BANTER WITH BEN AND LISA: Tribute to Whitney Houston

The world was shocked today when music icon Whitney Houston died today at 48. Listen in as Lisa Timmons and I as well as Matt Whitfield from Yahoo! discuss this surprising turn of events. We talk about our favorite Whitney memories, theorize on how this will affect the Grammys, and wax nostalgic about the singer’s …

TCM Out-Memoriams The Academy’s In Memoriam Sequence

Every year, one of the morbid traditions of the Oscars is trying to guess who will make the Academy’s In Memoriam montage (and furthermore, who will receive the biggest amount of applause and the money-spot at the end). In recent years, the Academy has taken heat for leaving people such as Brad Renfro, Farrah Fawcett, …

‘Housewives’ Husband Russell Armstrong Found Dead of Apparent Suicide

Shocking news from the world of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Russell Armstrong, husband of Taylor, was found dead last night at the age 47. TMZ reports that the cause of death is suicide. Taylor Armstrong filed for divorce from Russell last month. No word on how the death will impact the upcoming season …

The B-Side Blog Guide To Not Getting Swept Away

It seems like every week this summer, there’s been a tragic story of someone getting swept away to their death, with the latest coming today after news broke that a 19 year-old girl slipped and fell into the Niagara River, sending her over the falls where she is presumed to have died. Turns out the …

DEAD CELEBRITIES: Bubba Smith Edition

Sad news from the world of football / Police Academy. Former NFL star and actor Bubba Smith has died at the age of 66. No word yet on the cause of death, but the Los Angeles coroner’s office has reported that “there is no indication of anything other than natural death.” Sad emoticon. For more …

DEAD CELEBRITIES: Macho Man Randy Savage Edition

Sad news from the world of wrestling. Macho Man Randy Savage died this morning after having suffered a heart attack behind the wheel. The wrestler — one of the most popular in the 1980s, perhaps second only to Hulk Hogan — was 58. To read more details of this untimely death and to begin your …

DEAD CELEBRITIES: Elizabeth Taylor Edition

After several weeks in the hospital, screen legend Elizabeth Taylor died today at the age of 79. The actress had battled many medical ailments over the past ten years and finally succumbed to congestive heart failure Wednesday morning. I wouldn’t say that I had a “thing” for Elizabeth Taylor, but she’ll always have a special …

DEAD CELEBRITIES: Paul The Octopus Edition

Sad news from the world of soccer. Our favorite clairvoyant cephalopod Paul the Octopus has died. The eight-legged critter gained international fame after accurately predicting the outcome of Germany’s seven 2010 World Cup matches, thus joining the esteemed pantheon of Teutonic animal superstars ruled by Knüt the polar bear. Sadly, Paul was not long for …

QUICK HIT: Segway Company Owner Killed By SEGWAY

This is almost too bizarre to be true. The millionaire owner of the Segway company, James Heselden, died this weekend after accidentally driving his Segway OFF A CLIFF. This does not bode well for security guards at the Grand Canyon. Further details here. Thanks jash for the heads up.