After most of the world, including his 30 Rock co-star Tina Fey, pounced on comedian Tracy Morgan for his violent, homophobic routine at a recent show in Nashville, Chris Rock took to Twitter on Friday evening to defend Morgan's right to free speech and artistic integrity. He Tweeted: "I don't know about you but I don't want to live in world where Tracy Morgan cant say fail inappropriate shit." It didn't take long for GLAAD to chastise Rock for his defense, shooting back via Twitter, "Language about stabbing kids for being gay isn't 'foul.' It's dangerous." Now, Rock himself is backpedaling. more ›

A scenario so unusual it could be ripe for Chris Rock's next movie role: on Friday the actor/comedian became a temporary midwife when he came to the rescue of a woman in labor! Allegedly Rock was shopping at the Neiman Marcus in the Garden State Plaza mall when a woman's water broke. He was just a few feet away when the incident occurred, and tried to keep the woman calm until the ambulance arrived. One eyewitness told US, "He was making the crowd and the woman in labor laugh. She recognized who he was immediately and he stayed there until the paramedics took her away." How did no one catch this on video? more ›

Can't we all just be like Derek Jeter and leave LeBron's next team placement up to The Fates? Apparently not. In the latest attempt to woo the free agent, the Knicks have put together a "free agent" committee of city big shots—like Donald Trump, Alec Baldwin and Chris Rock—with the hope that free agents (or just LeBron) will listen to one of them. Rock told the Post he would ask LeBron, "You really want to live in Cleveland? That's what I would tell him. Where do you want to live?" Well, he was born in Akron... more ›

The Comic's Comic has unearthed this NYU Student film Who's Chris Rock?, which shows the bombastic comedian right as he was getting his start. Though he had already been on Miami Vice, the 23-year-old comedian had just told his parents about his comedy dreams, and despite their disapproval was playing the city's comedy circuit. Reactions in 1989 to his controversial catalog are nearly the same as today, with one man saying he didn't like how Rock was derogatory to black actors, and even his mother saying she thought he was disrespectful. But you can't hate on gems like this: "I think doctors are the lowest people on the face of the earth. You know why? Because they charge you for help!...The police don't go 'OK Ma'am, it's a good thing you didn't get raped. That'll be $1,000.'" Topical! Watch the video after the jump. more ›

Ever wonder who your favorite celebrities vote for? The Daily News got a look at some Federal Election Campaign files, and saw some pretty big names on the campaign donation lists. Rep. John Hall apparently got $500 from Chevy Chase and $2,400 from Bonnie Raitt for his last campaign, and Anthony Weiner got support from Donald Trump and designer Lisa Perry (not to mention all those foreign models). But Brooklyn Rep. Ed Towns' opponent Kevin Powell may have the most talented supporter, with Chris Rock donating $2,400. That donation was matched by designer Mark Ecko and Chicago Bears player Julius Peppers. more ›

Conan O'Brien kicked off his tour last night in Oregon just hours after announcing his return to late night. His new show will begin airing in November at 11 p.m. on TBS, and his arrival will push George Lopez's show to the midnight slot. But Conan wasn't pulling a Leno—word is that he originally told the cable channel, "You guys already have an 11 p.m. show. We’re not putting ourselves in the position of shoving somebody out of his show." more ›

On Thursday, Page Six pondered a "mystery tot" that comedian Chris Rock was carrying outside the Trump International Hotel, referencing a woman who once claimed Rock fathered her child (he didn't) as well as previous divorce rumors. But now Rock's rep tells People, "The child in the photograph with Chris Rock that appeared in the New York Post is the daughter of a family friend from South Africa whom [his wife] Malaak Compton-Rock met through her charity endeavors over the years. She visits often and when here is a joy to the Rock family." So there! more ›

Yesterday we got a press release about the new Martin McDonagh (The Pillowman) play coming to Broadway in March, A Behanding in Spokane. Intriguiging title, and sounds cool, we thought. Well! The release promised "an all-star cast of four," and now Variety reports that Chris Rock, Sam Rockwell and Zoe Kazan "are all said to be eying roles in the play." The black comedy, McDonagh's first set in America, is described as "a man searching for his missing hand, two con artists out to make a few hundred bucks, an overly curious hotel clerk, and the rest is up for grabs." Whatever, it could be about rollerskating zoo animals and we'd still shell out Times Square ticket prices to watch Rock and Rockwell square off live. And Kazan's not exactly a lightweight, either; she more than held her own alongside an adrift Peter Sarsgaard in The Seagull last season. This would be Rock's first legit run on Broadway, aside from his one-off appearance in the 24 Hour Plays a couple years ago. Could this be our new Passing Strange? We're already obsessed, people. [Via The Playlist] more ›

During a performance at the Loews Regency on Park Avenue Thursday night, comic Jacke Mason referred to President Obama as a "schwartza," which, depending on who you ask, is either a benign Yiddish word for "black" or a racial slur equivalent to the n-word. TMZ was all over Mason after the schwartza-bombing, which prompted at least one audience member to walk out, "reportedly" fuming, "He's more offensive to the Jews than Madoff tonight." Speaking on the phone to TMZ, Mason explained, "I was raised in a Jewish family where 'schwartza' was used. It's not a demeaning word and I'm not going to defend myself... What about the demeaning words blacks say about Jews? If it's a racist society, the white people are the ones being persecuted because they have to defend themselves." And after being confronted by a camera-wielding TMZ troll yesterday, Mason angrily dismissed the controversy: "Why don't you ask Kid Rock. What's his name? The comedian. Chris Rock. Why don't you ask him what he said about white people... White people have no freedom of speech. I'm telling you, fuck you and that's it!" Of course, Al Sharpton has now piled on. more ›

Bill Clinton was on the talk show circuit yesterday, to promote his Clinton Global Initiative which meets this week. But naturally he discussed the current presidential campaign. The former president told the View ladies that Hillary Clinton wasn't dying to be VP, "She said, 'If [Obama] asks, I'll do it because it's my duty.' She loves being a senator for New York and has more freedom to develop her positions on the issues." he did add:

It's a very personal decision who should be vice president. I like Senator Biden a lot. I think he was a good choice. [Hillary Clinton] would have been the best politically at least in the short run because of her enormous support in the country. I think that [Obama] felt more comfortable with another choice and you have to respect that.

Grand Central Terminal gets the full PBS American Experience treatment with this documentary from filmmaker Michael Epstein (Monday & Thursday, 9:00 p.m., WNET 13). The one hour film traces the history of the terminal, its construction and its impact on New York and the rest of the world. Expect tales of robber barons, dead commuters, and of course fawning over an architectural treasure. more ›

MOVIES: A lavishly restored print of Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky’s visionary film The Holy Mountain has been making the rounds this year; it’s back again this weekend at IFC Center for a pair of midnight screenings. First released in 1973, The Holy Mountain has grown into a cult classic for its surreal, psychedelic imagery and a serpentine, metaphysical storyline, which takes as inspiration, among other things, "The Ascent of Mt. Carmel" by St. John of the Cross and the idea of a mountain uniting heaven and earth. more ›

A look at some noteworthy television this week: Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project (Sunday, 8:00 p.m., HBO) A look at America's favorite insult comic and last surviving member of the “Rat Pack”, the octogenarian Don Rickles from director John Landis. Everyone from Chris Rock to Bob Newhart to Clint Eastwood to Sidney Poitier talk about the comic. 1968 (Sunday, 9:00 p.m., History Channel) 1968 was a turbulent and tragic year and Tom Brokaw not... more ›

It's been quite a 24 hours for Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama. Last nght, he was at the Apollo for his first Harlem event. And this morning, he had breakfast with Mayor Bloomberg at a Midtown diner. At last night's $50-per-ticket fund-raiser, both Cornel West and Chris Rock introduced Obama. West asked the audience to think about entertainers like James Brown and Billie Holliday, who "represent a way of life that goes all the... more ›

The city’s food charities are dealing with dire shortages this year, exacerbated by cutbacks in federal food aid. Many places like St. Benedict the Moor Neighborhood Center in the South Bronx are almost barren; according to today’s Times, the center’s pantry used to be stacked up to the ceiling with food but now holds just “a few sacks of potatoes, some cornflakes, juice and peanut butter.” To help fill the void, City Harvest, the non-profit... more ›

Sean L. McCarthy has got it made. Blogger of comedy for The NY Daily News, New York's Funniest Reporter , and he spends his nights hanging out with some of the funniest people in the world. A truly enviable position! What's his secret? How did he get to where he is? Gothamist wanted to know and found out! more ›

A look at some noteworthy television this week: more ›

As another season of Emmy nominations show, those folks over at HBO original programming know what they're doing. Complex shows filled with meaty characters, lavish spectacle and quite a few racy scenes make those premium cable fees seem well worth the expense. However, if you missed out on the two seasons of in togas, here's your chance to catch up as the series comes to DVD this week. more ›

Last night on Saturday Night Live, Chris Rock appeared on the cold open (what's a cold open?) to give his thoughts about the 2008 presidential race. While his riff on Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama was great, it was also a little too long for our meager transcribing chops this morning. So we give you his thoughts on the Republican contenders:

On the Republican side, we have McCain and Giuliani. Now, is it just me or wasn't McCain too old eight years ago? more ›

, has become known for his ability to elicit naturalistic acting performances from his handsome young actors and that style expertly employed in this new movie. Visually, the movie strives to also be low-key, though it is beautifully composed. Scenes that might have been played for massive dramatic appeal--like the murdering of four officers in a pub's back room [pictured]--are delivered with little visual or musical preface and as a result have an even more powerful impact. This should be a note to Hollywood, violence doesn't always have to have the fan fair of a video game. (Fun fact about Loach's casting process/attention to real details: Murphy, as well as other some other actors, are from County Cork where the movie was shot and thus have totally authentic accents.) more ›

Four strippers at Scores West in Chelsea were arrested for offering to have sex with undercover cops. Hello, nightlife and cabaret beat! From the Post:

The cops spent several hours inside the temple of titillation at 528 W. 28th St. looking for violations, sources said. more ›

- Finally, Molly the cat is still stuck - they now have a cat therapist playing whale sounds to calm her more ›

MTV is going to broadcast the 2006 awards. Now, Gothamist will use our cranky and cliche cards: We don't remember the last time we saw a video on MTV! And we're kind of upset at MTV for making stars out of people who are worthless, although the horrifying pleasure we get when we watch My Sweet 16 almost balances that out. But the show itself is usually trippy fun to watch - whether it's a lesbian kiss or Kiss playing under the Brooklyn Bridge - and the hosting is good (we heart you, Chris Rock). The president of MTV, Christina Norman explained, "New York City is our hometown, and we are really looking to showcase the music, culture, and people from every borough of this amazing city on TV, online, broadband, and wireless to fans around the globe." Translation: You can watch the show on TV, watch clips on your TV, get messages sent to your phone - basically drown yourself in knowing what Beyonce is wearing or if James Blunt will falsetto. What would be brilliant is for musical acts to perform in all five boroughs (yes, even Staten Island). This year, the event will be on August 31 (we think the show was moved up for distance between the show's excess and September 11 - we definitely remember that in 1999, the show was on September 9), and similar to the way the city handled the Country Music Awards this year, there will be many concerts and events leading up to the show. more ›

JC: ALL RIGHT! I just took extra Vitamin C - I'm waiting for some food delivery. more ›

- Nicolette Sheridan does not look over-Botoxed with fish lips! more ›

It's official: Jon Stewart will host this year's Oscars telecast. Which means the Academy of the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decided to go for crowd-pleasing ('specially in liberal Hollywood) political commentary, versus another year of cruel but insightful wisecracks from Chris Rock. Hmm, Gothamist likes Jon Stewart, though we downgraded him after the frat-party audience atmosphere of the Daily Show started to detract from the show, but he is better than Whoopi Goldberg again. Actually, we don't care as long as Bruce Vilanch is kept away from the writers' room and Steven Colbert is involved in the telecast - can you picture it, a "Colbert Report" on the evils of Hollywood? more ›

The Post ("BIZ BOOB BUSTS BANK FOR BABES") and the Daily News ($lap dance!) are having a good time at the expense of Robert McCormick, who apparently managed to blow through $241,000 in one drunken night of partying at Scores. McCormick, CEO of Savvis Communications and a 38-year old father of three kids, was in from Missouri and celebrating some business his company had just closed. Scores claims that after the tab hit $10,000, they got fingerprints and signed waivers testifying that he wasn't intoxicated-- and they also called American Express every hour to verify he had the rights to continue using the card. AMEX was forced to pay the 241k, and now they are suing McCormick for the cash. more ›

With just two new episodes so far this season, the NY Post wonders if Saturday Night Live is really dead. It's a good, if evergreen question. Horatio Sanz is certainly no Tina Fey during Weekend Update, though Gothamist has been impressed he's been able to hold it together this long. With Maya Rudoph's pregnancy, it seems like most sketches with a female character involve Amy Poehler (who rules, but maybe she needs a break). There are always dark periods of SNL (the years after the original cast left and before Eddie Murphy arrived; after Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, and David Spade left), but it's still TiVo worthy, if not stay-at-home on a Saturday night. There's always a chance there's a watercooler moment in a broadcast, and that's what keeps people watching. Gothamist hopes there will be a sketch with this week's host, Catherine Zeta-Jones, that either involves overeating or being married to a jowly old man. more ›

Dave Rubin, Comedian more ›

The reviews are out, and Chris Rock is getting a mixed bag of feedback for his duties as the MC of the Oscars. The NY Daily News' David Bianculli says he wasn't edgy or funny enough, Variety says his opening monologue was great (subscription required), the Hollywood Reporter says that Rock wasn't on a roll, and the Washington Post's Tom Shales says Rock was strangely lame and mean-spirited. Gothamist wonders if there's a generational divide between the reviewers, because we thought Rock was the best thing about the Oscars. It's like some of these reviewers weren't familiar with Rock's material before. At least Tim Robbins (left, photo AP), whom Chris Rock made fun of, could take a joke ... we think. As for the show, sure, it seemed to move quickly and was "well-produced," and, yes, we were happy certain people won, but since there wasn't much enthusiasm for any one nominee, the whole show was boring. And Gothamist doesn't care what Gil Cates's "producer's blog" says! more ›