ENTERTAINMENT
August 7, 2013 | By Amy Kaufman
What if you could date Siri? That's kind of the question at hand in "Her," the new film written and directed by Spike Jonze. The movie, a trailer for which hit the Web on Wednesday, stars Joaquin Phoenix as Theodore Twombly, a lonely writer trying to recover from a failed relationship. When an advanced operating system comes on the market that creates tailor-made virtual companions, Theodore signs up. It's then that he meets "Samantha," an engaging female voice program that comes to win his heart. The Oscar-nominated filmmaker's latest project feels particularly timely, given the rise of "Catfish," the MTV program about strangers who meet their longtime online paramours.
ENTERTAINMENT
July 29, 2013 | By Dawn C. Chmielewski
In an example of medium meeting message, MTV's "Catfish: The TV Show," which deals with truth and lies in online dating, was the most-tweeted-about TV show last week, according to measurement firm SocialGuide. The show, now in its second season, is the creation of Yaniv "Nev" Schulman, who was the subject of the 2010 documentary film "Catfish" about his being duped into an online relationship with a married, middle-aged woman who had adopted a fake Facebook persona, posted phony photos and adopted a higher-pitched voice in phone conversations.
SPORTS
March 8, 2013 | By Bill Shaikin
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Manti Te'o is not alone. Just ask Michael Roth , one of the Angels' most decorated pitching prospects. Caught up in a phony relationship? Happened to him too. Roth started the championship game of the College World Series in each of the last three years, with his South Carolina team winning in 2010 and 2011 before losing last year. After the Gamecocks won the 2010 title, Roth traveled to Maine to pitch in a summer league, where he got an unsolicited text message from an unfamiliar number.
ENTERTAINMENT
November 15, 2012 | By Steven Zeitchik
With “Catfish: The TV Show” debuting to strong numbers on MTV this last week, the company behind the series is expanding its television efforts. RelativityReal, the TV unit of Ryan Kavanaugh's Relativity Media, is making two new overall production and development deals, including one with the company of teen producer Oliver Bogner. RelativityReal Chief Executive Tom Forman is expected to announce Thursday the division has signed pacts with Bogner Entertainment as well as This Is Just a Test Prods.
ENTERTAINMENT
November 9, 2012 | By Steven Zeitchik
When Jarrod Musselwhite, a 27-year-old single dad from rural Georgia, was feeling confused about his relationship with a girl he'd met online, there was one person he thought could help: an appealingly goofy New York photographer named Nev Schulman. Though an unlikely companion for the high-school-educated rocker, Schulman was no stranger to what Musselwhite was feeling. A protagonist of the controversial 2010 documentary "Catfish," Schulman had himself gone through a virtual romance that didn't turn out as expected.
BUSINESS
August 14, 2012 | By Ricardo Lopez, Los Angeles Times
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in a bid to help drought-stricken farmers, announced it would buy up to $170 million worth of meat from affected livestock producers. The prolonged Midwest drought has driven up feed costs for livestock farmers in affected areas, and the purchase of pork, lamb, chicken and catfish will provide some relief, the USDA said in a statement. Many farmers had been selling livestock as they struggled to feed their herds and flocks, creating a temporary surplus of meat and lowering prices.