Christina Aguilera Blames Summer Tour Cancellation on Winter Film Opening

I've heard of a lot of excuses for canceling tours over the years, but bless Christina Aguilera's heart for coming up with a new one: Her movie debut as a leading lady, Burlesque, is coming out this year, and she wants to be on her A-game. Thus the sad news that the star has scrapped her entire 20-date summer tour to focus on the film and her fourth album Bionic. Except... there's a problem.

The tour would have begun July 15 in Connecticut and ended Aug. 19 in California -- more than three months before Burlesque is released on Nov. 24. Unless they're planning some massive reshoots and/or overdubbing (i.e. the entire movie, like, four times, and don't count on it, because this is Screen Gems we're talking about here), that seems like plenty of time to wrap up the record and cash in this summer, take a break, promote a film and cash in this fall, take a holiday break, and then go cash in down in the summery Southern Hemisphere for a few months while A.O. Scott's sure-to-be memorable Burlesque takedown fades into the distance.

What am I missing here? And why do I suddenly demand transparency in all of Christina Aguilera's touring and film-publicity dealings? Oy. Hurry up, Memorial Day weekend.

· Christina Aguilera Cancels Her Entire Summer Tour [PopEater]