November 30, 2006
Listomania
They seem to be poll mad in England. Earlier this week they were listing best and worst legs. Today, blog poster boy Pete Doherty topped the top-10 list of Greatest Anti-Icons, a poll conducted online for Arena magazine. A thousand people chose Doherty as the most famous for all the wrong reasons. (Source)
Ring My Bell Redial
Checking in on some former Ring My Bell guests, we find both Lenora Claire and Selene Luna starring in Billy Talent's "Fallen Leaves" music video. And there's more exciting news for Wash Westmoreland, director of Quinceanera. He's just been nominated for the John Cassavetes Award (best feature made for under $500,000) at next year's Spirit Awards.
– Steven Corfe
The New York Knickers
News of Britney's recent vadge attack on nightlife made it to the ladies of The View, where Rosie O'Donnell, who has been offering to temporarily adopt the pop princess, added panties to the offer, including her own plus-size step-ins, which she said Britney could fashion as a body stocking. Our sleep will be fitful tonight, we just know it. (Video at TMZ)
The Basement Tapes
In 1993, RuPaul hosted a wonderful Christmas special that aired in the UK. Among her guests were Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Kurt Cobain. It was the year Nirvana had performed that memorable set on MTV Unplugged, and they got even further unplugged sitting on the floor in a dressing room holding tiny cutouts of RuPaul and singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" to her and the folks at home without benefit of even acoustic instruments. Note Cobain holding a white lily.
Unspun Hero
As the WOW reality show, Pete Burns Unspun, is just about to unspool on Living tv (9PM!) in the UK, we show one last outtake from it: Pete wondering if he ever wore this article of clothing that looks too much like an oversize merkin. Pretty sure he did. (Watch)
Schpritz
"We're trying to develop the perfect condom for men that's suited to every size of penis," says Jan Vinzenz Krause of Germany's Institute for Condom Consultancy What they've come up with is a spray-on, sort of like the nonstick kitchen aid, Pam. He says the high-tech prophylactic will come in different strengths and colors and would likely cost around $26. Unfortunately, it won't fit in your wallet. But the can makes a handy sex toy. (Source, or here)
For Whom the Bell Rings
This morning's Ring My Bell guest is The UkuLady, back by popular demand to showcase her new songs on the ukulele. Call 323 603-6312 between 11AM and 12PM PST to request a song, or tune in to the webcam at ringmybell.tv to hear the old classics "LA County Fair," and the high-pitched Michael Jackson medley.
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Richie
As Nicole Richie begins to get her strength back, thanks to those five extra pounds she gained over Thanksgiving, she's able to do all the things she's been too weak to enjoy, like sitting on Santa's lap and asking for world peace. Oh, wait – it seems it's Santa who's wanting peace; Nicole wants you to fuck yourself, bless her. (Photos via Celebrity Dirty Laundry)
Quote Unquote
"[Oprah Winfrey] started out with black women's views but has been catering to middle-aged white American women for so long that she's become one herself. I think the idea of being publicly noted that she's a billionaire makes [black women] interested in seeing her views. But it's even more exciting to the demographic of white American women she's been aiming at to see that she has the exact same views that they have." – rapper 50 Cent in the January Elle. (Source)
Itemizing
• Another reason evangelicals might want to rethink their passion: Rocky of Ages. Sylvester Stallone says his character, Rocky Balboa, was based on Jesus Christ. "It's like he was being chosen," he says. "If you look to God, you can overcome your past." Um, what? (Source)
• Actor and senior citizen Michael Douglas had himself hoisted 25 feet into the air on a cherry picker to perform the traditional "roof wetting" ceremony at a new art museum in Bermuda, where he and his trophy wife own a house. When he momentarily lost his footing, we can only guess that there was some non-traditional wetting. (Source)
• It sounds like Sean Connery isn't sorry he turned down the $434 million (that's right, $434 million) to play Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings movies. "I read the book, I read the script, I saw the movie," he says, "and I still don't understand it." It seems clear to us: $434 million. You think Jessica Simpson understood The Dukes of Hazzard? (Source)
• Funny, we just assumed... Modified food starch, coconut and soybean oils, corn syrup, food coloring, and 2% avocado does not qualify as guacamole, maintains a Los Angeles woman who is suing Kraft Foods for misleading consumers with its so-called Dips Guacamole. "We think customers understand that it isn't made from avocado," a Kraft Foods' exec said. (Source)
• Oy! Apparently, the public scolding of anti-semite Mel Gibson is over. Disney is upping the release of his Apocalypto from 2,000 screens to 2,500; the film's on the Golden Globes shortlist for a foreign-language trophy; and Gibson will appear on the next cover of Entertainment Weekly. (Source)
• NBC is thinking of airing its Friday night rehearsal sessions of Saturday Night Live on the Internet. You know, with pratfalls and the cast breaking themselves up and forgeting their marks and saying "fuck." Sounds funnier than the show; perhaps they should air the rehearsals on TV and save the show for YouTube. We prefer dry runs to dry heaves. (Source)
It's a Nice Day for a White Christmas
Don't be sad that Billy Idol has a Christmas album. It's OK, it's what singers do at a certain point. Be happy for him. Enjoy "White Christmas" here, then take a sleigh ride over to dlisted and catch him singing the more upbeat "Jingle Bell Rock." He's so handsome.
thisisaknife: Doing It for the Kids
Happy Families? No, not the right title. Watch Your Parents Fuck? No, not that either. Doing It for the Kids? That's it!
November 29, 2006
Recently Dead
Dave Cockrum, the man responsible for turning the X-Men into a multimillion-dollar franchise, died Sunday of diabetes in Belton, South Carolina. He was 63. His wife Paty said he died in his favorite chair wearing Superman pajamas and covered in a Batman blanket.
At Marvel Comics, Cockrum and writer Len Wein were handed the X-Men. The comic had been created in 1963 as a group of young outcasts enrolled in an academy for mutants. The premise had failed to capture fans. Cockrum and Wein added their own heroes to the comic and published "Giant-Size X-Men No. 1" in 1975. Many signature characters Cockrum designed and co-created – such as Storm, Mystique, Nightcrawler and Colossus – went on to become part of the "X-Men" films. Cockrum received no movie royalties. (Source)
Trio
Last year it was black Christmas trees. This year it's upside-down Christmas trees. Er, there should be a funny joke about this but I can think of it. But as usual, Target can be relied upon to bring quantity and style to the equation. Now that's a menage a tree!
– Fenton Bailey
Unspun Hero
Leading up to the Pete Burns Unspun premiere tomorrow on Living tv in the UK, another clip, in which the reality of Elton John and David Furnish's love for each other is questioned. (Watch here)
Two Parties, Under Gotham
Thairin Smothers shoots and reports later:
Last night, Vanity Fair and the Sundance Channel had a celebration at the Angel Orensanz Foundation in New York for World of Wonder's six-part series One Punk, Under God. There was a panel discussion and lots of photo-taking and partaking of weenies and wine. The space where Party Monster's Limelight scenes were shot was a perfect venue; it almost seemed like we were in church. (Watch the OPUG promo clip here)
Photos, from left to right from top left: Punk director Jeremy Simmons, Punk's wife Amanda Bakker, producer Thairin Smothers, and Punk Jay Bakker; Sundance's Lynn Kirby and Jay; the panel; "rent boy" Damien Breen, Les "Linda" Simpson, Charlie Dibe, and Zoe; Fenton Bailey fiddling with his camera. Pics from Susanne Bartsch's after-party after the jump.
The Cell Phone
THIS JUST IN FROM MICHAEL ALIG
There is a 23-year-old hot raver in prison (for robbery) with Alig who has the hots for Richie Rich. This convicted raver robber has never met Richie Rich, he's just seen him in an issue of Paper magazine. I know its mundane, but I found it interesting that hot ravers in prison are reading Paper. Interesting note: Gay people are called "chumps" at Michael's prison.
– Randy Barbato
Pineapple!
We don't know why no one has ever brought this clip to our attention before, but now we have Typin Nakie, one of the WOW Report's frequent commenters, to thank for finally doing so. "Definitely a self-soiler," says Typin. It's the Tonight Show's Ross the Intern's meeting in the outback with Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, and some scary creatures. For all the hoo-hah from Irwin's widow and that little Bindi, it's this wonderful bit of back and forth between hunter and huntress that will make you miss the Crikey! man more than anything. And Ross, as usual, is heaven.
Kid 'n' No Play
Why do there have to be two sides to every damn story. It makes it so hard to... Well, we thought we were done with it. But it seems Kid Rock's people are saying that after the marriage he got tired of staying home alone all the time looking after the kids, both his and hers, while Pam went out gallivanting every night, ending up nude in David LaChapelle's studio at four or five in the morning. They're saying she refused to sign a prenup (he was the breadwinner) and hadn't signed a postnup at the time of the split. And Rock's even disputing Anderson had that tragic miscarriage, since it didn't stop her partying. Of course, Pam's rep counters everything. (Source)
Quote Unquote
"The dusty educational approach doesn't really keep your attention. Comedy is a good way to stir people." – German filmmaker Dani Levy on his upcoming Hitler comedy, Mein Fuhrer: The Truly Truest Truth About Hitler. (Source)
(See here)
James St Sexy
Well, this made us laugh this morning. Someone's set a section of our yesterday's podcast to Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack," claiming "James is bringing sexy back," and we have to agree. Watch it here. (t/y Heather)
Fed Up
So Britney wasn't just sick of bearing Kevin's babies constantly, she also couldn't bear that he was having sex with a porn star. That's what Star mag has uncovered from a "source," who says that K-Fed and "porn-star-turned-exotic dancer" Kendra Jade were having "a sex-fueled affair!" Mm, that "sex-fueled" part sounds hot; we'd like to fuel up on some of that ourselves if we knew where it was being pumped. Anyone? Anyway, report says the couple, Brit and K-Fed, were living apart by October, and K moved into a friend's apartment in Studio City and began giving it to Kendra, whom he had met last December in Las Vegas. And then...er, oh dear, we've actually lost interest right in the middle of writing this. If you want more, it's here. But one last thing: Isn't the usual route exotic dancer to porn star? Is Kendra devolving into a schoolmarm?
We Blame Bob Hope
The Road to Lockup. Immediately following his appearance on Jay Leno yesterday afternoon, Snoop Dog was arrested when police stopped his car on Bob Hope Drive in Burbank and arrested him for a number of things, including, of course, marijuana and gun possession, but also for having a "false compartment" in his car. Dog watchers will remember that Snoop was arrested almost exactly one month ago when he was stopped by police at Bob Hope Airport for a vehicle code violation and they found a gun and, you know, marijuana in his car. Which must have given him the idea for that false compartment. The glove box is so old-school. (Photo: Snoop being kenneled in October)
Cox and Bullshit
Courtney Cox will make no friends in the tabloid world when she stars as the editor of a gossip rag in her new TV series Dirt, premiering in January on FX. Cox's character is named Lucy Spiller – get it? – and is said to be fashioned after Bonnie Fuller. (Watch trailers)
November 28, 2006
For Whom the Bell Rings
Wednesday's guest on Ring My Bell is Shelley Michelle, Hollywood's most famous body double, having doubled for Madonna, Sandra Bullock, and Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. Call in for all the on-set gossip between 11AM and 12PM Pacific, and watch the action on the live webcam at ringmybell.tv.
The Chunder Down Under
Remember last week when Paris Hilton pranced fully drunk onto the stage of a Las Vegas club to lipsynch to a couple of cuts off her album and spewed wretched, chunky vileness onto the floor instead? Well, it must be something going around because Sir Elton John became suddenly vomitous at the piano yesterday just before breaking into "Crocodile Rock" at a concert in Brisbane, Australia. (Australia, crocodile, get it?). But the "Sir" portion of his name automatically kicked in and he ran off stage to upchuck discreetly into a toilet. He returned in five minutes to tell the crowd, "I thought I'd better chunder in the toilet than all over the front row." The front row, their hopes to sell celebrity chunder on eBay dashed, nevertheless seemed pleased. (Source)
Unspun Hero
"And you have little places to put things, don't you?" says Pete to his new roommate, regarding tidying up the flat. "Yes," he says, "it's called back where they came from." The bon mots fly in WOW's Pete Burns Unspun, airing November 30 on Living tv in the UK. (Watch the clip)
Glam Gams
A poll of 3,000 Brits was conducted for Lambrini, the cheap wine favored by the chav community, to decide which celebrity femmes had the best and worst legs. Actress Kelly Brook topped the list that included Beyoncé and Paris Hilton for best and, not surprisingly, Victoria Beckham won out over Madonna and Teri Hatcher for worst. Unfortunately for Heather Mills, her legs canceled each other out so she didn't show up on either list. (The Sun)
Least Wanted
Our New York friend, artist, poet, and every girl's unrealistic idea of the perfect boyfriend, Louis Cannizzaro, sent us this photo of an actual poster in Williamsburg.
Ethel Mermaid
A mole who had the dubious pleasure of visiting Mariah Carey's New York pad filed the following report with Faded Youth:
"Mariah Carey's New York pad is a shrine to mermaids. A sea-themed mural leads you down the hallway into her pink and gold living room, which is apparently based "on the inside of a conch shell." A tasteful glass coffee table, trimmed with gold-plated shells sits next to a pink sofa lined with Versace's shell-print silk cushions. There is a bronze mermaid sculpture on the mantelpiece and she has mermaid cocktail stirrers in her kitchen. Her bathroom is sea-themed and the towels and bathrobes are embellished with mermaid embroidery. She even has Disney's 'The Little Mermaid' soap and a mermaid figurine hanging from a chain above the bath."
Once you've finished chuckling at the sentence "a tasteful glass coffee table, trimmed with gold-plated shells," pause and think what this mermaid obsession could possibly mean. By choosing a mythical creature as her decorative motif, is Mariah inviting us to equate her persona to some higher level of existence? Does it perhaps reflect a Jacksonesque level of emotional maturity from someone who found fame too fast? Or at the end of the day, is she just a water-logged old sea-cow?
– Steven Corfe
Up to Speed
Did you know that there was a Speed Channel?
You won't find Fergie on the Speed Channel.
Instead, you will find Melissa Rivers.
Though the person they really need is James St James.
– Randy Barbato
Podcast Royale
The AMAs. Apparently, Beyoncé's completely abandoned rhyming and is now singing stories like a six-year-old. The Pod Squad takes a moment to go nuts over Gwen Stefani. Then it's back to Beyoncé, Jay-Z, showgirls and the general Vegas feel of the awards – and Beyoncé's hamhocks! James demonstrates. Beyoncé vs Jennifer Hudson on Oprah. Clay vs Kelly. James tells the WHOLE story of what preceded that incident when Clay co-hosted on Regis and Kelly. Revealing! Rosie's remark. Michael Richards' "freestyling" racism. And what about Mel Gibson? Is he tapping into people's prejudices by promoting Apocalypto with himself in the trailer? Sure, it's sad that Robert Altman is dead, but – please! – A Prairie Home Companion? Madsen, Tomlin, Streep. But James would rather stick oyster forks up his ass than listen to Garrison Keillor. Ever. But speaking of Meryl Streep, James takes a moment to rhapsodize over Marvin's Room. Do young stars allow director's to fingerbang them to advance their careers? Randy's not so sure. Meridith Vieira's bad fashion sense – so Nordstrom's. Talk of Ann Curry polarizes the Pod Squad. The TomKat wedding: How C-list was it? Posh. Jenny McCarthy. Jada. Brooke. Jenna. Leah. But recently, James has considered becoming a Scientologist – for his career. (Wouldn't fingerbanging be more fun?)
Unspun Hero
Another clip from Pete Burns Unspun, the WOW doc that looks at the former Dead or Alive frontman following his release from prison, airing on Living tv in the UK on November 30. (Watch)
Snap!
If you're in the market for some upskirt shots of Britney Spears, you need look no further than Drunken Stepfather, who has a virtual portfolio of them on his NSFW site. We can only assume Spears lost her panties during a sudden gust of desert breeze, so common in Vegas, or wagered them at the craps table.
Rock and Role
And speaking of Cohen, seems the final straw in Pamela Anderson's marriage to "passive-aggressive" Kid Rock came when the couple was invited to Universal head Ron Meyer's house with a small gathering to watch Borat, in which Anderson has a pivotal role. Apparently, Mr Rock was the only person in America clueless about the movie in general and Anderson's participation in it in particular. Shocked by what he saw, he shouted at her in front of the guests, "You're nothing but a whore! You're a slut! How could you do that movie?" "Ever since that night, it's been icicles between them," said a friend, and Anderson is now living in a hotel until Rock gets his things out of the house. But we can't help but wonder if Anderson has seen the film Rock made not long ago with Scott Stapp and some strippers. (Page Six)
Sacha Nice Man
Back in 1995, before there was an Ali G or Borat or Bruno, 24-year-old Sacha Baron Cohen hosted a cable TV show in the UK as himself and seemingly without irony. In this clip he introduces the musical trio Moonboot singing "Adjust Yourself." Try to stick around till the end, when Cohen reappears.
November 27, 2006
New and Necessary
That Jamiroquai guy is still using the moving sidewalk, but not so liberally, in the latest single, "Runaway." (t/y Abe)
Duff Break
They weren't married but their split-up is just as heartbreaking to the tween community as the breakups of Brad and Gwyneth and Brad and Jennifer were to us stunted adults. Good Charlotte's frontman Joel Madden has been telling fans that the eight-year age difference between him and pop princess Hilary Duff eventually led to her dumping him almost two weeks ago. (The Bosh)
19-year-old Duff and 27-year-old Madden had been dating for a little over a year. The pair were reluctant to make their romance public at first due to the fact that Hilary was still a minor when they began seeing each other.
Divorce Ahoy!
The marriage of Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock has walked the plank and landed in shark-infested waters. "Pamela filed for divorce last week," Anderson's publicist told People magazine. "It wasn't a happy Thanksgiving." Only People gave thanks – for a story of fresh Hollywood disaster. The two exhibitionists were married four months ago aboard a yacht in St. Tropez after a six-year flirtation. (Pam's tits make a great flirtation device.) We figured the two would rock the boat – but turn the boat over? The divorce papers cite irreconcilable differences. Were there other fish in the sea? (Source)
Where K-Fed Got Fed
Kevin Federline spent Thanksgiving at the home of his first baby mama Shar Jackson, who some think is still sweet on him, and, gentleman that he is, he brought a hostess gift – his current girlfriend. He's been seeing current girlfriend (we'll call her CG) for several weeks, and those people who think things think she might be the catalyst for Britney's sudden filing. Hmm, there's something about CG that reminds us of Britney, but we can't quite put our finger on it. Without being arrested. (via dlisted)
Recently Dead
We got an email today from our old New York friend, Chip Duckett, eulogizing jazz singer Anita O'Day, who died on Thursday in LA from cardiac arrest at 87.
I don't know if you saw the news reports about Anita O'Day's passing, since it isn't on the WOW site yet. (When I saw it on Google, I honestly checked the WOW Report immediately to try and confirm because you tend to note the deaths of celebrities who are a little off the "In Touch" radar before anyone).
Geek Tragedy
We should have seen the handwriting on the wall. Christie's is auctioning off a page taken from Britney Spears' junior high school notebook containing a hand-written review of Sophocles' Antigone. The review may or may not contain predictive insights and parallels with Spears' recent troubles. If only we could read her handwriting.
– Steven Corfe
Pap Will Eat Itself
As we suspected, a camera crew was indeed just outside the frame of that paparazzi shot of Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott that the WOW Report posted on Saturday. In this clip, the paparazzi snap Tori and Dean, the makers of this clip film the paparazzi snapping Tori and Dean, and the WOW crew films the makers of this clip filming the paparazzi snapping Tori and Dean, all for our new reality show. Note how the guys on the balcony who shot this clip took the time to film a cutaway shot of themselves. They should work in TV.
– Steven Corfe
Unspun Hero
It's getting close. Four days until WOW's Pete Burns Unspun airs on Living tv in the UK. The Brits are so lucky. But we do have a few clips that everyone can enjoy. Here's one.
It Calls to You
Tony Bennett is not just a vocal artist, but also an artist of a different sort. On the occasion of his 80th year, we thought it a nice idea to post one of his paintings, Downtown San Francisco, a watercolor we found on the celebrity art site Pop Life Art.
Lohan Behold
Although it's hard to see it among all the watches, bracelets, gloves, scars, fresh wounds, and other wrist accouterments Lindsay Lohan likes to fashion, she's got a bruise she says hurts and that Paris inflicted on her at a house party just moments before this photo was taken. Oh, and about her reputation, she says, "Sorry if people think I'm crazy, but I'm not. I'm just trying to act." Perez Hilton has some of the story of the dustup here and here. (Photo source)
Quote Unquote
"I'll tell you what she was like [in high school]. Go to a Yiddish dictionary and look up the word lachman – a pitiful young girl. She spoke with a lisp and she never seemed happy. She wasn't part of the 'in' crowd. She was excluded from the sororities and it hurt her feelings." – Stuart Jacobs talking about Barbara Walters, in Joann Biondi's oral-history book, Miami Beach Memories. (Source)
November 26, 2006
Wonderful
We totally love Heidi Klum and wish all the other models would go away and let her be in everything. Here she is in a video she made for a German perfume company. The girl can sing and she's gorgeous. Look at that smile! If there is a Santa Claus, then we ask that this "Wonderland" become a Christmas classic, like "Silver Bells" and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree." (t/y Dirk)
