Celebrities
Gene Shalit, longtime ‘Today’ show movie critic with bushy hair and massive mustache, dies at 100
NEW YORK | Gene Shalit, a movie critic and arts reporter for the “Today” show over four decades who was known for his puffy hair, oversized handlebar mustache and affection for groan-inducing puns, has died. He was 100. Shalit’s family announced the death Friday to NBC News, saying in a statement that he “passed away […]
Paramount Skydance merger with Warner Bros. Discovery won’t harm competition, consumers, DOJ says
An investigation by the U.S. Justice Department into Paramount Skydance’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery has determined that the mammoth Hollywood media merger is not likely to harm competition in the industry or be harmful for consumers. The agency said Friday that it closed its probe into the deal, with regulators at its antitrust […]
Movie Review: This train’s going fast, but the jokes fly even faster in “Stop! That! Train!’
Presidential candidates take note: If you ever want an effectively simple campaign slogan, you could do worse than this: “SHE FUN!” That’s the slogan that got President Judy Gagwell — aka RuPaul — elected, and if it puts a smile on your face, it’s a good sign that lots of other, er, gags from Gagwell […]
Tyra Banks sues Netflix over ‘America’s Next Top Model’ documentary, alleging defamation
LOS ANGELES | Tyra Banks has filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix and the directors of its docuseries “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model,” alleging that the producers stripped down hours of interview footage to construct a false narrative. In the lawsuit filed Saturday in Los Angeles federal court, the model who created and […]
A Bosnian song about disillusionment with the American Dream becomes a World Cup banger
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina | The opening lyrics couldn’t be plainer: “I am from Bosnia; take me to America.” But by rewriting its classic “USA,” the Bosnian band Dubioza Kolektiv has transformed a song about disillusionment with the American Dream into a viral anthem powering Bosnia-Herzegovina’s own World Cup dreams. On the eve of Friday’s match between […]
David Hockney, iconic British artist known for his colorful landscapes and pool scenes, dies at 88
LONDON | David Hockney, a treasured British artist whose paintings of shimmering pools and colorful iPad drawings became icons of contemporary art, has died, his publicist said Friday. He was 88. Over a seven-decade career, Hockney explored and reimagined classical portraiture, landscape painting and pop art, working in painting, collage, photography and digital drawing. Hockney […]
Patagonia is suing Pattie Gonia, a drag queen performer with an environmental message
DENVER | Days before the beginning of Pride Month in June, a glamorous drag queen with long, wavy red hair, a matching mustache and carabiner earrings stared into a camera and levied a strong accusation against a famous sustainable outdoors apparel brand: “This is a corporation trying to erase an activist.” The drag queen, Pattie […]
The secrets behind a memorable World Cup anthem, from Shakira and more
NEW YORK | What makes a memorable World Cup anthem? Is it a song that best reflects the host countries? Is it a global banger, incorporating multiple languages and genres? Or should it simply value a chant-along chorus above all? There’s an argument to make for each — or perhaps all. To get to the […]
Movie Review: This train’s going fast, but the jokes fly even faster in “Stop! That! Train!’
Presidential candidates take note: If you ever want an effectively simple campaign slogan, you could do worse than this: “SHE FUN!” That’s the slogan that got President Judy Gagwell — aka RuPaul — elected, and if it puts a smile on your face, it’s a good sign that lots of other, er, gags from Gagwell […]
Glenn Close will get an Oscar at last — honorarily. So will Ridley Scott and animator Floyd Norman
Glenn Close will finally get her hands on an Oscar. Long considered among the best actors to never win one, the eight-time nominee will get an honorary Academy Award along with director Ridley Scott and animator Floyd Norman at the annual Governors Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday. “Throughout her […]