A Baptist website says that an e-mail going around that warns Christians of the dangers of paying attention to Oprah’s harmful new age doctrine through her promotion of “A Course in Miracles” is accurate. New Age guru Marianne Williamson wrote the book A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles, which is now being widely popularized by Oprah with visits by Williamson on her show and radio program. Author James A. Smith Sr. calls Oprah a “pied piper of heresies” and says “It’s time for Christians to just say no to the big O” or they’re going to hell.

In America’s celebrity-driven culture, perhaps the most harmful “Pied Piper” of heresies leading millions astray is Oprah Winfrey. Her adoption of anti-biblical doctrine is on display every day this year through her satellite radio network channel “Oprah & Friends.” It’s time for Christians to “just say no” to the big “O.”…

Although New Agers rely upon many sources, ACIM is among the most popular. New Age guru Marianne Williamson is responsible for popularizing the work through her book, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles, while Oprah is to be credited with launching Williamson’s career through her appearances on Winfrey’s talk show.

And now, Williamson is one of the featured stars on the “Oprah & Friends” channel on XM Satellite Radio, reprising her role as advocate of ACIM through a year-long series on the course…

Contrary to the Bible’s clear teaching that our guilt is the result of the fact that we truly are sinners, separated from God by our sin, and rightfully under God’s judgment for our sin, ACIM teaches that we must realize “all guilt is solely an invention of your mind” and in this realization is salvation.

Warren Smith has helpfully summarized some of the other false doctrine of the course in the previously referenced article:

“There is no sin.”

“Do not make the pathetic error of ‘clinging to the old rugged cross.’”

“The name of Jesus Christ as such is but a symbol…. It is a symbol that is safely used as a replacement for the many names of all the gods to which you pray.”

“God is in everything I see.”

[The Apostle] Peter’s warnings [against false teachers] are clearly applicable to Oprah, Williamson and A Course in Miracles for undermining the faith with a false gospel and counterfeit “Jesus,” which in the end bring no actual spiritual nourishment or relief. Tragically, these teachers are leading people straight to Hell.

Christians should flee from Oprah and her cohorts and recommitment [sic] themselves to careful Bible study, in the context of a local body of believers with whom they have covenanted for mutual edification and accountability led by a faithful pastor. Of course, this isn’t as glamorous as Oprah—but neither is eternal punishment in Hell.

[From FloridaBaptistWitness.com via National Enquirer, print edition, April 6, 2008]

This same Baptist author is against including gays in Baptist events, opposes stem cell research, and wants creationism to be taught in school, so it’s not like I would normally agree with any of his viewpoints, but anyone that calls out Oprah deserves some kind of recognition. Maybe if more Christians unite against Oprah she’ll be forced into retirement, relying on her hokey new age belief system to somehow get through the day without constant adulation from the middle class female masses.

And the TV stunt casting continues! This time, it’s “fierce” designer Christian Siriano, winner of this season’s “Project Runway.” Siriano will make an appearance on ABC’s “Ugly Betty,” during sweeps weeks, of course.

How fierce!

Project Runway winner Christian Siriano will guest star on ABC’s Ugly Betty.

The episode will air during May sweeps week.

According to an ABC statement, Siriano, 22, will cross paths with “Mode’s own hot tranny mess” Alexis Meade (Rebecca Romijn).

Runway judge Nina Garcia will also have a cameo.

Siriano won the Bravo reality show earlier this month.

“This won’t be the last of Christian Siriano,” he vowed at the time. “I mean, people need to see more of the fierceness.”

[From Us Weekly]

Siriano was popular while on “Runway,” winning the coveted “Fan Favorite” award, which was a check for $10,000. Since the show ended, Siriano has been doing the talk show circuit and making several appearances. On March 29, Christian will serve as a red carpet correspondent for Access Hollywood at Nickelodeon’s Kids Choice Awards, hosted by Jack Black.

And on the orange carpet, stars like awards’ host Jack Black will have their fashion looks rated by the young designer. “I think it’s fabulous that I’ll be on the red carpet checking to see if anyone is a hot tranny mess,” Siriano said, borrowing one of his trademark phrases fans heard him saying on “Runway.” “Watch out - you know I’ll be fierce with my comments.”

The 22-year-old “Runway” winner will bring his energy and flair for fashion as he also hands out Access’ “Fierce Fashion Awards” to all those deserving celebrities on the orange carpet.

[From omg! News]

I love Christian, and was happy he won the show. He was clearly a talented designer and a fun personality. However, he needs to be careful not to overexpose himself or his “fierceness” is going to diminish. I’m kind of over the whole “hot tranny mess” catchphrase at this point. But then again, reality stars have a short shelf life, so I guess he’s smart enough to realize that and cash in while he can- the new season of Project Runway has already started filming.

Christian Siriano is shown on 3/15/08 at The Human Rights Campaign’s annual gala, thanks to PRPhotos.

File this one under “DUH!” Forbes Magazine has just released its list of the 10 most overexposed celebrities, and not surprisingly, Paris Hilton sits atop that list. Once the tabloid “it” girl, Paris is now regarded as little more than filler when it’s a slow gossip day. She can be counted on for doing or saying something stupid, but other than that, nobody really cares about her anymore. Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan are close behind on the list.

According to studies by Encino, Calif.-based E-Poll Market Research, which provides appeal rankings for more than 3,000 celebrities, 70% of the U.S. population would use the term “overexposed” to describe Paris Hilton, up slightly from a year earlier. To put that in perspective, most celebrities average between 3% and 7% on the E-Poll index during the peak of their careers.

Consider pop tart Britney Spears, whose every move from club-hopping to head-shaving has grabbed gobs of tabloid ink. But rather than earn her adoration, the recent media onslaught has resulted in eye rolls. And worse.

According to studies by Encino, Calif.-based E-Poll Market Research, which provides appeal rankings for more than 3,000 celebrities, 72% of the U.S. population would use the term “overexposed” to describe Spears in 2007, as compared to only 54% five years earlier. Worse: During that same period, her “talented” score, the presumed basis for her celebrity, fell from 35% to 25% on the E-Poll index.

[From Forbes.com]

Here’s the top 10:
1) Paris Hilton
2) Britney Spears
3) Lindsay Lohan
4) Pamela Anderson/Nicole Richie (tie)
6) Mary Kate Olsen
7) Kim Kardashian
Tom Cruise/Heidi Montag/Donald Trump (tie)
9) Michael Jackson
10) Spencer Pratt

I’d say this list is pretty accurate- although I would not have included Michael Jackson, and Kim Kardashian should be higher up on the list. I am so sick of her “over the shoulder, show off my butt” pose on every red carpet in L.A. Michael Jackson is beyond overexposed- he’s a has-been. At one time, his scary face was on every tabloid on the world on a daily basis; now, poor Mike probably has to pay someone to take his freaky picture. And while I do concede that Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt are overexposed (do I really need to provide a link to those Easter photos? Nauseating!), I refuse to believe that they are actual celebrities. Which brings up a new question not covered by Forbes: at what point does a person make the transition from reality show curiosity to bonafide celeb? Maybe that should be the topic of their next poll.

Paris Hilton is shown out on 3/15/08, thanks to Splash News.

Update: Photos removed at the request of the National Enquirer. You can see them in their latest issue with Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen’s feud on the cover. We are sorry to the Enquirer and thank them for being nice about asking us to remove them.

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“Jackass” star Steve O is in rehab after he was put into the hospital on a mental health observation for supposedly threatening to kill himself. It also came out that he has bipolar disorder, something that he admits on his myspace blog. Steve O also freely owes up to doing drugs, and there are photos out of him in this week’s Enquirer snorting coke off a woman’s leg. The accompanying story about how he was supposedly “hitting on random girls and asking to snort coke of their breasts” isn’t true though, he asserts, and he says the false claims are particularly damaging because he was engaged at the time:

The stories that are circulating right now about me being at some party hitting on random girls and asking to snort drugs from their breasts are not true at all. I will be the first to admit that I’ve snorted all kinds of drugs, in all sorts of situations, but I take offense to claims that I was running around hitting on random women at a time when I was under the impression that I was engaged to be married. I know many of you who are in receipt of this message from me work in the media, and I would greatly appreciate it if you would squash this dishonest journalism. These stories are so untrue, they place me at a party hitting on women when I was locked up in the looney bin. I’m a tough guy, with very thick skin, but that doesn’t mean I take kindly to being lied about, especially when it comes to behavior that took place after I asked someone to marry me and before I was informed, by the girl I asked to marry me, that she had completely changed her mind about getting married. Feel free to write whatever you want about me being rejected by my fiance, because that is true, but, please, don’t lie about me. I like to consider myself to be exciting
enough that dishonesty is not required to get a story out of me. Thanks, I love you all,
Steve-O

[From Steve O's myspace]

This is the guy who stapled his balls to his legs, peed on the red carpet, smoked a bowl on the red carpet, ate roadkill, and generally comes off as an idiot of the highest order, but somehow I believe him and am rooting for him. At first I thought that Steve O’s girlfriend broke up with him after reading that National Enquirer article, but he blogged on March 20 that “she later expressed that she completely changed her mind about getting married. Now I am in recovery and do not have a significant other,” so it sounds like he’s just upset that the Enquirer made it seem like he was hitting on women when he was engaged at the time.

Steve O has been getting into all sorts of weird new age stuff (that seems to be a theme for today) and has been blogging about how he’s searching for more information about his higher power. He’s talked about The Age of Aquarius and told people to look up more information about the “Pleiadians,” which are said to be extraterrestrial beings which have visited earth. As long as he’s not sinking money into a cult, if it helps him to get sober that’s all that matters.

Steve O comes across as someone who is really trying to conquer his demons and figure out his place in the world. Maybe he’ll come up with a slightly less self-destructive way to make money once he’s out of rehab.

New parenthood means late nights, but usually those nights are spent changing diapers, cleaning spit-up off your clothes, and waking up every few hours to feed a screaming baby. Not at the Aguilera-Bratman household, though: the couple has been making quite a racket recently with their skinny-dippin’ sex sessions.

Having a new baby at home hasn’t extinguished the sparks between Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman!

The new parents are so determined to keep their two-year marriage red-hot that they’ve taken to skinny-dipping by moonlight. The couple, who welcomed son Max into the family on Jan. 12, can be heard loudly frolicking in the pool of their $11.5 million Beverly Hills mansion around midnight.

“They don’t just splash around — they laugh, scream, swear and make sexy noises,” says a source. “We’re happy that they’re happy, but we wish they’d keep it down a bit. There are a lot of old people who live around here, and they don’t like noise after the dinner hour.”

Still, the 27-year-old pop singer and her record producer husband, 30, are preferable to the house’s former owner, Ozzy Osbourne, adds the source. Ozzy — who sold the Mediterranean villa after wrapping up his MTV show, The Osbournes — would blast “horrific, ear-splitting rock music.”

[From Star Magazine]

I dunno, if I paid $11 million for my house, I’d be as loud as I pleased every damn minute of the day. Old people are mostly deaf anyway- if they don’t like it, they can just turn up the volume on “Murder, She Wrote,” and drift off to sleep. They’re probably just jealous that these two young people can still actually enjoy themselves. Besides, they should be used to the screaming and the swearing from the Osbourne family. This story is funny and would even be kind of hot if Christina’s husband weren’t a troll.

Note by Celebitchy: I remember watching The Osbournes and seeing them throwing shit over the fence at the neighbors, whom Sharon hated. I don’t remember what kind of feud they had going on but it sounds like these same neighbors are talking to the tabloids about Aguilera. Christina told Ellen that a lot of tour buses stopped by her house due to the popularity of the Osbournes’ show, but that the back, with it’s waterfall and pool, was completely secluded and made it feel like she was on vacation. Maybe she should have watched the show more carefully to see what assholes the neighbors were.

Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman and friends are shown outside a sushi restaurant on 3/16/08, thanks to WENN.

Apparently, the marketing team at Dr. Pepper are fans of rock band Guns N’ Roses. The soft drink company has proposed that if the band’s “Chinese Democracy” CD, which has been more than 15 years in the making, is released within the calendar year 2008, everyone in the U.S. will receive one free can of Dr. Pepper. Well, almost everyone.

Many have tried, but so far nobody has been able to pry the decade-in-the-works Guns N’ Roses album “Chinese Democracy” from the hands of lone remaining original member Axl Rose.

Now, Dr Pepper thinks it’s up to the challenge. The soft drink company says it will give a free can of Dr Pepper to “everyone in America” (excluding ex-Guns members Slash and Buckethead) if “Chinese Democracy” arrives anytime during the calendar year 2008.

Rose responded on his band’s web site (http://www.gunsnroses.com) that the band was “surprised and very happy to have the support of Dr Pepper.” But the offer did not prompt him to rose [sic] to the challenge.

“Chinese Democracy” was most recently scheduled for release in March 2007, but promptly vanished from the schedule without a new date being set. Rose said at the time that all the recording had been completed, but there were some “scheduling difficulties.”

It will be the first album of fresh Guns N’ Roses material since the 1991 sets “Use Your Illusion I” and “Use Your Illusion II.” Rose has reportedly burned through $13 million in recording expenses for “Chinese Democracy,” and also burned his bridges with the bandmates who helped him turn Guns into one of the biggest rock groups in the world by the early 1990s.

[From Reuters]

I doubt this CD is ever going to see the light of day. Sources that that control-freak Axl Rose is obsessed with it and can’t stop re-recording the tracks to make them perfect. Besides, most people who buy popular music these days probably don’t even know who Guns N’ Roses are anymore.

Who knows - maybe Axl Rose really liked Dr. Pepper and will finally release the CD so he can get his free can. This kind of reminds me of the Taco Bell stunt during the 2007 World Series, in which the fast food restaurant offered to give everyone in America one free taco if someone stole a base during the games. They must have freaked when Boston Red Sox rookie Jacoby Ellsbury stole second- they had to follow through on that offer!

Axl Rose is shown below on 9/1/06, thanks to WENN. He’s seen in the header image performing on 6/1/06, thanks to PRPhotos.

WENN is reporting that security at a Wichita, Kansas airport was put on “red alert” when a “European man” was “[stripped] down to tight shorts and [danced] in the lobby of Wichita Airport.”

Baron Cohen is filming a movie as his flaming Austrian TV personality Bruno, and the Wichita locals didn’t take kindly to his half-dressed invasion of the airport. They also had no idea who he is. I found the original story about this on Kansas.com, and there’s no mention of Baron Cohen or Bruno, so it’s safe to say that more people are fooled by this character than his better-known Kazakh incarnation, Borat:

Officials at the Wichita Mid-Continent Airport are rewriting their policy on commercial filming inside the terminal after a film crew stripped down and started dancing at the airport.

The crew had permission from the airport to film a scene on March 18 based on a “European man” visiting America.

But security workers became concerned when they began dancing in tight short shorts, kissing and fighting in the lobby.

Security couldn’t find anything illegal about the performance, but asked the crew to leave.

Brad Christopher, assistant director of airport operations, says it won’t be as easy to film at the airport in the future.

[From Kansas.com]

I love how this is reported completely straight-faced, and they have no idea that it was comic Baron Cohen, calling him a “European man.”

At least one celebrity was said to be fooled by Bruno for the upcoming film. Mike Walker reports in the current issue of the National Enquirer that Ben Affleck called up comedian Sarah Silverman and told her that he did an interview with an “openly gay European fashion journalist” who asked him inappropriate questions like “how do you like (n-words)?” Sarah clued him in that it was Sacha Baron Cohen in his Bruno character. I’m not so quick to believe that Affleck wasn’t in on it, but maybe we’ll see how good an actor he is once the movie comes out.

Here’s a clip of Bruno interviewing some Christian guys, thanks to Hollywood.tv for linking it. It really is religion day today.

Just when you thought she was about to succumb to the mind-numbing effects of too much niacin, Katie Holmes may make her debut on Broadway. The Daily Mail is reporting that she’s in final talks to star in a revival of Arthur Miller’s dramatic play, “All My Sons.” John Lithgow and Dianne Wiest have already committed to the play, and it sounds like Katie is about to sign on:

Katie Holmes is in final negotiations to make her professional stage debut on Broadway.

The producer of a revival of All My Sons, Arthur Miller’s heartbreaking, post-World War II family drama, is clearly hoping Holmes (aka the third Mrs Tom Cruise) will create some sizzle at the box office later this year.

It would be the first major revival of a Miller play since the dramatist’s death three years ago.

All My Sons, to be directed by British-born Simon McBurney, would also allow Holmes to be more than “Mrs Tom Cruise” for six nights a week.

The actress has committed to taking part in a private workshop of the play in May. She will play the part of a woman who visits her former neighbours, the family of a missing pilot she once loved.

Producer Eric Falkenstein has already cast Broadway veterans John Lithgow and Dianne Wiest, which has had the desired effect of making Ms Holmes more comfortable about taking on her first play since high school.

Holmes has told McBurney and Falkenstein that she is serious about working in the theatre.

[From The Daily Mail]

Do you think Katie Holmes has the chops to star on Broadway? I read through the plot synopsis on Wikipedia (spoilers), hoping that there would be a kissing scene that would cause Tom to reject her bid for Broadway, but unfortunately that doesn’t seem to be the case. Like Miller’s other work it’s not a very uplifting story, but it’s probably moving and thought-provoking. I think Katie will play the character Ann Deever, who is a 26 year-old woman interested in the brother of a man she used to date who is missing in action. It takes place during WWII and involves a family torn apart by the war and an ethical dilemma.

Doesn’t Katie have a $35 million mansion to decorate and thousand dollar shoes to buy? She doesn’t have the time or the energy to play a character on Broadway. Maybe she can hire a more talented actress to do the role for her and slip in for the end part where she bows on stage. There are plenty of other mousy women that look just like her. She could get away with it.

Katie Holmes is shown on 3/16/08 after having lunch, when she stumbled and Star made a cover story about it. Thanks to WENN for these pictures.

Poison drummer Rikki Rockett was arrested in Los Angeles LAX Airport on Monday on an outstanding warrant for rape in Neshoba County, Mississippi. It is thought that he has been released from police custody and no details are known about the rape charge.

46 year-old Rockett had just arrived in LA from New Zealand, where he had performed with other Poison members at the heavy metal show Rock2Wellington.

According to Wikipedia, he owns a drum manufacturing company, “Rockett Drum Works,” that he started in 2007. He is a vegan and animal rights activist and has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

While I thought Poison had disbanded long ago, they’re still together and touring and released an album last year.

Maybe we’ll learn more about what Rikki was exactly charged with.

Details from DailyNews.com and TMZ.

Rikki Rockett is shown in the header at World Fest on 4/17/05, thanks to WENN. He is shown below on 10/27/07 at the Guitar Hero III launch party, thanks to PRPhotos.

Paris Hilton serves as an example that despite a lack of education, talent, personality or any discernible skill, you too can become filthy rich by showing up to stuff and slapping your name on the right cheap merchandise.

Paris gave some statements while in Istanbul to judge the Miss Turkey beauty pageant that she’s a self made woman and doesn’t pay attention to her detractors. She sees herself as an inspiration to girls and says she’s “built this empire on my own.”

In Istanbul, Turkey, to judge the annual Miss Turkey beauty pageant, the celebutante defended herself against claims that she is the superficial simpleton the media would have you believe she is.

“I don’t pay attention to lies because I am a good person,” says the hotel heiress. “I work very hard and I’ve built this empire on my own. I think this is an inspiration for a lot of girls out there.”

Speaking of her rich grandpa, the older Hilton sister shrugged off the bad news that she and her siblings have been all but completely written out of their portion of Conrad Hilton’s $2.3 billion fortune, saying, “It won’t affect me anyway.”

[From OK! Magazine]

Maybe she’s right and that’s what’s sad. There are plenty of girls who want to be starved and stupid just like Paris. She inspires them to go shopping, act clueless, and back stab their friends.

OK! Magazine points out the obvious facts that Paris went to jail for violating probation on a DUI and that she rose to fame following the release of a sex tape, but even if you assume she’s moved past that and is a different person now, what has she done that’s so inspirational? She’s made money from appearances, she released a perfume and some ugly handbags, she endorses champagne in a can, and she showed up at an orphanage once when it was convenient for her.

Disney characters that have their lives saved by whatever man comes along are much more inspirational than Paris. I’d rather have my future daughter aspiring to marry well than trying to become infamous like Paris, not that either is preferable to a good education.

Paris is shown in Turkey yesterday, thanks to WENN.