Lots of folks out there temporarily (or perhaps permanently?) heading toward the exits this week. To wit…
Chevy Chase has (finally, officially) left Community: After three-and-a-half years that can probably be described as “contentious,” at best, Chevy Chase finally said “see ya!” to his study buddies on Community last week. Deadline reported that Chase, who played the cantankerous Pierce Hawthorne, left the show in what the website called a “mutual agreement.” That’s probably putting it mildly. After fights with show creator Dan Harmon, and comments to journalists that being on Community was “a big mistake,” chances are good Chase’s departure is welcome news on both sides — and especially to Richard Erdman’s Leonard, who fans hope will get more screen time as the show looks to fill its cranky old guy slot. In the meantime, Chase will appear in all but two episodes of Community’s abbreviated season, which means his absence won’t be felt till season five, if the show makes it that far.
Lil Wayne has (thank God?) left hip-hop: The self-proclaimed “best rapper alive” has apparently become so proficient at his craft that he’s gotten bored with it.* Wayne recently told MTV that he’s been rapping since the age of 8, and after the release of his upcoming Tha Carter V, he is leaving the game to concentrate on either skateboarding or sportscasting. A few things to note here. First off, when you appear on EVERYONE’s record, you’re going to burn out. Creativity needs space, and while some of us can act like Weezy hasn’t been a mediocre emcee for all this time anyway, there’s definitely been a drop in his skills level. Second, Lil Wayne as a sportscaster? Well, he can’t be worse than Charles Barkley or Magic Johnson, right? At any rate, Wayne has enough money to live a life of leisure for the remainder of his days, and I’m sure he gets paid off of Young Money’s successes as well. So I don’t think the man has to work too hard to pay his bills. For those of us who love real rap music, I’m sure we’ll all be more than happy to show him the door.
Coldplay is on hiatus: Chris Martin seems to have the right idea. He’s hinted at a long break for Coldplay for quite some time, and he appeared to confirm it for real while on tour in Australia. “This is our last show for three years or so,” he stated. Although not as mediocre as Lil Wayne, Coldplay’s albums have decreased in quality over the years, and there’s the sense that these guys are burned out as well. Of course, Martin specifically mentioned a break in touring, not recording. So, for all we know, Coldplay could release an album next year and just not tour behind it. Of course, every rock star from Elton John to David Bowie to Michael Jackson has retired from touring at one point or another. The mind of a musician changes very quickly. However, Coldplay’s coming off a hit album, and they just released a concert film. It might be a good time for the fellas to chill for a bit and…do whatever British musicians do when they have time off.
Chris Brown leaves Twitter (again): Hothead pop star Chris Brown has once again deactivated his Twitter account after a heated exchange with comedienne Jenny Johnson. The exchange, which I’d rather not give any credence to by posting here, was typical immature Brown, and apparently someone in his camp finally wised up and said “dude, maybe you should stay off of Twitter for a hot minute.” You know this dude’s got to have handlers up the wazoo, right? I don’t understand why someone doesn’t sit this young man down and tell him to take a chill pill. The bad boy act isn’t going to get him over much longer. Anger management? Counseling? A good old-fashioned ghetto ass-whupping? He needs one or all of those things to happen to him.