The gals of The View are about to get some competition from CBS. With NBC’s proposed MomLogic chatshow presumably on the backburner, CBS is reportedly forging ahead with plans to unveil its own daytime panel talk show for women — this one targeted toward mothers and patterned after ABC’s Emmy-winning gabfest The View, which features Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, and Joy Behar.
“It’s a daytime panel show to take on ‘The View,’ targeted at women with children and hosted by celebrities, journalists and regular moms. A pilot will be shot in early May,”says one tattling tipster at CBS.
Possible panelist include former Roseanne star Sara Gilbert, plastic surgery enthusiast Lisa Rinna, and Julie Chen — host of Big Brother and The Early Show, who also happens to be married to CBS president Lee Moonves.
In Shrek Forever After, the final release in DreamWorks’ money-making animated franchise, Everyone’s Favorite Ogre gets a look at what life in Far Far Away would be like if he had never been born. In this clip from the film — which opens in theaters everywhere May 21 — Shrek runs into his old pal Puss in Boots, who’s a hairball and a few mice away from Jenny Craig.
This week, actor Antonio Banderas confirmed that DreamWorks’ is developing a Shrek spinoff based on his popular ogre-assassinating character. In related news, tonight is the world premiere of Shrek Forever After in 3D at The Ziegfeld Theater in New York City. The anticipated premiere kicks off just before screenings go into full swing on Thursday and Friday at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival.
Socialite actress Tori Spelling — star of The Oxygen Network’s Home Sweet Hollywood — is hoping to find a permanent zip code at ABC. According to The Los Angeles Times’ Company Town blog (via SoapOperaNetwork.com), the Beverly Hills, 90210 vet is developing a daytime talk show for The Alphabet Network.
The proposed show, inspired by ABC’s long-running morning chatfest Live with Regis & Kelly, will feature Spelling and a male co-host, who has not yet been chosen. The network is looking for a “Will & Grace vibe between Spelling and her as-yet-undiscovered BFF.” However, the best thing to happen to Tori’s career in more than a decade will likely spell sudden death for one of ABC’s beloved daytime dramas.
The Alphabet already has four daytime shows—three soap operas (All My Children, General Hospital, and the long endangered One Life To Live) and The View. With The Oprah Winfrey Show leaving for greener pastures on cable next fall, the network would have to persuade its affiliates that Spelling’s show is worthy of the coveted timeslot currently occupied by The Queen of Talk or a soap will have to go up in suds in order to make room for the program.
Would you watch a talk show hosted by Tori Spelling?
Reality TV Octomom Kate Gosselin was finally voted off Dancing With the Stars on Tuesday after five weeks of rhythmless robotics that made the tabloid darling one of the most critically-panned hoofers on the show since Master P. Gosselin scored just 15 out of a possible 30 points for a stiff foxtrot this week to The Breakfast Club theme “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” — a performance that judge Bruno Tolini described as “catatonic.”
“Thank you for believing in me, probably more than I believed in myself,” Gosselin — who sent out a told the voters, apologizing for being a “cry baby.”
“You know what? I’m very proud of Kate,” Tony said as Kate was handed a tissue and began wiping away tears. “I know she gets a lot of criticism out there and it is difficult. I give her all the credit in the world for showing up. As exhausted as she was, she still showed up every single day,” he continued. “As a teacher, I am very proud of you because I thought you danced beautifully; you showed America it doesn’t matter how much things go against you, you still come out here and give it your best.”
Pamela Anderson and her partner Damian barely squeaked by after finishing in the Bottom 2 for the second time in the competition.
The actress who rose to Tween stardom playing Gabriella Montez in Disney’s hit High School Musical movies is in discussions to step away from the world of movie musicals and teen-themed comedies and make her action debut in the proposed Marvel superhero blockbuster Spider-Woman.
“The idea is for this to be a fun, comedic movie and Vanessa is perfect for the title role,” a industry insider dished this week. “Spider-Woman is strong and sexy but in this case hilarious. Vanessa is apparently very interested in the idea.”
Eh — Can’t really see Baby V as an action star, but we’ll see what transpires. Ironically, earlier this year, Vanessa’ longtime boyfriend — Hollywood hottie Zac Efron — was allegedly among the young actors in the running to replace Tobey Maquire as the star of Paramount’s Spider-Man franchise.
Attention Gents: Tara Reid is back on the market. The actress is single again after calling off her engagement to Internet entrepreneur Michael Axtmann just weeks ahead of the pair’s planned spring wedding.
“Tara Reid has confirmed that she will not be moving forward with her May 22 nuptials,” read a brief press statement issued by the actress’ rep on Tuesday evening.
Reid had been dating Axtmann since early last year, and the couple got engaged over dinner during a night out in Los Angeles last January. The American Pie actress had already started making plans forher big day, and had reportedly enlisted wedding dress designer Rani Totman to style her for the intimate ceremony. However, for reasons unbeknownest to pals, Tara has abruptly put the kibosh on the ceremony. In one fateful act of finality, she hit her Facebook account this week to alter her relationship status from “Engaged” to “Single.”
It’s The Garden State vs. The Garden State as kept socialites Teresa Giudice and Dina Manzo, of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of New Jersey, take on the self-assigned guidos and guidettes of MTV’s breakout smash Jersey Shore. During an otherwise tight-lipped promotional interview with The Associated Press Tuesday, the gals with big hair and even bigger attitudes sounded off the rowdy twentysomethings of The Shore — which has far surpassed Jersey’s edition of The Real Housewives franchise in popularity since premiering last November.
According to Dina and Teresa, Snooki, Sitch, and The Gang are a bad influence on children.
“I’m not too big of a fan of everything they are doing,” says Teresa — a mother of four, who famously flipped a table during a profanity-ridden tirade on last May’s season one finale showdown. “I want to teach my daughters especially, I have four of them, to have good morals and to respect themselves. I mean, I had a shore house and I never made out with another girl in the hot tub. You should respect yourself and respect your body.“
Although Teresa and Dina acknowledge that the drunken antics displayed on the show is sometimes a reality of being young and carefree, neither woman can fathom why Jersey Shore has single-handedly sparked an influx of “Joisey”-inspired series, including The Style Network’s Jerseylicious and Oxygen’s Jersey Couture.
“I have met a couple of them. They are very nice people but I just think that young America needs to be a little but more responsible, and us as well, with what’s been on television,” Dina added. “We shouldn’t be telling our kids, ‘Listen if you get drunk and go in a hot tub and make out you’ll get your own TV show.’ That’s my feeling towards it.”
Agree or Disagree?
The second season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey will premiere on Bravo May 3.
Kelly Clarkson is under fire and lighting up a smoking debate among anti-tobacco advocates after recruiting a cigarette manufacturer to sponsor her upcoming tour stop in Indonesia — the world’s fourth most populated nation. The tobacco firm is sponsoring the “Since U Been Gone” hitmaker’s April 29 concert in Jakarta – and they’ve splashed their L.A. Lights brand logo all over promotional posters advertising the show.
Critics argue that Clarkson’s deal with L.A. Lights, the country’s most popular brand of cigarettes, will only further advocate and promote smoking in Indonesia — which seems to be the last place on Earth where the dangerous addiction needs to be encouraged.
Although smoking has declined in many Western countries, it has risen in Indonesia, according to The Associated Press. Approximately 63 percent of all men in the nation smoke and one-third of the overall population smokes, an increase of 26 percent since 1995. Smoking-related illnesses kill at least 200,000 Indonesians each year.
“Indonesia is a big concern, a big epidemic, a big population, and very little control,” said Dr. Prabhat Jha, a tobacco control expert at the University of Toronto’s Center for Global Health Research. “They have a chaotic taxation and regulatory structure. They have made the mistake of letting the Marlboro Man into the country.”
Clarkson’s controversy comes two years after Alicia Keys objected to a similar tobacco-fuelled sponsorship deal in Indonesia. A. Keys demanded that the cigarette logos be removed from all ads promoting her Jakarta concert, and US-based anti-smoking groups want Kelly to do the same.
Matt Myers, President of the Tobacco-Free Kids Campaign, says:
“If Kelly Clarkson goes ahead with the concert, she is by choice being a spokesman for the tobacco industry and helping them to market to children. She has the power now to turn this situation around and to send a clear message to Indonesian young people and, frankly, to the young people of the world.”
-In “You Go Girl!” News: Valerie Bertinelli completes Boston Marathon just days before her 50th birthday. She just keep going up on the Hot Meter with each passing year. Who says sexiness ends at 40?
-Larry David will be back for more comedy and angst when HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasmreturns for an eighth season…..
-These billboards around Ohio promoting breastfeeding as “the perfect food for infants and it’s promoting the bond between a mother and a child” apparently has some people up in arms. The offending ad is the one with the milk coming out of the baby’s mouth….
Word around the Hollywood Water Cooler has it that producers are eyeing a revival of the popular ’80s legal drama L.A. Law. Series stars Harry Hamlin, Jimmy Smits, Blair Underwood, and the elusive Susan Dey could soon be courted to reprise their roles in a TV special that will possibly debut in time for next year’s 25th anniversary of the NBC smash, PopEater’s Naughty or Nice Column said Tuesday.
“It wouldn’t be a regular series, but rather a two-hour TV event similar to what they did with the ‘Dynasty’ reunion.”
L.A. Law — which aired between 1986 and 1994 — was set in and around the fictitious Los Angeles law firm McKenzie, Brackman, Chaney and Kuzak, and shadowed the lives and work of the attorneys and various members of the support staff.
American Idol star Crystal Bowersox wasn’t happy Ryan Seacrest shared a tale of how he coaxed the homesick frontrunner back to the show after she threatened to quit earlier this month.
On Friday, TMZ.com published a report claiming Crystal nearly quit the show two weeks ago after succumbing to lonesomeness for her young son back home in Ohio. The scoop claimed Ryan convinced Bowersox to stay in Los Angeles after a parking lot confessional between the two. Ryan went on to confirm the report to E! Online and was branded “‘Idol’s’ Very Own Superman,” — much to Crystal’s chagrin.
“The greatest thing I ever did was make enough money so I could buy my mom a house. You can buy your mom a house,” Ryan said, consoling the aspiring soul star.
Katelyn Epperly, the curly-haired contender who was cut from the show earlier this season, told Des Moines’ Star 102.5 FM that she’s been keeping in touch with her dredlocked pal via text message and spilled the beans on Bowersox’s displeasure with the Idol host.
“I had not heard about that, of course, and I texted her the second that I heard something about it… And I was like, ‘Hey dude, what’s going on? Are you OK?’ And she was like, ‘Oh, yes, I’m fine.’ She said, ‘Betrayed by Seacrest,’” Katelyn explained.
“She apparently had a moment backstage where she was just missing her kid,” Katelyn continued. “She just really wanted to see her little boy and sometimes it really gets to her. And I think she probably just had a moment and they probably made it to be something that it wasn’t. She’s fine. She’s still in the game, she’s just, she’s a mom.”
Cameron Douglas is going to prison for his role in a high-level New York City meth ring — but he’s escaped sentencing laws that would have kept him behind bars for up to a decade, according to The Associated Press.
The pleas from friends and family seeking leniency for Michael Douglas’ only son with ex-wife Diandra Douglas apparently worked. Calling it his “last chance to make it,” Federal Judge Richard Berman sentenced the 31-year-old strugglin actor to just five years in prison on drug dealing charges on Tuesday.
Cameron’s parents, stepmother Catherine Zeta-Jones, and 93-year-old grandfather, Spartacus actor Kirk Douglas all sent letters to the court in hopes of persuading the judge to go easy on the troubled Hollywood celebuspawn.
In Michael Douglas’ five-page handwritten letter, the Wall Street actor explains that Cameron’s problems are, in part, due to a privileged but difficult childhood as well as feelings of inadequacy as the son and grandson of Oscar winners.
“I have some idea of the pressure of finding your own identity with a famous father,” Michael wrote. “I’m not sure I can comprehend it with two generations to deal with.”
The Hollywood star remarked that he’s “cherished” weekly two-hour visits to his son in jail over the past eight months.
“I get to witness the wonderful young man he can be,” the elder Douglas wrote.
Here’s a little tale we like to call Chachi Hates Jezebel: After his lame remarks about First Lady Michelle Obama earned him a racist tag and death threats from fellow Tweeters last December, you’d think ’80s star Scott Baio would have the good sense to keep his right-leaning rants to a minimum while cruising the world’s fast-growing social networking giant — but you’d be wrong.
Baio’s gone bonkers on Twitter again, and this time his flippant mouth has landed the former Charles in Charge actor is in the middle of a homophobic-charged feud with liberal women’s gossip and culture blog Jezebel.com. The once-eternal bachelor is fuming at the site for making fun of a conservative (and stupid) Tweet he posted about taxes last week.
“That should feed, house & provide medical for quite a few lazy non working people at my expense,” the star wrote. His response to Jezzie’s jovial prodding over the comment? The ladies at the “web-rag … sound like hypocrites to me” and “the name Jezebel says a lot about the founder.” When Jezebel writer Irin Carmon curtly retorted that Baio should “hang” himself, the actor viciously accused her of sounding “like an ignorant racist.”
Angry much? But the fracas hasn’t ended there. Never one to abandon her man, Scott’s wife Renee also joined the ribbing with a profanity-laced anti-lesbian rant posted to her Facebook blog:
“FuckYOU Jezebel.com web rag!!!!! You bunch of FAR LEFT Lesbian shitasses!!!!!!! No wonder you’re all lesbos because what man in his right mind could put up with your cuntness? Scott Baio has more class in his piss than all of you all!!!” she bellowed.
Well, that’s a new one. How eloquent of her. But wouldn’t one want to keep shit in the ass region? At least she used “you’re” and “your” correctly — bad grammar is usually the last thing on your mind in the middle of a rant and therefore the first sign of a tomfool. We always get a chuckle out of idiots who attempt to mask their ignorance with good grammar and epic excuses like “I have a lot of Black friends!”
Which not surprisingly is exactly the route Renee took when cornered with her bigotry by Web browsers:
Squeaky clean (And straight — Did we mention straight?) former American Idol runner-up David Archuleta visited a gay bar in New York City over the weekend – but the velvet-voiced heartthrob would like his loyal fanbase to know that he’s wasn’t there for the scenery or the drink specials.
“Hey guys just wanted to clear something up real quick lol. Last night in New York I got invited to go and see my friend Charice perform…Mental note to self: always ask where before you go! Wasn’t my kind of place lol, and I had no clue! I guess you live and learn. The upside was that Charice was awesome, and she has an incredible voice… Can get crazy quick. NO worries all, I wouldn’t get into things like that intentionally haha. Hope you guys have a good Sunday! Hope that clears things up! Been seeing some of the tweets.. sheesh!” David wrote, before later adding, “I have friends who are gay, and they’re great people. Whether they’re gay or not doesn’t change how I think of them… I have nothing against anyone, I’m sorry if that’s how it came across. I’m just not into the partying scene lol.”
Spencer Pratt has offered to “hook Kate Hudson” up with a better boob job. Hudson allegedly had a small breast augmentation in late March, but Pratt insists the formerly-A-cupped A-lister still does not have breasts.
It seems Spence has tried everything to change his obnoxious ways – new age crystals, changing his name to a Native American one, even joining the Cyber Police — but not surprisingly, the preppy bully is still just a colossal douchebag.
“How is it possible to get breast implants and still not have breasts! – Kate H – get ur money back… I gotta guy who will hook you up!” the mean-spirited reality villain Tweeted Monday, referring to Kate’s recent reported breast augmentation. And the evil Tweets didn’t stop with just Kate, Spencer later took on a reality star that’s more entertaining than he could ever dream of being — Jersey Shore’s Snooki.
“Snooki… ooooh snooki… I’m coming for you… shark fin in the water… watch out…” he wrote before posting a photo of a rotting pumpkin, with the caption: “SNOOKI everyone.”
That joke would have been funnier if the pumpkin didn’t bare such a startling resemblance to Spencer’s wife.
-The Hip-Hop World is mourning the loss of a legend: Gang Starr icon Guru — one of rap’s most prolific lyricist — lost his battle against cancer on Monday. He was 43. When it comes to classic Gang Starr tunes, I have a few favorites, but this one remains in the top slot. R.I.P. Guru….
-Oscar-nominated actress Vera Farmiga and former Deadsy rocker Renn Hawkey are reportedly expecting their second child….
-Laurence Fishburne is on board for another year of CSI….
-Octuplets mother Nadya Suleman appeared on Oprah today, where she cried that being known as “Octomom” makes her feel like a “carnival attraction.” Boo-hoo….
–Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are sticking with Comedy Central. Stewart’s contract extension will keep him at the helm of The Daily Show through June 2013, while Colbert will stay with the channel through the end of 2012…..
-The Web’s still buzzing about former Cheetah Ho Kiely Williams and his (Please don’t correct me for writing “his” instead “her” — I know what I’m doing here….) Drunken Slut theme song “Spectacular.” In case you missed it, here’s a video of Kiely’s very pissed off big sis, Tse, lighting into critics who ripped the ex-Disney starlet’s date rape anthem. Looks like the apple don’t fall too far from the heifer. Tse’s central argument? “Everyone Else Behaves Like Tramps These Days, So Why Can’t My Sister?” Girl, Good Day. Tse also takes pot shots at Perez Hilton, Kim Kardashian, Lil Wayne, Kiely’s former partner in whoring Adrienne Bailon, and even Jersey Shore’s Snooki! You leave Snookster and Weezy out of this!
A radical Islamic website is warning the creators of the long-running Comedy Central series South Park that they could face violent retribution for depicting the Prophet Muhammad in a bear suit during an episode broadcast airing week, CNN.com reported Tuesday.
In a description of tomorrow night’s episode, the network writes: “South Park is in danger from angry celebrities, violent Ginger kids and Mecha Streisand in an all-new episode titled ‘201,’ premiering on Wednesday, April 21 at 10PM on Comedy Central. It’s a tense situation in South Park as Muhammad has become the pawn in the game to save the town. The Ginger kids are threatening to destroy the city if Stan and Kyle don’t hand over the Prophet and the celebrities have met violence with violence by unleashing Mecha Streisand.”
The jokes are falling on deaf ears for some. Revolutionmuslim.com, based in New York, has criticized the show for including a satirical discussion on whether an image of the Prophet Mohammed could be shown, and a posting on the website now warns South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone that their flippancy could make them the targets of violent attacks.
“We have to warn Matt and Trey that what they are doing is stupid and they will probably end up like Theo Van Gogh for airing this show,” the message read, referring to a Dutch filmmaker who was murdered after making a film about violence against women in some Islamic societies. “This is not a threat, but a warning of the reality of what will likely happen to them.”
The post lists the addresses for Comedy Central’s New York offices and Los Angeles headquarters of Parker and Stone’s production company.
Actor Kal Penn — best known for his role as Kumar in the Harold and Kumar comedies — was robbed at gunpoint in the Nation’s Capital early Tuesday morning.
Penn claims a man carrying a gun approached him around 1:20 AM in the Northwest section of Washington and demanded his wallet and other personal property. The Metropolitan Police are now investigating the incident.
Kal found himself in the headlines earlier this month when he quit his post with the Obama administration to return to acting just a year after retiring from Hollywood in favor of a career in politics.
Cirque du Thriller! The music of the late King of Pop Michael Jackson is being developed into a Cirque du Soleil show that will premiere in Las Vegas late next year, Reuters said Tuesday.
According to Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil, Jackson — who passed away last June– began talks back in about the possibility of incorporating some of his legendary tunes into the popular arena show back in 2004.
The world-renowned acrobatic troupe is elated to have his dream finally come to fruitation.
“We are honored and thrilled to be in partnership with the ultimate and most important record selling artist of all time. This association between two international entertainment brands promises to deliver to fans of both Michael and Cirque du Soleil unique artistic experiences.”
The touring show will have an extended run in Las Vegas at the MGM Mirage, with a permanent Vegas show expected in 2012. There’s even a Jackson-themed Sin City nightclub in the works.
The estate will also receive royalties from the use of Jackson’s music and other assets.
“Having attended Cirque du Soleil performances with Michael, I know he was a huge fan,” John Branca, the co-executor of the estate, said in a statement. “We are excited to be partners with Cirque du Soleil to give Michael’s fans a truly unique way to hear, see and feel Michael’s music.”
The singer’s mother, Katherine Jackson, said the entire Jackson clan is looking forward to the lively stage production.
The Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil currently has a Vegas show based on the music of singer Elvis Presley, called “Viva Elvis.”
Neal Baer, executive producer of long-running NBC crime drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, has revealed details of Sharon Stone’s upcoming guest role on the show.
The Golden Globe-winning, Oscar-nominated actress will plays Jo Marlowe, an Assistant District Attorney and former police officer with a wiry sense of humor and history with Stabler (Christopher Meloni), in a four episode guest arc kicking off April 28.
Bauer tells Entertainment Weekly: “She trained him when he was a rookie. He finds out she’s the new ADA and goes, ‘Oh, man.’”
