“I believe I asked what a lot of people wanted to know, and if he [Spencer] had tried to come across, I would have dumped him like a bag of dirt.†—Al Roker defending his interview with Speidi [MTV]
“Critical, young man, is hardly the word. I stand against it like Jeremiah prophesying in Jerusalem. It has destroyed most of university culture. The teaching of high literature now hardly exists in the United States. The academy is in ruins, and they’ve destroyed themselves.†—Harold Bloom on the state of literary affairs [AV Club]
“I stand by what I said. They did copy my song but I don’t think they did it on purpose. I have even copied myself without even knowing I have done it. I’ll write down what I think is a good melody and realise it’s the same as something I have already done. I don’t want them to think I am angry with them. I’d love to sit down and have a cup of tea with them and let them know it’s okay.†—Yusuf Islam isn’t mad at Coldplay for stealing his song because then he’d have to be mad at himself [Daily Express]
“The biggest challenge of that whole day, aside from being on Conan and being nervous initially about that, was [trying to] remember the 24-bar verse I just recorded the night before.†—Rapper Drake on being on Conan [MTV]
“I had to sit my mum down one day and look at her and say, ‘I’m not Jodie Foster. I’m me, and that’s who I’m going to be. Okay? I actually got to sit down with Jodie and I thought, ‘Not that this is a bad thing, but you’ve haunted me my entire life. I don’t know whether to kiss you or punch you.’†—Evan Rachel Wood on her inner — and now outer — turmoil over Jodie Foster [Female First]
“[I was] very serious … I spoke to a lot of professionals, who helped me. If I committed suicide, they [Kim Basinger’s team] would have considered that a victory. Destroying me was their avowed goal.†—Alec Baldwin on the whole voice-mail gaffe [Playboy via E]