SECOND-ACT EDITION
GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK
Diddy
The rapper will run his own Comcast cable network, as will Magic Johnson
Jayson Blair
The disgraced former New York Times reporter now advises others as a life coach
FOOD
Can Two Wrongs Make a Right?
In an effort to boost sales after a slow year, Taco Bell is unveiling the Doritos Locos Taco. It’s the standard beef taco with a shell made of–well, you can guess the second part. Now you can have all the guilt that comes with eating a fast-food taco with the bonus of cheesy-dust fingers.
WHAT BALL?
Since 2001, New York City–based installation artist Kurt Perschke has taken his RedBall on the road, from Abu Dhabi and Taiwan (right, in 2010) to Chicago and now Perth, Australia. He says that as he makes his way around the world, he is constantly approached by people who have ideas about what spaces he should try to squeeze the inflatable vinyl ball into. Perschke writes on his website, “It opens a doorway to imagine What if?”
CRIME
The Case of the Piggyback Bandit
Sherwin Shayegan, 28, likes to drop in on high school sports matches (typically basketball) and persuade players to give him piggyback rides, though he has been known to jump on without asking. So far he’s been barred from school athletic events in five states.
HOLLYWOOD
94%
WHITE
77%
MALE
86%
50 OR OLDER
Who determines each year’s Oscar winners? Old(er) white men, for the most part, according to a recent Los Angeles Times study of the Academy’s 5,765-person voting roster.
FASHION
Bag Lady
One industry’s punching bag is another’s muse. Though music critics universally blasted Lana Del Rey’s off-pitch Saturday Night Live performance, the fashion community can’t get enough of her. British brand Mulberry named a new satchel after Del Rey, who appears on recent covers of British Vogue and T magazine.
ODDITIES
Itemized Hirsuteness
At first glance, it seems like your typical protest: a group plans to march on Washington for tax reform. But look closer. The sponsor is the American Mustache Institute, and the Million Mustache March will fight for a tax credit for hairy-lipped Americans. Did we mention this is set for April Fools’ Day? Despite the silliness, H&R Block will donate to charity for every mustachioed marcher.
AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEA
Born in the coastal city of Yantai, Chinese photographer Zhang Xiao has always been attracted to bodies of water. His Coastline series, on view through March 10 at Hong Kong’s Blindspot Gallery, explores the impact of rapid economic development on Chinese shores, including Shenzhen’s (above). Read more at lightbox.time.com
VERBATIM
‘They can say whatever, Ima do whatever … No pain is forever.’
RIHANNA, tweeting a lyric from her song “Hard” in response to those who have been critical of her apparent reconciliation with her ex Chris Brown, who assaulted her in 2009; the former couple released two collaborative songs a few days after the tweet
REVIEW
MUSIC
Sleigh Bells’ Reign of Terror
On its second effort, the Brooklyn duo has polished its abrasive sound–full of shredded guitars and drums that aren’t so much played as battered–into a part-metal, part-pop sheen. It’s a riveting album and one that has a sinister strain beneath its cheery veneer.
–CLAIRE SUDDATH
MUSIC
Still Rollin’
Adele’s banner year just keeps getting better. She picked up two top prizes at the Brit Awards–not long after taking home six Grammys–and her one-year-old album, 21, has now spent the most time at No. 1 in the modern era, with a fitting 21 nonconsecutive weeks on the Billboard 200.
4 THINGS YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS WEEK
1. Sticking to your diet.
Mars–maker of Snickers and Milky Way–will stop selling king-size candy bars by 2013.
2. Phil Mickelson’s drive.
Despite hitting a golf ball into a spectator’s shorts at the Northern Trust Open, the golfer still shot par on the hole.
3. Chris Cornell’s sense of decency.
When a Seattle airport traveler used a gay slur, the Soundgarden front man jumped to the aggrieved party’s defense.
4. The London Olympics’ taste in music.
Blur will headline the closing ceremony.
FOR MORE POP-CULTURE COVERAGE, VISIT TIME’S ENTERTAINMENT WEBSITE entertainment.time.com
More Must-Reads from TIME
- How the Electoral College Actually Works
- Your Vote Is Safe
- Mel Robbins Will Make You Do It
- Why Vinegar Is So Good for You
- The Surprising Health Benefits of Pain
- You Don’t Have to Dread the End of Daylight Saving
- The 20 Best Halloween TV Episodes of All Time
- Meet TIME's Newest Class of Next Generation Leaders
Contact us at letters@time.com