Pet Rock: The Pop Culture Blog

Just in time for your Fourth of July festivities, British researchers have announced they've discovered a rare original copy of the Declaration of Indepencence.

The "Dunlap print," so called because of the printer it came from, was found accidentally a few months ago, according to a spokeswoman at the National Archives. But researchers kept it under wraps until they could properly catalog it, which apparently they've done.

That's a pretty big deal, considering only about 200 copies were printed and that it was almost 250 years ago. The new find is in "good condition," says Edward Hampshire, colonial materials specialist with the National Archives, according to published reports. No one seems to know how the copy ended up in Great Britain.

The Dunlap prints, printed by John Dunlap of Philadelphia and distributed to important folks like, oh, George Washington, were the first copies made of the Declaration of Independence. They were then sent around the colonies to be read to the population in those pre-Youtube days.

The last Dunlap print found fetched $8.14 million at auction in 2000. -- Jessica Damiano

Michael Jackson's legacy continues to be celebrated all over, and tonight at 8 p.m. on MyNetworkTV, you can watch an very special TV tribute to the King of Pop.

We've got three clips from MyNetworkTV's encore presentation of the 2006 "World Music Awards." You'll see MJ reflect on the 25th anniversary of his megahit "Thriller," he'll sing "We Are the World" and even Chris Brown takes a moment to honor the pop star with an amazing performance of his own.

Watch Michael Jackson tributes, fan reactions, news updates and more in our MJ video player.

About halfway through watching the BET Awards and its three-hour tribute to Michael Jackson on Sunday night, I started wondering how they would close the show.

After a few minutes of thought, I planned for a big "We Are the World" tribute. Nope. Not even close. We got something much better: Janet Jackson!

>>Photos: 2009 BET Awards
>>Photos: BET Awards tribute to Michael Jackson

Making her first public appearance since Jackson's shocking death on Thursday (TMZ photos not withstanding), Janet remained strong as she thanked everyone in attendance at the BET Awards and elsewhere all over the world for their love and support. She was clearly upset, as you'd expect her to be. But it was the most touching moment of the night.

Here are a few quotes from Janet, with the full video below.

"My entire family wanted to be here tonight but it was too painful."

"To you, Michael is an icon. To us, Michael is family and he will forever live in our hearts."

Jamie Foxx and Ne-Yo closed the show with a rendition of "I'll Be There," which was the second-most heartfelt moment of the night.

This second clip has most of the Janet speech, but it also has the entire "I'll Be There" performance from Foxx and Ne-Yo.

Jamie Foxx and Martin Lawrence recreated their old-school characters "Wanda" and "Sheneneh" for this movie trailer at the 2009 BET Awards.

We doubt "Skank Robbers" would ever become a real theatrical movie, but at least this trailer will make you laugh.

We all saw model Joanna Krupa go off on Terrell Owens on the premiere episode of "The Superstars" last Tuesday.

It was quite a spectacle and set off the comments section here in Pet Rock.

This past Friday, Krupa went on WFAN's "Boomer & Carton" morning radio show to defend herself. It's all the editing, she said. As someone who shoots and edits video for a living, she has a very valid point. However, everything she did on camera, she did on camera.

Krupa explained her actions to Craig Carton, yet still managed to take a pot shot or two at T.O. Listen to the WFAN interview here.

Surely you remember all those folks in the orange jumpsuits re-enacting the "Thriller" dance back in 2007. Well, those folks -- inmates at the Cebu Detention and Rehabilitation Center in the central Philippines -- returned to YouTube with another tribute to Michael Jackson after his sudden death on June 25, 2009.

(AP Photo)

OK, so it's 11:12 p.m. on Friday, June 26, 2009, and Michael Jackson's death finally hit me. A full 30 hours after the fact. Such is life as a working online journalist when his job is to disseminate information to the masses as fast as possible when a major news story breaks.

It hit me as I searched for Michael Jackson videos on YouTube and found clips of people all over the world congregating in the streets to celebrate Michael. Sure, I read the stories as I posted them online about people reacting to the King of Pop's sudden death. But, true to Michael's ultimate lasting legacy in pop culture, it was through video that I truly understood what happened.

Michael Jackson would no longer perform or create new music, so the people did it for him. They channeled their childhood when life was simpler and we were all less jaded about the world.

It's amazing to see people come together with a boom box and sing and dance in the streets. Usually, that's reserved for celebratory things such an election or a sports championship or victory in war.

I don't understand how it happened, but that's the point. And if you think about it, what else could you do? Michael Jackson was the biggest global icon of all time, and through sadness, we found joy. Everyone reading this listened to their favorite Michael Jackson songs when they heard the news. Don't lie. And we've got the Amazon.com sales reports to prove it.

YouTube is flooded with similar videos of people moonwalking and singing, so here's a quick sampling from around the globe. It's an amazing moment to witness and one that will last us a lifetime.

At the Apollo Theater in NYC

In London . . .

In Paris . . .

What are your Top 5 Michael Jackson songs?

We've been remembering Michael Jackson all morning at the Pet Rock headquarters, and the Top 5 songs debate arose. We've all forced ourselves to pick five MJ songs that rang truest to us, and we want to hear what yours are.

Here are some of our choices; put in your own top 5 picks in the comments, below.

Add in your top 5 in the comments, below.

- Listen to Michael Jackson 911 tape

- Complete coverage of Michael Jackson's death

- Photos: Michael Jackson dies at 50

- Video: NYers re-enact "Thriller" video

Michael Jackson died suddenly Thursday, and the world began mourning. Every network scurried to put together packages. The 24-hour cable news networks found anyone and everyone to put on camera.

But, for me, right now at 2:39 a.m and home for only a half-hour after putting all the Michael Jackson content on our site, there is only one option for me: MTV.

Why? Let me explain.

I grew up with Michael Jackson, much the same way MTV did. He made MTV as much as MTV made him. Prior to "Billie Jean," MTV didn't play music videos from black artists. Then Columbia Records stepped in and threatened to pull all their other videos from the then-fledgling network.

The rest, as they say, is history. The world changed.

When Michael Jackson debuted a new video, it was an event. It was done in primetime, and you made damn sure to be in front of a television 20 minutes before the world premiere was set to air on MTV. Missing the premiere of a Michael Jackson video was akin to buying a suit at Wal-Mart. Why would you ever do that?

This is the reason there will never be another Michael Jackson. Not just because he made good music and was popular. Plenty of artists did that already.

Michael Jackson's videos told stories. They supported his music. If you put the television on mute, his videos would still make sense. That's illegal today. Now, every music video rotates from car to skimpy clothed girl to cash money to a boobed-out girl to a bottle of champagne to a booty shorts girl and then back to a car. And try to find a video that stays on a shot for more than four seconds before cutting away.

Jackson existed in a time when premiering a video on MTV was how people were introduced to new music. We didn't have iTunes or MySpace or tinyurls to put on a Twitter feed back then.

I remember when "Thriller" debuted. I remember my friends and I trying to tie our hands together and have a knife fight like in "Beat It." I used to dream the floor would light up when I walked on it. The bad-ass quality of the "Bad" video still holds true now. "Remember the Time" when Michael Jackson turned into gold dust and set Iman's heart aflutter?

Oh wait, we forgot about "Scream." Off the chain. "Black and White?" Ahead of its time. Of course, nothing will ever belong in the same conversation as "Thriller," and that's fine. It was that good. Still is.

These are moments we don't forget. They are not hard-news moments that affect the world like a Vietnam or a World War II or a Sept. 11, but they're memorable nonetheless. They make up a part of the fabric of our lives.

And while I fully recognize the craziness that made up Jackson's life in the latter part of his life, that shouldn't be his lasting legacy. It's fine to bring up in the conversation, though, since it's part of his history. We'll remember it because of its recency when compared with, say, the "Off the Wall" album from 1979, and because of its high drama.

But, Michael Jackson isn't the first celebrity to face a disgraceful plummet from the top of the world, and he won't be the last.

See, the celebrity cycle goes like this: When a famous person blazes a trail, everyone to follow suit is "The next [insert famous name here]." When that famous person dies, "there will never be another [insert famous name here]."

Michael Jackson's lasting legacy rests with his music and his music videos. You will never see another like him.

Just watch this video tribute below from -- where else? -- MTV and you'll understand.

Michael Jackson suffered a heart attack Thursday afternoon at his home and died at UCLA Medical Center. Not really sure how to handle that besides the job-part of things such as working the story and putting together all sorts of material for you to look at over there at newsday.com/michael.

Likely, it will hit me from the pop culture standpoint later tonight. In the meantime, watch some of MJ's videos and live performances in this playlist. I'll add to it as the night progresses.

- La Monica

>> Watch more videos on Michael Jackson's YouTube channel
>> Click here for new updates on Michael Jackson as they happen.
>> Watch Michael Jackson change year-by-year
>> Vote: Michael Jackson's best song

Continue reading "Watch Michael Jackson's videos" »

Not much we can say that other people won't about Farrah Fawcett passing away Thursday from anal cancer. So, we'll just post a quick visual tribute, which is arguably the most iconic photo of a woman in pop culture history.

Somewhere, Donovan McNabb, Tony Romo and dozens of other NFL players are smiling and Googling "Joanna Krupa."

The supermodel talked mad trash to and about her teammate Terrell Owens in the first episode of "The Superstars." Seems she didn't appreciate losing the loser's race in tandem kayaking. She refused to talk to the "media," sideline reporter Jenn Brown. Owens did the same.

She also didn't enjoy Owens getting his foot caught in the cargo net, the final hurdle in the elimination obstacle course. She also lolly-gagged it a bit herself.

Among her many quips aimed at the Pro Bowl wide receiver who has been known to talk a good (or bad) game:

"I'll be a prima donna like you been"

"So cocky? For what? You got in the NFL?"

"Un[bleeping]believable."

"I don't want a teammate like that. Calls himself an athlete. What does he get a million dollars for?"

"No T.O., Not 'Let's go.' You're the one that [bleeped] up. We could have won. So shut up!"

Wow!

Someone actually said what they were really thinking about T.O. when there was a camera and a microphone around. I still love Owens as a football player and a talker. I just love Krupa a little more right now. She was quite bitchy, which is an instant turnoff, but at least she spoke her mind, so if I appreciate when T.O. does that, I must do the same here. If given the choice of who to support as a fan, though, I'll take T.O. any day. Sorry, Joanna, being hot can only get you so far in life.

Of course, Owens got the final quip in when he dropped this gem as the eliminated pair did the walk of shame off "The Superstars":

"I really feel bad for her boyfriend. I really feel bad for him."

P.S. In the interest of full disclosure, I had the Owens-Krupa team as the No. 2 seed and the Lisa Leslie-Dan Cortese team as the No. 1 seed in my "Superstars" preseason rankings. Guess which two teams faced off in the sudden death obstacle course?

You can watch the unedited video of Krupa going off on T.O. here. Note: Lots of cussin', by the way.

>> Meet The Superstars
>> Vote: Who will win "The Superstars"?

(ABC Photo)

I grew up watching ABC's "Wide World of Sports" and "Superstars," and I'm fine if that makes it easier for you to figure out that I'm old. So when ABC announced it was bringing back "The Superstars" this summer, I was quite excited. Finally, there's something to watch in the summer when I get mad at the Yankees for giving up five runs one inning after they scored four.

Eight athlete-celebrity pairs will compete for the title, with one team being eliminated each week. Thankfully, the voting public has nothing to vote on with this show, so it might actually determine the true superstars instead of just the superstar team with the most Twitter followers and Facebook friends.

Events include swimming, biking, running, kayaking and other head-to-head competition including the obstacle course. In the spirit of competition, Pet Rock will now rank the teams and predict the winner.

8) Jeff Kent & Ali Landry

He's a baseball player with a mustache and it's not 1985 anymore. She's a Miss USA winner and the Doritos girl. And that's about as far as this team will go.

7) Jennifer Capriati & David Charvet

Now we'll find out just how much of Charvet's running on the beach in "Baywatch" was acting and how much was real. Capriati was a world-class tennis player

6) Brandi Chastain & Julio Iglesias Jr.

She's a soccer superstar, so she'll be well-conditioned. He's the son of Julio Inglesias who's not named Enrique. Nor is he dating Anna Kournikova. End of the line.

5) Kristi Leskinen & Maksim Chmerkovskiy

Leskinen is a Winter X Games stud, and although she'll be competing in warm-weather events, that mind-set will carry her team through a few weeks. Chmerkovskiy is a "Dancing With the Stars" veteran and might get another chance to be on television without a shirt.

4) Robert Horry & Estella Warren

Unlike the entire NBA in the final 10 seconds of a game, I know enough to know that Robert Horry needs to be covered. Big Shot Rob will come through with a clutch performance once again for us, but it won't be enough to win it all. Before acting, Warren was a synchronized swimmer in Canada. That will bode well in the kayaking portion. I have some concerns about Horry's height in that kayak!

3) Bode Miller & Paige Hemmis

Never underestimate the heart of an Olympian, even if that Olympian is a big-time partyer who has admitted to drunken skiing in the past. And Hemmis is an extremist, too, albeit on ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

2) Terrell Owens & Joanna Krupa

Some may turn away at the thought of the talkative T.O. on their football team, but no one can deny his athletic prowess. Krupa is seriously hot and I'm guessing that will propel this duo to the final round.

1) Lisa Leslie & Dan Cortese

She's a basketball champion, an Olympic champion and can dunk. He was a football player in college and used to host MTV Sports. Cortese could be the most athletic celebrity on the show, thereby making this team the favorite.

>> Meet The Superstars
>> Vote: Who will win "The Superstars"?
>> Joanna Krupa is the envy of the NFL

Chris Brown and Rihanna at separate court appearances (Getty Images Photo)

Chris Brown copped a plea deal to felony assault of Rihanna the night before the Grammy Awards.

Brown's lawyer, Mark Geragos, said the plea deal includes five years of supervised probation and six months of community labor. Brown will be formally sentenced Aug. 5.

Of course, I'm not privy to all the facts in the case, but the sentence seems pretty soft. The public perception now is that it's OK to beat up a woman. Again, I don't know all the facts, so this is just based on what's been circulating in mainstream media. Still, I think it sends the wrong message, but that's just my opinion. What's yours? Vote in the poll below.

>> Rihanna photos
>> Chris Brown photos

Viral videos are fun. Here I am, sitting and minding my own business, attempting to get some work done on a dull Monday afternoon, when an IM window pops open with that familiar bling. It's a URL from a friend. I click on said URL without expectation and am awarded with a veritable gem from Northeast Ohio.

Apparently there was a black bear roaming the suburban Midwest. Because the camera crew for the local newscast couldn't find the bear, they went with the next best option -- a cardboard cutout. Yes, this is broadcast journalism at it's finest.

Like the guy in the bunny suit said: "I'm good. I'm uhhh faster than a bear."

Watch and enjoy, then read comments from our other trusty bloggers. --Anne Machalinski

"I wonder how many 10-year-olds it took to put this bear together. Ah, the summer intern season." -- José M.

"There's no way that's real. Then again, it's Fox. Then again, it's Northeast Ohio." -- Mark LaMonica

"I'm in shock that this is a real newscast! My favorite part is the nature expert talking about "scat," which is commonly known as bear poop! Oh, and the real gem is the talking rabbit costume. It gets no better than this!" -- Corris

"Everybody who see the black bear say YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH" -- Lizzy