Weekly Gossip - 08/18/08

Tropic Thunder

The big question for the week is: How many reprieves can you get in one lifetime? If your name is Britney Spears, you can get quite a few of them. The pop tart got an MTV Award nod. I am trying hard to figure out what for because I really do not remember Brit's song (I remember Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" better and only heard it twice in my lifetime). Last year she had that on-stage disaster at the MTV Awards in which she claims to have broken her heel but looked like she was drunk, and her album release this year was not that successful. I am looking forward to seeing how she performs at the Awards show. I hope she can get in the good graces of people, like myself, and win her fans back who have long given up on her and her antics. Brit's great drama to read about, and she puts herself out there… but I think it's about time she grew up. I've got my fingers and toes crossed that things work out for her.

If you are John Mayer, you are only allowed two reprieves. I know… I know… just last week you were reading in the trash mags about how Jennifer Aniston, bless her heart, and John were going to get "test run" married. As with anything in Hollywood, where people change things quicker than we change our underwear, decisions are never set in stone. John got the three strike rule from Jen – and struck out… so she sent him packing. Reports say they are broken up because not only does he have a wandering eye, but he has a wandering penis too. It seems that John cheated on Jen, she caught wind of this, and had enough. I wonder if she broke up with him via a text (the same way he broke up with a few other of his flings).

And if you are Robert Downey Jr., you get a gazillion reprieves and actually get better with age! The golden boy has not been a bad boy of recent years and has pushed out quality movies (I think he is a great actor) that earned him some Oscar nods. I don't think his latest role will gain him a golden statue (even though he steals this movie from his co-stars), but the movie, Tropic Thunder, sure did spark media frenzy. I am all about funny movies. I expect movies to entertain me – even if the funny material is offensive. I am a big girl and intelligent, so I therefore can understand when art is art and its purpose is to make me laugh – even at the expense of others. I have no problem that Robert Downey Jr.'s character is portraying a white Aussie actor pretending to be African American for his role in a movie. I have no problem that the word "retard" is used frequently. The problem I have is with the people who have a problem with those two things and have to form protests or show up on a news show about how victimized they are. Has this country we live in become so freaking sensitive that protests have to be organized outside of Tropic Thunder's premiere? People please get over it, it's a movie. It's not real. It's entertainment. And it's serving its purpose if it's evoking any form of emotion out of you, including being offended. The only other explanation is this protest was fixed by Ben Stiller himself as a publicity stunt… which backfired because the show only made 6 million opening day.

Speaking of millions… Oprah will be attending the Democratic Convention to support Obama. She will not be speaking and the main objective it seems is to reel in the millions of women and black voters that have supported Hillary. This Convention will be a historic one and scoring tickets to the event is equivalent to getting tickets to see Led Zeppelin play on U.S. soil. Unless you make a donation to the Barack Obama Presidential Campaign Fund – then you may have a winning shot at not only scoring tickets but meeting Obama himself. I am fascinated that Obama has become quite the celebrity and that tickets to see him are actually being scalped. Seriously, I find this fascinating.

What's more embarrassing than losing your home? Having Donald Trump feel so bad for you that he buys your home because he likes ya… and then leases it back to ya. This is what happened to Ed McMahon this week. It seems that Trump got wind that McMahon was about to lose his house and offered to take care of the situation for Ed – obviously being Johnny's side kick all those years, hosting Star Search, and being a spokesman does not pay all the bills. Trump claims he did this because he watched him every night when he was in business school and feels it is an honor to help the icon. With the millions Trump has in the bank, you would think he would just let McMahon live there for free if he likes him so much. I see this bromance not lasting long at all.

Short and to the point

Harry Potter's next movie's release date is pushed to next year. This is almost as bad as waiting for the next season of the Sopranos back in the day.
Madonna is turning 50. And she is still being talked about. I say mission accomplished.
Phelps is really a fish.
Yet another politician is a heathen. John Edwards is an alleged baby daddy.
Tori Spelling will not being doing the comeback thing with her ex costars on the new "90210". At least not now. She may turn up in the show later down the line.
And neither will Brian Austin Green. He is quite busy with Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and being Megan Fox's love toy. He does, however, wish to join the cast of the Batman franchise as the next Riddler.
According to Jerry Lewis, it's okay to travel with a gun through our airport's high security in a post 9/11 world… as long as the gun was a gift from a talented gunsmith.
Bernie Mac and Issac Hayes passed away this week. That is just too much man to lose in one week.

— Kathy S., Freelance Gossip Writer

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