Foos Fighting With McCain
The Foo Fighters have taken a break from their hiatus to announce that John McCain is not their hero.
The Grammy-winning rockers have issued a statement demanding the GOP presidential contender stop using their 1998 hit "My Hero" at campaign rallies—saying they don't approve his message.
"This isn't the first time the McCain campaign has used a song without making any attempt to get approval or permission from the artist. It's frustrating and infuriating that someone who claims to speak for the American people would repeatedly show such little respect for creativity and intellectual property," the Foos said in a statement.
Economic Downturn Takes Toll on Tintin Men Spielberg, Jackson
Maybe the Fed will step in to help bail out Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson.
The Oscar winners are scrambling to find a new backer for their dream franchise Tintin after Universal balked at the filmmakers' $130 million budget for an ambitious trilogy of films based on the Belgian boy wonder.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the studio unexpectedly pulled out after deciding that a cofinancing partnership with Paramount Pictures wasn't worth the risk to its bottom line in today's difficult economic environment.
Angelina Jolie's Image Not Wanted in U.K.
Angelina Jolie has the ability to glamorize many things—all one British media watchdog group is asking is for her to use her powers for good instead of evil.
The U.K.'s Advertising Standards Authority has banned two movie posters for the Jolie-starring action flick Wanted, upholding public complaints that the sultry, weapon-baring promotional images glamorize the use of guns and violence and are unsuitable for children.
Just 17 complaints were lodged against the ads, one of which features Jolie draped over the hood of a car brandishing guns. In another ad, costar James McAvoy is pointing two pistols directly toward the camera, above what the ASA deemed to be "aspirational text."
Avril's "Sexy" Show Gets Scrapped
If Malaysian officials' logic holds, Avril Lavigne is sexier than Gwen Stefani and the Pussycat Dolls and just as potentially morally corrupting as Beyoncé.
The Canadian faux-punkette has become the latest Western pop star to face trouble in the Asian country as she was uninvited from performing a planned Kuala Lumpur gig. The Muslim-majority country's Arts, Culture and Heritage Ministry canceled the show today amid growing protests and claims the singer was, quite simply, "too sexy."
While that, of course, is entirely subjective, the timing of the planned gig—just two days before the nation's Independence Day on Aug. 29—was not and, per a senior ministry official, was the real reason for the cancellation.
LAPD Chief: "Gay" LiLo, Clothed Brit, Behaving Paris Keep Paparazzi at Bay
Los Angeles' top cop believes problems concerning overly aggressive paparazzi have taken care of themselves, what with Hollywood's It girls generally curbing their bizarre, headline-grabbing antics.
Now if only police chiefs could exhibit similar restraint...
LAPD Chief William Bratton has spoken out—and how—against a proposal by a city councilman seeking to put in place new measures that restrict paparazzi. Bratton says the (alleged) behavior modifications of Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton have made the proposal all but moot.
"If you notice, since Britney started wearing clothes and behaving; Paris is out of town not bothering anybody anymore, thank god; and evidently, Lindsay Lohan has gone gay, we don't seem to have much of an issue," Bratton told KNBC, L.A.'s local NBC affiliate.
Emmy Still Laughing at Jenna, Vanessa, But Jaime's Name Is Mud
This is not shaping up to be much of a year for Emmy repeats (unless James Spader runs away with it again).
My Name Is Earl star Jaime Pressly, who was named Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy in 2007, has been left off the short list of female laugh-inducers who stand a chance of hearing their names announced July 17, when the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences reveals all the nominees for the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards.
Meanwhile, the competition Pressly beat out last year has made the cut, according to another top-secret list obtained by the L.A. Times' Gold Derby blog.
Imus Fumbles Footballer Race Remarks
[Editor's Note: Some viewers may find this video offensive.]
Foot, meet (big) mouth. Again.
Six months after returning to the airwaves following his "nappy-headed hos" no-no, Don Imus was on the defensive today after comments he made about troubled Dallas Cowboys defensive back Adam "Pacman" Jones' race.
Godfather Heir to Paramount: Game On!
Where's Luca Brasi when you need him?
Keeping his friends close and his enemies closer, the son of late Godfather author Mario Puzo is suing Paramount Pictures for allegedly screwing the family out of royalties from a 2006 video game based on the Mafia-friendly franchise.
Metallica Attracted to Death Magnetic
Metallica want opinions about Death Magnetic to live freely online.
The platinum-selling rockers have announced the title of their next album, which despite its fine pedigree (produced by über-visionary Rick Rubin), has already created its share of controversy for the shaggily coiffed quartet.
A Stone Temple Suit
The Stone Temple Pilots are singing the legal blues.
Atlantic Records is suing two of the grunge rock band's members, frontman Scott Weiland and drummer Eric Kretz, alleging they tried to exit their record deal with the Warner Music Group label before it was officially up.
Mötley Crüe Suing Mad
Mötley Crüe has kick-started legal action against another former manager.
The "Shout at the Devil" purveyors have filed a lawsuit against Burt Stein and his companies B Entertainment and Gold Mountain Entertainment, alleging the companies screwed the band out of large sums of money by putting the manager's interests ahead of the Crüe.
Politico Sorry for Ripping Torn
Here's a change Rip Torn can believe in.
An Ohio politician has issued a public mea culpa to the Emmy winner for using Torn's altered mug shot from a 2006 DUI arrest in a campaign ad.
Cincinnati City Councilman Chris Monzel took out a full-page spread in the Cincinnati Enquirer saying he regretted his use of the photo in a commercial that aired on local television and cable last fall during his successful run for reelection. The ad's theme: keeping sexual predators off the streets.














