Yes, reality tv. A couple of different shows. Of course the person eating doesn't have a job, and the family don't appear to employed in any high paying job either.

Absurd and Hard Skool did not perform to their expectations. I think that is the most obvious reason for the shakeup in plans. It would be a safe bet to say they have abandoned that type of release strategy.

Since they are intent on releasing something that can only mean some type of album package. If Slash was being accurate when he said there were a handful of CD songs left to release, they will have to write a handful of new songs to call it an album.

Imo this is just your personal taste talking. I don't think any of those songs have much hit potential.

This is a fantastically underrated album:

I am not prejudiced against pop. Phil Collins is one of my favorite artists. The problem is Lady Gaga isn't really writing any of it. She's just the face for the brand. Got To Be Real for example is a great song, but I'm not giving Cheryl Lynn any credit for writing it. I can give her credit for the voice, but then again anyone with a good voice could come in and sing that song. It's not Axl Rose level voice magic. 

Serious artists, whether they be rock or something else, should not be associating themselves with these low grade acts. It would be like Gordon Ramsay teaming up with McDonalds. He shouldn't even be teaming up with Five Guys.

You're right it doesn't have a noble origin, but then again what was pop/rock music before they started doing that? Art is perhaps one of the things where a personal connection to the work is more important than anything else. Or at least to put your own spin on it, like GN'R and KOHD. Lady Gaga doesn't even have her "own spin". There is nothing to separate her from the producers who make her music, because she's just a face and an average voice to make money for the record company. Coming from a rich, well connected family probably helped too.