Justin Bieber, Amy Poehler Breakout Stars At Time 100 Gala

'Parks and Recreation' co-star Aziz Ansari calls Poehler 'tremendously talented and really a leader in her field.'
By Jocelyn Vena


Amy Poehler attends the <i>Time</i> 100 Gala event on April 26, 2011
Photo: Getty Images

Although names like Bruno Mars and Oprah Winfrey made the final cut on this year's Time 100 list of the world's most-influential people, among the celebs MTV News spoke to at the ritzy black-tie gala in New York on Tuesday night, all the talk was about Justin Bieber and "Parks and Recreation" funny lady Amy Poehler.

La La Vazquez, with hubby Carmelo Anthony, by her side, said, "Justin Bieber actually loves 'Melo. They're still waiting to have a one-on-one basketball competition so maybe we can make that happen this summer." She continued, "I think it's an honor to be included in such an elite group and be invited to come celebrate. When I heard we got invited, I was like, 'Oh yes, we are going to this event tonight.' "

The Roots' drummer, Questlove, said he totally understands why the Biebs made the list. "I'm excited to see everybody tonight," he said. "I'm very humble to be here. It's too many to mention. I drummed with Bieber before. I think that there might have been a question to why he was included, but it's obvious this is a person that went from YouTube sensation to viral sensation to international superstar — that's gonna be the next level of celebrity."

Leave it to Poehler's "Parks and Rec" co-star Aziz Ansari to write in his own candidate. Asked whether he prefers Bieber or South Korean pop star turned actor Rain, who also made the list, Ansari joked, "I don't know who either of those people are." Adding, "The most influential person to me is probably Waka Flocka Flame. He's on the list, right? I'm pretty sure he was on there."

All jokes aside, Ansari had only love for Poehler. calling her a "very inspirational person; tremendously talented and really a leader in her field."

Poehler's former "Saturday Night Live" co-star Seth Meyers also had tons of love for her. "For me personally, Amy Poehler's the most influential on the list," he said. "I certainly wouldn't be invited to this without Amy Poehler, so that's a big step. Mostly just like providing coattails for me to ride on for years," he joked. "That's pretty key; that influenced me a lot."

About Bieber, Meyers later added: "I quote him a lot. I say 'Baby, baby, baby' a lot more than I used to. I work in a maternity ward in my off-time."

Who are your favorites on the Time 100 list? Sound off below!

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Michael Jackson's Family Upset With James Durbin Over 'American Idol' Pepsi Quip

'We were shocked to see this,' read the Jacksons' message; Durbin tweeted an apology on Thursday.
By Gil Kaufman


James Durbin performs on "American Idol" on Wednesday
Photo: Michael Becker/ Fox

Some people might argue that it's patently unfair to take rank amateurs, put them on the biggest show on TV and then expose them to potential worldwide ridicule every week. Because it's one thing to tune in to "American Idol" from your living room or play shows at the local wings joint, it's another thing entirely when you get up on that stage and open your mouth with tens of millions watching and listening.

James Durbin learned this lesson the hard way this week when he made what he thought was an innocent crack about not setting himself on fire during his pyro-tastic cover of Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)" on Wednesday night.

Asked by host Ryan Seacrest if he was worried about dancing around among the flames shooting up from the piano onstage, Durbin joked, "I have a lot of hairspray in my hair to keep it from jumping around — so much so, the one thing I was worried about was having a 'Pepsi moment.' "

The seemingly innocent crack was a reference to the 1984 on-set accident in which late pop icon Michael Jackson was badly burned during the shooting of a Pepsi commercial by some wayward pyro effects. The serious burns he suffered in the incident allegedly led to his longtime addiction to pain medication and prescription drugs.

The Jackson family was not amused by the quip and sent a statement to TMZ on Thursday.

"We were shocked to see this. It's nothing to make light of and everybody should be focusing on who was responsible for Michael's death," read the statement. Family patriarch Joseph Jackson also was reportedly miffed that "Idol" producers did not cut the comment from the West Coast feed of the show.

Durbin defended his slip-up in a tweet, which has since been scrubbed from the singer's official "Idol" Twitter feed, that explained, "For anyone talkin ... I said pepsi NOT MJ! I have no disrespect for Michael. I grew up singing his art. I guess youll take it how you want it." He later added, "Talkin about MJs passing is too soon. Making a reference to an incident 25 years ago..not too soon. The stab was at pepsi people."

It's worth noting that Pepsi's bitter rival, Coca-Cola, is the main "Idol" sponsor, a fact that Seacrest reminded Durbin of in an awkward moment after the comment on the show.

What did you think of James Durbin's "Pepsi" quip? Tell us in the comments.

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Chris Brown Takes Stage With Justin Bieber In Australia

Bieber's 'Up' remix partner surprised the crowd in Sydney on Thursday.
By Jocelyn Vena


Chris Brown (file)
Photo: Getty Images

Rumors abounded in recent days that Justin Bieber would be canceling a scheduled Australian gig because of a back injury. Not only did Bieber not cancel his Thursday (April 28) show in Sydney, he even brought a special guest to the gig.

"I don't cancel ... In route to Sydney!! THE SHOW IS ON!! I don't let my fans down! LEGGO!! #myworldtour," he wrote on Twitter before the gig. "Sydney ... Leggo! #myworldtour"

Hours later, Bieber and his crew revealed to fans who couldn't be at the show that his "Up" remix partner, Chris Brown, had taken the stage with him Down Under. "@JustinBieber and @ChrisBrown just tore the stage down. INSANE. #MyWorldTour," music video director and Bieber insider Alfredo Flores tweeted. Fans then began to weigh in on the pairing, causing Bieber to retweet their kind praise for the performance.

"I feel bad for that stage cause I just heard @justinbieber & @chrisbrown just killed the stage! LOOK AT ME NOW!" AlexisDanielle6 wrote.

Another Belieber, annargh, added, "@JustinBieber that was the most amazing concert I've ever been to! You are so talented! THANK YOU FOR SHARING IT WITH US."

Bieber's manager, Scooter Braun, even tweeted a picture of the two performing together, writing, "Look At Them Now! @justinbieber and @chrisbrown 2nite in SYDNEY ... KILL'T IT!"

Bieber obviously had the final say, writing, "And they thought we might cancel tonight. Look at Me Now! I love Australia! #SWAG."

According to a report in The Daily Telegraph, the crowd of nearly 16,000 girls went mad as Bieber played on the latest stop on his My World tour at the Acer Arena. "By the time the countdown clock announced the arrival of the 17-year-old superstar, you would have thought these over-excited, sugar-fueled kids would be ready to relax and enjoy the show," the review noted. "Nope, they blew the decibel reader into the red — reaching 110 decibels between songs — the equivalent of a chainsaw. Ear plugs were a matter of survival."

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Michael Jackson's Family Upset With James Durbin Over 'American Idol' Pepsi Quip

'We were shocked to see this,' read the Jacksons' message; Durbin tweeted an apology on Thursday.
By Gil Kaufman


James Durbin performs on "American Idol" on Wednesday
Photo: Michael Becker/ Fox

Some people might argue that it's patently unfair to take rank amateurs, put them on the biggest show on TV and then expose them to potential worldwide ridicule every week. Because it's one thing to tune in to "American Idol" from your living room or play shows at the local wings joint, it's another thing entirely when you get up on that stage and open your mouth with tens of millions watching and listening.

James Durbin learned this lesson the hard way this week when he made what he thought was an innocent crack about not setting himself on fire during his pyro-tastic cover of Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)" on Wednesday night.

Asked by host Ryan Seacrest if he was worried about dancing around among the flames shooting up from the piano onstage, Durbin joked, "I have a lot of hairspray in my hair to keep it from jumping around — so much so, the one thing I was worried about was having a 'Pepsi moment.' "

The seemingly innocent crack was a reference to the 1984 on-set accident in which late pop icon Michael Jackson was badly burned during the shooting of a Pepsi commercial by some wayward pyro effects. The serious burns he suffered in the incident allegedly led to his longtime addiction to pain medication and prescription drugs.

The Jackson family was not amused by the quip and sent a statement to TMZ on Thursday.

"We were shocked to see this. It's nothing to make light of and everybody should be focusing on who was responsible for Michael's death," read the statement. Family patriarch Joseph Jackson also was reportedly miffed that "Idol" producers did not cut the comment from the West Coast feed of the show.

Durbin defended his slip-up in a tweet, which has since been scrubbed from the singer's official "Idol" Twitter feed, that explained, "For anyone talkin ... I said pepsi NOT MJ! I have no disrespect for Michael. I grew up singing his art. I guess youll take it how you want it." He later added, "Talkin about MJs passing is too soon. Making a reference to an incident 25 years ago..not too soon. The stab was at pepsi people."

It's worth noting that Pepsi's bitter rival, Coca-Cola, is the main "Idol" sponsor, a fact that Seacrest reminded Durbin of in an awkward moment after the comment on the show.

What did you think of James Durbin's "Pepsi" quip? Tell us in the comments.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1661097/jackson-family-james-durbin-american-idol.jhtml

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