It is with a sigh of sadness that I bid farewell to my longtime friend and sometimes adversary, the famous writer Gore Vidal. Somehow, in the '70s and '80s, and '90s I became embroiled with knowing and admiring both Gore and his occasional mortal enemies, Norman Mailer...Truman Capote...William F. Buckley, Jr. Later, it was Gore vs. Dominick Dunne, with me in the middle.

She is only 24, but is right up there in the world of pop icon-hood, giving even the likes of Beyonce and Lady Gaga a run for their money.

Marilyn's early passing, the scandals and speculations about her death and her life (especially her love life) have fueled interest in her. She remains a vital part of 2012 pop culture.

A moment of silence for Gore? He wasn't sentimental but he was soft-hearted. However, I'd think Gore of all people would be snorting from the hereafter about a moment of silence.

There are moments in "Breaking Bad" that are so startling that you simply never can forget them.

If you can believe that the woman who played both the dynamic domineering Margaret Thatcher and the delicious Julia Child is a hopeless, despondent and put-upon matron - well, that's the theme of "Hope Springs."

I pity the press reps working on this film, as well as Pattinson's own handler. They are going to have to repeat endlessly, "No personal questions. No talk about Kristen Stewart!"

He adored show business and it paid him back, by giving him every award the entertainment world could dream up - from three Oscars to Emmys, Grammys, Tonys and finally, the ultimate--the Pulitzer.

What a voyage he has taken-- from unusual-looking Oscar-nominated character actor to the sexy action star of an established franchise

I had a ball for years working with Helen, a woman I very seldom agreed with, but who I admired and loved for her bravery, her chutzpah, her elaborate endeavor to "save" women from themselves by getting them to marry well, have sex as they pleased, and get to the top any damn way they could.

The other night my friend Kristin Chenoweth, who is a Goodspeed alum, was being honored with the theater's award for "outstanding contributions to musical theater." The evening went off with a bang despite the fact that the adorable Kristin wasn't even there.

So, how is "Sparkle?" So many years have passed since I saw the original, that the story seems fairly fresh-- well, as fresh as anything can be based on material that is thirtysomething years old.

This leader of the plush, glamorous last of the great excessive magazines offers followers of the rich and famous a neat look at the issues.

What gets me are all the Kennedy-haters out there warning Taylor (in print) to "run don't walk" to the nearest exit; that Conor is a Kennedy and Miss Swift will surely end up in some tragic situation.

Lady Gaga talks to Vogue's Jonathan van Meter in the September issue of the fashion magazine. It's a good piece, with a lot of info and insight into the professional side of Gaga.

THERE'S NOTHNG like an attractive man in a beautifully tailored suit. And there's nothing like an attractive man in...nothing.

Also, a 20th Century Fox PR man, Michael Selsman, was quoted in People saying "how cruel and mean" Monroe could be. I don't doubt it. Who can't be?

This month Ellen marks her first decade as the host of her wildly popular daytime talk show. With no end in sight.

He is one of the most open, gregarious, amusing men I've ever met. I'd expected the former teen idol to be uptight and cheesy and unforthcoming. Shows how wrong you can be.

Having a party? Request all your guests give up their cell phones. Also the bouncers, waiters, bartenders too.

"MDNA" is what has become the standard mix for a Madonna show--mind-blowing brilliance, dazzling sets, incredible dancing. And then there's the stuff she does because she wants to!

Correcting history is always unpopular and hard to do. Belzer is trying.