I guess we’re still talking about Lena Dunham’s interview with Howard Stern on Monday. I already covered one of the big headlines from the interview, which is that Lena has lost weight post-election because she has no appetite now that we have to look at Baby Fists’ mega-orange face every day. Lena also chatted with Stern about having Malia Obama on the set, how she feels about criticism of Taylor Swift’s dating life and more.

On the criticism of Taylor Swift’s dating life: “It’s so hard. I think about the relationships that I had in my early twenties and if they had been public, it would’ve been a disaster. I mean, not to repeat age-old feminist points, but it’s like, you know, any male actor her age who’s going out and dating is applauded. To just have a perfectly normal amount of romantic partners but be held to impossibly high standards by the press. Like, it’s just an unfair and unwinnable game.”

On Malia Obama’s internship on Girls: “She was interning at HBO and they thought, what if she comes a couple of days a week to the set of ‘Girl.’ Obviously, we weren’t making her go get our coffee … but she wanted to do all the jobs, that was the cool thing.” Instead of sending her out on errands, Lena said they made Malia a writers’ assistant in training. When Malia came to set, though, the Secret Service had to come, too. Lena described trying to enter a bathroom outside of her office one day and being stopped by an agent standing guard at the door. “There was a guy outside and he just was like, ‘No.’ And I was like, ‘What?’ I was like, ‘That’s my bathroom.’ And he was like, ‘No.’” Lena said.

Being criticized online: “I care if I feel that I have isolated a group of people who already feel marginalized in America or said something that is insensitive to the struggle of people who are already being repressed by our current governmental regime. I think public growth is a very healthy thing. You have to be open and you can’t sort of move through the world with a ‘f–k all y’all’ attitude. You have to move through the world and be open, and sometimes being open is painful. Some feedback is great and healthy and I learn from it. And some of it is just psychotic, cruel garbage.”

[From People & Howard Stern]

Re: listening to criticism online. I actually think her attitude is pretty smart, although I find it aggravating that Lena still has such an intense learning curve at the age of 30. Like, I’m not going to criticize her for actually learning, growing and changing when she makes a mistake. But how is she 30 years old and she’s just now learning some of this stuff? Special Snowflake Syndrome is the answer.

As for what she says about Taylor Swift (another member of the Special Snowflake Syndrome Club)… as I’ve said before, people should not criticize Taylor Swift for simply being a young woman who dates different guys. Personally, I don’t think that’s WHY people criticize her. We criticize her because she uses her relationships as fodder for blind-item songs, which further her manufactured image as a Poor, Innocent Victim, forever and ever. We criticize the PR aspect, the “performative” quality of Taylor’s relationships, not the fact that she’s in her 20s and she’s dated a dozen guys.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

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The magic of Broadway – the sweeping orchestral music, the beautiful and historic architecture of the theater buildings, the incredible staging – should be enough to get butts in the seats, but sometimes a little star power can’t hurt. Many of your favorite actors from film and television have trod the boards of the Great White Way, and Jake Gyllenhall is no exception, making his Broadway musical debut in a revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George.

Jake is taking on the role of French impressionist painter Georges Seurat in the revival of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, a role originated on Broadway by Mandy Patinkin in 1984. Jake co-stars with Tony winner Annaleigh Ashford, who originated the role of Lauren in the musical Kinky Boots and whom you may know better as Betty Dimello on Showtime’s Masters of Sex. Robert Sean Leonard, whom I still miss from House, also appears in the musical.

Sondheim’s songs often present a challenge to an actor (see Catherine Zeta Jones attempt to tackle “Send in the Clowns” from his A Little Night Music if you don’t believe me,) But I think Jake may have managed to go toe-to-toe with Mandy with his vocal chops. Jake posted a video on his Facebook page, singing Georges’ Act One show-stopping ballad “Finishing the Hat” during rehearsal of the show at the newly-renovated Hudson Theater. The clip was directed by Cary Fukunaga, who brought us True Detective. Get ready to swoon.

Dreamy, right? As a theater major/nerd myself (FSU School of Theater ’90, holla!), I can attest that Jake’s got a great musical theater voice. Of course, this isn’t Jake’s first live theater experience. He starred in the play Constellations in 2015. He also starred in a limited off-Broadway run of Little Shop of Horrors at New York City Center with Ellen Greene, who originated the role of Audrey and reprised her role for the 1986 movie. Jake and Annaleigh performed a concert version of George in October of 2016, and Jake got some great reviews, leading to his Broadway debut later this month. Previews of the show start this Saturday and the show’s official opening is scheduled for February 23. This 10-week engagement ends on April 23.

Unfortunately for Jake, if he’s looking for an EGOT, he’s going to have to find another theatrical vehicle, as the show’s producers have decided to take the show out of the running for the Tony Awards, citing financial concerns (such as providing free tickets for the 1,600 Tony voters) for the decision. Of course, when you’re going up for Best Revival against Sunset Boulevard with Glenn Close and Hello, Dolly! with Bette Midler, your odds of losing are pretty good. Sorry, sometimes you’ve just gotta tell it like it is.

I used to go see a Broadway show every year, and I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Hedwig and the Angry Inch twice (with Neil Patrick Harris and John Cameron Mitchell), How to Succeed in Business with Daniel Radcliffe and tons more (I even saw Annaleigh in Kinky Boots). I would love to see this (my birthday is April 22, in case anyone if thinking of a nice gift). I hope this revival is a success and leads to more musicals for Jake – if nothing else, maybe he could reprise his critically acclaimed role in the Brokeback Mountain opera (yes, this really happened).

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Photo credit: WENN.com, Getty Images

Do any of you watch Hulu’s The Path? It’s in its second season and centers around a Scientology-type cult called the Meyerists (except they’re more of a hippie cult as they use drugs and were founded in the 60s) with high ranking members Michelle Monaghan, evil new leader Hugh Dancy and the incredible Aaron Paul as Michelle’s estranged husband who is questioning the cult. (He’s a “denier” in their cult speak.) I’m not in love with the show, but I do enjoy it and keep watching because the performances are so good and I want to know what happens. The good thing about Hulu is that you can’t binge watch if you’re current on the shows because they release one episode a week.

Anyway Monaghan covers Shape magazine, it’s hard to recognize her with so little makeup but she looks gorgeous. In the interview I really enjoyed everything she said about her body and how she appreciates it and enjoys exercise. She’s not faux humble, she loves her body because it’s capable, she’s into fitness and she loves it for the mental benefits, which I can definitely relate to. She enjoys running and it shows. They put her in all these 70s styles on The Path like flouncy floral blouses, high-waisted pants and bell bottoms and she just rocks those frumpy styles she’s so tall and slender. Here are the excerpts from Monaghan’s interview with Shape. She’s promoting not only The Path but her films Patriots Day (with Mark Wahlberg, about the Boston marathon bombing) and Sleepless (a thriller with Jamie Foxx).

On being mentally tough:
“Confidence comes naturally to me now, but I think it’s something you grow into. There are a number of things that gave me confidence over the years: going to college and writing my first rent check for $550, auditioning for and getting that first acting job. Reaching those kinds of goals gives you confidence to tackle new challenges. So when you have a setback, you think, It’s OK. I’m going to recover from this.”

On celebrating her body for what it can do:
“I love my shape because I know what it’s capable of—running 13 miles, having two children, and learning to surf. I love my body so much; it’s profoundly amazing. I have enormous gratitude for it.”

On the healthy things she just won’t eat:
“I have never liked fruit. To make up for it, I have a green juice every morning, which is totally devoid of fruit but has tons of vitamins from vegetables. A typical day of eating for me is eggs or oatmeal for breakfast, soup or salad for lunch, and fish or meat and lots of veggies for dinner.”

On her love for cheese:
“I don’t have a sweet tooth; I have a savory tooth. There are six or seven cheese in my fridge at all times. My idea of snacking is putting cheeses on a platter with prosciutto and crackers and sitting in front of it and stuffing my face.”

On how she sets an example of positive body image for her daughter:
“When I’m not shooting, I aim to work out at least three times a week … On shoot days, I start at about five in the morning and don’t get home until seven at night, so it’s hard to find time for exercise. I throw myself a bone and don’t get too worried about it. I know that when I have time again, I can kick it up a notch. I also need to be an example for my daughter. That means I can’t run around worried about what I look like. We’re active together as a family—the kids go hiking and biking with us. But I don’t obsess about what I eat.”

On why exercise is for her brain as much as her body:
“I get crabby when I don’t work out. Just ask my husband! [Laughs.] I really depend on exercising to relieve stress. Last week, I was overwhelmed and I thought, I need to go for a run or a hike to clear my head. I had a to-do list that was a mile long, and I didn’t know what to tackle first. When I run, it helps put everything into place.

“Years ago, when I started working out, it was about getting my body in shape. But now the mental benefits outweigh the physical ones. That’s why I love going for a hike in the morning. There’s something about climbing a mountain that’s symbolic—you set your intention and what you want to focus on. I think about what I have to do today or what I have to accomplish this week. It allows me that space where there’s no one else around.”

On how her Midwestern roots keep her going:
“I run a half marathon every year with Maria, my best friend from my hometown in Iowa. I’ve known her since I was a kid. We usually do races in different cities, so we’ll make a weekend out of it. It’s great because there are days when I have to do an eight-mile run, and I’ll get a text from Maria saying, ‘I did eight miles! Did you do yours?’ Training with her helps motivate and encourage me.”

[From Shape]

I’m like that with exercise, I really need it or I start to get grumpy. I’ve found that the harder I work out the better I feel so I’ve been trying to challenge myself and it helps. In the full interview Monaghan says that along with running she also does kickboxing, pilates and Soulcycle, which she compares to going to church. I’ve been getting back into spinning lately with RPM classes and it’s such a good workout I love it. For kickboxing I do Body Combat, also from Les Mills. (I subscribe to their on demand workouts but my local YMCA has them too.) Also, Monaghan looks amazing in these photos from Shape. I thought she was in her mid 30s but she’s 40, I wouldn’t have guessed.

Photos are credit ©Arthur Belebeau/SHAPE magazine

The good news continues for Jamie Lynn Spears.

The country singer’s big sister, pop superstar Britney Spears, took to Instagram Wednesday to say that her 8-year-old niece Maddie is recovering after almost drowning in an ATV accident on Sunday (February 5).

“We are so grateful to share that Maddie is making progress,” wrote the proud aunt. “Thank you all for sending thoughts and prayers our way. Let’s all keep praying.”

On Tuesday, the hospital made a statement about Maddie’s condition.

“With her father, mother and stepfather by her side, Maddie regained consciousness mid-day Tuesday, Feb. 7,” the hospital said a statement.

“The 8-year-old daughter of entertainer Jamie Lynn Spears was involved in an ATV accident at a family home Sunday in Kentwood, Louisiana,” the statement continued. “Paramedics resuscitated her and she was airlifted to a local hospital. She is aware of her surroundings and recognizes those family members who have kept a round-the-clock vigil since the accident.”

The statement continued: “Doctors were able to remove the ventilator today and she is awake and talking. Maddie continues to receive oxygen and is being monitored closely but it appears that she has not suffered any neurological consequences from the accident.”

According to police, the crash occurred on family property in full view of her mother Jamie Lynn, 25, and stepfather Jamie Watson, who tried to rescue Maddie “to no avail.”

After steering the vehicle to avoid running over a nearby drainage ditch, Maddie took a hard right and “overcorrected, causing the ATV to enter the pond. The ATV and child were instantly submerged in the water right before their eyes.”

“Within seconds the child’s mother, stepfather and other family members reached the pond, dove in and attempted to rescue the child to no avail,” the report continued. “The child was trapped and secured by the seatbelt and the ATV’s safety netting. Within two minutes, Acadian Ambulance Services arrived and assisted in freeing the child from the cold waters.”

A photo posted by Britney Spears (@britneyspears) on Feb 8, 2017 at 2:11pm PST

Courtney Love is taking extra precautions for her pussy.

I’m no longer taking Eleanor on trips. She’s a Persian cat, don’t want to run into any issues passing border control #Notgrabbingthispussy ? pic.twitter.com/BRjY140Ems
— Courtney Love Cobain (@Courtney) February 7, 2017

I t…

Courtney Love is taking extra precautions for her pussy.

I’m no longer taking Eleanor on trips. She’s a Persian cat, don’t want to run into any issues passing border control #Notgrabbingthispussy ? pic.twitter.com/BRjY140Ems
— Courtney Love Cobain (@Courtney) February 7, 2017

I t…

Selena Gomez is supposedly spending Grammy weekend with The Weeknd and apparently he’s requested that they be seated together. They were out in LA on Monday at the Sunset Tower and were seen hugging on the way out. Today, though, she’s in New York, seen here taking pictures with fans outside her …

Selena Gomez is supposedly spending Grammy weekend with The Weeknd and apparently he’s requested that they be seated together. They were out in LA on Monday at the Sunset Tower and were seen hugging on the way out. Today, though, she’s in New York, seen here taking pictures with fans outside her …

Pop superstar Madonna confirms that she has adopted orphaned twin sisters – reportedly 4-year-olds named Stella and Esther – from Malawi.

“I can officially confirm I have completed the process of adopting twin sisters from Malawi and am overjoyed that they are now part of our family,” the Material Mom, 58, Instagrammed the image walking hand-in-hand with her daughters.

She added: “I am deeply grateful to all those in Malawi who helped make this possible, and I ask the media please to respect our privacy during this transitional time. Thank you also to my friends, family and my very large team for all your support and Love!”

On Tuesday, the High Court from Malawi granted the Holiday hitmaker the ability to adopt the sisters from the country.

Madonna appeared in court with her lawyer alongside the twins’ father and uncle, who both witnessed the adoption.

According to Malawi’s judiciary spokesperson Mlenga Mvula, the girls’ mother died in August 2012, a week after giving birth to them.

“After their mother died, the children were looked after by their grandmother, who could not fully provide for them, so they were taken into an orphanage,” Mvula said.

Last month, news broke that the Vogue singer was set to adopt two children from Malawi.

The pop superstar adopted son David and daughter Mercy James, both 11, in 2008 and 2009, respectively.

The Papa Don’t Preach singer – who is also mom to daughter Lourdes, 20, and 16-year-old son Rocco – founded her Raising Malawi foundation in 2006 to benefit the orphans and underprivileged children living in the impoverished nation.

The singer adopted David with ex-husband Guy Ritchie, and adopted Mercy James as a single mother.

Congratulations to Madonna and her family!

I can officially confirm I have completed the process of adopting twin sisters from Malawi and am overjoyed that they are now part of our family. I am deeply grateful to all those in Malawi who helped make this possible, and I ask the media please to respect our privacy during this transitional time. Thank you also to my friends, family and my very large team for all your support and Love! ???????????????

A photo posted by Madonna (@madonna) on Feb 8, 2017 at 10:24am PST

Or, In Which Sarah Is A Terrible Detective.

Yesterday we went on a journey of discovery, trying to determine through social media posts and other dubious “evidence” whether or not Chris Evans and Jenny Slate were still together. I concluded “yes” because there wasn’t any empirical evidence ot…