Our "X Factor" USA Season 3 Judge and Host Predictions

With the second season over and auditions for the third season (which are scheduled to start on March 6, 2013 in L.A. and wrap on May 14, 2013 in Denver) rapidly approaching, its time to start making predictions for the judging panel and host(s) of The X Factor season 3.

At this point, it seems likely that Britney Spears will be asked to exit the show as a judge or at least to accept a pay cut. While it would seem absurd to say that she wasn't a successful judge, with her incredible act Carly Rose Sonenclar being the runner-up, and one of her other acts Diamond White finishing fifth, producers are reportedly disappointed with Spears' enthusiasm as a judge. Radar Online and US Weekly are both reporting that the $15 million that Spears received to judge the show's season was not a hugely worthwile investment, with Spears often appearing distracted and giving half-hearted claps and one-liner compliments to the show's contestants. If Spears were to return, she would need to accept a fairly major pay cut, which seems unlikely considering pay raises are usually imminent for judges when they agree to take part in an additional season. Spears' $15 million contract made her the highest payed singing show judge ever, and after watching the entire season, we can't say that Spears gave a $15 million effort. Despite this, Simon Cowell has stated that he would like to have Spears return. Our guess is that Spears will be fired as a judge.

While Spears' dismissal is fairly clear and likely, we can't say the same thing for Demi Lovato. While we can see and hope that Lovato will return for the next season, it seems as if the producers may be on-the-fence about renewing Lovato's contract for season 3. Lovato, who is 20, was the show's youngest and most inexperienced judge, however despite this, it would make sense to keep Lovato as a judge as she knows what youth audiences are listening to and can use this knowledge to her benefit as a judge. However, Lovato's last remaining act, CeCe Frey finished in sixth place, which left Lovato the first judge to have all her acts eliminated, making her the least successful judge. Lovato's pay was never revealed to the public, however it was estimated to be anywhere between $6 million - $13 million, making her a fairly cheap judge (when compared to Britney Spears), which would be a beneficial factor (pun intended) to keep her as a judge. Lovato has stated that she has "no idea what's gonna happen next season", nor does she think that anyone does. Lovato stated, "Just like L.A. is, I'm trying to build a career for my own too. It was an amazing experience and I loved doing the show," which may have hinted that she may not return for season 3, but she then went on to say "It's just, there's no way to tell. I have no idea". Our guess is that Lovato will be asked to return since she is an extremely popular figure in the youth demographic, however will likely suffer from a pay cut or a pay freeze.

On the other hand, hosts Mario Lopez and Khloe Kardashian Odom have both stated that they would like to return for the third season. Khloe has stated "Of course I [want to return], who wouldn't? It's a party!". Khloe stated that she likes to keep her fans in "suspense" and won't reveal whether she will return as a host for a while, hinting that she probably hasn't signed an official contract yet. Don't get us wrong - we love Khloe, but it seemed as if most of the time her co-host Mario Lopez was doing most of the talking while Khloe just stood there smiling at the camera. However, her performance as a host is warranted, as this is basically the first time that she ever hosted anything, while Mario has had tons of experience. Our guess is that Mario and Khloe will both be asked to return for season 3.

So, who will replace L.A. Reid (and possibly Spears)?

If our predictions were to be right, Lovato and Cowell would fill one chair for each gender, respectively, which would likely lead to the producers hiring 1 male judge and 1 female judge (unless they were to decide to take The Voice's route by hiring 3 of one gender and 1 of the other gender). Since Cowell serves as an older male judge, and Lovato serves as a younger female judge, it would make sense to hire an older female judge (over the age of 30) and a younger male judge (between the ages of 18 and 30).

To fill the older female judge seat, we think that Shania Twain, Fergie, Madonna, Celine Dion, Cher, Lady Gaga, and P!nk could all make valuable contributions to the show, with our personal favorite choice to be Shania Twain, however it would seem unlikely that Twain would join considering her involvement in her Las Vegas residency Shania: Still the One which is ongoing through 2013. Twain also has experience as a judge, as she appeared a guest judge during an episode of American Idol in 2010. Simon Cowell has expressed his interest for Twain to join the panel. Fergie, who Mario Lopez has suggested, could also be seriously considered as a judge, with The Black Eyed Peas currently on hiatus. Madonna would probably be an unlikely candidate due to her controversial antics, however her MDNA Tour has just wrapped up which would likely give her a free schedule. Celine Dion would probably be unlikely as well, due to her being occupied by the release of her album Water and a Flame, which is due out in April 2013, along with her participation in her Las Vegas residency Celine. Cher would likely be unlikely as well, due to her possibly becoming too old for the job, and her working on her broadway show, new album, and upcoming tour. Lady Gaga would also be fairly unlikely, as her contract would likely be ridiculously high, and her busy schedule including the continuation of her Born This Way Ball Tour, her upcoming album Artpop, and her documentary film. P!nk would be a more likely candidate to fill the seat. Although her The Truth About Love Tour will be taking place from February through September 2013, it wouldn't be difficult to cancel a few of these tour dates. Also, since live shows do not begin until October/November, she would have a clear schedule for the live episodes. Simon Cowell has also recruited Katy Perry, Jessica Simpson, and Kim Kardashian as judges. We feel that all 3 of these girls would be extremely unlikely candidates for judges. Perry shut down a $20 million offer to judge American Idol during its 2013 season due to a busy schedule, so it seems unlikely that she would agree to judge The X Factor. Jessica Simpson would also be unlikely, as just days ago she announced her second pregnancy, so it would be hard to work a schedule for filming a show around the birth of a child. Kim Kardashian also seems unlikely, since her sister Khloe is already hosting and if they were to hire Kim they might as well just fire all the other judges and hosts and just let the entire Kardashian clan take over the show. This is X Factor, not Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Our prediction is that Fergie or P!nk could be possible additions to the panel.

To fill the younger male judge seat, we think that Bruno Mars, Nick Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Ed Sheeran could all make valuable contributions to the panel and their schedules appear to be mainly empty.

2012: Bingemans Screampark Review - Coming Tonight!

Hi, everyone! Today is October 30, 2012 and we are going to be attending Bingemans Screampark for its penultimate night of the 2012 season, tonight! We will be posting our review either tonight or tomorrow afternoon, just in time for you all to read our review and go see Screampark one last time tomorrow night (Halloween night)! This year, Bingemans is offering 4 attractions: Shady Acres, Statesville Penitentiary, Redneck Rampage, and Blood Run; which are available for $12 individually, per person, or you can attend all 4 of the attractions for just $30 per person! An additional attraction, called The Last Ride, will be available for an additional $5 per person.

We are very excited to be attending Screampark for our fifth consecutive year and we can't wait to post our review!

P.S. Be sure to check out our review of Bingemans Screampark from 2011!

"Smiley" (2012) - Review

Today, we are reviewing the new independent horror flick "Smiley", which is directed by Michael Gallagher and stars Caitlin Gerard, Melanie Papalia, Andrew James Allen, and Shane Dawson.

The film follows an internet serial killer that goes by the name of Smiley, whom most believe to be an urban legend that suggests that Smiley can be "called" through a Chat Roulette-like website. However, several strange events cause Ashley (Gerard), Proxy (Papalia), Zane (Allen), and Binder (Dawson) to begin believing that Smiley may be more than just an urban legend.

The Pros:

• Delivers enough thrills to satisfy most audiences
• A captivating, original, modern plot
• Some good acting
• Well-written script
• 2 completely unexpected twists at the end

The Cons:

• Special Effects
• Mostly poor acting by the main cast
• Repetitive story

Rating (from First Stop News employees): 72%

Rating (from myself): 69%

Rating (from First Stop News editor): 68%

Overall rating: 69% (Hahahaha)

Shocking Autumn Studios announces mysterious December event

September 4, 2012 - San Fransisco, California - Today, Shocking Autumn posted a mysterious picture to their Twitter account, with the caption "If you are interested in hearing something interesting, please come to our offices on December 4".

The photograph consists of a giant 4, with words positioned near it in order to say "Season 4 Event", referring to the fourth and final season of "You Just Got Mugged!" which will premiere on Shocking Autumn on November 16. Below "Season 4 Event" is a caption reading the date of the supposed event - December 4. 

Shocking Autumn told First Stop News exclusively today that the event will be a press conference where details regarding the fourth season will be announced. While Shocking Autumn hasn't gone into detail about the details, many outlets are reporting that, during the event, the series finale air date will be announced. It has also been reported that, during the event, a trailer for the 2013 episodes will premiere, and information about syndication of the third and fourth seasons will be revealed. Syndication is expected to be handled by The Online Network, who syndicated the first season in June, and who will begin syndicating the second season next week.

Shocking Autumn also told First Stop that 4 events, and 3 mini events will be held simultaneously on the same day, where the same information will be announced at the same time. The 4 events will take place in Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, and Toronto; while the 3 mini events will take place in Vancouver, Mexico City, and London. Here are the events planned for each event:

New York City - Main Event - will be held in Shocking Autumn's International Headquarters in Brooklyn, New York City. Matthew LaVernon, Annie Mercury, and Sonja Vernon will attend this event.

Los Angeles - Secondary Event - will be held in Shocking Autumn's American Headquarters in West Hollywood, Los Angeles. Tim Hurkoy will attend this event.

Miami - Secondary Event - will be held at Miami Speed Centre in Miami, Florida. Shocking Autumn executives will attend this event.

Toronto - Secondary Event - will be held at Shocking Autumn's Canadian Headquarters in Downtown Toronto, Ontario. The 3 mugs will be present for a skit during the presentation.

Vancouver - Mini Event - will be held at Shocking Autumn Vancouver Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia. Will include giant screen broadcasting live from main event in New York City. No special guests.

Mexico City - Mini Event - will be held at Le Tampa Market in Mexico City, Mexico. Will include giant screen broadcasting live from main event in New York City. No special guests.

Paris - Mini Event - Shocking Autumn European Headquarters in Paris, France. Benjamin Zecks and Kevin Todds will appear.

Matt LaVernon "docks" into the harbor of porn

Translated from Déclaration de l'Nouvelles: Québec:

The secret is out - and so is the penis. Matt LaVernon appeared at the premiere of a new comedy-pornography film entitled Suck My Dock, in which he filmed a cameo appearance for in February.

In the cameo appearance, which is about 2 minutes long, LaVernon's character is seen swimming naked in a lake. He exits the lake, and quickly covers his "dock" with a towel; but not before we get to see a full-frontal of the actor, which only lasts about 2 seconds. The end of the clip ends with his character turning to a cabin, in which he notices that a trio of attractive women (one of which are played by LaVernon's wife, Sonja Deltrose) had been watching him during his swim, and had obviously got a look at his "dock". The girls are shown seductively giggling, discussing his "schlong", prompting LaVernon to give a sexy smirk, drop his towel, and begin approaching the cabin fully naked; his ass fully visible.

The film is an independent comedy-porn film scheduled to be released on Augsust 31, 2012 exclusively in France and Germany, but a release in other countries will follow within the coming weeks. LaVernon attended the premiere of the film in Gatineau, where he was asked if he would appear in more porn films, to which he replied, "I would never say never, but not for now. Right now, I have my first kid growing up and another kid on the way, so it wouldn't be a very good environment for my kids to be growing up in iv their father was running off getting payed to fuck people while he's still happily married, so right now it's a no. I was in the area, they asked me to do the cameo, it was something I had never done before, and it wasn't technically porn because I wasn't fucking any body, so I said 'to hell with it, sure, I'll do it'. To me, it's just being naked on camera if you're not having sex, and I think that's okay."

An Email from Josh Kingston

We have just received the following e-mail from Banana Recordz cover artist, Joshua Kingston, 16, who has asked us to publish this e-mail publicly.

"At this point, I have been signed to my record label for over 1 year. Banana Recordz, along with their viewers and my viewers, have allowed me to create numerous projects, songs, and records, and have continued to inspire me to work on bettering myself everyday. The components of my life of which I have improved over the past year include my vocals, communication skills, and knowledge on the music industry. Now, I feel I am finally ready to reveal another part of my life that has improved over the past year: my tolerance, appreciation, and respect for those around me, and myself.


Recently, I have been reminded and inspired by several aspects of society that are shaping a positive, sheltering future for our youth - a light at the tunnel, if you will. Our current world has begun to shape the history books of our future, and I have recently become inspired and moved by the recent changes on our planet and in our society. These changes have began to make me considerably question how I have kept a crucial aspect of my life private for so long. As a musician and writer, I feel that it is my job to allow others to feel as if they can relate to me and the stories that I compose in my music and upcoming literature works, which is why I have decided to reveal the most private thing in my life to the world.


I am bisexual. I have recently ended a relationship with a man, of which I was with for over 1 year. Now, as I have begun to ponder my ceased relationship, I have also begun to ponder the honesty that I have attempted to portray in my music. All 3 of my original songs that I have released to date are about he relationship that I had with this man. "Bend or Break" is regarding my pondering of whether our relationship will work out due to some of our differences. "In January" was written during a brief break-up that I had with him, in which I was imagining us working out our differences. "Eyes Open", my most recent single, was written shortly after our break-up, where I realized that our arguing and fighting was not worth the pain, which is also another important factor that has recently been addressed in our society. I have very recently begun a new relationship, with a person that respects me and my personality. I can honestly say that I have never been so happy, comfortable with myself, and proud of who I am.


I am excited to see how our society will continue to bring issues that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people to light, and how our society will continue to fight to bring justice to these people. Thank you all, I will now be taking a break from promoting my album for the remainder of August, in order to enjoy the chapter of my life that has just begun; being open with myself and the ones around me. See you all in September."

Banana Recordz did not respond before press time when asked for comment. First Stop News would like to wish Josh all the best, and are extremely happy that Josh has begun this new chapter in his life.

Locations of the Olympics

With the 2012 Summer Olympics well underway, we're summarizing the locations of which the Olympics have been held since they first began in the 1800's.

1896 - Summer - Athens, Greece
1900 - Summer - Paris, France
1904 - Summer - St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
1908 - Summer - London, England
1912 - Summer - Stockholm, Sweden
1916 - Summer - Berlin, Germany (Cancelled due to World War I)
1920 - Summer - Antwerp, Belgium
1924 - Winter - Chamonix, France (The First Winter Olympics)
1924 - Summer - Paris, France (2nd time Paris hosted)
1928 - Winter - St. Moritz, Switzerland
1928 - Summer - Amsterdam, Netherlands
1932 - Winter - Lake Placid, New York, U.S.
1932 - Summer - Los Angeles, California, U.S.
1936 - Winter - Garmisch-Patenkirchen, Germany
1936 - Summer - Berlin, Germany
1940 - Winter - Sapporo, Japan (Cancelled due to World War II)
1940 - Summer - Tokyo, Japan (Cancelled due to World War II)
1944 - Winter - Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy (Cancelled due to World War II)
1944 - Summer - London, United Kingdom (Cancelled due to World War II)
1948 - Winter - St. Moritz, Switzerland
1948 - Summer - London, England (2nd time London hosted)
1952 - Winter - Oslo, Norway
1952 - Summer - Helskini, Finland
1956 - Winter - Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
1956 - Summer - Melbourne, Australia
1960 - Winter - Squaw Valley, California, U.S.
1960 - Summer - Rome, Italy
1964 - Winter - Insbruck, Austria
1964 - Summer - Tokyo, Japan
1968 - Winter - Grenoble, France
1968 - Summer - Mexico City, Mexico
1972 - Winter - Sapporo, Japan
1972 - Summer - Munich, Germany
1976 - Winter - Innsbruck, Austria
1976 - Summer - Montreal, Canada
1980 - Winter - Lake Placid, New York, U.S. (2nd time Lake Placid hosted)
1980 - Summer - Moscow, Soviet Union
1984 - Winter - Sarajevo, Yugoslavia
1984 - Summer - Los Angeles, California, U.S. (2nd time Los Angeles hosted)
1988 - Winter - Calgary, Canada
1988 - Summer - Seoul, South Korea
1992 - Winter - Albertville, France
1992 - Summer - Barcelona, Spain
1994 - Winter - Lilehammer, Norway
1996 - Summer - Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
1998 - Winter - Nagano, Japan
2000 - Summer - Sydney, Australia
2002 - Winter - Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
2004 - Summer - Athens, Greece
2006 - Winter - Turin, Italy
2008 - Summer - Beijing, China
2010 - Winter - Vancouver, Canada
2012 - Summer - London, England (3rd time London hosted)
2014 - Winter - Sochi, Russia
2016 - Summer - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2018 - Winter - Pyeongchang, South Korea
2020 - Summer - To Be Determined (Istanbul, Tokyo, OR Madrid)