To be fair, Anderson Cooper tonight asked the president some questions about serious topics, like the economy. Then the immaculately groomed CNN anchor turned his attention to Barack Obama's nails.

Don't expect to see a smile on Vikram Pandit's face in the hallways of Citigroup today. President Obama will announce later this morning that he's imposing a cap of $500,000 on the compensation of top executives at companies that receive a large amount of bailout money. The new rules will also require greater transparency on the use of corporate jets, splashy parties, office renovations and conferences. [Reuters, NYT]

Those "TyGirlz" dolls named Sasha and Malia, the ones Michelle Obama viciously smeared as "inappropriate" (BURN!)? They're done. Gone forever. Finished. (Not exactly.)

It's little appreciated here in the States, but British comic Stephen Fry could be banned from British TV and movies for life for a diatribe like "arse, poo and widdle." [Guanabee]

· Just for the record: David Poland is completely above suggesting what he's clearly suggesting about Gus Van Sant and Dustin Lance Black. Got it?
· Warning: Oscar surprises ahead, which may or may not include Jack Palance's disinterred corpse doing hydraulics-assisted push-ups.
· It's the Christian Bale And I Are Done Professionally T-shirt. Get 'em while they're hot.
· Fox gets edgy with its promos: Check out their vintage grindhouse-style double-feature spot for Terminator and Dollhouse. We've never been more excited to El Fuego Our Fridays!

Dakota Fanning has thus far built a whole career out of appearing unsettlingly wise for her age on screen. Now, she aims to befuddle in a whole new way.

There's no single passage from this epic new David Fincher interview that we feel especially good singling out at others' expense, but at least one answers history's long-standing question: Why is he such a prick?

· Joyless, dyslexic, elitist fungus of a film critic David Denby discusses his book Snark at the ICM Screening Room. Should be fun!

Ain't It Cool News fanboy oracle Harry Knowles refuses to post the Christian Bale rant, but goes on at some length today on why he chose to side with the mercurial action star.

For the most part, the Late Show's David Letterman kept his audience under control for the duration of Rod Blagojevich's appearance, airing later tonight. But he couldn't always.

If you've spent any time second-guessing what exactly Gwyneth Paltrow is up to at her healthy-living passion project GOOP — and really, who hasn't? — the upstart Web proprietress has a word for you.

Remember when Tuesday nights used to mean Gilmore Girls? Now it's reality shows (Idol, Biggest Loser), superficial but fun teenage shows (90210, Privileged) and various procedurals (SVU, The Mentalist). We'll nap until The Daily Show.

Since having been returned to her grits-fixin' father for safekeeping, Britney's displaced entourage of swarthy, middle-aged ne'er-do-wells have turned cantankerous. Friday, she issued restraining orders against goon-faced heavy Sam Lutfi and soulless-patched paparazzo Adnan Ghalib.

• Retail on Madison Avenue is a mess, in case you haven't noticed. More than two dozen spaces are currently on the market. [NYT]
• The plan to move Fashion Week to Lincoln Center beginning in 2010 is a done deal. [WWD]
• Jason Wu has postponed plans to launch a fur collection this fall. The Humane Society is very pleased, unsurprisingly. [WWD, WSJ]
• Liz Claiborne is cutting 725 jobs. [MW]
• Giorgio Armani has stirred up scandal with his comments about Italy's fashion scene, and his suggestion that Paris is where it's at. [Reuters]
• Scandal! Scarlett Johansson is now a brunette. [SW]

We know things have been rough for NBC of late, and that it deserves every bit of hard-fought glory it can grab. Stiil, that's no excuse to claim 151 million people watched Super Bowl XLIII.

Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News, desperate to be the fanboy in Christian Bale's good graces, has posted a vehement defense of the actor's crazed on-set rant. It was the DP's fault!

Though Scarlett Johansson usually warbles the words of a male troubadour, she's now singing a different tune about parts of the male anatomy that she's just not that into.

Dorothy McGivney joined Google in 2003, before the company went public, when employees could make fortunes, quite possibly in the millions, for tweaking the text of search ads. And now she's writing a travel newsletter.

1/2 — Monday night, I went to Via Veneto, a cozy and horribly overpriced little Italian place on Main Street in Santa Monica, there at the back table in the dark shadows...

What is Burning Passion? "A Film About...A Guy Who Ejaculates Fire." It features "spectacular special effects...in addition to some really nice acting." It premieres on Valentine's Day, online. The perfect date. Click to enlarge.