Internet, Terrorists, Lawyers Kill Slush Pile

Years ago, publishers occasionally read—and published!—unsolicited manuscripts. Also sometimes poor immigrants became wildly successful thanks to their tireless work ethics. And America won wars! Not anymore. More »

Soupy Sales Dead at 83

Soupy Sales, comedian, entertainment figure, and Godfather of pie-throwing passed away yesterday at the age of 83. More »

Dash Snow, Downtown Artist, Said to Be Dead of Overdose

Multiple sources tell us that Dash Snow—photographer, semen artist, graffiti writer, and embodiment of the downtown NYC scene—has apparently died of a heroin overdose, two years shy of his 30th birthday. More »

Ricardo Montalbán: 1920 - 2009

It's with heavy heart that we pass along news of Ricardo Montalbán's passing today, announced at a City Council meeting by president Eric Garcetti. He was 88.
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BREAKING: John Travolta's Son Dies in Bahamas

The first tragedy of 2009, and an especially sad one: TMZ reports that Jett Travolta, 16, died today while on vacation with his father John and mother Kelly Preston.

2008: A Bad Year For Staying Alive

2008 was a banner year for celebrity deaths, beginning with the most shocking—Heath Ledger—and ending with the sound of a single, melancholy meow echoing across a cloudy night sky. More »

In Memoriam: Remembering the 10 Best of Mr. Blackwell's 10 Worst

Richard Sylvan Selzer — better known to pop culture observers as the acerbic, list-making fashion zealot Mr. Blackwell — died Sunday of complications from an intestinal infection. He was 86. A former hustler, petty thief and model whose acting and B-grade fashion career overlapped with the infamous 10 Worst-Dressed Celebrities list he launched in 1960, Mr. Blackwell found his voice firing one-line zingers into a crowded pop culture at a time when celebrities could do little wrong. His latter-year rhymes weren't always fully functional, but some of his early jibes were as vicious as anything you'd find online today; 10 years ago he said of his commentary: "The list is and was a satirical look at the fashion flops of the year. I merely said out loud what others were whispering. ... It's not my intention to hurt the feelings of these people. It's to put down the clothing they're wearing." More »