So we’ve all had a good laugh after hearing about Woody Harrelson‘s disastrous AMA session on Reddit two days ago, where a proxy for the actor (let’s face it, that wasn’t him typing those answers) basically gave vague answers to half of the questions and in-no-way subtle plugs for his upcoming movie Rampart to the other half. It was a public relations nightmare, and while it certainly raised awareness about the movie, it definitely backfired.

Not a single member of The New Yorker‘s esteemed panel was willing to argue in favor of the proclamation that television has surpassed – or would surpass – the prestige and prowess of Hollywood cinema. However, some were more willing than others to argue that TV shows have come a long way in proving that they, too, can be taking seriously as an artform.

It was only a matter of time. With publisher Simon & Schuster moving up the publication date of Walter Isaacson‘s Steve Jobs biography by a month in light of his passing this week, Sony has acquired the film rights to the book, it was reported yesterday evening.

Jon Lovett, award winning comedian and Obama speech writer (“I don’t know if I am a major speech writer for the president,” he jokes in said award winning routine), is escaping the White House for the glitz and glam of the Inland Empire, where he hopes to make a name for himself as a Hollywood screenwriter. “It’s always been a dream of mine to write comedy and be creative,” said the 29-year-old, who is set to move west in mid-September. According to the Washington Post, Lovett has already fielded “interest from studios in a Washington-based political comedy and an updated version of “M.A.S.H.” Did Hollywood just get a little smarter? Or Washington a little less funny?

Los Angeles police surrounded a dark-colored Yukon on Thursday after reports of an armed robbery in Hollywood, finally stopping the vehicle and confronting its inhabitants. Unfortunately, instead of finding armed robbers, they found a terrified Bloomberg News crew that happened to be in the area at the time.

As James Franco continues to be everything Charlie Sheen is struggling to become, a new chapter in the ongoing quixotic art project that is Franco’s career unfolded today as his Twitter account mysteriously disappeared. The event would not have prompted as many raised eyebrows had Franco not recently complained of anonymous forces pressuring him into complacency on the medium, and his declaration that, in its entirety, “social media is over.”

Stefan Kanfer’s new biography about Humphrey Bogart, Tough Without a Gun, has led film fans and critics to reflect on the life and legacy of the Hollywood legend. “Bogie” passed away in 1957, but he’s left behind an indelible mark on Tinseltown; some say no star will ever achieve the level of success that Bogart did. What was it about the actor that made him such a force?

As the New York Times reports today, Hollywood trade publications have been slowly dying for years—due mainly to ever-decreasing ad revenues and stiff competition from blogs like Nikki Finke‘s Deadline Hollywood. The Hollywood Reporter, however, isn’t going down without a fight.

Sylvester Stallone has a brand-new film out about macho men blowing stuff up. Unfortunately, some film critics have interpreted The Expendables as a subliminal propaganda film to sell “apple pie patriotism,” and last night Stallone appeared on The O’Reilly Factor to dispel the rumors: No, his film has no complex hidden messages– it’s really just about blowing stuff up.

Today, HollywoodReporter.com reveals that HBO has started developments on “Tilda,” a half-hour comedy series centering on the exploits of a ruthless Hollywood gossip blogger with an unmissable resemblance to Nikki Finke. Will Finke’s onscreen avatar will be faithful to the mix of bodilessness and omniscience that has defined the Finke of real life?

In case you haven’t heard, this year’s Vanity Fair Hollywood issue is extremely monochromatic; nary one person of color made the cover. But something else VF staffers failed to note? Two of the actresses in their “New Decade: New Holly” article were featured in 2008 as “Hollywood’s New Wave.” Guess they are still up-and-coming?

It’s Friday, which means it’s time to separate the chumps from the champs in Mediaite’s new “Winners and Losers” — our scorecard of who rocked and who flopped in the week’s headlines. This week’s contenders include: Michael Vick, giving reality-redemption a shot, Don Imus, back on TV and already taking cheap shots, and Tom Delay, who samba-ed away his own chances at Dancing With The Stars glory. But wait, there’s more!

Dear Hollywood,

Since Roman Polanski was arrested Saturday night in Switzerland for fleeing the U.S. after pleading guilty in 1977 to unlawful sexual intercourse (a plea deal for a rape accusation), you’ve been speaking out in droves to defend the director. CNN describes it as “Hollywood Embraces Polanski“, Fox News calls it “Hollywood Left Bands Together to Fight Polanski Arrest“.

Here’s a tip: stop.

Twelve years ago today, the New York Times asked whether an upstart new technology called “DVD” could possibly succeed. Disney wasn’t planning on using it anytime soon! Some of the Times’ predictions and insights have not aged particularly well: