Recently, I accompanied correspondent Denise Quan and photographer Chris Audick to an interview with the Foo Fighters at their studio.  I got the assignment on such short notice, I had no time to YouTube or Google the band.  I knew the band name, but couldn’t match them to music.  On the way to the studio, I had the nerve to ask, “So, Foo Fighters, they’re punk rock, right?”  Hurtful.

If I’d had the time to YouTube the Foo Fighters before the shoot, I would have realized just how deeply their songs permeated my early teen years - songs like “Everlong,” “Times Like These,” and “My Hero” among others.  When I hear their songs now, my mind flashes back to a simpler time: my early teen upbringing in NorCal, when I used to describe things as being “hella sick.”  I wouldn’t be surprised if I let such an expression slip when I first heard “All My Life.”  I still find myself humming their songs, more than five years later.  How could I not have connected them to songs I remember so clearly?

The halls outside their studio were covered floor to ceiling with hundreds of signed albums, awards, photos of the band members and other memorabilia, including artwork from Nirvana (the famous naked baby).  Obviously, these guys were big.  But their faces eluded me.  I had probably never seen them perform, but I had heard their music all throughout my middle school years.  Most recently, Foo Fighters shared the stage with one of my current favorite rock bands, Queens of the Stone Age, and mega-legend Led Zeppelin.  And still, none of this clicked.

I stood for a solid half hour, a mere five feet away from Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Taylor Hawkins and Chris Shiflett, in a position that millions of fans would kill to be in.  And yet, I looked on blankly, as if Denise was interviewing the next up-and-coming Disney superstars.

I spent an unforgettable hour inside the Foo Fighters’ studio, a studio they said few people have visited.  I listened to them talk about their 15 years of fame, how they never imagined their success would last so long.  Denise asked what their future plans were, if Foo Fighters would continue as a band.  They joked that they can’t exactly jump back into the workforce now: they haven’t had real jobs in 15 years.  I empathized with them as they described, like a lot of us, how some of their families are struggling during the current economic turmoil, and how they’re trying to help.  The Foo Fighters sounded like regular guys, who just happened to be UBER successful musicians.

Now, perhaps seeking to console myself, I see my temporary ignorance as a positive.  I did not see the Foo Fighters as integral pop culture icons who I relate dearly to my early American roots.  I didn't meet Foo Fighters, the musicians.  Rather, I got to meet Foo Fighters, the people.

 A lasting memory, no less.

Here's what's happening in the world of entertainment today:

The Hollywood Reporter says that GLAAD is protesting Wednesday night's episode of "South Park" which dealt with the "F-word." Their statement reads in part, "Though this seems to represent a well-intentioned effort by the creators of South Park to delegitimize a vulgar anti-gay slur, the fact is that the word is and remains a hateful slur that is often part of the harassment, bullying and violence that gay people, and gay youth in particular, experience on a daily basis in this country."

Jellystone Park is getting a little more crowded as three actors are in talks for the live-action/CG-animated "Yogi Bear Movie," Variety reports. Anna Faris, Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake will be part of the film's cast, with Aykroyd looking at voicing Yogi himself, with Timberlake as Boo-Boo. Faris is negotiating to play a documentary filmmaker (not CG-animated in this case, one would assume).

Popular satirical website/newspaper "The Onion" is coming to TV, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Comedy Central is partnering with "The Onion" on a half-hour scripted comedy, based on the website's video sports "coverage."

In theatres today: Jim Carrey gets animated in Robert Zemeckis' state-of-the-art version of "A Christmas Carol," George Clooney in the quirky "The Men Who Stare at Goats," Cameron Diaz in the psychological thriller "The Box," alien close encounters of "The Fourth Kind," and finally, "Precious," which is getting a lot of Oscar buzz of late.

Thank you Dwight!

The “sixth housewife” said what so many were thinking Thursday night on part two of the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” reunion when he remarked on the ladies' decidedly low-key manner.

After quipping that he felt like he was in church, he called the peaches out for their new it’s-all-love-spiel. Now while I don’t necessarily want to see the women at each other’s throats constantly, I agree with Dwight that they seemed to be almost suppressing their natural personalities to keep the peace.

The only time things got even mildly spicy was when Lisa took on Dwight and Sheree for their comments about her fashion show, which she insisted was not a runway show (despite the presence of a runway).

The only redeeming moment came for me when the camera caught Dwight’s face as Kim casually mentioned his new penile implant. I love that he shrugged it off, but for a minute there I thought he was going to leap over and test her new “can’t be pulled off” wig!

At the very least I would have liked to have seen him come out and pull a Kanye West-type interruption while Kim sang “Tardy for the Party.”

Did you like the show or did you fly above it?

Oh, “Parks and Recreation,” how do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

1. Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope may have met her match with Megan Mullally’s Tammy. The library director may be an even bigger nemesis for Leslie than Halloween prankster Greg Pikitis last week. Tammy wanted to build a library over Leslie’s beloved pit, instead of a park as originally planned, and Leslie - who had had run-ins with the library department before (comparing them to a biker gang: “Instead of shotguns and crystal meth, they use political savvy… and shushing”) - was ready to declare war. Poehler’s development of her character this season has been great to watch, and Mullally’s portrayal of Tammy, who would go to any lengths to build a library purely out of spite, was Emmy-worthy. Here’s hoping we see more of Tammy.

2. Leslie’s boss Ron (Nick Offerman, Mullally's real-life husband), who was completely helpless to resist ex-wife Tammy’s charms as part of her diabolical library plans. At the same time though, when he was not with her, he had no problem coming up with ways to describe how much he hated her: “Tammy and I don’t work. We are oil and water. Or oil and TNT and C4 and a detonator and a butane torch.”

3. Aziz Ansari as Tom, who is always good for a one-liner. His advice to Mark on dealing with Ann’s ex-boyfriend trying to get her back was to take the high road: “I have never taken the high road. But I tell other people to, because then there’s more room for me on the low road.”

4. And then there was the aforementioned Andy, attempting to get closer to his ex, Ann, by taking a job as a shoe-shiner at city hall. His shoe-shine station quickly became a creepy shrine to her.

Are you loving “Parks and Recreation” this season as well? Do you hope to see more of Megan Mullally in the future? Share your thoughts on video or in the comments below.

Well, it’s over. Jay-Z and Alicia Keys rocked the house- well, actually they rocked Yankee Stadium, technically, but you know what I mean. The cast of Glee absolutely killed the National Anthem- in the best way possible-I think I’ve watched it on YouTube about 20 times already! Spike Lee, Regis Philbin and Donald Trump have to wait until next season to sit in the stands and watch another game. Kate Hudson will also have to wait till then to cheer on her boyfriend A-Rod, although I am pretty sure that she won’t mind, seeing as she will get him all to herself for the next few months. Where does that leave me? Well, it leaves me with the knowledge that come April, the game I love will be back.

I am the ultimate girlie girl. The girl who loved wearing dresses as a child—if it wasn’t pink, purple or frilly, I wasn’t wearing it. I danced, took gymnastics and did musical theater. I was the girl who, at 25, still had the walls of my bedroom painted pink. And, oh yeah, I am the girl who loves baseball. No, I mean, I really love baseball. Specifically, the New York Yankees.

My family is from New York—I know a lot of people say that, but mine is really from New York, as in, so many generations back that we lost count. We have a lot of New York pride and a lot of pride in our New York sports teams.

One of my fondest memories is from the 1996 World Series. I remember being upset because even though my parents let me stay up past my bedtime that night, they wouldn’t let me stay up to watch the whole game. Well, my dad must have changed his mind because he woke me up a little while later so I could watch them win. He told me that he wanted me to see the Yankees win the first World Series since 1978. I remember how excited my dad was when they won—I will never forget the look on his face when Charlie Hayes caught the final out of the game.

My dad grew up watching a Yankee dynasty-Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Tony Kubek, Bobby Richardson and Clete Boyer (the phenomenal fielding third baseman). He and his older brother would sit around the TV in their apartment in Queens in the middle of summer watching the Yankees play. They would sit in the sweltering heat-with no air conditioning- watching the greats play. They got their love of baseball from their father. He was an avid Yankee fan and would often watch the games with them. Not surprisingly, both brothers passed the love of the game onto their own kids- little did they know that there would be another Yankee dynasty for them to grow up with.

Starting in 1996, with that game that had such an impact on me, the Yankees absolutely dominated- winning four World Series in five years. Those were the days of David Cone, Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte- the latter of which make up “the core four” who still play for the Yanks today. After I caught that Yankee bug, there was no going back.

What is so great about this game is that it brings people together. Last night, as we watched the Yankees win their 27th World Series, we were all in different places- my brother is in college in New York, my dad is on a business trip and I am out here in Los Angeles. Even though we were 3,000 miles apart we were constantly texting and calling each other the whole time. It wasn’t just about the game, it was about the fact that the game brought us together. My grandfather passed the love of the Yankees to my dad, he passed it to my brother and I, and you can be 100% sure that when I have kids of my own, I will pass it down to them. Because the truth of the matter is that it isn’t about the game- it’s about loving it.

An article posted on Hollywood scoop specialist Nikki Finke's Deadline.com claims that Oprah Winfrey will leave her syndicated talk show in 2011 and move it to her cable network, OWN (the Oprah Winfrey Network).

But the "Queen of Media" isn't going anywhere, according to Winfrey's Harpo Productions... at least not yet.

"She has not made a decision yet," reads a statement to CNN from Harpo Productions. "As she has previously stated, she'll be making an announcement before the end of the year."

So it sounds like a change is coming... we just don't know when. Or where: according to Finke, the move would involve the show being produced in Los Angeles, not its longtime home in Chicago.

That said, if Oprah decides to make a move... how will it affect her show? Will fans still watch?

CSI:NY star Hill Harper is just one of many celebrities taking part in EIF's iParticipate program. He recently spent time with New York's Central Park Medical Unit- a volunteer ambulance service shooting scenes for this week's episode. Hill talks to CNN exclusively about his work with EIF/iParticipate and why it is important for everyone to volunteer.

When United Healthcare heard about the good work that CPMU was doing, they decided to donate $10,000 to the organization. For more on EIF/iParticipate, check out www.iparticipate.org.

It's a publicity flurry.

Rihanna's two-part interview with "Good Morning America"'s Diane Sawyer airs Thursday and Friday. There's the December cover of Glamour magazine featuring Rihanna, recognizing her as one of their "Women of the Year." Every day it seems another Rihanna video is released, and don't forget her new album "Rated R" is due in stores November 23rd. Until now, she's been silent about the night she was left bruised and battered by then-boyfriend Chris Brown.

Tomorrow, we'll hear from Rihanna. She'll perhaps shed some light on the evening. We may learn what precipitated the blowout that ended in a smackdown. But there are two sides to every story. Rihanna's side has been dramatically illustrated by the leaked evidence photo of her swollen eyelids, bruised face and busted lips.  Chris' side includes a botched Larry King appearance, a fleeting shot of him serving his community service wearing an orange jumpsuit, and his Twitter posting with a link to a music video (made by fans) of he and Rihanna in ostensibly happier times. The video is set to Lee Carr's "The Way We Used to Be" and accompanied by Brown's apology "SORRY YALL. JUST HAD TO POST IT," with a follow-up tweet "FOR THE FELLAS: showing emotion doesn't make u weak... BEING HONEST MAKES U STRONG."

If being honest makes you strong, then perhaps we're about to see a much stronger Chris Brown. Friday at 6pm ET, his side of the story will play out in an interview with MTV's Sway. According to an MTV press release, Brown will address "the questions people have been asking."  In the 30-minute interview, the one-time R&B darling "opens up about the aftermath of his assault" and his sentence that includes anger management and community labor. Why now? Is he looking for the last word after Rihanna's two-day ABC sitdown? Could it be he also has an album to sell? Not yet, but his third album is on the way: "Graffitti" is slated to hit stores December 8th.

In the end, we have two people, two well-timed interviews, two albums to sell, and two sides of the story... with no happy ending in sight.

Celebrities packed the red carpet at the 2009 Soul Train Awards at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta on Tuesday evening.

In attendance were stars from the past, present and future.

Hosted by Academy Award nominated actors Taraji P. Henson Terrence Howard, this year's show honored the careers and musical influences of Chaka Khan, Charlie Wilson, L.A. Reid, and Kenny"Baby Face" Edmonds.

Singer Charlie Wilson made a courageous appearance on the red carpet after recently recovering from early-stage prostate cancer. He encouraged fans to “get tested and learn your status.”

Beyonce, Maxwell and gospel group Mary Mary all won awards but were no shows at the event.

Famed crooners Boyz II Men were down to just two members after Shawn Stockman contracted the H1n1 virus. Were told it left the group scrambling to find replacement since the group was slated to perform.

Lisa Wu Hartwell of the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" shared some advance scoop on Thursday’s reunion show, dishing that the final episode will include more drama and she is a possible target.

Twitter was also in the house with celebrities like Claudia Jordan, Latoya Luckett, and Ginuwine all admitting to being just a little addicted to the micro-blogging site.

The 2009 Soul Train Music Awards is slated to air at 9 p.m. November 29 on BET.

Here's what's happening in the world of entertainment today:

The cut "Bruno" scene featuring LaToya Jackson will be part of the movie's upcoming DVD, People reports. It was removed from the film at the last minute due to Michael Jackson's death, which occurred days before the movie's release. In the 90-second scene, Sacha Baron Cohen interviews LaToya in character as Bruno.

Tuesday night's highly-anticipated premiere of "V" paid off in the ratings for ABC, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It was the highest-rated premiere for a new scripted show so far this season.

James Franco will not only appear in several episodes of "General Hospital," he also plans to guest star on "30 Rock," according to EW.com.

Variety reports that Sigourney Weaver and John C. Reilly have joined a cast which includes "The Hangover's" Ed Helms and Anne Heche for the comedy "Cedar Rapids." Weaver will play Helms' former seventh-grade teacher in the movie, which has already begun shooting.

Now on DVD: action blockbuster "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," Denzel Washington and John Travolta in "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3," Bush stage spoof "You're Welcome, America" starring Will Ferrell, teen comedy "I Love You, Beth Cooper," family fare "Aliens in the Attic," documentary "Food, Inc.," Hitchcock classic "North by Northwest: 50th Anniversary Edition," plus TV sets "Star Wars The Clone Wars: The Complete Season One," "G.I. Joe: Season 1.2" and "Ruby-Spears Superman."