Celebritology Live: Celeb Halloween inspiration; Gosselin drama, Taylor Swift & swastika guy?

Join Celebritology blogger Liz Kelly LIVE every Thursday at 2 p.m. ET to gab about the latest celebrity pairings (and splittings), rising stars (and falling ones), and get the scoop on the latest gossip making waves across the Web.

Celebritology Live Archive

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Liz Kelly: Afternoon and welcome to this week's pre-Halloween show. I'm looking for a little help with tomorrow's main Celebritology post. I want to do something about Halloween and this year's best bets for celeb-inspired costumes. So send them in throughout the hour.

It's been a bit of a Gosselin week. According to Us, Jon is now consulting a rabbi to find his "more spiritual self." And tonight, a pretty negative (for him) interview with Jon's girlfriend -- Hailey Glassman -- is set to air on the "Insider." And there looms, of course, the rumor that Jon will appear in a reality show with the Octomom.

Oy.

Can we just not get enough of these people?

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Porter St., NW - Do Twitter & Paps make it easier to rob celebrities? : Liz, what's your take on the theory that Twittering and excessive Paparazzi coverage of young Hollywood make them more susceptible to home robberies?

Are Celebs Asking to Be Robbed?

Liz Kelly: Well, I'm sure Twitter helps, but well, I dunno. Star maps have been around for decades and although it may have been a little harder in a pre-Twitter era, it probably wasn't that difficult to figure out when a celeb wasn't going to be home. I mean, a potential thief could either stake out the target's house or just plan on an Oscar night spree.

Methinks this is just a case of Twitter scapegoating.

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DC: Twits is TOO funny -- where did you get the actors? LOVE Rachel and Aidan!

Liz Kelly: Thankew. I love twits. It's seriously one of my favorite parts of what is already a ridiculously fun job. You may have noticed no episode today -- that's because we're taking the series bi-weekly. So expect a new installment next Thursday.

As for our fab actors, we've built a loose network in the local D.C. theater community. At this point, it's mainly word of mouth. We've been super lucky.

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Celeb Inspired Halloween Costume - DC version: Suit & tie wearing (dapper & sharp, burgundy suit, gold tie) man with splattered eggs & rotten tomatoes all over him, plus a "Kick Me Please" sign taped to his butt.

Dan Snyder.

Liz Kelly: That may play in D.C., but maybe we should expand our creativity to brainstorm nationally recognizable celebs.

Plus, the rotten foodstuffs would get pretty stinky.

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celeb-inspired costumes: real-life horrors:

• Ballon Boy
• Octomom
• Jon or Kate
• The Bachelor who can't make up his mind

Seriously these people are scarier than Pinhead and Mummy combined.

Liz Kelly: I love the Balloon Boy idea. Would you put him in a tin-foil balloon or a cardboard box?

Speaking of Jon & Kate, I read this morning that Katie Couric plans to be one of the Gosselin kids for Halloween. That strikes me as a bit, umm, screwy.

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Alexandria VA: What do you think are the chances that Kate Gosselin will succeed in marketing herself as a celebrity (TV, movies, writing, whatever), and earn enough $$ to live in the style to which she has become accustomed? Can she avoid having to hold a real job (i.e. as a nurse) earning a less than stellar salary, like the little cake eating people have to do? I suspect her better/lesser half has no chance, no matter how hard he tries.

BTW, I would not dream of dressing as Kate G. for Halloween...there is enough out there already to frighten young children, and many of us older ones too. Thanks.

Liz Kelly: Well, considering the growing list of talentless shlubs who manage to find success and a long career on TV (Paula Abdul, Maury Povich, Speidi, Rachel Ray) I predict that Kate would have an excellent chance of becoming a TV fixture.

I think it would be difficult to do Kate for Halloween. There are just so many Kates out there already wandering the streets. Seriously, it's impossible to hit a mall these days without spotting at least five women sporting the Kate 'do. Enough already.

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Union Station - Oprah and Steadman split?!?!: ...In August?!? How was this not front page news?

washingtonpost.com: The link you sent -- http://www.showbizspy.com/article/190692/oprah-winfrey-splits-from-lover.html -- is currently displaying Service Unavailable. I fear Oprah may have bought the Internet.

Liz Kelly: I think we did include something in the rumor mill back in August about a rift between Oprah and Steadman. Or, if not, I contemplated doing so. Thing is, there was never any official word from Oprah. Much like there isn't much fact substantiating this story that O has offered Steadman $150K to buy his silence. That would, however, buy a lot of silence from me. I hope you're reading along, Oprah.

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Gosselin Drama, USA: Dang, I'd be in a bad mood too if my SO used a phrase like "mantrum" to describe my mood. Publicly no less. Yeesh, Kate sucks but this chick isn't much better.

Liz Kelly: Well, hold on there, pardner -- that may be true, but Jon isn't much of a prize. So I don't think we should be surprised when the kind of women he attracts are 22-year-old party girls, disgraced ex-tabloid reporters and the Octomom. It's just water seeking its own level.

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Katie Couric: It strikes me as screwy that she would announce who she is going to be. How old is Katie Couric?

Liz Kelly: About 10 million years old.

But remember "Today" makes a big deal out of Halloween each year. Even that idiotic Ann Curry gets in on the action. This year she's going as a reporter.

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Washington, D.C.: Has Elizabeth Hasselbeck never heard of a, um, raincoat?

Liz Kelly: Ah shucks -- I'm just a simple Arlington girl, but something tells me you aren't talking about yellow slickers here.

She says she's done having babies and that her plan for birth control is to "dress in a way that won't get me pregnant."

Might I suggest a paper bag over the head and duct tape over the mouth. (The duct tape won't do much in the way of pregnancy prevention, but will give us some relief from having to listen to her.)

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Levi Palin Costume idea: Go Naked (men Only) with a moose head over the strategic modesty areas.

Liz Kelly: Hmmmm.

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Worst celebrity influence?: Miley Cyrus defeats Brit and Kanye? Another vote that needs to be investigated thoroughly.

Liz Kelly: Well, these were tweens voting and -- I know from experience -- they can be mean as snakes. They're probably feeling betrayed by her Twitter desertion. In fact, a coworker sent me a link this morning about one teen who swears she will off her cat unless Miley returns to Twitter.

Needless to say, Andy did not like that story.

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Hollywood: Many celebrities pay for people to stay and watch over their homes when they are known to not be there. Oh, and many have mean dogs. So, you criminals out there, don't think about it.

washingtonpost.com: Is a Kato Kaelin joke here too dated?

Liz Kelly: Dude, Kato Kaelin is as ageless as Botox. Have at it.

Note: I've been a bit under the weather this week, so I'm chatting from my bed this afternoon. All was well until about 5 minutes ago when my legs became immobilized by Andy and Opie, who have piled up side by side on me.

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Anonymous: OMG! ROFLMAO..for real!

How can you say bad things about Ann Curry? She is the queen of the concerned look, and the soft voice that says "I am giving it my all to sound like I care!"

Liz Kelly: Feh. She needs to get over herself.

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"Mantrums" a term so lame, it could only be associated w/ J Gosselin: Ugh. Hailey Glassman.

In no way do I think she was clever enough to come up w/ a turn of phrase like "Mantrum" (it reeks of a bad Cosmo or Glamour article). My only questions are 1) is she splitting her ET appearance fee w/ Jon?; 2) Why are they continuing to flaunt their on-the-skids relationship?

Liz Kelly: Good question. Jon apparently encouraged Hailey to do the interview as a way to air her side of the story and let us know the hardships she's been going through. I can't imagine, though, that he's going to be too jazzed to hear himself described as such a huge jerk on national TV. By someone who is spozed to be in his corner, no less.

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To tweet or not to tweet: How many times do you expect to hear the following words over Halloween:

Trick or tweet?

Liz Kelly: Zero. Because I live in a neighborhood where Donnie Wahlberg and John Mayer do not come looking for candy on Halloween.

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Recuperation: Is speeded considerably by the presence of ultra-concerned furry friends. Should we assume that Page is hovering bedside wishing to join the crew next to you?

Liz Kelly: Page is downstairs snoozing on her own bed.

The cats -- if you're down for an update -- have now decamped and are fighting on the floor. Andy got up while Opie was still sleeping and started licking Op's tail. Then, suddenly, he bit Opie on the back and that was the end of the short peace.

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Taylor Swift, poses w/ Swastika Guy - huh?: This is as bad as those slant-eyed Miley & Jonas Bro pics. What was she thinking?!?

Taylor Swift & The Swastika

Liz Kelly: Eeks. That's no good. Though to be fair, the Miley and Jonas pix were the results of their hanging out with close friends. The Swift pic linked above was taken at Katy Perry's birthday party and, for all we know, Taylor doesn't even know this guy and he's just some random dude who wanted a pic taken with a star.

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Anny Curry is a Robot: A couple of years ago I took a group of high school kids to NY and we got up at the crack of dawn to do the Today Show thing (proof that 5 seconds of TV exposure can inspire impossible things, like 12 teenagers waking up without complaint at 5 a.m.).

We watched as Ann walked outside, assumed a telegenic stance, and then just stood motionless for almost 2 minutes.

Matt and some brunette fill-in were chatting up the crowd next to her but she was like this mannequin. Then they all got the signal that they were about to start shooting and she just kind of came to life again.

It was the craziest thing I ever saw and the kids still talk about it. Three days of nonstop tours and sightseeing and Ann Curry acting like an android was their most lasting memory.

Liz Kelly: That's fascinating. I would actually watch two minutes of YouTube video of Ann doing this. It's just all so Stepfordian.

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Couple's Costume: Randy and Evi Quaid:

Him: Ted Kazinski beard. Her: Homemade crew cut. Both: Stacks of unpaid hotel bills.

Liz Kelly: Both: Bat guano crazy together. It's always just so special when two people who clearly have problems with reality and impulse control find each other.

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State College, PA: Best Celeb Costume: Lady Gaga. 'Nuff said.

Liz Kelly: Yeah, that'd be hard to top.

Of course there's always Interrrupting Kanye.

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Ann Curry: "Even that idiotic Ann Curry gets in on the action. This year she's going as a reporter."

Hahahahaha. You're awesome!

Seriously, though, why is she still there -- let alone being "groomed" with big interviews and subbing for Brian Williams? I mean, I actually LIKE the rest of the "Today" team (not counting that last hour, of course -- I only see the first half-hour before leaving for work). I just don't see how the same people who bring us someone like Meredith can simultaneously thing Ann has a promising future.

Liz Kelly: She's not going anywhere. She's been on Today for decades now, right? Maybe they keep her around because of her exclusive access to Brangelina.

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Celeb costume: More of a character than a celeb, but Sue Sylvester from Glee.

Liz Kelly: Nice. Like it.

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Paula Abdul: Terrible dresser but girl knows how to hoof, I'll give her a pass on the schlubness.

Liz Kelly: Maybe shlub was the wrong word. She may know how to dance, but she's still got pretty much dead air between her two ears. And if she can make it on TV, who could possibly stand in Kate Gosselin's way?

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Halloween idea: Andre Aggasi holding many many boxes of Sudafed.

Liz Kelly: Mean. But I like it.

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Los Angeles, Ca.: THE WIND JUST STOPPED! I wonder if John Mayer is outside.

Liz Kelly: Nice Twits reference! A cigar to this reader. Paul, get on that!

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Halloween: I'm cutting and pasting onto an oversized white tee-shirt. It will be garish, loud, confusing. I am going as the new WaPost format. Bet you can't print this.

Liz Kelly: So were you born a natural comic or did you maybe take some improv classes?

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Houston: Can you imagine what it's going to be like years from now when the Gosselin kids (or the Bristol/Levi baby) read/see all of this foolishness from their idiotic narcissistic parents?

washingtonpost.com: Is there a historic precedent for children whose parents were such tabloid fodder? Maybe Carrie Fisher?

Liz Kelly: Absolutely Carrie Fisher. Elizabeth Taylor's kids, too. And Jane Fonda's. More recently, we could maybe include Demi Moore and Bruce Willis's kids.

I guess the difference is that the folks listed above are real celebrities, whereas the Gosselin kids were born to to a new kind of fame -- reality TV fame. A different animal. And I think the older Gosselin twins are probably approaching an age where some of this is making it through the defenses.

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From Last Week: I think you said last week that one of your cats may have the feline herpes virus. (I read the chat later and couldn't write in live.) I adopted my cat from WARL in January, and even though she had lived there for several months and had supposedly been checked out, they did not "find" the FHV but about a week after I took her home, I had to take her to a local vet and she definitely has it. For her it manifests under stress as eye infections--like a hyperactive form of the "sleep" people get in their eyes--sometimes so bad that she can't open her eyes. After various antibiotics and antivirals didn't work, it turns out that sticking to a daily preventative vitamin regimine of L-lysine works wonders. After like 5 repeat medical visits in 2 months, we have spent 7 months symptom free!

Liz Kelly: Thank you -- many people wrote in after last week's chat to recomment Lysine and we'll give it a try as soon as we talk to our vet (who, it should be noted, rocks). In the meantime, Opie is doing much better -- back to his normal bad self and the eye has dried up.

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swastika guy: Okay, I have no idea what the motivation was for that guy to paint a swastika on his shirt and I therefore cannot speak for him. However, just to present a possibility. The swastika is an ancient symbol that, until it's adoption and perversion by the Nazis, was very positive. The name is derived from Sanskrit and evidence of its use goes back to the Indus Valley Civilization. If one were to go to India today, you'll see swastikas everywhere, and they are emphatically NOT anti-semitic symbols. In Hindu culture it is considered to represent the universe and it's evolution.

Liz Kelly: Right. Yep. But something tells me that guy wasn't going for a positive connotation.

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OK. Seriously....: File Not Found on all the links you have to that Oprah story. She's better than the CIA.

Liz Kelly: Man. That's a little spooky.

hehehe.

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Quatch Cave: Some Halloween costume suggestions:

Gather 139 of your friends and go as a Twit.

Wear an Ed hardy shirt, throw a mantrum, and ask people to guess who you are.

Wear a nice suit, tape a $100 bill over your moth, and go as Steadman.

Liz Kelly: I like the Gosselin idea. Steadman's not bad, either.

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Los Angeles: Thank you for the cigar, but you don't have to send me one. I don't smoke as much anymore. Unlike Elizabeth Hasselbeck, I knew when to take them out.

Liz Kelly: Oh, snap.

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Celeb costume: Motorcycle helmet and jacket, boots, jeans. Rear mirror stuck to your arm and carrying dinged up handlebars - go as Brad Pitt. He has had his share of accidents this year, most recently trying to drive between parked cars stopped traffic. Nothing like falling over on your bike with the cameras rolling - priceless.

Liz Kelly: Nice. People might think it's a 2008 George Clooney, tho.

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Washington, DC: Have the past two caption contests been so bad that there weren't any winners?

Liz Kelly: Well, today's entries are a bit anemic so far. We've only had 11 responses. Not much to choose from. Last time we had a similarly weak turnout.

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She says she's done having babies and that her plan for birth control is to "dress in a way that won't get me pregnant." : Gross.

washingtonpost.com: Pleats?

Liz Kelly: Oooh, nice one Paul. You can keep the cigar.

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Halloween suggestions: I would expect to see at least one of the following at the NYC Halloween Parade this year.

• David Carradine - a la "Kill Bill", a tunic shirt, samurai sword, white wig (or maybe a mask), with fishnets and black climbing rope.
• Octomom - in the style of Mother Ginger from the Nutcracker (yes, I had to look that up), with the huge hoop skirt/tent that all of her kids come piling out from under.
• Farrah Fawcett - I don't really want to know what the NYC Halloween Parade crew will do with this one, but I'm sure somebody will...

More generally, we'll probably also see lots of Patrick Swazye/Jennifer Gray pairs (with any luck, one in a hundred might actually have the abs to kind of pull it off).

A few years ago, a friend went as Billy Mays: he already had the beard, so he borrowed a company-logo shirt and bought a tub of Oxy-Clean, and just yelled for the entire evening.

Liz Kelly: Isn't Billy Mays's son encouraging people to go as his dad for Halloween?

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Katie Couric?: It's been years since I've seen The Today Show but didn't Katie leave for night time news? Do you mean Meredith Viera?

Liz Kelly: I just meant that Katie had been part of Today where Halloween was always a huge deal. Totally didn't come out coherent, tho. I'm sick people. Give me a break.

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Too mean?: Cause I do like her..

Middle aged woman holding 12 pounds of butter, wearing wild splash of white hair wig.

Paula Deen

washingtonpost.com: Only 12 pounds?

Liz Kelly: You couldn't even get through one of her recipes with only 12 lbs of butter.

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Scranton, Pa.: So I'm a little late to the game and just now getting into The Office (almost thru season 2). Although I know what happens, I can't wait for Jim & Pam to get together. Which got me to thinking, has there been another TV couple that you've pulled for? Ross & Rachel, Sam & Diane and?

washingtonpost.com: Liz is HUGE for Kate and Sawyer. He he he...

Liz Kelly: Actually, if the choice is between Kate and Sawyer and Kate and Jack, then I'm defnitely for the former.

But as for other couples -- I'd have to say Angela Chase and Jordan Catalano on "My So Called Life." Sigh.

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Best celebrity costume?: I'm going as Playboy (i.e., naked) Marge Simpson. I share this information in a national forum only because I know my competition can't possibly get their yellow unitards in time.

Liz Kelly: Good one. And you could just spray paint a Bride of Frankenstein wig blue for the hair.

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Windy City: Easy Halloween Celebrity Get-Up: eat a lot of fiber about 3 hours before going to a party. When the effects of the fiber kick in, be loud and proud about it, and tell people you're John Mayer.

Liz Kelly: Hahaha

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Jon + A Rabbi: This actually surprises me a little, because in watching the show a few years back (yes, yes, I admit I watched) I got the feeling that the family was quietly pretty devoted to Christianity. Didn't the older two go to a private Christian school and didn't we once see that the whole family were weekly churchgoers? So why does he need to jump ship and find a rabbi? And am I just asking this because I hear my grandma whispering in my ear saying "This isn't good for the Jews"...

Liz Kelly: I get the feeling that Jon isn't devoted to much beyond his own self-absorption.

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WHO?: I'm fairly well informed Celebritologist, a loyal reader of your blog and others, and a subcriber to US magazine. I'd give myself a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10 in knowing what's going on in the celebrity world, so I ask this question with sincerity and humility. Who the heck is Holly Madison? Never ever heard of her.

Liz Kelly: Ex "Girl Next Door" -- one of Hugh Hefner's blond bimbettes.

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St. Louis: I do hope and pray your cat is OK. We had two sister cats -- one died at age 20, and the other at 22. We still think of them.

Liz Kelly: Awww, thanks. He seems to be recovering just fine.

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Oprah: I went to google. Apparently the rumor was started by the National Inquirer. Do you think the National Inquirer is doing a more legitimate job these days?

Liz Kelly: Well, they do a more legitimate job compared to Star, say, or InTouch. And they were first to report on a lot of stories over the past couple of years -- the John Edwards love child thing, for instance. So while I wouldn't file the Oprah story away as fact, I might put it on my "things to watch" list.

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celeb halloween costume idea: Orange spray tan, wrinkled, vinyl wardrobe.

Hungover

You're Lindsey Lohan

Liz Kelly: Love it. LOVE it.

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Stop with the "mantrum": I hate these gendered, cutesy words. This is really offensive, because it implies that "tantrums" refer to women and that only women have them, thus the need to make up a special word for a man. Grr.

Liz Kelly: Is someone getting hysterical?



(kidding)

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Oh..my...: TMZ obtained a copy of the pitch for "Jon - Kate = Jon + Octomom" which reads: "Mohammed and the Mountain started a religion. Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris started a Yankee dynasty. Lennon and McCartney started a music revolution. Now Jon and Octomom start a whole new reality in the world of Reality TV."

Read more: Jon Gosselin and Octomom -- The Next Beatles

Liz Kelly: Ick.

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washingtonpost.com: Liz, can I throw a mantrum at some point during the chat?

washingtonpost.com: Liz, can I throw a mantrum at some point during the chat?

Liz Kelly: I'm still waiting, Paul.

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Revenge of Costume Suggestions: I'd actually like to see someone dressed as Patrick Swayze (from either "Dirty Dancing" or "Roadhouse").

Liz Kelly: I'd go with the "Roadhouse" option. Pain don't hurt.

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Kate, A-Rod and this week's "Ick Nast" winner: Eeew. Why even print a squirm inducing non-story like this?

Kate Hudson and Alex Rodriguez "Love Sex," Says Pal

washingtonpost.com: Hm, can't think of a reason a baseball player would leak a story about his (hetero) sexual prowess, can you Liz?

Liz Kelly: Nope, sure can't. I also wouldn't be so quick to blame Kate and A-Rod for this one. The quote came from an alleged pal, not the couple themselves. And it strikes me as a rather daft story, all around.

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Miley's little sis - inappropriate or innocent?: (Besides the obvious finger pointing at Ma & Pa Cyrus) Is it possible that Noah Cyrus' ghastly Halloween outfit is innocent dress-up and we, the public are getting all worked up over nothing?

Miley Cyrus' Sister, 9, Slammed for "Dominatrix" Halloween Costume

Liz Kelly: Well the costume in question is kind of icky. I mean she's wearing high heel over the knee boots and a mini-skirt. That's a bit much for a nine-year-old. But I guess it's no worse than the getups the kids are forced into on "Toddlers and Tiaras." And who am I to argue with morals set by reality TV.

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Octo-costume: My twisted notion for an Octo-costume would be to:

• Don an Angelina-wannabe wig
• Put on lip plumping gloss
• Replace tentacles with udders (14 if I can get them). I'm seeing a ponchos of sorts with udders all over it . . . at the end of each udder, glue on a babydoll by the mouth.
• Finish with a huge pair of sunglasses to up the glamour quotient

Liz Kelly: Ewww. This sounds like a cross between Morticia Adams and a monster from an H.P. Lovecraft book.

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byool, IN: Hey, now: she wasn't a "disgraced ex-tabloid reporter" until -after- she dated JonGo.

That said, you are our god, Liz Kelly.

Liz Kelly: Why thanks, Byoo. That means a lot coming from someone who un-followed me on Twitter today. Ahem.

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Ick, Nast: I ended my last bromance because he threw a temper mantrum and spilled redbull all over my murse.

washingtonpost.com: That's hersterical.

Liz Kelly: Oh boy. I think we're having too much fun here.

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Another bad celebrity costume idea: Dress as David Letterman and hit on all the women at the party.

Liz Kelly: Only if it's an office party.

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Liz Kelly: Okay, that's it for today. Time for me to move along to the "Lost" chat. See you back here next week when, hopefully, I'll be a bit more chipper.

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washingtonpost.com: The 'Lost' Hour: Season 3 Review

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