Everyone’s talking about Selena Gomez’s crying cringe-fest. That’s to be expected.
The 32-year-old’s dramatic performance, targeted at ICE raids scooping up the worst of the worst illegal immigrants, gave 2025 its first digital belly flop. She made it worse by yanking the video after her followers torched her teary-eyed theatrics.
‘Captain America represents a lot of different things, and I don’t think the term “America” should be one of those representations.’
One element lost in the kerfuffle? Her supersized hubris.
“All my people are getting attacked, the children. I don’t understand. I’m so sorry, I wish I could do something, but I can’t. I don’t know what to do. I’ll try everything, I promise.”
Everything? What can one ill-informed starlet do to impact the immigration debate? Will she swoop in, like an action heroine, and stop ICE officials from deporting murderers and rapists? Will her tears melt border czar Tom Homan’s heart, making it grow like the Christmas Grinch of yore?
Maybe she did the right thing by removing the video after all …
Captain crunched
Anthony Mackie has a message for PR nightmare Rachel Zegler: Hold my beer.
Mackie takes over for Chris Evans in “Captain America: Brave New World.” The Feb. 14 release has been hounded by bad buzz, from frantic reshoots to reports of disastrous test screenings.
Mackie saw all of the above and thought, “How can I make it worse?”
“Captain America represents a lot of different things, and I don’t think the term ‘America’ should be one of those representations. It’s about a man who keeps his word, who has honor, dignity and integrity.”
Oh.
Somewhere, the publicist for Zegler is uncorking a bottle of red and thinking, “Not my responsibility.”
Naturally, Hollywood sites like Deadline, Variety, and the Hollywood Reporter ignored Mackie’s quotes for a good 24 hours or so. Meanwhile, Mackie attempted some super-heroic damage control.
“Let me be clear about this, I’m a proud American and taking on the shield of a hero like CAP is the honor of a lifetime,” Mackie wrote on Instagram Stories Tuesday. “I have the utmost respect for those who serve and have served our country. CAP has universal characteristics that people all over the world can relate to.”
So does Captain America represent America? Maybe his next Instagram Story will give us that answer …
Requiem for a P hat
Where is that resistance sequel Hollywood ordered?
So wondereth the major industry publications like Variety and the Hollywood Reporter. Every few days, there’s a new story echoing that theme. We want p***y hats, marches, and more! Can’t somebody update that Kathy Griffin bloodied head image? Remember when Madonna dreamed of blowing up the White House?
Nope. Nothing.
Sad? Of course. Predictable? Not really. We all thought the resistance sequel would greet No. 47. Instead, we get this nugget from Variety tied to the Sundance Film Festival.
Publicists implored journalists to avoid asking their clients political questions, while celebrities who previously came out swinging against the MAGA movement were less eager to sound off.
You hate to see it (not really) …
QT: Movie biz DOA
Who better than Quentin Tarantino to read Hollywood its last rites?
The “Pulp Fiction” auteur raged against the new normal at the Sundance Film Festival. Said normal, according to his R-rated rant, is where the best directors debut their work on streaming platforms, skipping theaters entirely (or barely dipping a toe in them):
“Well, what the f*** is a movie now? What — something that plays in theaters for a token release for four f***ing weeks? All right, and by the second week you can watch it on television. I didn’t get into all this for diminishing returns. I mean, it was bad enough in ’97. It was bad enough in 2019, and that was the last f***ing year of movies.”
Tarantino added that he’s in no rush to shoot his 10th and final film and that by waiting, he’ll be able to spend time with his young son on set. He’ll create memories to last a lifetime, he figures.
“Look over there, son … that actor’s head is about to explode in 3 … 2 … 1!”
“Cool, Dad!”
Awww.
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