Friday, December 18, 2009
Give Oprah more money: $5 for one year of her magazine
Get a one-year subscription to O, The Oprah Magazine, from Amazon.com for just $5. That is $13 off the normal price of $18. Holy cow -- great gift opportunity Batman!
I've never subscribed to O Magazine but have heard good things about it. Maybe it's time I check it out. This special expires Dec. 19.
Are Courteney Cox & David Arquette the Next Brangelina?
No, they're not adopting from overseas. Instead, Courteney Cox and David Arquetteare following in Brad and Angie's philanthropic footsteps and using their star power to promote a humanitarian organization, Save Darfur.
David designed a special-edition T-shirt to be sold at his Venice store, Propr, with benefits going to the war-torn African country.
He arrived at the event before his wife to talk about his efforts and who he looks up to.
"I admire President Obama and Michelle," David said. "I think they're incredible. George Clooney was really one of the first people to shine a light on this. Bono does amazing work...Brad and Angelina. Everyone does really great stuff."
David, who's a dad to Coco, also talked about how his 5-year-old daughter is learning about charity.
"I teach her a lot," David said. "She comes with me and helps when I go to a pantry [soup kitchen], and she's aware of it, just like my parents went and made me aware of certain things. You just have to teach through example."
Once Courteney showed up, she made sure her hubby was red carpet ready before they took photos together...
She was straightening his tie for him before they posed for photogs.
As for their holiday plans, the Cox-Arquettes are going to stay local and pay homage to Courteney's home state during the Rose Bowl.
"We're going to the Alabama football game...roll Tide!" David told reporters.
One random guest at the charity event? Tara Reid, who seemed a bit confused as to why she was there as well. It's a stretch, but maybe the girl does go deeper than Playboy and plastic surgery?
Gosselin Divorce Final ... Finally
After a well-publicized and scandal-marked separation, the divorce of Jon andKate Gosselin is final, TMZ reports. Judge Arthur Tilson has signed the papers, making the Gosselin marriage officially over. Kate calls the process "challenging" and says that the family's next step will be "restructuring our lives."
Kate says, "I am very relieved that our divorce has been finalized, and I look forward to the New Year, focusing on our children." Her lawyer adds that Kate "will continue to reside with all eight of her children in the former marital home."
The lawyer, Mark Momjian, says, "We are very pleased with the final outcome."
Judge Tilson signed the documents following an arbiter's decision on dividing the couple's assets, despite a recent statement from Jon's camp suggesting the divorce would not be finalized until early 2010.
A report on MSNBC says that the papers were filed in spite of a last-minute holdup: Jon's gun. He was spotted shooting a .38 pistol on the couple's Pennsylvania property. On Thursday, a judge issued a court order barring the gun from the property; whether the ban remains a part of the final divorce agreement in unclear.
Cali 'Housewives' Hit Hard by Recession
Peculiar things have been happening this season on 'The Real Housewives of Orange County.' Gretchen Rossi had a garage sale, Jeana Keough went shopping with her daughter at H&M and Tamra Barney is now doing her own housework. What? This is a dramatic turn from season three when Barney's husband gave her a diamond Rolex for her 40th birthday and Vicky Gunvalson debated over buying a yacht (she decided against it).
"All of them have been very much affected by the economic situation," explains the show's executive producer, Douglas Ross.
This means the downsizing we're seeing on camera is not just for show. A number of the cast members were involved in real estate that's been on a downslide the past two years. And this season, we'll see Lynne Curtin's family get evicted from their Laguna Beach home.
"We try to treat it as gently but as honestly as we can," Ross says. "We happened to have been there with our cameras ... as part of our normal schedule when they were served the eviction notice. It's one of those great reality TV moments that happened to be caught because we were in the right place at the right time."
Money is a sensitive subject and some people - even reality TV stars - may not want to expose their financial struggles to millions of people. But the housewives don't seem to mind sharing - they even fancy themselves as an inspiration to others in similar situations.
"It helps people across the nation because they realize it's not just them," says Keough.
Barney says the exposure is just her being honest.
"I'm pretty open. ... There's not too much I'll hide. It was difficult for my husband ... but the world's in this place right now and I think people are going to relate to it," she says.
So far it looks like Barney is right. Ratings for the fifth season have been strong and average about 2 million viewers an episode.
This could partly be due to the popularity of the "Real Housewives" franchise in general, which has taken off thanks to over-the-top versions of wig-pulling, table flipping and incredulous statements from women in Atlanta, New Jersey and New York, like, "I'm up here, you're down here." Their actions make viewers ask, "Are they for real?"
Perhaps this season we're finally getting the answer: Yes, they are.
While "The Real Housewives" are compensated for appearing on the show, Keough says it's not enough to support a family. "It's so minimal. It's not enough to make your house payments. It's more like a location fee to keep your house clean."
"We try to treat it as gently but as honestly as we can," Ross says. "We happened to have been there with our cameras ... as part of our normal schedule when they were served the eviction notice. It's one of those great reality TV moments that happened to be caught because we were in the right place at the right time."
Money is a sensitive subject and some people - even reality TV stars - may not want to expose their financial struggles to millions of people. But the housewives don't seem to mind sharing - they even fancy themselves as an inspiration to others in similar situations.
"It helps people across the nation because they realize it's not just them," says Keough.
Barney says the exposure is just her being honest.
"I'm pretty open. ... There's not too much I'll hide. It was difficult for my husband ... but the world's in this place right now and I think people are going to relate to it," she says.
So far it looks like Barney is right. Ratings for the fifth season have been strong and average about 2 million viewers an episode.
This could partly be due to the popularity of the "Real Housewives" franchise in general, which has taken off thanks to over-the-top versions of wig-pulling, table flipping and incredulous statements from women in Atlanta, New Jersey and New York, like, "I'm up here, you're down here." Their actions make viewers ask, "Are they for real?"
Perhaps this season we're finally getting the answer: Yes, they are.
While "The Real Housewives" are compensated for appearing on the show, Keough says it's not enough to support a family. "It's so minimal. It's not enough to make your house payments. It's more like a location fee to keep your house clean."
Keough only filmed three episodes of season 5 and then opted out of the rest - she said she wanted to focus on her real estate career and her family.
Not all the Orange County ladies are having a hard time paying their bills, though. Self-professed workaholic Gunvalson says her insurance business is doing better than ever. And she proudly reveals she's 42 and on target to retire comfortably at age 55.
"When I first started (on the show), I was working out of the house with two employees and now I have a huge office with 10 employees, 700 agents out in the field," she says.
Then there's new cast member Alexis Bellino, 32, who has three children and two nannies. On a recent episode, her husband gave her a 7 carat diamond necklace, just because.
This season, there have been some inconsistencies to the ladies' money woes. Curtin allowed herself to be filmed getting a face lift while her daughter got a nose job. Her husband, Frank, acknowledged the cost of the procedures on camera but said his family's happiness was more important.
Despite the eviction, Lynne Curtin says her finances are improving and predicts her family will be able to build a house next year.
"My husband is a builder in Southern California. It's not like he doesn't try. He's not sitting at home watching TV. He is going out and making an effort. ... I've been married for 20 years. ... We've had the high life we've had the low life. It's just reality."
Not all the Orange County ladies are having a hard time paying their bills, though. Self-professed workaholic Gunvalson says her insurance business is doing better than ever. And she proudly reveals she's 42 and on target to retire comfortably at age 55.
"When I first started (on the show), I was working out of the house with two employees and now I have a huge office with 10 employees, 700 agents out in the field," she says.
Then there's new cast member Alexis Bellino, 32, who has three children and two nannies. On a recent episode, her husband gave her a 7 carat diamond necklace, just because.
This season, there have been some inconsistencies to the ladies' money woes. Curtin allowed herself to be filmed getting a face lift while her daughter got a nose job. Her husband, Frank, acknowledged the cost of the procedures on camera but said his family's happiness was more important.
Despite the eviction, Lynne Curtin says her finances are improving and predicts her family will be able to build a house next year.
"My husband is a builder in Southern California. It's not like he doesn't try. He's not sitting at home watching TV. He is going out and making an effort. ... I've been married for 20 years. ... We've had the high life we've had the low life. It's just reality."
Vampire Diaries Hunk Gets Ripped for New Role
Looks like Sean Faris will be wielding more than just acting skills when he joins the of Vampire Diaries!
The hunky actor, who'll be playing Mystic Grill bartender Ben in the new year, said in the new issue of that he packed on 15 lbs. for the CW's .
"Cooking at home is key to being in shape," the 27-year-old star said. "You can order a salad in a restaurant, but not know what you’re getting."
And the secret to achieving his six-pack? It's all about taking it slow.
"I see so many people in the gym just slinging weights around," he said. "You can accomplish more if you squeeze the reps out in perfect form, instead of going big and trying to kill it every time."
Report: Elin Nordegren Consulting High-Powered Divorce Attorney
Before with her to her for the holidays – without husband (and father of the kids) Tiger Woods – Elin Nordegren reportedly is consulting with veteran Hollywood divorce attorney Sorrell Trope.
Having practiced since 1949 and representing everyone from the much-married screen legend Cary Grant, as well as , Nicolas Cage, Hugh Grant and , Trope has built a reputation as a hard-nosed negotiator, reports New York's .
Speaking to the newspaper, Manhattan divorce lawyer Robert Wallack called Trope, 82, "the dean of the California matrimonial bar," while Beverly Hills-based family law arbitrator Alexandra Leichter said, "He's in a class of maybe 12 or 15 lawyers that handles very high-asset, high-income divorces with contentious custody cases."
Trope did not return calls seeking comment on his alleged involvement in the Woods-Nordegren marriage, which has come under the scrutiny since it was revealed (and later) that the world's No. 1 golfer has committed a series of sexual transgressions.
Photos circulated this week, showing Nordegren, 29, pumping gas into her vehicle near the couple's home in Windermere, Fla., last Saturday, also captured the Swedish-born former nanny and mother of two (Sam, 2, and Charlie, 10 months), not wearing her wedding ring – fueling speculation of where the marriage was headed, though a source told PEOPLE the absence of the band "meant nothing."
Still, another source , 29, "She plans to leave Tiger."
Woods's Whereabouts
As for Woods, 33, who has not been seen in public since his the , an unconfirmed report in says he is in isolation, spending his time eating cereal and watching cartoons – and his nights hitting golf balls.His NBA-star friend Charles Barkley has also voiced concern over the fact Woods is not responding to his attempts to reach out to the embattled golfer. "I've been trying to get to him and can't. It's very frustrating," Barkley is quoted as saying.
If it is any solace, on Thursday night the Golf Writers of America named Woods the group's Golfer of the Year, with 84 percent of the vote. The honor marks the 10th time in 13 seasons Woods received the award.
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