What can we say about the Jennifer Hudson tragedy that hasn't already been written? Our thoughts are with the surviving family members, who seem to be getting more and more terrible news, the latest involving the discovery of a body believed to be Jennifer's 7-year-old nephew. Losing a mother, brother and nephew in such a violent and inexcusable act is unfathomable to most of us, so all we can hope is that justice will eventually be served.
After the jump are two videos: One featuring Jennifer talking about her family ties, complete with a clip of her mother standing by her side after her Oscar win in 2007 (starting around the 1:00 mark); the other showing her family at home in Chicago during her Oscar win. We'll keep you updated on any new developments, but until then, keep Jennifer's family in your thoughts. CONTINUED »
• Brooke Hogan: The epitome of class. [Yeeeah]
• Charlize Theron tells guests in her home looking for the bathroom to "take a left at the Oscar." That's actually kind of awesome. [INO]
• Maggie Gyllenhaal looks … tired. [ICYDK]
• Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal are sad because they have a long-distance relationship. You know what else is sad? When people can't afford to fly to see their families. Man up, you two. [PS]
• Britney Spears' sad attempt to disguise herself from the paparazzi. [DListed]
• Not as adorable as Rupert, but this little puppy will have to do for now. [CityRag]
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Has the real world, hobbled and on its broke knees, its pockets like rabbit ears, finally had enough of rich Hollywood's televised multi-million dollar mutual masturbation sessions? Signs point to yes.
In February, the Oscar telecast had the lowest ratings in history. And last night, the 60th annual Emmy Awards followed suit.
The three-hour … ceremony received a 3.8 rating/9 share in the adults 18-49 demo — the lowest in Nielsen's recorded People Meter history. That's 12% below last year's previous Emmy record low …
Great work, people! Next up: let's all of us but accident victims stop going to plastic surgeons. And after that, the Hooterses. Join the revolution!
Jennifer Hudson became a star with her longtime, regular-guy boyfriend by her side, but, you know, things change. She's now getting married to a reality show contestant who competed for the affections of Tiffany "New York" Pollard. Upgrade!
There hasn't exactly been a whole lot of Oscar buzz surrounding Spike Lee's new World War II film, The Miracle at St. Anna, but if there is and he doesn't get one, he'll know why. Lesson for those who want an Academy Award: don't mess with Clint Eastwood… or, better yet, move to Los Angeles.
LA Times writer Eric P. Lucas has had enough of the Heath Ledger hype and wrote a strongly-worded article to argue otherwise. Except instead of convincing everyone that the Oscar buzz is unnecessary, he makes the fatal mistake of insulting Heath and sending his diehard fans into an angry frenzy.
Each year more than 100,000 Americans die of alcohol or drug abuse. It would be madness to commemorate one such death with the greatest honor in cinema. Please give the Academy Award to someone who's had the courage to stick around.
But Lucas isn't just angry at Heath for his extracurricular activities: He simply thinks the Joker's performance isn't Oscar-worthy, labeled as "a can-can dance of snuffling pseudo-psychopathia" that has "all the subtlety of a hangover." Lucas says it's exactly what he'd expect from "someone who headed home every night to a pill party."
The entire article is filled with harsh words, but there's no real substance. So Eric wasn't that impressed by Heath's performance — millions of others were, and not just because he died. The hype began before his death. And, for the record, fans are allowed to be sad by Heath's untimely end, whether it was his fault or not. To imply otherwise is ridiculous and a cry for attention.
That's what Warner Brothers are saying, but they'll do anything to publicise their film … That's just what they do and you can't get upset because it's bullshit. They're like a great white shark which devours whatever it can.
-Terry Gilliam, who had been directing Heath Ledger in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus before the actor died, on talk that Ledger deserves an Oscar for his Dark Knight performance
LEDGER OSCAR A 'WISH-FULFILLMENT RUMOR' "When the new Batman movie 'The Dark Night' began screenings last month before its U.S. debut on Friday, some moviegoers saw Heath Ledger as an instant Oscar candidate as the deranged villain, The Joker. But Oscar watchers and veteran critics say the joke may be on fans creating mostly Internet-based buzz … 'Dark Knight' is the type of comic book, action adventure that Oscar voters generally do not favor and there are many movies to see later this year, the experts said. 'All this Oscar talk is a phenomenon of the Internet age that I like to call 'a wish-fulfillment rumor.' If people say it often enough, they think it will happen,' said Leonard Maltin, film critic for TV program 'Entertainment Tonight.'"
AN ANIMATED BEST PICTURE? "Stop the 'Wall-E' Oscar madness, please! Box-office and critical reax to that adorable robot are so socko that everybody's gushing over the idea that the film will get — forget the Oscar for best animated feature, which seems inevitable — a nomination for the highest prize."
THAT DOESN'T ANSWER THE QUESTION "Paul Newman has responded obliquely to a number of published reports that say he is gravely ill with cancer. The 83-year-old Oscar winner's spokesman in Los Angeles, Jeff Sanderson, told Reuters: 'Newman says he's doing nicely.'"
Two months too late, Heidi Montag is shedding some fake tears to pimp out her stepbrother's accidental death to Access Hollywood. Someone get this girl an Oscar. She continuously makes it all about her, mentioning that, during her last conversation with him, he said she made him proud. Oh, and she's realized there is more to life than feuding with Lauren Conrad — which totally explains why she will appear on The Tyra Banks Show today to keep on spreading that sex tape rumor.
After the jump: The tears, how they flow.
BECAUSE PEOPLE TRUST AWARDS, NOT THEMSELVES "Looking to parlay its Oscar victory into additional box office coin, Miramax's 'No Country for Old Men' will almost double its domestic theater count this weekend, from 1,101 to 2,030 runs. That will be the widest the pic has played."
The New York Post is reporting that Nicole Kidman drank backstage at the Oscars:
Boozing backstage during the Oscarcast is a no-no. But if you're pregnant Nicole Kidman it's a yes-yes. She wanted white wine. She got it.
Which leads us to ask: If that were the case, why would the Post be the only news outlet reporting this? In an age where people notice if Miley Cyrus isn't buckling her seatbelt, you mean to tell us that nobody saw Nicole drinking alcohol and did anything about it? And who would just hand a pregnant woman alcohol?
Oh, right. It's Hollywood.
The Post: Today's real champion of truth.
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Gary Busey, where have you been all our life? It's like you fell from heaven, leaving little droplets of awesomeness along your way.
Just when we were starting to feel bad about his Ryan Seacrest scandal, Gary had to go and get sassy with an 11-year-old girl. We're still not quite sure what an 11-year-old was doing at an Oscars party armed with a microphone and video camera, but just roll with it.
The Oscars just couldn't get it together this year: Not only did the Academy leave Brad Renfro out of the "In Memoriam" tribute, but Whoopi Goldberg was nowhere to be found during a montage of Oscar's greatest moments.
On yesterday's The View, Whoopi teared up at the omission. Have you no soul, Academy?
'No harm was intended, and I feel very, very badly that she was left out,' [producer] Gil Cates said Tuesday. 'I'm going to call her and tell her that.'
'It was an absolute oversight' to leave out Goldberg, an Oscar winner and nominee who had hosted telecasts that Cates himself produced.
Wow. This guy forgot about Whoopi — the second black woman to ever win an Oscar and the only award winner to also host the show — and he produced the telecasts in which she was involved?
Were the producers just drunk during the planning process? What is going on here?
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• "Harry Potter's Gay Kiss" [DListed]
• How was Eva Longoria, who shook us to the core with a dazzling turn as a jealous ghost in Over Her Dead Body, not invited to the Oscars? [PS]
• Bones will break in a fourth Bourne installment. [ICYDK]
• The Academy's snub of Whoopi brings the women of The View closer than they've ever been. Fight back your tears. [INO]
• Doesn't that hurt? [HT]
• "Cher or Drag Cher?" [CityRag]
We kind of love Gary Busey for providing solid entertainment last night during the Oscars red carpet, but now he's just outdoing himself.
Gary called into Ryan Seacrest's radio show this morning to explain the exchange from last night that made Ryan almost pee his pants: CONTINUED »
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN 'NORBIT' GETS NOMINATED "According to ABC's very preliminary household metered market overnights, the [Oscars] averaged a 21.9 rating/33 share. That's down a sharp 21 percent from last year and the lowest on record in at least 20 years."
Editor
