Angelina Jolie Out-earns Jennifer Aniston

Angelina Jolie may be a famous do-gooder and jet-setting parent, but she's also a butt-kicking actress who earned an estimated $27 million last year, making her the highest earning female celebrity in Forbes' list. Her film, Wanted, earned a whooping $341 million worldwide, and her next film, Salt, is already money in the bank because she gets a big upfront paycheck for playing a disgraced CIA agent.

Coincidences! Jennifer Aniston is a close second in Forbes' list, earning $25 million for her work in the $244 million romantic comedy Marley & Me and the upcoming comedy The Baster. And she's still earning money from Friends and for endorsing Glaceau's SmartWater.

These two rivals are followed by Meryl Streep and Sarah Jessica Parker, earning $24 million and $23 million, respectively.


Source: Forbes

Photo: (c)Jeff Vespa/WireImage/Getty Images

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"False Emotions" for Michael Jackson?

Are those claiming to grieve over Michael Jackson's death just pretending? Is this collective outpouring of grief from everyone everywhere around the globe all a big balloon of . . . hot air?

It's a hard question to ask, and the answer is even harder to tackle. But Hadley Freeman from the Guardian dares to ask and answer this question anyway. It's not easy given the current situation, where all TV and radio stations across the world broadcast the story of the life, music and death of the iconic Michael Jackson, hour after hour, over and over again. With Hollywood celebrities coming out of the woodwork to "pay tribute" of the "what a great man Michael Jackson was" variety, to "fans" gazing forlornly in front of the camera saying they love Michael Jackson so, and that they have tickets to his upcoming concert this year "This is it!"

Hadley Freeman thinks "that the desire for collective emotion leads only to false emotion" in the case of the death of Michael Jackson. Freeman touches on the "multiplicity" of media, saying "Jackson's was not an unblemished life and this makes it tricky for the news channels and tweeting celebrities who long for nothing more than to bathe in the soapy, sudsy pleasure of hyperbolic adoration and eulogies."

Many people share the same skepticism. While not in any way disdaining the feelings of truly grieving Michael Jackson fans, it's worth remembering that when he was alive, the Hollywood press fed Michael Jackson's quirky life unmercifully to the voracious appetite of fans. They consumed him and all that he was, but seldom was there a show of support for the man, more a show of mockery for his quirks. And now with his sudden passing and faced with all this belated tributes and accolades, well.... the irony of it is just too striking to ignore.

Source: Guardian (UK)

Photo: AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko

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Goodbye, Michael Jackson

The dazzling lights of Hollywood tinseltown dimmed somewhat today with the passing of one of the most famous Hollywood celebrities of all time -- Michael Jackson. The New York Times reported on Michael Jackson's death Thursday afternoon at the U.C.L.A. Medical Center, where Jackson was rushed from his mansion by paramedics from the Los Angeles Fire Department, after reportedly collapsing of cardiac arrest. Michael Jackson was 50 years old.

One of the biggest Hollywood stars with mega-watt status like Elvis Presley and the Beatles, his death reverberated across the nation today, with radio stations playing a marathon session of many of his famous songs such as “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough,” “Billie Jean” and “Black and White”.

Despite his descent from being one of the most famous Hollywood stars to one of the most weirdly controversial (pedophilia case, multiple plastic surgeries, bankruptcy, making his children wear masks, etc.), Michael Jackson's singing, dancing and song-writing talent, together with his Hollywood star power, is still hard to beat by ordinary Hollywood celebrities of today.


Source: The New York Times
Photo: AP Photo

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Hot "Baile" for Clinton?

Shades of Monica or not? He's not from the Hollywood set, but former President Bill Clinton's sojourn to Buenos Aires just recently was covered by the Washington Post. And one of the juiciest tidbits that surfaced in that trip (and closest to Hollywood-style tidbits at that) was that Clinton and his pals partied in a famous cabaret called Crocodilo for a "noche de soltero" (boys' night out). And that a well-endowed brunette by the name of Andrea Rincón danced a "baile hot" private number for him.

The Post went on to say that the hot baile dancer was paid "very well" for that lap dance, but not by Clinton. Rincón says she just danced, and did not speak to him.

Clinton's camp countered that Rincón's story "is completely false. They were at the hotel playing cards with the former and current presidents". They were playing "Oh, Hell," a spokesman said.

Oh, well.

Source: Washington Post
Photo: AP Photo/Matt Sayles

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Cher's Daughter Will Become Her Son

Multi-hyphenated Hollywood-royalty-civil-rights-advocate-journalist-author-musician Chastity Bono is about to add a new hyphen to her name: Cher's-daughter-turned-son.

TMZ reported that Sonny and Cher's darling daughter has began the process of changing his/her gender to become their son.

"Yes, it's true -- Chaz, after many years of consideration, has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity," says Howard Bragman, who is Bono's publicist. He says Chastity already turned Chaz when he/she "came out" in his/her early twenties, and now asks for the respect of the media to complete the process.

Oh well, there goes the dream of all-dolled-up tiny little Chers!

Source: TMZ
Photo: Getty Images

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