Showing posts with label Thing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thing. Show all posts

Thursday, January 10, 2019

Sunday, August 26, 2018

The Hills Reboot: Will Anyone Actually Watch This Thing?

MTV’s reboot of The Hills sure made a lot of headlines at last week’s VMAs, but whether the buzz ends there remains to be seen.


In other words, will it lead to any actual viewers?


Here, The Hollywood Gossip staff debates whether or not this latest, shameless effort to reboot and recaputre nostalgia will be a hit.



IN ONE WORD, YES by Hilton Hater


Yes, The Hills revival will be a hit.


And I need just two words to explain why: Heidi and Spencer. Better yet, I need just one nickname to explain why: Speidi.


Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag entered the celebrity mainstream over a decade ago, initially appearing on The Hills as your basic wanna be A-Listers who would do anything for attention.


But that’s the thing: They would do ANYthing for attention, whether that meant trying to make it as a singer (Heidi) or stirring up every type of scandal or controversy imaginable (Spencer).



These two were Donald Trump before he became President Donald Trump: they had no shame.


They sky-rocketed to stardom just as social media was taking off, squeezing every millisecond out of their 15 Minutes of Fame and milking every comment on that platform for Likes or Dislikes.


They didn’t care and they still don’t care. Speidi was simply after attention.


That was back in 2007, however. There are millions of current MTV viewers who were too young at the time to watch or appreciate the couple’s antics.


So now that Twitter, Instagram and Facebook dominate absolutely everything at all times, we can’t fathom the heights that a rebooted Spencer and Heidi will be able to reach.



We can’t comprehend how popular (or, at least, how DISCUSSED) the duo will become in this second incarnation.


Oh, and here’s the final thing: They’re still together! They have a son! The couple that came across all those years ago as faker than Heidi’s boobs have somehow managed to find real, lasting love.


It’s sort of amazing. And it makes The Hills definitely worth watching.


NO, IT’S A BRIDGE TOO FAR by Tyler Johnson


Reboots are all the rage these days, and no one at MTV has had a fresh idea since the Clinton administration, so it should come as no surprise that the network is repackaging all its old hits.


But with The Hills, they may have gone too far.



After all, a second iteration of Jersey Shore makes sense – the original series was a cultural touchstone that made household names of its most colorful stars.


But The Hills?!


The closest thing that show ever had to a colorful star was Spencer Pratt, and that’s only because dude likes to wear tie-dye while fondling his collection of crystals.


If you’re lost in a fog of nostalgia, it might be easy to lose sight of the fact that The Hills overstayed its welcome well before it wrapped up its initial run.



The show’s best-loved star, Lauren Conrad, famously saw the writing on the wall and quit before the final season and split.


Not surprisingly, she won’t be back for the reboot.


Hell, one could argue that the concept behind The Hills was played out before the show even premiered. It was a spinoff of Laguna Beach, which was itself a lazy attempt to capitalize on the popularity of The O.C.


Despite all that the show became a hit, but that was likely due in part to the fact its target demo had far fewer entertainment options in those days.


So for the moment, The Hills are alive … but my guess is they won’t be for long.



THE HILLS HAVE A YES by Simon Delott


Reboots are so often reviled, fairly or unfairly.


But technically what we’re talking about here is a revival, where people can wax nostalgic about a show from yesteryear and see some of their returning favorites.


So … is The Hills: New Beginnings going to be a success? Maybe so. Heidi and Spencer, who are new parents, will be returning.


You know that people are going to want to check in on two of the world’s most famous hot messes in this new chapter of their lives.



Other familiar faces will be there, too, and we also should look at another revival from a similar era. Jersey Shore‘s comeback has been a hit.


It’s not dominating our culture the way it once did, but it’s making a splash in a big way, no doubt paving the way for this latest effort.


Some would say that bringing back The Hills without Lauren Conrad is like bringing back Jersey Shore without Snooki. And they’re not wrong.


But while people will surely miss Lauren, who is too busy being a mom to relive her reality television days, producing a reality series has fewer expenses than traditional television.


If there’s any entertainment value that these famously entertaining disasters can offer, this new series could run for a while.



GO HOME, 2007, YOU’RE DRUNK by Free Britney


Look, I don’t blame MTV for wanting to revive The Hills, nor can I blame the cast members for wanting to jump on board.


There’s very little risk, and what the hell else are they gonna do, come up with fresh ideas, or get real jobs, respectively?


With all due respect to the lovely Whitney Port (above) and company, obviously not. They don’t exactly have a lot going on.


Availability and opportunity doesn’t mean there’s enough nostalgia or new, capitvating material for this to stick, though.



The Hills dates back to when Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton were tabloid mainstays and reality TV was a novel concept.


In other words, it was a long ass time ago, and the show was more noteworthy in pioneering a genre than anything else.


A dramatized, quasi-scripted series about a real, likable person (Lauren) and her telegenic friends, frenemies and enemies (Speidi)?


That was something new and different.


Endlessly dramatic and fascinating, and just real enough to be relatable on some level, it became a pop culture staple.  



Looking back, it’s no surprise that this became a hit, or that it spawned hundreds of shows following that same basic formula. 


But therein lies the issue:


What made The Hills groundbreaking TV has essentially become ALL TV, and too many other shows (Jersey Shore included) do it better.


A lot of the time, Hills episodes were like watching paint dry. Its chief protagonist had enough and bailed. Even Speidi’s act got old.


No one has thought about The Hills or its stars in years. Years. After this initial buzz dies out, that will be the case once more.



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Monday, August 13, 2018

Baker Mayfield"s Cockiness is a Good Thing, Says Browns Great Earnest Byner

Yeah, Baker Mayfield is cocky, but that’s a great thing … so says Browns legend Earnest Byner, who tells TMZ Sports the QB has the perfect mindset for bringing the franchise back to relevance. FYI — Byner knows all about the Browns’…


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Monday, July 30, 2018

Lindsay Lohan Reality Show is a Thing That"s Happening

Pack your bags, television viewers.


We"re about to head to Greece…


… with Lindsay Lohan!


MTV has announced that it is partnering with the former singer/actress/total and complete trainwreck on an upcoming reality show tentatively titled "Lohan Beach Club."



The series began shooting this week in Mykonos, where Lohan has settled in and reportedly made a very calm and drama-free life for herself.


Lohan said as much in a recent interview that aimed to paint her as just a nice and normal girl next door.


"My past has to stay in the past," Lohan told The New York Times this summer, emphasizing that she"s a "good person" and people need to "let go" of the mistakes she made during her dark period.


These mistakes, of course, included multiple arrests for drunk driving, numerous public meltdowns and that one really weird poem to ISIS.


That was then, however.


Now?



The new series, which will debut in early 2019, will chronicle Lohan as "she works to expand her business empire with the launch of Lohan Beach House," per a MTV press release.


It continues:


The exclusive seaside destination will serve as a backdrop for the series, and features luxury spa amenities, a renowned restaurant and a transformative day and nightclub poised to redefine the Mykonos experience.


The debut of Lohan Beach House marks the star’s third business venture in the Greek Islands, following the opening of Lohan Nightclub in Athens, Greece and Lohan Beach House Rhodes in Rhodes, Greece.


“Lohan Beach Club offers viewers VIP access to one of the most exclusive destinations in the world, and a behind the scenes look at how a young, successful entrepreneur runs her empire,” said Nina Diaz, President, Programming and Development for MTV, adding:


“We are thrilled to have such a passionate and creative partner in Lindsay to help explore this intriguing culture, all through the eyes of her brand.”



Over the course of the show, Lindsay will lead a team of handpicked brand ambassadors to make her mark on what many folks consider to be the vacation capital of the planet.


These team members will be asked to prove their expertise, ambition and charm while helping bring Lohan’s vision to life.


Sounds… intriguing? We guess.


MTV, of course, has found incredible succes in dredging up the past of late, as Jersey Shore: Family Vacation earned huge ratings in the spring of 2018, while Kristin Cavallari is even back with her very own program.


So why not Lohan, right?


See what Lindsay herself has to say about the project in the video featured here.


Will you tune in for it?


Lindsay lohan reality show is a thing thats actually happening
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Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Doc Rivers Says Trading Austin Rivers Was the "Right Thing for All Of Us"

Doc Rivers tells TMZ Sports … trading his son, Austin Rivers, from the Clippers to the Washington Wizards was “the right thing for all of us.” Austin played for his dad on the Clippers from 2014 to 2018. But, last week, the Clippers shipped…


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Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Kim Kardashian to Donald Trump: Do the Right Thing For Once!

Back in 2016, Kanye West met with Donald Trump during the then-president-elect’s fraught transition from reality TV blowhard to leader of the free world.


Fans of West’s were surprised, but not terribly stunned, as the visit seemed to have less to do with politics than with the shared worldview of two of America’s most infamous egomaniacs.




In recent weeks, Kanye has doubled-down on his support of Trump, alienating many of his fans in the process.


West’s wife, Kim Kardashian, has hinted that she’s not fully on board with her husband’s politics (Kim supported Hillary Clinton during the 2016 campaign)


Yes, it seems Kim is a firm believer that there are some things that are bigger than politics.


Which is why she’s setting aside her differences with the Donald in service of an important cause.


It was confirmed today that Kim will pay a visit to the White House today in hopes of securing a pardon for Alice Marie Johnson, a 62-year-old great-grandmother who’s currently serving a life sentence at the Aliceville Correctional Facility in Alabama.


Johnson — a first-time, non-violent offender — was sentenced in 1997 on money laundering and drug conspiracy charges.




Donald Trump-Kim Kardashian


Normally, appealing to Trump for clemency would be the ultimate long-shot, but those who are well-acquainted with the case say there’s a good chance that Kim’s plea might be successful.


Ivanka Trump has expressed her belief that Johnson should be pardoned, and Kanye’s support of the president has reportedly put Kim in good standing with Trump.


Along with attorney Shawn Holley, Kim has been campaigning for Johnson’s release for quite some time.


Holley has stated that she believes today’s sit-down with Trump represents Johnson’s best chance yet at being pardoned.


Last year, Marie wrote a heartfelt thank you note to Kim, in which she stated her belief that the two of them are part of “a defining moment in history.”



“THE BATTLE IS ON!” her missive concluded.


Difficult as it is to believe, it seems Ivanka is not Kim’s only ally within the White House, as Jared Kushner has been quietly working toward more lenient sentencing and improved prison conditions, citing America’s sky-high incarceration rate as one of its greatest shames.


We’d credit Kush for breaking with the rest of the administration by demonstrating an ounce of human compassion, but he may have been acting out of semi-selfish motives.


Jared’s father, Charles Kushner, was released from prison in 2006 after serving a two-year sentence for tax evasion, witness tampering and making illegal campaign donations.


And let’s face it — Jared might soon be following in the elder Kush’s footsteps.


But the important thing today is that Kim is dedicating her time to a truly worthy cause, thus adding to the list of charitable deeds that’s consistently ignored by her haters.


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Tuesday, May 29, 2018

The Bachelorette Season Premiere Recap: Let"s Do The Damn Thing!

It’s that time of year again, people!


The Bachelorette is officially back, baby (and The Bachelorette spoilers have already told us who wins, but that’s another story)!


For real, do not follow the above link if you don’t want to know how it plays out for Becca Kufrin and … ooh, that was a close one.



Almost gave it away. Wowza.


Anyway, about Monday night …


Whether you’re a Bachelorette spoilers addicted fiend or opt to remain in suspense as to who Becca picks, this much is 100% clear:


1. She’s smoking hot;


2. The guys love her;


3. It’s gonna be bonkers this season as the runner-up from this winter’s The Bachelor season is already driving the competition crazy.


If you watch The Bachelor online, you will already know that Becca has already had a shot at love on reality TV. She was romanced by Arie Luyendyk Jr. and was even engaged to him.   


But Arie had a change of heart, called off their engagement and started a relationship with runner-up Lauren Burnham. 




 

It was a horrible chain of events, but it was clear Becca rebounded quickly when she was announced as the new Bachelorette. In fact, it probably worked out better for her.   


When the episode kicked off, we learned that Becca was not about to let that loser Arie ruin her time in front of the reality TV cameras.   


“I’m just, like, your normal average girl,” she says. “All I did was get my heart broken on TV.”  


Becca was joined by former The Bachelorette women JoJo Fletcher, Kaitlyn Bristowe and Rachel Lindsay who had a grand old chat about the highs and lows of finding love on TV. 


“Please don’t edit this out: fuck him,” Rachel said of Arie when she got some screen time, before proceeding to sage the mansion. 


 

 

Oh yes, Rachel is holding nothing back, and that’s why we loved her so much on her season. 


“As women, we do a better a job of it,” Jojo tells the camera when she is asked whether the women are better at picking the men.  


“Women are more intuitive. They know what they want,” she continued. 


With the sheer amount of men emerging from the limousines at the lavish mansion, it was clear they were all trying to do their best to make a big first impression.   




 

FYI: Lindsay, Fletcher, and Bristowe all picked the same person who won the first impression rose to win the game, so they’re kind of a big deal.   


There was a fake proposal, a cardboard cutout of Arie, and even a choir. Even after all these years, the men are really bringing it with the entrances.   


Our pick for the best first impression has got to be David. He emerged from the limo in a chicken suit and said the following:


“I’m not here to ruffle feathers.” 






 


If that’s not a winning line, then we don’t know what is.   


There was also one contestant who got sent home very early. The reason?


She knew him through friends back in Minnesota, and said that “honestly I don’t think he’s here for me.”  


If Becca wanted to prove anything, it was that she was not messing around this time … and that’s what made the rose ceremony, so fun to watch.   


Chris went out of his way early in the episode to say that Chase came on to the show for all of the wrong reasons.


 

 

We don’t know where Chris gets the right to speak to people he’s known for a matter of hours like that, but he did.   


In any case, Becca actually agreed with Chris and sent Chase packing. If Chris was here to play a strategic game to take out all of the bigger players by planting seeds of doubt in Becca’s mind, he succeeded.   


Kamil, Joe, Darius, Grant, and Christian were also given the pink slip, and that meant there were 21 people left in the competition for Becca’s heart.   


As for who actually got the first impression rose, it went to Garrett, a 29-year-old who showed up at the mansion in a minivan.



Maybe he was trying to show Becca that he didn’t need a limo to make an entrance. We’re not so sure, but Becca seemed smitten with him.   


What did you think of the premiere?   


Did the right people go home? Is there a future for Becca and Garrett?  


Watch The Bachelorette online right now!


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Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Michelle Wolf on Her WHCD Roast: I Wouldn"t Change a THING!

Michelle Wolf performed a roast at the annual White House Correspondent’s Dinner


While she had some amazing burns against a lot of people, a lot of the focus — and criticism — was on a short segment in which Wolf took aim at White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.


Now, Wolf is speaking up about the criticism. And she wouldn’t change a thing.



In an interview with NPR, Michelle Wolf says that she is glad that she said what she did at the WHCD.


And, after discussing some of the logistics of speaking at the correspondent’s dinner in contrast with a normal roast or especially a stand-up gig, she talks about the backlash.


“I wasn’t expecting this level, but I’m also not disappointed there’s this level. I knew what I was doing going in.”


It’s good that she was prepared.


“I wanted to do something different. I didn’t want to cater to the room. I wanted to cater to the outside audience, and not betray my brand of comedy.”


Artistic integrity is important.


“I actually, a friend of mine who helped me write, he gave me a note before I went on which I kept with me which was, ‘Be true to yourself. Never apologize. Burn it to the ground."”



Wolf talks about how the WHCD has changed in recent years.


“I think a lot of it and what I’ve seen in the past is they poke little fun, they kind of poke fun at deeper dives in news media.”


Notably, some people were outraged at Stephen Colbert in 2006 for “getting too political.”


But there are many people who feel that George W. Bush should be sent to the Hague for war crimes, so they’d say that some political commentary is getting off easy.


“They’ll go kind of table by table pointing at people and making fun of them, in a way that I think used to be fun because the dinner used to have the president there, it used to be we’re all poking fun of each other, the president’s going to poke fun at us, we’re going to hit back.”


Donald Trump is notoriously thin-skinned, and it is difficult to imagine that he would enjoy even a lighthearted roasting if it touched on certain subjects — such as his alleged wealth, or his multiple business failures.


“Now it seems like it’s a much more serious environment and to kind of not go after the big issues and just have a little fun in the room seemed just not as exciting to me.”






Though Wolf is hardly the first to go after Sarah Huckabee Sanders, her lines about the Press Secretary received the most scrutiny and backlash.


“I mean, I’m honestly – I wouldn’t change a single word that I said. I’m very happy with what I said, and I’m glad I stuck to my guns.”


She suspects that perhaps people were shocked at her words because of her gender.


“Yeah, I mean, I think I don’t know maybe I’m projecting this, but I think sometimes they look at a woman and they think ‘Oh, she’ll be nice."”


She says that she is not nice.


“And if you’ve seen any of my comedy you know that I don’t — I’m not. I don’t pull punches.”


Good for her.


“I’m not afraid to talk about things. And I don’t think they expected that from me. I think they still have preconceived notions of how women will present themselves and I don’t fit in that box.”



The interviewer asks Wolf what she has to say about people who heard her lines about Sanders as an attack on her appearance.


“I think they didn’t pay attention to what was said.”


For the record, her criticism for Sanders was over the fact that she lies to the American people for a living and over the fact that he’s pretty hostile when she does it.


“Yeah, I mean, if there is two people that I actually made fun of their looks on Saturday it was Mitch McConnell and Chris Christie.”


She referred to Christie as a “barrel” and said that McConnell was having his neck circumcised.


“And no one is jumping to their defense. I made fun of Mitch McConnell’s neck and I did a small jab at Chris Christie’s weight and no one is jumping to their defense.”


In the mean time, what she actually said about Sanders’ appearance was that she has a “perfect smokey eye.” That is a literal compliment.


“I think one of the things about being a comic is getting to actually, as a woman, I have access to hit women in a way that men might not be able to hit them with jokes. I don’t mean physically hit.”


Of course.


“But you know, because I’m a woman, I can say things about women because I know what it’s like to be a woman, if that makes any sense.”



Honestly, the most important things that Wolf said had nothing to do with the Press Secretary.


She pointed out that Trump has the support white nationalists, and pointed out that it was an oddly soft word to use to describe nazis.


(Wolf compares it to calling a pedophile a “kid friend”)


She also reminded the world that Flint, Michigan still does not have clean drinking water.


Honestly, good for Wolf for speaking her mind, at the dinner and on NPR.


And no matter how much backlash she receives, her roast made a great advertisement for her upcoming Netflix special.



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Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Miguel Surprises Fan Singing "Sure Thing" at Karaoke Bar

Miguel must’ve been shocked to hear one of his songs belted out at a country bar — but not too shocked to join the woman singing it for a surprise duet. The awesome encounter went down in the wee hours of Monday morning at Neil’s Lounge in…


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Saturday, April 7, 2018

Travis Barker Defends Conor McGregor: "I Would"ve Done the Same Thing"

UFC super-fan Travis Barker says he’s got Conor McGregor’s back when it comes to his violent bus attack at Barclays Center … even though he went a little overboard. Don’t get it twisted — Travis thinks it’s terrible other UFC…


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Travis Barker Defends Conor McGregor: "I Would"ve Done the Same Thing"

UFC super-fan Travis Barker says he’s got Conor McGregor’s back when it comes to his violent bus attack at Barclays Center … even though he went a little overboard. Don’t get it twisted — Travis thinks it’s terrible other UFC…


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Friday, April 6, 2018

Dana White Says Bus Attack Was Not Staged, "Dumbest Thing I"ve Ever Heard"

Dana White is adamant the UFC had nothing to do with planning the Conor McGregor melee — and slams theories it was all a publicity stunt gone sideways.  “I’m seeing tons of dummies out there saying this is something staged,” White said…


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Thursday, April 5, 2018

"Jersey Shore"s" JWoww Says Sammi Sweetheart Sex Doll Should"ve Been The Real Thing

JWoww says Sammi Sweetheart’s sex doll stand-in offered some good times for the ‘Jersey Shore’ cast … but it sounds like she misses the real McCoy. We spoke to Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley Thursday ahead of the premiere of their reunion season on MTV,…


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Friday, March 23, 2018

Aubrey O"Day Wants to Make One Thing Clear About Her Donald Trump Jr. Affair

Aubrey O’Day is reportedly stating the obvious to friends:


Yes, the singer is allegedly telling those close to her, she slept for several months with Donald Trump Jr.


This is something she can’t really deny at this point, considering multiple outlets have reported on it and considering she wrote an entire song titled “DJT” about a past lover.



(Two notes on this song: 1. LOL!!!! 2. You can listen to it below.)


But TMZ now writes that O’Day wants to make something very clear in relaying details of this past relationship to friend:


Her affair with Trump did not end his marriage.


O’Day says that she started doing the nasty with Trump after filming on Season 5 of Celebrity Apprentice came to an end.


The shady businessman supposedly told the ex-Danity Kane group member that his marriage to wife Vanessa was essentially over and that he had actual, legitimate feelings for Aubrey.


And she believed him.



As previously reported, the affair came to an end after Vanssa Trump discovered racy emails between her husband and his mistress and then didn’t merely call O’Day to confront her about the affair…


… she called to confront her with her two little kids on the line!


This sort of effed up move was meant to lay the guilt on O’Day as heavily as possible.


But what truly put an end to the inappropriate romance was Donald Trump Sr. learning about it and telling her son to “focus on his marriage to make it work,” according to TMZ.


(Because no one out there is more against affairs and more for healthy marriages than Donald Trump Sr., right?)



Insiders tell TMZ that O’Day “devastated” people on the Internet are referring to her a homewrecker.


Her affair, after all, took place a full six years before Vanessa Trump filed for divorce.


The couple even had two more children even after Vanessa found out that Donald Jr. had been disloyal.


Unlike a few mistresses of Donald Sr., meanwhile, Aubrey swears she never signed a non-disclosure agreement and never asked for any money from the Trump family in exchange for her silence.


Why not come forward now, grant some outlet an exclusive interview and rake in big bucks?


Audrey doesn’t see the point.


She feels like she has “already lost,” explains TMZ, and probably assumes quotes on the record would merely lead to more ridicule.



For now, no one in the Trump universe has reached out to O’Day in any way.


No one has denied the rumor of this affair, either, basically guaranteeing that it isn’t merely some rumor.


Vanessa and Donald share five kids and we really do feel badly for them.


We may have many opinions about their dad and their grandfather, but their well-being is more important than anything here.



Upon announcing their split after 12 years of marriage, the Trumps released the following statement last week:


“We have decided to go our separate ways. We will always have tremendous respect for each other and our families.


“We have five beautiful children together and they remain our top priority. We ask for your privacy during this time.”


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Friday, March 16, 2018

Palmer in "The Thing" "Memba Him?!

David Clennon played the ceiling-sticking Palmer — who gets detected in the suspenseful blood testing scene with Kurt Russell as MacReady — in John Carpenter’s 1982 cult classic ‘The Thing.’ Guess what he looks like now!


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Friday, March 2, 2018

Kurt Warner: I"m Praying for Jim Kelly, He"ll Beat This Thing!

Jim Kelly asked for prayers — and Kurt Warner answered the call.  The Hall of Famer tells TMZ Sports he’s friends with Jim and was devastated when he heard Kelly’s oral cancer had returned.  “He’s a godly man,” Warner said … “He’s…


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Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Donald Trump "S***hole President" Toys Might Be a Thing Soon

Donald Trump’s s***hole comment could be coming back to haunt him in a big/little way … toys! A Florida-based graphic designer named Gaynor Evans-Wilson just filed a trademark application in hopes of locking down “S***hole President” with an eye…


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Saturday, February 10, 2018

NBA Legend Shawn Bradley: Getting Posterized Is a Good Thing, Here"s Why

Shawn Bradley — arguably the most posterized player in NBA history — has an important message for this generation’s slam dunk victims … your heads are in the right place!! We talked hoops with the 7-footer at LAX … and our conversation…


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Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Nicole Eggert Says Reporting Scott Baio to Cops Was "Right Thing to Do"

Nicole Eggert has no regrets about dragging police into her feud with Scott Baio – and says it’s a necessary part of her recovery. Nicole was out in L.A. Wednesday morning when she revealed her experience with LAPD one day earlier. TMZ broke…


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