The mainstream.

For the record, we have no idea what that is - and we're sure that conventions of past can no longer be used to define it. Today, alternative is mainstream, for example - and we think that is a conundrum, or an oxymoron, or parapraxis, or something like that.

Nonetheless - there do exist portals which connect the masses to entertainment - and these are those such portals. They are the biggest and most definitive authorities on entertainment in its most broad sense - they provide the headlines, gossip, predictions, reviews, plans, releases, and commentaries on and for the largest entertainment enterprises in the nation. They feed the greater populace content and keep the industry folks in the know. Find below, in no particular order, a sampling of industry publications, broadcast-websites, and online portals all with a similar purpose - to wax poetic (or even just to wax) about entertainment.

The self proclaimed "number-one entertainment website," E! Online is undeniably extensive. It's owned by E! Networks, a broadcast mega-conglomerate with tens of millions of subscribers. They do a good job providing daily news hot off the press (or keyboard, in this case). They carry a clear but light and irreverent tone. They are so complete in their coverage of insider celebrity commentary and gossip, they've syndicated content through alliances with AOL, Netscape, ICQ, Moviefone, and others. They also offer reviews, critiques, and live event coverage.

CNN Entertainment - obviously a branch of CNN, a world leader in the delivery of online news and information. Thousands of professionals make up the CNN team - and although they are best known for breaking headline news, they do a solid job of covering the entertainment industry as well. They also leverage well the latest in multimedia technologies to offer streaming content - although you can't get the good stuff without trading some cash for access to premium content. They have a showbuzz section dedicated to the latest celebrity and production news, and individual sections dedicated to movies, music, TV, and books. A news site - great coverage of the core headlines.

Rolling Stone, part of the Vivendi Universal Family, is one of the largest and most respected music industry publications in existence. It offers an incredible artist directory, detailed and interesting news, features, and interviews, reviews of albums, videos, and even movies/DVDs, a very large (and often hot) photo gallery spanning decades of progression in the industry, a host of high quality video, and a very active (and vocal) community section where fans and amateur critics bellow their opinions about all things music industry. Rolling Stone also offers its own 20-channel internet radio station.

Unfortunately, you will find limited access to Entertainment Weekly, which is otherwise a solid entertainment portal. Entertainment Weekly is only available to subscribers of the magazine and AOL members - you must log in when you enter the site. If you can get through the guarded gates, you're in for a great online experience - the site is easy to navigate and full of content. You will find sections dedicated to general entertainment industry news, movies, videos & DVDs, TV, music, books, and a whole area committed to exploring pop culture. Numerous photo galleries round out their offering.

Billboard is one of the oldest and most reputable newsweekly publications serving the music industry. Situated smack-dab in the middle of NYC, but with correspondents and branches across the globe, Billboard is quite possibly THE undisputed authority for the music industry. If someone asks if you're reading the "industries," they're talking about Billboard. The billboards themselves, that have become quite notorious, chronicle sales, airplay, and box-office grosses. The site offers absolutely loads of content - reviews, artist profiles, tour and concert dates, archives going back to the mid 1940s, special reports, their own radio station, and more.

Microsoft - well, it's Microsoft. They have their hands, in one way or another, in just about everything. MSN Entertainment - what can we say? It's a well done site, with volumes of content, much of which is syndicated through various affiliations. E! Online plugs content, and relationships with big dogs like AMG, Ticketmaster, and Citysearch (among others) provide expertise in their various areas. Microsoft, the great aggregator, does a good job bringing together the right players in the right places to provide a valuable consumer portal. Sections are dedicated to movies, music, TV, news, celebs, games, tickets, and local entertainment.

Yahoo!, also a great aggregator, does a solid but basic job in the general entertainment category. Yahoo! Entertainment offers core headlines and news and some celeb gossip. However - they have all-inclusive and very impressive areas dedicated to movies and TV, with full profiles, bios, image galleries, multimedia content, reviews, etc. Somewhat smaller but still extensive sections are dedicated to games and astrology. They offer a build-your-own internet radio station, and they have premium content, which leverages big name relationships (from ABC to BBC) to provide streaming video. The Yahoo! Entertainment Directory is one of the most extensive directories on the web.

Lycos Entertainment - another big internet portal, Lycos dedicates some of its time to aggregating entertainment industry content. As mainstream goes, this is one of the more mainstream entries - decent sections dedicated to movies, music, television, and video are flanked by portal content like horoscopes, news, comics, puzzles, and even Dear Abby herself (her daughter, actually). The tabloids feed their gossip columns, and CultureFinder powers their cultural events section - both of which serve their purpose. Lycos also offers an extensive music subscription download service called Rhapsody.

Variety - quite possibly, the unifying and flagship industry publication of all things entertainment. As Billboard is to the music industry, Variety is to everything else (and some would argue the music industry, too). It's been around for almost 100 years, and is widely recognized as a premier source. Their content is up-to-date, clear, and precise - they provide authoritative views, news and analyses on the business of show business. It is not intended for the average consumer - it is a professional publication, built for industry professionals. They cover just about everything - film, TV, world entertainment, business, music, video, theater, internet and games, and legal news. Be advised - a subscription is required to get very far into their content.

Entertainment Tonight, the website that supports the heavily syndicated broadcast, is a truly broad yet detailed experience. They are not aggregators - they are creators. Through unique features, celeb and artist interviews (often exclusives), breaking news, first looks, visits to sets and studios, and a great cast of anchors and correspondents - they have created a 20+ year legacy of entertainment industry content. They are focused on Hollywood (but maintain offices across the globe), and are a recognized source for film, television, music, fashion, and current trends. The news is up-to-the minute and updated throughout the day, and the site also offers contests, polls, quizzes, and channels for feedback.