'Mission' accomplished: Cruise's latest 'Impossible' helps save holiday box office

Tom Cruise’s latest mission has won a holiday weekend that’s shaping up with some silent nights at movie theaters as business continues to lag.

Studio estimates placed Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol” a solid No. 1 with $26.5 million domestically over its first weekend in full release. The movie raised its total to $59 million since it started a week earlier in huge-screen cinemas and expanded nationwide last Wednesday, and distributor Paramount estimated that revenues will reach $72.7 million by Monday.

Cruise’s fourth “Mission” flick was a bright spot over a Christmas weekend filled with so-so tidings for Hollywood, whose usually busy holiday stretch since Thanksgiving has been a bust.

Generally well-reviewed movies from Steven Spielberg ("The Adventures of Tintin”), David Fincher ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”) and Cameron Crowe ("We Bought a Zoo”) — with casts that include Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson and Daniel Craig — opened with modest to weak results.

Despite predictions from studio executives that 2011 could be a record-setter that would finish with a bang, domestic revenues remained stuck at a sluggish pace that has lingered all year.

Hollywood should finish the year with $10.1 billion domestically, down 4.5 percent from 2010, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com.

The picture gets worse taking into account higher ticket prices, which mean Hollywood brings in fewer fans for each dollar spent. Actual domestic attendance for 2011 will close out at about 1.27 billion, down 5.3 percent from the previous year’s and the lowest head count since 1995, when admissions totaled 1.26 billion.

“Thank God 2011 is almost over, because we’ve had a real rough run here at the end of the year,” said Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “We always count on the holiday season to give us a big boost at the end of the year, and it just didn’t happen.

“These admission numbers this year just tell me that we maybe have to set our sights a little lower in terms of attendance every year.”

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Anne Curtis' star at its brightest in 2011

MANILA, Philippines – Actress Anne Curtis topped Star Studio magazine’s list of “most intriguing and inspiring people of 2011.”

While she may be humble enough not to brag about it, most people would definitely agree that 2011 is the year when Curtis’ star was at its brightest.

This past year, Curtis launched her own music album even though she is not a singer.

Her album “AnneBisyosa” received a gold record award 3 weeks after it was released.

Curtis was also one of the lead stars of Star Cinema’s “No Other Woman” which was a blockbuster hit.

It earned almost P220 million in ticket sales during its third week of showing.

In 2011, Curtis was also the first Filipino to be added to the roster of endorsers of an international cosmetic brand, putting her alongside popular Hollywood stars.

She also received a star at the Eastwood Walk of Fame this year.

Furthermore, she was able to conquer the stage of the Araneta Coliseum when she guested on Martin Nievera and Side A’s concert.

While Curtis considers this year overwhelming, she said she is glad that a lot of opportunities continue to come her way.

“I don’t think ‘Wow, I have all of this.’ It’s not like that at all. I have nothing more I can ask for. I’m just so happy. I’m just happy with what has come to me, and I just go on being the jolly and bubbly person that I am,” she told Star Studio.

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Mel Gibson Loses Half of His $850 Million Fortune to Ex-Wife in Divorce

Mel Gibson is not only single, but $425 million poorer, thanks to a divorce settlement finalized Friday between the actor and his wife of 31 years, Robyn Denise Moore.

The judgment, finalized by a judge in Los Angeles, keeps virtually all details of the settlement secret. People magazine reports that the couple did not have a prenuptial agreement, meaning his ex-wife would be entitled to half of everything Gibson earned during their marriage.

The Oscar-winner’s fortune has been estimated to be as high as $850 million, the magazine said, citing a 2006 report in the Los Angeles Business Journal.

Throughout the 31-year marriage, which produced seven children, Gibson directed, invested and starred in movies such as “The Passion of the Christ,” which grossed more than $600 million alone. He also invested heavily in real estate, including an island in Fiji he bought for $15 million in 2005.

People also reports that Moore, a former dental nurse, is entitled to half of any film residuals Gibson receives for the rest of his life.

Moore, 55, filed for divorce from Gibson, also 55, in 2009. The two met in the late 1970s, when they were both tenants in a house in Adelaide, Australia. Of their seven children only one, a 12-year-old son, is a minor and therefore subject to a custody agreement.

The divorce, which will take effect Jan. 9, is believed to be the biggest celebrity divorce payout in Hollywood history. Director Steven Spielberg paid an estimated $100 million to Amy Irving in their 1989 divorce.

Gibson’s divorce payout and the potential custody battle that lies ahead comes on the heels of the $750,000 he agreed to pay to Oksana Grigorieva, his former girlfriend and mother of his toddler daughter, Lucia, in August.

The two, who split last April, were engaged in a bitter custody dispute that included leaked recordings that sounded like Gibson engaged in a racist and sexist tirade, and Grigorieva accusing Gibson of domestic violence.

The “Braveheart” star pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge involving Grigorieva in March. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department also investigated allegations of attempted extortion by Grigorieva, but she was never charged.

Robyn Moore came to her now ex-husband’s defense in the battery case, filing a brief declaration that Gibson had never physically abused her or their children.

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Rare Case Of Two-Headed Baby Born Healthy

A rare case of a healthy two-headed baby was witnessed in Brazil this week. According to doctors the two-headed baby is actually a set of conjoined twins who had to share one body due to a rare birth defect.
The twins, born on Monday and named Jesus and Emanuel in honour of the upcoming Christmas holiday, have distinct brains and spinal cords but share internal organs, appearing as a single baby with two heads.
The hospital said the 23-year-old mother only learned that she was pregnant with twins at the time of the delivery, when an ultrasound was performed.

The condition, known as dicephalic parapagus, is extremely rare.

But one set of twins born with the condition in 1990, Americans Abby and Brittany Hensel, have led a relatively normal life in the US state of Minnesota and appeared in a documentary in 2008.

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Metro Manila Film Festival

(We are running this guide to help moviegoers plan their holiday cinema tour. The 37th MMFF runs from Dec. 25 to Jan. 7, 2012.)

My Househusband: Ikaw Na!

Directed by Jose Javier Reyes; stars Judy Ann Santos, Ryan Agoncillo, Eugene Domingo, Rocco Nacino and Ellen Adarna

Trouble in an otherwise normal family begins when Rod (Agoncillo) loses his job as a bank manager. This forces his wife Mia (Santos), who gave up a promising career in sales for her family, to step up. As Mia’s insurance job blossoms, Rod is forced to take care of the house and two kids, especially after their trusted housekeeper goes on an emergency leave.

Trapped at home, Rod befriends their next-door neighbor named Aida (Domingo) who is a kept woman. As the friendship develops, Mia feels suspicious. When Rod decides to try his luck in Canada, he is surprised to know that Mia would willingly give up her work and prepare for the family to move elsewhere. At the same time, Rod makes Aida realize that she, too, has to take a hold of her life and work on her own.

“This is a reunion of sorts with Direk Joey,” said Santos of Reyes, who also directed her and Agoncillo in “Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo.”

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The Hobbit Trailer Makes Its Debut on Facebook [VIDEO]

The Lord of the Rings franchise has released the trailer for its trilogy prequel The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey slated to hit theaters next December. Although it’s not unusual for big films to be hyped this far in advance, the LOTR team has been giving fans incremental treats of behind-the-scenes footage on Facebook for nearly a year.

The much-anticipated trailer – which hit The Hobbit’s Facebook page late Tuesday night — follows the character Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), a Hobbit who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim treasure taken by the dragon Smaug. The film stars Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Ian McKellen, Ian Holm, Hugo Weaving, Evangeline Lily and others. It’s once again directed by Peter Jackson, and the prequel will be made into two parts.

Instead of relying on traditional forms of media such as magazines and TV to tease the film out to fans, the marketers of the film have been connecting with its audience since February on Facebook by adding new pictures, videos and Q&A’s to its Hobbit page.

The video clips that highlight a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the film could easily have been saved as bonus footage for the DVD and Blu-ray release, but by the time the movie opens, it will have ramped up fans and generated immense interest in the film for two years.

The production videos — which have been about ten minutes in length — are easily sharable with Facebook friends and many have found their way onto YouTube. Meanwhile, the trailer runs about 2:33 minutes.

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End Of The World: December 12, 2012 One Year Away

The countdown begins today and the end of the world is exactly one year away.

That’s right, we are now exactly one year away from December 21, 2012, the date dubbed doomsday. December 21, 2012 marks the end of an era according to Mayan Long Count calendar. To many, including major film producers, it has been interpreted to mark the end of humanity too.

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Many doubt the end of the world will really happen, like many other doomsday predictions including the most recent by Harold Camping. Camping predicted the world would end this past May and again in October. He also predicted the world would end in the 1990s.

Doomsayers have predicted a slew of cataclysmic events they say will go down in December including a killer solar flare and geomagnetic reversal as well as massive earthquakes and tsunamis. Movie producers have also hopped on the bandwagon, cashing in on doomsday with movies like “2012″ and “Day After Tomorrow.”

But on a series note, many others who didn’t believe the previous doomsday predictions have become believers of December 21, 2012.

So, what makes the 2012 prediction different? According to ABC, the Mayan civilizations had a talent for astronomy and created what has been called the most accurate calendar in the world that begins in 3,114 B.C.

ABC also reported that an ancient stone tablet was discovered in the 1960s in Tortuguero, Mexico, that describes the return of a Mayan god at the end of the 13th period, which ends December 21, 2012.

Still, others say the end of the world isn’t going to happen for a number of reasons.

One good reason why the world won’t end is that the prediction may have been misinterpreted. The Mayans never predicted the end of the world and some archeologists argue that the date actually marks an end of a cycle in the Mayan calendar not the apocalypse.

And as we previously reported, this April, the Mayas released a letter saying something similar.

“Contrary to popular belief, the living elders of the Maya do not agree that December 21, 2012 is the end of their calendar. A new “Sun” represents the beginning of a new Long Count cycle in the calendar system of approximately 5,200 years.” the letter reads.

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'Girl With The Dragon Tattoo''s Controversial Movie Posters Raise Eyebrows

If you have not read The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, the first book in the Millenium Trilogy, stop reading this article right now. Hit the back button, exit out of whatever Internet browser you are using and head to the nearest library to pick up a copy. After you’ve read it, you are of course allowed to come back to this article and form your own opinion based on how you read into the events and plot of the book.

However, if you have read Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, then you’ve also probably seen advertising for the new movie coming out on December 21.

Since the announcement of David Fincher’s American adaption of Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, people have been clamoring about how Hollywood doesn’t need to remake foreign movies just so people don’t have to read subtitles. But for now we’ll ignore that and focus on another more important issue, one that is being fiercely discussed right now. After all, Hollywood has a long, rather painful past of sexualizing female characters in movies they produce. Thanks to the first theatrical poster for Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, many people are afraid that the new Lisbeth Salander will be nothing more than tits and punked-up tattoos.

The offensive poster showed a topless Rooney Mara (Lisbeth Salander) wearing a pair of leather pants that are rather difficult to see and the arm of her fully-clothed costar Daniel Craig (Mikael Blomkvist) around the top of her breasts to keep the poster from getting too racy. Despite this, the poster has been criticized as “pornographic,” “titillating,” “sexualized,” and giving Lisbeth a “sexually inviting” appearance, not to mention making Craig appear more powerful by keeping him in clothes.

Firstly, glaring murderously at the camera and looking as if you would bite the face off of anyone who even glanced at you the wrong way has never really been the same as looking “sexually inviting.” There is nothing alluring about her face. If anything, the expression makes the viewer want to back away slowly and carefully. Perhaps if Mara was lying on her back in a playboy pose, fully nude and without any of Craig’s conveniently placed arms, there may have been an issue. But Mara doesn’t look like that. She’s naked, yes, but we’re not really seeing anything provocative.

Secondly, these books are about sex, and there is no other way to phrase that. The entire plot of the first book deals with incest and rape, while the second and third books focus on prostitution. Scattered throughout all three books are sexual themes such as bondage, infidelity, having more than one sex partner and lesbian sex. All of the books regularly find Mikael and Lisbeth sleeping with more than one person, and both are comfortable with the fact that sex is a big part of their lives.

The second poster to be released for the movie, from which a topless Lisbeth was notably absent.

The argument that Hollywood will sexualize Lisbeth in the movies in a ridiculous one, because a large part of Lisbeth’s personality is made up of sex. She has been raped and been accused of working as a prostitute. She has slept with men and women. She has been both the dominant and the submissive role. She has been in casual one-night stands and long-lasting relationships. The point is that Lisbeth is in control of her sex life and her sexuality. She’s aware of the fact that as a woman, she runs the risk of having her body used against her or exploited. But that neither stops nor bothers her. This then begs the question how do you sexualize a sex object? How do you turn a woman in control of her sexuality into a bare-chested whore?

The answer to that question is that you can’t.

So what if Lisbeth is naked in the film (or in the poster)? That doesn’t mean or say anything about the movie. A naked woman on a theatrical poster means that there is a naked woman on a theatrical poster and nothing more. Based on what happens in the book, we can assume that there will be nudity and sex in the movie, but that has to do with how Stieg Larsson wrote his books, not with what creative liberties David Fincher took. There is sex and nudity in most movies these days because that is what our society wants to see on the big screen.

There isn’t enough released information for people to make assumptions about the movie. Audiences will have to wait until December 21 to pass judgment on the quality of Girl With A Dragon Tattoo, and hopefully that judgment will be based on something other than if Lisbeth wears a shirt or not.

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David Archuleta to embark on Mormon mission

Fresh-faced “American Idol” star David Archuleta is putting his promising career aside for a higher calling.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Archuleta – or Archie, as he’s known to fans – has announced that he’s embarking on a Mormon mission.

The 20-year-old Utah native shared his news at the Salt Lake City stop of his My Kind of Christmas Tour. “I would like to make a special announcement: That I’ve chosen to serve a full-time mission,” he told the audience.

“It’s not because someone told me I was supposed to do it and not because I no longer want to do music anymore,” the “Idol” season 7 runner-up explained to the crowd. “It’s because it’s what I feel I need to do next in my life.”

This means Archie will be sent abroad (or possibly somewhere in the United States) to proselytize his faith. He’ll have limited contact with family and friends, a strict schedule and will wear the traditional dress clothes of a missionary.

Mormon.org describes the missionary’s experience: “During their two years of full time service they devote themselves to studying, meeting people and teaching about Jesus Christ and His restored Church.”

But Archuleta won’t be trading in his tour bus for a bicycle just yet – on Wednesday, the singer will perform the last show on his Christmas tour in Beaver Creek, Colorado.

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Debra Messing and husband Daniel Zelman separate

Debra Messing and her husband, writer-producer Daniel Zelman, have separated after more than a decade of marriage.

People magazine has reported that the couple — parents to a 7-year-old son, Roman — separated privately earlier this year. The news was not shared publicly until yesterday.

Messing, 43, and Zelman, 44, first met when both were pursuing graduate degrees in acting at New York University during the early 1990s. They married in September of 2000

Us magazine cites an individual close to the pair who says the former “Will and Grace” star and Zelman recently moved to New York and are still living together with their son. “It’s very amicable,” the individual explains.

Messing will next be seen in the NBC musical series “Smash.” Zelman’s credits include executive producer and co-creator of the FX series “Damages” and co-writer of the 2008 Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson rom-com “Fool’s Gold.”

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Snooki hit with $7 million lawsuit

(CBS) "Jersey Shore" star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi has some off-screen drama to deal with.

The TV personality has been hit with a $7 million counterclaim in her legal battle with a licensing company.

Pictures: "Jersey Shore"

According to the New York Post, Polizzi partnered with SRG Ventures to launch an array of Snooki-related merchandise last year, but filed suit in October to end her contract with the company, alleging it didn't fulfill its obligation to land her enough money or branding partnerships.

SRG Ventures fired back with the counterclaim against Polizzi and her management team, claiming she sabotaged the deal by negotiating with brands behind the company's back.

A rep for the reality star told the Post, "Ms. Polizzi disputes SRG's version of the facts and looks forward to her day in court."

"Jersey Shore" returns to MTV for its fifth season starting Jan. 5.

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'The Dark Knight Rises' Trailer: Burning Questions

What's with Bruce Wayne's cane, and did Catwoman steal Mrs. Wayne's pearls?

If you're able to tear yourself away from the new theatrical trailer for "The Dark Knight Rises," you should be applauded. The two-minute trailer packs so much goodness in that it can be hard to focus on anything else.

Other fans like you have already begun to post detailed trailer analyses and lists of supposed Easter eggs trying to unlock every secret the new preview holds. We have a few questions of our own that need answering, so here is our list of the burning questions from the "Dark Knight Rises" theatrical trailer.

What's with the cane? The trailer doesn't come right out and say it, but it doesn't take much scrutinizing to see that Bruce Wayne walks with a cane in two scenes. Early in the trailer, you can see Bruce and his cane reflected in the cloche and from the side as he passes the camera. He also appears to be favoring one side during the masquerade scenes with Selina Kyle and Miranda Tate. It's hard to imagine Nolan choosing to feature Bane as the main villain and neglecting to make reference to the act he's most famous for, breaking Batman's back. The cane could signal some manifestation of the moment from "Knightfall."

Are there two Robin references in the trailer? The blogosphere blew up Monday with theories that the stadium scene features two references to the Boy Wonder, thus confirming his presence in the movie, but both have been sufficiently debunked. Whether you noticed the first depended on whether you follow the NFL. When fans saw that the player who outruns the earthquake was named "Ward," they had either two reactions: "Oh hey, that's Hines Ward, wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers," or "I have no idea who Hines Ward is, so that's a reference to Robin's status as Batman's ward!"

The other reference was most likely the work of a crafty background actor. Among the fans in the stadium, one person held up a large "R" that spelled out the team name "Rogues." Eagle-eyed viewers noticed that the "R" resembles the stylized one used for the Robin logo, but as Empire pointed out, most of the 10,000 extras for that scene brought their own props to set.

Did Catwoman steal Mrs. Wayne's pearls? Reddit user "mpty" noticed something interesting while rewatching "Batman Begins." The pearls Selina Kyle dons in the trailer resemble the set Thomas Wayne shows young Bruce in the original movie. This could be the first we see of Catwoman's famous hobby, burglary. So much of her portrayal in the trailer focuses on her advocacy for the 99 percent. This may be the first hint at the other side of Ms. Kyle.

Is there a flashback to "Batman Begins"-era Bruce Wayne? Christian Bale speaks his only line in the trailer while wearing clothes and sporting a beard that haven't been around since his early days as a world traveler. He looks very similar to how he did during his training with the League of Shadows. We know the last film in the trilogy doubles back to cover some territory from the first movie; perhaps we're seeing that here.

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Kardashian Christmas card: Kim is alone, Rob stands tall

The Kardashian Christmas card is out and in it, well, Kim Kardashian stands alone. So does Rob Kardashian, of course, but with his confident new "Dancing With the Stars" posture, that's nothing but a good thing.

The Kardashian/Jenner family Christmas card for 2011, released Monday, was shot once again by Nick Saglimbeni and, like so many other holiday greetings -- say, "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" -- also comes in a 3D version.

"There's nothing I love more than getting everyone together for the Christmas card shoot!" Kourtney Kardashian wrote on her blog. "I love everyone's matching bow ties!"

The cast of characters includes, from left, Rob Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Kylie Jenner, Bruce Jenner and Kris Jenner, Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom, Kim Kardashian, and wee little Mason Disick with his parents, Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick.

One fun year-over-year note: Check out Rob's demeanor in last year's card, where he's hiding himself in the middle of his larger-than-life family, and compare that to the shot above. What a difference a No. 2 finish in "Dancing With the Stars" makes, indeed. Rob also recently posted a picture of their Christmas tree, "before presents."

Meanwhile, back to Kim, boldly standing alone in the wake of her short-lived marriage to Kris Humphries.

"Maybe our mistakes r what make our fate,wout them what would shape our lives? Perhaps if we never veered off course we wouldn't b who we are," Kim said on Twitter, shortly after announcing the arrival of the card. We wonder, was she referring to her pending divorce, or to the Kris-and-Kim Christmas card photos that wound up in the photographer's trash bin?

Either way, the Kardashian card might not exactly scream "Jingle Bells," but that's hardly what we expect from the reality-TV clan this time of year.

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Jon Bon Jovi dead? This Internet hoax just won't die

Jon Bon Jovi dead? No. Jon Bon Jovi is not dead. But that little tidbit of truth doesn't seem to matter. The false rumors about Bon Jovi's untimely demise gripped the country on Tuesday -- well, that and the Kardashian Christmas card -- so you might as well brush up on the details.

Bon Jovi is the latest celebrity victim of an Internet death hoax. It all started with a website called Daily News Blog International, which posted a story Monday claiming that the New Jersey rocker was dead. From there, the rumor spread like wildfire, pinging around the blogosphere and every social media network known to mankind.

Despite repeated attempts by Bon Jovi himself to put the rumors to rest, "Jon Bon Jovi dead" continued to be on fire among Google searches on Tuesday morning.

Perhaps the real news in this non-news story is that Bon Jovi might have a second career as a comedian if he decides to give up his day job.

Bon Jovi poked repeated fun at the rumor at a concert Monday night in New Jersey, referring to it several times and pretending to take frantic phone calls from friends who'd heard the news, the Star-Ledger reported.

Bon Jovi also responded to the rumor on Twitter and Facebook. On his Facbook page, he posted a picture of himself in front of a Christmas tree, holding a handmade sign that read: "Heaven looks a lot like New Jersey" and included Monday's date and the time. (Brace yourselves for the next rumor about how the sign was Photoshopped and that Bon Jovi really is dead, and it's all a conspiracy.)

Adding to the intrigue: It appeared that the fake report that Bon Jovi had died was copied in part from a 2009 Los Angeles Times story that announced the death of Michael Jackson. The Times noted on Monday that it was looking into the matter but emphasized that the newspaper was not involved in the false report.

Death hoaxes and bum rumors are nothing new. (Remember Mark Twain's quip about reports of his death being greatly exaggerated?) But new technology means these rumors ping around the globe, lightning-quick, thanks to Internet users' desire to both know everything and share everything instantly.

Bon Jovi is in good company. Other celebrity death hoax victims include Will Smith, Lady Gaga, Eddie Murphy, Justin Bieber, Jackie Chan, Johnny Depp and Mick Jagger.

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"Survivor: South Pacific" crowns a winner

(CBS/AP) Sophie Clarke outwitted, outplayed and outlasted the competition on "Survivor: South Pacific." The brainy 22-year-old medical student from Willsboro, N.Y., overcame 39-year-old "Survivor" veteran Benjamin "Coach" Wade and 26-year-old high school baseball coach Albert Destrade to win the season's million-dollar prize.

Pictures: "Survivor: South Pacific"
"Survivor: South Pacific" finale

Clarke earned six votes from the nine-person jury of former players. Wade received three votes and Destrade got none.

"I had a feeling, but you never know," Clarke said in a reunion special. "I think I had my finger on the pulse of the game the whole time."

"God was on my side this season," she told E! after the finale.

Clarke secured her place among the final three contestants on the 23rd edition of "Survivor" by forging a strong alliance from the onset and winning three individual immunity challenges, including the final physical competition, which ousted seasoned 30-year-old "Survivor" veteran Oscar "Ozzy" Lusth of Venice, Calif., from the 39-day survival contest.

"I knew the only one that could beat me at a challenge - no offense, guys - was Sophie," Lusth said.

Wade, who previously competed on the "Tocantins" and "Heroes vs. Villains" editions, and Lusth, who was featured on the "Cook Islands" and "Micronesia" editions, formed strong alliances with new contestants, though Lusth spent most of the game's second half on Redemption Island battling fellow voted-off castaways for a chance to return to the game.

At the end of the finale, show host Jeff Probst announced that the 24th season would be titled "Survivor: One World" and would feature two tribes competing against each other while living together on one island. "One World" is set to premiere in February.

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Duggar Family: Jubilee Shalom Pregnancy and Miscarriage a Fake?

The Duggar family has been in the news a lot over the past week and, in an age of fake marriages à la Kim Kardashian, some are questioning whether Michelle was ever pregnant with a 20th child in the first place. Comments in blog posts and even on People Magazine's latest article are claiming that Michelle and Jim Bob lied about the pregnancy or intentionally got pregnant for sweeps week. The comments are even vicious enough to say the couple intentionally got pregnant and purposefully induced a miscarriage.

Jim Bob & Michelle DuggarHow anyone could make comments like this when the family is obviously grieving is insane. There were pictures of the baby broadcast across the internet and people outside the family obviously saw little Jubilee including the photographer from Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. The comments being broadcast across the web are from the mouths and minds of very shallow, small-minded people. If this was any other television star the world would be rallying around her. Instead it is Michelle Duggar. Wait, she has a name, she is a person, she has a family....maybe it is time for the world to extend her the same courtesy they would any other television personality.

The Duggar family hate that has been brought to the surface by Michelle's 20th pregnancy and ultimately the miscarriage of little Jubilee is despicable. The world we live in could use more caring and kind people like the Duggars. It is time for others to remember what Thumper's mother told him. Time to keep your mouth shut if you have nothing nice to say.

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Jimmy Fallon and Tina Fey vs. Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers on ‘SNL’ (Video)

When Jimmy Fallon hosted this week’s “Saturday Night Live,” he brought a lot of his friends and former castmates along for the ride.

Rachel Dratch and Fallon teamed up in the cold open to reprise their roles as Boston couple extraordinaire Sully and Denise.Chris Kattan, a slimmed-down Horatio Sanz and Tracy Morgan also joined with Fallon to perform a holiday tune they once trotted out on a previous pre-Christmas episode of “SNL.”

But perhaps most delightfully, Tina Fey, Fallon’s former Weekend Update partner, and Amy Poehler, who once “really??ed” on a weekly basis with Seth Meyers, engaged in a Weekend Update joke-off. The objective: determine which fake news anchor pairing was more adept at riffing on a ridiculous news item about a strip joint hosting a holiday toy drive.

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JR Martinez Will Be A Father

J.R. Martínez and his girlfriend Diana González-Jones are expecting their first child next spring the Dancing with the Stars champion tells People Magazine.

The 28-year-old Iraq war vet met González-Jones when he was casted for a role in the soap opera All My Children.

"We found out just last week it's a girl and we are over the moon," Martínez tells People Magazine. "Diana has a little baby bump now and it's the cutest thing ever. With the holidays coming up, this is the biggest and best gift we could get."

Starting the season as the least known member of the "Dancing With the Stars" cast, Martínez endeared himself to America as the show progressed and the turned-soap opera star took home the top prize.

"Dancing" drew 18 million viewers a week who got a firsthand look at the Iraq war veteran with the infectious positive attitude.

Martínez was severely burned over more than 40 percent of his body when the Humvee he was driving for the U.S. Army struck a land mine. He underwent numerous surgeries over years of recovery but that didn't stop him from taking home the trophy. Martínez danced like that had happened to somebody else.

Martínez has been chosen as grand marshal of the 123rd annual Tournament of Roses parade. He was on the cover of People magazine and named one of its "sexiest men" a few weeks later. And on Tuesday, he became the new "Dancing With the Stars" champion.

The actor and motivational speaker is known for radiating joy and next spring he'll have another member of the Martínez family to share that with.

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Rapper Slim Dunkin fatally shot

Atlanta police are still trying to figure out who gunned down rapper Slim Dunkin in an Atlanta a recording studio Friday afternoon -- and why? Atlanta Police Major Keith Meadows said Saturday morning there have been no arrests in the shooting. There are as many questions as answers. “We’re still talking to people,” said Meadows. “The truth is we don’t know exactly what happened.”

Witnesses told police the 24-year-old rap star, whose real name is Mario Hamilton, got into an argument before a video shoot at a studio on Memorial drive about 5:30 Friday afternoon. The person he was arguing with pulled out a piston and shot Hamilton in the chest. Hamilton was pronounced dead at Grady Memorial Hospital.

A few more details of the last few hours of the rapper’s life began to emerge Saturday on web sites that follow the industry. Hamilton was described on various music industry sites as an emerging star in the Brick Squad Monopoly rap group, and that group’s members include Gucci Mane, an Atlanta rapper whose real name is Radric Davis.

Davis is almost as well known for his run-ins with the law and his stints behind bars on various violations in recent years as he is for his music. He was most recently released from custody, from Fulton County Jail, last Sunday, according to the web site xxlmag.

According to web site HipHopdx, Hamilton was at the Memorial Drive studio Friday afternoon about to attend a recording session with Gucci Mane, and another rap artist, V-Nasty, for a "Push Ups" video when he was killed.

It's not clear what Hamilton's plans were later Friday night. But, according to the web site for the club E.S.S.O., Gucci Main and other rap artists and promoters planned to host a “pre-Christmas” party at club E.S.S.O., about a mile from the recording studio on Memorial Drive.

Atlanta police investigator Meadows told WSB-TV Friday that investigators talked to about 8 people of the as many as 20 who were at the studio Friday when Hamilton was shot.

They told investigators that Hamilton got into a "verbal altercation with another individual" before the shoot, and that person "produced a handgun, discharged that weapon at least one time, striking Mr. Hamilton in the chest," said Meadows.

But some details are in dispute, and investigators are “just trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together," said Meadows. " It seems everybody witnessed something very different. We're just trying to go back and make sense of everything."Police have not recovered the handgun that was used.

The music industry, meanwhile, was trying to absorb the news of the latest violent killing of a rap artist. By most accounts, Hamilton was on the rise with a impressive resume. He was a childhood friend of fellow rap artist Waka Flocka Flame and appeared on Gucci Mane and Waka's "Ferrari Boyz" album released over the summer.

Fans created a memorial Facebook page, “Rest In Peace Slim Dunkin,” where comments were posted Saturday. “Life is so cruel,” wrote one. “People don't give a dam about no one not even themselves, you got people crying, because people are dying."

Another read: “It shows you that you can't trust a soul on this planet one min you with that person next you at there funeral."

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Golden Globes 2012: Boomers Dominate Nominations

While Hollywood tends to celebrate youth, the Golden Globe nominations announced today may signal a new era for older actors in film and television. The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards nominees were announced this morning in Los Angeles by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, and the list is dominated by baby boomers.

Four of the five best actress nominees are in the boomer demographic, including Glenn Close for 'Albert Nobbs'; Viola Davis for 'The Help'; Meryl Streep for 'The Iron Lady'; and Tilda Swinton for 'We Need To Talk About Kevin.' In addition, Jodi Foster was nominated for best supporting actress in a comedy for 'Carnage.' While George Clooney was the only 50-year-old in the best actor category, four of the five best supporting actors are in the 50+ demo, including Kenneth Branagh for 'My Week With Marilyn'; Albert Brooks for 'Drive'; Viggo Mortensen for 'A Dangerous Method'; and Christopher Plummer for 'Beginners.'

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