People Magazine: Celine Cozies With David

A picture's worth a thousand songs... Now this is a diva picola, if I've ever seen one! Go, girl!

From Robin Leach's ever-fab Las Vegas Sun column:

It was Celine Dion’s own crazy idea for a stunt photograph, and it turned out to be a first. All four of the superstars performing at the Colosseum in Caesars Palace — Shania Twain, Elton John, Rod Stewart and Celine — agreed to a unique photo shoot that next week in People magazine. 

“I don’t like to do things that are easy,” 46-year-old Canadian songbird Celine told the weekly celebrity publication. It was a coup to have all four pose for the photos. Celine was hauled 11 feet into the air to pose in the arms of the hotel’s replica of the Michelangelo masterpiece of the statue of David. 

The original ideas for the shoot didn’t get Celine excited, and she came up with her own “dream” of winding up in David’s arms. The magazine photographers loved her idea and said, “Let’s do it.” Afterward, Celine told People’s Mark Gray: “I don’t know if anyone else went into David’s arms, but, if I am the first, I am very honored.” Turns out she was the first... *

Meanwhile, a wondrous collection of still shots from Celine & NeYo's "Incredible" video (courtesy of Facebook's Celine Dionn).

June 2014: The Hottest Global Magazine Covers!

The grand return of The Smoking Nun's take on the hottest, most beautiful and alluring magazine covers from around the world for June 2014. Best of the Best: "Out" mag's cover of Matt Bomer. Wowsah! Starting with those blue eyes...

And then some... Hugh Jackman on three global covers of Men's Health...

And then some more... The best of the rest...

And the dubious WORST magazine covers of the month...

Tech... And That's The Way It Is...

The inaugural New Yorker magazine cover for 2014 reveals how society has become so entrenched in technology that it is no longer able to live in the moment. Artist Chris Ware explains his inspiration on the mag's webbie—which follows a similar Halloween cover from 2009 (right).

Ware writes, ever so wisely, "Sometimes, I’ve noticed with horror that the memories I have of things like my daughter’s birthday parties or the trips we’ve taken together are actually memories of the photographs I took, not of the events themselves, and together, the two somehow become ever more worn and overwrought, like lines gone over too many times in a drawing.

"The more we give over of ourselves to these devices, the less of our own minds it appears we exercise, and worse, perhaps even concomitantly, the more we coddle and covet the devices themselves."

Damn, so true. I'm no martyr here. Often, an event I partake in comes off as only as worthy as the photograph that might come out of it. Good time? Oh, yeah! No photo? Compromised. Perfect example is when I had the pleasure of seeing Celine Dion in NYC last November. I indulged every second of her performance, but remained focused throughout... wondering... Will I see Celine, get another Starfucker photo, update my wall o'Celine... And so it is. And we (all?) are. *

People Mag Announces 2013 Annual 'Sexiest Man Alive'... Huh?!

And the Sexiest Man Alive for 2013, according to People mag is... Adam Levine? Say what? Huh? Really? Um... ha ha ha, NO!

Among its other oddball picks: Jimmy Fallon, Idris Elba, "I never ever smile" Justin Timberlake and Pharrell Williams.Who the hell judged this thing? A posse of hungry housewives who watch TV all day? One things's for sure: It wasn't a gay man in da know.

Meanwhile, the man who should have won—Chris Pine—is at least among the dozen featured online (the No. 3 Smoking Nun runner-up for Sexiest Man Alive in 2010)... alongside Justin Theroux, Luke Bryan, Bruno Mars and David Beckham.

The issue landed delicately on newsstands November 22, with giant question marks radiating into the heavens. *People mag Top Men finalists for 2013... Below, a pretty awesome piece from the issue on John Stamos, featuring his "Portrait of Dorian Gray." Mighty clever.

Around The World: Best Men's Mags For October/November 2013

Say It Isn't So! National Enquirer Reveals The Truth About Celine's Marriage!

Oh, no! After 19 (not 18, dimwits!) years of marriage it appears that Celine Dion has decided she's done with René Angélil! A new hit album, three kids, Las Vegas... fuhget about it! The National Enquirer reveals that Celine has removed her wedding ring!! I knew it would never last!!


Meanwhile, new album "Loved Me Back To Life" has debuted at the top of the charts around the world... It is No. 1 on iTunes in 44 countries, including Canada, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, Luxembourg, Poland and South Africa, and reached the Top 5 in an additional 42 countries.

In the U.S., we are shamed with a No. 2 entry for LMBTL, behind Eminem's latest tripe. Only in America, oh, sigh...

So Long, Nanny Bloomberg! 'The New Yorker' LAST STRAW Cover

January 1, 2014 will be a day of celebration in New York City, as Democrat and Brooklyn resident Bill de Blasio becomes the new mayor, putting Emperor Mike Bloomberg's endless 12-year tirade of squashing individual's civil liberties at rest, at last. The New Yorker pays tribute to Nanny Bloomie with a keen cover this week titled "The Last Straw," an obvious stab at his most ridiculous waste of time in trying to outlaw 20-ounce sugar sodas. Good riddance, Mike! Sip on this!

Meanwhile, I have to admit, this New York mag cover of the de Blasio family is a little "precious" to me. Come on, yeah, I know you're a loud and proud mixed marriage dude, but those kids... the extreme (not in the least hip) afro and your daughter's constant "flowers in my hair" hippie tribute... a bit nauseating. Let's hope you take the office of Mayor more seriously than your hipster fam, dude.

Kate Winslet Shimmers On Cover Of November 2013 'Vogue'

Okay, so yes, for sure, Kate Winslet has been photoshopped and re-colored to a point of near absurdity, but there's no doubt that this is among the most beautiful images of the 38-year-old actress I have ever seen.

Kate is the the youngest person ever to accumulate six Academy Award nominations—and she finally picked one up in 2008 as Best Actress for "The Reader." She also won an Emmy Award for her performance in the (dreadful) 2011 miniseries "Mildred Pierce."

But hey, she'll always be that girl that starred with Leo DeCaprio in 1998's "Titanic," which garnered an Oscar for Best Song for Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On," right?

Celine Dion: Loved Me Back To Print

The French press continues to shower Celine Dion with love on the eve of her new English-language release "Loved Me Back To Life." Oui, oui! Second pic: Earlier covers from 2013.

Bradley Cooper Beams On December 2012 'Esquire' Cover

Bradley Cooper, who has Hollywood's most beautiful teeth, decorates the December 2012 cover of Esquire. Now that's a holiday gift, for sure. Ooh la la! *

People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive 2012: Channing Tatum

Yup, I can sure live with that... People magazine has named its 2012 Sexiest Man Alive as Channing Tatum, who electrified the screen this year with Magic Mike... not to mention bringing to the big screen a hot & hunky cast that included Joe Manganiello, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer, Alex Pettyfer and Alex Rodriguez.

Here's what People writes about Tatum in advance of the Sexiest Man issue that comes out Friday, November 16... He may have bared (almost) all of that incredibly chiseled body in this year's Magic Mike but 2012's Sexiest Man Alive Channing Tatum was still modest when he heard the news: "My first thought was, 'Y'all are messing with me,'" says Tatum, who married actress Jenna Dewan-Tatum in 2009. "I told Jenna after we'd been in the bathtub washing our dogs because they'd gotten skunked."

Her Alabama-bred heartthrob of a husband is also a sculptor who quotes Edgar Allan Poe, loves to give her massages and can't wait to start their family. "I'm ready; I think she's ready," Tatum, 32, says.

"The first number that pops into my head is three, but I just want one to be healthy and then we'll see where we go after that. It’s really easy for us guys to say, 'I want like 15 kids. Jenna will be like, 'Well you better get another wife!'"

Currently training to play an Olympic athlete in next year's Foxcatcher, Tatum is all heart and muscle at 195 pounds. "I like to be lean. If I get too bulky I can't move well and I like to move," he says. "When I'm not training, I get really round and soft." Which is just fine by his wife. "People know him to be fun and sexy, but they don't know how emotionally deep and spiritually open he is," says Dewan-Tatum, 31. "He is such an open-hearted person; what you see is what you get."

Previous recent People mag cover men: Last year, Bradley Cooper was honored with as Sexiest, Ryan Reynolds took the 2010 title, and Johnny Depp was named in 2009. Fellow Magic Mike alumnus McConaughey was awarded the Sexiest trophy in 2005. For the complete list, of People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive choices from 1985 through 2011, see below the jump. *

Model Perfect: Latest Men's Mags

Around the world, hunks galore on November/December 2012 men's mag covers... and the best the U.S. rags can muster is Matthew Fox? Seriously? *

President Barack Obama Reelection Mag Covers

Some of the best magazine covers acknowledging President Barack Obama's historic reelection win...

And two mags that were prepared for the horror of a Romney win... Scary notion... *Time mag's iconic online pre-election gif... very clever... *

Bond's 'Skyfall' Dominates The Weekend Box Office

No surprise here: The latest Bond film Skyfall, which opened in theaters over the weekend, was the largest debut ever for a 007 film (both unadjusted and adjusted for ticket price inflation). The flick garnered $87.8 million, obviously earning the top spot at the box office. Meanwhile, Daniel Craig's fame has burgeoned all the more, with a brigade of magazine covers over the past couple months... At the box office, in second place was Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph, followed by a bunch of movies I've never even heard of. *

Best Global Magazine Covers: October 2012

Our monthly look at magazine covers around the world reveals somewhat slim pickings for the beginning of fall 2012... Where are all the sexy guys? We do have David Beckham on Europe's Esquire, but really, can't we do better... while Colin Farrell—looking a bit overly airbrushed—casts an odd expression on Men's Health overseas (also appearing on Details). Adele continues to dazzle on Rolling Stone. And Brazil's edition of Billboard offers a fun mash-up of Lady Gaga and Madonna. On the cover of Elle, Britney Spears has never looked more comely.

The celeb that appears on more covers this month than any other: Blake Lively, who begins a new season of Gossip Girl, in addition to her recent nuptials with perpetually gorgeous Ryan Reynolds. Daniel Craig is runner-up, as promotional wheels start turning for upcoming bond flick Skyfall (whose kickass new theme is sung by Adele).

Looking ahead, here's hoping that as the WB's Arrow gains traction, we'll be seeing Stephen Amell begin to grace covers of Men's Health, Men's Fitness... and The Smoking Nun's roster of candidates for 2012's Sexiest Men Alive.

And speaking of, we certainly can't leave out the best mag cover of the month: William Levy's appearance on People En Espanol as its encore Sexiest Man of the Year. Oh, yes! *