This year pop culture went on a white-knuckle ride. Harry Potter closed a billion-dollar chapter in publishing history, while threequels stormed the box office with record-breaking results (we can't remember their names at the moment). Meanwhile, artists like Madonna and Radiohead turned the music business on its head, and Hollywood writers shut their laptops down because they were sick of being treated like...writers. Young stars, meanwhile, traded head shots for mug shots, much to the delight of the blogarazzi. Join us now for a magical and ridiculous trip through time. First stop, the grand old Oprah.
JANUARY
1.02.07
If Oprah builds it, they will come
Daytime TV's Mother Teresa opens the $40 million Leadership Academy for
Girls near Johannesburg, South Africa, with celebrity attendees
including Mariah Carey, Spike Lee, and Mary J. Blige. But nine months
later, the school becomes the center of controversy, when several girls
accuse a dorm matron of abuse. The school suspends the woman, who
maintains her innocence, and a devastated Oprah reportedly gives the
schoolgirls cell phones with her personal number.
1.09.07
iPhone debuts
Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveils the multimedia entertainment device that's
equal parts phone, MP3 player, Internet browser, and overpriced status
symbol. Frenzied customers line up early to be the first to get an
iPhone upon its June 29 release.
1.15.07
Washington fans Grey's fire
After Grey's Golden Globe win, Isaiah Washington responds to a question
about an on-set dustup by saying, ''No, I did not call T.R. a faggot.''
The actor later apologizes, saying he can ''neither defend nor explain my
behavior.'' Even so, he's fired from the show in June.
1.31.07
Aqua Teen marketing gimmick bombs
A guerrilla ad campaign for Cartoon Network's Aqua Teen Hunger
Force — blinking electronic signs hung on bridge overpasses and near
transit stations featuring characters including Err — causes
multiple bomb scares in Boston. In response, Turner Broadcasting (which is owned by EW's parent company, Time Warner) agrees to pay $2 million to state and local agencies for causing the scare, and the head of Cartoon Network resigns nine days later.
FEBRUARY
2.04.07
Prince refuses to rain it in
The Purple One delivers a two-for-one at the Super Bowl, giving viewers
the best halftime show in recent memory (in the pouring rain, no
less) — and some decidedly TV-MA imagery. The ever-provocative performer
shocks folks at home with a phallic pose during ''Purple Rain.''
2.16.07
Britney begins her yearlong breakdown
In a bizarre weekend that foreshadows her tumultuous year to come,
Spears reportedly checks herself into — and then out of — rehab, and then stops by a Tarzana, Calif., salon to shave her own head after the
stylist refuses to do it for her.
MARCH
3.02.07
Anna Nicole Smith is laid to rest
After nearly a month of fighting over her body and her infant daughter,
Smith's family and friends gather to bury her next to her son, Daniel,
in the Bahamas. The former Playboy Playmate died Feb. 8, after an
accidental overdose of prescription drugs.
3.09.07
300 is ab-fabulous
The bloody, nearly all-CG Spartan tale surprises with its $70.9 million
opening weekend. Gerard Butler's six-pack didn't hurt either.
APRIL
4.15.07
Gere audacity
At an AIDS awareness rally in India, Richard Gere spontaneously kisses
(or some might say mauls) Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty. Since public
displays of affection are largely taboo in India, the kiss sets off a
firestorm of media coverage and leads a judge to issue Gere an arrest
warrant for public obscenity (which can be punished with up to three
months in prison, a fine, or both). The actor quickly leaves the country
and has not been formally charged yet.
4.26.07
Regis Philbin goes Live againThe Live With Regis and Kelly audience gives Philbin an ovation upon his
return to the show after a triple bypass and six weeks off the air.
David Letterman makes a rare talk-show visit as Philbin's first
post-surgery guest.
MAY
5.28.07
The Police hit the beat again
Reuniting for the first time in more than 20 years, Sting, Andy Summers,
and Stewart Copeland kick off their world tour in Vancouver to 20,000
adoring fans. The year was rife with reunions, including Genesis, Led
Zeppelin, and Van Halen with David Lee Roth.
5.21.07
The summer of Apatow begins
Judd Apatow's latest comedy, Knocked Up, starring Katherine Heigl and
Seth Rogen, has its premiere in L.A. The movie opens 11 days later and
scores $30.7 million in its first weekend. August sees the
Apatow-produced Superbad open even higher ($33.1 million.)
5.23.07
Sparks flies
In a star-studded finale (Joe Perry! Bette Midler!), American Idol crowns Jordin Sparks its latest singing sensation as 30.7 million
viewers watch. To be fair, beatboxer and runner-up Blake Lewis didn't
have a chance with the saccharine finale song ''This Is My Now.''
6.26.07
Paris liberated!
Hilton is released from prison after serving 23 days for violating
probation and driving with a suspended license. The jailbird soon drops
by Larry King's studio to describe the ''traumatic experience.''
JULY
7.1.07
Concert for Diana
Princes William and Harry host a tribute to their mother 10 years after
her death. The show, held at London's Wembley Stadium, raises $2.4
million for charity and features performances by Elton John, Rod
Stewart, and Kanye West.
7.11.07
Quit playin' games with my bank
Former boy-band impresario Lou Pearlman ('N Sync, Backstreet Boys) heads
to a court hearing in Florida after being charged with bank fraud
involving loans worth $20 million.
7.21.07
There's this book about a boy wizard — have you heard of it?
Ten days after the film version of Harry Potter and the Order of the
Phoenix sets an opening-day record with $44.2 million, fans swarm
bookstores at the stroke of midnight to buy Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows, the seventh and final installment of J.K. Rowling's
extraordinary series. The book breaks a record of its own, selling 8.3
million copies in the U.S. during its first day on shelves.
7.24.07
Yes, Lindsay can get arrested
Less than two weeks after finishing her second stint in rehab, Lohan is
arrested for cocaine possession and DUI. The actress later goes into
self-imposed exile in Utah for two months and caps off the year by
serving 84 minutes in jail on Nov. 15.
AUGUST
8.24.07
Amy Winehouse sings the blues
Photos in London's Daily Mail show Amy Winehouse and husband Blake
Fielder-Civil bloodied following a reported fight. Three months later,
the beleaguered singer halts her European tour after Fielder-Civil is
arrested for alleged witness tampering. He is in jail awaiting trial. On
Dec. 18, Winehouse was arrested in connection with the case; she was
questioned and released without charges.
SEPTEMBER
9.04.07
The View makes Whoopi
Goldberg officially joins The View, filling the chair left vacant when
the formidable Rosie O'Donnell departed the show in May.
9.09.07
Tommy Lee, Kid Rock talk about their feelings
Pamela Anderson exes Lee and Kid Rock get into an off-screen
scuffle during a performance by Alicia Keys at the VMAs. ''I was minding
myself and then he goes and punches me on the cheek,'' Lee told The
Insider. ''This is what people do when they have s---ty albums and their
careers are going down the drain.''
9.14.07
Not an easy ride for Cruise's Valkyrie
Reversing an earlier decision, German officials allow the crew of Tom
Cruise's WWII drama — which chronicles an assassination attempt against
Adolf Hitler — to film at the Bendlerblock, a key historical site in
Berlin. Several news sources speculated that the initial ban was a
result of the German government's unease with Cruise's Scientologist
beliefs, a charge the officials deny.
9.19.07
Kid power
The debut of CBS reality show Kid Nation — in which 40 youngsters ages 8 to 15 fend for themselves in a New Mexico pioneer town — is marred by criticism that the producers exploited its underage stars and subjected
them to dangerous conditions. New Mexico has closed the child-labor-law
loophole that allowed the show to be shot there.
OCTOBER
10.04.07
Owen's return
At the L.A. premiere of The Darjeeling Limited, star Owen Wilson makes
his first major public appearance since his reported suicide attempt in August.
10.15.07
Right of passage
Drew Carey takes over hosting duties of The Price Is Right. The comedian
replaces daytime mainstay Bob Barker, who retires at the age of 83 after
shooting 6,586 episodes of the show over 35 years.
10.16.07
Ellen in the doghouse
In what would later be called ''Iggygate,'' a tearful DeGeneres uses her
talk show to plead with a pet agency after it confiscated a dog she had
adopted and then given to her hairdresser's family. The awkward clip of
DeGeneres weeping soon goes viral.
10.16.07
Madonna gets Live aid
Madonna and tour promoter Live Nation announce a groundbreaking ''360
degree'' deal — estimated at $120 milliom — that splits revenue from the
singer's albums, tours, and merchandise sales. The agreement, which ends
the Material Girl's 25-year partnership with Warner Bros., signals a
shift away from traditional record-label contracts in the ailing music
industry.
10.18.07
Miley Cyrus: One hot ticket
Miley Cyrus' Best of Both Worlds tour (in which she performs as both
herself and her Disney alter ego, Hannah Montana) kicks off in St.
Louis. The concerts sell out in minutes across the country, prompting
outcries from angry parents and lawsuits against ticket brokers, who
resold seats to eager fans for as much as $2,100.
NOVEMBER
11.05.07
Stephen Colbert ballot-blocked
The Colbert Report host ends his nascent presidential campaign after
officials in his home state of South Carolina vote to keep him off their
primary ballot. Colbert concedes in a statement: ''I have chosen not to
put the country through another agonizing Supreme Court battle.''
11.05.07
Writers put their pencils down
The Writers Guild of America goes on strike after reaching a stalemate
in negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television
Producers over issues like compensation for DVDs and downloads. (Less
than a week later, Broadway stagehands go on strike over proposed
staffing cuts; the work stoppage is resolved after 19 days.) The strike
has caused thousands of layoffs and halted production of all network
scripted series. (Execs now fear that the fall '08 season could be in
jeopardy.) Talks between the writers and producers break down on Dec. 7,
and at press time no new negotiations are planned.
11.20.07
Small victory
Sixty-eight years after greeting Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, seven of
the actors who played Munchkins are on hand to receive a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame.
11.25.07
Malibu swept by wildfires
California Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger makes an emergency trip to
Malibu, where fires destroyed 53 residences over one weekend. The area
is home to celebs like Minnie Driver and Matthew McConaughey, who are
forced to evacuate during the blaze. It's the second rash of devastating
fires in a month: In late October, over 100,000 acres of land in
northern L.A. county burned.
DECEMBER
12.02.07
Ten years later, the Girls are back in town
Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell, Melanie Brown, and Melanie Chisholm — better known as the Spice Girls — launch their reunion tour in Vancouver, Canada. The heavily sequined nostalgia extravaganza comes three weeks after the Girls release a greatest-hits album.
