238

ENTERTAINMENT:  LATEST NEWS AND GOSSIPS

Twentieth Television renewed its option with the American Idol host to make sure that he is available to do a second season of On-Air With Ryan Seacrest for Fox. The live show out of Hollywood will probably get an extreme makeover to help it have a chance to improve dismal ratings. The host's fans already know that he doesn't need one, although vitamins might be in order for the "Idol," "On-Air" and radio show host. He is one of the busiest men in show business. -IomxNews. There he is, holding hands with Michael Moore.

There he is again, toppling from grace, just like that statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad's Firdos Square. And, yes, there again is President George W. Bush, the cannibal father, jawing the head off one of his own children. Simultaneous with the political rise of our current president has been the mass use of a technical innovation that makes one of the oldest tricks of the humor trade -- sticking the heads of public figures on funny bodies -- more lifelike, and easy to achieve, than ever before. Back in the 18th century, William Hogarth ridiculed the ruling class with elaborate paintings and etchings; today, any desk monkey can paste-and-cut a political statement, and have it circle the globe in a matter of days if it packs a big enough political punch, whether it's placing a McDonald's on Mars or, unnervingly, outfitting the Statue of Liberty  with a burka. But surely the most Photoshopped subject of all time has to be George W. Bush. Just last week, Michael Moore launched "Fahrenheit 9/11" with posters showing him strolling hand-in-hand with the president in front of the White House. Less than a week later, The Nation published a full-page image of the sculptor Richard Serra's appropriation of Goya's "Saturn Devouring One of His Children," the President's head grafted over the grisly image. "Simple deionization," as conservative pundit Andrew Sullivan alleged, or pointed political satire? You be the judge., asked Corie Pikul.