John McCain's Appearance on SNL: Hilarious, But Also Kind of Sad...For Him

So much was funny about Sen. John McCain's faux QVC segment on this week's episode of SNL. But Cindy McCain may have been the best part; namely because she acted like the same mute Stepford Wife she's been for the ENTIRE campaign; and she gets that it's funny. (Also, besides beer, I think she may have found her calling. Yes, Cindy's brittle hands were practically made for showcasing jewelry on QVC.)

Of additional note: Sen. McCain departed from his role as the cantankerous crankpot of the campaign trail, and came off as likable and humorous.

Here's the clip. It's hilarious,



but also kind of sad when you think about it from McCain's perspective (which you totally shouldn't do).

Sarah Palin Does SNL, Amy Poehler Raps

So the Tina Fey as Sarah Palin shtick may never end on SNL. But hey, at least it's funny. And this time the real Sarah Palin took part, appearing in the opening and Weekend Update skits.



More women need to rap while they're in their third trimester. Big ups Amy Poehler.



Oh yeah, and Mark Wahlberg also stopped by SNL. Cast member Andy Samberg made fun of the actor a couple weeks ago in a funny skit called "Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals." Wahlberg however, didn't react kindly i.e. he kinda acted like a jerk afterward. So in an effort to atone for being an ass, Wahlberg, 37, talked to one (an ass that is).

Just watch the clip.

The Crazy Faces of Sen. John McCain

Visit Gawker to see more.

Also see: McCain's Senior Moments [Gawker] Clip below.
Daily Intel did it first (hilarious!), but Gawker did it better (hilarious-er!).

Aubrey O'Day Gets Kicked Out of Danity Kane

Well this is enough to get me out of semi-retirement. Albeit not surprising, apparently Diddy Daddy kicked Aubrey O'Day out of Danity Kane during last night's episode of Making the Band 4. (Darn! I missed it.)

If you're a regular reader, you know O'Day, 24, is one of Earthnocentric™'s favorite train wrecks; and you also know it was just a matter of time before this happened.

O'Day and her crazy, porn-star-inspired antics have been angling to get out of the group for a while. Still, there may be another wrench in this twisted tale.

After the show aired O'Day released a weird/cryptic "exclusive" statement to Perez Hilton, in regard to her ousting.

She says:

"I didn't watch the finale, so I have no idea what story was told. The only comment I can make is… I wish that the world would focus more on the presidential election, the debates, the issues our country is facing, and the fact that if we don't vote for Obama our country will suffer beyond repair."

Uh, the world's pretty damn focused on the presidential election (egomaniacal much). But she's right, Obama better win.

Speaking of the debates though, does anyone else get the feeling that, despite all of his yammering about health care and taxes, Sen. John McCain has no actual, you know, plans for health care or taxes?

To be fair-- if we go by last night's debate--Obama seems to think the financial crisis (Panic of '08) is solely due to government deregulation. Hopefully providing an oversimplified answer to this mess is just a tactic for coaxing confused, exasperated voters into blaming the Republican Party.

Cause if not, uh oh.

I digress. Here's O'Day looking more radiant than usual at the New York premiere of Body of Lies (ha!) on Sunday.

Also here she is with her poor parti-color puppy at the Ivy Hotel in late September.

[Via AUBREYODAY.US]

Lastly, aww my two favorite people.

Update: Okay so I just caught a repeat of the show and it ended with a To Be Continued... Diddy Daddy did tell O'Day she was out of the group at the end of the episode. But I kinda don't think she really is.

The season finale of Making the Band 4 airs next Tuesday.

Today Around the Blogosphere...

Confirmed. Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester, 22, was born in prison*. Her mom was serving a 10-year federal prison sentence for smuggling marijuana into the U.S. from Jamaica at the time of Leighton's birth. It's the Us cover story this week. Click pic for full story and see my previous posting.

Additional note: Despite being sentenced to 10 years in a Texas federal prison, Meester's mom Connie only served 16 months, according to Us.

This story was first reported by Star mag earlier this month. But since it has credibility issues no one was 100 percent sure it was true.

* Technically I think Leighton was born in some type of prison-associated hospital.
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John McCain and Sanjaya Malakar might have something in common.

The 72-year-old Republican nominee hired American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance makeup-artist Tiffani White for a recent television appearance, according to Us.

McCain reportedly paid $5,583.43 for her services.

Info. and image via Us.

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In other news, McCain and Senator Barack Obama are scheduled to have their first face-to-face debate on Friday.

Seems simple enough, right? After all, The Commission on Presidential Debates says it's been planned "for more than a year and a half."

You see where this is going.

Like seemingly everything of late, the whole thing's a big ol' damn mess. McCain wants to put his campaign on hold-- and therefore wants to delay the debate-- to "hammer out" some sort of deal related to the $700-billion Treasury proposal.

Enter an even more convoluted parade of drama.

Obama, on the other hand, wants the debate to happen as scheduled. And as of this moment the debate's still on. But both candidates are scheduled to meet with Bush--together-- tomorrow in Washington. (The two have also issued this joint statement.) So we'll see what happens.

Also, look who just figured out somethin's wrong.

Photog Purposely Takes Bad Pics of McCain

Controversial celebrity photographer Jill Greenberg, a self-professed "hard-core Dem," deliberately took a series of unflattering shots of Republican nominee John McCain for the current cover of The Atlantic - and then bragged about it on a blog. [NYP]

"I left his eyes red and his skin looking bad," she boasted about refusing to retouch the photos.

Greenberg also fessed to tricking McCain into standing over a strobe light placed on the floor - turning the "septuagenarian's face into a horror show of shadows," according to NYP.

The Atlantic did manage did find an acceptable pic taken by Greenberg for its cover. Still the editor for the mag said he's not happy.

"We feel totally blind-sided," James Bennet said. "Her behavior is outrageous. Incredibly unprofessional."

As for what Greenberg did with the rest of the photos from the shoot, well, see for yourself.



Even though the more offensive pictures were not used in The Atlantic, Bennet told FOX news he'll be sending McCain a letter of apology. Additionally, he said Greenberg will not be paid for the session, and added the magazine is even considering a lawsuit.

NYP via Radar.

In Daily Raffaello Follieri-Related News...

The Smoking Gun has acquired a U.S. District Court File listing the jewelery Anne Hathway had to surrender to the FBI because it was given to her by former boyfriend Raffaello Follieri. Follieri pleaded guilty to 14 counts of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering in federal court on Wednesday.

Among the 12 confiscated items are Rolex watches and a five-strand necklace with pearls beads; in total, all, probably worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. While Hathaway, 25, is not specifically named in the documents, she is referred to as "individual" or Follieri's "girlfriend."

[Click for the docs and more info.]


In other Follieri news, John McCain, 72, apparently spent part of his his 70th birthday aboard a yacht the con man rented in Montenegro in 2006. Yes, as seen in the picture below, Follieri and celebrity, girlfriend at the time, Anne Hathaway were there too.

Just so we're clear, Barack Obama is not allowed to hobnob with the celebrity set, because that would make him an "uppity" elitist. But John McCain did ring in the BIG 7-0 with a Hollywood starlet...and her paramour, aboard a vessel, presumably, paid for with ill-begotten funds.

[Click to Enlarge]

According to Vanity Fair and The Nation, Follieri, 30, rented the Celine Ashley yacht (McCain is pictured boarding) for the month of August 2006.

Vijesti, a leading Montenegro daily, previously reported that during McCain's visit in 2006 he celebrated with birthday cocktails and sweets on the Celine Ashley. The Nation recently obtained the seen photo. Although, how we know that's really McCain in it, I'm not sure. (I mean besides the purple baseball cap, distinctive forearms and old man's slouch.)


Additional info. via Daily Intel and Gawker.

P.S. If you get a chance, read this interesting, yet lengthy, Michael Shnayerson feature on Folliere from the October issue of Vanity Fair.

A Perk of Being in the Running for First Daughter

You can have some one else draw up a picture book (for which you'll barely have to write anything), make lots of money off of it and get practically all of the credit.

"I'm so proud that she would be an author at such a young age but, more important, that her first work would be about her father," potential first lady, Cindy McCain said of daughter Meghan's foray into the world of illustrated books.

[Meghan McCain, 23, autographing copies of her book--My Dad, John McCain--at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday.]

According to The Caucus (in reference to Meghan's book--My Dad, John McCain):

What might seem like a nice little gesture on behalf of her father is actually a very big business, with over 200,000 copies printed. And an aide to the family said that over 400 people had shown up for signings.

And yes, Meghan is the same McCain daughter who gets her hair did, and her lunch on, with The Hills' Heidi Montag.

Images via RateVin and The Caucus.

Téa Leoni Backs Out of Toronto Film Fest. Sarah Palin's Teenage Daughter is Pregnant

Shocker! Just days after Téa Leoni's hyper-horny husband--David Duchovny, 48,--checked into rehab for sex addiction, the actress canceled a scheduled appearance at the Toronto Film Festival.

Leoni, 42, was expected to promote her film Ghost Town at its upcoming premiere on September 7. [People]

Image via Watt-Up.
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[Click for Story]
Sarah Palin's 17-year-old daughter Bristol is five months pregnant! Obvs Bristol has plans to wed the dad. A statement released by Palin's reps reads:

"Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family. Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support."

The McCain campaign confirmed it was aware of Bristol's pregnancy before it selected Palin, 44, as Veep; and said it did not affect McCain's choice. [People] Um, WTF?!

Expect a shotgun wedding, stat.

Update: Bristol's boyfriend Levi Johnston, reportedly, isn't all that stoked about the prospect of being a dad. According to NYP, Johnston, 17, checked the "I don't want kids" option on his Myspace (you know instead of "Someday" or "Undecided") and he described himself as a "fucking redneck," who likes to snowboard and ride dirt bikes.

Apparently he also added: "I live to play hockey. I like to go camping and hang out with the boys, do some fishing, shoot some shit and just fuckin' chillin' I guess. Ya fuck with me I'll kick [your] ass."

Johnston's Myspace page has since been deleted. Uh...

If nothing else, John McCain is old bold...and quite possibly, really, really stupid.

Cindy McCain Injures Wrist, Goes to Hospital

Cindy "Brittle Bones" McCain, 54, John McCain's wife, "rushed" to a Michigan hospital after "an enthusiastic supporter," reportedly, shook her hand too hard. Apparently the death grip aggravated McCain's carpal tunnel.

She was X-rayed, treated for a "minor sprain" then bounced.

McCain previously broke her wrist while shaking hands on the campaign trail in 2000, according to the Washington Post.



Image via LAT.

Tyra Banks Channels Michelle Obama in Bazaar (Updated)

I don't think Tyra Banks knows she's not doing Barack Obama any favors, by dressing up as his wife in the September issue of Harper's Bazaar (out August 19). In fact stuff like this may actually hurt his chances. You know, since, John McCain is accusing him of being the "biggest celebrity in the world."

But leave it to Ty Ty to say stuff like this:

"With Barack Obama, his becoming president is them becoming president because Michelle was there from the beginning. Without Michelle, he wouldn’t be there.” [Us]

She's a deep thinker, that one.

Some, equally stupid, famous person needs to channel Cindy McCain in Vanity Fair, stat! And they should make sure she's holding a bunch of Anheuser-Busch beer and imply that she's a spy for the Belgians...or something. (Actually that might actually work in McCain's favor. I mean who doesn't like Belgians and beer?)

Images via The Cut.
The rest of the spread is available on the Fashion Spot.

P.S. Did I mention Banks, 34, has officially lost her damn mind?!


If you didn't get the fourth paragraph, Cindy McCain is the chair for Hensley & Co., one of the largest Anheuser-Busch distributors in the U.S. And Anheuser-Busch was recently bought out by InBev (aka the Belgians).

John McCain Calls Barack Obama a Famewhore

Basically.



Look, I'm not a huge fan of either candidate. But didn't John McCain's daughter go lunching with Heidi Montag?!? His mom--Roberta-- was definitely in Vogue's "Age(less) Issue. [Seen below]

And sorry, I'm still trying to get over the fact that, yeah, this campaign's going there.

It really makes me look forward to Barack Obama and McCain's future face-to-face debates about real issues. You know debates about the important stuff. Stuff like who doesn't wear flag lapel pins, whose minister is the shadiest and, I guess now, who has bigger fameballs.


Come on guys, let's stop dignifying this type of baseless shit...starting now.

Barack Obama Clinches Democratic Nomination

The Associated Press is reporting that Sen. Barack Obama, 46, effectively clinched the Democratic presidential nomination on Tuesday.

Surprise. Surprise.

He's the first African American ever to lead his party into a fall campaign for the White House.

Come fall, he'll go head-to-head with Republican nominee Sen. John McCain in the ultimate quest for power.

You put up a good fight Sen. Hillary Clinton. It has been time to concede for a while. (I should clarify, she hasn't conceded yet).

And that's as far as I go. I keep my political opinions to myself.

Image via Mobosoft.

What about you? Are you happy? Sad? Excited? Nervous? Jaded? Frustrated? Indifferent? A black hole devoid of emotion?