Porn is like a money tree. If you need some cash, just go out and shake the silicone until a few hundred thousand dollars drop out. So how exactly can the nation’s foremost “gentlemen’s magazine” be losing money? Playboy announced a 4th-quarter loss today, losing $1.1 million compared with a $3.7 million profit at this time last year. more ›

How long have the world’s entertainment editors been waiting to use the headline “Van Halen ‘Jumps’ Into Rock Hall?” Probably forever. more ›

If the pop culture landscape that is peopled by D-List celebrities can be seen as a mangy dog, then K-Fed’s scheduled appearance at House of Blues last night in the service of hawking his blink-and-you’ll-miss-it album was a Lyme disease-carrying tick on the back of said dog. Easily ignored, but requiring a visit to a board-certified physician if you get too close. But that was last week. This week, his erstwhile retirement plan filed for... more ›

Cheetara(h) more ›

Sometimes, some days, there is a story or two that makes you scratch your head and ask yourself what sort of vortex exists in the world that allows for, say, an engineering professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago to buddy up with the man responsible for unleashing horrifically bland pop music sung by practically neutered, grown men onto the collective conscious. more ›

Many say that the Chicago Improv scene is a "boys club"; that it's tough being a woman improviser in this city. Some say you need improv balls of steel to make it and play with the big boys. Well, last night Cheetara showed us their steel balls and beat another Chicago team, Team Smartypants, in the World Series of Pop Culture on VH1. Cheetara, made up of three Chicago improvisers, giggled their way to a win and were the picture of team spirit, cheering each other up from the audience. more ›

Billy, you done gone and done it to us again. Every time we think you’re about to slip out of the public consciousness you pop right back up with yet another crazy scheme to keep yourself relevant. Well, maybe not relevant. Let’s settle for “talked about.” more ›

Chicagoist has long held that it’s important to separate the artist from the art; some of the best musicians make lousy human beings (Chuck Berry, take a bow!). But lately, we keep stumbling upon two artists who seem like lovely people you could bring home to Mom. more ›

There’s been some debate lately over the “Sesame Street Thug,” or “Mess-Wit-Me Street” T-shirt lines. The shirts have been causing controversy, primarily in the south suburbs. T-shirts sold at an Evergreen Park mall feature “Sesame Street” characters in less-than-wholesome depictions. Bert is nursing a 40-ounce beer in a paper bag, Ernie’s packing a semi-automatic, Big Bird is smoking joint and Oscar the Grouch, true to form, is flipping the bird. There are also shirts featuring... more ›

Chicagoist believes the only thing better than finding fun shows and exhibits for our readers is watching them develop. The arts and theater communities continue working long after their 15 minutes on the web expire, we just try to keep up. Consider this report a “Where Are They Now?” sans washed-up celebrities. The Snubfest ’06 lineup has been announced, and it looks good. Not Aspen Comedy Festival good, but that’s kind of the point. The... more ›

If last week’s Sugar Water Festival at Northerly Island had you yearning for more neo-soul stylings, then you’ll want to spend your Friday nights in August at the DuSable Museum of African-American History for the 4th Annual Neo-Soul Explosion. Organizers of The Neo-Soul Explosion brag that it’s the place in Chicago to see rising stars in soul, jazz, and funk. That’s usually a risky statement to make but the NSE has delivered the goods in... more ›

That’s Handel’s Messiah, of course—we don’t mean to imply that Jesus is making a personal appearance in the western burbs (although anything is possible, wouldn’t He probably check in with Oprah first? Pass around some free King James & what all?). more ›

Because we Americans don't spend enough time sealed-off from one another in our caves, a number of companies have developed technology that will allow you to watch TV on your cell phone. Apparently the technology has been available in South Korea for years and now Verizon is getting on board here in the States and will launch the cellular TV service VCAST on February 1st. A number of companies unveiled their plans for cellular TV programming at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Sprint has offered a video service since 2003. However, according to the AP, while the audio transmits clearly, the video plays more like a slide show. more ›

Remember that song “I Kissed A Girl” that you’ve been seeing on VH1’s “I Love The 90s” recently? That tune’s acoustic hooks and gentle mockery of then-trendy lesbian chic made Jill Sobule a brief shining light in the pop world. But pop stardom isn’t for those who name-drop Tennessee Williams or write songs about Mexican Wrestlers. Like Aimee Mann (without the songs about evil record companies), Sobule has built a solid following by writing brilliantly... more ›