As fans of truTV’s ‘Haunting Evidence’ know, John J. Oliver has an uncanny knack for looking into the future. Naturally, we were “psyched” when this professional psychic offered to talk celebrity predictions with Predicto TV.
Ever gracious, John was nice enough to stop by our office and spend some quality time discussing what we can expect in 2010. After we’d granted him one vital request – that during our in-depth interview he be able to face south for optimal feng shui – he settled in and gave us some seer-ious 2010 predictions. In part 2 of our chat (watch Part 1 here) he clairvoyantly tips us off as to whose new year will be smooth sailing, as well as who can expect rocky roads ahead.
Domino’s Pizza has a soft spot among pizza lovers across the country. The fast food giant is embedded within our pop culture. Whoever has not heard of the Noid? And the famous topping-laden pies have appeared in numerous movies and TV shows. What the pizza chain is most known for is its speedy delivery service – it ranks number one in providing the best pizza deliveries. Towards the end of the year, Domino’s has decided it wanted to be number one in taste too. So they gave its flagship product a major makeover. Domino’s famous pizza is now made with an entirely new recipe. The question is, will it be a hit or will it flop to the fast food floor like a piece of over-stretched pizza dough?
According to Patrick Doyle, Domino’s president, it took two years of research, with customers taste testing nearly 50 blends of crust seasoning, 15 sauces, and dozens of cheeses, for them to create their brand-new pizza recipe. The result, he says, is a major improvement from the previous servings. The crust now delivers a flavorful kick with a little garlic and parsley in it, the sauce is a little sweeter with a hint of red pepper, and the cheesy coating made from shredded rather than diced cheese.
It’s only been a week since the quick-service pizza chain started serving their new pizza and already, the country’s abuzz with mixed reviews.Some Domino’s Pizza loyalists say they loved what they had before and didn’t understand what needed changing. Others, mostly those who have already tried the new Italian fast food concoction, say that the pizza is worth taking another bite out of.
It is still too early to see the impact of this radical palate change in Domino’s Pizza. Some critics fear the pizza parlor risks going the same way as Coke did back in 1985 when it decided to change their soda formula: Failure. Domino’s says there is no such possibility because according to statistics, they’re already at the bottom of the barrel. There’s no way to go but up.
Still Predicto wants in on the pizza predictions. 76% have voted YES to Domino’s success. What do you think? Will Domino’s new, more flavorful pizza tickle the palate of all the pizza eaters? Or will people find it too ‘different’ for their taste? Check out the latest polls and participate! Visit Predicto today!
The Predicto TV team was invited to many great events throughout 2009. No matter how exclusive the guest list, sometimes it seemed everywhere we went, members from the cast of ‘The Real Housewives of New York City’ were in the house.
The ladies had plenty to share with us, but the number one topic was usually whether or not controversial Kelly Bensimon will be back in 2010. A lot of Predicto members voted to kick her off and even those who didn’t made sure to let us know they weren’t supporting her with their votes. Member “kristileigh” for instance commented that Bensimon would NOT be dumped, but added “Kelly has some issues.”
Issues aside, the girl appears to be a survivor. As the Bravo series’ third season nears its premiere, we’re already hearing that Bensimon is at the center of dramaand tossing barbs at mom-to-be Bethenny Frankel. See what other juicy morsels the ‘Housewives’ offered up to our cameras – check out Episode 55 of Predicto TV now!
Zhu Zhu Pets. No, no, we didn’t swear at you in some exotic language. Zhu Zhu Pets are the new must-have toys that are all the rage these days. These furry, robotic hamsters have been a darling of millions of toy shoppers.
Marketed as “recession-friendly pets,” Zhu Zhu Pets give would-be pet owners everything that is fun about owning a pet, but without any of the hassles that come with actually keeping real-life hamsters. They are small. They are furry. They are adorable as they move and scurry, especially when set to “Adventure Mode” and they explore the environment. Those who want to do less chasing and more petting can set them to “Nurturing Mode” and they will coo and purr. That’s all they need to know — on top of how they never need to eat, sleep or take a dump.
The theory has been a hit. Zhu Zhu (or “little pig” in Chinese) Pets began selling at $10 per toy clip, but had faced massive shortages, prompting a surprising 400% markup to $40 per toy.
Criticism has hounded these toys, however. Some say that part of why people give pets to children is to teach them responsibility — something an electric hamster doesn’t really impart, aside from regularly replacing batteries. Web cartoonist David Willis recently lampooned the toys in his Web comic, Shortpacked!, citing the point of buying a toy hamster when a real hamster will do.
More damning are allegations that the toys are not safe. Zhu Zhu Pets have been cited by consumer watchdog groups for containing more than the allowed levels of the metal antimony. U.S. federal safety regulators from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, however, announced on December 7 that the toys were safe and cleared them of the antimony level issues. Still, some groups such as GoodGuide insist that their methods for testing are different and thus will yield different results from that of government tests.
New York Women in Film & Television, which has supported the advancement of women in the entertainment industry for more than 30 years, presented their 2009 Muse Awards at a gala luncheon in New York. We asked the honorees–TV stars Julianna Margulies and America Ferrera, and industry VIPs Andrea Wong and Allison Silverman– their views on the latest in news and gossip. Check out Episode 54 of Predicto TV now!
Of all the major award shows, the Grammys by far have the quirkiest nominees. This year, non-musical celebs like Jimmy Carter, Carrie Fisher and Michael J. Fox all received nods. Granted, they were for spoken word albums, but still.
Which makes Andy Samberg’s nomination (as part of the comedy trio Lonely Island) for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration even weirder. How has a goofy actor from SNL broken into a category that features rap heavyweights like Jay-Z, Kanye and T.I.?
It helps that “I’m On A Boat” isn’t his first foray into critically acclaimed song parodies. It may seemed to have debuted ages ago (it was only 2005) but “Lazy Sunday“was an online smash that helped define YouTube as the destination for must-see video clips. This song also reminds us that once upon a time, people were really excited about seeing the Chronicles of Narnia.
Samberg and his Lonely Island cohorts have been churning out the catchy Yankovic-eque tunes ever since. “Lazy Sunday” was a viral hit, but “Dick in a Box”won him and Justin Timberlake Emmy awards.
Who would have imagined that a Color Me Badd impression would wow the world, and then spawn an equally successful sequel with “Motherlover“, featuring cameos by A-listers Susan Sarandon and Patricia Clarkson?
But to be honest, we think that Jake Gyllenhaal’s one-second appearance in “I Ran So Far Away” was the best of the lot. And for a song dedicated to a highly controversial world leader, it’s oddly romantic.
Then there’s “Jizz in My Pants.” Yep, the title says it all. And just recently, Samberg teamed up with Rihanna on “Shy Ronnie”, which is worthwhile just to hear Rihanna sing in disgust, “He’s pissed his pants.”
And of course, there’s his Grammy-nominated hit “I’m On A Boat”, a pitch-perfect parody of rap video excess, with its obnoxious use of Auto-Tune and a gratuitous T.I. appearance.
So can a catchy but fake rap song beat out the real thing? The Predicto Mobile community believes that Samberg and his Lonely Island friends will be go home empty-handed on Grammy night, with 66% predicting they’ll lose the prize. As SNL’s Debbie Downer would say, wah wah.
Do you think Samberg has a shot at Grammy glory? Have your say by visiting Predicto.com and registering for the text message-based mobile game that has everyone predicting the outcome of sports, pop culture, news and entertainment events. Along with being able to vote on surveys, including this one, you’ll get updates when the answers are revealed.
Sign up today — and get more Predicto by becoming a fan on Facebook!
“Even the best fall down sometimes” says the chorus of the song “Collide” by Howie Day. That phrase succinctly describes what has become of today’s sports heroes as of late. We all know about Tiger Woods. Yet there’s another one bubbling right now: the fate of tennis ace Andre Agassi.
Agassi stands alone, having taken in a career boatload of titles, but now, the great man stands alone in a different way. The legendary tennis star has just released his autobiography and it has detailed everything, warts and all. The book is at the center of a swirling storm of controversy and the tennis superstar’s legacy is now in jeopardy.
The crux of the matter is about the phase in his career around 1997. In his book Open, he describes how his young self had all the promise to be great, but his life was a mess. At the lowest point of his career, he had tested positive for using crystal meth and lied about taking the drug. That same year, he would go on to win championships and the experience became a catalyst for change in his life.
Now that this episode is behind him and now retired since 2005, Agassi has had his life turned around. He is the founder of the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, which raised $60 million for at-risk children, as well as founded the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas.
This good reputation is now under siege by his book and the public admission therein. He has since had to defend his reputation from criticism left and right. His book and his admission to the fact of cheating on a drug test was hailed as courageous by many, notably ESPN’s Rick Reilly, one of the most noted sports writers active today.
Yet others demand more than just an admission. Fact remains that he should have been suspended from the sport for using the drug, but he lied about it and avoided a lengthy ban. In that time, he would go on to win titles and achieve success that he should not have been entitled to had he told the truth in the first place. In particular, tennis great Martina Navratilova is shocked at the lies and expressed deep disappointment.
Given the backlash that the athlete has received, there is speculation that Andre Agassi may be stripped of titles that he won during this time. We have raised the question to the Predicto community: Will Andre Agassi be stripped of any titles he won by the time January 25, 2010 comes along? After nearly 1,000 votes, 58% do not believe he will be stripped of titles.
What about you? How do you feel about this? Sign up at Predicto.com and sound off today!
Anyone naive enough to predict that the Tiger Woods scandal would simmer down after his Thanksgiving Escalade ‘accident’ first raised suspicions has been proven to be way off the mark. Though, like many golfers, he tried to blame that one on the ‘Caddy’, in fact Tiger is in deeper rough now more than ever. Moreover, his sticky situation features nearly as many unanswered questions as it does unscrupulous lovers.
Meanwhile, the one place where Woods stands to get hit hardest remains his wallet. The billionaire has yet to lose any of his seven-figure endorsements, and only 49% of Predicto Mobile members think he will. Still, the latest ‘dis’ from one of his main sponsors, Gatorade, has to give Tiger a little case of the yips. As reported by the New York Times, the famous thirst-quencher, short of cancelling their contract with the world’s greatest golfer, “announced on Tuesday that it was discontinuing its Tiger Woods Sports Drink.”
Celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton has never been shy about expressing his opinions on the rich and famous, but now he’s on the receiving end of the tongue-lashing.
Perez was supposed to appear on Los Angeles TV station KTLA to promote his new book. Apparently, Hilton arrived at 8 a.m., nearly an hour and a half before his scheduled on-air time, and demanded to be put on the show.
Since this couldn’t happen, the Queen of All Media reportedly stormed out of the studio. The station’s Sam Rubin was so upset about what went down that he berated Hilton the following day.
Never one to run from a fight, we’re curious to see if Perez will defend himself against what we’re sure will be perceived as an attack.
What do you think will happen? Visit Predicto.com and register for the text message-based mobile game that has everyone predicting the outcome of sports, pop culture, news and entertainment events. Along with being able to vote on surveys, including this one, you’ll get updates when the answers are revealed.
Sign up today — and get more Predicto by becoming a fan on Facebook!
Hip-hop is one genre where collaboration thrives and few have embraced this art as much as 50 Cent. Who could forget such 50 classics as “Magic Stick” with Lil Kim, “P.I.M.P.” with Snoop Dogg and “Candy Shop” featuring Olivia?
The Scottish singer took the Internet by storm with her audition on Britain’s Got Talent. She recently released her debut album, which sold more than 700,000 copies in the United States alone. Not bad for someone who was an unknown just last year.
50 clearly wants to hop on the success express train that Boyle is conducting, but is he talented enough to score a duet with the Simon Cowell protégé? 53% of voting Predicto Mobile members say yes!
Will you pick up SuBo and 50’s collaboration wax? Have your say by visiting Predicto.com and registering for the text message-based mobile game that has everyone predicting the outcome of sports, pop culture, news and entertainment events. Along with being able to vote on surveys, including this one, you’ll get updates when the answers are revealed.
Sign up today — and get more Predicto by becoming a fan on Facebook!
We know how much you love celebrity gossip – now make your opinions heard! Predicto is your source for one of the most popular spicy celebrity gossip blogs on the Internet! You can also participate in exciting SMS survey blogs right from your own cell phone. At Predicto, we bring you the week’s hottest news and recap your predictions. Connect with the Predicto Mobile community and join in the fun today!
60% polled say Tiger Woods will return to pro golf 3/26 for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Interesting voter comments: http://bit.ly/94mJVl2 hours ago
It helps that “I’m On A Boat” isn’t his first foray into critically acclaimed song parodies. It may seemed to have debuted ages ago (it was only 2005) but 
Who would have imagined that a Color Me Badd impression would wow the world, and then spawn an equally successful sequel with 
And of course, there’s his Grammy-nominated hit 
Anyone naive enough to predict that the Tiger Woods scandal would simmer down after his 
