In a scandal the likes of which would be gradually and delicately revealed over the course of his new novel (yes, I read it and, yes, I quite enjoyed it), it appears that Steve Martin has been caught up in an art forgery scandal. Our friends over at Gossip Cop have confirmed the story with a “a source close to the comedian.” Presumably Martin would have talked about the case himself but, every time he tries, people get bored and send up notes asking him to do quotes from The Jerk instead.

If it seemed like everyone was ganging up on James Franco, Anne Hathaway, and the Oscars yesterday, it’s because they were. In one of many brutal takedowns, Rolling Stone‘s Peter Travers said, “The stirrings I felt from the 83rd annual Oscar show made me want to puke. How could so many stars bore so many people breathless?” Few critics could find anything positive to say about the ceremony, and many echoed the same declaration of “Worst Oscars Ever.” But that phrase may sound familiar – it’s been summoned on several occasions in years past (it’s also somewhat accepted that 1989′s show was really the worst ever). Here, a look at how reviewers of the annual spectacle have summoned the same refrain:

Over the course of 2010, we covered an array of politicians, authors, entertainers, media mavens, and others as they discussed their crafts and their industries. We enjoyed most of the panels, lectures, and debates we took in, while some of them fell short. Here, a rundown of our 5 favorites, followed by the 10 quotes that defined the year in New York City media panels:

Who: Steve Martin, interviewed by Deborah Solomon
What: “Steve Martin with Deborah Solomon”
Where: 92nd St. Y
When: November 29, 2010
Thumbs: Down

Earlier this week, Tina Fey became the youngest individual to ever be awarded The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. And while the usual suspect of entertainment peers came out to adulate Ms. Fey on her accepted and prominent spot in the canon American humorists, some took umbrage at her “thanking” of Sarah Palin, which included some sharp political jabs at the conservative political leader whom Fey has impersonated with great effect.

Hey do you like Twitter, but only wish it were somehow funnier? Well good news! Banjo legend, and sometimes comedian Steve Martin has now joined Twitter! And guess what? He’s really funny. Perhaps 140 characters is the perfect solution to a Ramblin man. R-A-M-B-L-I-N. Apostrophe. (Approximately 45 Mediate reader’s will understand the reference to his first comedy album, Let’s Get Small.) Examples of funny jokes below!

Alec Baldwin hosted the SNL season finale last night, and while he may not have inspired the Betty White hysteria of last weekend (nor the ratings one imagines) he’s certainly a familiar face on the SNL stage. This was Baldwin’s 15th go-round as host, tying him with Steve Martin (who made a quick appearance via satellite in the monologue). Highlights from the show below, click through for video clips.

Did you make it all the way to the end of last night’s marathon Oscar broadcast? It wasn’t the longest one in history – that was 2002 — but boy did it ever feel like it. In case you missed any of it — the red carpet fashions, the tears, or even the Dolphins — you can find all of Mediaite’s coverage and videos here….without the boring parts. And yes, the dude abides.

Was George Clooney part of the act or was he really as disgusted with Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin’s opening act as his face seemed to suggest. Twitter seems to think the former…but wouldn’t it be great if it were the latter? George Clooney is the Wayne Gretzky of the Oscars! Video below…make up your mind for yourself.

Wait a second, Neil Patrick Harris? What about Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin? Never mind: They ceded their opening mojo to NPH for the greater good, but what a letdown when they actually (and awkwardly) took the stage. NPH is a crowd pleaser galore, but what would have pleased the crowd more: An opening number by the actual hosts.

Who: Alec Baldwin interviewed by Janet Maslin What: TimesTalks’ “Live with Alec Baldwin”Where: The Times CenterWhen: December 3, 2009Thumbs: Up

What’s not to love about Thanksgiving? For one day in the middle of the week (a fact which used to fascinate and confuse me as a child growing up in Canada) an entire country of 300,000 million people stops everything they are doing to sit down, stuff themselves with food and drink, and watch football [...]

This week, Barney’s unveiled their annual holiday windows, this year celebrating Saturday Night Live. The displays are heavy on allusion to various characters, scenes and personalities from the series’ 35 years – but deciphering each of those references is hindered by the primary mode of presentation, papier-mâché. I can’t help but suspect that this medium was chosen primarily to evoke sympathy – after all, it’s possible, if not probable, that they were actually made by a class of fourth graders.

Which directors and actors had the worst results on Rotten Tomatoes from 2000-2009? Thanks to computers, we have the answer — and a ridiculously comprehensive, sortable database ranking them on just how bad they were.

It’s official: Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin will be co-hosting the Oscars. Martin is a common-sense pick; teaming him up with Baldwin, who’s never hosted before, is a bolder move. How’d he get the gig? The answer may be in these four words: Elle Women in Hollywood.

Double your pleasure, double your fun? It’s just been announced that Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will co-host this years Oscars. Here’s what the producers and the upcoming co-hosts had to say about the decision. Plus, a video preview…sort of.

This is fantastic – the folks at Daily Fill & Movie Fill have done a major data cull, ranking SNL alumni by their total movie grosses and Rotten Tomato rankings. The results? Eddie Murphy dominates (thank you, Norbit), Tina Fey is in last place (but give her time), and Rob Schneider’s doing better than Will [...]