Donald Trump has been showing some serious interest in running for president.

In a rather unorthodox move for a presidential contender, though, Trump recently agreed to be roasted by some Comedy Central comedic pros and celebrity guests.

The “roast-master of ceremonies” for the event was “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane. Roast regulars on the network included comics Jeffrey Ross and Lisa Lampanelli. Celebrities Larry King, Snoop Dogg, Marlee Matlin and Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino were also on hand to ding The Donald.

MacFarlane dubbed Trump “the second worst tragedy ever to hit New York City.”

Lampanelli wisecracked, “You’ve put up more worthless hotels than an autistic kid playing Monopoly.”

King decided to add a controversial zinger aimed at his former CNN colleague. “That’s all the time we have,” King announced. “Let’s go to Anderson Cooper and see what she’s got coming.”

“The Situation,” who recently announced that he was leaving MTV’s reality smash “Jersey Shore,” was booed by the audience as he attempted to wax comedic.

Snoop gave Trump a thump with a hard-hitting punch line. “Donald says he wants to run for president and move on to the White House,” Snoop said. “Why not? It wouldn’t be the first time he pushed a black family out of their home.”

The timing of the Trump roast provides fuel for those who speculate that he’s going through the motions of a run for prez just to get some publicity for his TV show.

Trump may deny the publicity rumor, but he always seems to find a way to work into the conversation that his show, “Celebrity Apprentice,” airs Sunday night at 9:00 p.m. on NBC.

Maybe someday, if Trump does follow through with his run for prez, we‘ll get to hear him deliver his trademark line to Obama: “You’re fired!”

With the parade of awards shows marching across our home theater screens, the question is often raised as to whether the self-congratulatory rituals matter to folks outside the entertainment industry.

Well, in addition to the celebrity gazing, fashion ogling and winner prognosticating, the Oscars actually have a fairly strong impact on various aspects of our pop culture.

There are, of course, the usual trend effects on hairstyles, fashion, music, jewelry, sunglasses, etc., but there is also trendsetting within the film art world, art imitating art, if you will. Movies resembling Oscar winners tend to follow. Style, tone and themes repeat. Subject matter, too, can be found popping up again in a future film.

That’s because in Hollywood the award is of prime importance to film artists and studios alike. For the individual, though, there is a deeper significance, a psychological-social one

The truth is financial success does not necessarily mean artistic success for entertainment artists. However, an award from one’s own peers translates into “they like me, they really like me,” and even more importantly, “they respect me, they really respect me.” It is therefore as sought after as fame and fortune.

No other Hollywood award brings as much glitz, glam and gravitas to the recipient as an Oscar does.

The studio chase for an Academy Award, on the other hand, is for business reasons. And studios have been known to go after the awards hard. They have waged campaigns as strategic and hard fought as major political campaigns. They do so for their balance sheets, knowing that Oscar noms and wins mean bigger bucks rolling in.

During the pre-awards season, publicists for nominees actually perform opposition research and sometimes leak negative stories to the press about competing pictures.

Perhaps the most well known example of this was the aggressive campaign of the Weinstein brothers for Miramax’s “Shakespeare in Love.” In 1998, Steven Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan” was nominated for 11 Academy Awards. Reports surfaced in the press, claiming that as a result of bad research the movie had departed from historical fact. Entertainment writers admitted that they had been asked by Miramax publicists to slam the flick.

After “A Beautiful Mind” received eight 2002 Academy Award noms, a piece appeared on the Drudge Report, alleging that the filmmakers had suppressed the anti-Semitic views of the movie’s subject, John Nash.

“Slumdog Millionaire” was nominated in 2009 for ten Academy Awards. Stories surfaced in the media, claiming that director Danny Boyle had taken advantage of the impoverished child stars in the film by paying them below market wages. The studio, Fox Searchlight, countered with press releases that pointed out Boyle had set up trust funds for the young actors.

The way in which industry insiders view the Oscars is a big deal for the culture as well. Insiders have a major influence on the kinds of scripts that will be optioned and developed, which movies will be financed and ultimately what will or will not be coming soon to a theater near you.

With the “The King’s Speech” having won the major categories of actor, director, screenplay and picture in this year’s Academy Awards, there just may be some good things coming our culture’s way.

Justin Bieber has infuriated the Left.

The young pop star, who has had numerous hit songs and whose movie had a $30 million debut weekend, recently spoke out on a taboo subject.

Bieber, who happens to be a Christian, was asked in a Rolling Stone interview to express his views on abortion. Not only did he equate abortion with murder, he suggested that it is wrong even in cases of rape and incest.

“I really don’t believe in abortion … It’s like killing a baby,” the teen icon told the Rolling Stone.

The interviewer followed up with a question about cases in which pregnancy was the result of rape. Bieber replied that it was his belief that “everything happens for a reason.” He then added, “I haven’t been in that position, so I wouldn’t be able to judge that.”

Some in the media flipped out and immediately became diss-Beliebers. The liberal panelists on ABC’s “The View” provide a prime example.

Guest co-host KaDee Strickland said, “He [Bieber] won’t be in that position because he cannot give birth.” She added that “he doesn’t have a choice like that.”

Joy Behar fumed over Bieber’s “everything happens for a reason” comment regarding a rape induced pregnancy, saying that it was “really insulting to people who have been raped or victims of incest. There is no ‘reason’ for that.”

Both co-hosts had trepidation about whether Bieber’s views might influence his fans.

Beleaguered “View” host Elisabeth Hasselbeck was left to defend the pop star on her own, saying, “I don’t think we can discount somebody’s opinion because they happen to be sixteen.”

Barbara Walters fretted that the reporter had been “asking questions that may or may not be appropriate. You think they are; I think it may be a bit of a stretch.”

Curiously, the Rolling Stone took the unprecedented step of amending Bieber’s comments on abortion, claiming that the magazine had made an editing error that included an incomplete quote from the teen star.

On its website, the magazine republished the revised quote as follows: “Um. Well, I think that’s really sad, but everything happens for a reason. I don’t know how that would be a reason. I guess I haven’t been in that position, so I wouldn’t be able to judge that.”

The New York Times responded with a navel gazing critique titled “Twilight of the Teen Idol.” The Times suggested Bieber had overstepped his bounds, stating, “By taking a stand against abortion, Mr. Bieber risks finding out how frail and tenuous that bond might be.”

The CNN Web site touted an article with the headline: “Backlash over Bieber’s view on abortion.”

A Boston Herald blog titled its analysis of the singer’s position as “Justin Bieber Sounds Like an Idiot.”

On her Twitter account, Rolling Stone reporter Vanessa Grigoriadis defended herself on the issue of whether the subject matter was appropriate.

“A 16 year old kid, to be 17 in a couple weeks, who has control over a large population should be asked all questions,” Grigoriadis wrote.

The reporter also explained Bieber’s remark that “everything happens for a reason.”

“I think he meant that God has a plan,” Grigoriadis told PopEater. “Even for the most die-hard Christian, it’s hard to justify rape as part of God’s plan, and harder to justify rape that leads to pregnancy and abortion. I think he [Bieber] was wrestling with that in his answer, which I found to be solid and logical.”

She added, “I think it is being widely misunderstood. He did not say that rape was part of God’s plan.”

“You’re going to Hollywood!”

These are the words that liberal Democrat Chris Dodd may soon be hearing.

A longtime Washington fixture, the U.S. senator recently retired from Congress.

And wouldn’t you know it, he’s now at the top of the list to get the coveted $1.2 million per year gig as head of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).

If the top spot happens for him, not only would Dodd have his own private 70-seat theater in the nation’s capital from which he would get to host sneak previews for congressional members, he’d also be able to hobnob with Hollywood glitterati as one of their own.

Folks may be wondering how a guy, who allowed the insurance colossus AIG to pay out bonuses of $165 mill around the same time the company was being funded with taxpayer bailout money, would be up for such a plum position. Or how one, who was investigated by a Senate ethics panel for allegedly taking below market discounts (a.k.a. bribes) for mortgages given to him by Countrywide Financial, would ever be considered for the job.

Well, it is, after all, a Hollywood position, and Hollywood hearts liberal Dems. Dodd most certainly returns the love.

The former senator has experience on a movie set, having portrayed himself in the Kevin Kline comedic White House film, “Dave.”

Believe it or not, Dodd once dated Carrie Fisher of “Princess Leia” fame. He also courted Mick Jagger’s ex, Bianca Jagger.

The cagey politician has maintained good relations with powerful Dem supporters in the entertainment business including DreamWorks’ Steven Spielberg and David Geffen and the former heads of Miramax, the Weinstein brothers.

In the final campaign prior to his retirement, entertainment industry figures gave Dodd and his PAC almost $200,000. Hollywood donors included Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, Universal Studios head Ronald Meyer and Time Warner President Jeffrey Bewkes. Paul Simon hosted a fundraiser for then-candidate Dodd.

If Dodd does land the job, he will replace former Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman, who recently left the post.

Dodd has a little legal impediment, however. Under the law, the former senator cannot register as a lobbyist for two years. And the primary business of the MPAA happens to be lobbying.

The group spent $1.66 million in 2009, lobbying Congress and the White House. During each and every election cycle, the MPAA PAC stuffs big bucks into campaign coffers of congressional candidates. As a result, previous head of the MPAA Glickman did register as a lobbyist.

If Dodd takes the MPAA reins, he will likely claim that he is engaged in consulting rather than lobbying, or that his lobbying activities do not rise to the 20% level that would mandate registration.

Such semantic gymnastics would allow Dodd to claim that at least he’s consistent.

It all began when a Venice, California jewelry store reported a missing necklace.

It was not your run-of-the-mill jewelry item but reportedly a one of a kind piece of bling, made with gold and semi-precious stones and valued at $2,500. 

According to police, Lindsay Lohan was seen in a store video, wearing the necklace prior to it having been reported missing. Photos of the actress taken a week later showed her wearing a very similar looking necklace.

After police detectives obtained a warrant to search the troubled actress's Venice home, the necklace was turned in to a police station by a Lohan associate.

Excerpt: CLICK HERE FOR MORE

President Obama has demonstrated a lack of restraint, and it’s not just in his tendency to splurge on the taxpayer’s dime.

In the history of our country, no other sitting president has traded away a portion of his stature and appeared on a late-night comedy show.

Obama’s late-night guest spots have included ones on the shows of David Letterman, Jay Leno and Jon Stewart. The appearances were orchestrated by a White House that was seeking to tap into the youth vote.

On the “Late Show with David Letterman,” the president delivered a prepared one-liner. It was in response to the negative reaction the public had to Obamacare and the claim from former President Jimmy Carter that the dislike of the health care takeover was rooted in racism.

“It’s important to realize that I was actually black before the election,” Obama quipped.

While appearing on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” Obama compared life in Washington to “American Idol,” where “everybody’s got an opinion.”

“Everybody is Simon Cowell,” the president cracked.

The most troubling moment for the presidential image occurred on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” In one exchange, Stewart actually referred to the president as “dude.”

After the president said that “Larry Summers did a heck of a job…,” Stewart advised the commander in chief, “You don’t want to use that phrase, dude.”

Stewart was referring to the same phrase that was used by President Bush when he praised FEMA head Michael Brown during the post-Hurricane Katrina situation.

Obama had added other TV venues to his ever-expanding media line-up, including ABC’s daytime talk show, “The View,” and even Discovery Channel’s “MythBusters.”

These days, however, the president seems to want to convey a move to the center, and it now appears as though the White House may be altering its media strategy accordingly.

David Axelrod, the outgoing senior adviser, used an NFL analogy to describe Obama’s over the top media involvement, when he told New York Magazine, “There was a period of time in the eighties when the Bears weren’t very good, and they would hand Walter Payton the ball on every play: It was Payton left and Payton right and Payton up the middle. He was the greatest running back of all time, arguably, but still it became kind of a dreary game plan. And, you know, we have one of the great political performers of our time. But I think we degraded that to some degree by using him as much as we did in the ways we did.”

Astute followers of politics know that Obama’s reelection campaign is already underway, and as we watch closely we can see that he’s hard at it each day.

Axelrod is one of the key strategic planners, so his words matter a great deal.

Late-night production staffers may be disenchanted over the news that Obama won’t be on the couch as often as in the past. But his political scorekeepers won’t be.

Nothing boosts the bottom line of a television network like a #1 rated show.

Fox television has brought in the largest amount of advertising revenue of any series in television history with the cultural phenomenon, “American Idol.”

The show has created its own enterprise by driving record sales and digital downloads with a string of music superstars such as Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson and Daughtry.

However, with Simon Cowell’s leaving, “Idol” has gone through a total remake. The new judge lineup has Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler joining original judge Randy Jackson. This has created a degree of uncertainty with regard to the show’s continued ratings success.

Excerpt: for more CLICK HERE