Newsletter Monday, November 21, 2016

[LaineyGossip.com - Calling all smuthounds!] Monday, November 21, 2016 [Intro for November 21, 2016] Dear Gossips, My weekend: Fantastic Beasts and Zadie Smith. Did you know that the niffler was based on the [honey badger]? There’s a lot more to say about the movie. But since some of you might be saving it for US Thanksgiving, we’ll hold off on saying much more. Hurry though! As for Zadie Smith, there was so much to read about her this weekend! In The Atlantic, Zadie talks about “[the politics and everything else, bound inextricably to each other]” and defends the kind of journalism that encourages us to “bend imagination toward empathy”. In [The New York Times], Zadie talks about reading, what she reads, what she doesn’t read, how she feels when she reads. I love the part when she compares the work of a fresh new writer to watching Simone Biles perform. And when asked about the kind of writing she considers “disappointing or overrated”, what she can’t get into, she gives a short list, with her personal rationale, and then ends with, “And I hate every single last one of those Beats, both in poetry and prose”. God I want so badly for her to say this to James Franco. But I’m not sure she would. Zadie Smith doesn’t need to tussle with the Artist Franco, it’s not worth her time. For Vanity Fair, Zadie answers the [Proust Questionnaire]. Since I’m obsessed with her, all of her answers are worth studying, although I’ll highlight a couple here. What does Zadie dislike most about her appearance? “I like it all. Self-hatred is for younger, prettier women.” And her motto? “Regret everything and always live in the past.” YES. I am so over being told not to dwell on regrets because they always bring something to your life. Most of my mistakes, including most of the people I’ve slept with, brought nothing to my life and I regret almost all of them and I would be much better if I could go back and delete them, God. Finally, Lena Dunham [interviews Zadie Smith for Lenny]. Lena is bragging here about being friends with Zadie – like they have a “friendship anniversary” – and, sure, maybe it’s annoying, but it’s only annoying because she gets to be friends with Zadie and we don’t. If I had a “friendship anniversary” with Zadie Smith, I’d make everyone else in my life observe it too. During their conversation, Zadie once again shouts out Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing (have you read it yet?!?) and then, while discussing male vs female anxiety and how women experience “imposter syndrome”, Zadie turns female angst into a meditation on empowerment…by using FOMO! FOMO is Fear Of Missing Out. Duana, for example, is the person in my life with the most acute case of FOMO. She wants to be everywhere, she wants to see everything. There’s a connection here with regret. FOMO opponents are often, not always, but often, the same people who will tell you to treasure your regrets for where they led you in the end, criticising those with FOMO for chasing a maddeningly endless series of moments instead of living in your own moments. The way Zadie spins FOMO though? FOMO is not about not wanting to live your own life but the capacity to conceive of and then appreciate other lives: “I have always thought that I should be doing things differently, or like someone else. But I feel that this can be in fact a form of strength. I also think this restless and comparative instinct may have deep roots in female experience. For example, not long ago I was leaving a kid's birthday party with my six-year-old daughter and a friend of hers. The friend wanted to know where we were going now and what we were going to do once we got there. Would we watch a movie at home? Read a book? Have ice cream? Go to bed at seven or eight? With juice or water? And when I answered all her queries, she cried: "Not fair!" Now, if it were my son parting from another boy, I can't imagine him being quizzed in this way or quizzing anyone else. When my son leaves another boy, it's as if that boy has ceased existing. But my daughter, like her friend, is tormented by what might be going on elsewhere, in another girl's life. You can describe this as a kind of feminine problem, but looked at in another way isn't it an extraordinary gift? To be able to so thoroughly imagine what the girl who just left your presence might be doing, at any moment, and to so fully enter that imagining that you're infuriated by it? It's a form of engagement!” Zadie Smith just feminised FOMO. And she just posited that FOMO is the root of empathy. So, to borrow her own analogy, it’s as exhilarating as watching a Simone Biles tumbling pass. Last recommendation from the weekend – The New York Times [profile of Van Jones], whose emotional “white-lash” appearance on CNN on election night was one of the most unforgettable moments in a painful year. Yours in gossip, [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 12:33 PM [Smutty Social Media, November 21, 2016] Axl Rose, one of the most mercurial men in rock, has thicker skin than the President Elect. "Hamilton Cast harassed Pence." Do u ever stop whining?An apology?Seriously?!U won,this is the job,get on with it or get out of the kitchen. — Axl Rose (@axlrose) [November 19, 2016] The music is as unnecessary today as it was in 2001. [Throwing it back to 2001 #AMA Bring it 2017] A video posted by Jessica Simpson (@jessicasimpson) on Nov 20, 2016 at 6:50pm PST Crazy Ex-Girlfriend shouted out Roxane Gay this week. And there’s a Spice Girls episode coming up. How is this not the highest rated show on TV? We have a lot of Roxane Gay fans on our staff including [@audreyalison] and me [#badfeminist] [@rgay] [#CrazyExGirlfriend] — Crazy Ex-GF Writers (@crazyxgfwriters) [November 19, 2016] Meek finally bought Nicki a gift she likes. In his defense, what could you buy Nicki that she couldn’t buy herself? It would be really hard to shop for a celebrity. [😍 He said I never wear his gifts. 😍 these LV slippers] A photo posted by Nicki Minaj (@nickiminaj) on Nov 20, 2016 at 8:40pm PST Kanye is flooding Instagram with these random, low-quality shots. Not sure if he’s been hacked or…. [A photo posted by Kanye West (@kanyewest)] on Nov 20, 2016 at 4:03pm PST My favourite siblings from Parenthood. [✨ my knight in shining armor ✨] A photo posted by mae margaret whitman (@mistergarf) on Nov 20, 2016 at 3:56pm PST Drew with her crew, you may recognize a few of her friends. [#peopleilove hold onto those you love and climb a mountain together. The women in my life are doers. That can be anything from life, work and physical capability. Zest if you will. I follow my friends. And when I am most in need, I hold on tighter. But it is when they need me... I know I have done something right. To earn their trust. Love your fiends. Share kindness. Hold onto moments and most of all... MAKE MORE PLANS!!!!!!!!!] A photo posted by Drew Barrymore (@drewbarrymore) on Nov 19, 2016 at 2:41pm PST Even Oprah has to sleep on the floor when she goes home for the holidays. [You know you're Home when .... there's a 'pallet' on the floor , 'the men' making breakfast .. and Jesus is watching from the wall. #Milwaukee #happyholidays] A photo posted by Oprah (@oprah) on Nov 20, 2016 at 7:11am PST [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 8:20 PM [Ben & Jen for Live By Night] [Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck run errands together in Santa Monica, November 19, 2016] Live By Night has started screening for industry. The film will open in limited release in December to qualify for Oscar consideration before going wide in January. And while Warner Bros is trying to seem like they’re playing it low key for a campaign, the scheduling makes it obvious their intention. Reviews and reaction are still embargoed but [the way that people are talking] about Live By Night, and specifically [talking up] the production quality and the technical achievements, obviously Live By Night is being positioned as a possible contender. And the film’s most important salesperson: its director and star, [Ben Affleck.] He and [Jennifer Garner] have been photographed together a few times at church and getting coffee, and there have been a couple of stories here and there, pointing out signs that the two [may be reconciling]. Coincidence or conspiracy? Compared to the ugly f-cking breakups we’ve seen this year, from Depp-Heard to World War Brange, Ben and Jennifer Garner look like cake right now. So it’s safe to say that there will be no movement, nothing headline-making about their relationship for the rest of the year and at least the early part of next year. No drama, no controversy, and he can do this, Ben, he can hold it together for short, intentioned spurts. It’s like dieting for him. You can stick to the low calorie, the working out, the strict regimen…but not forever. As Hayley always says, for it to stick, it has to be a longterm manageable lifestyle change. Has Ben Affleck changed his lifestyle? [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 7:00 PM [Justin Timberlake is a terrible voice actor] [Justin Timberlake arrives at the 'Trolls' Australian Premiere on November 20, 2016 in Sydney, Australia] Here’s [Justin Timberlake] promoting Trolls in Australia this weekend. Here’s my review of Trolls. Reviving the soul-sucking demon-toys, Trolls is set inside an acid flashback at a rave you went to in 1997. It’s bright, it’s BRIGHT, it’s so bright your retinas will sting and you will be seeing color spots for hours after the movie. It’s the kind of flashy brightness that makes me suspect ulterior motives, like subliminal messaging—this whole thing might be an elaborate ad for [Fruity Oaty Bars]. But within the brightness is some amazing mixed-media animation, with some gorgeously rendered textures from the nubbly Troll skin to the cobwebs-and-cotton-candy Troll hair the felt and construction paper backgrounds. The approximately three hundred thousand animators and illustrators that worked on this movie deserve a round of applause. The plot of Trolls is that you buy your kids Troll dolls for Christmas. Okay, seriously, the plot—and I use that term loosely—is that the Trolls live in a rainbow-and-glitter utopia that is really an exiled land because they fled the “Bergens”, which are, unfortunately, not a race of Candice Bergens, but Sendakian monsters who eat Trolls in order to feel happiness. Yeah, whoa is right—that’s a BIT dark. Trolls kinda slides into Last Unicorn territory here, but unlike that movie, which revels in the strange and the macabre, Trolls pastes a bright pink sticker-smile over its inner pain and darkness and keeps on singin’. This movie is the Lisa Frank sticker book covering our election pain. Princess Poppy ([Anna Kendrick]) is the bright (BRIGHT) pink speed-freak leader of the Trolls whose relentless, incessant, torturous happiness attracts the Bergens who once again eat Trolls to feel happiness. Also, some Trolls fart and sh*t glitter and cupcakes, and I presume they also spit poisonous rainbow-acid that forces you to feel manic happiness and dance until your feet are worn down to bone at which point you collapse and they swarm you and devour your flesh. Nothing this forcibly happy could ever be anything less than unutterably evil. In order to save her fellow Trolls, Princess Poppy teams up with Branch (Pipsqueak McMeMeMe), the lone surly Troll who is also grey-blue and doesn’t have the same weaponized happiness as Princess Poppy and the other Trolls. Justin Timberlake is a horrible voice actor who delivers every line like he’s reading a book to a child he doesn’t particularly like. The right casting here is someone like Patton Oswalt, who can affect both lonerish despair and reluctant affection for his fellow cheer-monsters. But Branch, as voiced by Pipsqueak Popinjay, sounds like the robot assistant built into your car—it sounds friendly, but it also doesn’t know what emotions are. The music in Trolls is programmed by your local karaoke bar and sung like everyone’s getting paid REALLY WELL. Most of the songs are cover arrangements, but there’s also Pipper’s terrible “Happy” knock-off—the happiest Trolls will make adults is when Pip-Pop loses at the Oscars next year. (Lainey: PLEASE GOD JUST LET US HAVE THIS.) But the soundtrack is sure to delight kids who don’t see Moana. On the Kids Movie Tolerability Index, Trolls is closer to Minions than The LEGO Movie—your kids will love it, you will only somewhat be able to tolerate it. (Zootopia it is not.) If you’re a black-hearted crank like me, you won’t be able to tolerate it all, but the sight of blissed-out four year olds ought to be enough to keep the worst of your impulse to drown yourself in your gallon-cup of Coke at bay. Also, the fact that Justin Timberlake is a TERRIBLE voice actor ought to bring some comfort on cold winter nights. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 6:30 PM [DDL Dumbledore?] [Daniel Day Lewis and Rebecca Miller out in New York, November 19, 2016] This post contains spoilers for Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them. Please be warned if you’ve not yet seen the movie. As you know, it’s been confirmed that Johnny Depp will play Gellert Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts sequel. He was revealed near the end of the movie. More on that in a minute. The task now is to cast a young(er) Dumbledore. You’ll recall, [my recommendation was Tom Hardy]. That said, according to David Yates and David Heyman, the director and producer, Tom Hardy might be too young. I’m not sure I agree, because Tom Hardy, at 39 years old, is basically the same age as Colin Farrell who is 40…if you know what I mean. But the Davids [told Vulture] when they suggested Damian Lewis, 45, that he’s too young. When Hugh Laurie came up, 57 years old, they said it’s “not a bad idea”. Ciaran Hinds, who is 63, and played Aberforth Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series, was deemed too old. By that criteria then, if it can’t be Tom Hardy, and if we’re looking for someone between 50 and 60 to match up to Johnny Depp at 53 years old (let’s always remind Johnny Depp how old he is, OK?), then I think I have the perfect candidate. The candidate you won’t be able to argue with. Daniel Day-Lewis. [Daniel Day-Lewis] to play the most powerful wizard, the eventual Head of Hogwarts. COME ON! I nailed it! Here’s how David Heyman explained what they’re looking for in Dumbledore: “I don’t necessarily want him to look like Michael Gambon or Richard Harris. The two of them didn’t really look that much alike, but you want to capture the twinkle. You want to capture the wisdom, and the experience. But you also want to capture the mischief. Also, the man has demons. He’s not the same person we might imagine him to be. There are a lot of other sides to him. What we want is to find someone who is a great actor, who will be a worthy adversary. Do you have some possibilities for me?” DDL has the twinkle. DDL for sure has the wisdom and experience. And DDL TOTALLY has the mischief! He is all about the mischief! As for demons? Please. Have you ever watched a Daniel Day-Lewis performance? DDL creates demons that don’t even know they’re demons yet. Who does demons better than DDL? Who can bring “a lot of other sides” better than DDL? Who would be a better adversary for Johnny Depp than Daniel Day-f-cking-Lewis!!!?!?! Now give the man a wand! Attached – DDL and Rebecca, his love and mine, out in New York this weekend. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 5:00 PM [Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: let the beasts be free] [Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them movie poster] Lainey can’t believe I’m Gryffindor. We had a whole conversation about it—she thinks I should be Ravenclaw-but if you need proof, Lainey is a loud and proud Slytherin, and Gryffindors live to cockblock Slytherins, which will explain my review of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which I didn’t love. It reminds me of [Star Wars: The Force Awakens]- great characters, thrilling moments, but yikes on the actual story. Let’s start with the good, though, because there really is so much of it, and what works is totally delightful. First and most importantly, Eddie Redmayne is TERRIFIC as Newt Scamander, who is himself a terrific hero. Amidst all the superheroes and space wizards, Newt Scamander is an awkward, shy, implied-family-embarrassment who was expelled from school and is traveling the world in what might be some kind of exile, self-imposed or otherwise. He’s no one’s definition of a hero—not articulate, not charismatic, not strapping, and as Redmayne hunches in on himself, not tall. With his curly forelock and Redmayne’s quiet, fumbling delivery, he’s like an escapee from a period romance. He’s also a tree-hugging environmental preservationist, more interested in protecting his menagerie of fantastic beasts than concerning himself with the wizard politics unfolding around him. This is what makes Newt special—he’s KIND, and QUIET, and his big play to save the tragic antihero is COMPASSION. These are not traits we usually celebrate in superheroes (make no mistake, wand-waving wizards are definitely superheroes). Our Superman is a murderer, and even Captain America, the most moral of our superheroes, is a total hardass. But Newt Scamander is defined by his gentleness and his desire to protect his animals and educate others about them. The casting across the board is wonderful—Katherine Waterston and Alison Sudol are charming as witch sisters Porpentina and Queenie Goldstein, [Carmen Ejogo] is appropriately majestic as MACUSA President Picquery, [Colin Farrell] is sexy and creepy as Auror Percival Graves, and Dan Fogler is OUTSTANDING as aspiring baker Jacob Kowalski. (Johnny Depp is in this movie for thirty seconds. He doesn’t count.) Newt, Jacob, “Tina”, and Queenie are wonderful together, and however shaky the story is, the foundation of these four is solid. More adventures with Newt and his New York friends are welcome. Where Beasts slides sideways is with the plot revolving around [Ezra Miller] (who is great) as Credence, a super creepy Damian-type (also great). The problem isn’t the character or his specific story, it’s that this character and storyline exist in the same movie where Newt chases his (adorable) Niffler across Manhattan. A movie where Newt does a silly mating dance with a glowy rhinoceros does not also need to contain a bleak storyline about an abusive orphanage matron who whips the closeted wizard in her care. They’re just not compatible. The whimsical elements of OG Harry Potter work because they come with cute kids attached, and not for nothing, as those kids age, the whimsy drops off in favor of the darker wizard war storylines. But here there’s a lot of whimsy and nothing to attach it to except Newt’s animals, which ultimately don’t have anything to do with Credence or the Obscurious. The two storylines are almost entirely independent of one another. In fact, it would have worked out better for both stories if they had been split into two movies. All Beasts needs to be is an introduction to the Prohibition-era American wizarding world via Newt and his escaped creatures. Then, once MACUSA is aware of Newt, they can call him back to New York in movie #2 to deal with the mysterious beast that turns out to be the Obscurious. That would let movie #1 just be an adventure caper with magical animals and movie #2 would have more room for the Obscurious, Credence’s story, and the newspaper subplot which is totally irrelevant as is. (We already understand the threat of exposure inherent in the Wizarding World.) The worldbuilding is as detailed and transporting as you expect from JK Rowling, who wrote the script, but you can tell she’s a writer used to expansive novels where there’s a lot more room to play. Movies aren’t novels, they’re short stories, and Beasts needs some serious editing. This is supposed to be a FIVE film franchise—why are we rushing through SO MUCH in one movie, which is too long already and overcomplicated in some places while being under-explained in others. It’s like the film doesn’t trust Newt and his menagerie to be enough, but they’re the best part. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ends up being less about the beasts, and it’s poorer for it. But when the beasts are free, they truly are fantastic. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 4:31 PM [Smutty Tingles] This is the most difficult case of Sh-t vs Diarrheoa that we’ve had in a long time ([Dlisted]) Chris Hemsworth covers GQ Australia ([Just Jared]) Update but not really an update: Heidi Klum’s style is still sh-t ([Cele|bitchy]) I didn’t hate Ciara’s AMAs dress ([TooFab]) Apologise? For why? ([TMZ]) Britney is really feeling herself in her new video ([The Superficial]) Is this Kermit and Dark Kermit doing Obama and Biden? ([Pajiba]) Chrissy Teigen’s dangerous AMAs dress ([Go Fug Yourself]) I see black and blue! WTF? ([Jezebel]) [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 4:13 PM [Drake showed up for Apple] [Drake attends the 2016 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on November 20, 2016 in Los Angeles, California] The AMAs cutaways consisted mostly of Fifth Harmony or random seat fillers (or Instagram stars? I have no idea) so I was surprised when [Drake] showed up. He was nominated for a record 13 AMAs but he wasn’t a performer and he wasn’t presenting so he didn’t have a solid reason to be there like the other real celebs who gifted the show with their presence. It wasn’t clear why Drake showed up, not only to accept his awards but also to hang out during The Weeknd’s performance so the show could get its best cutaway of the night, considering Drake and The Weeknd’s complicated history. It wasn’t clear until Jay Pharaoh introduced the “sequel” to [Taylor Swift]’s Apple Music ad – you know, the one where she’s rapping along to Drake’s Jumpman [and falls off her treadmill]? Well, last night, Drake’s “sequel” was released and it’s EXACTLY why he showed up. The commercial gives us a glimpse at Drake’s workouts that is supposed to be a joke but I would bet that Drake actually pounds his chest and points to the sky while he’s doing bench presses. Then, he starts singing along to Bad Blood. Of all the Taylor Swift songs in all of Apple Music, Drake chose to sing along to the most petty AF Swift jam. They are perfect for each other. No mercy this year. LET'S GET IT.[@Drake] [@taylorswift13][#AMAs] [#DrakevsBenchPress] [ [pic.twitter.com/uL1gbg2Ycz] — Apple Music (@AppleMusic) [November 21, 2016] A few weeks ago, Lainey pegged Taylor and Drake as the “[Apple Couple]” and called their rumoured, probably strictly professional pairing “Bad Blood on maximum potency.” (Lainey: ahem, am I an oracle?) Drake loves talking sh-t about his enemies and his past relationships in his songs. Taylor has made a career out of doing both. Kendrick Lamar, one of Drake’s enemies, gave Taylor a verse on the Bad Blood remix but it definitely should have been Drake on that song. Bad Blood epitomizes drama. Drake and Taylor LOVE this sh-t. If they were both zombies, drama would be the bloody, oozing brains that they would feed on to live. Case in point: when Drake accepted his award for favorite rap/hip-hop artist last night, he ended his speech with “watch how you speak on my name,” an apparent jab at other rappers or maybe Kevin Durant? Can you really fire a warning shot like that after you just lip synced to Bad Blood? Of course, Taylor was quick to share Drake’s Apple ad on her Instagram with a “YES” and some emojis with the hashtag #drakevsbenchpress. [YES @champagnepapi 👍💪✨ #drakevsbenchpress] A video posted by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Nov 20, 2016 at 6:34pm PST Drake shared it too with the hashtag #SwiftGains. [@taylorswift 😂😂😂 #SwiftGains @applemusic.] A video posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on Nov 20, 2016 at 6:29pm PST Aw, they’re flirting on Instagram. They’re totally dating! This is not even remotely a way to drum up publicity for each of their deals with Apple! God, they are SO perfect for each other. And they are so good for gossip. Aside from a cute, fleeting reunion with [Degrassi co-star Nina Dobrev], Drake was not doing it for me last night. That suit was NOPE and his glasses were AH HELL NOPE. I’ll leave you with my favourite thing Lainey texted me last night: “Why does Drake look like a skeezy investment banker?” [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 3:25 PM [Brad & Marion: Allied in Paris] [Marion Cotillard and Brad Pitt attend the 'Allied - Allies'- Paris Premiere at Cinema UGC Normandie on November 20, 2016 in Paris, France] Last week, [Brad Pitt] promoted Allied in China, leaving [Marion Cotillard] to sell the film in the US [and answer all the questions]. This weekend they were both in Paris for the French premiere, where they spent time with fans and posed for pictures, safely protected from reporters. But what about critics? Allied opens on Wednesday and the reviews are now being posted. So far it’s been pretty mixed. The Telegraph [gave it 4 stars], calling it a “swanky, sexy spy thriller” while the Guardian [gave it only 2 stars], comparing the chemistry between Brad and Marion to “a cold wet teabag falling out of a mug that you have upended over the kitchen sink and don’t much feel like washing up”. Variety’s [Owen Gleiberman] appreciated Allied’s old-timeyness and said it felt like Steven Spielberg’s Bridge Of Spies but this is exactly what [the Village Voice] complained about in their review, describing Allied as “the kind of film you can send your parents or grandparents to the next time they complain that they don't make 'em like they used to”. My quick conclusion from these varying opinions: the MiniVan Majority will love this movie. They have their Brad back, now that he’s rid of the evil seductress. And he’s trying hard to look as good as he did in the Peak Brad days, circa 2002-ish? What are the chances we get some brand new Angelina photos just as Allied hits theatres? [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 3:02 PM [Bruno opens strong] [Bruno Mars perfroms onstage at the 2016 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on November 20, 2016 in Los Angeles, California] THAT is how you open a show. The American Music Awards owe [Bruno Mars] an award solely for fooling us into thinking the whole night might be half decent based on his incredible opening. The first five minutes of a party should never be its highlight but that’s where we were with the AMAs last night. Bruno Mars opened strong with his new single 24K Magic. I wrote about how much I love the song when it dropped last month along with a music video I called “[pure, unadulterated FUN.]” The performance was an extension of that fun and proof Bruno Mars is one of the most reliable performers in the game. I mean, who else can do this? [via GIPHY] And this? [via GIPHY] One of my favourite parts of a Bruno Mars performance is marveling at how all the background dancers are matching heights. My guess is that Bruno is about 5 foot 2 if I’m being generous (this is based on the fact that I towered over him once and I’m not at all a tall person) so his dancers have to be 5’4” max. Shout out to all the dancers who auditioned but missed out because they were above the height requirements. I digress. Bruno’s album 24K Magic was released on Friday and I’ve been listening to it all weekend. Rolling Stone called it a “[lush 90s throwback.]” If the matching tracksuits weren’t a giveaway, that pretty much sums up Bruno’s whole vibe right now and I’m really into it. My point: Bruno should have opened the show, came back in the middle to make sure we were still awake and stayed so that we didn’t have to sit through Ariana Grande whip her ponytail around and call it dancing. Here’s Bruno’s full performance: [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 2:34 PM [Gwyneth Paltrow and the status quo] [Gwyneth Paltrow speaks onstage at Cultivating the Art of Taste & Style at the Los Angeles Theatre during Airbnb Open LA - Day 3 on November 19, 2016 in Los Angeles, California] All kinds of celebrities showed up this weekend to speak at the Airbnb Open in LA. I checked out [the website] and I think the event was supposed to be about travel lifestyle? This is why [Gwyneth Paltrow] was invited. She’s lifestyle. And she travels a lot. And during her session she joked that “[Xanax and alcohol]” were the essential items to bring along when you travel with kids before clarifying that, “No, my kids, actually, they’re great travellers” and that she has a great time with them on the road because “I love seeing things through their eyes”. According to [Page Six], although G spends a lot of time abroad, she was also asked to share her thoughts on what’s going on at home, in America: “It’s such an exciting time to be an American because we are at this amazing inflection point. People are clearly tired of the status quo, and … it’s sort of like someone threw it all in the air and we’re going to see how it all lands. It’s very important for me, personally, now more than ever, to create a community and to remember the humanity of everybody and to create love and … understanding. The most amazing thing for me about this election is I felt … ‘I don’t understand the opposition well enough at all.’ I’m not going to tell you what side I’m on, but my big takeaway was, ‘I really need to open my mind and understand better because I don’t.'” To me, that sounds like she voted for HRC. But she can’t say it out loud, because, well, there’s no doubt that her customer base is at least partly “status quo”, even though, given her remarks, Gwyneth Paltrow, evidently doesn’t consider herself to be a member of the “status quo”, which … um… ohhhhkayyy. I’ve always thought of Gwyneth Paltrow as an outsider, haven’t you? PS I love this outfit so f-cking much. As an outsider, G always manages to find the best black blazers. And the length of these pants is perfect. And those kicks are super cute. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 2:13 PM [Selena Gomez and Lady Gaga’s AMA messages] [Lady Gaga arrives at the 2016 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on November 20, 2016 in Los Angeles, California] They both delivered the night’s most emotional moments and they both showed up to the AMAs with a purpose. [Selena] even made [Gaga] cry but we’ll get to that. Let’s start with Gaga’s outfit. According to Cosmo, the all-white pantsuit Lady Gaga was rocking on the AMAs red carpet was a political statement and [nod to Hilary Clinton]. It was one of my favourite looks of the night, which is not saying a lot since I hated almost everything but if it really was an ode to HRC, I’m into it even more. Gaga went on to perform an intense acoustic version of her song A Million Reasons barefoot and radiating the extra, bursting emotion that only Gaga can bring to a performance. Her vocals were so on point I’m going to ignore her really bad wig situation. Lady Gaga giving a beautiful performance of 'Million Reasons' at the [#AMAs] [pic.twitter.com/EmbqHx2jFB] — Pop Crave (@PopCravePolls) [November 21, 2016] Throughout the night, it looked like Gaga was having fun and mostly paying attention, especially during Selena Gomez’s acceptance speech for Favourite Female Artist – Pop/ Rock. Here’s where Gaga started crying. Selena has been on a break from the industry since August when [she told PEOPLE] she was taking “time off” to “focus on maintaining [her] health and happiness.” Last night at the AMAs was her first appearance since that break and you could tell she got up on that stage, knowing she was going to win and knowing exactly what she wanted to say. “In 2014 this stage was actually the first time that I was authentically, 100 percent honest with all of you. I think it’s safe to say that all of you know my life whether I like it or not. I had to stop because I had everything and I was absolutely broken inside.” In 2014, Selena sang The Heart Wants What it Wants, the song she wrote about Justin Bieber, [at the AMAs]. At that show, Selena’s tearful performance was met with tears in the audience from her bestie Taylor Swift. This time, it was Gaga looking on like a big sister. [via GIPHY] Selena had a specific message about social media for her fans. “I don’t want to see your bodies on Instagram. I want to see what’s in here. I’m not trying to get validation nor do I need it anymore… I have to say thank you so much to my fans because you guys are so damn loyal and I don’t know what I did to deserve you. If you are broken you do not have to stay broken.” It’s a nice sentiment so call me an asshole but when Selena specifically called out Instagram, I couldn’t help but think of [this interview] with The Hollywood Reporter when Selena talked about becoming the most followed person on Instagram. That same issue had an in-depth interview with the Instagram CEO talking about how important Selena’s [involvement is for the app]. So, did Selena’s AMA message just burn her relationship with Instagram? And what happens if/when decides to get back on social media? Her speech at the AMAs was very powerful and I’m sure it spoke to a lot of young girls who are living for likes and searching for validation through their phones but how long does this message last? Is it possible to be a 24-year-old celebrity in 2016 and stay off social media? [Click here] to watch Selena’s speech in full. [So dope I got to hang with with the biggest rockstar of the night. (Ya,know besides Sting and Green Day) ...the girl with the biggest prize of all a BIG Heart that she shares with the world.] A photo posted by xoxo, Joanne (@ladygaga) on Nov 20, 2016 at 9:50pm PST [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 1:57 PM [Hot Harry in the Caribbean] [Prince Harry arrives at VC Bird International Aiport on the first day of an official visit on November 20, 2016 in St John's, Antigua. Prince Harry's visit to The Caribbean marks the 35th Anniversary of Independence in Antigua and Barbuda and the 50th Anniversary of Independence in Barbados and Guyana] [Prince Harry] arrived in Antigua yesterday, the first stop on his two week tour of the Caribbean. Harry is representing Her Majesty, his grandmother, on the trip, as she doesn’t do long distance travel anymore. He’s scheduled to visit seven countries, including Barbados, to celebrate its 50th birthday, and Rihanna will be there too. Today he’s supposed to play cricket. At some point, hopefully, there will be dancing. While Harry’s at work in Caribbean, [Meghan Markle] also [returned to work last week] in Toronto on Suits. They wrapped on Sunday. [5:15 am wrap of season 6 @suits_usa finale with @halfadams & @meghanmarkle] A photo posted by Roger Kumble (@rogerkumble) on Nov 20, 2016 at 2:33am PST [We wrapped season 6 of #suits at 5:30am today! Congrats to the incredible cast and crew. Thank you for an amazing season - and now it's time for breakfast! (Let's call this a frittata/scramble/shakshuka hybrid). 🍴Happy Sunday, friends! Xx] A photo posted by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Nov 20, 2016 at 10:21am PST As for those reports out of the UK that [she was in Dublin] last Tuesday, it was actually an old photo surfaced on social media from a previous trip as she’s been in Toronto for over a week now. But it shows you how the British media is scrambling a little right now, having been shut out by Harry and his team on any information leaks about his relationship following the deployment of the [Love Shield]. For the next two weeks though, there’s a royal romance break while Harry is touring. And then, when he returns home on December 4, the speculation can resume. By then Harry and Meghan will have been apart for over 3 weeks. How long after he gets back before he sees her? Where will he see her? Will she spend Christmas with him in England? Are her dogs invited? [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 1:34 PM [Gigi did her best] [Gigi Hadid and Jay Pharoah speak onstage at the 2016 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on November 20, 2016 in Los Angeles, California] Monologues at award shows are tough even if you are a seasoned comedian. [Gigi Hadid] co-hosted the American Music Awards with Jay Pharoah, aka that dude formerly from SNL who does impressions, last night and she looked great. She also brought the energy. She did her best with a monologue that consisted of jokes like, “A Tribe Called Quest has a new album, Jenny McCarthy is here. Green Day is performing, and a white guy is the president. It's the 90s all over again!” That was actually the best joke. The monologue also relied heavily on Jay Pharoah’s Jay Z impression while Gigi did her best Melania Trump. It was a valiant effort but it was rough. The one saving grace was the [#UNameitChallenge] reference because I’m obsessed with Pastor Shirley Caesar and her beans, greens, potatoes and tomatoes. Our [#AMAs] hosts [@GiGiHadid] and [@JayPharoah] are holding nothing back tonight. Let's get this party started! [pic.twitter.com/w50MYd7nvk] — AMAs (@AMAs) [November 21, 2016] Aside from the rough start, Gigi and Jay were pretty solid as the night went on. Jay Pharoah did a Kanye impression that actually made me laugh out loud and Gigi shared a moment backstage with her boyfriend [Zayn] that actually made me squeal out loud. ZiGi forever and always 💕 [#AMAs] [pic.twitter.com/YP1kTkrmoH] — Seventeen (@seventeen) [November 21, 2016] Goddamn those two are good looking. Their moment happened right after Zayn picked up his first solo AMA for New Artist of the Year. While he managed to throw some shade at One Direction with, "This one just says MY name on it, right?", he didn’t thank Gigi. For a high profile celeb couple, this could be interpreted as trouble in paradise but for these two, the omission probably means nothing. They kissed when he came off stage and I’m sure by the time I’m done writing this, Gigi and/or Zayn will have written sappy love notes to each other on Instagram. That’s like the 2016 version of a mention in an acceptance speech, right? Back to Gigi, the host. In June, Gigi hosted the the iHeartRadio MMVAs. When Lainey wrote about her performance [at that awards show], she noted that Gigi didn’t try to play it too cool. That was clear last night as well. Gigi Hadid just comes to play. She went all in with her Melania impression. She didn’t seem to be “above” any of the bits. She actually looked like she was having fun. She let us witness an intimate moment with her boyfriend. Did I mention that she looked great? Gigi may not have been exceptional but she did a good enough job with the material she was given that I’m sure this won’t be her last hosting gig. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 1:15 PM [November 21, 2016 – Smutty Shout-Outs] [Charlie Hunnam for Andrea] Andrea! How was your birthday weekend? Happy Birthday with love from Lori! To make up for the delay, how about a hint? It’s not John Mayer. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 1:02 PM [Privacy Policy] - [Unsubscribe]