When asked in a Time magazine interview Thursday why she was not serving in Iraq, first daughter Jenna Bush was quoted as saying “there are many ways to serve our country, and I think my skills are better suited for teaching and representing the U.S. in Latin America.”

If these older photos of Jenna flashing on the beach (Update: This is not Jenna, it’s a lookalike) are any indication of Jenna’s “representing”, she certainly is doing her patriotic duty, along with Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears, in providing those GIs in Iraq with inspiration of what they are fighting for.

In another curious comment, when asked about her wild past she said, “It’s been seven years, and I’ve changed and I’ve grown. I’ve learned a lot.” Maybe not so much, Jenna. Apparently she forgot just last year, when she and her sister were kicked out of Argentina after a drunken incident. That same trip she hooked up with an out-of-work Argentinean named Ramiro González Palazzo, who seemed impressed enough to find a woman with a valid credit card, let alone the president’s daughter.

When asked in the Time article about using condoms to prevent HIV, Jenna did show more sense than her abstinence–only dad, remarking that kids “need to use condoms to keep themselves safe and to stop the spread of HIV. It’s a personal choice, and the most important thing is that kids become aware of their choices and make the proper decisions.” For the sake of Jenna’s new fiancé, lets hope she followed her own advice.

All Jenna quotes from Time.com.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Jenna Bush is shown reading a passage from her new book, Ana’s Story, at Borders Book Store in Annapolis, Maryland on 10/1/07. Ana’s Story is about a young woman living with HIV in Latin America that Jenna supposedly met on her travels.

Update by Celebitchy: Commentors are saying that it’s not Jenna in those nude beach photos (link NSFW!) and is instead a lookalike. They are labeled as Jenna and the woman bears a strong resemblance to her. Both the post author Mike and I genuinely believed it was her and it was not until you guys pointed it out to me that I realized that it wasn’t.

So I’ll admit that writing the “Good Celebrity” articles aren’t quite as fun – or as easy – as writing the “Paris Hilton fell off a wall without panties because she was so drunk” articles. But I think it’s good to temper the raunch and debauchery of some celebrities by making sure to pay attention to the ones that do something good. Jim Carrey is one of those actors that always seemed really nice, but I don’t think he’s ever publicly made a political or social statement, to my knowledge. I also had a hopeless crush on him when I was 13 and saw “The Mask” (I have weird taste) so I like to cover him every now and then, for old time’s sake. I mentioned the other day in the Sylvester Stallone article that there’s a lot of chaos going on in Myanmar right now – and it seems that a lot of celebrities are starting to talk about it. That’s great, because whatever brings attention to a cause, no matter where it comes from, is a small step forward.

“Actor Jim Carrey urged the U.N. Security Council on Friday to ban all international arms shipments to Myanmar to pressure the country to end its brutal suppression of pro-democracy protesters and its detention of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. ‘This is a government that uses its weapons not in self defense, but against its own citizens,’ the actor/comedian told a news conference across the street from the United Nations.

“‘The time has come for the United Nations Security Council to start acting less like a group of corporations and more like united nations,’ he said, urging China and Russia — Security Council members that have been resistant to sanctions — as well as India to back the ban. Carrey’s speech was a precursor to a day of marches and protests planned by the U.S. Campaign for Burma. He also made an appeal to Than Shwe, head of the latest junta in 45 unbroken years of military rule of the former Burma: ‘There is nothing to defend if you have lost the faith of your people. It is already over.’”

[From Reuters]

I don’t know if Jim Carrey wrote that himself, but if he did I’m really impressed. When I’ve seen him interviewed, he’s struck me as pretty smart, even though he never graduated from high school. I applaud him for taking a stand and using his fame for something good.

Picture Note by Jaybird: Here’s Aung San Suu Kyi. Header image of Jim Carrey and girlfriend Jenny McCarthy at the “Number 23” premiere in February. Images thanks to PR Photos.

Brad Pitt, who was raised as a Southern Baptist, has a pretty interesting interview in the upcoming issue of “Parade” magazine. He says that as he entered college, he began to doubt religion, and that doubt stays with him today. He says he believes in his family and the goodness of people, and that’s where he puts his faith. In a way, it helped him discover himself by really thinking about things. I know a lot of our commenters have said they don’t think Brad is very smart, and while I wouldn’t accuse him of secretly attending Mensa meetings, I think he’s got a lot more going on in his brain than most celebrities.

Now the head of Hollywood’s most famous family finds comfort in his partner Angelina Jolie and their four children, Maddox, 6, Pax, 3, Zahara, 2, and one-year-old Shiloh. “I still have faith in that,” he says. In the new issue of “Parade” magazine, Pitt discusses his evolution from college journalism student to actor to philanthropist. Is a run for office in his future? See interview excerpts below to find out…

On inequality:
“Whoever said all men are born equal never left his own backyard. I see people everywhere without opportunity. I want to help level the playing field.”

On whether his charity work is the result of his relationship with Jolie:
“That’s idiotic! I do it because I’m a member of the human race. In Africa you see people on the street dying from AIDS, children left without parents. We’re all cells of one body, with the same emotions and desires for our families–for a little dignity and a chance for a better life. Let’s focus on that! I believe in the founding principles of America. I want to fight for that. I know most Americans feel the same way.”

On whether he’ll ever run for office:
“Oh, my God! I never thought about it. I have no desire at this point. Maybe I serve better by not going through that door. George [Clooney] should do it! He’d be quite good. I think Ben Affleck should run.”

On being famous:
“When fame really hit me was when Legends of the Fall was released three years later. You get no warning about what celebrity is or how to deal with it. It’s sort of multitiered. The initial stage is feeling discombobulated and not up to the task. I didn’t understand the incessant attention when I went outside, the way people completely focused on me. It made me very uncomfortable.

On the paparazzi:
“I mean, yesterday Angie was taking Maddie off to school. There were 30 paparazzi outside. One guy sticks a video camera in Mad’s face, yelling, ‘Maddox! Maddox!’ He doesn’t get a response. He doesn’t know my boy. Mad is already savvy to this, unfortunately. But my 2-year-old dreads being anyplace there are cameras. It scares her. They’re all in her face. My kids are faced with this every day! It’s disgusting. So we’ve been run out of L.A., all the major cities. We just can’t live there. You don’t understand–this is the hunt, the hunt, the hunt! I thought it might be over a year ago. It’s gotten worse.”

On turning away from religion:
“I didn’t understand this idea of a God who says, ‘You have to acknowledge me. You have to say that I’m the best, and then I’ll give you eternal happiness. If you won’t, then you don’t get it!’ It seemed to be about ego. I can’t see God operating from ego, so it made no sense to me.

On the ways of the world:
“We’re basically all the same. There is so much focus on our differences. Again, this thing of ego—my high school is better than your high school! We forget that we all have the same feelings on any side of the world. Why can’t we find common ground instead of this obsession with our hatreds?”

[From Us Weekly]

While I may not agree with Brad on everything, it’s hard to deny that it sounds like he’s actually thought a lot of things through that many people never bother to wrestle with. I think Angelina has been a good influence on him in terms of charity, but he was a bit of a do-gooder before he met her, just a less public one. I think Brad’s still smarter and more caring than 9 out of 10 celebrities out there, and I hope he keeps up the good work.

Picture Note by Jaybird: Here’s Brangelina at the Assassination of Jesse James premiere on September 18th. Header image of Brad at the Clayton’ New York City Premiere on September 24th. Images thanks to PR Photos.

I don’t exactly consider Sylvester Stallone to be the epitome of tact and grace, but he actually has some interesting and thoughtful things to say about the atrocities in Myanmar right now – where he’s spent several months filming the latest installment in the “Rambo” series.

“Sylvester Stallone says he and his Rambo sequel movie crew recently witnessed the human toll of unspeakable atrocities while filming along the Myanmar border. ‘I witnessed the aftermath — survivors with legs cut off and all kinds of land-mine injuries, maggot-infested wounds and ears cut off,’ Stallone told The Associated Press in a phone interview Monday. ‘We hear about Vietnam and Cambodia and this was more horrific.’

“The 61-year-old actor-director returned to the U.S. eight days ago from shooting John Rambo, the fourth movie in the action series, on the Salween River separating Thailand and Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. Stallone said he was in Thailand for six months, most of it along or on the river. ‘This is a hellhole beyond your wildest dreams,’ Stallone said. ‘All the trails are mined. The only way into Burma is up the river.’”

[From USA Today]

I wonder why they chose to film in Myanmar given that it’s such a hotbed of danger right now? I know the guy is an action and adrenaline junkie, but it seems like he has a decent appreciation for how dangerous the place is right now. I don’t know the Rambo movies at all, so maybe it’s integral to the script – though my general impression is that they’re not exactly super plot-based. Even if he wanted to set the movie in Myanmar, he could still have chosen to film it somewhere else.

“Stallone also claimed watching refuges fleeing from Myanmar to Thailand during his stay at the location. Actor-director Sylvester Stallone has revealed that he received a series of death threats while filming upcoming sequel John Rambo along the troubled Thailand-Myanmar border. The 61-year-old star said that his crew was filming on the Salween River when they were warned that they would be shot if they did not leave the place immediately.

“‘We were on the Salween River and we were told to get out because we were going to be shot,’ Contactmusic quoted him as telling American TV show Entertainment Tonight . Stallone also claimed watching refuges fleeing from Myanmar to Thailand during his stay at the location. ‘It’s the most brutal regime in the world and the most secretive. It has an oppressive regime that (keeps all riches) for themselves. Everyone is forced into drugs or prostitution or slavery,’ he said.”

[From the Times of India]

Why I don’t quite understand why he’d chose to film there and endanger his life and the lives of his cast and crew, I’ve got to give the guy props for speaking out about what’s going on in Myanmar. Some decent celebrities have shown that they can bring a lot of much-needed attention, even political attention, to otherwise ignored causes. Had most of us heard about Darfur, until a bunch of big names threw their weight behind the “Save Darfur” campaign? Hopefully the situation will change on it’s own, but I appreciate a celebrity (if you still want to call Sly Stallone a celebrity… hey we’re bitchy here, I had to get that in) throwing their weight behind something good.

Not to get too political on here (some of you like the variety, but a bunch of you yell at me too…) but Iran’s super-controversial president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at Columbia University in New York City last Wednesday. The event was incredibly controversial – Ahmadinejad has been a longtime denier of the Holocaust. A lot of people thought he shouldn’t be allowed to speak by Columbia, while just as many people made the argument that in America, people generally have the right to say whatever they want, even if others don’t agree, and that’s a good value to show the rest of the world. Both of the arguments make sense to me in their way. During his speech, Ahmadinejad was heckled and several other speakers were really harsh to him – which was totally fair, because he got to speak his nutball views, and people got to respond. That’s the flip side of the whole freedom of speech thing – it applies to pretty much everyone. Ahmadinejad didn’t like that, and reminded the audience that that type of behavior wasn’t allowed in Iran. Ummm… well dude, you’re not in Iran. We let you come here and say things we consider stupid, so the way it works is that we then get to say things you consider stupid. See how we all win? Ahmadinejad claimed in his speech that there aren’t gay people in Iran, noting: “In Iran, we don’t have homosexuals like in your country. We don’t have that in our country. In Iran, we do not have this phenomenon. I do not know who has told you that we have it.” Um, right. Well just because they don’t over-pluck their eyebrows and wear a lot of pink doesn’t mean you don’t have a couple of gays chilling in your hood, dude.

This past Saturday, comedic genius, “Saturday Night Live” cast member, and my future husband Andy Samberg responded to Ahmadinejad’s claims with one of his most inspired songs to date. Samberg is the lyrical mastermind behind SNL’s Emmy Award winning “Dick in a Box” and “Lazy Sunday.”

“Andy Samberg, Adam Levine and Jake Gyllenhaal lampooned Holocaust-denying, homosexual-decrying Iran president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on ‘Saturday Night Live’ this week.

“Samberg performed a hilarious R&B love song titled ‘I Ran’ in homage to the Iranian president (played by Fred Armisen), featuring lyrics like, ‘You ain’t wrong to me, so strong to me. You belong to me, like a very hairy Jake Gyllenhaal to me.’

“Meanwhile, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine gamely lent an overemotive chorus to the video, crooning, ‘And I raaaaan, I ran so far away. Because you’re home, in my heart you’ll stay…’

“The 29-year-old SNL funnyman took a shot at the statement in his serenade, singing, ‘I know you say that there are no gays in Iran, but you’re in New York now, baby!’

“Also up for ridicule was the president’s assertion that the Holocaust is “a myth.” Samberg tones, ‘You can deny the Holocaust all you want, but you can’t deny that there’s something between us.’

“At the end of the video, the real Gyllenhaal pops up for a cameo, fluffing his beard and flashing the double peace sign as the crowd bursts into laughter.”

[From Us Weekly]

Watch the video for comedic gold.

It’s not everyday that Barry Manilow gets a mention in the New York Daily News, or on a bunch of blogs. But he’s thrown an awesome hissy fit, and that’s just where it landed him. Manilow, famous for that incredibly annoying “Copa Cabana” song that makes you want to find him and cut off his tongue, was scheduled to appear on “The View” today. Manilow didn’t want to be interviewed by Elizabeth Hasselbeck, due to her vocal right-wing, pro-war beliefs. A few sources said he refused to go on if she was there and a few more have said he just didn’t want to talk with her. It’s hard to say.

“Barry Manilow balked at the thought of being interviewed by ‘The View’s’ Elisabeth Hasselbeck, so the producer of the show tossed his appearance. Manilow, who has been on the show before - once he hugged Hasselbeck - was to be on today’s show. But the visit was scrapped when he asked to chat with anyone but Hasselbeck.

“Manilow’s spokeswoman and a ‘View’ source said show executive producer Bill Gedde canceled the visit - not Manilow. ‘His views don’t coinicide [sic] with hers,’ she said.”

[From the Daily News]

I would guess Manilow was fine before because the situation was different before. It seems that even celebrities that used to keep their politics to themselves have felt the situation reaching ridiculous and intolerable levels, and are speaking up. I’m not sure that it’s appropriate to ask Hasselbeck not to be on her own show, but I understand not wanting to get into a fight with her. Manilow posted a message on his website yesterday addressing the issue.

“‘I wanted to let you know that I will no longer be on The View tomorrow as scheduled. I had made a request that I be interviewed by Joy [Behar], Barbara [Walters] or Whoopi [Goldberg] but not Elisabeth Hasselbeck,’ he wrote. ‘Unfortunately, the show was not willing to accommodate this simple request, so I bowed out.’

“A spokesperson for the chatfest declined to comment on Manilow’s exit.

“Manilow had appeared on ABC’s daytime talker twice in the past year without any such requirements, most recently last November. Of course, that was before his pal Rosie O’Donnell blew up at Hasselbeck over the war in Iraq and exited the show in May.

“Said Manilow: ‘It’s really too bad, because I’ve always been a big supporter of the show, but I cannot compromise my beliefs. The good news is I will be on a whole slew of other shows promoting the new album, so I hope you can catch me on those.’”

[From E! News]

We’ll get right on that Barry. Thank God he’ll be on a bunch of other shows – if I didn’t hear him sing “I Write the Songs” or “Weekend in New England” I would just freak the hell out. So though I don’t really care about Barry Manilow (except to mock, which is almost too easy and not all that fun anymore) it’s interesting to see a celebrity stand up for himself and his beliefs. Now if only a few more people would say that directly to George Bush.

Picture note by JayBird: Here’s Barry Manilow performing yesterday on the Today Show. When I was a kid I always thought he looked like a parrot. Can you see it?
Images thanks to PR Photos.

I’m generally alright with Oprah. I don’t think she’s the next coming of Christ like a lot of people do, but she’s cool enough. She’s done some good, and used her money and power to try to influence people in a positive way. And after her show hit a major scandalous steak for several years, she turned it around to the point where it’s not even recognizable from the trash it used to be. But Oprah can be a bit of a diva, and seems to have a “What Oprah wants, Oprah gets” mindset. She’s thrown her support behind Barack Obama for the upcoming US presidential elections, and is hosting a fundraiser for him on September 8th at her $64 million compound in Santa Barbara, California. For some reason she couldn’t host the guests at her home (I don’t care if she invited half the county, you’d think she’d have room somewhere in a $64 million compound) and wanted to put them up at the San Ysidro Ranch nearby. Well the ranch was booked for a wedding, which wasn’t to Oprah’s liking. Apparently Oprah and her people have been calling the bride and trying to strong arm them into moving or giving up their rooms. The bride, who is an attorney, supposedly refused to give in.

“The talk-show queen is holding a star-studded fund-raiser for presidential wannabe Barack Obama on Sept. 8 at her $64 million estate near Santa Barbara, Calif., and she wanted out-of-town guests to be able to stay at the nearby San Ysidro Ranch. But - horrors - it was booked for a wedding that weekend. ‘Due to the proximity to and the cachet of the ranch to Oprah Winfrey’s estate, Oprah’s people have been calling the bride to either move or vacate some of the rooms to accommodate her guest list,’ our source snitched. ‘The bride, an attorney, is not budging.’

“Well, she may have budged a bit.

“San Ysidro Ranch Manager Marco Perry denied that Winfrey’s people had talked to the bride but said, ‘The wedding party did cancel a few rooms - but we didn’t charge them a cancellation fee because there was such a demand for the rooms that weekend.’ Winfrey’s representative at her production company, Harpo Inc., insisted that no calls to the bride were made.

“In any event, the fund-raiser for Obama will have some strict rules. No cameras will be allowed in, and there will be heavy security to make sure it’s enforced. Nor will guests be able to enter Oprah’s house. Instead, they’ll be dining alfresco on blankets under tents. And to avoid a mass crush of limos, they must park at a ‘greeting center’ eight miles away and take a shuttle bus to Winfrey’s estate.

Among the famous Obama supporters expected are George Clooney, Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles, David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg.”

[From Page Six]

Well it sounds like they somehow got the bridal party moved. I hope Oprah paid off the bride herself instead of the hotel, so she’d at least be compensated for her trouble. I love the line about the bride not budging… oh but she did give in. Remember a few years ago when Oprah randomly “surprised” some people at their weddings by showing up? I think it was the basis for “Wedding Crashers.” I remember her proudly airing the footage on her show, and showing everyone how she graced the couple and their wedding with her presence. But a lot of people pointed out that Oprah also stole focus from the couple on their special day, and without their advance knowledge or permission. If Oprah showed up at my wedding I’d kick her in the shins and tell her to get the hell out. Unless she offered me one of her famous free vacations. Then we could talk. I’m guessing that’s what happened with this bride too.

Picture note by JayBird: Here’s Oprah when she was honored by the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity with a Humanitarian award in May. Header image at the 2007 CFDA Fashion Awards in June.
Images thanks to PR Photos.

The people of Austria went all out for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 60th birthday Monday. Not only did officials in Thal Bei Graz - the small village where Arnold was born – declare it “A Day for Arnold,” they also had a special birthday Mass for the former bodybuilder/actor/governor, and a ceremony with the mayor. There were strudels, schnitzels, a brass band, and most importantly, the original address numbers from the house where Arnold was born. Apparently the numbers were also retired, similar to what’s done for famous athletes. Town Mayor Peter Urdl said “This belongs to him. No one here will ever be assigned that number again.”

It doesn’t appear that Schwarzenegger was present for the ceremony, but simply that it was done in his honor. When interviewed by Vienna newspaper Kronen Zeitung in Sacramento, Schwarzenegger was asked what his birthday wish was, and it was actually pretty good.

“’My wish is that this great country [the U.S.] once again gets the reputation it once had around the world.’”

[From the Washington Post]

It’s nice that he was realistic enough to admit that America’s reputation is really lacking. The interviewer also asked what Arnold would ask for if a magic fairy appeared and granted him five wishes (I’m guessing she’s their star reporter now).

“Schwarzenegger said he hoped for continued married bliss with his wife, Maria Shriver; that they would be good role models for their children; for political success in the rest of his term as governor; and for continued health and vitality.

“’When my father turned 60, I was just 20, and at the time he seemed terribly old. Now I’m 60, too, but I don’t feel old at all,’ he said.”

[From the Washington Post]

That was only four wishes, so I’m going to assume he counted his birthday wish as the fifth. Bad math, Arnold. All of the things he said sounded pretty sane and level, especially for a guy that’s a bit of a kook. Arnold’s birthday honor was an especially big deal because Austrians had soured a bit on the governator after he didn’t block the execution of a gang member in 2005. Austrians, and Europeans in general, do not support capital punishment. The execution led to protests in Austria, which culminated in the renaming of a soccer arena in Graz, which had once been named after Schwarzenegger. Apparently that really annoyed him, and he severed ties with the city. Things seem to be going a little better for him, at least in his birth city, if the massive “A Day for Arnold” celebration is any indication. I mean yes, they renamed a giant stadium to hurt his feelings, but they did retire the numbers to his house, so that’s almost as big an honor.

Header image is from the Florida Summit on Global Climate Change on 07/13/2007, thanks to PRPhotos.

Apparently basketball great Shaquile O’Neil wants to be a sheriff. Aren’t little boys supposed to have grown out of that phase by about 15 or so? Shaq’s 35, but whatever. Shaq’s talked for years about wanting to be a sheriff, but it appears he’s taking it a little more seriously these days.

“’I probably will run for sheriff in Orlando or Fort Lauderdale, Fla.,’ he said during an interview on the Live with Regis and Kelly national television chat show.”

[From the Sun Sentinel]

One would have to assume he actually meant Broward County, since Fort Lauderdale doesn’t have its own sheriff. How serious could he be if he doesn’t even know one of the jurisdictions he plans to run in doesn’t have a sheriff? Shaq, who plays for the Miami Heat, has been a reserve officer for the Miami Beach police and a few other areas. He claims to be a reserve detective. I have a degree in criminology, and I’m 99% certain there is no such thing. If you’re a reserve officer, you just do it here and there, like a substitute teacher but much less so. Becoming a detective takes years of work and dedication; it’s not something you could do on the side. But we’ll put that aside and humor Shaq a little, because it seems like other people are.

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle said the notion of a Sheriff Shaq shouldn’t be dismissed. As someone who’s admired by many people, Naugle said O’Neal might be successful at stemming youth crime.

I think he would be great,’ he said. ‘He’s demonstrated a real dedication. I don’t think it’s out of the question. … He always seems to have had a clean image, unlike some in sports.’”

Of course this isn’t the first time Shaq’s talked about his law enforcement dreams.

In 2002, he told the New Yorker that he wanted to be a police chief or sheriff in Louisiana or Orlando. He said he would run as an independent. In 2004, he discussed running for the Central Florida job with the Orlando Sentinel.

And early in 2006, he told ABC News that ‘when I am done playing, I will be a sheriff somewhere in some city in some county.’”

[From the Sun Sentinel]

Current Broward County Sheriff Ken Jenne, considered to be the most powerful man in the county, didn’t dismiss Shaq’s dreams either, though he seems to think he should be a little more realistic.

Shaq’s got three of the most important qualities needed to be sheriff: dedication, commitment and team building,’ he said. Jenne would prefer to have O’Neal sign up as a Broward Sheriff’s Office reserve deputy — with one catch.

‘He’d have to supply his own shoes. We don’t carry his size.’”

[From the Sun Sentinel]

I have to wonder how serious he is about all this… the sheriff is an elected office. Shaq’s not even registered to vote. Being a sheriff isn’t about running around shooting people. (Nor is being a police officer). It’s a desk job, and a political job. You have to be able to tightly control a large budget, and have the confidence of your officers… who generally don’t place a lot of faith in someone without years of law enforcement experience. However it seems like Shaq actually does have a chance, if he wants the job. Broward County Sheriff Ken Jenne is considered by many to be corrupt, and is currently under investigation by several agencies. Many citizens have voiced their support of Shaq, though it’s hard to say if that’s because they think he’s really do a good job, or bring star power to the office, or just that he’d be better than Ken Jenne. What do you all think, Shaq for sheriff?

Picture note by Celebitchy: Shaquille O’Neil is shown in the header image at the ESPY Awards yesterday with his wife Shaunie. Thanks to WENN for this picture. He is also seen in a promotional image for the 1996 film Kazaam.

The Dixie Chicks took home five awards at last night’s Grammys, one in every category they were nominated for. They are said to be planning to break up now that the Grammys are over, as they want to slow down and spend more time with their families. People say that it shows that lead singer Natalie Maines’ outspoken opposition in the first stage of the war, while extremely controversial at the time, has been accepted. Now they’re being honored for their music instead of being bitch-slapped for their political views:

The Dixie Chicks won all five awards they were nominated for, sweet vindication after the superstars’ lives were threatened and sales plummeted when Maines criticized President Bush on the eve of the Iraq war in 2003. Almost overnight, one of the most successful groups of any genre was boycotted by Nashville and disappeared from country radio.

With “Taking the Long Way,” the women relied on producer Rick Rubin’s guidance for an album that was more rock and less country. (Rubin, who also produced “Stadium Arcadium,” was honored as producer of the year.)

The standing ovations the Chicks received Sunday illustrated how much the political climate has changed regarding the Iraq war, and even Bush.

“That’s interesting,” Maines crowed from the podium after the country award was handed out earlier in the night. “Well, to quote the great ‘Simpsons’ — ‘Heh-Heh.’

“Just kidding,” added Maines. “A lot of people just turned their TVs off right now. I’m very sorry for that.”

Bandmate Emily Robison noted, “We wouldn’t have done this album without everything we went through, so we have no regrets.”

Maybe they’ll see this as their high point and decide to call it quits, or it’s possible they’ll stay together now that all their hard work has been vindicated.

It sounds kind of stupid for Maines to use Nelson’s catchphrase like that, and it’s typical of her to blurt stuff out. At least she apologized afterwards, and maybe it didn’t come off like that at the Grammys. I totally agree with her about the war, and I did at the time she said it, but she still comes off as mouthy to me and kind of abrasive. Maybe that’s just the way the media portrayed her, but if she’s saying shit like “ha ha!” at the Grammys, they probably weren’t far off.

Pictures from Gossip Rocks.