Beyonce's Mom Says Daughter's Style Has Always Been 'Edgy'

'It's just a result of her constantly evolving,' Tina Knowles says of the fashion in Beyonce's "I Am ... World Tour" DVD concert special.
By Jocelyn Vena


Beyoncé
Photo: Paul Warner/ WireImage

Beyoncé has never been shy about hitting the stage in stunning costumes. Her appearance has always been a mixture of showgirl sparkle and pop star razzle-dazzle. And her style is on full display in her new DVD concert special, "I Am ... World Tour."

Her mom and stylist, Tina Knowles, said that while the looks may seem a bit edgier than what fans have seen from the singer in the past, she thinks that her superstar daughter has always been ahead of the style curve.

"Well, the wonderful Thierry Mugler designed the costumes, and I actually worked on some of the dancers and the band, and it was just amazing to work with him because he is so creative," Knowles told MTV News at a New York screening of the special. "So it's just a result of her constantly evolving, but she's been edgy. It's funny for people to say she went more edgy, but she's been wearing body suits and that type of thing."

And while Knowles may act as her daughter's stylist and costume designer, she says that Bey's style decisions are all her own. "Well, we discussed her working with Thierry Mugler, and I'm the biggest fan. And so she had seen some of the fashions and she loved it," she said. "So we always discuss things, but it's her decision, it's her career."

Beyoncé, who also directed the concert special , said it gave her a better understanding of the filmmaking process. "It was hard work," she said. "I learned so much. I have a new respect for directors and I think I would like to do more of it. ... Well, I've done some co-directing for music videos [but] this was definitely a big step for me, and I'm so thrilled."

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653216/20101130/knowles_beyonce.jhtml

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Michael Jackson Album-Cover Artist Explains Hidden Meanings In His Work

Kadir Nelson leads MTV News through his tribute to the King of Pop.
By James Montgomery


Kadir Nelson
Photo: MTV News

It is a testament to the legendary life of Michael Jackson that no matter how big a canvas artist Kadir Nelson used to tell MJ's story — and at 9 feet wide and 4.5 feet tall, he used a pretty big one — he kept running out of room. It seems that Jackson's reign as the King of Pop was just too lengthy, his list of achievements too large and his life too all-encompassing to be summed up in even the most massive of murals.

"Michael's life was so huge I couldn't get it all into the painting," Nelson told MTV News. "So I would take images from throughout his life that were milestones ... images that would resonate with his fans. And even doing that was a challenge."

Still, Nelson gave it his best effort, and the result was "The King of Pop," his epic tribute to Jackson's life, which struck such a chord with the late icon's estate (and his label, Sony Music) that it was chosen as the cover for the just-released Michael album. But what fans see on that album is just a fraction of Nelson's original work.

" 'The King of Pop' is the life story of Michael Jackson, so what you see on the album cover is the centerpiece of the mural; Michael is wearing his famous bejeweled glove, and he's wearing a golden suit of armor, and he has this collar around his neck, like what you would see in a French painting of King Philip," Nelson explained. "The theme for this painting is 'royalty' and 'pop,' because Michael was the King of Pop. So you have Michael being crowned by two Cupids, he has his birthstones in his crown. He's wearing a soft, velvet drapery over his armor, because Michael had a very soft heart. Also, his hand is placed over his heart, because he had a big heart, and he put that big heart into everything he did."

And radiating from that royal image is Jackson's life story, which begins with images of his childhood in Gary, Indiana, extends upward to a gallery of his musical influences (Barry Gordy, Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye, to name just a few), and then explodes with the launch of his solo career, starting with his star-making turn at the "Motown 25" television special (where he unveiled his "moonwalk" dance) and rolling right along to his Thriller heyday. There are also portions of the painting dedicated to his Bad, Dangerous and HIStory albums, and images of his children, the omnipresent media that followed him everywhere, and the women with whom he shared close relationships (Liz Taylor, Lisa Marie Presley and Madonna).

There are also, as Nelson explained, coded images hidden throughout the painting, everything from bubbles (blown by his pet chimpanzee, of course), an apple (because, as the painter explained, "kids would call [Jackson] 'Applehead' on his Neverland Ranch"), Peter Pan soaring off into the Northern Lights (meant to symbolize Jackson's ascension after his death) and, perhaps the most striking image of all, a golden throne atop a mountain: Jackson's throne, never to be occupied again.

"It's empty," Nelson explained, "because no one will ever sit in it now that he's gone."

What do you think of the Michael cover? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1654225/20101214/jackson_michael.jhtml

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Ask Engadget: best sound system / soundbar for around $100?

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Colin, who needs his jams on the cheap. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.
"I have been looking for a decent set of speakers that can kick out fairly good sound. Ideally, I'd use these in a bedroom, mostly for television viewing and Xbox gaming. I don't need anything too powerful as I'm not filling a gigantic room with sound. I've heard good things about Logitech boxed kits, but have also heard that soundbars are great space-saving alternatives. I'm open to pretty much anything: HTIB, soundbars, etc, but am hoping to spend around $100 or less. Thank you!"
We know, you're looking to pinch pennies in order to take that special someone out on a fantastically fine date tomorrow. We get it. But these days, $100 can actually buy you quite a bit of sound. We'd echo those positive sentiments on Logitech's boxed kits, but if anyone has any other input, comments are open down below.

Ask Engadget: best sound system / soundbar for around $100? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 22:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/30/ask-engadget-best-sound-system-soundbar-for-around-100/

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Nintendo's 3DS Warning: Children, Avert Thine Eyes

Nintendo has issued a warning for parents of children under age 6: If you're planning on giving the kid a Nintendo 3DS when the device is released early next year, keep it in 2D mode. The 3DS is a portable video game system capable of displaying 3D games without the use of special glasses. However, the warning urges parents to use the 2D feature of the device instead if their kids are less than six years old.

Source: http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/71549.html

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Scientists Wield Wiimote To Measure Evaporation

Consumer technology is advancing at such a rate that it is becoming increasingly common for such technology to find its way into various scientific applications. One of the more obvious examples is seen in the benefits high-performance computing has received from consumer graphics cards. We have also seen laptops used to measure earthquakes, and accelerometers [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/12/scientists-wield-wiimote-to-measure-evaporation/

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Stickpecker: Chopsticks You Can Crack Apart Over and Over Again

To the Japanese, the crack of splitting apart a pair of chopsticks is apparently as satisfying as the splitting the membrane-like seal on a jar of instant coffee is to us. More, it signifies the start of a meal, even if that meal is the kind eaten with disposable, takeaway cutlery. This has led to the [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/12/stickpecker-chopsticks-you-can-crack-apart-over-and-over-again/

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Protect ? and Remember ? Your Passwords in the Vault

Just before Christmas, my Dell laptop took a dirt nap.  Luckily, I had backups and I did finally manage to boot the thing in safe mode so I could copy files over onto my new computer.  It wasn’t until I started using my new laptop that I realized how many sites I use frequently have [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/01/01/protect-and-remember-your-passwords-in-the-vault/

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SBN Tech to show off Android-based IP Video Phone at CES

Haven't heard of SBN Tech? You're not alone, but it looks like the company is now set to make the rather valiant attempt of trying to stand out from the pack of Android tablets at CES next week. Its hook, however, is that its tablet isn't actually a tablet, but an "IP Video Phone," which may or may not be similar to the device pictured above that the company's been showing off recently. Of course, while the company may be touting it as a "video phone" first and foremost, the device appears to be a fairly standard Android tablet underneath that guise -- it packs a 10.1-inch 1,024 x 600 screen, an SD card slot for expansion, and the company notes that you'll also be able to use it for email, Twitter, Facebook and all your usual Android apps. Still no word on pricing or availability, but those details should be making themselves known soon enough.

SBN Tech to show off Android-based IP Video Phone at CES originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 21:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/OcXnS_c6lpI/

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