those dudes who can dance, sing, do everything. I went to a Victoria's Secret show, and he played there, and people loved it. You can go to hipster clubs, and they like it. I think at first they liked him ironically, but now they just like him."

We're looking forward to the splashy Sunday Styles exposé on the rise of "justipsters," illustrated by shots of Williamsburg partygoers stomping on disco balls while wearing fedoras. (They'll all be barefoot, though, to make it edgy.)

Timberlake, Pop Juggernaut, Is Gaining Some Unusual Fans [NYT]

Whispering Their Secrets In Huge, Hot Pink Type

mjohnston — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 10:00:06 EDT

Here's a surefire way to know which bands are on the path to being the next next Nirvana: the Livejournal community Musicsecret. Operating in the vein of mail-to-web art project Postsecret, but with more MS Paint-inspired flair, Musicsecret gives its users the opportunity to unburden themselves of the music-related thoughts percolating in their souls.

Most of the "secrets" fall into three categories: confessions of makeouts that wouldn't make anyone on Donna's Ho Board bat a fake eyelash; strident denials that band X sold out; and denials of those denials. Dig through the archives long enough, though, and you'll find a gem. We'd like to give huge props to the person who saw the undeniable resemblance between ex-Party of Five violin prodigy Lacey Chabert and Fall Out Boy bassist/lyricist Pete Wentz. With an eye like that, kid, you just may have a VH1 clip-show gig in your future.

Musicsecret [Livejournal]