Bristol Palin Should've Won Dancing With the Stars!

LOL. No, we don't really believe the above headline.
Jennifer Grey is as worthy a Dancing With the Stars champion as they come. But Bristol Palin, for all that was said about her, got kind of a bad rap.
Her third-place finish was, in the opinion of many pundits and Palin haters, waaay too high. But was it actually just about right ... or not high enough?

America's collective reaction to Bristol's DWTS run.

We've talked at length about why she should have gone home sooner, but now, let's give the girl her due. Here's a list of reasons Bristol deserved to win it ...

1. She improved A LOT this fall, and Jennifer Grey? Kind of a ringer.
2. Brandy and Audrina fans could've stepped up too, and did not.
3. She wasn't a complete stiff. Seriously. She's no Kate Gosselin.
4. Her scores never led the pack, but were always competitive.
5. She's not Sarah Palin, and isn't worthy of that kind of vitriol.
6. Thanks in part to Bristol, Willow Palin went off on Facebook.

 

Leslie Nielsen Passes Away at 84

Leslie Nielsen, an actor who starred in some of the funniest movies ever made, has passed away from complicated related to pneumonia. He was 84.
Best known for his deadpan delivery of ridiculous lines, Nielsen anchored such films as Airplane! and The Naked Gun. His agent confirmed that he died near his home in Fort Lauderdale early Sunday evening, in the company of his "lovely wife and friends."

Said nephew Doug Nielsen of his uncle, who had been hospitalized for nearly two weeks prior to his passing:

"Just in this last 48 hours, the infection has gotten too much. He just fell asleep and passed away."

In Nielsen's honor, we encourage readers to submit their favorite movies quotes from the actor. We'll begin:

Frank: It's the same old story. Boy finds girl, boy loses girl, girl finds boy, boy forgets girl, boy remembers girl, girls dies in a tragic blimp accident over the Orange Bowl on New Year's Day.
Jane: Goodyear?
Frank: No, the worst.

Week in Review: Bristol Palin Loses It in the End

NATIONAL PHOTO GROUP

Are you missing something?
Over the past week or so, there were major engagements, majestic fashions and even some massive movie and music releases. We've seen plenty of teen angst, teen triumphs and teens who turned into stars (some as if by magic).
But you just want to look at the pictures, right?
No problem. We've put together the biggest, best and just plain weirdest shots of the week for your enjoyment, so what are you waiting for? Enjoy...

Hulk and Spidey and Buffy—What's With All the Reboots?

Universal Pictures; WB; Sony Pictures

Why are we seeing so many stupid so-called "reboots" of old ideas like Buffy the Vampire Slayer?
—88Vibey, via the inbox
I hope you boarded up your windows before you sent me this. Vampire lovers are so rabid in their fandom they're liable to storm your house. (Here, I'll create a diversion for you: Robert Pattinson has a head like bleached a cinder block. Run!)
Anyway, here's why The Hulk, Buffy, Superman and Spider-Man are all being reset and retold from the beginning:


Money. Or, more specifically, guaranteed money.
"Reboots are going to succeed more often," says Tim League of the theater franchise Alamo Drafthouse.
"People are more aware of the concept you're promoting, so it's a safer route. And you succeed more often than you fail."
Even more importantly, he says, you're more likely to know your profits early. Advance ticket sales are much easier to pull off if customers know what they're going to see—well, in advance.
That's opposed to brand-new movie ideas, which do not lend themselves to pre-sales, League tells me. Instead, theater owners and moviemakers have to wait longer for their money to come in, because new ideas require time for good word of mouth to get around. (Of course, that did work out for Avatar.)
That idea also translates to television. The Hulk is coming back to TV, with the help of Pan's Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro, who is on board to co-create the new reboot.
Is it greedy for moviemakers to keep revisiting old ideas instead of working a little harder to find fresh ones? I'll tell you, in my latest podcast!

Guess Me From Behind: Black Lace Bare Ass

 

What the OMFG was she thinking?!
Jaws dropped when this TV star recently stepped out in a plunging, black lace jumpsuit that left little to the imagination.
It's not only a 180 from the preppy princess she plays on the small screen, but it's also more skin than we've ever seen from this young star.
Can you guess who was brave stupid enough to step out next-to-naked on the red carpet?

It's Leighton Meester at the Harry Winston Court of Jewels Recreation launch in New York City (not even the tropics, which could at least provide some flimsy excuse).
Marchesa is responsible for the Gossip Girl star's sheer lace outfit with shoes by Nicholas Kirkwood and bling by Harry Winston, natch.
And even if this style counts as designer—Marchesa does dress Hollywood's finest, after all—somewhere Blair Waldorf's delicate head is spinning.

Taylor Swift and Jake Gyllenhaal Couple Up for Thanksgiving

Jackson Lee/NPG.com; Kevin Winter/Getty Images

'Tis the season for yet another Jake Gyllenhaal and Taylor Swift sighting.
So where did the rumored couple kick off the holidays?


After reportedly sipping maple syrup lattes at a Brooklyn café near sister Maggie Gyllenhaal's home Thanksgiving morning (How sweet!), Jake and the country cutie were spotted grabbing breakfast at a cafe called Fido in Nashville Saturday, according to People.
Although Swift and Gyllenhaal have been seen together numerous times around the country, the low-key lovebirds have yet to reveal the nature of their relationship.
Nevertheless, this seems to be turning into quite the love story.

Are Shanna Moakler and Travis Barker Still Together?

Jordan Strauss/WireImage.com

Now that Bridalplasty is gonna be on my TV, I have to know—is host Shanna Moakler single? (Please tell me yes.)
—Stone, New Jersey, via in the inbox
I can't say with 100 percent certainty what her status will be today. When I last spoke with Shanna, she said that on-again, off-again boyfriend-husband (busband?) Travis Barker was once again in her life. And that they were taking things a day at a time.
But just in case you run into Moakler on a fortuitous day, let me give you a few tips about what Shanna's like:


Starting with out to pronounce her name. If you run into her in Los Angeles, call her SHAY-na or she may ignore you. Her name is not SHAWN-a.
Here's more:
• Don't remark at how fabulous her plastic surgery is; she says she hasn't had any.
• Offer to take her to Anaheim. "I'm addicted to Disneyland," she tells me.
• Or you can stay home, but you'd better like reality TV. "I love reality TV," she confesses. "Especially The Biggest Loser."
• If you must buy her a present, make it a bathing suit. "I collect bathing suits even if I never wear them," she says. (The former Miss USA has about 100. Just sayin'.)
• She would rather hear your declaration of love than read it. Especially, perhaps, if your love confession has zombies in it: "I like listening to audio books in the car—all kinds, [particularly] self help and horror."
And don't forget, of course, to tell her how much you're loving the E! show she's hosting, Bridalplasty. It premieres tonight.

See also:

The Black Eyed Peas Set to Rock Super Bowl

The Black Eyed Peas are on a roll.
Fresh off an American Music Awards win for Best Pop Group (click here to watch their futuristic performance), the gang will do the Super Bowl halftime show.
"The Black Eyed Peas are officially performing the Super Bowl halftime show in Dallas," will.i.am tweeted to fans, confirming the can't-miss mini-concert.

The Peas are the first non-rock group to hit the stage since Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake's famous wardrobe-malfunction during halftime in 2004.
Since then, older and less controversial artists such as the Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, The Who and Bruce Springsteen have done the honors. No longer.
They could have picked anybody. It says something that they picked us," will said.
Indeed. We can't wait to hear "Let's Get it Started" at a sporting event for once.

Jackie Evancho Sets Debut Album Record for 2010

From America's Got Talent to America's got a burgeoning superstar on its hands...
Jackie Evancho, the 10-year sensation who mesmerized television viewers this summer with her operatic voice, has set a Billboard record with the release of the album "O Holy Night." It sold 239,000 copies in its first-week of release, ranked number-two on the Billboard 200 chart and made Evnacho the top-selling debut artist of 2010.

"Jackie Evancho is one of the purest and finest vocalists I've ever heard, and the initial response to her debut release has been phenomenal," said Steve Barnett, Chairman of Columbia Records.

See what all the buzz is about for yourself. Watch Jackie sing the title single off her CD at a recent Pittsburgh Christmas parade.

Taylor Swift & Jake Gyllenhaal: Actually Photographed Together!

You've heard the rumors. You've read the quotes from anonymous sources. But you still haven't seen Taylor Swift and Jake Gyllenhaal together.
Until now!
Following a Thanksgiving morning spent at a Brooklyn coffee shop, this likely couple visited Swift's hometown of Nashville over the weekend. Yesterday afternoon, the two were seen getting breafast at Fido, a coffeehouse and café near Vanderbilt University. Allow us to present actual evidence this time:

Swiftenhaal: Alive and well!

"They were smiling and laughing. They were talking a lot and enjoying each other's company," a witness told People. "They didn't look like friends."
Another customer named Emma Rice, who posted this picture online, added that Taylor and Jake looked "very cute" and "seemed close."

Lindsay Lohan: Free For a Day

Lindsay Lohan enjoyed a temporary respite from rehab this weekend. On the docket for the troubled, recovering actress? Coffee and cigarettes.
Guess caffeine and nicotine rank pretty far down the list of Lindsay Lohan vices. Kicking her addictions to cocaine and alcohol are top priorities.
Here's LiLo at a local Starbucks near Palm Springs ...

Lindsay's looking (mostly) healthy these days. [Photo: Pacific Coast News]

The 24-year-old spent Thanksgiving with her dad. While she and Michael Lohan are on better terms, he hasn't been able to get Linds to quit smoking.
Last month, when the reunited twosome began to mend fences, MiLo sent her an electric cigarette as part of a care package, apparently to no avail.
Oh well. Maybe that'll come after she completes her stint in rehab, which has been going on for two months-plus and seems to be working wonders.