Though sometimes it seemed like it would last forever, everything has an expiration date. You had to know George Clooney's stint as the go-to, dark, handsome, middle-aged leading man would eventually take a tumble, and now it has. Sorry, Georgy, there's a new heartthrob in town.
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Joe Biden avoided dancing on a recent episode of Ellen, but Barack Obama wasn't so lucky during a remote taping for the show yesterday.
ARE POLITICS KILLING MOVIE STARS? "Leonardo DiCaprio is a big supporter of saving the planet. George Clooney is always at the U.N., trying to prevent more mass murder and starvation in Darfur. Matt Damon recently criticized Sarah Palin, saying if she were elected vice president it would be 'like a really bad Disney movie–'The Hockey Mom.' ' Agree or disagree with their stands–would that really stop you from seeing their movies? If you ask conservatives, the answer is yes. … According to [one conservative blog]: 'Many Americans no longer trust Hollywood not to insult their beliefs and values…. the fall of the movie star … might have something to do with their strident and boorish politicking. Even Americans in sympathy with what DiCaprio and Clooney believe don't want to be scolded about the environment by the private jet, mansion-dwelling crowd.'"
• Lindsay Lohan is a fan of the creepy Sarah Palin Halloween mask. Is Samantha Ronson going to dress up as a wolf? [Yeeeah]
• Eva Longoria says she's still a size 0, even though she got "fat." [ICYDK]
• Even when he's doing good deeds, Justin Timberlake comes across as a d-bag. [PS]
• Johnny Depp is Cosmopolitan's sexiest man alive, followed by George Clooney and … Jake Gyllenhaal? [INO]
• Amy Winehouse is now making coke-infused cotton candy. Good to see she's using her time wisely. [DListed]
• Innocent little Audrina Patridge is desperately trying to extend her 15 minutes of fame. [HT]
• Remember the guy who let his girlfriend live on the toilet for two years? Well, he won the lottery. Of course. [DListed]
• Why is Audrina Patridge's hand a different color than the rest of her body? [ICYDK]
• Lindsay Lohan doesn't understand the concept of wearing a bra. That's OK — baby steps. [Yeeeah]
• Cameron Diaz says she's a spoiled brat. At least she's honest. [INO]
• Birds pooping on David and Victoria Beckham. This makes us happier than it should. [CityRag]
• Dear George Clooney, please lose the mustache. XOXO. [PS]
SEX PLOTS COME TO THE FOREFRONT OF CULTURE "In the life-imitates-art department, there's no better example than David Duchovny, a real sex addict - he recently checked into rehab for sex addiction - who plays one in the Showtime series 'Californication.' … Yet Duchovny's show is not the only place where once underground practices are moving into the mainstream. Opening Friday is 'Choke,' … starring Sam Rockwell as a sex addict; George Clooney plays one for laughs in the recent 'Burn After Reading.' Writer-director Kevin Smith's 'Zack and Miri Make a Porno,' opening Oct. 31, tells of platonic friends … who raise money by starring in their own sex film. … Coming soon to the WE network are 'Secret Lives of Women: Sex Addicts' … and a new reality series, 'Sex Change Hospital.' CBS recently broadcast 'Swingtown,' a summer replacement series about swinging '70s couples. And really pushing the envelope is Palahniuk's latest novel, 'Snuff,' about an aging porn star determined to have sex with 600 men in a single day."
The strangest thing about George Clooney is that everyone loves him until he does his job. Women and men, straights and gays, Democrats and liberals—all of them claim to adore the dark-eyed consummate bachelor. And yet, despite all the accolades, it seems that every time George releases a movie, it tanks. Yes, his films are very often heralded by critics – save for a misstep in 1997's Batman and Robin, his oeuvre is solid as far as the intellectuals are concerned – but the box office tallies never seem to match the critiques.
OCEAN'S HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS "George Clooney has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama by headlining an exclusive event for Americans in Geneva, one of the world's most affluent cities. … Some 170 contributors paid $1,000 a head to hear him speak at a cocktail party held at a museum in Geneva's Old Town. And 75 high-rolling supporters spent $10,000 each to attend 'an intimate seated dinner' with the 47-year-old star which followed at the organizer's nearby apartment, according to the American lawyer who set up the twin 'private' events."
"Sin City sources say that while [Sarah Larson], who's trying to kick- start a modeling career, was dating Clooney, she 'came to Vegas for a weekend and cheated on him' with a media mogul."
• Great moments from the 2008 Olympics. [CityRag]
• Paula Abdul totally hates the new American Idol judge. [INO]
• The greatest love of Brad Pitt's life: George Clooney. [PS]
• Rihanna and Chris Brown are moving in together. We're going to continue not caring. [DListed]
• Pete Doherty desperately tries to stay in the spotlight by selling out Kate Moss and Amy Winehouse. [Yeeeah]
• Jennifer Aniston is sporting a new ring. OMG! Alert the media! [ICYDK]
Nice-guy movie star George Clooney bought a brand new car for a woman whose vehicle he damaged in an accident in Pennabilli, Italy.
Clooney accepted the blame for the incident - and made the generous gesture of giving her a brand new car.
When the woman went to collect her vehicle from the repairers, she discovered the movie star had splashed out $28,000 on a new replica of her Lancia Ypsilon model.
And he had even left her a note of apology on the windscreen, saying: "I'm so sorry. Hope you'll forgive me. George Clooney."
Stars: They're so totally just like us!
DEMS THROW PARTY OF THE YEAR; GOP NOT INVITED "Celebrities may be scarce at the Republican convention come September, but the Democrats have so many clamoring to get into their convention in Denver the week before, it's like the Vanity Fair Oscar party. George Clooney, Madonna, Kanye West, Scarlett Johansson, Susan Sarandon, Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino and Matt Damon are just a few of the stars who want to be there … The Republicans have even engaged top William Morris agent Jeffrey Barry to try to wrangle country western stars to trek to the Twin Cities, a political source tells us. He's garnered 'Redneck Woman' singer Gretchen Wilson, the source adds, but Barry wouldn't answer questions about whether he's rounded up more."
It's a well known fact that George Clooney throws European arugula fetes for Barack Obama that cost $10,000 to get into. Perhaps it's that sort of thing that led to rumors that the two men are drinking buddies who text message each other about Middle Eastern policy and "body language."
Were that true, it might understandably turn off voters who can't relate to being so rich that the world's most important people are just a phone call away, but Clooney swears it's not, and he's putting his money where his protestation is:
…Clooney just issued this statement through his publicist denying all the claims: "I have never texted or emailed Senator Obama. And I'll offer a million dollars to anyone who could prove otherwise. In fact, I've only talked to the Senator once in the last year and a half….on the phone. I've spent more time with Senator McCain (he did my TV show) then [sic] I have with Senator Obama. I would hope that my friend John McCain would join me in condemning this kind of politics. Although I support Senator Obama, I would never be dumb enough to offer policy advice to either candidate. They seem to be doing fine without me."
So that settles that, because actors and politicians and their publicists never lie. Now: George Clooney has a TV show?
• It's safe to say America Ferrera really hates Blake Lively. [DListed]
• Javier Bardem's mother proudly watched him strip before making it big in Hollywood. Um, OK? [ICYDK]
• Two of our favorite things combined. How did we not know about this earlier? [CityRag]
• Mmmmm, George Clooney. [PS]
• Matthew McConaughey plans to plant baby Levi's placenta in an orchard. In other news, we just vomited. [Yeeeah]
• James Franco should be President: "If you’re ever out of work, make a sign — 'Homeless, Please Help.'" [INO]
It was well worth it! The second one sucked! People tell George Clooney it's great, but we all know it sucked.
I made two bad movies instead - Planet of the Apes and The Truth About Charlie. But doing that was better than sitting with Brad and George, telling the press how great everybody is: 'We were in Europe, George was funny, then we had some wine…' That's not for me.
-Mark Wahlberg, on not joining the cast of the Clooney-led Ocean's franchise
New rumor: George Clooney dumped cocktail waitress girlfriend Sarah Larson because she got a breast augmentation. If this is indeed the case, was Clooney's reaction acceptable? We say yes, because the surgery reveals an insecurity that can be hell on relationships. What do you think?
• John McCain believes bringing troops from Iraq is "not too important." But does he have a cute biking outfit? [SH]
• A plethora of celebrities took a break from being photographed outside LA nightclubs to be photographed at an LA sporting event. [PS]
• George Clooney reportedly broke up with Sarah Larson because she decided to get a boob job. Fair enough. [INO]
• Country singer Taylor Swift will attempt to steal the spotlight from Miley Cyrus in the upcoming Hannah Montana movie. [ICYDK]
• Donald Trump's headpiece actually moves. [DListed]
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