Sean Penn was the big “surprise” presenter at the Oscars. He presented the final award, Best Picture, to Birdman. Birdman was directed by his friend Alejandro Iñárritu, who directed Penn in 21 Grams. When Penn opened the envelope, he made a “joke” about Iñárritu being Mexican, saying, “Who gave this son of a bitch his green card?” Penn was widely criticized on Oscar night for that “quip,” although Inarritu said that night that he wasn’t offended, that it was just a joke, and that he and Penn are friends. Up until now, Penn hasn’t explained or apologized. But now he’s saying that we’re stupid for being offended. Because of course.

Sean Penn is adamant that he has no reason to apologize for making a green card jibe at the expense of Mexican director Alejandro Iñárritu while handing him his Oscar for Birdman. The joke prompted a storm of outrage from critics who branded the comments xenophobic – but Penn has today said he has ‘absolutely no apologies’ and that the only reason anyone could be offended is their own ‘flagrant stupidity’. According to Penn, the jibe was part of his friendship with Iñárritu, with whom he has worked in the past – and even a way to let him know of his victory seconds before everyone else.

Speaking at a promo event in Beverly Hills for one of his own movies, Penn said of the reaction to the joke: ‘I’m always surprised by flagrant stupidity. I keep having more hope.’

He later added: ‘I have absolutely no apologies. In fact, I have a big f—k you for every… anybody who is so stupid not to have gotten the irony when you’ve got a country that is so xenophobic. If they had their way, you wouldn’t have great filmmakers like Alejandro working in this country. Thank god we do.’

Penn also clarified that the order of his comments were intentional.

‘There’s a little inside humor with he and I where I know, and wanted to know, that he would be the first person in that room to know that his film won,’ he said.

[From The Daily Mail]

I’m willing to make the journey and say that Penn’s comment would have been fine if it was simply an inside joke between two friends, friends that “get” each other. But for that to be the announcement of Best Picture, to be said in a huge public forum, I think it’s perfectly reasonable for people to be all “seriously, Sean Penn is kind of racist jerk.” And I’m surprised by Penn’s “flagrant stupidity” in not knowing which jokes will be more well-received in private conversation rather than a public forum.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

Following Kanye West’s pissy hissy fit at the Grammys – in which he said Beck did “not respect artistry” – Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson decided enough was enough. She posted an open letter of sorts on her Facebook, calling out Kanye West for being an immature, petty and spoiled child. It was awesome. Kanye hasn’t said anything about Shirley Manson publicly, but considering the backtracking he’s done in the month since the Grammys, I had assumed that he was actually feeling some regret. Guess not. Shirley Manson posted another Facebook open letter to “He who shall remain nameless” and I think we should assume that she’s talking to Kanye and that Kanye emailed her or something with another hissy fit:

Dear He who shall remain nameless,

It is with great sadness that I read your email today. Clearly you have forgotten or are just generally unaware, that in business it is always wise to be kind and respectful in your day to day dealings with other people. Especially those you have never met.

You just never know when you might meet that person who has been at the receiving end of your disrespect for indeed you may have to come on bended knee to that person later on down the line because they hold on to something of value that you need to get your greasy hands on. What alarms me more than anything about your nasty little barbs is that you are in the business of representing artists interests and yet you are clearly unaware that not all musicians are obsessed with the charts or being famous.

That some of us do not value ourselves by the number of mainstream “hits” we have enjoyed. That some of us just enjoy making music and having a long lifespan of a career without having to dance as fast as we can, or be the loudest clown in town or be having to hitch ourselves to the latest ,greatest, freshest sound in order to remain “on top” . There are some of us who just like to live the way WE see fit. Make the music WE feel passionate about. Music that feels authentic to who we are and where we are in our lives. There are even some of us who do not believe that being famous is the holy grail or the answer to a beautiful, meaningful and rewarding life.

Clearly you are unable to wrap your head around the idea that some musicians actually prefer NOT having to perform on Children’s TV shows. Who do NOT want to be gossiped about in the popularity contest columns. Who most definitively do NOT want to be chased by paparazzi and who do NOT want to put their family name to some sh-tty , poorly made product in order to build a “brand” and who most definitely do NOT want to go out every night, dressed up to the nines to the opening of an envelope.

SO allow me to make my choices as I see fit without having to endure your childish and un-evolved criticism. As you so rightly pointed out, there are plenty of talented people in the world who will sell their grannies to serve your desires.

So now then sir, that all said,
Go F#CK yourself.

[From Shirley Manson’s Facebook]

I think Manson is, like, 95% justified and righteous here. The one little negative quibble I have is that the only reason she incurred Kanye’s “nasty little barbs” is because she called him out so thoroughly in a public forum. And now she’s acting like she’s so taken aback that he might have something equally negative to say about her, to her (privately). So, that part of it is just “too cute by half.” Otherwise, yes, she’s on point. Kanye is a sad famewhore clown and Shirley is happy where she is.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.

Well, well. George Clooney and Amal stepped out in NYC on Saturday night for a bite to eat. They went to Kappo Masa (Japanese). I wonder… do you think Amal can cook? I have my doubts. She seems like the kind of woman who prefers going out to eat. And much like Amal’s street style the previous day (we discussed it here), Amal wore Giambattista Valli for this outing. You like? It really does seem like yellows are “in” for Spring. This is from Valli’s Pre-Fall 2015 collection, which isn’t even in stores yet. Is Giambattista Valli sending Amal free stuff? It wouldn’t be the worst idea. She really does seem to love that label – she’s worn a lot of Valli in the past six months. Also: her earrings are Dolce & Gabbana.

As for their body language… yeah, I could do this ALL DAY. Amal is all “Face! Beauty! Teeth! Hair! Glamour!” And George is all “My back hurts, I wish we had stayed home and just had some soup.” That’s what you get, George. Stacy Keibler never made these kinds of demands! You just had to marry “your equal,” George. And of course your equal is 16 years younger and she loves the cameras.

Speaking of, Amal has taken on more casework. Sort of. While she’s in NYC with George and in between lecturing at Columbia Law School, Amal is sort of working for the legal team of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the disgraced former president of the Philippines. Arroyo stole elections and looted millions of dollars from a state-run lottery scheme. Arroyo is also sick and not getting the best medical care while she sits in jail. So Amal has joined the legal team petitioning the UN Human Rights Council, asking them to intervene and end Arroyo’s substandard “hospital detention” so Arroyo can get better care.

Photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News.

Here are new photos of Kim Kardashian and her many costume changes for Paris Fashion Week. You know what I was thinking about? How it used to be that there were lots of Fashion Girls who did the same thing: they would arrive in a city for Fashion Week, they would do multiple costume changes and sit front-row at all of the big shows. Nowadays, it’s only Kim and Kanye doing that.

These are photos of Kim and Kanye at the Givenchy show (Kim is wearing pants) and earlier in the day, where Kim is wearing some kind of “cage dress.” Both ensembles are pretty trashy looking and I’m pretty sure both are Givenchy, although if that cage dress is by another designer, my apologies to them (I’m sorry Kim is wearing your dress, mostly). I guess Kim had her hair lightened even more too, because people are now saying she’s gone white-blonde. Ugh.

The biggest headline? Kim is trying to something different with her makeup now that she’s a blonde, which is what every woman needs to do when they dramatically change hair color. Except Kim’s new makeup is an utter failure. What is happening to her nose?!?!? #ContourFail. It’s such a huge #ContourFail that Kim’s nose actually looks curved to the side, like a right parentheses )))))))).

Photos courtesy of WENN.

As we discussed on Friday, the Daily Mail’s gossip guy Sebastian Shakespeare claims that Prince William and Duchess Kate are basically keeping Prince George from his grandfather, Prince Charles. Sources claimed that Charles is very concerned that George has grown much too attached to Carole Middleton in particular, and Charles is concerned that William and George are much too “Middletonized”. The Mail had a follow-up this weekend which re-emphasized these points, but there are some new quotes and info. The point of this report is “don’t blame Carole Middleton, blame William and Kate for not wanting Charles to spend time with George.” Some highlights:

Carole Middleton wants to buy a house closer to Anmer Hall: There is a ‘definite feeling’ among friends of the Duchess of Cornwall — George’s step-grandmother — that Kate’s parents could be thinking of buying a place in Norfolk, where William and Kate will soon be living virtually full-time at Anmer Hall, near the Queen’s Sandringham Estate…

Charles never really knew his grandfathers, wanted to be close to George: Charles was only three when George VI died, and he never knew his paternal grandfather, Prince Philip’s dissolute, playboy father Prince Andrew of Greece, who died in 1944. The Queen Mother stepped into her husband’s empty space and became Charles’s counsellor and mentor, a vital sounding board in his life, until her death in 2002 at the age of 101.

Charles “gets” that Kate and Carole are close: An aide says, ‘Of course, he acknowledges that the mother-daughter thing is natural, and he’s aware it’s likely to be just the same when the new baby arrives.’ One has to wonder, however, how different things would have been if Princess Diana were still alive to balance Carole’s pull on her daughter. Camilla is little help in this respect and she has no special bond with Kate or, for that matter, much of one with William.

Kate is always going home to Casa Middleton: The fact is, Kate has rushed home to her mother at every opportunity — not just when she was suffering from morning sickness — and she and William have been endlessly taking George at weekends to spend time with Carole, 60, and husband Michael, 65, at their £5 million manor house in Berkshire. Yet they have rarely, if ever, been seen at Highgrove in Gloucestershire.

A Middleton family friend says: ‘All Carole has ever wanted was to give as much guidance and help to Kate and George as any other grandmother. She’ll be horrified to learn that William’s father is apparently upset because he is not seeing enough of George. She would never want that.’

How often does Charles really see his grandson? The answer is not very often at all. Our understanding is that he would love to see more of George, but does not want to have to ask. This shines an interesting light on the relationship between father and son. There are very real tensions between the two of them, and Charles often disagrees with William. But if there is an argument, friends say, Charles backs down every time.

But William backs down in fights with Kate? ‘It’s very different when William has an argument with Kate,’ reports a figure from their own circle. ‘She’s eloquent and stands her ground. It’s been a sharp learning curve for William, especially through the rougher passages of Kate’s two pregnancies.’

William doesn’t want to be like his dad, says one source: ‘Part of William is a rebel who just doesn’t want to be another version of his father, or have a stuffy, traditional royal role. It’s one of the reasons why he’s taken the Air Ambulance job. I’m convinced he wants to show Charles that he can be not only a royal, but also a ‘Middleton’. His message is that he’s part of their family — a family that gave him a proper home life.’

[From The Daily Mail]

Er… Kate is eloquent in fights with William? That’s reason enough to side-eye this report. I tend to believe – with all my heart – that every single person in William’s life backs down in the face of one of his infamous temper tantrums. William’s father backs down and lets William have his own way. Kate backs down and does whatever he tells her to do. The Middletons will do whatever he says. The only one capable of keeping William in line at all is the Queen, I suspect, and she probably doesn’t want to get involved in these very dysfunctional family dramas.

Oh, and if Carole buys a house close to Anmer Hall… that will be very interesting. For now, the Daily Mail is reporting that Carole and Michael have actually moved into Anmer Hall and “running the place.” And they will stay until Kate gives birth… and beyond, probably. The excuses being given are that Kate’s two staffers quit and Carole is the only one who can “placate” Kate when Kate is feeling ill. Here’s the thing: I’m okay with saying Carole should be there for Kate when Kate is about to give birth (God knows William doesn’t seem interested AT ALL), but it bugs me that we’re supposed to believe that Anmer Hall isn’t already staffed by easily a dozen people already.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.

Willow, 14, and Jaden Smith, 16, gave an interview to Billboard magazine to promote their latest music, released via Soundcloud. Willow’s Soundcloud music is here and Jaden’s Soundcloud is here. As I mentioned in a recent story on these two, their music has really evolved, particularly Willow’s, and they’re obviously working with some good producers. I was impressed with some of the tracks I heard from Willow, who seems to be going by “Willough” now professionally. Willough has a kind of r&b electronica vibe.

These two have also become better at giving interviews. They still talk about metaphysical concepts, but they don’t sound as nonsensical as they have in the past. They’re growing up. Here’s some of what they told Billboard with more at the source:

Jaden on his music
Everything that I talk about in my music is pretty much just trying to evolve consciousness in the world and help everything become better and brighter. I’ve never written out my lyrics before, I just go in and freestyle and say what’s on the top of my mind.

Willow on her music
I don’t like having any effects on my voice, I feel like putting a lot of Auto-Tune on it really covers up the essence of you and is like putting a cloud over real true emotion.

Willow on shaving her head
Shaving my hair made my inner light grow and shine even more. I really like who I’m evolving to be.

Willow on her fashion sense
High-fashion nomad. I could literally climb a mountain and survive a couple nights in nature. That’s a requirement for my clothes because one day I was on the freeway and I saw a mountain, so I literally just pulled over and climbed it. If you’re an artist, the way you dress also gives people a vibe of how your music is and your personality.

Jaden on his fashion: “Einstein uniform”
Einstein didn’t really like to change clothes because he had too much other stuff to worry about and I’m the same. All black is pretty much my go-to look. If somebody is just wearing something for the blogs, that’s really sad because they’re not living for themselves, versus someone wearing a kimono who’s having an awesome time. I really look to see, do you care more about what other people think, or are you having fun?

Jaden wants to look like “Batman and Robin”
People have ideals and they have a certain thing that they expect because of growing up in a certain society and I’m just trying to break those ideals. Fabrics definitely inspire me and superhero comic book characters inspire my clothes. That’s why I like to wear long drapey things because I want to look like Batman and Robin. I want to hit the polarities of life, show people that there’s a duality; there’s two sides to everything.

Willow is inspired by nature
When the sun goes down, when the song comes up. When I’m in nature. When I’m just by myself and walking around and just looking at the world happening around me, those are the moments that really inspire me.

[From Billboard]

After that last quote Jaden sounds like a teenager trying to describe overwhelming emotions. She said that when she’s crying or sad, or joyful or happy, she says to herself “this is the beauty of life.” It’s a bit poetic. Both Jaden and Willow have grown up in the public eye, and now we’re seeing them mature a bit. They still sound silly, but they’re still just kids. I wish their parents would let them be kids instead of seeing them as adults responsible for themselves.

Willow is shown performing in December, 2014. Willow and Jaden are shown in January, 2014. Credit: WENN.com

Suki Waterhouse took the April cover of Vogue UK. She had to share it with Georgia May Jagger and Cara Delevingne, but this is still a big score. The trio were photographed by Mario Testino. They nuzzled topless in their skivvies wearing furry platform shoes. You can see that photo here. In the interview, Cara says Suki and Georgia “always talk about themselves a lot, both of them.” I guess they all went to the same school, and Cara threw a little playful shade. It’s probably nothing. Cara’s very easygoing.

About a month ago, Star published a story about Suki and Bradley Cooper expecting a mini Cooper together. I still don’t think that story is true. Bradley pushed the fatherhood narrative during his Oscar campaign, yet it seemed like strategic audience appeal. People like to hear men gush about babies. Now Us Weekly says Suki is warming to the idea of marrying the Coop:

Bradley Cooper and Suki Waterhouse may be taking the next step in their relationship, Us Weekly can exclusively reveal. An insider tells Us that the model is itching for an engagement ring.

“Suki says she’s been warming him up to the idea of marriage and he’s starting to get excited about it,” the source tells Us. “It’s up to Bradley to pop the question, of course, but she hopes it happens soon.”

Waterhouse also has babies on the brain. “I really like the idea of having kids in not too long. Not, like, now. And not next year. But in not too long,” she told Elle UK in January 2013.

She added of Cooper: “Look, maybe it’s best for me to say, ‘I’m not one of those girls who goes on about their boyfriends.’ I do think whatever I say will sound weird. But the truth is, if I start talking about him, I probably won’t be able to stop. And I don’t really want to talk about him, you know?’”

[From Us Weekly]

Does this story sound authentic to you? BCoop and Suki have been together for 18 months and 2 Oscar ceremonies, but their coupling doesn’t make sense. I still don’t know why Bradley made such a big deal out of being too old to date Jennifer Lawerence, yet found someone younger. He read Lolita in the park on one of their first dates. Their body language is always so awkward, but who knows. Maybe Bradley and Suki are the real deal.

View image | gettyimages.com

View image | gettyimages.com

Photos courtesy of Vogue, Getty, Fame/Flynet & WENN

This story made me a little weepy, so I need to talk it out. A few months ago, Chris Pratt and Chris Evans made a Super Bowl bet. Pratt is a Seahawks fan, and Evans forever stands with his Pats. Both men wagered to visit the other’s children’s hospital of choice dependent on the game’s outcome. The Patriots took the title, but Evans and Pratt decided both hospitals should receive superhero visits. Pratt wore a Patriots jersey in Boston. Now Evans has made good by wearing his Cap suit in Seattle. This is the first time Evans has donned the suit for a visit. He usually shows up in civilian duds. This time was different, and the results are awesome. Cap with a beard! Make it happen, Marvel.

Even if you aren’t a fan of Pratt or Evans, it’s impossible not to be moved by these photos. Pratt previously swiped his Star Lord suit with the express purpose of visiting children’s hospitals. I wish he’d have worn the suit in Seattle, but still, this is awesome! Two Marvel superheroes in one visit. These kids were thrilled. Pratt and Evans look just as excited as the children. Evans pointing at a baby is probably my favorite of the batch. Seattle Children’s Hospital posted a flurry of photos on Twitter. Pratt tossed some snaps on Facebook, and Evans expressed his enthusiasm on Twitter.

AMAZING day at @seattlechildren w @prattprattpratt. Met some TRUE super heroes! Feeling inspired, blessed, touched. Thank you w all my heart

— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) March 8, 2015

This Dorito-flavored meatball gets excited about the strangest stubjects, but his enthusiasm is infectious here. Pratt and Evans aren’t doing this for publicity. They’re doing it for the kids. Marvel just happens to have hired some really nice guys. *sniff*

P.S. The British tabs think Evans is dating model Lucy Pinder because he visited Disneyland with a girl who looks nothing like Lucy. Huh.

Seattle Children’s hospital on Twitter, Chris Pratt on Facebook & WENN

I don’t know what’s happening to me, but I’ve been going through a stage where I don’t immediately hate everything coming out of Madonna’s mouth. Is it just me or does she actually seem a bit calmer? Yes, she’s still flashing her butt at the Grammys, but her interviews are coming off as reflective, a little bit sad and interesting. Madge sat down with the NYDN recently to talk about her new album, feeling nostalgic, why she ends up with younger guys and how Kanye West is the new Madonna.

Madge thinks Kanye is the new Madge: “Kanye is the new Madonna. Kanye is the black Madonna. We know, and recognize, that we have that in common. We’re comrades in the envelope-pushing genre.”

Showing her butt at the Grammys: “Bitch, this is what my ass looks like — show me what your ass looks like when you’re 56. I take care of myself. I’m in good shape. I can show my ass when I’m 56, or 66 — or 76. Who’s to say when I can show my ass? It’s sexism. It’s ageism. And it’s a kind of discrimination.”

She’s still vulnerable sometimes: “I’m only human. I’d like to get to the point where nothing can shake me. Sometimes I’m there, sometimes I’m not.”

Her new album is about a bad breakup? “When I started writing the record, I had just broken up with somebody. (Likely either Brahim Zaibat or Timor Steffens)

She’s not just into younger guys: “It’s just what happens. Most men my age are married with children. They’re not datable. I’m a very adventurous person and I also have a crazy life. I’m a single mother. I have four children. I mean, you have to be pretty open-minded and adventurous to want to step into my world. People who are older, and more set in their ways, are probably not as adventurous as someone younger.”

Ageism: “People have always judged me, and given me s–t about one thing or another. Now they’re giving me s–t about age. It’s bull—t. And mostly I hear it from women. I feel I should be hearing support — like, ‘Good for you.’ It’s like everything else. I’m opening doors for women behind me who one day won’t have to deal with this s–t that I deal with.”

[From The NYDN]

I think she’s kind of right about Kanye being the new Madonna. It used to be that Madonna was the queen of controversy. Nowadays, people just… don’t really care, right? Now Kanye is the one. Everyone either loves him or hates him and you can create massive flame wars by simply defending him or slamming him.

As for Madonna’s habit of dating younger guys… “Most men my age are married with children. They’re not datable.” At first I was like, “How rude, she would burned at the stake if she was a man and said that about dateable women!” But I think she means she’s not going to date married men. Which is actually a good call. Still, she should just admit that she likes dating younger guys because she wants to steal their souls and drink their blood.

View image | gettyimages.com

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet, Getty & WENN.

It might seem (from our coverage) like Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are the only celebrities attending Paris Fashion Week events this year. Not true! Although this year’s PFW seems sort of sparsely attended (which is why Kim & ‘Ye are getting so much press). But here’s Dakota Johnson! She’s a big star now. She’s the face of a $500 million franchise. Dakota was the major “get” for Dior’s front row. And this is how Raf Simons dressed his big “get”. Eh. The pants are good. Great, even. But everything else is a mess. That top looks so dated and I am beyond sick of Dakota’s budget bangs. Her hairstyle here is so backwoods-prom.

It seems like Dakota came to PFW just for the Dior show, which… I mean, that’s sort of bad news, in my opinion. It means Dakota might be up for a Dior contract and while Dior and Chanel are the biggest “gets” for beauty/fashion contracts, I kind of think Dakota would be a much better fit with another label/brand. Like… I could see her with Jason Wu or Balenciaga or something. Dakota does not say “Dior” to me. Then again, neither does Jennifer Lawrence and J-Law has a huge Dior contract (and J-Law didn’t come out for PFW??).

More photos from the Dior show… some people love Olivia Palermo’s style. I’m not one of them. She’s a pretty girl, but this look is a “no” for me.

Anna Wintour was there, of course.

Hailee Steinfeld is so adorable, but I actually thought she was Kendall Jenner in these photos. Hailee’s perfectly lovely as-is, but if I could change one thing… it would be that severe center part. Do a side-part, Hailee! And fluff up your hair!

Lots of people are hating on the fact that Kanye West posed with Lorde outside of the Dior show, but they do legitimately know each other. They’ve worked together and Lorde has said nice things about him publicly. He seems to genuinely like her too. Her hair and makeup look great here! I also think it’s funny that Kim Kardashian wasn’t “welcome” at the Dior show. At least some people have standards?

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.