Newsletter Wednesday, April 25, 2018

[LaineyGossip.com - Calling all smuthounds!] Wednesday, April 25, 2018 [Intro for April 25, 2018]( [Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend an Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey on April 25, 2018 in London, England](Dear Gossips, Prince Harry will marry Meghan Markle in 24 days in Windsor. What are your wedding plans? Are you getting up early? Are you getting together for a group screening? Have you planned your menu? Or are you actually going to be there, lining the streets? Do you think it will be more fun to watch from home so you can pause and analyse every moment? I remember the day of Prince William and Kate’s wedding, all of us turned into lip-readers. There was the moment Kate arrived and what Harry said to Will. I think it was, “Wait til you see her”, while the professional lip-readers killed the moment later on when they assessed that it was actually, “Right, here she is now”. Later, on the balcony at Buckingham Palace, it was all about the kiss and trying to figure out what Will said to Kate before the first and the second kisses. Many initially romanticised the exchange, reading that when Will leaned in for the follow-up, because the crowd wanted another as the first one was too brief, he whispered, “Let’s give them another one. I love you.” I mean, that’s the preferred version of events. And f-ck the experts who subsequently clarified that Will was a lot more succinct and unemotional – “One more”, before wrapping it up with an efficient, “That’s it, come on”. Looking back, it makes me laugh. Because in the moment, of course we wanted to buy into the emotion of it. And now, a few years later, given what we’ve seen of the Cambridges over the years, probably the businesslike description makes more sense. Can’t wait to see how it will be for Harry and Meghan. Harry’s the more intense of the two brothers. And he and Meghan, in general, are definitely more tactile than Will and Kate. What will that look like on wedding day? But before that, they’re still working. Here they are this morning commemorating Anzac Day in London. First it was a service at dawn (Meghan’s in a grey coat) followed by another event at Westminster Abbey (she’s wearing a black two-piece set) where they were joined by William, stepping out for duty for the first time since the birth of Trey earlier this week, who greeted Meghan warmly with a kiss on both cheeks. Speaking of Trey, at post time, we still don’t have a name. With Big G and Charlotte, we learned of their names two days later. If that same schedule is observed, we could find out today. Or, given that Will, Harry, and Meghan have all stepped out today and are making headlines, perhaps they’ll decide to wait until tomorrow so as to spread out the royal news to let Trey’s name announcement have its own moment in the sun. Did I mention my prediction? I’m thinking Albert, to honour the Queen’s father. There’s already a Prince Albert in Monaco though and I was wondering whether or not that would work against Albert (the odds favourite right now is Arthur) but, then again, there is already a Charlotte in Monaco (though she’s not a princess) and that didn’t stop them before. Oh, wait, but if Trey is Albert then it’s Albert and Charlotte, two in each royal house. So does that become an even bigger deterrent? Is any of this even a concern? It’s not like there’s a long list of royal names to go around. It’s always the same ones in rotation anyway. Like, what are the chances Trey Cambridge is actually going to be called something like… Rocco? Yours in gossip, Lainey [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 1:07 PM [Make Okoye Proud Society]( [Danai Gurira at the Avengers: Infinity War Premiere held in Los Angeles, California, April 24, 2018](Remember in Harry Potter when Hermione founded SPEW? Well, I want to found an organization with a funny acronym and that is MOPS, the Make Okoye Proud Society. The object is to promote the kind of healthy, boss bitch living that would inspire Okoye to gaze upon one with approbation. All I’ve wanted since seeing Black Panther is to earn Okoye’s approval. (Yes, I realize she isn’t real, and no, I haven’t worked out all the details yet, leave me alone.) The chair of MOPS would be, naturally, Danai Gurira, the real-world representative of Okoye and an accomplished badass herself. Gurira has been prominently featured during Infinity War press, part of the Wakanda delegation repping the future of Marvel beyond Iron Man. She showed up to the premiere in statement red (Zuhair Murad, if you’re keeping score), and maybe a skoosh overdressed, but given this is basically Black Panther’s victory lap, who can blame a lady for getting into it? She’s part of two of the biggest movies in history—at this point in the Infinity War tracking it’s a question of which Star Wars benchmark they best—and she plays a breakout fan-favorite character. She’s also still on The Walking Dead, which despite a ratings decline remains one of the biggest shows on TV. [Danai Gurira]( is having a banner year, and can promenade in statement red if that is what she chooses to do. Or a great jacket while heading to Kimmel. Okoye would be proud. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 7:50 PM [Nicole and Keith love love]( [Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman attend the 2018 Time 100 Gala at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 24, 2018 in New York City](Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban were also at the TIME 100 gala last night. They looked as good as Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban can look (I swear that’s a compliment) in matching black. They did their classic “we’re more in love than anyone else in the world” red carpet PDA and I’m not mad at it. At least they’re consistent. We can always rely on Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban to bring the schmaltz. Nicole and Keith love love. They may love love more than Jennifer Lopez loves love and we all know that’s A LOT. Their deep, unabashed love of love was on full display at the Time 100 gala last night but I want to rewind to yesterday when Keith posted this on Instagram: [A post shared by Keith Urban (@keithurban)]( on Apr 23, 2018 at 8:17pm PDT “Maybe it’s time we put our hearts in a parallel line.” I mean this with no disrespect but did you just throw up in your mouth a little bit? Do you want to go back to the red carpet PDA? Even if this was a video of my best friend and her husband (who also happens to be a musician), I think the sweetness would still make me a little nauseous. But wait, there’s more. PEOPLE has a full breakdown of [how this moment happened](� ). Keith was playing at an event for his new album Graffiti U. I’m going to leave that name alone. It’s too much. So, [Keith]( is at the event talking about a song on the album written by Ed Sheeran when [Nicole]( interrupts him from the back of the room. This is how PEOPLE describes the moment: … a woman in the back interrupted. “Play it!” she yelled. Urban stopped, smiled and chuckled. “I know that voice anywhere.” I’ve decided the only way to get through this post is to pretend I am reading a corny romance novel. I am already 100% more entertained. Nicole, being the shy, wallflower that she is – like so many female leads in sh-tty romance novels—is so reluctant to join Keith on stage that he basically has to beg her with, “Come on, baby.” If this were a romance novel, I would power through because “Come on, baby” is usually followed by a sex scene and the whole reason we read romance novels is for the dirty parts. Try to tell me otherwise. Nicole gets up on stage to a waiting stool beside Keith and magically a tech shows up to put a mic in front of her. How convenient! Now, we’ve arrived at the part in the story when Nicole and Keith start singing. Let’s revisit that magical moment, shall we? [A post shared by Keith Urban (@keithurban)]( on Apr 23, 2018 at 8:17pm PDT According to the PEOPLE account, Nicole proceeded to “[bury] her face in her hands.” Again, I need you to read the next part in full. Then, after accepting a warm kiss and embrace from her husband, she retook the microphone to offer a disclaimer: “I’m so embarrassed!” “You did it, though,” Urban beamed. “I love that!” Nicole could have just stood in the back of the room and not made her presence known. She also could have laughed off Keith’s coaxing to join him on stage. She didn’t. She got up there and sang. She sounded great. They were being very on brand as lovey, dovey love birds who love harder than all the love in the world. There’s that consistency I can appreciate. So why the embarrassment? I don’t actually think that Nicole was embarrassed. I think that she LOVED this moment. Nicole and Keith have “performed” together [on Instagram before](. Going back to the red carpet PDA, I think that they want us to know how in love they are and how many songs on the album Keith wrote for Nicole. It’s actually brilliant marketing. Here’s the hook: When you’re listening to the album, you get even more of the Nicole and Keith love story! It’s just like your favourite romance novel, without the sex! [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 7:19 PM [Smutty Social Media, April 25, 2018]( ��Framed sports jersey” is very specific design choice that I am not all surprised to see Nick Lachey embrace. [A post shared by Nick Lachey (@nicklachey)]( on Apr 24, 2018 at 12:38pm PDT There’s no way to wear a black suit with a red tie and not look like a magician. Or a waiter at an affordable Italian chain restaurant that serves lasagna nachos and fried gnocchi as an appetizer. (I HATE fried gnocchi – why is everyone doing this? Gnocchi is meant to be soft pillows of deliciousness, not crispy. Ugh.) [A post shared by ʞɔıʍpɹɐɥ sıɹɥɔ (@hardwick)]( on Apr 24, 2018 at 12:51pm PDT If receiving flowers on one’s birthday is a sign of popularity, how popular is Jen Meyer? I’m going to guess who sent flowers. This would be my list: Derek Blasberg, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, the Foster sisters, Rachel Zoe, Kate Hudson, Uncle Leo, Lorraine Schwartz, Scooter Braun and his wife Yael, Dasha Zhukova and Wendi Deng. Maybe Tobey Maguire? Or maybe he’s too cheap. [A post shared by JENNIFER MEYER (@jenmeyerjewelry)]( on Apr 24, 2018 at 11:38am PDT Karlie Kloss is in the Middle East right now, posting a few photos, like this one with Ellie Goulding. So again, squad adjacent. A sign that things are good with Taylor, or subterfuge. Taylor leaned heavily on her squad for 1989, and then shed them for reputation. Maybe some are feeling a little discarded. [A post shared by Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss)]( on Apr 25, 2018 at 7:34am PDT I’m becoming increasingly consumed with the upcoming Met Gala. Seeing this picture of Jennifer Connelly, I wondered if she had ever been (I couldn’t remember). She has, many times. In some decent dresses, particularly last year. Jennifer takes some fashion chances, yet I can’t recall a single on of her outfits off the top of my head. Is it because she has such a compelling face? [A post shared by Renato Campora🇮🇹🇫🇷🇺🇸 (@renatocampora)]( on Apr 23, 2018 at 5:16pm PDT Kelly Ripa would never be allowed to use the term “DP” on her show, but anything goes with Andy. And the clip is cute – it’s like she’s trying to impress him. [A post shared by Watch What Happens Live! (@bravowwhl)]( on Apr 24, 2018 at 10:03pm PDT Does Chris Pratt have any Avengers co-stars that he could fall in love with on this press tour? Because I’m still holding out for Jennifer Garner. [A post shared by chris pratt (@prattprattpratt)]( on Apr 24, 2018 at 8:31pm PDT She’s probably wearing like $15,000 worth of clothes. So why does she look such a mess? The whole point of Gucci right now is to be ostentatious to the point of tacky. Still, there has to be some finesse to the tacky, something to offset it, like a tight ponytail or minimalist jewelry. Between the poorly tied scarf, the silk blouse under the boxy jacket, the rings, the white nails, the messy hair – it’s sloppy. Which, fine, Jessica Simpson isn’t exactly known for being super tight with her looks. But what does she have against a cuffed pant? [A post shared by Jessica Simpson (@jessicasimpson)]( on Apr 25, 2018 at 7:16am PDT [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 6:07 PM [J-Rod at TIME 100]( [Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez attend the 2018 Time 100 Gala at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 24, 2018 in New York City](As we’ve established, Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez [are a brand](. Together, they are building J-Rod: The Empire. At the beginning of their relationship, there were questions about how Alex “[Centaur](” Rodriguez would handle being the clear lesser half of this power couple. Could ARod, a noted egomaniac, be a permanent plus one at red carpet events and generally in life beside Jennifer Lopez? So far, the answer seems to be yes. Here’s what ARod posted last night after they attended the TIME 100 gala side by side. [A post shared by Alex Rodriguez (@arod)]( on Apr 24, 2018 at 10:19pm PDT He also posted a shot with JLo’s mom and sister. [A post shared by Alex Rodriguez (@arod)]( on Apr 24, 2018 at 6:45pm PDT [Jennifer Lopez]( graces one of the six TIME 100 magazine covers. [Alex Rodriquez]( was not one of TIME’s 100 most influential people of 2018. He was there solely to play the role of supportive boyfriend and shockingly, he played it rather well. The quotes ARod gave to [Entertainment Tonight]( are basically just a continuation of the JLo gush fest on his Instagram page. "I'm so flattered to be sitting here kind of in the bullpen, in the bleachers, talking about the Bronx, just kinda watching her. She's getting everything she deserves, and it's just really, really nice to see… It is so great that I get to see how gorgeous she is on the inside and the outside on a night like tonight. [It's] such a special night in New York City. I'm just happy to see her get her due.” Even though I rolled my eyes a bit at the bullpen analogy, this quote in isolation is sweet. It’s all about Jennifer and HER accomplishments, as it should be. He’s “flattered” to be there, as he should be. How can I hate on a guy who seems to know his place? I know, I know, I’m getting sucked in. ARod knows that J-Rod is good for business and he’s selling the sh-t out of it. For me, it’s working. After J-Rod’s Vanity Fair cover and spread, [I decided that]( these two are perfect for each other and might, in fact, live happily ever after. They both love the spotlight and they both seem completely down to play the game together, extremely publicly. As long as ARod continues to recognize how #blessed he is to be in JLo’s presence, I’m into it. Long live J-Rod! Jennifer Lopez also performed at the TIME 100 gala and reminded everyone why she is who she is. As Kerry Washington wrote in her piece for [TIME](, it is JLo’s ability to perform that has always been her superpower. Just listen to Leslie Jones react to watching JLo’s performance. [A post shared by The Shade Room (@theshaderoom)]( on Apr 25, 2018 at 4:48am PDT Leslie Jones is giving Alex Rodriquez some competition as JLo’s biggest fangirl and I am here for it. What do we think ARod was doing during this performance? My bet is on some gentle foot tapping and awkward head bobbing. I cannot picture him dancing. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 5:21 PM [D3 reunites again]( [Beyonce, Michelle Williams, and Kelly Rowland attend the Dundas brand opening in West Hollywood, April 24, 2018](Beyoncé, [Kelly Rowland](, and Michelle Williams were out together last night for the opening of DundasWorld in LA. DundasWorld is Peter Dundas’s label. You may not know the name but you know his designs. Peter has been designing for Beyoncé for years. And for sure you remember the pieces. Last year at the Grammys: And, of course, you don’t need me to tell you where you’ve seen this one: [A post shared by Roberto Cavalli Official (@roberto_cavalli)]( on Apr 24, 2016 at 12:02am PDT Beyoncé doesn’t just show up for anyone. Getting [Beyoncé]( at your event is a pretty big deal. Especially since she’s pretty strategic about letting us see her. And we’ve just seen her two weekends in a row at Beychella. Speaking of Beychella, [Michelle]( was interviewed this week by the [LA Times]( and she throws down some pretty great lines. Here’s what she said about the Beyoncé Homecoming Pyramid: I said, "Where is this pyramid going, by the way? Are the twins gonna play on it one day? Is it gonna be their swing set?" Very good questions. Where IS the pyramid going? Will it be housed in the [Beyoncé Museum](? It should be. The Pyramid area of the Beyoncé Museum will have wall-to-wall monitors playing both Beychella performances. And it will be dedicated to the HBCUs, perhaps with a corridor that celebrates the Divine Nine. And also an interactive studio area where every two hours, a dance instructor is available to teach you the dance moves –for an extra fee, obviously. I would pay. Michelle also talked about what she first thought when Beyoncé presented her with the idea behind Beychella: Initially I was like, "Bey, just go out there and have fun. People are gonna be so excited to see you." And then I walked into rehearsal for the first time and saw this big old pyramid and that it was gonna be filled to the brim with humans. I said, "What in the bejesus is this? I told you just to go have fun!" But she can never do anything that we would think is normal. And this is what's fun for her. There it is. What’s fun for Beyoncé is what would make most of us get back into bed and sleep until it’s over. And the work isn’t over. Because On The Run II kicks off on June 6. So in 6 weeks, Beyoncé will unveil an entirely new performance set. Which has already been in production now for months. We know this because she and Jay were photographed in Jamaica a couple of months ago shooting footage for the concert. This means that she was working on Beychella while working on On The Run. You saw what it took to put Beychella together. And to think she was also preparing for ANOTHER TOUR AT THE SAME TIME…? [Click here]( to read Michelle’s full interview with the LA Times. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 4:55 PM [Aquaman is rumbling]( [Amber Heard and Jason Momoa attend CinemaCon 2018 Warner Bros. Pictures Invites You to The Big Picture, an Exclusive Presentation of our Upcoming Slate at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace during CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners, on April 24, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada](Aquaman is Warner Brothers only live-action superhero movie this year, so there is a lot of pressure on it to perform during the holiday box office season, especially since Justice League disappointed all expectations. To that end, Aquaman was a centerpiece of Warners’ presentation at CinemaCon yesterday. Director James Wan was there, along with stars [Jason Momoa]( and [Amber Heard](. (The Warners panel was hosted by Will Arnett, voice of LEGO Batman, and at one point Momoa said, “You’re the best Batman,” which is true and also, are we not pretending anymore that everything is working out with the Justice League?) They screened the first footage anyone has seen from the movie. It sounds HELLA DUMB, with “shark horses” and Aquaman throwing a submarine, all of which I’m okay with. It’s AQUAMAN. This is not the superhero to take too seriously. Of course, this now begs the question of when WE get to see something from this movie, like a trailer. Aquaman doesn’t come out until December, and it’s April, so we’re not even on the six-month clock yet, but there has been a steady thrum of anxiousness since nothing has been teased for this movie so far. I don’t mind, though, because in the past Warners has overdone it with their DC movies, advertising for YEARS in advance. Showing restraint would be a new thing for them. Maybe they drop a trailer tomorrow, to attach to Avengers: Infinity War this week, or maybe they don’t do anything until Comic-Con. I would prefer, honestly, that they wait simply because they do have so much runway left and there is no need to force it. Everything about the current run of DC movies has felt rushed and forced—except Wonder Woman. And that’s their best movie to date. So yeah, take your time, and get it right, and maybe we end up in a world where Aquaman, once a joke on Entourage, is THE movie of the holiday season. Although I’m sure Mary Poppins will have something to say about that. [Source]( [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 4:18 PM [Ocean’s 8 (minus 2) at CinemaCon]( [Sarah Paulson, Mindy Kaling, Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway and Awkwafina attend CinemaCon 2018 Warner Bros. Pictures Invites You to The Big Picture, an Exclusive Presentation of our Upcoming Slate at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace during CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners on April 24, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada](Warner Bros decided to bring in the big names for their CinemaCon presentation in Vegas yesterday. So here are [Sandra Bullock](, [Cate Blanchett](, [Mindy Kaling](, [Sarah Paulson](, [Awkwafina](, and Anne Hathaway on stage during the Ocean’s 8 part of the event to introduce a new clip, which has yet to be released online. I’m OK with that. I don’t know if I need, at this point, to see anything else [beyond the two trailers](. As Sarah wrote after the second trailer was released, Ocean's 8 looks as fun as we want it to be and everything else, including how they pull off the heist, can wait until we’re in the theatre. What they have to do between now and then is show off their chemistry. So, basically, be themselves. Oh and go to the Met Gala. Which is 10 days away. For sure they’re all going to the Met Gala, right? Rihanna is one of the co-chairs of the Met Gala this year. Rihanna wasn’t there yesterday and neither was Helena Bonham Carter but I’m also not worried about that. You don’t want to roll out Rihanna too soon. Or the HBC. I’m actually dying to see how Rihanna and HBC play off one another. And I’m willing to wait for it. Here are the Ocean’s 8 (minus 2) on stage doing the talk show banter thing. Of course Sandra Bullock is the best at it. It’s why she’s “Sandy”. It’s why everybody loves her. I can’t not love her. I love her a lot. I love how natural she is with a corny joke. I love how easy it is to watch her. It never feels like she’s working (even when she is) so it never feels like work to enjoy her. Does that make sense? And then there’s [Anne Hathaway]( who somehow ends up with her shoes off. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 3:22 PM [Shawn Mendes, the grown-up]( [Shawn Mendes attends the 2018 Time 100 Gala at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 24, 2018 in New York City](It has been almost a month to the day [since Shawn Mendes snapped]( and made it impossible for me to pretend he doesn’t exist. Since Shawn released his two latest, strongest and sexiest singles, In My Blood and Lost in Japan, he has only continued to prove that he’s worthy of our attention. Shawn Mendes proved his worth so much that Duana and Lainey dedicated a portion of the [last episode of Show Your Work]( to his work and the work it takes to make a pop star. An integral component of the pop star formula involves the music video. Music videos used to be more of an appointment event. They used to be something you gathered around the TV to watch. Now, they tend to be smart marketing tools and often just elaborate attempts to go viral but they are no less essential to an artist’s trajectory. Yesterday, Shawn Mendes released the music video for In My Blood and I’m impressed. Again, Shawn Mendes has shown artistic maturity and depth that I did not expect. In My Blood is a song about Shawn’s battle with anxiety. He’s spoken openly about his struggle to cope with anxiety and how much writing this song [helped that process](. The visuals that accompany In My Blood succeed at doing exactly what a music video should and that’s enhance the message of the song. The video focuses on Shawn, lying on the floor, barefoot and seemingly paralyzed while the world around him literally starts caving in, just as the lyrics suggest. That might sound like a cheesy, on-the-nose interpretation of the song but as the camera zooms closer and closer into Shawn, it feels more and more like you’re watching a panic attack in real time. I struggle with anxiety and panic attacks too. I had a panic attack two weeks ago and I lay on the floor of my closet for what felt like hours, praying to Beyoncé that it would pass. Watching In My Blood took me right back to that floor. The video’s simplicity and relatability is powerful. See for yourself and meet me on the other side. It’s important that an artist on the verge of grown-ass pop stardom is using his platform to shed light on a struggle that many of his peers, famous or not, share with him. According to research in 2016, depression and anxiety in high school kids have steadily been on the rise since 2012. That same data from the National Institute of Mental Health, quoted by TIME, found that about 30% of teen girls in the U.S. [have anxiety disorders](. Teen girls are Shawn’s most loyal demo. Sure, some of them are just watching In My Blood and thinking about how stupidly beautiful he is (he is really, ridiculously attractive) but maybe some of them saw their own struggles and chose to finally speak up about it and get help. Shawn’s been open about [going to therapy]( and working on his own self-care. Throughout this press tour with this particular song and music video, Shawn Mendes is going to have to talk about his anxiety over and over again. He’s no longer just talking to his fan-base of teen girls, he’s attempting to broach a whole other demographic. I don’t mean at all to suggest that Shawn Mendes is using his mental health strategically but the fact that he can be so open about something so personal, which still has major stigma attached, is appealing to every single demographic. By delving into deeper topics, inadvertently, Shawn is becoming an adult. One of the reasons I didn’t care about Shawn Mendes was that I never had a reason to care. He was a boring baby lamb with moderately catchy pop songs. A month later, Shawn Mendes is a grown-ass man showing vulnerability on a massive stage and mastering the art of subtlety in music videos. I’ve compared In My Blood to Wrecking Ball musically. What do you remember about that music video? The close-up shot of Miley singing to camera with a single tear? Or her writhing around on a wrecking ball which now that I think of it I doubt anyone would classify as subtle? Either way, those two scenes from Wrecking Ball are simple and memorable without pyro and over-the-top action scenes. In My Blood has the same effect. I make this comparison because you could argue that Wrecking Ball further catapulted Miley into full-blown adult pop stardom. If you’re waiting for Shawn’s make-out-with-a-model, grown and sexy music video, my bet is that it’s coming with Lost in Japan because goddamn, that song is still so hot. I have no idea how we got here but the next Shawn Mendes music video drop is going to be an event for me. Who am I? I’ll leave you with Shawn’s very sexy cover of Psycho, a song by the abomination masquerading as a rapper that will forever be remembered as the dude who opened for Beychella. I refuse to listen to Pocket Lint (that’s what I call Post Malone because he looks like a fluff of lint someone pulled out of the pocket of their dirty jeans) so this was the first time I heard the song and I LOVE it. Let’s pretend the other version doesn’t exist. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 2:54 PM [Crazy Rich Asians at CinemaCon]( [Awkwafina, Henry Golding, Gemma Chan, Constance Wu, Sonoya Mizuno and director Jon M. Chu attend CinemaCon 2018 Warner Bros. Pictures Invites You to The Big Picture, an Exclusive Presentation of our Upcoming Slate at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace during CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners on April 24, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada](It happened! As I was [hoping for last week](, Crazy Rich Asians was part of the Warner Bros presentation yesterday at CinemaCon in Vegas. This is evidently why the trailer was delayed until this week, so they could start building momentum for the movie – and it’s working. CRA has been picking up solid traffic on social media. The preview was overwhelmingly well-received. Reaction from the first VIP screening on Monday was excellent. And now the cast is getting equal play in front of theatre owners alongside superhero movies and major releases (Oceans 8) featuring major movie stars (Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper). Again, it’s encouraging to see the studio put this kind of effort behind the project, a film with a predominantly Asian cast that will be set predominantly in Asia. So here are [Constance Wu](, [Henry Golding](, [Awkwafina](, [Sonoya Mizuno](, and [Gemma Chan](, led by director Jon M Chu, on stage yesterday …and seeing these photos this morning almost made me cry because… I’m not sure I’ve seen it before. Especially not at a big Hollywood-style movie event like this. With all these Asian faces (And Will Arnett.) And what’s even better is that, as we get closer and closer to the release of the movie, we might start getting used to this. During the press tour and all of the promotional events, this cast will be everywhere, standing next to each other like this on other stages and on red carpets and maybe on magazine covers and eventually, hopefully?, it’ll start feeling… normal? Ordinary? Well, that’s a stretch. Because Crazy Rich Asians, right now, is repping for everyone – as in it’s the only one. There’s no other all-Asian major studio film in production right now. So when Crazy Rich Asians is over, there will be a wait for the next. Remember, CRA is the first major Hollywood movie since The Joy Luck Club. JLC came out in 1993. It’s been 25 years! Let’s talk now about Gemma Chan, who plays Astrid. The trailer is [low on Astrid](. Which I’m not mad at. Because the trailer has to be an introduction to those who are unfamiliar with the story and the way they’re selling it right now is rom-com with some mother-in-law Girl Sh-t, relatable in any culture, whether you’re middle class or royal, as we [recently saw in Spain](. Astrid isn’t part of that drama so there’s no sense in confusing people by putting her in the preview. She has her own drama though, as you know if you’ve read the books. And she is the one who will bring the style. And on the subject of style, there were a few comments about how tacky the style is from what we saw in the trailer. Really? Ummm…what did you expect? The movie is called Crazy Rich Asians. These people ARE tacky. Over-the-top is the only fashion gear they know. Over-the-top everything is the only gear they know. You’ve seen the recent trend at [Chinese weddings]( right? No? Here, let me show you. That’s a veil, travelling along a track, before dropping delicately onto the bride’s head. She is waiting for it on a f-cking runway. And you expected good taste?! I know my people. Let them live! Let them have their tacky-ass sh-t! Except for Astrid, of course. And that’s the point. The more tacky everyone else’s fashion, the more amazingly steezy Astrid’s will be. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 2:10 PM [Macaulay Culkin returns, kind of]( [Macaulay Culkin on The Tonight Show, March 2, 2018](We don’t often talk about Macaulay Culkin—and [I prefer it that way]( but recently he’s been out in public, doing things and saying stuff. This week he was on Ellen DeGeneres, and last month he popped by The Tonight Show, tolerating questions about Home Alone and his time as a child star in order to promote his podcast and mock lifestyle brand, both named Bunny Ears. You can check out the site [here](� ). Culkin describes it as “[Goop meets The Onion]( and you can definitely see that slant, with sections covering Diet & Exploration, Proclivities, and Upscale Culture, and the news ticker features items like Forever 21 turns 34 and Bitcoins revealed to be Pogs all along (which is a great line). It’s not bad, and they picked up internet comedy heavyweights Daniel O’Brien and Michael Swaim, lately of Cracked, so this is not some half-assed lark of the “[essentially retired](” former child star. This is a legit effort to build a comedy site and podcast, and Culkin has brought in internet comedy writing pros to that end. It’s also why he’s out promoting on talk shows. He didn’t do the rounds for his pizza-themed cover band, but for Bunny Ears, he’s extending himself. And it’s not just the talk shows—there’s social media, too. He has a [Twitter]( and an [Instagram](. This is the most accessible Culkin has been since…the 1990s. So why is he emerging into the sunlight now? Well, Bunny Ears is clearly not an eccentric goof. It has a staff, and Culkin’s friends are involved. He’s always been supportive of his friends, willing to stick his head out to get them a little attention. That’s why he was [interviewed by Vulture]( a couple years ago, to stir up interest in his mate’s Aladdin movie project. Bunny Ears looks like it’s meant to be a going concern, and it’s one employing his friends. OF COURSE Culkin will throw his considerable star-weight behind it, even if it makes him uncomfortable. And while he’s game and smiling in these interviews, if you watch long enough, you can see his hands start to shake (especially on Fallon). I don’t think this is easy for him, and while he’s willing to put himself out there, writing and podcasting are in some ways less demanding than performing. For one thing, you don’t have to pretend to be anyone else. And for another, with writing and podcasting, the relationship to the audience is totally different. In this medium, you publish something and your audience finds you. If you want to stay in your niche, that’s cool—you never have to leave it, because your audience is in there with you. But with acting, especially at the level Culkin did it, you’re always under pressure to widen the audience, hook more people, expand the fanbase. With Bunny Ears, Culkin can do a couple talk shows and goose awareness for his new venture, but he doesn’t have to do press several times a year, every year. I’m not sure I’m explaining this well, but as someone who once performed and now writes, I can tell you the work isn’t any less, or easier, but the level of engagement is much more manageable. I control how much I want to interact with people on any given day. I can see how this would appeal to Culkin, as he gets to set the tone and decide how available he wants to be. Macaulay Culkin has come the closest to the spotlight he’s stood in years, but it’s on his terms. Good. Check out Culkin on Ellen: [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 1:33 PM [Privacy Policy]( - [Unsubscribe](