Tacky Ad Alert: Detox Center Pays Tribute to Whitney Houston

How sweet. Detox center "NeuroRegen" is paying tribute to Whitney Houston in today's issue of Daily Variety (page 8). Wait, what? Either A) Whitney was a patient -- and um, it clearly didn't work... or B) NeuroRegen is not-so-subtly trying to warn us not to end up like her.

Either way... congrats to NeuroRegen for the tackiest ad we've seen in a while. (And we see Donald T. Sterling's ads every week, so that's saying something.) So Whitney, um, happy... birthday, I guess?

"Whitney" Comes to the Grammy Museum

Just in time for the Aug. 17 release of her final film ("Sparkle"), Whitney Houston will be celebrated with a new exhibition at the Grammy Museum downtown.

"Whitney! Celebrating The Musical Legacy of Whitney Houston," will open on August 15 and run until February. Items to be featured in the exhibit include:

* Stage costumes worn by Houston, including her white, beaded gown worn at the 1992 GRAMMY Awards, where she won "Album of the Year"
* Albums and career scrapbooks from Houston's early career
* Houston's personal Bible
* Rare photographs of Houston both on and off stage
* Concert posters, tour books and fan memorabilia

A Night at the Grammys: Whitney, Coldplay Wristbands and Collapsing Ice Sculptures

It was the second-most watched Grammy Awards of all time (39 million viewers), and we were there in person to witness the show. The Grammys wisely ditched most of the awards years ago, and has become an event known for "wow" performances and interesting pairings. This year was no exception, led of course by Jennifer Hudson's emotional tribute to Whitney Houston. She nailed it.

Meanwhile, I'm starting to think it's us, not them. Every time the Foo Fighters perform at the Grammys, they play outside the Staples in front of fans. I get it -- inside the Staples is a mostly industry crowd, and jaded at that. But I wonder if it's a coincidence, or if the Foos will only agree to play the show if they can be outside.

Nicki Minaj? Um.

Best part of the show for people inside the Staples Center: As the Civil Wars performed in the middle of the floor, we all heard a loud THUD. Looking up, we could see that a massive ice sculpture had just crashed on the floor. The workers stood there for a beat, dazed over what had happened, and then raced to clean up the mess (and mop the floor). Turns out it was part of Katy Perry's performance. When she came on stage, there were three ice sculptures still standing -- and folks at home were probably wondering, why three?

It's hard to get good pics on your camera phone when you're in a dark, massive indoor stadium. But here are a few more shots from this Sunday's Grammys:


Coldplay distributed 22,000 wristbands to attendees as they walked in the door. During a commercial break, we were instructed to wave our arms and wristbands in the air once they started lighting up. A microchip inside the bands must have been set off at the proper time... and here you go, a pretty neat sight to see inside the Staples Center.


Coldplay performs. I saw negative reviews online, but in person I thought the Rihanna/Coldplay combo worked.


Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys... not sure this tribute worked. Awkward covers by Maroon 5 and Foster the People.


Kenny Loggins at the afterparty. Kicks off with "Danger Zone," followed by "Footloose." And then... "I'd like to play some new stuff for you now." Time to dash to the bar.


At the end of the night, walking by the now-dark red carpet as workers dismantle the massive affair.