Gossip Girl to Host No Doubt Reunion

Salon offers up a mid-year list

(NEWSER) - Now that we're more than halfway through 2011, the Salon staff compiled the best books, movies, music, and TV of the year so far. Among its recommendations:

• Film: Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life is quite good—but Lee Chang-dong's Poetry, about a 66-year-old woman who may have Alzheimer's, is a masterpiece. Another surprising inclusion: Matthew McConaughey-vehicle The Lincoln Lawyer, directed by Brad Furman.
• Books: You'd never know The Pale King, David Foster Wallace's third and last novel, was actually unfinished at the time of his death and pieced together by his longtime editor. Also worth checking out: novelist Andre Dubus III's memoir, Townie.

Chace Crawford charged with misdemeanor in Texas

(NEWSER) - Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford was arrested early this morning and charged with misdemeanor drug possession, TMZ reports . Crawford, 24, was with a friend in a car in the parking lot of a pub when Plano, Texas, police found one unlit joint. He was arrested and charged with possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana. The criminal mastermind is already out on bail. More»

Poison frontman, 'Celebrity Apprentice' contestant rushed to hospital

(NEWSER) - Bret Michaels is hospitalized in the intensive care unit and in critical condition after suffering bleeding in his brain, People reports. The Poison frontman, a contestant on this season of Celebrity Apprentice, had an emergency appendectomy last week. His doctors "are running several tests," and the 47-year-old's prognosis "will be touch and go for the next few days while he is under intense observation," a source says. More»

Critics split on Jennifer Lopez as host, agree on singer as musical guest

(NEWSER) - The Jennifer Lopez image-rehab train pulled into Saturday Night Live station last night, to mixed reviews.

• "Her appearance on the show—bizarro Hallmark lyric songs included—was a very obvious attempt at rebranding herself as a down-to-earth, un-diva-like sweetheart, but it just came across as weird and overly acted," Hortense writes for Jezebel . Although there were some high points, "overall, it was a pretty craptacular show."

Actor's Golden Globes reactions + Gwen Stefani song = Genius

(NEWSER) - Brendan Fraser seems to have a good sense of humor about the world watching an endless loop of his awkward laughing and clapping at the Golden Globes, which is good—it will probably spin out into increasingly involved viral video mashups. Here's one, flagged by Videogum , that sets Fraser's spasmodic appreciation to Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl." More»