Pop Chart

TAYLOR SWIFT EDITION

GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK

Smash Single

Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100

Social Misstep

Boyfriend Conor Kennedy, 18, brought her to a family wedding–reportedly without an invite

BRANDING

Soul Food

File under “We can’t believe it took this long.” Capitalizing on the success of its self-help books, the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand is going to launch a line of actual comfort food, including casseroles, potpies, gravies and soups (starting with chicken, of course). Your move, Fruit of the Loom.

CALL US, DEFINITELY

Are pay phones pass? Not in Brazil. As part of a public-art initiative, So Paulo tapped 100 local artists to transform 100 phone hoods into bees, brains, disco balls and more. Call Parade, as the program is named, is modeled after similar art programs in Chicago (decorative cows) and Istanbul (decorative shoes), among other cities.

The decorative hood on this So Paulo pay phone is designed to curb vandalism

QUICK TALK

Kevin Hart

“I’m not nervous in any way, shape or form,” says Think like a Man star Kevin Hart, who’s prepping to host the MTV Video Music Awards (airing Sept. 6 at 8 p.m.)–easily the biggest gig of his career. The 33-year-old comedian yuks it up with TIME.

–DAN MACSAI

The last VMA host, Chelsea Handler, descended from the ceiling with a giant sparkly house on her head, mocking Lady Gaga. How are you going to top that entrance?

I’m a comedian, so to me, the entrance has to be closer to what I do on a consistent basis. It’s definitely going to be an introduction, but I want to make it funny, make it different, make it pop.

So no ceiling?

Don’t look too hard to the ceiling for me to come down.

Daniel Tosh recently caught flak for doing a bit about rape. Are there any topics you won’t joke about?

Uh, yes. Rape. Rape would be one of them. I also steer clear of homosexuality or anything dealing with that right now, because it’s such a sensitive topic in today’s times. There’s words I’ve used in the past that I wouldn’t use now because of the attention those words get.

But celebrities are fair game?

Of course. At the end of the day, it’s all in fun. I’m not doing anything to intentionally hurt people or come at people the wrong way.

Who are you most excited to see?

Dude, that’s unfair. I’m a fan of so many. I can say Rihanna. I can say Chris Brown. I can say Drake. I can say Taylor Swift. I can say Green Day.

That’s everyone, basically.

There you go. You said the one word I should have chosen to say at the beginning.

LORENZO DOMINIC LAVALLE

After almost nine months of animal-print maternity wear, Jersey Shore star Snooki–who once described herself as “a pregnant whale”–welcomed a son with fianc Jionni LaValle. Only time will tell if he’ll fist-pump as well as his parents.

SNOOKI

JIONNI

WINNOVATION

A Real-Life Hovercraft

Anyone who has ever watched Back to the Future or The Jetsons knows we’re long overdue for flying cars. Good thing that engineers at California-based Aeroflex just successfully tested the next best thing: a hoverbike that taps powerful fans, among other tools, to let riders cruise aboveground. Somewhere, Doc Brown is shouting “Eureka!”

BEAUTIFUL DISASTER

Israeli artist Ori Gersht is known for setting up gorgeous, tranquil scenes–and then blowing them up in super-slow-motion. (See: this still from his “Pomegranate” video, one of several on view at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts through Jan. 6.) He says his goal is to fuse the sublime and the savage, reinventing classic still lifes for the modern era. And also, probably, to have fun shooting fruit.

FEUDS

Pop vs. Politics

When Twisted Sister demanded that VP hopeful Paul Ryan stop playing “We’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore” at campaign rallies, it was the latest in a series of time-honored clashes between (mostly) liberal rock stars and conservative politicians trying to exploit their musical messaging. Here we relive a few of our favorites.

1984

Bruce Springsteen

VS.

Ronald Reagan

Reagan tried to tap “Born in the U.S.A.” mania, but the Boss shut him down

2008

Sam Moore

VS.

Barack Obama

The soul artist asked the presidential front runner to stop playing “Hold On! I’m Comin'”

2011

Tom Petty

VS.

Michele Bachmann

The liberal crooner issued a cease-and-desist order after Bachmann played “American Girl” at a rally

2012

Silversun Pickups

VS.

Mitt Romney

The alt-rock group didn’t want the Romney campaign using “Panic Switch” at events

2012

Rage Against the Machine

VS.

Paul Ryan

Ryan’s fandom prompted front man Tom Morello to call him “the embodiment” of what he rages against

3 THINGS YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS WEEK

1. The proper spelling of lolz.

The latest update to the Oxford Dictionaries Online, the hip young cousin of the OED, also includes photobomb, ridic and lifecasting. Pretty kewl, rite?

2. Eating dangerous candy.

Red Vines has recalled some 1-lb. bags of its black licorice, which contained triple the amount of lead allowed by the FDA.

3. Will.i.am’s intergalactic popularity.

With help from NASA’s Curiosity rover, the Black Eyed Peas front man streamed his new single from Mars.