Mariah Carey on "Ellen" Tuesday
Photo: Warner Bros.

Mariah Carey appeared on "Ellen" Tuesday (May 13) to talk about her recent wedding to Nick Cannon.

She said the pair used a "video shoot" as camouflage for bringing friends out to the Bahamas for the beachside ceremony, and noted that very few people were invited.

"[It was] mostly people to do my hair and help me with my dress ... and three of my friends and he had three people with him," she said.

"We wanted to be at the beach, we didn't want other people taking pictures, because we both experienced the hoopla of trying to make something into, like, a publicity stunt, which is what everybody thinks and will think anyway," she said. "We don't really care about that mentality. Instead of trying to be like, 'You're invited, but shhh, don't tell anybody,' we're just going to have another [wedding] next year. [Nick's] plan is to have one every year."

(Cannon himself squirmed when asked a battery of questions by MTV News about engagement rumors on the Monday before the ceremony.)

Host Ellen DeGeneres then held up photos of the pair's tattoos: Cannon's is a large "Mariah" across his back, while hers is a small butterfly on her lower back that incorporates the letters "MC" — which she said stood for "Mrs. Cannon," but DeGeneres quickly pointed out could also simply stand for the singer's initials, if the marriage doesn't work out.

"That's so mean, Ellen!" Carey said.

She continued, "I never had a tattoo before, and it's his first tattoo also — that's why it was a big deal. I fell asleep during my tattoo. People were like, 'What?' I was gangsta for that, a little bit."

Carey also said Cannon is the man she wants to raise a family with. "My parents divorced when I was 3 and I didn't have many examples of what was the 'norm,' " she said. But "I found the right person."

• Mariah Carey's E=MC²: Track By Track

• Mariah Carey
• Nick Cannon

Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey attend "Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World" gala in New York City on Thursday
Photo: Larry Busacca/ WireImage

After playing coy in the days surrounding their semi-secret wedding, Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey are finally stepping out as a married couple. The pair made their first appearance as man and woman at Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World" event Thursday night, and more material has emerged from their interview with People magazine about their nuptials in the Bahamas last week.

Continuing an ongoing celebrity tradition, Carey, 38, and Cannon, 27, told the magazine that they got tattoos to mark the occasion — which was a tip-off to some friends about the wedding. "One thing [few people] knew was we got tattoos a few weeks earlier. So anyone who saw my tattoo wasn't surprised," said Carey.

Cannon added, "To me rings are special and exciting, but tattoos mean more than anything. They're forever and ever. They professed our love."

Carey said she only told "about four people" about the wedding, and only a dozen guests attended the sunset affair, where they dined on Maine lobster and sipped Dom Perignon champagne. The couple wed at Carey's Bahamian estate on April 30 after sparks began flying just a few months earlier in late March on the set of Carey's new video, "Bye Bye," in which she cast Cannon as her love interest.

"From the first time we sat down to discuss the video at the Beverly Hills Hotel, we connected," Cannon told the magazine. "We had so much in common spiritually, and we laugh at the same things. I didn't have to put on my mac-daddy-suave mode. I was able to be myself with her. We are both eternally 12 years old."

The wedding was presided over by Carey's pastor, Clarence Keaton, who flew in from New York. "The whole wedding was really beautiful and sweet," she said. "Being there with loved ones under the sky ... it was a spiritual moment." (The role of the Bahamian pastor who earlier said he presided over the wedding was unclear.)

Watching his bride-to-be walk down the aisle, the typically gregarious Cannon said he was struck speechless. "I was elated, but I was thinking, 'Don't pass out,' " he told People. "[The pastor] said, 'The eyes are the window to the soul,' then gave us an entire minute to stare into each other's eyes. So I was saying, 'Don't cry.' "

(Watch Cannon squirm, two days before the wedding, when asked by MTV News about engagement rumors.)

The newlyweds say they've already started talking about having children. "It's part of the whole purpose of getting married," Carey said. "I'd just want our children to have the best childhood and upbringing they possibly could."

• Mariah Carey's E=MC²: Track By Track

• Mariah Carey
• Nick Cannon

Mariah Carey (file)
Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images

If there was any doubt remaining that pop diva Mariah Carey and actor Nick Cannon were married on April 30 in the Bahamas, it was dispelled on Wednesday morning (May 7), when People.com published a wedding photo and quotes from the newlyweds.

In the photo, Carey is shown wearing a white dress, and is all smiles while locked in an embrace with Cannon, who rocked an all-white suite.

The couple also made their first — albeit brief — public comments on the marriage. "We really do feel we are soulmates," Carey said. "I never felt a love like this was in the cards for me." Cannon added that Carey is "beautiful on the outside and 10 times as beautiful on the inside."

Perhaps not coincidentally, Carey's long-delayed video for "Bye Bye" surfaced earlier this week. It features the singer conspicuously cuddling with Cannon, along with footage of her greeting fans and, rather incongruously, photos of her with a number of deceased friends, including family members, Luther Vandross and her longtime dog Jack.

Not only did Carey and Cannon take the plunge, they even marked the occasion with permanent ink. "We got tattoos," Carey told People. "His is on one shoulder to the other and it says 'Mariah.' [Mine is] on my lower back and it says 'Mrs. Cannon.' "

In describing the couple's whirlwind six-week romance, Cannon said the two connected on an intimate level almost immediately. "In our minds, it was a love-at-first-sight thing," Cannon said. "Since we've been together, we've been inseparable." Carey added, "I don't think anyone realized what we already knew — that we were going to get married."

The development follows on the heels of last week's reports that the couple had secured a marriage license in Eleuthera, which is located next to the island of Windermere, where Carey reportedly owns a home.

In the absence of official comment on the wedding from Carey's or Cannon's camps, several people close to the couple confirmed it over the past few days. On May 2, People reported that Bishop Clifford Petty of the National Church of God in Governor's Harbour in Eleuthera confirmed he presided over the proceedings, but provided no further details beyond saying he did not give a sermon during the ceremony.

Cannon himself squirmed when asked a battery of questions by MTV News about engagement rumors on the Monday before the ceremony.

Earlier, a relative of Cannon's, Linda Cannon (her relationship to the singer was not detailed), reportedly told E! News that the couple were, indeed, husband and wife. "He called us and told us all about it," she said. "We are happy for him. If that is what he wants then we are happy for him. I'm not going to give you any details, but we are happy for him."

• Mariah Carey
• Nick Cannon

Mariah Carey
Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images/Tribeca Film Festival

While there was no official word at press time whether Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon have actually gotten married, People magazine reported on Friday (May 2) that Bishop Clifford Petty of the National Church of God in Governor's Harbour in the Caribbean island of Eleuthera confirmed that he presided over their wedding. Petty provided no details except to say that he did not give a sermon.

Earlier on Friday, the magazine reported that Jacob the Jeweler, who reportedly made Carey's ring, confirmed the wedding. The magazine also cited an unnamed source as saying that the singer obtained a marriage license in Eleuthera, although a representative at the island's register's office told MTV News on Friday that she has no record of a license in Carey's or Cannon's names. However, Monique Gomez, a Bahamian attorney in Nassau who specializes in family law. told People.com, "The minister would make sure [the license] goes into the registry. It's still a valid marriage even if it's not filed. Anywhere in the world."

Eleuthera is located next to the island of Windermere, where Carey reportedly owns a home. The Web site of the island's register's office states that couples wishing to get married there need only spend one day in the Bahamas before submitting an application for a marriage license; they also must fill out the application together at the register's office, pay a fee of $40, and in Mariah's case, a certification of her divorce (from her ex-label head Tommy Mottola) must be produced. The license is valid for three months. People's report states that Carey herself obtained the license.

Some have speculated that Carey actually may have married or be marrying Mark Sudack (a member of her management team whom she has long been rumored to be dating), but TMZ.com claimed on Friday that those reports are untrue. Also on Friday, a rep for "The View" confirmed that Carey had been scheduled to tape the show on Monday (for a segment scheduled to air Friday, May 9) but had canceled.

Neither Cannon's nor Carey's spokespeople have returned calls for comment from MTV News, and Cannon evaded a series of questions from MTV News on the matter Monday.

However, a relative of Cannon's, Linda Cannon (her relationship to the singer was not detailed), reportedly told E! News on Thursday, "Yes, we know. He called us and told us all about it. We are happy for him. If that is what he wants then we are happy for him. I'm not going to give you any details, but we are happy for him."

Carey, 38 and Cannon, 27, reportedly have been dating for less than two months, which is half as long as Cannon was going out with Victoria's Secret model Selita Ebanks when he proposed to her with a 15-carat stone via a JumboTron in New York's Times Square. Cannon and Ebanks broke up in October.

Last week, Carey was spotted wearing a large diamond ring that began the speculation that she and Cannon were an item. According to The Associated Press, Jacob quickly put out a press release about the ring Cannon reportedly gave Carey, which described it as "crafted from platinum and features a square emerald cut fancy light pink diamond as the center stone surrounded by 58 intense pink diamonds and two half moon diamonds on each side. ... The total carat weight of the ring — center stone is 10 carats — is a jaw-dropping 17 carats with a value of $2.5 million."

On Friday, People.com reported that Jacob (whose last name is Arabo) told them, "The way he came into the store, the mood he was in, I knew this was very serious. He said 'Jacob, I'm in love. This is what I want to do.' He said he wanted something in pink, so he picked something in a light purple-ish pink. He was very involved and he trusted me to design the ring."

Arabo reportedly added, "He loves her. That's all I know."

A number of media outlets have speculated that this episode is a publicity stunt, though the couple have been seen in public numerous times since Cannon filmed a cameo in the video for Carey's new single, "Bye Bye," several months ago.

[This story was originally published at 2:41 p.m. ET on 05.02.08]

• Mariah Carey
• Nick Cannon

Mariah Carey
Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images/Tribeca Film Festival

While it remained unclear at press time whether Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon are already married or are planning on make it official this weekend, People magazine on Friday (May 2) cited an unnamed source as saying that the singer obtained a marriage license in the Caribbean island of Eleuthera, which would be the first step toward making the couple's whirlwind romance official.

However, a representative at the island's register's office told MTV News on Friday that she has no record of a license in Carey or Cannon's names.

Eleuthera is located next to the island of Windermere, where Carey reportedly owns a home. The Web site of the island's register's office states that couples wishing to get married there need only spend one day in the Bahamas before submitting an application for a marriage license; they also must fill out the application together at the register's office, pay a fee of $40, and in Mariah's case, a certification of her divorce (from her ex-label head Tommy Mottola) must be produced. The license is valid for three months. People's report states that Carey herself obtained the license.

Some have speculated that Carey actually may have married or be marrying Mark Sudack (a member of her management team whom she has long been rumored to be dating), but TMZ.com claimed on Friday that those reports are untrue. Also on Friday, a rep for "The View" confirmed that Carey had been scheduled to tape the show on Monday (for a segment scheduled to air Friday, May 9) but had canceled.

With confirmation that the license was obtained, Bahamian family law attorney Monique Gomez told People that the "minister would make sure [the license] goes into the registry. It's still a valid marriage even if it's not filed. Anywhere in the world."

Neither Cannon's nor Carey's spokespeople have returned calls for comment from MTV News, and Cannon evaded a series of questions from MTV News on the matter Monday.

However, a relative of Cannon's, Linda Cannon (her relationship to the singer was not detailed), reportedly told E! News on Thursday, "Yes, we know. He called us and told us all about it. We are happy for him. If that is what he wants then we are happy for him. I'm not going to give you any details, but we are happy for him."

Carey, 38 and Cannon, 27, reportedly have been dating for less than two months, which is half as long as Cannon was going out with Victoria's Secret model Selita Ebanks when he proposed to her with a 15-carat stone via a JumboTron in New York's Times Square. Cannon and Ebanks broke up in October.

Last week, Carey was spotted wearing a large diamond ring that began the speculation that she and Cannon were an item. According to The Associated Press, famed blingmaster to the stars Jacob the Jeweler quickly put out a press release about the ring Cannon reportedly gave Carey, which described it as "crafted from platinum and features a square emerald cut fancy light pink diamond as the center stone surrounded by 58 intense pink diamonds and two half moon diamonds on each side. ... The total carat weight of the ring — center stone is 10 carats — is a jaw-dropping 17 carats with a value of $2.5 million."

On Friday, People.com reported that Jacob (whose last name is Arabo) told them, "The way he came into the store, the mood he was in, I knew this was very serious. He said 'Jacob, I'm in love. This is what I want to do.' He said he wanted something in pink, so he picked something in a light purple-ish pink. He was very involved and he trusted me to design the ring."

Arabo reportedly added, "He loves her. That's all I know."

A number of media outlets have speculated that this episode is a publicity stunt, though the couple have been seen in public numerous times since Cannon filmed a cameo in the video for Carey's new single, "Bye Bye," several months ago.

[This story was originally published at 2:41 p.m. ET on 05.02.08]

• Mariah Carey
• Nick Cannon

Mariah Carey
Photo: Bryan Bedder/ Getty Images

If the rampant online reports are to be believed, Mariah Carey's low-key second wedding was very different than the million-dollar extravaganza she put on for her first trip down the aisle. Latina magazine reported on Thursday (May 1) that Carey, 38, and actor/rapper Nick Cannon, 27, were married in a small ceremony on an undisclosed island on Wednesday in what an unnamed source called a "very impulsive" ceremony. Among the reported guests at the intimate affair was longtime Carey confidant rapper Da Brat.

Adding to the did-they-or-didn't-they confusion was a report from TMZ.com on Thursday afternoon claiming that the site had received several tips from the Bahamas — where Carey reportedly owns a home — that the singer, Cannon and a number of "other celebs" had arrived on the island and preparations "for a significant event are underway — a wedding?" Citing unnamed sources on the small island of Windermere, the site reported that evidence of an upcoming wedding included a "boardwalk that could be a makeshift aisle" that had been erected from Carey's house to the beach, as well as "workers rigorously raking up all the seaweed on the surrounding area."

And late Thursday, E! News reportedly received confirmation of the wedding from Linda Cannon, a member of Nick Cannon's family (although the site did not clarify their exact relationship). "Yes, we know," she reportedly told the site. "He called us and told us all about it. We are happy for him. If that is what he wants then we are happy for him. I'm not going to give you any details, but we are happy for him."

At press time, reps for Carey and Cannon either could not be reached for comment or had not responded.

A representative for the Register's Office in Eleuthera — Windermere has no such office and uses the nearest island's — told MTV News that no one named Mariah Carey, Nick Cannon or Mark Sudack (a member of Mariah's management team whom she has long been rumored to be dating) had applied for a marriage license. However, couples wishing to get married there need only spend one day in the Bahamas before submitting an application for a marriage license; they also must fill out the application together at the Register's office, pay a fee of $40, and in Mariah's case, a certification of her divorce (from her ex-label head Tommy Mottola) must be produced. The license is valid for three months. Calls to Antigua, where Carey is also reported to own a home, were inconclusive.

Of course, many are speculating that the entire thing is a publicity stunt.

While speculation has been swirling all week about a large diamond ring Carey has been sporting lately — which some gossip sites snarkily reported looked an awful lot like the ring Cannon had given to his ex-fiancee before they parted ways — UsMagazine.com reported Thursday that Cannon's ex, model Selita Ebanks, had nothing to say about the alleged nuptials. "I have no comment but wish them well," Ebanks told the magazine.

Cannon danced around MTV News' questions about rumors of the pair's engagement earlier this week. "I can't even know what to say. She's probably the most festive, remarkable person I've ever met. Good friend," Cannon told MTV News on Monday. When pressed further about the rumors, he said, "Rumors happen. They do."

The couple reportedly met in March when Cannon appeared in the video for Carey's new single, "Bye Bye," and Us reported that an unnamed "inside" source said the romance was "hot and heavy."

Carey, who divorced Mottola in 1998, has been linked to a few famous men in the interim, singer Luis Miguel and baseball player Derek Jeter among them, along with Sudack.

Rumors about her romance with Cannon heated up on April 15, when People.com reported that the couple had shared a romantic night out in Las Vegas. Spokespeople for Carey and Cannon had no comment on the rumored wedding at press time.

[This story was originally published at 2:59 pm E.T. on 5.1.2008]

• Mariah Carey
• Nick Cannon

Miley Cyrus
Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images

First, Jonas Brothers frontman Joe Jonas came to Miley Cyrus' defense, after snapshots showing her in her bra and underwear surfaced online. Now it seems that Hilary Duff is in the "Hannah Montana" star's corner too.

Tween star Duff told People.com that she's not about to pass judgment on the 15-year-old pop sensation — and Disney's main moneymaker — just days after Cyrus issued a statement apologizing both for the controversial photos and for ones she'd taken for an upcoming Vanity Fair spread. Cyrus, who expressed embarrassment over the pictures, appears to be topless in the images, which were shot by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz.

In the statement, Cyrus said, "The pictures of me on the Internet were silly, inappropriate shots. I appreciate all the support of my fans, and hope they understand that along the way I am going to make mistakes and I am not perfect. I never intended for any of this to happen, and I am truly sorry if I have disappointed anyone. Most of all, I have let myself down. I will learn from my mistakes and trust my support team. My family and my faith will guide me through my life's journey."

"Everyone goes through things and takes their own path," Duff told People during a junket promoting her upcoming film, "War Inc." "Who am I to judge decisions that she made?"

Duff, however, said she would never elect to follow Cyrus' lead. "People are pushing you to do something, and if you want to do it, that's your choice, you know?" she said. "It's not what I would choose to do, but if she did, then that's fine. That's her choice."

Duff — who is 20 and has seemingly managed to evade the same pitfalls that have tarnished the reputations of contemporaries like Vanessa Hudgens, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears — said she has long relied on her family and friends to guide her professional decisions.

"I've had a lot of help from people," she explained. "It's a joint effort with my family and everyone helping me balance my life."

But Duff and Jonas aren't alone. It seems everyone's been weighing in on Cyrus' scandalous snaps, including actress Jamie Lee Curtis, Nick Cannon, Rosie O'Donnell and "Hills" stars Heidi Montag, Lauren Conrad and Spencer Pratt. Whether they're chiming in for some much-needed press or out of genuine concern, we may never know.

(Even one of our own MTV News interns weighed in on the controversy.)

Curtis, in an interview with People on Monday, said that she could understand Cyrus' embarrassment, having taken some topless photos herself recently for a spread in AARP the Magazine — and later took a stab at Miley's parents, for not looking after their daughter's best interests.

"I too was a little embarrassed by my recent topless 'scandal' and the subsequent parodies," she explained. "But I am an adult woman. I protected myself during the shoot and I can take the heat. I only wish that her guardians had protected her. Of course she is embarrassed. She is a young girl. She shouldn't have to deal with any of this. I don't feel that she was duped. I know the integrity of Ms. Leibovitz and the magazine, and I know there were people present at the shoot that should have been looking out to make sure that this didn't happen."

O'Donnell also came to Cyrus' defense, posting a lengthy video on her blog, telling the media to "leave Miley Cyrus alone." O'Donnell added that working with Leibovitz can be a rather daunting experience. "Listen, Annie Leibovitz — I had two photo shoots with her. You kind of do what she says. It's intimidating. I also didn't think it was a pornographic photo in any capacity. I thought it was sort of a beautiful portrait."

Montag told "Extra" that Cyrus is "a young girl in Hollywood, and she's just having fun — [she]'s exploring herself." Pratt didn't think the photos were "bad" and went so far as to dub them "artistic." Conrad, for her part, agrees. "I found it a bit silly," she said. "I thought she looked beautiful in the pictures. I didn't find it that inappropriate."

Cannon — who skirted questions about his rumored engagement to Mariah Carey at the MTV News office on Monday — said that he'd yet to see the Vanity Fair pictorial, but that didn't stop him from commenting on Mileygate. "Is she showing her achy-breaky? Hannah's got her Montana all the way out?" he asked. "Kids are going to be kids. I'm pretty sure it was something extremely innocent. You media people blow things out of proportion. It's too much access nowadays. I'm pretty sure every 15-year-old girl has probably done what she did, but now, just because the media can get a hold of it, it just got out there. I'm pretty sure Dolly Parton's got some old 15-year-old naked pictures too."

• Miley Cyrus
• Hilary Duff
• Nick Cannon

Nick Cannon speaking to MTV News on Monday, and Mariah Carey flashing her new ring at the Tribeca Film Festival on Saturday.
Photo: MTV News/ WireImage.com/ Jim Spellman

Is Mariah Carey wearing actor Nick Cannon's engagement ring?

Well, based on sightings of the two holding hands — and photos of Carey wearing a big ring Saturday night during a New York afterparty for her new film, "Tennessee" — various media reports, including one that appeared on People.com Monday (April 28), suggest that she may be.

So, when Cannon stopped by the MTV News offices Monday to promote his film "Ball Don't Lie," we just had to ask him about his relationship with the pop diva.

First, the actor danced around our questions about the Carey rumors, saying that the singer's "a great person."

When pressed for more, he positively squirmed, adding, "I can't even know what to say. She's probably the most festive, remarkable person I've ever met. Good friend." When pressed further about the rumors, he said, "Rumors happen. They do."

Carey has long been rumored to be dating executive Mark Sudack, a member of her management team, but buzz about her and Cannon gained momentum on April 15, when People.com ran a piece entitled "Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon's Night Out in Vegas." The article claimed that the two flew into Sin City on a private jet and were later spotted at a nightclub, getting "cozy" at one of the VIP tables.

Then, on Monday, People.com added more fuel to the fire, claiming that Carey was seen sporting a "humongous, gleaming ring" at the afterparty. The report further claims the two held hands for most of the soiree, and that they barely left each other's sides all evening.

Whether or not it's all a bunch of hoo-hah, when asked by MTV News about a possible engagement, spokespeople for both Cannon and Carey had no comment.

• Hilary Duff, Madonna, Mariah Carey, More At The 2008 Tribeca Film Festival

• Mariah Carey
• Nick Cannon

Zac Efron
Photo: Noel Vasquez/ Getty Images

Twenty-four lucky "American Idol" hopefuls got even luckier in Hollywood last week (even though Josiah Leming wasn't one of them), and many of the stars who already populate that town can't wait to welcome them into their living rooms — so to speak. That's because on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, the rich and famous join millions and millions of us who are tuning in to the phenomenon that is "American Idol." In an increasingly fragmented media universe, "Idol" remains one of the last vestiges of mass culture, bringing celebrities and non-celebrities together and turning them into super-fans. Paris adores Simon, Jimmy Fallon hearts Ryan Seacrest, and Zac Efron thinks Paula Abdul is a "sweetheart." They're just a few of the many celebs who told MTV News just why they love the most popular show of the decade.

Zac Efron "[I like 'American Idol' because] it deals with regular people who really have a dream and like to perform. I have such admiration for those guys — they go literally from zero to 60 in a matter of days and they handle it like champs ... most of them. I couldn't have done that: go to the peak of your fame within a month of starting, and to be able to handle that kind of pressure. I don't envy them.

"There was a period where I was actually going to the shows of 'American Idol.' A few years ago, I went, like, almost every week. That was the season Taylor Hicks won. It was great — it's a completely different experience live. You really get to see who is a good singer, and who can really captivate a crowd. And you can tell it's really influential on the judges' decisions.

"I tend to agree with Simon most of the time. But my favorite judge, just because I know her, is Paula — she's a real sweetheart."

Paris Hilton "I love Simon. I love Paula because I've known her since I was little, but Simon is just funny. I just love his humor. He's kind of mean, but he makes the show really funny.

"It's funny when the really bad people come in. I just think it's hilarious ... I feel like there have been so many seasons now that people are coming in [knowing] they'll get air time if they act completely crazy and, like, suck. So it's funny to see those nuts."

Jim Carrey "I like Simon. He's fun. At least he's honest, you know what I mean? I don't trust the other two guys, I really don't."

Amanda Bynes "It's just good television. You watch it and you see people kind of put themselves out there, and it's kind of a little bit like a car crash where you're like [she winces], but you have to watch. But some people are amazing. And seeing Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson and all these great artists that I love come out of it, you see that it's just a great opportunity for artists to sort of get noticed."

Josh Hartnett "It's a phenomenon. It kind of has a great arc, doesn't it? It starts with the people who can't sing for crap and these people have to sit there and evaluate them, and then they get to these people that are actually quite talented. So it's a story — it's a Cinderella story. And people always love that."

Nikki Blonsky "I watch it because I'm a singer and I like to see what else is out there. I like to see my competition! I was a big Bo Bice fan, voted for Bo. I was a Clay Aiken fan. I loved 'em all. Jordin Sparks, I was a big fan of hers. So everybody who I voted for did pretty good.

"I watch it with my whole family. We have a good time."

Jimmy Fallon "I love 'American Idol.' I watch it all the time. Ryan Seacrest has grown into his own thing now. I think he's phenomenal ... because at first I was like, 'Oh, he's just kind of the host with the other two hosts,' and now it's what, six seasons later? He's part of pop culture ... I tune in to see him.

"It's fun to watch the opening weeks with people just not being talented on there. It's cruel, but I laugh. I can't lie ... It makes me feel better about myself, because I know I am not as talented as the good people, but I'm not as bad as the worst people. It's like, 'Well, I'm not that bad.' That's ridiculous, you know?"

Christina Applegate "It's the competition. I think that's what it is. It's who you root for. It's like an election. You vote, you participate in it, and that's what I love about it. I don't like all the bad auditions. I'd rather just watch good auditions. So, for me, that's not even entertaining anymore."

Nick Cannon "I watch the first part of 'American Idol,' all the bad singers and stuff, because that's like the funniest thing ever. Just to watch Simon do his thing is hilarious. When the good people come in, I'm like, 'All right, I'll hear from them in a year and they're going to be selling 10 million records."

Abigail Breslin "I love 'American Idol'! I think it's really fun seeing all the good singers and everything, and it's fun. [As far as favorites this season] it's too soon to tell, but I really like — there's a girl named Asia'h, and I like her a lot."

Quentin Tarantino "It's just a fun competition to watch. If you've got some friends and you're following it for the season, that's a real blast. I don't watch the whole audition process. When it becomes a competition, that's when I start watching it."

Emily Blunt "The early rounds are excruciating but funny. I usually give up after them. Is it the awful thing in us that we like to see people embarrass themselves? I don't know. Maybe it's that dark side of us. I think we like to root for the underdog. As the show goes on, we want people to succeed, but I think it's a dangerous game. These poor kids who make it through, they're so hopeful and the music industry is just tough. I find it quite sad as well to watch it."

Ferras (singer of this season's "going home" song, "Hollywood's Not America") " 'American Idol' is a platform for the average person to become a huge success instantly — so in that sense, it presents a great opportunity for many aspiring singers who don't live in a major music city. The audition shows are hilarious but sometimes kind of sad to see peoples' dreams crushed.

"I love Simon. I think he's absolutely brilliant. Yes, sometimes he goes a little too far, but when it comes to the music he really has a great sense. The drama of the judges, [their interaction], is really quite entertaining as well.

"I usually watch 'Idol' with a few friends at one of our houses — we're totally quiet during the performances and then when it's over, we start yelling and throwing things at each other and at the TV, kinda like football or something."

Dave Della Terza (founder, VoteForTheWorst.com) "I love 'American Idol' because it proves the age-old adage that if you lock 10,000 monkeys in a room with 10,000 typewriters, eventually they'll come up with a subpar reality TV show. ... But they have to be British monkeys!"

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page.

Relive six seasons of "Idol" hot messes and high notes in six minutes with our video timeline.

• Nick Cannon
• Paris Hilton

John Legend and Scarlett Johansson in the video for "Yes We Can"
Photo: dipdive.com

While Barack Obama barnstorms the country trying to drum up votes in advance of Super Tuesday, a wildly diverse cross section of musical supporters, including the Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am, OK Go and former members of the Grateful Dead, are lending a hand.

One of the biggest Obama-boosting efforts comes courtesy of Will.I.Am, who recently teamed with director Jesse Dylan (son of Bob Dylan) to release a music video called "Yes We Can." The Bob Marley-like anthem turns the Illinois senator's January 8 New Hampshire primary-night address into lyrics performed by Will, as well as almost 40 other actors, celebrities and athletes, including John Legend, Kate Walsh, Aisha Tyler, Amber Valletta, Taryn Manning, Nicole Scherzinger, Common, Scarlett Johansson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Herbie Hancock and Nick Cannon.

The song was recorded less than a week ago in Los Angeles, and the "We Are the World"-style video features the stars reciting or singing along to the Obama speech on top of a stark black background, with intercut clips of the candidate delivering the address as Legend croons the refrain: "Yes we can!" Since it was posted on Friday, it has already garnered more than a million views on YouTube and 10 million on the host site, YesWeCanSong.com, according to a spokesperson for the project.

Explaining his inspiration for the song, Will wrote in an accompanying blog post on the site that he was in a recording studio watching one of the presidential debates and feeling torn between candidates when the idea struck him. "I was never really big on politics ... and actually, I'm still not big on politics," he wrote. But "the outcome of the last two elections has saddened me ... on how unfair, backwards, upside down, unbalanced, untruthful, corrupt and just simply, how wrong the world and politics are. ... So this year I wanted to get involved and do all I could, early."

But lacking a clear choice, as he suspected many people were, Will said he was ready to wait for a candidate to emerge as the (presumably Democratic) nominee without his help. "And then came New Hampshire ... and I was captivated ... inspired," he wrote. "I reflected on my life and the blessings I have and the people who fought for me to have these rights and blessings. And I'm not talking about a 'black thing,' I'm talking about a 'human thing.' Me as a 'person,' an American."

He said Obama's speech made him think of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln and "all the others that have fought for what we have today ... what America is 'supposed' to be ... freedom, equality and truth." One week later, the New Hampshire speech, which "touched [his] inner core like nothing in a very long time," began taking shape as the song. He called some friends to help out, and a week after that, the song and video were recorded. "I produced this song to share my newfound inspiration and how I've been moved," he wrote. "I hope this song will make you feel love and think and be inspired just like the speech inspired me."

Among the other notables in the clip: Adam Rodriguez, Alfonso Ribeiro, Austin Nichols, Ed Kowalczyk, Eric Balfour, Esthero, Harold Perrineau, Johnathon Schaech, Kelly Hu, Maya Rubin, Tatyana Ali and Tracee Ellis Ross.

Will isn't the only one feeling Obama these days. On Monday night (February 4) in New York, former Shudder to Think bandmates Craig Wedren and Nathan Larson are reuniting for the "Barack Rock" show at the Bowery Ballroom. The gig, presented by GetUpAndVote.com, will also feature OK Go, Nina Persson (the Cardigans), Joan as Police Woman and the comedy troupe Stella (Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter and David Wain), plus some unannounced surprise guests. It comes on the heels of last month's Fall Out Boy-curated Obama fundraiser in Chicago, during which bassist Pete Wentz had kind words for his hometown presidential candidate.

And it's not just indie rockers who are singing the praises of Obama. Monday night will also bring a show at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco by former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Phil Lesh, who will perform their first show together since 2004 in honor of the Illinois senator. The gig is being promoted as a one-night-only reunion.

Also on Monday, Pearl Jam's members — Eddie Vedder not included — posted online a reworked version of "Rock Around the Clock" called, you guessed it, "Rock Around Barack." Guitarist Stone Gossard, who handled singing duties for the recording, said in a statement that the '50s classic "had a transforming effect on American music. At that time, rock and rhythm and blues music was traditionally only played on black radio. ... So here's to ... the breaking down of cultural barriers."

Obama also picked up an endorsement from the hip-hop community on Monday, when veteran rapper Q-Tip released a statement endorsing the senator. The rapper listed several reasons — including the Iraq war, blows to America's image overseas, toxic products on store shelves and an economic meltdown — which contributed to his feeling that the country needs to "break out of old habits and politics as usual."

[This story was originally published at 3:08 p.m. on 02.04.08]

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