Dazzling locals on the South American leg of his Valkyrie promotional tour, Tom Cruise unveiled a lean physique and taut set of abdominal muscles poolside in Rio de Janeiro.

[Fireworks are launched from bulldozers in the opening night of the Villar Night Show, a tourist attraction at a ski resort in Switzerland. Image via AP Photo/Keystone/Laurent Gillieron)]

Here are two things you should know about Eric Balfour: he has a knack for getting television shows canceled, and he will bare his NSFW ass for strangers on the street if you ask nicely.

For the latest installment in the infrequent Gawker Pin-Up series, meet Devorah Rose, editor of purported magazine Social Life and hopeful reality star, in St. Barths apparently channeling Sigourney Weaver's undies in Alien.

Jennifer 8. Lee saw Cameron Diaz. Ashton Kutcher missed Demi Moore. Choire Sicha dreamed about his therapist. On Twitter, we are all the stars of our own movies. Today's narcissist watch:

The suddenly absurdly famous subway ad remix vandal Poster Boy is seriously committed to this "Poster Boy is a movement, not one guy" thing. Reality, or a way to avoid conviction? Attempted fact check time!

If you couldn't wait for Catherine Hardwicke's candid expose detailing her rise and fall from Twilight glory, well, we're sorry. Twilight: Director's Notebook probably isn't it.

Hey struggling New York actor who really, really doesn't want to move to the West Coast. Looks like you might have to. There aren't any TV pilots being filmed here anymore.

On part one of Idol Hollywood Week, hopeful after hopeful took to the Kodak Theatre stage for what Simon Cowell described without a shred of facetiousness as "the most important day of your lives."

Oh no, the first terror attack of the Barack Obama presidency! And it's domestic!

Sure, it seems like a good idea for the Emmys to expand their acting and series nominations from five to six (as the TV Academy announced they will today). Here's what will happen, though.

Johnny Rotten's butter ad nearly doubled sales. Selling out works!

Hah, now even the White House Pool Reports are just obituaries for newspapers. Today's pool report concerns the POTUS' trip to an appropriately over-expensive and quaintly out-of-touch museum.

TED, the annual gathering of the most pretentious people from the fields of technology, entertainment, and design, just got punk'd. Microsoft chairman Bill Gates released a swarm of mosquitos into the crowd.

• Eric Ripert has signed on to host his own PBS show called Avec Eric. [THR]
• Frank Bruni gives the Plaza's Oak Room a single star in today's Times, describing it as more of a "looker" than a "performer." [NYT]
• UES staple Swifty's is opening a Palm Beach outpost. [PBDN]
• JGV is bringing back Vong's original menu from 1992. [JGV]
• Forge will officially change its name to Marc Forgione this week. [P6]
• More details about what's happening at Ago in the Greenwich Hotel. [NYT]
• The Flatiron's Fleur de Sel is closing on February 21st. [Eater]
• It's a tough time to be in the restaurant biz, in case you hadn't heard. [NYT]
• Possibly related: Starbucks is thinking of offering "value meals." [AP]

Paramount probably could have lived with Jon Stewart's slobbering praise for Slumdog Millionaire last night on The Daily Show. If only it had stopped there.

[Taylor Momsen, "Gossip Girl" actress and chairwoman of the Lemoncake Stupid Society, leaving work; image via Bauer-Griffin]

In its brief life, online college burn book JuicyCampus won notoriety and lawsuits for letting students diss their campuses and classmates. Now it's going out of business. With the help of fancy Hollywood flacks!

Maybe Fox actually does want people to watch Dollhouse! After putting together a novel ad for the troubled Joss Whedon project, Fox has pulled out all the stops (and the clothes off star Eliza Dushku).

Oh yes, these shirts are really for sale. And they didn't forget you, Ex-Homosexuals and Ex-Fornicators! Guaranteed to get you laid by a Christian. [P4CM.Com]. UPDATE: Oh good, an explanatory video: