A clip of Katy Perry performing a kid-friendly version of “Hot ‘N Cold” on an upcoming episode of “Sesame Street” has been making the rounds on the internet for a couple days now. However, it now looks like PBS will not be airing the clip. Apparently, a sea of public television watching parents has protested on the grounds of Perry’s ample cleavage being prominent in the clip. While I question the thought process behind having Perry on a show aimed at preschoolers in the first place (“Mommy, is that the same girl who sings about kissing other girls”?), the thought that some child is going to be traumatized or sexualized by Katy’s titties-or notice them in the first place-is highly laughable.

Hey guys-here’s some top-secret news! Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez have signed on to be two of the new judges on the upcoming 10th season of “American Idol”! While I might tune in at the beginning of the season just because Tyler and J. Lo both have trainwreck capability, I get the feeling that this will be a failed experiment. The Abdul/Cowell/Jackson matchup didn’t just work well because of their musical experience or their ability to judge talent, there was a little-known X Factor (pun intended) called chemistry. Will the new judges panel mesh? That’ll be enough to guarantee an increase in “Idol” ratings for at least the first part of the new season. However, if they turn out to be boring, ratings will drop sharper than fabric at a J. Lo dress fitting.

R&B singer Chester “Lyfe” Jennings was sentenced yesterday to a 3 1/2 year prison sentence after being popped a year or so ago on several charges, including weapons possession and leading cops on a high-speed chase. While a prison stretch based on those charges may seem light, you might want to keep in mind that the platinum-selling vocalist/guitarist (whose most recent album, “I Still Believe”, debuted in the Top Ten) only achieved success after doing a ten-year bid for arson. Makes me wonder (once again) about the stupid decisions people make sometimes. You’d think that an extended stay in the bing would cure people of the desire to run afoul of the law again. Seeing as Lyfe will be pushing 40 when he’s released, it’s quite doubtful that he’ll see chart success again, and he is pushing “I Still Believe” as his final album. Maybe this gives T.I. something to think about…

Finally, R.E.M. looks to be releasing their new album sometime in the new year. After a decade long period of increasing suck, Athens’ favorite songs got mainly good reviews for their last album, “Accelerate” (an album that I own but honestly haven’t listened to more than once). Producer Jacknife Lee will again be assisting, and Lee a pretty decent track record with bands like Snow Patrol and Weezer…so I can safely say that this will be a pickup for me. Hopefully (and I think I speak for a lot of R.E.M. fans who pick their post-Berry work up based on years of built-up goodwill only to be disappointed with their purchases) this will be a worthwhile addition to the band’s catalog.