Pop Chart

PINK-FOOD EDITION

GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK

Ground beef

Makers of the “pink slime” beef blend slowed production amid public uproar

Frappuccinos

Starbucks’ strawberry coloring is now made with bug extract, angering vegetarians

OOPS

Wrong Anthem

When Kazakh gold medalist Maria Dmitrienko took the podium at the Arab Shooting Championships in Kuwait, she expected to hear her country’s national anthem. But show runners accidentally played the spoof version heard in the 2006 movie Borat, which boasts that “Kazakhstan prostitutes [are the] cleanest in the region.” Oof.

ON DISPLAY

Couture off the Runway

A new show at the Denver Art Museum revisits Yves Saint Laurent’s greatest hits, from his androgynous women’s tuxedo jacket to his color-blocked Mondrian shift (above). The retrospective, which runs through July 8, follows the French designer’s 40-year career–including a stint at the House of Dior–and highlights some 200 haute couture pieces, flanked by films, photos and sketches. Alas, YSL diehards can’t wear any of the clothes home.

PRETTY FLY 24

Wingspan, in feet, of the world’s largest paper airplane. Made of sturdy cardboard, it was built by an Arizona museum, set aloft by a helicopter and flew on its own for 6 sec.

DEAL

Pop Princess

Rap artist Nicki Minaj, the first woman to appear on Forbes’ annual list of the top hip-hop earners, is reportedly joining forces with Pepsi. The “Super Bass” singer, whose second album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, is due April 3, will shill for a new product called Pop–a name befitting the singer’s bubbly personality and style. And she’s in good company: past Pepsi celebs include Michael Jackson and Britney Spears.

Q&A

Colin Meloy

The Decemberists front man’s Wildwood fantasy series–think Narnia goes to Portland–has already produced one best seller. Now Meloy’s aiming to repeat with Under Wildwood, the follow-up, due out in September.

How does book writing differ from songwriting?

Writing books is like looking at a giant stack of firewood that you have to deal with piece by piece. With songwriting, it’s about waiting for something inspirational to come and catching it before it’s gone.

Curtis, the books’ leading boy, is pretty adventurous. Did you model him after yourself?

As a kid, I was desperate for escapism. Curtis is living that fantasy. He not only goes into another world; he decides to stay. I definitely identify with that urge.

In a battle between Wildwood’s Curtis and Prue, the Narnia kids and Sam and Frodo from Lord of the Rings, who wins? Sam and Frodo, no contest. They travel with swords. Curtis and Prue have to get by on their wits.

–STEPHANIE ABRAHAMS

TO READ THE FIRST THREE CHAPTERS OF UNDER WILDWOOD, GO TO TIME.COM/ENTERTAINMENT

CIRCLE GAME

Through May 13, evening visitors to Washington’s National Mall will see and hear Doug Aitken’s SONG 1 dancing all around the circular walls of the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn art museum. The first-of-its-kind convex-screen display taps 11 high-definition projectors to broadcast a 35-min. loop of 360-degree video, including images of actress Tilda Swinton and car wheels.

VERBATIM

‘Whatever your beliefs are … that’s bullying.’

KIM KARDASHIAN, on being flour-bombed by a woman, allegedly affiliated with the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, who called her a “fur hag”; the activist group denies it’s responsible for the attack

Moments before

BOY BANDS

The British Are Coming (to Billboard)

Haven’t heard of One Direction? Ask a tween–or check a record book. The boy band, formed on the U.K.’s X Factor, debuted atop the Billboard 200 with its first album, Up All Night. The lads are the first Brits ever to accomplish that feat, beating out some of the biggest acts in music history.

One Direction

Up All Night 3/31/12 #1

Spice Girls

Spice 2/22/97 #6

The Beatles

Meet the Beatles 2/1/64 #92

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones 6/27/64 #104

Coldplay

Parachutes 12/30/00 #189

First-album chart debuts

MEA CULPA

A Titanic Dismissal

“The regretful verdict here: Dead in the water.” That’s TIME film critic Richard Corliss in 1997, forecasting the demise of a movie that went on to win 11 Oscars, spawn millions of Leo DiCaprio fanatics and earn a 3-D rerelease this April, which should lift Titanic’s global box-office haul past $2 billion (almost as much as director James Cameron’s other smash, Avatar). The lesson here: a TIME pan can reap amazing rewards. You’re welcome, Kim Kardashian.

3 THINGS YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS WEEK

1. Justin Bieber going broke. The 18-year-old pop star’s new single, “Boyfriend,” is already selling wildly.

2. Harry Potter fans getting their fix. After months of delay, J.K. Rowling’s boy-wizard series is finally available in e-book form.

3. People shutting up about Mad Men. A series-high 3.5 million people watched the fifth-season premiere on AMC.