Remember how Ben Affleck talked about how he was going to be “Mr. Mom” to his three kids this summer while his wife, Jennifer Garner, was on set? He said “She’s got a couple of movies coming up. There’s going to be a little Mr. Mom action and I’m going to get back in the ring.” Well if Star is correct (and that’s a big IF) that’s no longer happening. They say that Garner plans to take the kids with her on set, at least for a couple of weeks, and she’s wondering what Ben will be up to when she’s away. I can see her bringing the kids, she seems like a hands-on mom who would really miss them if she was away. But I can also see Ben visiting a lot. So we’ll see. The paparazzi follow them so much that we’ll know by either the lack of photos, or the new photos on set. Here’s some of Star’s story:

Jennifer, 41, is worried sick that 40 year-old Ben might cheat on her. “Jen really doesn’t trust Ben,” states the insider. “She’s going to Cleveland for two weeks this month to begin shooting a new film. While she’s away, she’s pulling the kids out of school in Brentwood to be on set with her – and she’s worried about Ben being by himself…

“There was talk that Ben strayed with Blake [during filming of The Town],” continues the pal. “And he started talking to J.Lo again. His wife checks up on him all the time and looks through his phone…

“Ben is a good dad, but he’s becoming obsessed with work… It’s all about him, his friends and his career. Jen has decided to do fewer movies to make sure the marriage works…

“He still drinks and hangs out with friends a lot,” dishes the pal. “They are not 100 percent solid, like their image suggests.”

[From Star Magazine, print edition, May 20, 2013]

Even if Star made that up out of whole cloth, which is entirely possible, it has a ring of truth to it. We’ve been hearing these rumors about them for years. Plus every time Ben opens his mouth he confirms that his relationship is “work” and that he considers caring for the kids work. So I believe that Garner checks up on him and that their marriage isn’t as rosy as the photos would have us think. They’ve lasted though, and isn’t that the point Ben was making in his Oscar speech?

The Enquirer also has a story this week about the Garner-Afflecks. They say that they’re being courted for a reality show:

The Enquirer has learned that a Hollywood producer has big plans to convince the Oscar-winning actor/director and his beautiful wife to do a blockbuster reality show.

He aims to show how an a-list celebrity couple handles the trials and temptations of life in the showbiz fast lane. He also wants to reveal the secrets behind Ben and Jen’s eight-year marriage.

“It would be great for them to open up about their lives,” said the source. “It would help people understand why Ben said ‘marriage is hard work’ in his Oscar acceptance speech this year.”

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, May 20, 2013]

Yeah this isn’t going to happen. This is some guy’s pipe dream. These two have worked too hard on their images to risk that with a reality show. Even though Ben seems to risk their family image every time he does an interview.

These photos are from 4-28-13 of the family at a children’s running event in which Seraphina, 4, participated. The family was at Disneyland in Anaheim just this weekend. (Those photos linked just show Jennifer, but Ben was there too.) Credit: WENN.com

The Dragonflies will be so happy! Ben Affleck has decided to copy Tom Hiddleston (ha!) and take the “Live Below The Line” challenge. Hiddles did this two weeks ago – he lived on £1 a day (for food) to raise awareness of the hundreds of millions of people in the world living below the poverty line, the people who don’t know where their next meal will come from. Hiddles was posting photos of his “below the line” meals all week. I wonder if Ben will do the same?

Ben Affleck plans to live on $1.50 a day – and he wants you to join him.

While the Oscar winner could certainly afford much more, Affleck is joining other celebrities to shine a light on poverty through the Global Poverty Project’s Live Below the Line campaign. That figure represents the extreme poverty line in the U.S. as estimated by the World Bank.

Affleck Tweeted of his efforts: “1.4 billion people live on less the $1.50/day. I’m joining Live #BelowTheLine on behalf of @easterncongo. Will you?” He plans to feed himself on $1.50 for five days, following in the footsteps of other celebrities who have joined the cause to raise awareness of issues of inequality and poverty around the world.

Jonah Hill, Josh Groban, Sophia Bush and The Avengers actor Tom Hiddleston – who Tweeted earlier this month photos of his scant meals – are among the other celebrities who have said they are participating in the campaign.

Hugh Jackman, who sits on the Global Poverty Project’s board, kicked off the $1.50 day living challenge in 2011, appearing in public service announcements for the campaign. Others active in this year’s project drive are Cooking Channel chefs Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos.

More than 20,000 people are expected to participate this year, Time.com reported, noting that more than $3 million was raised for the project last year. The GPP, on its Facebook page, says currently 1.2 billion people around the world live in extreme poverty, down from 1.4 billion five years ago.

[From People]

I always forget that Ben Affleck has a Twitter. He doesn’t use for anything personal, he just uses it to promote his films and his advocacy work for the most part. I doubt Ben will be tweeting photos of what he’s eating, is what I’m saying. Anyway, as I said with Hiddleston… his heart is in the right place and when bigger celebrities do this, it does raise awareness. Hopefully they will raise money for their cause. And hopefully Jennifer Garner won’t be too put-out by having to figure out what Ben should eat, because you know she’s the one preparing his meals anyway. This would be the perfect time for her to shout, “You should go eat your mistress’s p—y, that sh-t is free!” Too much?

These are photos of Ben and his family in LA over the weekend. He can’t just stop being pap’d with them cold turkey, you know! That would be too obvious.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

All of you are aware by now that yesterday brought us the awful tragedy of explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. As of this morning, information is still forthcoming and will be for quite some time. According to CNN, three people are dead (including an 8-year-old boy who wanted to watch his father finish), and over a hundred more were injured with many victims suffering lost limbs. Police have searched an apartment in connection with the explosions, but the investigation is still in its very early stages.

This is the worst terror attack on US soil since 9/11, and the sheer timing of the explosions — which went off at about 4:09, the average finish time on the Boston course — is chilling. Just about everyone realizes the Boston Marathon is huge in terms of the sport. Any runner can tell you that it’s easily the most prestigious race in the entire country and one that you will work for many years to qualify for, if ever. Only the best of the best make it to Boston at any point in their lives, and now all those runners (and their families) who worked so hard to make that goal happen have been rocked by this horrific act of violence.

What struck me most poignantly about the news coverage is one particular video that played on repeat on all of the news channels. The footage shows the initial moments of the blast and the reaction by runners on the course. These people were already wearied and discombobulated by 26 miles of running, and they were all completely shocked to hear the first explosion. It absolutely killed me to watch a runner named Bill Iffrig get knocked off his feet by the sheer force of the blast. Fortunately, Bill is okay and (miraculously) only suffered a scraped knee, and he was able to walk to the finish line. Sadly, so many people in attendance at that event were not so lucky.

Naturally and since we are a celebrity blog, here’s a quick rundown of Bostonian celebrity responses to the tragedy. First up, Mark Wahlberg tweeted, “Thoughts and prayers with my hometown Boston today.”

Wahlberg also spoke to Us Weekly last night at his latest film premiere. Here’s what he had to add to the melee:

“It’s just so upsetting,” Wahlberg, 41, told Us Weekly at a Cinema Society screening of his new film, Pain & Gain, in New York City April 15. “Obviously I’ve got a huge family and so many family and friends back in Boston. I don’t know what exactly happened, and I don’t know if everyone’s okay. I’m just trying to be here [at the screening] and put on a brave face and just be a professional.”

The Oscar-nominated actor added, “The world obviously needs to change. If you think about all the events over the last couple years, if we can’t protect our innocent women and children, then we have a serious problem.”

[From Us Weekly]

Many other celebrities — including Ben Affleck, Mindy Kaling, Chris Evans (from Sudbury), and Eli Roth (from Newton) — who hail from the Boston area took to their Twitter pages too. Here are some of their responses to this terrible tragedy.

Ben Affleck: “Such a senseless and tragic day. My family and I send our love to our beloved and resilient Boston.” [From Twitter]

Mindy Kaling: “My heart aches for my hometown. My love and support to the many worthy Boston area hospitals who are helping the wounded, St. E’s, Mass General, Beth Israel and many more.” [From Twitter]

Chris Evans: “[T]houghts and prayers are with everybody in boston. heartbreaking… [From Twitter]

Eli Roth: “Thoughts and prayers for everyone in Boston. Can’t believe what I’m reading. Stay safe.” [From Twitter]

UPDATE: Several of you have requested that we mention Patton Oswalt’s amazing Facebook post on the subject. He’s not Bostonian, but it’s well worth reading his essay, which in which he concludes, “When you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, “The good outnumber you, and we always will.”

Photos courtesy of Boston Herald and WENN

These are photos of Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner and their daughter Seraphina out getting ice cream on Tuesday. In some pics these two look really annoyed at the paparazzi, which is understandable. There are photos of them out yesterday, with Violet, where they’re kissing and looking loved-up. I think they know when to turn on the charm when it’s needed.

Where this family is concerned, there’s always the question of whether they court the paps. I believe that they do somewhat, although I don’t think they can control them by any stretch. Let’s put it this way, if you leave food out and too many ants come in your house, should you keep leaving food out? That’s a bad, over-simplified analogy, but you get the point. They would have to move outside of LA to stop the daily photos at this point and that would involve switching their whole life around. They would have to change their daughters’ schools and move out of their mansion compound, etc. Plus we talk about them constantly when they’re photographed and that benefits their careers. The paparazzi ants are more like symbiotic creatures who are sometimes pests, or whatever.

Ben did a recent interview in which he revealed that he’s going to be taking care of their three kids on his own (with the help of nannies presumably) and he jokes that he’ll have to shape up for it, like Mr. Mom. Garner told The Telegraph earlier this month that they trade off caring for the kids – sort of. She said “I definitely work less because Ben is so busy but we have three kids, that’s just part of the deal… I’ve reserved this summer [for work]. It’s mine.” So Ben is stepping up:

Ben Affleck’s next leading role? Mr. Mom! The actor joked with reporters at the premiere of his film, To the Wonder, on Tuesday, April 9 that he’s preparing to be on daddy duty this summer while wife Jennifer Garner goes back to work.

“She told me to go to the gym, I’m preparing myself,” Affleck, 40, joked on the red carpet of the premiere, sponsored by Fiji water, at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. “I’m going to take on some more of the burden.” (Over the past couple years, Affleck has worked on To The Wonder, Runner, Runner and the Oscar-winning film Argo, which he also directed.)

Aflleck and Garner, both 40, are parents to daughters Violet, 7, Seraphina 4, and son Samuel, 13 months. “She’s got a couple of movies coming up,” Affleck explained. “There’s going to be a little Mr. Mom action and I’m going to get back in the ring.”

[From US Weekly]

I haven’t even heard of Ben’s film, To The Wonder, which is out tomorrow in limited release. It’s a Terrence Malick film (Tree of Life, Thin Red Line) co-starring Javier Bardem, Olga Kurylenko and Rachel McAdams. The trailer makes it look like a treatise on love and life, which is similar to Tree of Life I guess. (I didn’t see it yet sorry! I did see that Roger Ebert called it one of the top ten movies of all time. Sidenote: they just released his redesigned site posthumously.)

Getting back to Ben being Mr. Mom, that’s cool and I’m glad he does that for his family, and wife. Ben said in an interview earlier this year that he doesn’t “want to be a stay-at-home dad. Work is very important to me.” I’m guessing that he’s only half-joking that he’s going to have to shape up in order to watch his kids this summer.

photo credit: Pacific Coast News

Jennifer Garner was interviewed in Britian’s Telegraph to promote the UK release of The Odd Life of Timothy Green, which is out there on Friday. (I lived in Europe for a while and it’s maddening how long it takes movies to premiere.) It’s a nice, long interview and profile, which is what the British press excels at. The interviewer must have had a good rapport with Garner, or maybe she was just ready to spill her guts, because she seemed to open up about a lot of things: the paparazzi, her husband’s controversial Oscar speech, and how it feels to be a celebrity.

Note that some of the interview is translated into “Brit speak,” they have her say “mum” instead of “mom” and some of it is phrased in a distinctly British way that makes it sound made up. It’s clear that she met with their reporter at least, and it’s possible that some of her quotes were switched around for their audience. Here’s more:

On the paparazzi
“Seven cars followed me when I left home at seven o’clock this morning. I wish I could say that it doesn’t bother me. But you wouldn’t like it if you had it, and neither would anyone else. They sit outside my house every day. They wait for me at school drop-off and pick-up.”

“This is almost worse [than having a stalker]. They stalk you on a much more regular basis.”

“[If she escapes the photographers] Somebody always calls them and tips them off. They give random people their numbers; nannies in the park.”

On her husband’s Oscar speech
“I had a friend call and say, ‘Are you OK?’ I know Ben, I knew he meant it as the hugest, warmest compliment in the world. I think he was saying, ‘Look, what we have is really real and I value it above all and I’m in it with you and I know you are in it with me.’ That’s the way I took it.”

On the fallout Ben faced after that speech
“Poor guy. It’s so horrible to put yourself out there – he didn’t have to worry about it from my point of view.”

On balancing career and motherhood
“I definitely work less because Ben is so busy but we have three kids, that’s just part of the deal. I want to be a mum. I’m happy for him that he’s as energised about work right now as he is. He should be out there doing it.

“That’s just what makes sense for our family.”

On becoming a mom
“I really thought when I was pregnant with my first that it wouldn’t affect my work at all, it would just be a baby that grows up on set.

“And I was absolutely wrong. For women, the high point of their career and needing to have babies just don’t really go together.”

On celebrity culture
“Why does everyone think they need to be a star? It’s ridiculous. The celebrity culture is so silly and the fact that people grow up thinking that it’s something to aspire to just seems wrong”

“I don’t mean to bash my life, I love my life, I just think it’s not the only way to go. Why don’t we celebrate teachers and doctors – people who actually do something?”

[From Telegraph.co.uk]

There was a lot more in the interview, particularly about Garner’s career. I know a lot of people accuse her, and her husband especially, of playing the paparazzi when they have something to promote. I do think that they do that, but I don’t think they can control how much they’re followed by photographers. I remember seeing video from years ago of them absolutely swarmed by paparazzi outside their oldest daughter’s school, and it was clear to me they were being harassed. I think Garner works hard to play along and smile because she considers it part of her job. In a way, she made the situation worse by being so congenial to photographers and by becoming such an in-demand celebrity mom. It’s only benefited her public image, and she surely knows that and struggles with it. She’s not bitching about the paparazzi constantly either, she’ll tell you about it once in a while but she doesn’t make it a point like Halle Berry does, and unlike her husband you never see her scowling or arguing with the paps.

As for her response to the Oscar speech, I do think that she was wounded a little by what Ben said. You could see the look of shock and surprise flash over her face momentarily before she got it together and smiled. She’s not going to say that, though, just like she’s not going to fight with the paparazzi or frown when she’s having a bad day. That’s the kind of person she is. She has a charmed life, she knows it, and she’s more than happy to play the game.

Thanks to invisiblename on Twitter for the tip! These photos are of Garner dropping Violet off at daycare yesterday and of her out with her three kids on Saturday. Credit: FameFlynet

I was surprised at how many people cared about Friday’s story, from the National Enquirer, that Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner were rumored to be fighting at a post-Oscar party. It seemed like an obvious scenario to me – Ben said his marriage was work during one of the most important, most public moments of his life, his Academy Award acceptance speech. Most people would have some choice words for their partner in that same situation, so it just seemed natural to me that Jen would have asked Ben what the hell he was thinking in that moment. Some of you disagreed and thought it was just Ben being honest. Marriages are work from most people’s perspective. I get that, but an Oscar speech is the time to gush about your marriage, you can call it work during a sit-down print interview.

The Enquirer then heaped on a bunch of other rumors about those two – that they’re fighting because Ben wants more another baby and Jen is done, and that Ben is rumored to have cheated with Blake Lively while they were making The Town. (We didn’t even include that segment, it was just a line or two toward the end of the article. I think Ben just had a kind of “emotional” affair with Blake, but who knows? They were very chummy in interviews.) We do know that Ben consistently praised other women during his Oscar press tour, and seemed much more reserved and almost passive aggressive in some of the things he said about his wife.

The two stepped out together on Saturday with their daughters at a street fair in Pacific Palisades and were seen kissing and embracing. They’ve only posed together once on the red carpet that I know of, at the VF party after Ben won the Oscar. We’ve seen candid family moments with them, but affectionate moments aren’t that common. I do think they get hounded by the paparazzi and don’t personally call them or anything, but instead of engaging in evasive maneuvers they just kind of go with it, smile and play along. At least Jen does, Ben often looks grumpy and fed up. (And who can blame him? I’m just saying.)

So is this just a spontaneous moment, or is this Ben’s way of playing the game after a negative story came out in the Enquirer? He seems like he pays attention to the tabloid press and actively tries to counter stories that come out without issuing direct denials. That could be part of the reason he said his marriage was “work,” he thought that everyone was talking about it, he may as well address it. Except all he did was add more fuel to the gossip fire. That said, these photos are really cute and they look solid. Even if Ben is just trying to counter negative stories, at least he’s trying.

Photo credit: FameFlynet

The Enquirer has a new story about Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner that I hope is false. They throw out a bunch of reasons why the two are fighting, and add that they fought at a post Oscar party. They also have a photo of Jennifer whispering something to Ben at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party and Ben looking tense. It’s somewhat similar to the one above, except Ben is clenching his teeth more.

The story goes that Ben is not happy with the three kids he has and wants another boy, while Jennifer feels like she’s done and wants to get back to work. Also, Jennifer allegedly snapped at Ben during a post-Oscar party “what do you mean our marriage is work?” I could see her asking him that, I wondered after the Oscars if she told him off for disrespecting her during his acceptance speech. It’s kind of a no-brainer. (Go here if you’d like to read his comments, I’m assuming you’re familiar with them.) Here’s more, it’s all so overwrought:

Ben Affleck and his wife Jennifer Garner are said to be locked in a bitter battle over whether to have another baby – and The Enquirer has the shocking photo of their fight exploding in public!

According to a source close to the couple, Jennifer, 40, says her hands are full with their three little ones, but Ben is determined to add to their brood in hopes of having another boy.

“He knows that Jen’s time is running out, and if they don’t act now she might have regrets someday,” explained the source.

But Jennifer… is anxious to get back to work…

The Hollywood power couple came to a stand off over whether to grow their family, said the source. But the lingering resentment could be heard in the hunk’s Academy Award acceptance speech, when he talked about how much work it took to keep his marriage going.

Later, during a post-Oscar party at the Sunset Tower Hotel, the clash seemed to turn ugly.

“Jen grabbed Ben’s arm and read him the riot act,” said the source.

“She hissed, ‘What do you mean, our marriage is work?”

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, April 1, 2013]

Assuming the “fight” story is accurate, and I’m not sure it’s based on more than that photo, who wouldn’t ask their partner what they hell they meant if they told the whole world their marriage was work? Also, Ben may want more kids but he already has a boy so I’m not sure if he’s pressuring Jen to add another one. He’s said in interviews that it’s up to her. Ben brought all this scrutiny on himself though by calling his relationship work in his acceptance speech. That was a big no-no and he should have known better.

In cuter news, the Garner-Affleck’s youngest daughter, little Seraphina, just got an adorable bob cut. People Magazine has her side-by-side before and after photo. My kid is a boy so I don’t have to worry about hair stuff, but one of my mom friends spends 20 minutes combing through her daughter’s tangles after every bath. I bet this style is easier for everyone.

Also shown: Jennifer Garner out having dinner with friends at Giorgio Baldi restaurant in Santa Monica on Wednesday night. (3-20-13.) I’m trying to think of something nice to say about her outfit, but maybe it’s just the shoes that are throwing it off.

photo credit: WENN.com and Fame Flynet

These are just some cute photos of Jennifer Garner, Ben Affleck and their kids out yesterday. Jen went out grocery shopping with Seraphina and Samuel earlier in the day, and then the whole family was spotted out later at a park in Brentwood. It looks like she changed one year-old Samuel into some sweats for their outing to the playground. That knit cap he’s wearing there is so cute, I wonder if one of his grandmothers made it for him. Also, Ben clipped down his beard somewhat and is back to his original hotness.

Check out the adorable St. Patrick’s day outfits that the kids are sporting. Look at little Samuel noshing on that bagel! Garner is so chic and casual here in her green skinny jeans, white sweater and green and white striped scarf. That’s a great outfit and looks effortless yet well put together. She can look gorgeous and casual when she puts some thought into it. Love me some scarves.

Garner has a partnership/sponsorship deal with Neutrogena, I’ve seen her ads for their skincare quite a few times. As part of her promotional duties, she spoke to People Magazine about making sure her kids wear sunblock. She also admitted to bribing them with M&Ms when necessary.

“Of course it’s a struggle!” the actress, 40, tells PEOPLE Wednesday at the Neutrogena Sun Summit. “The kids do not like getting sunscreen put on, especially at at a certain age, at least not mine. If you have kids out there who like sunscreen, hallelujah!”

Garner, who admits she luckily missed out on the “major baking-in-the-sun years” by mostly staying inside when she was younger, wants to ensure that her children with husband Ben Affleck — Violet, 7, Seraphina, 4, and Samuel, 1 — also avoid future skin damage by educating them about the dangers.

“We talk about skin health, and they know why they have to wear sunscreen,” she says. “If someone forgets, they’ll say ‘Hey, did you forget to put sunscreen on me?’”

She also praises Neutrogena’s kid-friendly SPF application options for making things a little easier at home: “I give them a stick that they can rub on their faces. Or they can do a spray if they want it fast. I’ve used everything.”

And Garner admits she’s not above rewarding her kids for remembering their sunscreen.

“I know it’s horrible — and I’m admitting to bribery — but I’ve given them an M&M [for putting] sunscreen on before,” Garner reveals. “I’ve [also] done a sticker chart. I’ll do whatever it takes — it has to be a non-negotiable part of life.”

[From People]

My son is pretty good about letting me put on sunblock, but I understand the bribing thing. I’ve totally done it. (I don’t do it all the time, but I’m not going to act like I never do!) I’m sure there are parenting experts who would say that it’s wrong and harmful and the lesson is lost or something, but sometimes you just have to get the job done.

This reminds me of an episode of “Parenthood” where Julia (Erika Christensen) asks her sister-in-law, Kristina (Monica Potter), for parenting advice after she adopted a 10 year-old boy and can’t get him to do his homework. Kristina states very bluntly that she bribes her own son with Skittles and explains why there’s no shame in it. I get it, I really do.

I just made the mistake of googling “should you bribe your kids” and at first it made me feel like a terrible mom, but then I learned some strategies to be a more effective briber. I mean parent.

Back to the photos, I love this one so much!

Also Violet is playing basketball, that’s cool. These kids are little stars.

photo credit: FameFlynet

Did you see Argo? The Best Picture winner is well worth watching, although it’s clearly not historically accurate. (As is the case with several Best Picture nominees this year.) I’ve mentioned this before, but I started frantically taking notes during the movie because there were a lot of scenes that belied belief. It turns out that most of the plot points that seemed too dramatic to be true were made up and/or embellished for the movie. In actuality, the Canadian government did a ton of work behind the scenes to get the American diplomats out of Iran, it wasn’t all American heroism and a skin-of-the-teeth escape with some Canadian hospitality.

Spoilers below
The basis for the plot, an invented science fiction movie to provide cover for the Americans, was true. The most nerve-wracking moments were not. Things went much more smoothly during the escape than portrayed, with the diplomats getting on the plane with pre-booked tickets without incident. There were no hostile Iranian security guards, and there was no last-minute chase of the plane down the runway as it took off. (Slate has an excellent breakdown of the plot vs. reality if you’re interested.) The film needed some bad guys, though, and the Iranians of course fit the bill. Tehran has announced plans to sue Argo for incorrectly portraying what happened during this incident in 1980. It’s unclear if they’ll actually go through with it, or if they’re just making noise.

First, Iran said it would produce its own cinematic response to “Argo.” Now, Tehran plans to sue Hollywood filmmakers who contribute to the production of such “anti-Iran” propaganda films.

State-run Press TV reports that Iranian officials have talked to an “internationally-renowned” French lawyer about filing such a suit.

“I will defend Iran against the films like Argo, which are produced in Hollywood to distort the country’s image,” said Isabelle Coutant-Peyre.

Argo, directed by Ben Affleck, who also played the lead role, is about the rescue of U.S. diplomats during the Iran hostage crisis. The film, released in 2012, garnered Affleck a Golden Globe as director and also took the prize for best drama movie.

The film claims to be based on a true story rather than to constitute a scrupulous retelling of what took place, and its deviations from reality have been documented.

Iran plans to fund a movie titled “The General Staff,” about 20 American hostages who were handed over to the United States by Iranian revolutionaries, according to a report by Mehr News, an official Iranian agency.

Press TV has detailed its objections to “Argo.”

“The Iranophobic American movie attempts to describe Iranians as overemotional, irrational, insane, and diabolical while at the same, the CIA agents are represented as heroically patriotic,” it complained.

This is bizarre. If Iran does sue Argo, where would the court case take place? Would it be in France as they mention and how would that happen? I doubt they’re even going to go forward with this.

You can’t argue that the Iran Hostage Crisis didn’t happen. 52 American Embassy employees were held hostage for well over a year. It’s not like the Iranians weren’t culpable at all. I get that this movie wasn’t technically accurate, and it seems reasonable for some kind of counter-movie to portray the Iranians as behaving more diplomatically in some instances. Really though, if these people were captured they would have been thrown in with the rest of the hostages. They wouldn’t have been let go.

Photo credit: Warner Brothers

I was looking through the photos at the Jon Varvatos benefit for Stuart House, which took place at the Varvatos Boutique in LA yesterday. Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck were both there, they were the big “gets” as Kaiser puts it, and they of course posed separately for the most part. There’s at least one photo of them together, but we don’t have it, it was more of a candid. This is what they’ve done for years and I didn’t think much of it until I realized that they broke their own rule recently! These two posed together at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party after Ben’s big win. So they’ll make exceptions for big occasions, which is nice. Ben is surely very worried about creating another Bennifer 2.0 situation, so he’s talking about his wife as if she’s his co-worker and refusing to be photographed with her for most outings. It makes sense. I jest – sort of.

US Weekly had a brief interview with Ben at the event, and he revealed that he’s been just chilling at home with his wife following his Oscar win. That and getting mad at the paparazzi he used to court. Here’s more:

While the A-list couple were suitably dressed up for the fundraising event in honor of Stuart House, a rape treatment center, Affleck explained to Us Weekly that he’s been reluctant to get out of sweats post-Oscars. “Luckily, I’ve been able to just enjoy my good fortune the last couple of weeks, just sit back and take it in, not do anything, eat ice cream on the couch,” the actor, director and producer, 40, said. “It’s been a nice time, hanging out with my wife, that sort of thing, and we’re enjoying it.”

Affleck added to Us that he’s happy that the busy awards season is behind them. “Now, when I go out and spend my time at events I can choose events like this that have some cause, some benefit other than trying to go after something for my movie,” he explained of promotional duties. Nothing is wrong with that but it’s also important to balance that with this type of activity that feels good.”

[From US Weekly]

Ben is a hustler and he’ll tell you about it. This just reminds me that I’m glad Awards season is over and we can relax a little too.

I really like Garner’s styling here. She looks so pretty, casual and fresh. Her hair is lovely and looks polished without being fuzzy. The outfit leaves something to be desired in that the Fendi dress looks like it could use a belt, the cardigan is somewhat shapeless and those Gucci shoes don’t go with the look at all. Still, this is cute looking and suited for the occasion.

Ben was in some kind of wrinkled jacket. I don’t have a full length photo of him so what’s really standing out for me is his beard – it’s back! We heard that Ben shaved it off at an Oscar party, probably encouraged by Jen who had brought clippers with her in her purse. The last time we saw him he was sporting some sexy stubble, but he hasn’t bothered to shave since. I don’t mind him with a beard, he looks hotter with it usually, but the dude needs a haircut.

Also there we have Nina Dobrev, who is styled to look very young for once. She is wearing a bizarre Elie Saab dress with a striped full skirt and a kind of peek-a-boo lace front. Nina has worn Elie Saab many times on the red carpet and she usually hits it out of the park in that designer. So this is a rare miss.

Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber showed up, looking very matchy and together. We just heard rumors that she was getting wasted and hitting on young guys, but I would bet her husband is pretty much doing the same thing.

Bonus pics of Tiffany Amber Thieeson, her husband Brady Smith, and their daughter, Harper, who turns three in June. These are for Kaiser since she loves Tiffany.