Entertainers In The News

Tyler Perry Donates $1 Million To NAACP

The filmmaker and television producer has donated $1 million to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the civil rights organization. The NAACP says the gift is the largest donation from an individual in the organization's history, and will be distributed over four years. In a statement, Mr. Perry says the perseverance of thousands within the NAACP helped pave the way for his success in the film industry. NAACP leaders say the gift marks a major shift in black philanthropy. They say donations of this size have not typically gone to civil rights groups. It's also a key time for the NAACP as the group faces questions over whether it remains relevant.

The 'Oprah Effect' Felt Across The World

Oprah Winfrey's announcement last week that she will end her daytime TV program after its 25th season in 2011 made headlines from London to Johannesburg. In London's Brixton neighborhood, a center for Britain's Afro-Caribbean community, shoppers had warm words for the American star. "I don't watch that often, but she has definitely had an impact on me personally," said Tanya Wallis, 46. "She has helped me broaden my horizons and to diversify to look at others with more acceptance. We are all part of the human family."

Ms. Winfrey's show syndicated in 145 countries, and her warm, informal style has been copied by TV personalities around the globe. Few, though, have achieved her connection with a huge audience and easy rapport with guests -- or the sort of political clout that saw her endorsement help bolster Barack Obama's presidential campaign. Trisha Goddard, a daytime TV host sometimes labeled "Britain's Oprah," told the BBC that "there were talk show hosts before her, but they talked. She listens."

Many of Ms. Winfrey's most devoted fans are in South Africa, where she put $40 million into the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy, a school for underprivileged girls near Johannesburg. Her popularity in South Africa is so great that a motivational talk scheduled for late November in Johannesburg sold out in less than four minutes. Ticket prices were nearly US$100, a large sum for many South Africans. The show's focus on universal issues such as family, children and women in society has also helped make it a hit in the Arab world, despite its occasionally risque and taboo subject matter. The episodes air twice a day on the United Arab Emirates satellite channel MBC4, which is seen across the region.

Angelina Jolie Not A Fan Of Obama

Well, well, maybe some of the conservative Republican politics of daddy Jon Voight (are they still estranged?) have rubbed off: U.S. President Barack Obama does not have actress Angelina Jolie's seal of approval (hat tip: John D. Villarreal). "She hates him," a source close to the U.N. goodwill ambassador, 34, claims to Us Weekly. "She's into education and rehabilitation and thinks Obama is all about welfare and handouts. She thinks Obama is really a socialist in disguise," adds the source.

But don't expect to see the actress rally against Democrats on Fox News. "Angie isn't Republican, but she thinks Obama is all smoke and mirrors," the source says. And those political views are putting her at odds with Brad Pitt, 45, who is a big fan of the liberal Democratic president and even went solo to the 2008 election party in Chicago. "They get in nasty arguments all the time about it," says the source. "She doesn't respect Brad when it comes to politics, but, in the end, this won't tear them apart."