Earlier this month, Gawker published a really interesting essay called “Why Is South Sudan a Hellhole? Blame George Clooney”. The point of the essay was not that Clooney is a terrible person or anything, but that the Darfur genocide was a complicated geopolitical catastrophe which was made infinitely worse when Darfur became a cause célèbre and South Sudan was partitioned and given “independence.” The point of the essay was also that West should know by now that whenever we jump into these complicated situations without really understanding the facts on the ground, we make it worse. I’m not going to pretend I completely followed everything in the essay, because pretending I understand would be the same kind of mistake the world made.

Which brings me to Clooney’s latest. George cowrote (with John Prendergast and Akshaya Kumar) a New York Times op-ed about how the situation in Darfur/South Sudan – you can read it here. Summary: Darfur is still a hellhole. Sudan continues to attack the people of Darfur through literal scorched earth campaigns (burning villages to the ground, etc) and mass rape and torture. The point of the piece is “don’t forget about Darfur, it’s still terrible.”

While I think it’s noble for Clooney to still be committed to the people of Darfur – he’s paid for satellites to monitor’s Sudan’s activities for years – I also wonder if there’s a slightly superficial urge at work here. George is desperate to be taken seriously, of course, which is why he ended up married to Amal. George wants to be a bigger political player. So is it any surprise that the National Enquirer reports this week that George is looking for ways to “cement” his political credentials? A source claims: “George has big ambitions and aims to get into politics imminently. He wants to do more humanitarian work and hopes to join the Democrats’ 2016 election campaign.” The problem? A lot of people still see George as a boozy womanizer. The source also says, “Surprisingly, it’s an even money bet on what George likes better – alcohol or sex.” Yeah… that’s not a problem for a Democrat, you know?

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

Look out, Skrillex, you have some competition!

Lily Aldridge has been snapping plenty of pics lately and sharing them on Instagram. One of those pics you just have to see! Over the weekend, Lily snagged a picture of Caleb and their daughter Dixie making some music together. She captioned the photo:

“My twins hard at work”

Aww, this is just too cute!

I cannot get enough of The Pinocchio Butt. Whenever we have a sighting – and whenever some brave paparazzo manages to get a side or back view – I always post the photos. Khloe Kardashian was spotted out and about in LA yesterday, I guess going to her gym. This is what confuses me about Khloe – she’s very committed to her workout and she does that stupid “waist training” stuff to look smaller (I’m including a new photo below), but then she gets those MASSIVE ass implants. I know the Kardashian Klan isn’t afraid of some augmentation, but it just seems like Khloe should make up her mind: does she want to look smaller or curvier? Which is it?

Meanwhile, Page Six reports today that the Kardashians have inked a massive $100 million, four-year deal with E!.

The Kardashians have signed a record-breaking, $100 million-plus deal to remain with E! for another four years, sources have exclusively confirmed to Page Six. Momager Kris Jenner recently secured the astonishing deal for herself and daughters Kim, Khloé, Kourtney, Kendall and Kylie Jenner. Bruce Jenner is not part of the deal, having previously agreed that he will be leaving after the upcoming 10th season of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.” Bruce has his own show at E! based on his sex transition.

The Kardashian deal, the highest in TV history for a reality brand, is being kept strictly under wraps. E!’s parent company Comcast says it plans to save by spending less on content if its proposed merger with Time Warner Cable goes ahead. The deal covers at least four more seasons of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” as well as spinoffs, which have included “Kourtney and Khloé Take the Hamptons.” E! executives also believe the family’s huge social media following will fuel future digital projects. Jenner had previously been rumored to be in talks about a Kardashian YouTube channel.

There will be further opportunities for the sisters under the new package. Khloé has been hosting red carpet coverage as well as post-Oscar and Grammy specials for E! Kim is also expected to produce her own future shows. Kanye West is not part of the deal, we’re told, but he will continue to appear on “Keeping Up.” Show creator Ryan Seacrest is also believed to be getting a sizeable fee.

[From Page Six]

Page Six also says that they’re looking to do something specifically with the Jenner sisters too, especially now that Kendall’s modeling career is taking off. Although Kylie and Kendall really seem to want to forge their own (non-reality show) path, so I wonder how that will work out. As for Khloe getting to do E! red carpet coverage… NO. Ugh. Khloe appeared on E!’s Oscar red carpet show too and she barely had anything to add. The Pinocchio Butt was a mess on that show too.

Here’s Khloe’s waist-training selfie from a few days ago. How is she not damaging her internal organs?!

I am obsessed with my new waist shaper from @premadonna87!!! I mean how cute is this shaper?!?! Snatching my waist and looking cute all at the same time!!! I definitely feel like a superhero in this waist shaper! Head over to @pre_shop or @premadonna87 to get your shapers ladies! #Boom #Boom #Pow #WaistGang #PreMadonna87 #Snatched

A photo posted by Khloé (@khloekardashian) on Feb 24, 2015 at 7:20am PST

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet, Instagram.

Taller than mom!

Actor Will Smith was joined by wife Jada Pinkett Smith and their 16-year-old son Jaden at the premiere of his new film, Focus, in Hollywood, Calif. on Tuesday (February 24). The Karate Kid actor posed with his famous parents — and it looks like he’s already outgrown his actress mother.

The trio were joined by longtime pal and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air costar, Alfonso Ribeiro, and his pregnant wife Angela Ribeiro.

While promoting his new film, Will recently opened up about Jaden’s wardrobe, which consists of one pair of shoes, three pairs of pants and five shirts.

“He has refused to be a slave to money. I so respect that,” Will said. “The younger generation is less of an ownership generation, anyway. It’s such an interesting thing to watch, because I came from a middle-class background, but, you know, our lights and gas would be cut off from not paying the bill. I grew up in a house where you would need the kerosene heaters in the winter in case the bills didn’t get paid. And he’s from the complete other end of the spectrum. And it’s so interesting to me that from growing up in that space, he could see the need for things in a way that he’s rejecting. He’s like, ‘I’m not gonna let myself need things in that way.’ “

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Kim Kardashian may be having some fertility issues, but she’s absolutely determined to give North West a sibling!

Kardashian recently appears on iTV’s Lorraine, and she told the host, Ross King, that she and Kanye are both trying for another child. However, they’re having some fertility issues, but that’s not going to cause them to lose hope. The 34-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians alum said that viewers will actually get an intimate look at her struggles with pregnancy in the upcoming season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians:

“[The show will] follow my journey of trying to get pregnant for the second time, which has proven to not be as easy as the first time, but we’re working on it.”

So, how many kids is Kim Kardashian shooting for?

“I always wanted about six [kids]… After having her [Nori], I would have a million…”

Did you really think Iggy Azalea was going to go quiet after quitting Twitter? Not a chance. Iggy’s been fired up lately and hitting various radio shows. Iggy spoke with Power 106 yesterday (via TMZ), and her boyfriend (Nick Young of the LA Lakers), joined the conversation. She revealed him as “a sleep farter” and a really messy guy, but that’s okay because they have a full-time housekeeper. Nick said Iggy’s too much of “a lady” to fart during sleep. Iggy also talked about why she quit social media: “It makes me hate people and I don’t wanna hate people. My job is entertaining people. It’s really hard to do that when you feel like what the hell is going on with humanity that we’re all doing this?”

Iggy also stopped by the “Zach Sang & The Gang” show to complain about how she gets no respect from rappers. There are a lot of reasons for this, starting with how Iggy doesn’t rap the same way she speaks. We’ve covered that a lot in terms of Iggy’s cultural appropriation. She’s unwilling to gain wisdom and thinks everyone criticizes her simply because she’s a woman. Iggy now says everyone knows she’s an amazing rapper, but no one will admit it.

Do other rappers respect Iggy? “No, I think ultimately they don’t, but I think … it’s very frustrating for me with them because I’ll have personal relationships with them outside of the media that people maybe don’t understand or realize how deep that goes. And so then I find it particularly personally offensive when they oftentimes take on the general opinion of others on the viewership to try and get clicks. Things like that, I’m like, ‘I’m finding that pretty unrespectable right now. Which are you? Don’t text my phone.’ But it’s fine. It’s a tough world out there for rappers.”

Does she want to play that game? “No. That’s why I don’t do interviews. I don’t have to play it. It doesn’t benefit me. It only kind of helps to put out misinformation on things that aren’t really helpful to me or people who aren’t understanding my character or who I am or my art. ”

Why doesn’t Iggy get respect? “They know, deep down. I think they know. They just don’t want to admit it. That’s what I think. I have a feeling. That’s why they’re mad. Because they do know that I actually am good, and they can’t really accept that. But we could be friends, and this could all be easy. Or we could not, and I could send Bitcoin sh*t chocolate boxes to your door. But I’m still going to be here.”

[From Zach Sang on YouTube]

At least Iggy and Nicki Minaj have delusions of rap grandeur in common. There are moments when I wonder whether we should all leave Iggy alone. Then I remember she’s said so many terrible things. She also refuses to believe any criticism against her is valid. She doesn’t get why other white rappers like Eminem and Macklemore don’t receive the same treatment. Iggy doesn’t notice that they are rapping with their own voices and speaking to their own experiences. Whereas Iggy changes her voice and lets her ghostwriters pen inauthentic (and racist) lyrics.

Here’s the clip of Iggy talking big with Zach Sang.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet & WENN

Rio is so cute in her little tutu!

Oliver Hudson and his wife Erin Barlett welcomed daughter Rio into their lives back in July of 2013 and just look at how much she’s grown! Wow, time flies, doesn’t it? Rio was having some fun outdoors playing with bubbles and Oliver couldn’t help but snap a picture and share it on Instagram with the following caption:

“Just wanted to round out the crew and intro you to Rio, my ladybug, the toughest of the bunch.. I fear the future.”

Rio was just looking way too cute in the picture! As you can see, she’s sporting a purple tutu and a pink longsleeve leotard as she has fun dancing among the bubbles in their backyard.

As we discussed last week, Princess Beatrice has been unemployed for two months or more. She quit her fancy job with Sony Europe back in December, and since then, she’s managed to squeeze in FOUR vacations. When the media pointed this out – that a 26 year old princess and sixth in line to the throne seemed rather “work-shy” – Beatrice’s people claimed that she was considering her options and she would have another job soon enough. Well, a job has not materialized. Instead, Beatrice is now going to move to America to… “study finance.”

Princess Beatrice has shrugged off “work-shy” criticism and begun studying finance in the United States, Buckingham Palace confirmed today. The 26-year-old has enrolled onto a short course across the Atlantic, although it is not thought that it will be a permanent move for the Queen’s granddaughter. A spokeswoman said: “Princess Beatrice has started a finance course in America.”

Beatrice left her £20,000-a-year post at Sony Pictures in December, where she was among hundreds of members of staff whose salaries were revealed online in a suspected hack by North Korea. She worked as a coordinating producer at the firm’s London offices for less than a year. The sixth-in-line to the throne carried out ten Royal engagements while holding down the position.

The young Royal attracted criticism after going on three holidays – including two to the Caribbean – with boyfriend Dave Clark. She and Mr Clark, who is believed to earn a six-figure salary at Virgin Galactic, enjoyed at least another five holidays in St Barts, Spain, France and America during the course of last year. However, the palace has insisted that their travel was “entirely privately funded”.

Beatrice’s friends hit back at claims that the Princess was a “scrounger” and “work-shy”.

Earlier this year an unnamed friend told the Mail on Sunday: “This is like going back to the Tudor times when some people attacked the Yorks, and we are not going to tolerate it. Beatrice has got another two interviews next week and she is not scared of hard work. She’s in her mid-20s and is trying to build up work experience with financial companies and start-ups. She has done plenty of work experience, so she can forge a serious career with lots of skills. How dare people attack her for not working hard when she does exactly that in her office for charities and for the Royal Family?”

[From The Express]

I chose this Express story because I’m sort of obsessed with the quotes from the “unnamed friend.” It seems like Beatrice thinks someone (her cousin William, perchance?) is coming after her. While William’s team might want another royal woman to get the “work-shy” tag, I have to think that the British media could have come up with this stuff on their own. I mean, she only did 10 royal engagements in one year? Even Duchess Kate manages to do better than that. When your vacation tally outnumbers your royal engagement tally, there’s a problem.

But here’s my real question: who starts a “finance course” in America in the middle of February? Most colleges and universities have set semesters and summer courses. If Beatrice, say, started a finance course at any American university, it would have started in mid-January or maybe late January (at the latest). But Beatrice was in the midst of her third post-job holiday at that point. Plus, I think it’s fishy that the explanation last week was “she’s looking for her next job” and this week it’s “she’s already started a finance course.” It might seem picayune, but Beatrice keeps two royal apartments, you know? The taxpayers are funding at least part of her lifestyle.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Even though I’d respect Leonardo DiCaprio more if he was trying to woo Rihanna, I really don’t think it’s happening. She’s A) not blonde and B) too “old” for him, considering his cut-off point is 24 or 25 years old. But Leo doesn’t have an official lady these days, and so the tabloids are having fun with it, trying to set him on imaginary dates with random starlets and such. This week’s rumor is about Leonardo getting flirty with… Dakota Johnson?

Rihanna who? ‘Life & Style’ has learned that during the ‘Saturday Night Live’ 40th anniversary after-party, sparks flew between Leonardo DiCaprio and ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ actress Dakota Johnson!

During the bash, held at The Plaza Hotel, Leo barely glanced at rumored fling Rihanna. Instead, “he put his arm around Dakota and led her into the grand ballroom,” a partygoer exclusively tells ‘Life & Style.’ “He told her, ‘Let’s go look at all the celebrities.’”

Sounds like a line — but it worked! “Dakota looked like she was trying to play it cool, but you could tell she was thrilled to have his attention,” the witness says, adding that “out of everyone he socialized with, Leo seemed to be the happiest when he was with Dakota.”

“As they walked away, Leo took the lead and guided her through the crowd, and a small smile spread across her face.”

[From Life & Style]

Here’s are some facts: Dakota did attend the SNL anniversary event and she did party with all of those people afterwards. She also broke up with her boyfriend Matthew Hitt, probably a month before the Fifty Shades promotional tour ramped up. Dakota was and is single and ready to mingle. She’s also 25 years old, not as young as Leo’s girlfriends usually, but I could see it. She’s also got that lean, leggy look that he likes. But… she’s not currently a blonde. Do you think if she went back to the blonde, Leo would date her in a heartbeat? Eh. My current theory is that Leo is angling to date Gigi Hadid next (she’s only 19).

Here are some photos of Dakota out and about in NYC yesterday (she’s hosting SNL this weekend).

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.

God help me but I am SO into Kim Kardashian’s hair these days. That shoulder-length cut suits her and it makes her look younger and fresher. Of course, the rest of Kim is still a hot mess. These are photos of Kim heading out to the BRIT Awards last night in London. From what I could see, she didn’t walk the carpet. Which is fine, it would have been totally unnecessary, because the paparazzi got these shots of her leaving her hotel and we already got to see her outfit: it’s an onesie/jumpsuit by Julien Macdonald. It’s not flattering in the least. When Kim presented at the BRITs (she gave an award to Sam Smith), this is what the jumpsuit looked like in the back view:

View image | gettyimages.com

Much classy. Of course, Kim was also on hand to watch Kanye perform a new song, “All Day.” There were flamethrowers involved. No joke. Beware: there’s some NSFW language in the video.

Here’s your best look at Kanye West performing “All Day” at the #BritAwards2015 http://t.co/6WbAr267Ch

— Complex (@ComplexMag) February 25, 2015

Ugh. What else? Before the BRITs, Kim appeared on an iTV show and she ended up discussing whether she would get pregnant again. Kim said in the new season of KUWTK, fans would be able to “follow my journey of trying to get pregnant for the second time, which has proven to not be as easy as the first time, but we’re working on it.” She also said she always thought she would have six kids, but after North, “I would have a million…” Apparently, Kanye and Kim have been trying the old-fashioned way for months now, and Kim said: “We’d do IVF if nothing happens. But we both want to keep trying naturally.”

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet, WENN and Getty.