Elvis Presley Still the King

Saturday, October 29, 2005

Dead Elvis Still King

Elvis Presley is still "the King" according to Forbes magazine as the top-earning dead celebrity for the last year. Of course, it's his estate - and more specifically Lisa Marie Presley - who's reaping the benefits, but it's his likeness and music that people keep coming back for year after year.

What was surprising to me, until I stopped to think about it, was the second place finish of Peanuts creator Charles Schulz whose Snoopy and Charlie Brown characters will probably be licensed and resold until the end of time. I mean, after all, would it really be Christmas without the Charlie Brown Christmas Special airing on TV?

Some other notable names on the list aren't really surprises: John Lennon, Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe and Bob Marley are included, just to name a few.

They may not have been able to take it with them, but they sure have been able to keep providing for those they left behind...

Mel Gibson Goes Foreign...Again..

Gibson says new film has "mythic proportions"

Mel Gibson has set yet another daunting challenge for himself: making a film in ancient Mayan. If he hadn't already had the stunning success of "The Passion of the Christ" which was done in the dead language of Arameic, people would probably call him crazy. (Though some have done just that anyway.)

I doubt it will achieve the commercial success of "The Passion of the Christ" simply because it doesn't touch on the raw nerve of religion in the same way, but film critics love subtitled films - it makes them feel very cultured and intelligent - so my guess is that it will be well received when it is finally released.

Once again, he's bankrolling it himself which means he stands to make another bundle of cash if the film proves successful. I have to respect someone who's willing to put his own money on the line to make a project he believes in - no matter how the film turns out...

Sylvester Stallone the Sequel

Stallone to make another 'Rambo'

Practically days after announcing that he would be making yet another Rocky film, Sylvester Stallone has announced that he will be making another 'Rambo' film as well.

While Rocky will be the sixth in the series, the Rambo movie will be 'only' the fourth. The article says the script is in early development but offers that it involves some kind of vigilante-type justice here in the U.S. This will be the first Rambo movie to be set in the United States since the original 'First Blood' came out...

Angelina Jolie Says Two Not Enough

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Report: Jolie says she wants to adopt again

Angelina Jolie is talking about her next adoption already. In essence, she's thinking about creating her own miniature United Nations at home.

I'm the first to sing her praises about the work she's done on behalf of children since adopting her first child, Maddox, but this is a bit disconcerting. It's just a theory of mine, but I see the same sort of all-or-nothing, compulsive behavior that she's exhibited in the past toward her relationships. I'm not saying it's necessarily a bad thing, but it does seem like it is a thing....would that all of our own compulsions would lead to such positive behavior...

Nicolette Sheridan Back on the Market

Nicollette Sheridan and fiance split

For all you guys out there lusting over Wisteria Lane's resident sexpot, Nicolette Sheridan is back on the market after breaking it off with her fiance.

The two got engaged about a year ago and evidently it was just long enough to figure out that a lifetime together just wasn't in the cards. Good for guys everywhere, bad for him...

Janet Jackson Denies Child

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Janet: I'm No Mother

Not unexpectedly, Janet Jackson is denying that she has a "secret" 18-year old child.

It seems to me that this is one of those situations that could easily be resolved. The "child" is 18 years old and an adult. It's not like Rebbie Jackson is hiding out in an undisclosed location. Just go to the house and ask...Seems to me that if there's an 18-year old girl living there of whom Rebbie is not the mother, the rumor is true and Janet Jackson is a liar. If not, then Young DeBarge is the liar...Plain and simple...There's really no middle ground on this one...

Anybody have Rebbie's address handy?

Justin Timberlake Cries a River of Crocodile Tears

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Timberlake defends Britney in photo flap

Justin Timberlake is claiming that it was "crossing the line" for a website to publish the Britney Spears baby photos.

Let's get things straight: these weren't private family photos here, folks. They weren't stolen from her home. They were photos which she had taken with the intent to sell them for millions of dollars, so she wasn't exactly focused on her family's privacy when she had them taken.

Did the website know that the photos were stolen? Not according to the stories I've read. They were e-mailed anonymously, and the website did what pretty much every newspaper or magazine in the world would have done which was to publish them right away.

Were they private property? Yes. Were they taken illegally? I'll reserve judgment on that because the whole story around these photos has been somewhat fishy from the get-go. But to claim that what was done was so far out of line is clearly out of line on Justin's part.

After all, wasn't it he who sold a few million records capitalizing on his relationship with her, mocked her in video, and told the world about how he had sex with her? Yeah...it's the same Justin Timberlake, so it's a good time for him to shut up about "crossing the line" before people start to remember that when he didn't think twice about crossing that line when he thought there was a dollar to be made by exploiting Britney Spears' name himself....

Does Janet Jackson Have a Daughter?

Former in-law: Janet Jackson has daughter

According to the latest reports, the answer is yes. Janet Jackson had a very well publicized and very brief marriage to James DeBarge in 1984, and according to his younger brother that marriage produced a daughter named Renee.

There have been rumors for years that Janet had a secret daughter, and this may be another in a long line of unsubstantiated claims, but the truth is often stranger than fiction when it comes to the Jackson clan. A situation like this would be just the kind of weirdness we've come to expect from the twisted remains of Joe Jackson's abusive upbringing of his children.

I can only hope that Renee (if she exists) has been spared as much as possible by being brought up away from the show business end of the family and will be able to have a "normal" life...

For Britney Spears, Baby Makes Two?

Monday, October 24, 2005

Is Britney's marriage on the rocks?

Once again we're hearing reports that Britney Spears's marriage has hit rough water. Shocker! More reports of Kevin partying and running through Britney's money like there was an infinite supply of it. Shocked again!

This article includes a report that Britney had done a deal for exclusive pictures but withdrew them because they aren't the happy couple they're pictured to be in those pictures. Hmm...could it be that the pictures which have been withdrawn are the very same which ones which were "stolen"? Yet another drama created by Britney to cover another marriage fiasco? Methinks this may be so...

Get it over with, Britney...Throw him out on his loser behind...Yeah, critics will be proved right, but keeping him around to prove a point is just going to make things worse....Enough's enough, don't you think?

Britney Spears' Baby Photos Go Missing

Saturday, October 22, 2005

Britney baby photos 'are stolen'

Britney Spears is saying that pictures of her baby taken during a photoshoot have been stolen. Evidently the pictures appeared soon after on the internet, but were removed after she threatened legal action for copyright infringement.

Seems to me that if indeed the pictures were stolen, then the appropriate action would have been to turn the matter over to the police to be prosecuted, if nothing else, for possession of stolen property. Sounds to me that she's not so much upset about pictures of the baby being stolen, but that she might miss out on the payday that selling the pictures will bring. After all, she had taken the baby to a photoshoot, so privacy wasn't exactly her concern: she was planning on selling the pictures anyway.

Not that I condone stealing the pictures, but I find it hard to get really worked up about this. There's no privacy issue here: it's a money thing pure and simple....

Michael Jackson Says 'Never More' to Neverland

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Jackson flees United States for new life in Arab state

After recent reports of Michael Jackson taking tours in the Middle East, it's finally happened: he has taken permanent leave of the United States.

In light of his ongoing legal problems related to his inability to keep his hands off little boys, it's to be expected that he would flee U.S. jurisdiction where he can't be prosecuted for his activities.

Personally I say good riddance to bad rubbish...I have no time for pedophiles no matter how much talent they may have once had...

Gwyneth Paltrow Too Cowardly to Tell Brits What She Really Thinks

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Paltrow bemoans life in Britain

Gwyneth Paltrow has been shooting her mouth off again: this time about Britain. But if you're British don't expect to be able to read about it because, you see, it will only appear in Marie Claire's US edition.

It's not hard to understand why the UK edition was a no-no after Paltrow said that the streets were dirty, the weather is cold, and its customer service is rubbish. Gee...I wonder why Paltrow wouldn't want those comments to appear in the UK edition...

Like the Dixie Chicks taking their criticism of the President to London because they would have been booed off the stage if they had done it before a crowd of American country music fans, Gwyneth is talking trash only where she doesn't think her neighbors will find out. Like the Dixie Chicks, she's about to find out that the British have the internet too...

I have no time for this kind of cowardice. If you don't like the President (in the case of the Chicks) or have an issue with your chosen home, then show the courage of your convictions and say it where it counts. When the domestic crowd found out what the Chicks had to say, they were forced to back off their statement. I can only imagine how fast Gwyneth will be backpedalling, making the usual denials about how her comments were "out of context" or outright misquotes. Blah blah blah....

I gave Gwyneth some unsolicited advice when her name last appeared on this blog for being a hypocrite and talking about someone else's private relationship while claiming that her own is off-limits. I'll give her some more: just shut up already...

Tyra Banks' 'Secret' No More

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Tyra's Final "Secret" Show

Set the TiVO, boys. CBS will be airing the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and December 6th, and some of the most famous models in the world are going to be strutting their stuff on the runway in primetime after having been cancelled last year for fear that the FCC would fine the network.

Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum, Gisele Bundchen, and Adriana Lima are all slated to take part.

Just in case you're interested, the show will have a holiday theme....Yeah, we didn't think so....

Sylvester Stallone Still 'Rocky'

"Rocky 6"? Stallone signs on for another round

The headline is a little bit misleading only in that Sylvester Stallone has done more than just 'sign on,' he was the one who wrote the script, pushed for its development and will direct the latest installment of the famous 'Rocky' series to be titled simply 'Rocky Balboa.'

The storyline will take on the familiar 'boxer coming out of retirement' theme which mirror the paths that real-life boxers such as George Foreman have taken. The film is set to start shooting in December and is supposed to be more reminiscent of the first two 'Rocky' movies than the latter three - which will be a relief to fans of the series.

There are a lot of critics of Stallone, but it's definitely a role that he was born to play. It's worth remembering that the original 'Rocky' won the Oscar for Best Picture so he deserves a lot of credit for bringing one of cinema's most memorable characters to the big screen. I can only hope that he's captured some of that original magic in putting together the latest installment...

Madonna Plays the Hypocrite

Monday, October 17, 2005

Madonna keeps kids from TV and ice cream

The woman who made her living preaching the gospel of freedom and rebellion is one of the strictest parents around. Madonna admits that she takes away her children's clothes if they don't pick them up.

Funny, I don't remember her being so into parental discipline when she was making her millions telling kids to rebel against their parents and question their authority. Isn't it interesting how her tune has changed now that she's the one trying to raise a child.

She won't let her kids watch TV or read magazines. Why? She's made a fortune starring on TV and appearing on the cover of magazines, but they're too evil for her children? What kind of hypocrisy is that?

I just had to laugh at the "Material Girl" finding out what it's like to be the "Maternal Girl" and how far she's willing to go to keep her own children from being exposed to people just like herself...

More Than Meets the Eye With Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron is more than a pretty face

Charlize Theron did a nice sit-down with AP to promote her new movie, North County. She faced the inevitable questions about playing "ugly" when she's such an incredibly beautiful woman, and she handled them well. She made an excellent point that people often forget that the job of an actor is to play a role and not just look incredible and glamorous all the time.

I have to applaud her for being willing to take on those roles which far too many actresses shy away from precisely because they aren't given the opportunity to play the glamour queen. She's shown a lot of professional courage in taking on the full variety of roles: not just playing to type as so many actresses tend to do.

I have no doubt that she'll find herself nominated for yet another Best Actress Oscar after this role, and I have yet to see the performance this year from anyone else that was so mind-blowing that she shouldn't be in serious contention to repeat her win for Best Actress in Monster...

Mary-Kate Olsen Leaves School

Friday, October 14, 2005

Mary-Kate Olsen takes break from NY college

Mary-Kate Olsen is "taking a break" from attending NYU "to focus on business."

Yeah right. She's dropping out. This is one of those cases where the denial is more implausible than the truth. Her publicist says she is focusing on running her entertainment company, as if she were needed there to monitor the day-to-day operations. Pulease.

She's got issues, which may be anything from an eating disorder to a drug addiction, and trying to pretend to be a college student isn't in the cards right now. Big deal. Why not just say that she's decided to pursue a different career path or something of the like? Most of Hollywood consists of high school or college dropouts so it's not like there would be any stigma attached if she just admitted the truth.

Whatever, Mary-Kate, I hope you get yourself straightened out. You're wealthy enough that college is just window dressing at this point anyway, so dropping out is meaningless in the greater scheme of things. It's hardly surprising that yet another child star is having problems as she enters into adulthood, but more's the pity when your personal problems are going to prevent you from actually enjoying the millions that you gave up your childhood to generate...

No 'Shame' for Katie Holmes

Katie Now "Shame"-less

In the latest fallout from her pregnancy, Katie Holmes has pulled out of Shame On You, a film in which she was to have co-starred with Dennis Quaid.

Given that the filming was slated to have started in early 2006, it's not an entirely unexpected move. She will have just given birth to her baby or be just about to at about that time, so it's not unreasonable to expect that: a) she won't necessarily be in shape for the part, and b) she will want to spend that time at home rather than on a movie set.

She sounds extremely happy to be an expectant mom, so we're happy she's putting her child and the pregnancy first...

The Simple Life No More

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Fox cancels "The Simple Life"

It was just a matter of time, and the time has come. Fox has pulled the plug on Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie's show "The Simple Life." Somehow the protestations that "the show will go on" despite the rift between the two spoiled little rich kids just never rang true. Fox said it planned to hold them to their contracts and make them perform anyway, but without one to play off the other the thrill was gone, and the show would have lacked the chemistry that made it successful in the first place.

The standard "we wish we could have continued it" statement was made, but the truth is that the show was dead in the water. Paris is good enough at generating her own publicity to keep herself in the limelight, but the question now comes: what happens to Nicole?

Daniel Craig is Named New James Bond

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

The name's Bond, Bond who?

You may not know the name, but if you're an Angelina Jolie fan, the odds are that you know his face. He played opposite Jolie in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider as the character Alex West. His other roles haven't been nearly as high profile - making him somewhat of a fresh face for the role, perhaps something for which the producers were looking.

The choice of Craig as Bond is going to make the next installments in the James Bond franchise somewhat iffy propositions because he lacks the box office draw of a marquee name like Pierce Brosnan. That being said, I'm sure he's not drawing the same salary that Brosnan commanded so the financial investment won't be as high either.

Now all Bond fans can do is hold their breath and hope producers made the right choice...

Tara Reid Tops List of Party Animals

Katie's dad furious about shotgun wedding

The article leads off with a bit about how Katie Holmes' parents are none too happy about their daughter being pregnant out of wedlock. Shocker! That one's barely news...

The fun part is the gossip bits at the bottom where they talk about In Touch Weekly's list of "The 10 Biggest Party Animals in Hollywood." To no one's surprise, Tara Reid heads the list. As I mentioned in a previous post, Tara wants to be taken seriously as an actress and has been bemoaning her party reputation. The answer then, as it is today, is that if she doesn't like it then there's an easy fix: stop partying! Also on the list - again, not exactly surprises - are Diddy, Paris Hilton and Avril Lavigne. Lavigne seems to be doing her level best to live up to her punk rock star image despite the fact that she initially wanted to go into folk music but only went the pop punk route after realizing that there was no money to be made in folk music.

My guess is that the parties aren't nearly as lively either...

Charlize Theron's Weekend Wedding

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Charlize Theron's weekend wedding?

Nope...not what you're thinking. One of Hollywood's most eligible bachelorette, Charlize Theron, is still single....take a deep breath, guys - it's not over yet.

But her mom no longer is. A couple of tabloids were fooled into thinking it was Charlize getting hitched, but in fact it was Charlize giving away her mother at a wedding over the weekend.

As the article points out, Charlize says marriage is "not her thing" so keep your fingers crossed, guys...all hope is not lost...

Is Eminem Over?

Eminem's Curtain Call

Eminem is set to release a greatest hits album on December 6 which is suggestively titled "Curtain Call."

Could this indeed be the end of Eminem's career as a recording artist? My guess is that, for the most part, the answer is yes. I'm sure he'll continue as a producer and may appear on someone else's songs here and there, but as a solo artist his career has probably run its course.

I know he has a lot of fans, but he has always struck me as a Dr. Dre sponsored Vanilla Ice. Did he grow up poor? Sure, but so have a lot of people and his life story is no more compelling than that of a million other people if you look at it objectively. Every bit of "street cred" he ever got came directly from Dre without whom no one would have ever taken him seriously. He should build a shrine to Dre in his house...

To give him credit, he parlayed a talent for trashing people he never knew who never did him any wrong for no particular reason (see his multiple songs insulting fellow celebrities) into a multi-million dollar career. But that just shows an ability to be unnecessarily cruel, it doesn't show any particular talent other than for self-promotion.

But he's being smart and getting out while he's on top. Hopefully, he'll get himself straight, off the pills, and be able to be successful as a producer because his time to get off the stage has come...

Britney Spears' Bra No More

Monday, October 10, 2005

Britney pulls bra from eBay

First it was pulled for violating the eBay policy on selling used underwear - a decision which was reversed because it was determined that it was more a piece of entertainment memorabilia than just a regular old used bra. Now Britney Spears herself has pulled the bra that was to be auctioned to benefit Katrina victims off the market.

There appears to be some confusion over which bra it is. Apparently many thought it was the one she wore onstage, but it turns out that it isn't. Evidently it was just one that she wore during a promotion for the concert special, not during the special itself meaning that it would be worth far less in terms of actual memorabilia value. It doesn't mean that there aren't plenty of fans who wouldn't bid large dollar figures for pretty much any piece of Britney's undergarments, but because the memorabilia value isn't there any more it probably fell back under the original eBay policy. My guess is that eBay probably said as much privately to her, so she decided to remove it from auction rather than have it removed.

My question: why not just write a check, Britney? $60,000 wouldn't even be missed from those enormous bank balances of yours, and then you wouldn't have to experience these repeated public embarrassments over a piece of your underwear. I really do wonder sometimes if you have any adults in charge over there...

Madonna in Religous Controversy Again...Try Not to Yawn...

Sunday, October 09, 2005

Some rabbis criticize new Madonna song

Years after "Like a Prayer" got her in trouble with Roman Catholics, Madonna is finding herself in trouble with Kabbalist rabbis over her lastest album. A song on the album entitled Isaac is about a Jewish mystic who has been dead for 500 years. The anger comes from a violation of Jewish law which prohibits the use of the name of a holy rabbi for profit which she is clearly doing.

Personally I think it's just a PR stunt to boost album sales when the album is released. Don't get me wrong: I think the rabbis are genuinely upset, that isn't the "stunt" part. The stunt is from including the song in the first place. As a long-time student, she had to know the proscription against doing it and that it would earn her condemnation within the Kabbalah community. But when you've been out of the game for several years, how do you build buzz for yet another dance album? By generating buzz in the press the same way she always has: by making religious groups angry at her.

I don't think this one is going to work for her though. Kabbalah is too obscure with too few followers to generate enough momentum to make a huge difference in the sales numbers. And times have changed in the intervening years since "Like a Prayer," it's no longer unusual to have a musician take a potshot at a religion: in fact, some artists have made entire careers out of it.

Time for a new shtick, Madonna: this one's not going to work any more...

Ashlee Simpson Sings....Really!

A Year later, Ashlee 'Sings' Again On SNL

The entire Simpson clan must be breathing a huge sigh of relief after Ashlee Simpson returned to the scene of the crime on Saturday Night Live to sing last night. SNL promised no trickery, and she apparently did so successfully twice without any backing tracks.

As another article on the subject said, if nothing else, it proves she's got guts...

Reese Witherspoon Paparazzi Charged

Photog charged over Witherspoon incident

Good. At least one of these guys is going to face charges for his behavior in trying to get a photograph of Reese Witherspoon and her children at DisneyLand.

Added details have come out about the guy: he's an ex-con who did 4 years for burglary. Hmm...any wonder that he chose to make a living stalking celebrities?

He'll probably get some slap on the wrist, but I hope one of these days that prosecutors will take this kind of overzealous behavior seriously. Today it's an inconvenience and an occasional bruise, but these people will wind up getting someone killed if they're not reined in one way or the other...

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes to Go Silent?

Saturday, October 08, 2005

Silent Scientology birth for Tom and Katie?

Speculation is running rampant about how Katie Holmes will deliver the baby she has conceived with Tom Cruise. Will she follow the Scientology principles or not?

The article has better detail about the whole "silent birth" process that Scientology prescribes, but it also points out that there are religious procedures for the first week of the baby's life that prohibit medical testing or talking. Personally I have to say that if they take it to that extreme then they're foolish bordering on stupid.

Whether there is music or Katie is "allowed" to make noise during delivery doesn't have any health implications for the child that I can see, but no medical testing of the baby? In this day and age, that's just dumb. What if the baby isn't completely healthy and requires medical attention? Are they willing to sacrifice the long-term health, or even survival, of their child for their religion? That's ridiculous.

I found it interesting that fellow Scientologists Kelly Preston and John Travolta were all ready to go with their religion until - literally - push came to shove, and then the principles went right out the window when she started talking and asking for drugs. Hey, I don't blame Kelly here, I blame the Scientology for even prescribing this kind of nonsense in the first place. Hey woman, endure the worst pain imaginable and just shut up about it, would you! I mean, c'mon...

Sometimes religion goes too far, and I hope that Katie and Tom use some common sense about applying theirs to their child...

Jessica Biel the Sexiest Woman Alive

Friday, October 07, 2005

Jessica Biel named "Sexiest woman alive"

Esquire magazine has named Jessica Biel as its "Sexiest Woman Alive." It also breaks down its' sexy women by age group with Gong Li taking top honors for the 30-somethings, Sharon Stone for the 40-somethings, and Rene Russo for the 50-plus crowd.

I only have one quibble with these sorts of lists: they only include famous women. Somewhere walking the streets of an unknown city there is a woman with more sex appeal than any of these women but we don't know her name. I just think they should have a little more honesty and say "Sexiest Female Celebrity Alive" or something like that. I know it's being picky, but I said from the start it was just a quibble...

Who's on your personal list of "Sexiest Female Celebrity"?

Wesley Snipes Not the Daddy

DNA exonerates Snipes in paternity suit

This case was ridiculous from the get-go. A crackhead from Chicago claimed that Wesley Snipes was the father of her baby. Her story never made sense in the first place, and it was hardly the first claim she had made against celebrities.

The fact that the city of New York even took her seriously, let alone pursued him to the extreme that it did, is ridiculous. He has filed a lawsuit against them, and I hope he prevails. Maybe if they lose, the next time a crackhead makes some outrageous claim they'll pursue reality instead of headlines...

Britney Spears Raising Two Babies

Thursday, October 06, 2005

Is Britney's husband acting like a baby?

Shocker! Britney Spears is complaining that loser husband Kevin Federline isn't being helpful with the baby. After walking out during her pregnancy, why is anyone surprised that he isn't acting like a father should after she gives birth?

I'm going to give odds on a separation or divorce within the next six months at 5 to 1....Any takers?

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes...and a Baby

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes expecting

This is certainly headline news. The much publicized romance between Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes has taken an unexpected turn with the announcement that she is expecting a child.

This will be Tom's third child, but Katie's first. Since I'm guessing that they're not planning on having the child out of wedlock, let the games begin on betting on a wedding date for the couple...

Kevin has a little James

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Kevin James and wife welcome birth of daughter

Once again, we extend congratulations to another celebrity on the birth of a new baby. Kevin James and his wife, Steffania, gave birth to a healthy baby girl they have name Sienna-Marie on Friday.

Congrats to the family for a healthy birth and for giving the child a reasonable name...

Lindsay Lohan Hurt in Accident Avoiding Paparazzi

Lindsay Lohan involved in traffic accident

Here we go again...Lindsay Lohan received minor injuries when she was involved in an accident while trying to get away from paparazzi.

When does it end? Do we have to experience our own Princess Diana incident where a celebrity actually dies before something is done about out of control paparazzi? Just because they have a camera doesn't entitle them to endanger either the celebrities they're stalking or other innocent motorists with their reckless behavior.

This is way out of hand and something needs to be done to put a stop to it....NOW....

Nicolas Has a New Baby Cage: Kal-el

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Baby boy for actor Cage and wife

Hearty congrats to Nicolas Cage and his wife, Alice Kim, on the healthy birth of their bouncing baby boy, Kal-el.

Now Kal-el might seem like an odd name to you, because it certainly did to me. The article explains that it's the given name of Superman on his home planet of Krypton.

...Umm...Well...the best thing I can say about that is that it certainly gives the boy a lofty name to live up to...

Sharon Stone Doesn't Condemn Kate Moss

Sharon Stone defends Moss in cocaine scandal

USA Today is making hay out of Sharon Stone "defending" Kate Moss. First, she didn't "defend" Moss: she simply said that people make mistakes which is pretty much just stating the obvious. "Defending" Moss would consist of excusing or condoning her drug habit which, unless they left out the relevant quote, she didn't do.

What Stone did was act with some class in refusing to throw stones at another celebrity. It's not her position as an actress or spokesmodel to do that [leave that to us professional pundit-types :)]. The purpose of the conference was to promote her as the new face of Christian Dior skin care - to which USA Today devoted an entire picture caption. Whoa! Way to get the story straight, guys...

This is a non-story with a misleading headline....

Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston Put Up the 'For Sale' Sign

Sunday, October 02, 2005

Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston sell Beverly Hills estate

Got $28 million burning a hole in your pocket? If so, then perhaps you might consider investing in the former home of Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt.

It's got its own screening room, pub, art studio, and the mandatory pool, of course. And you can't beat Brazilian mahogany floors for shuffling around on at midnight in your barefeet. I mean, what's not to love? If you're going to let a little thing not having that kind of cash lying around stop you...well...it's your loss...

They bought it for $13.5 million in 2001 which would mean doubling their money in the span of 4 years. Not too shabby at all...

Fantasia Tells Sob Story

Fantasia reveals she can't read

Am I supposed to feel sympathy for her? I certainly hope that isn't the reaction I'm supposed to be having, because it's certainly not the one I'm experiencing.

She lays the blame at an alleged rape in the 9th grade which caused her to eventually drop out of school. I'm not buying it. First, there's no excuse not to know how to read by 9th grade. Everyone wants to blame teachers, but if you can't read by the time you're a teenager then you have only yourself to blame. Not every teacher is great, but there are enough that if she had made a single attempt at trying then she could have learned to read. There are plenty of stories about immigrants learning the language from watching television. And I'm supposed to believe that she was incapable of doing the same?

Second, what did she do with her life after dropping out? The reality is that most dropouts do so because they're too lazy to go to school. What did she do with her waking hours throughout her teenage years? My guess is that the truth wouldn't exactly cast her in a favorable light, since it obviously wasn't spent trying to better herself.

She's telling stories trying to sell her memoirs. The fact that a 21 year old has the nerve to sell memoirs is laughable to me. Call me back when you've actually lived life for a while...

Flight Attendants Whine About Jodie Foster's 'Flightplan'

Saturday, October 01, 2005

Attendants Object To 'Flightplan'

(Fair warning: The linked article contains a plot spoiler, so if you're planning on seeing the movie, just stick with the commentary.)

Flight attendants are whining like babies about the plot of Jodie Foster's new movie which they claim is unfair to flight attendants.

Get a grip, "attendants." First, it's a work of fiction. I didn't hear you complain when other professions are portrayed negatively: it's your turn on the hot seat. Get over it. Second, clean up your own house before you complain about "stereotypes." If you've ever boarded a flight, you've had a bad experience with a steward(ess) (I don't care what they call themselves, just because you call a door a window doesn't make it a window no matter how much it may harm the self-esteem of the door). It's a fact of life. There are so many awful people with awful personalities in that profession that it's become a joke. All stereotypes have a kernel of truth in them, and it's no different with flight attendants. If you don't like the stereotypes, then take a positive step to clean up your profession: don't kill the messenger.

Finally, no one cares about your feelings. All putting out press releases telling people not to go see this movie or that does is bring more attention to the movie. You're giving them free publicity. For example, I hadn't been planning on writing about the movie tonight at all: but the whimpering coming from the unions means that a whole lot of people are going to be reading about the movie now. Congratulations. The award for Most Counterproductive Press Release goes to the whining attendant in the corner...

Arnold Schwarzenegger Takes The First Step

Schwarzenegger signs anti-paparazzi law

More than once, I've complained about overly aggressive paparazzi on this blog so I'm happy that Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed the new anti-paparazzi law. The law increases the amount of financial damages for which they can be sued and prohibits them from making money on photographs they take after instigating an incident with a celebrity. It's not as far as I'd like to see the law go, but it's a start...

Needless to say, the paparazzi aren't happy about that and claim that the law can be challenged on constitutional grounds because it imposes harsher penalties on them than on a private citizen. It sure sounds nice, but there are plenty of professions for which there are stiffer penalties when they commit crimes because of the special responsibilities with which they are entrusted. The press always likes to consider themselves above any restraint by citing the First Amendment as some sort of bulletproof shield. Evidently they haven't been paying attention, because the Supreme Court has ruled that there can be reasonable restrictions placed on the First Amendment. Just like you can't shout 'Fire' in a crowded auditorium, it's not unreasonable to force paparazzi to behave like human beings.

In many states there are laws that prevent felons from profiting from their crimes, so why is it so unreasonable to prevent paparazzi from provoking celebrities into some sort of response and then making a bundle from selling the pictures of that response? If I keep poking you in the chest, should I get to make a profit when you finally get fed up and take a swing at me? Of course not.

Listen up all you paparazzi: no one's saying you can't make a living but it's your own outrageous behavior and unwillingness to police yourselves that brings this on. Rest assured that if it continues, it won't be the last restriction you see placed on you either. Clean up your act, and you won't have anything to worry about...

Paris Hilton Calls It Off

Paris Hilton nixes engagement to Greek fiance

This one doesn't even qualify as a surprise. Paris Hilton has broken off her engagement to Paris Latsis.

Back in August, I posted a bit about his father saying that Latsis had never mentioned any engagement to his family, that he didn't control enough wealth to have purchased the engagement ring, and that the father had never heard about what Kathy and Paris Hilton were claiming was an imminent trip to meet his family.

Obviously, something was fishy there at the time, and now we know what it is: Dad was telling the truth but the Hiltons weren't.

Now Paris Hilton is claiming that she is calling it off. Yeah right. All that means is that she has given up the pretense that there was ever going to be a marriage in the first place.

Especially in light of how things have turned out, it's quite apparent that there never was a real engagement: marriages between fabulously wealthy people are as much transactions with vast financial implications as they are about love. For no one in his family to have been made aware of it tells me that this was all some sort of game that the Hilton women were playing on everyone.

When it comes to sinking to new depths to further her celebrity, Paris Hilton certainly never disappoints...What's next? A fake pregnancy? Don't be surprised...