Controversy lightning-rod Sean Penn is at it again: The politically active actor has just arrived in Cuba with the hopes of interviewing Fidel Castro, according to a Cuban government-controlled television report. He will write a story for Vanity Fair, TMZ reports. Yet Penn’s rep says that reports of a Castro interview aren’t true, and he’s in Cuba for a “journalistic and creative” visit. This isn’t Penn’s first trip to Havana, and previously Penn interviewed Raúl Castro (and Hugo Chávez) in 2008.
Celebrities spend their social capital in all kinds of ways: vapid vanity projects, scandalous romantic choices, ostentatious consumption, bad behavior. Penn spends his on political projects, which ought to seem more worthy than a fleet of sports cars or a harem of fan girls, but instead it just seems equally indulgent. Which isn’t to say he shouldn’t do it — go nuts, Sean Penn! It’s that no matter the outcome or content of the could-be interview, we’ll only see it through the inescapable shadow cast by Penn’s celebrity.
What do you think, PopWatchers? Should Penn stick to acting, or can celebrity political activism be a good thing?
Photo credit: Reuters/Robert Galbraith/Landov
Is Mad Max finally about to go beyond Beyond Thunderdome? Though the fourth film in the post-apocalyptic action flick series has endured decades of delays, reports suggest that pre-production on Mad Max 4: Fury Road is about to get started in Australia. All kinds of casting rumors are flying, with Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation) and Charlize Theron both tipped for key roles…
But hold on a sec. Here comes director George Miller to throw some cold water on that speculation. “I’m still in the middle of casting, despite all we see on the Net,” Miller says in the behind-the-scenes interview embedded below (via Comingsoon.net). “I don’t even know who the final cast’s going to be.” Fine. Let’s forget Worthington and Theron for the moment — what does that mean for the original Max himself, Mel Gibson? Asked by a reporter if Gibson is an option, Miller coyly replies, “Everyone’s an option.”
Hard to know what to make of that. Watch the interview below, then weigh in. Do you even care whether or not Mel Gibson winds up in the cast of Mad Max 4? Would his absence be a deal-breaker for you? How many of you are still looking forward to this long-awaited four-quel, anyway?
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I know the Walker clan is close, but I am glad they didn’t take up Luc’s suggestion to go skinnydipping together. “I love how really, really French you are,” Sarah said to her Renaissance man. Kevin was the voice of reason: “And sadly, we are really, really American.” Cue Justin: “And related.”
Luc was the main attraction of tonight’s show, “Last Tango in Pasadena,” as he and Sarah finally got out of bed. Sarah shocked Nora by moving Luc into her mom’s house so Sarah could spend some quality time with her kids, just back from Europe with their dad. (Gosh, Paige is growing up fast. Like her mom, I was digging the new haircut.)
Kitty was instantly charmed by Luc — who said despite her illness that she looked “radiant, like the sun,” inspiring a huge smile. At least Kitty was generous sharing the love for Luc, she texted everyone to invite them poolside to watch this “Adonis” swim laps. Perfect abs, perfect trunks and even perfect strokes. He cooked a huge meal and helped Justin pick up a few moves for his wedding dance. (How much did you love Kevin’s shock at discovering that pair in a dip — “I lost feeling in my extremities,” he said, deadpan.) READ FULL STORY »
We reported yesterday on the global attempt to break a record for mass dancing which involved people around the world simultaneously performing the routine from Michael Jackson’s video for “Thriller.” There’s no official word yet as to whether the attempt was successful. But there are a number of videos from different parts of the globe documenting the so-called “Thrill the World” dancers (see below).
Were you one of those who shook a zombified leg yesterday in tribute to the King of Pop last night (or whatever part of the day it happened to be in your part of the world)? Or were you a witness to any of the events? Drop us a line!
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What’s filling your Halloween basket this year? How about chocolate-covered crickets, worm-infested caramel apples…or earwax-flavored jelly beans? No, really. These creepy-crawlies may sound like a skeevy prank, but they are just some of the exotic goodies — or baddies — on offer in the Food Network’s icky but edifying Extreme Sweets, which debuted Saturday at 9. As exuberantly boyish host Adam Gertler hopscotches the country in search of the aforementioned delicacies (at California’s Hotlix and Jelly Belly, respectively), the confectionary wonders veer from mouth-watering (bathing in Hershey’s chocolate) to mouth-searing (Mercado Chocolate Loco’s choc-dipped habaneros) to stomach-turning (crunchy live worm, yum). The piece de resistance? Hotlix’s scorpion pops. Left unasked: Are those scorpions organic?
Feeling the sugar rush yet, P-Dubbers? Or are you firmly resolved not to let your impressionable youngsters watch this special, lest they clamor for said treats? And not to put it too delicately, should animal-rights hackles be raised by cruelty to worms and insects?
Remember what Nicolas said about ruffles earlier this season? Of course you do! “I hate ruffles! Ruffles make me sick!” You might also recall that after the Feather Prince uttered those words, I promised you all that I’d wear the offending sartorial flourishes when he visited the EW offices for his appearance on Project Runway Talk. And I am nothing if not a woman of my word. What’s more, my co-host Dalton Ross joined me in the Rufflepalooza, pulling out of his closet–I kid you not–a Seinfeld Puffy Shirt. Oh, the lengths we EW loons are willing to go to amuse you, dear readers!
Despite our wardrobe choices, Nicolas did not run screaming from the building. On the contrary, the controversial season six contestant proved to be a friendly, funny guy who confessed to amping up the smack-talk for the cameras. Click on the video below to learn what else he had to say about tanking with the Greece theme, winning a challenge with a cheap-looking Ice Queen gown, and what a guy has to do to get on TV when he doesn’t look like Brad Pitt.
It just may have been the scariest thing we’ve ever seen on Survivor (and that’s saying something for a program that gave us Jonny Fairplay): contestant Russell Swan’s head resting precariously on the corner of a puzzle table while his entire body went limp. As hard as it was for us to watch the Galu leader collapse, imagine how freaky it must have been for Russell to watch himself flirting with death on national television. The dread-head talks all about the surreal experience as he joins Josh Wolk and me on the latest episode of Survivor Talk, telling us why he was so “pissed” at being pulled from the game, what happened to him after the cameras shut off, and if the decision to take pillows over a tarp ultimately led to his collapse. Click on the video below to get all the inside scoop on one of the most dramatic moments in Survivor history! And then do something far less dramatic and start following me on Twitter @EWDaltonRoss.
