Posted 3/28/11 1:47 pm EST by Kevin Manno in The Seven, Top TV Shows
Over the weekend, my brother tweeted the following:
As well as the accompanying photo:
I enjoyed it so much that the next day when I saw a man (woman?) sleeping inside a Dunkin Donuts, I had to take one of my own:
Let's make this a thing! Without putting yourself in harm's way, take a photo with a sleeping stranger and tweet it to me. I'll retweet it! I promise. P.S. Faking it with a friend is bad karma.
Happy (and safe) searching!
http://twitter.com/KevinManno
Posted 3/8/11 1:23 pm EST by Kevin Manno in The Seven, Top TV Shows
Vanessa Hudgens is my new favorite person. When she came to visit "The Seven" last week, she said that she had a surprise for us. Our audience truly had no idea what to expect, and I can tell you firsthand that everyone was completely shocked when they found out what it was. Shocked...and pumped! I actually saw some tears. True story.
If ya missed it, Vanessa bussed our entire audience to an advanced screening of her new movie, "Beastly." The best part? She came with! Before the movie started, Vanessa talked to the crowd and answered some questions. She’s a delight, and I can’t say enough good things about her. After the movie she rushed to catch a plane to Vegas (friend’s B-day party). Not a bad life.
Check out our group trip to preview "Beastly" with Vanessa:
Posted 3/7/11 4:51 pm EST by Kevin Manno in The Seven, Top TV Shows
I've been a fan of the legendary Mike Tyson since my childhood days when I would play Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (later titled Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream) on Nintendo. The next time you have some time to kill, go back and watch some of his highlights from the ring. The dude was a machine.
I say “was” because now I only see Mike Tyson as the extremely happy man who taught me about pigeon racing. Honestly, I’ve never met someone so friendly and cheerful. I tracked down the off-air video to show you--here’s what you didn’t get to see Mike do after his visit to "The Seven." Not the Iron Mike I was expecting!
+ Mike's new reality show, "Taking On Tyson," airs Sunday nights on Animal Planet. Watch it or I’ll get my friend Mike Tyson to... smother you with love.
Posted 2/24/11 4:40 pm EST by Kevin Manno in The Seven, Top TV Shows
It's Oscar time! This is the second year we're seeing 10 films (opposed to five) up for the Best Picture award, and it's still kind of weird to me. But while 10 nominees seem like a lot, this is the first time I've actually watched all of them! From "Black Swan" to "Winter's Bone," I spent a fair amount of time sitting in movie theaters this year--and because of that, I feel the need to make some predictions.
Once this goes live, there's no changing it. If I get every category wrong, it'll be an embarrassment that lives online forever; but if I get them all right, I will gladly accept your praise.
Here are my Oscar picks:
BEST PICTURE
"The Social Network"
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Colin Firth ("The King's Speech")
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Christian Bale ("The Fighter")
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Natalie Portman ("Black Swan")
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Hailee Steinfeld ("True Grit")
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
"Toy Story 3"
ART DIRECTION
"True Grit"
CINEMATOGRAPHY
"Black Swan"
COSTUME DESIGN
"The Tempest"
DIRECTING
Darren Aronofsky ("Black Swan")
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"Exit Through the Gift Shop"
Posted 2/14/11 1:34 pm EST by Kevin Manno in The Seven, Top TV Shows
Recently, my friend Lenay (from MTV's show "10 On Top") and I wandered around Times Square in search of some answers: What TV shows are people watching? Why are they watching them?
Have we still not invented a "sarcastic font"? I could really use it right now...
It's hard to explain the feeling you get when you meet a true fan...it's quite a humbling experience. (If you think I'm serious, well, please don't. Just watch the video below to see what I mean.)
My thanks to all the fans, and to Lenay. Join the masses and watch "The Seven" every weekday at 5/4c and "10 On Top" every Saturday morning at 11:30/10:30c on MTV!
Posted 2/3/11 2:27 pm EST by Kevin Manno in The Seven, Top TV Shows
Yo know when you're at work typing an email and three loud drag queens burst into your office, pull you out and turn you into the opposite sex? No? That hasn't happened to you? Weird.
In all seriousness, I had a blast with Mimi, Manila and Carmen! They're great guys! (Great girls? Great people!) We had some deep conversations, which ranged from penis placement to bra shopping. Friendships were forged in that makeup room.
I've never been a woman before, so I was very curious how I'd look. As it turns out, pretty gross. Julie literally cried when she saw me. It was mix of laugh-tears and scared-tears.
Who do you think I look like? Feel free to leave comments below. So far, my favorites are "a mom from Tennessee" and "Taryn Manning with a perm."
I totally see it! Sorry, Taryn. If you haven't seen my transformation, here ya go:
Posted 1/11/11 2:25 pm EST by Kevin Manno in The Seven, Top TV Shows
Happy New Year, friends! How long can we say that? I’m comfortable with it until mid-January.
I welcomed 2010 in a dumpy little Mexican restaurant/bar in Chicago, where I watched my friend's crappy band play. I closed the same year in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, watching Snooki plummet to the earth in a glass ball. Needless to say, it was a year of change for me.
In February, MTV called me about a new show. They hired me in August and "The Seven" premiered in September. It’s been amazing. I could never have predicted the way 2010 would unfold, and I am incredibly thankful for every second of it. I can easily call 2010 the most significant year of my life, and I aim to top it in 2011.
You've probably seen the Snooki drop at this point, but the stuff you didn’t see was just as weird. I spent about eight hours in the "Jersey Shore" house that day. I wanted the full experience, so I saw the Smush Room, the duck phone and even the hot tub. I tried to get in a fist fight, but no luck. (When in Rome, right?)
Moments before the world welcomed a new year with the strangest ball drop ever, I had a few words in private with everybody's favorite "spider monkey." This footage hasn't been seen until now--please tell me if you think she's hitting on me, cuz I was kinda hoping...
Posted 12/15/10 1:51 pm EST by Kevin Manno in The Seven, Top TV Shows
When we look back at the past 12 months, we should refer to it as "The Year of Bruno Mars" instead of "2010." The dude owned it! He wrote hits, sang hits and then he produced hits. I don't often get to use two clichés in a single sentence, but here goes: He's a triple threat with the Midas touch.
A few days after the announcement that Mr. Mars was nominated for seven (like our show!) Grammys, he came by the set for a chat. If you missed it, watch it here:
If it wasn't completely obvious in the video, girls go nuts for this guy. I still have a slight ringing in my ear from all of the fan shrieks in our studio.
Also, how adorable was baby Bruno? After seeing the 4-year-old's Elvis impression, I think it's clear that he's got talent in his bones.
I'd like to use this platform to wish my new friend the best of luck at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. I have no doubt that Feb. 13 will be a good day for him!
Posted 12/10/10 5:35 pm EST by Kevin Manno in The Seven, Top TV Shows
2010 has been a nutty year for me. A lot of changes. Borderline overwhelming. Life can be overwhelming. Fortunately, we have music to keep us sane. A solid soundtrack is vital to survival and I’m quite happy with the music I encountered this year. In semi-particular order, my seven (like the show!) favorite albums of 2010 are:
1. Local Natives – Gorilla Manor
It’s not about winning, but this wins. I am very comfortable calling this my favorite album of the year. A friend convinced me to pay $10 to see this band in March and it was an incredible investment. Perfect harmonies & tight percussion. A+.
2. AM Taxi – We Don’t Stand A Chance
I’m from Chicago & I think this is the best band Chicago has produced in years. All of these dudes come from other Chicago bands & the result is mature & powerful. It’s a modern twist on classic punk rock. The Clash, The Replacements, The Ramones, etc… Gang vocals rule!
3. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Speaking of Chicago… Kanye! We see so much of him as Kanye the person, I think we forget how talented he is as Kanye the musician. He’s arrogant because he’s great & he’s great because he’s arrogant. It’s a formula that not many can pull off. “Monster” is the best song ever.
4. The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang
One of my favorite bands! “Never make the same record twice” is something I’ve heard Brian Fallon (singer) say a few times & it’s very obvious that he means it. This is their third album and it’s completely different than the previous two. They’ve morphed from a punk rock band into a straight up American rock n’ roll band. They love Bruce Springsteen and they want to tour with Pearl Jam. I think, they can save rock music.
5. Against Me! – White Crosses
This brought Against Me! from one of my favorite bands, to my favorite band. Someone needs to make a movie about these guys. Their story is waiting to be told. This record is a perfect representation of a young anarchist growing into a professional musician. It’s far from the gritty sound I fell in love with years ago, but it’s the type of record I expected them to put out. They’ve matured as people, and it wouldn’t be authentic if their music didn’t mature as well.
6. Bear Hands – Burning Bush Supper Club
Finally! I’ve been so excited for this band to release this record. It was worth the wait. There are a lot of bands trying to sound hip and inventive, but this is legit. This album is strong lyrically, vocally & musically. I believe that it has the power to bridge the gap between hipsters and everyone else.
7. The Black Keys – Brothers
It’s the sixth from these guys and they’re finally getting the recognition they deserve! The cream rarely rises in music, but this is a band I’m happy to hear on the radio & happy to see on the list of Grammy nominations. 2 dudes, blues, rock & Danger Mouse! Perfect! Listen to this on a cold day.
It wasn’t easy for me to narrow my list down to seven, so I’m gonna cheat and throw in some honorable mentions. Check 'em out after the jump!
Posted 10/26/10 1:48 pm EST by Kevin Manno in The Seven, Top TV Shows
Q: Kevin, what's your favorite movie?
A: "Back to the Future."
That's 100 percent true. I love the entire trilogy. Whenever one of those movies is on TV, which seems to be every day, I get sucked in. I've probably wasted hundreds of hours of my life watching Marty McFly screw up (and fix) history (and the future).
You probably already knew that the film's 25 year anniversary was coming up, but you may not have realized that it's actually today, Oct. 26!
On this day, 25 years ago, the adventures of Marty and Doc began, but after all this time, I still have a few questions about the movie:
Why were they friends? Marty was a teenager and Doc was an old man. When you think about it, it's a pretty weird relationship. If I ever invent a time machine, I'm gonna go back to the exact moment they met and figure this one out.
Another question, and I'm certainly not the first to ask this: Where was the second DeLorean in Part III? Marty showed up in the Old West in a DeLorean. Doc was already there. How did he get there?
Regardless of my questions, the movies are great and I'm thrilled that this anniversary is giving us an opportunity to celebrate them. I'm also thrilled that Nike is apparently coming out with a Marty McFly shoe to commemorate the silver anniversary. Check it out:
I want them! Happy Anniversary, "BTTF"!