America, Is That You?

What have they done to America Ferrera? Not only is she a fantastic actress on Ugly Betty but she's also leading the charge for real beauty in Hollywood. So why would Glamour photoshop her so obviously on the cover of their "1st Annual Figure Flattery Issue"?? Is that their secret? Hire someone to photoshop your figure to make it more flattering? The biggest irony of it all is that a great episode of Ugly Betty involved America's character convincing a pop star to stand up for herself and say no to the editors of the magazine who wanted to "enhance" her photos. Is this life immitating art? Please.

Nude School Musical?

Vanessa Hudgens, star of the Disney High School Musical movies, has confirmed that a nude photo of her that's been floating around the internet since Thursday is real. Hudgens, 18, issued a statement that said, "This was a photo which was taken privately. It is a personal matter and it is unfortunate that this has become public." Supposedly the photo is one of a series she took with boyfriend and fellow costar Zac Efron. I wonder what Disney thinks about its latest princess being in such a compromising position... If you search hard enough, I'm sure you can find this photo somewhere on the web, but Hudgens' lawyers have done a pretty good job of getting it taken down.

Sherri Shepherd Set to Sit on the View

Although Barbara Walters won't make the official announcement until Monday, Sherri Shepherd is set to join the panal on the View. This comedian and former guest host of the show will make a great addition to the cast. I know John has been rooting for Kathy Griffen, but I loved watching Sherri Shepherd interact with the rest of the panal, and I think the show will be funny and interesting from now on.

Oprah Hosts Fundraiser for Obama

This coming weekend on September 8th, Oprah Winfrey will be holding a large fundraiser at her Santa-Barbara estate in California for Presidential candidate Barack Obama. Tickets are selling at $2,300 each (the maximum amount allowed by campaign finance laws). Oprah has never endorsed a political candidate before, but says that she truly believes Senator Obama. For more on this, click here.

Republican Congressmen Found Dead

Republican Congressmen Paul Gilmore of Ohio was found dead last night. He was 68 years old. For more on this story and how they will replace his seat, click here.

Pollspot: Most Respected Candidate

Courtesy of Political Wire:

In a nationwide survey, SurveyUSA asked adults how much respect they have for the candidates for the White House, on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 means "highest possible respect" and 1 means "no respect whatsoever." Here's how the candidates measured up:

Rudy Giuliani = 5.5
Hillary Clinton = 5.3
Barack Obama = 5.2
John McCain = 5.2
John Edwards 5.0
Fred Thompson = 4.8
Mike Huckabee = 4.5
Mitt Romney = 4.5
Bill Richardson = 4.3
Joe Biden = 4.3
Ron Paul = 4.0
Tom Tancredo = 4.0
Sam Brownback = 3.7
Chris Dodd = 3.6
Duncan Hunter = 3.5

I'm glad to see Hillary leading the Democrats! Not too crazy about Giuliani in first.

Academy Award nominee Jude Law was arrested outside his London home for attacking a member of the papparazzi.

New View Co-Host is Coming

Barbara Walters announced today that they will announce who the new View co-host will be on Monday, September 10th during the show. The new co-host will join Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Elizabeth Hasselbeck, and Joy Behar. Here's hoping it's Kathy Griffin!

Kelly Clarkson to Try Again...

Kelly Clarkson has unveiled plans to try her hand at touring once again. She'll kick off a Fall tour based on her new album "My December" in Verona, New York. Kelly will hit 23 cities in the US and one in Canada. Her summer tour was cancelled amidst poor ticket sales and reports of a fallout between Kelly and her record company.

Sidenote: I hate when artists add one show in Canada and call it a "North America" tour! What about the rest of Canada? What about Mexico? Might as well just keep it all in the States... But I love Kelly Clarkson, and she puts on a great (if short) show, so I wish her good luck with this tour.

For a full list of tour dates, see Billboard

Craig May Not Resign

Image courtesy of The Washington Post

This past Saturday, Senator Larry Craig resigned from the US Senate after he pled guilty to lewd conduct for a men's room incident. Now, the Senator might be having a change of heart. Just what the GOP needs...more controversy and unrest. No complaints from me! For more on Senator Craig the flip flopper who might not resign, go here.

Mr. and Mrs. Maguire

Image courtesy of NY Mag

Spiderman Tobey Maguire married his longtime girlfriend Jennifer Meyer in a secret ceremony Monday night. Not a big fan of Tobey but congrats!

Halle Berry Expecting

Image courtesy of People

Halle Berry revealed to Access Hollywood that she is 3 months pregnant. All the best to her!

Shaq Files For Divorce

Can no one stay together these days? Shaquille O'Neal filed for divorce from his wife of five years Shaunie. The couple have 4 children together.

Republicans Want Hillary But I Don't

In today's New York Times, the article "For Democrats, Primary Field Gives Confidence" says "Democratic voters appear as energized about this election as Republican voters are subdued, though that could change once the Republicans rally around a candidate and if Mrs. Clinton is nominated and turns out to be as polarizing a candidate as Republicans are hoping."

The article went on further to say "Some expressed concern that Mrs. Clinton, as a general-election candidate, would be hurt by voter animosity that has accumulated over the years. 'Hillary has the baggage from the Bill years, and all the various scandals they have been through,' said Ken Purington, 50, of Rollinsford, N.H."

This is why I don't want Hillary to get the nomination. People's minds are already made up about her. It's not even October yet and her unfavorables are already higher than Kerry's and Gore's were on their respective elections days. Anyone who doesn't like Bill Clinton already doesn't like Hillary just by association. "Two for one deal" will be no benefit for Hillary. The Republicans are deflated. Hillary will ignite the hatred the religious right has for her marriage-cheating husband.

I sympathize (to a degree) with all the Hillary fans out there. She is in an unfair situation and it sucks. But unfair or not, this is how it is. For once the Democrats have an easy win, please don't mess it up by nominating Clinton.

Whoopi Starts New View Season

Image courtesy of BuddyTV

Whoopi Goldberg officially joined the panel of The View today as the show began it's 11th season. Goldberg joins Barbara Walters, very pregnant Elizabeth Hasselbeck, and Joy Behar. No mention on if or when the final panelist chair will be filled.

Nicole Kidman Bares All to Vanity Fair

Image courtesy of Dlisted

Academy Award winning actress Nicole Kidman told Vanity Fair that she suffered a miscarriage shortly after marrying Tom Cruise at the age of 23. She said the traumatic experience caused her to adopt first daughter Bella. Kidman suffered a second miscarriage in 2001 a month after she filed divorce from Tom Cruise. I really feel for Nicole. I think she's immensely talented and much better off without Tom Cruise.

Pollspot: Experience or Change

Political Wire had this new Gallup Poll up today:

A new Gallup Poll consulted voters on their preferences for change versus experience in the upcoming Presidential election. Almost 3 in 4 respondents said they preferred a candidate wanting to make change rather than one with experience in Washington when forced to choose one over the other. While this may seem problematic for Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaign for President, when given further options voters seemed to want both an eagerness for change and exceptional experience in their candidate. 96% said change was a desirable characteristic and 59% said experience was also important. However, only 18% seemed to think being an outsider with limited Washington experience was a desirable characteristic -- making it less of a draw for candidates like Sen. Barack Obama.

I think Hillary Clinton represents both change and experience. I think I would choose experience slightly...just slightly...over change. Change isn't always a good thing.

Wise Words from Fitty

This is just comical to me, but for once 50 Cent are on the same page. Here's what he had to say about the 2008 election.

"I'd like to see Hillary Clinton be president. It would be nice to see a woman be the actual president and ... this is a way for us to have Bill Clinton be president again, and he did a great job during his term." - 50 Cent

Bellatrix is Back

Image courtesy of Film Fetish

Helena Bonham Carter will reprise her role as Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. She's not due back on the movie's set until Spring. The next Harry Potter movie has a targeted release for November 21,2008.

John Edwards Picks Up Two More

Image courtesy of After W

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards is leading the pack with the most union endorsements. Today, he picked up two more big ones. The Steelworkers and the Mine Workers both are throwing their support behind John Edwards. Senators Hillary Clinton and Chris Dodd have also picked up a few union endorsements.

Owen Wilson Discharged

Image courtesy of Fox News

Owen Wilson was discharged from the hospital this past weekend following his alleged suicide attempt.

Box Office Report

Halloween takes over Labor Day setting a new record. Here's the Box Office report from Box Office Mojo:

1. Halloween - $26,503,000
2. Superbad - $12,200,000
3. Balls of Fury - $11,604,795
4. The Bourne Ultimatum - $10,183,000
5. Rush Hour 3 - $8,560,000

Rumorville: Heath and Michelle

Image courtesy of Yahoo

Rumors started by US Weekly are circulating that Academy Award nominees Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams have broken off their relationship. The couple has a two year old daughter, Mathilde.

Dr. Shepherd Gets Married

Image courtesy of People

Grey's Anatomy alum and Private Practice star Kate Walsh got married yesterday to producer Alex Young.

Hillary Signs Four State Pledge

In an update to this post, Senator Hillary Clinton has also joined with the other Democratic presidential candidates in signing the four state pledge.

In a statement from Patti Solis Doyle from Hillary's campaign:

"We believe Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina play a unique and special role in the nominating process.And we believe the DNC’s rules and its calendar provide the necessary structure to respect and honor that role. Thus, we will be signing the pledge to adhere to the DNC approved nominating calendar."

Ah well...this could come back and bite everyone later on. I hope Hillary isn't affected.

A D-List Wedding

Image courtesy of The Hollywood Gossip

E! News host Giuliana DePandi tied the knot with The Apprentice season 1 winner Bill Rancic today on the island of Capri.

Democratic Candidates Sign Pledge

According to Political Wire, "John Edwards, Sen. Barack Obama, Gov. Bill Richardson, Sen. Chris Dodd and Sen. Joe Biden promised not to campaign in states that hold early nominating contests in violation of Democratic party rules, the AP reports.

They agreed to a pledge circulated by the Democratic Party chairs of Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Sen. Hillary Clinton's staff said she is still reviewing the matter. "

This is a tough one. While it is annoying that many states are trying to push up their primaries to get more play, is it entirely smart to ignore all but four states for the time being? Don't forget we have a general election coming up after the primaries. I'm not sure how I feel about this pledge, Hillary needs to think this through.

Halloween Sets Record

Image courtesy of Film Edge

Rob Zombie's reimagining of Halloween broke records to become the highest Friday ever for Labor Day weekend according to Variety. The film took in roughly $11 million on Friday and is expected to be the number 1 movie this weekend.

Britney Sets New Release Date

Image courtesy of Teen Hollywood

Britney Spears has set a release date for her fifth studio album now that the lead single "Gimme More" has been leaked to the internet. The still untitled album is slated for a November 13th release. Rumors are circulating that Britney will perform at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards next week to officially debut "Gimme More" along with magician Criss Angel.

50 Cent Added To VMA Line-Up

Image courtesy of 50 Cent Base

MTV has announced that 50 Cent will perform at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. Akon and Soulja Boy will also take to the stage. In addition to the performers, MTV announced that Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Nicole Scherzinger, Shia Labeouf, and Rosario Dawson will all present at the September 9th ceremony in Las Vegas.

Senator Craig Resigns

Image courtesy of CNN

Republican Idaho Senator Larry Craig has announced his resignation amid a sex scandal. For more on the story, visit CNN.

Senator Craig May Resign

Numerous news sources are reporting that Republican Senator Larry Craig of Idaho will announce his resignation as US Senator tomorrow. News broke this past week of Craig pleading guilty to charges of lewd conduct when he was arrested in a men's restroom in June.

Pollspot: Michigan State

Here's a Michigan poll courtesy of Political Wire:

Michigan:

According to a new EPIC-MRA poll, Sen. Hillary Clinton leads the Democrats in Michigan with 40%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 21% and John Edwards at 16% percent.

On the Republican side, former Gov. Mitt Romney leads with 25%, edging out former Mayor Rudy Giuliani with 23%. Former Sen. Fred Thompson is in third with 16% and Sen. John McCain trails with 15%.

It's a little surprising to me that Mitt Romney is polling slightly better than Rudy Giuliani.

Because it's just too damn funny...

I'm not a big fan of Nancy Grace so I thought this was pretty hilarious!

Earlier today we wrote here how Iowa would allow gay marriages. Not the case anymore. Now, gay marriages in Iowa has been halted until the state Supreme Court hears an appeal. And the country continues to move backwards. For more on this story, click here.

Enchanted

Disney's big budget 2D/Live Action release Enchanted hits theaters this November. The movie stars Academy Award nominee Amy Adams, Susan Sarandon, James Marsden, and Grey's Anatomy's Patrick Dempsey. The trailer looks like a lot of fun.

Check it out here.

Tony Snow Stepping Down

Is anyone staying with President Bush these days? After Karl Rove and Alberto Gonzales, Press Secretary Tony Snow will step down on September 14th. He will be replaced by his deputy, Dana Perino.

Halloween

New at the movies is Rob Zombie's reimagining of John Carpenter's slasher Halloween. So far, critics at Rotten Tomatoes are not loving this remake. The movie is currently at 22% with 4 fresh and 15 rotten. Critics tend to not like slasher flicks to begin with so who knows. The trailer most definitely looks interesting.

David Beckham Rests Up

New LA Galaxy star David Beckham will sit out for the next six weeks after damaging a ligament in his knee. He was paid mucho mucho dinero to join the team and he hasn't played too long at all. Is he worth the money?

Image courtesy of ABC

The new promo for the 4th season of Desperate Housewives. Last season was fire...hope this season doesn't disappoint.

Iowa Allows Gay Marriage

An Iowa district court ruled yesterday that gay and lesbian couples can legally marry based on Iowa's constitution's guarantee on equal treatment. Very good news indeed. Go here for more on the story.

Ashlee Heads to Ghana

No new posts from Green Room correspondent Ashlee Tran for a while. She flies out to Ghana today to stay until December. We wish her the best.

Princess Diana

Today marks the 10th anniversary of Princess Diana's death. She's still talked about as much, if not more, as she was when she was alive.

Britney Raking In The Big Bucks

According to Kevin Federline's attorney, Britney Spears earns a reported $737,868 per month. At this rate, she earns $8,854,416 per year. Just to compare...President George W. Bush's presidential salary is around $400,000 per year (of course he earns a lot more than that otherwise and he is extremely wealthy to begin with) The court documents also reveal that Kevin Federline receives $20,000 per month of spousal support from Britney. This spousal support will end on November 15th.

Train Crash In Brazil

Image courtesy of the Associated Press

At least eight people have died and sixty people have been injured in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (where I'm from) during a train collision. The fast-moving train, carrying around 850 people, slammed into an empty train. Some passengers are currently trapped in the wreckage. For more, click here.

Snoop Tapped To Host MTV Europe

Image courtesy of Artistopia

Snoop Dogg will host the MTV European Music Awards according to Variety. The awards will take place in Munich, Germany and broadcast on November 1st, 2007.

Britney Wants You To Gimme More

Britney Spears's comeback single has been leaked to the internet. You can listen to "Gimme More" at Perez Hilton and download it via other sites. In addition to "Gimme More," a song titled "Cold as Fire" also leaked. However, it is unclear at this time whether "Cold as Fire" will appear on the album or if this is even a finished version of the song. As for "Gimme More," I think it's pretty good. Definitely catchy and different. As she starts the song off..."It's Britney bitch!" Britney Spears is back....but can she not have another meltdown? I think she'll probably mess this up.

Pollspot: The First Primary State

More good news for my candidate Senator Hillary Clinton. While other surveys dealing with New Hampshire found Hillary Clinton edging out Barack Obama, the American Research Group's July survey had Obama and Clinton in a tie. However, "The radically different numbers released today by ARG for August -- Clinton at 37 percent, Obama 17 percent, Edwards 14 percent, Richardson 7 percent -- gave her an even bigger lead than other national surveys." This is great news for Hillary Clinton as she enters the vital Fall portion of the campaing.

Meanwhile, "in the Republican race, ARG gives Romney 27 percent of the likely primary vote, Rudy Giuliani 23 percent and John McCain 12 percent. Fred Thompson slipped to 8 percent, falling behind the biggest gainer, Mike Huckabee, at 9 percent, up from just 1 percent in July." Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani aren't too far apart.

Source: American Research Group - New Hampshire Union Leader

Unions Back Clinton, Edwards, and Huckabee

The OC Register has good news for presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Mike Huckabee. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers announced today that they are endorsing Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Mike Huckabee. The union has over 700,000 members and they estimate that about a third of their members vote Republican. They issued a dual bipartisan endorsement so all their members would participate. This is Hillary's second major union endorsement this week. She secured the 125,000 member United Transportation Union's endorsement earlier this week. Go Hill!

Meanwhile, Democrat John Edwards is being backed by the 530,000 member United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. One third of their members are registered Republicans.

Good news for the three candidates.

Lachey to Host Dance Wars

Image courtesy of People

Former pop star and Dancing With The Stars season 2 winner Drew Lachey will host Dance Wars: Bruno vs. Carrie Anne according to Variety. This ABC mid-season show is a spin-off to the hit show and will feature Dancing With The Stars judges Carrie Anne Inaba and Bruno Tonioli forming rival dance troupes who compete against one another. The show is slated to premiere after this season of Dancing With The Stars wraps.

Fred Thompson Announcement is Coming

Image courtesy of Buddy TV

In not-so-secret news, NBC is reporting that Fred Thompson will announce his candidacy for president on September 6th. Thoughts?

Taliban Releases Remaining South Korean Hostages

Image Courtesy of the Associated Press

After six weeks, Taliban militants finally released the remaining South Korean captives being held hostage in Afghanistan. In mid-July, the Taliban captured 23 South Koreans, transporting them by bus to one of their main strongholds in Kandahar. Since then, the Taliban killed two male hostages and allowed one woman to go free. On Wednesday, they released another twelve, but it was not until today that they let the remaining hostages go free. According to news sources, the South Korean government had made a deal with the Taliban to withdraw their troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year in exchange for the captives. For the full story, click here.

Because's it's just too damn funny...

This is more painful than funny. Game show bloopers with people who are just flat out stupid. In fact, they make Miss Teen South Carolina look like Einstein. Love the throwback to the Oozinator at the end (if you don't know what that naughty toy is then you will love the end of the clip).

Olsen is an Informer

Image courtesy of Poster

While Mary Kate Olsen has been busy with a recurring role on Showtime's Weeds, Ashley Olsen hasn't been doing much. Now, Ashley has been cast as a sexually, promiscuous girl in the film The Informers. The movie is the story of seven intersecting storylines taking place on one weekend in Los Angeles 1983. Also starring are Kim Basinger, Brandon Routh, and Billy Bob Thornton.

Mamma Mia!, Here I Come

Image courtesy of USA Today

With Hairspray released and Sweeney Todd coming up, the next movie musical has just started filming in Greece. Mamma Mia! has been a hit on Broadway and in London's West End. The show has been seen by over 30 million people. Now, Academy Award winning legend Meryl Streep and former James Bond Pierce Brosnan will bring the musical to the big screen. Also starring is Amanda Seyfried, who held her own with Lindsay Lohan as Karen in 2004's Mean Girls.

Hillary Clinton on Letterman

Image courtesy of Hillary

Senator Hillary Clinton will make her 7th appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman tonight. It will be her first appearance as a presidential candidate. The Late Show airs at 11:35 PM EST.

Movie Trailer: Lions For Lambs

Lions For Lambs is a story very relavent to the current state of the United States. Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, and Tom Cruise star in the film slated for release on November 9th.

Click here for the trailer.

Pollspot: Iowa...Yet Again

Political Wire brings us this Iowa poll today...

Iowa:
In Iowa, a new Time magazine poll shows John Edwards leading the Democratic presidential race with 32%, followed by Sen. Hillary Clinton at 24%, Sen. Barack Obama at 22% and Gov. Bill Richardson at 13%. Complete poll results are available.

John Edward's efforts of focusing mainly on Iowa may be working but I still predict that Hillary Clinton will win Iowa come January. Bill Richardson rises a little.

Elizabeth Edwards Defends Hillary

Image courtesy of Harry Walker

Elizabeth Edwards recently told Time magazine,

"I do not think the hatred against Hillary Clinton is justified. I don’t know where it comes from. I don’t begin to understand. But you can’t pretend it doesn’t exist, and it will energize the Republican base. Their nominee won’t energize them, Bush won’t energize them, but Hillary as the nominee will."

While it was nice of her to defend Hillary Clinton for once, her agenda is, of course, to try and bring Hillary down so her husband can rise. It's true that the Republican base will rise up against Hillary should she get the nomination. However, just because that's true, it doesn't mean that we should someone who isn't the best nominee (like John Edwards for example) to go up against the Republicans. Hillary is the best qualified candidate and she will take on any attack Republicans throw at her. It wouldn't be the first time.

Clinton Gives Away Money

Image courtesy of MSNBC

Senator Hillary Clinton is giving the $23,000 in donations she has received from Norman Hsu, who is wanted in California for failing to appear for sentencing on a 1991 grand theft charge, to charity. Also giving away Hsu's contribution money to charity include Senator John Kerry, Al Franken, and Senator Barbara Boxer. For more, click here.

Pollspot: New Jersey

Political Wire shows Clinton and Giuliani way ahead in New Jersey.

A new Strategic Vision (R) poll in New Jersey finds Sen. Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic presidential race with 49%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 22%, John Edwards at 8% and Gov. Bill Richardson at 5%.On the Republican side, Rudy Giuliani leads with 51%, followed by Fred Thompson at 12%, Mitt Romney at 9%, and Sen. John McCain at 7%.

Pollspot: Some less mentioned states

DailyKos posted some 2008 match-ups showing Senator Hillary Clinton against Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, and Mitt Romney in New York, Massachusetts, and Kansas. Senator Clinton expectedly loses in Kansas but triumphs in NY and MA!

Kansas
6 Electoral votes. Bush won in 2004 by 25%. Clinton versus Giuliani, Thompson, and Romney.
Clinton (D) 40 (36) Giuliani (R) 54 (56)
Clinton (D) 44 (45) Thompson (R) 49 (48)
Clinton (D) 45 (44) Romney (R) 45 (44)

Massachusetts
12 Electoral votes. Kerry won in 2004 by 25%. Clinton versus Giuliani, Thompson, and Romney.
Clinton (D) 57 (56) Giuliani (R) 37 (36)
Clinton (D) 62 (64) Thompson (R) 30 (29)
Clinton (D) 62 (63) Romney (R) 33 (30)

New York
31 Electoral votes. Kerry won in 2004 by 19%. Clinton versus Giuliani, Thompson, and Romney.
Clinton (D) 59 (58) Giuliani (R) 37 (36)
Clinton (D) 64 (64) Thompson (R) 31 (30)
Clinton (D) 64 (66) Romney (R) 27 (27)

Fergie Scores 3rd Number 1

Image courtesy of Artist Direct

Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas scores her 3rd Billboard Hot 100 number 1 hit this week as "Big Girls Don't Cry (Personal)" takes the top spot from Sean Kingston's "Beautiful Girls." Finally...Sean Kingston's song was getting on my last nerve.

High School Musical 2 Reigns Supreme!

The soundtrack to High School Musical 2 will enjoy a second week atop the Billboard Top 200 albums selling around 367,000 copies. This brings the total to nearly a million copies sold. The phenomenon is taking over!

Amy Winehouse Cancels

Amy Winehouse has canceled her performance at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. The 23-year-old's US record label said all her US appearances had been canceled “in a continued effort to support Amy Winehouse's well-being.” At least she didn't say she was coming and then not show up...like she is known to do.