I can think of $millions$ of reasons why it’s good to be Will Smith, Barack Obama, Tiger Woods*, and Denzel Washington. Low on the list is that they have all graced the cover of Men’s Vogue in 2007. While I’m sure it’s sort of “whatever” to them, it’s kind of a big deal in the fashion mag industry, where covers featuring black celebs are few and far between. Take Men’s Vogue’s female predecessor, Vogue, for instance: Jennifer Hudson’s March cover was only the third in the magazine’s history to feature a black female celebrity. And there was not a single black model in the October issue’s fashion spread. Incidentally, the same went for Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Glamour and Cosmopolitan.

I suppose it’s not entirely accurate to say that black people aren’t “en Vogue.” Just those unfashionable black women. [Portfolio]

*Cablinasians need love, too.

Both Will Smith and Shemar Moore made People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” issue, although Matt Damon got the top spot. Do the editors just go to the Ocean’s 11 IMDB page, close their eyes, and point around this time every year? Of course, it’s an automatic do-over if the finger lands on Don Cheadle.

Anyway, here’s the ridiculousness Shemar had to say about preserving his sexy.

The ex-model has come up with the perfect recipe for what it takes to feel sexy: “A fresh haircut is so important. I wear my hair so low. Freshly faded,” says Moore, 37, who stars on CBS’s Criminal Minds. “A nice tan in my back yard so I can get that bronze, brown-sugar glow, a vintage pair of jeans and white button down shirt with a couple of buttons open. A chrome chain. Pair of sneakers.”

Nothing about gay nude beaches? [ONTD]

The trailer for I Am Legend, which anyone who takes daily trips across the Manhattan or Brooklyn Bridges saw being filmed last year, was just released. It seems like Castaway meets 28 Days Later. Will you see it?

Karate Kid: The Black Version is still not happening — thank God — but Will Smith is making a film with his frequent collaborator, Michael Mann, about a global media conglomerate and developing a sitcom based on Hitch. No rest for those weary, $20-million-per-picture actors.

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A “news” story has been circulating for about a week, but I’ve been sitting on it, because a rumor that Will Smith was directing a remake of Karate Kid starring little Jaden and Jackie Chan really sounded too preposterous to be true.

Turns out it is — Will Smith’s rep denies the whole thing.

I love Jada and Will, I really do. I love them enough to choose not to believe the persistent rumors about either their sexuality or their open marriage. I don’t love them enough to forgive their consistently bad wardrobe decisions, although their casual and semi-formal choices are generally far worse than their awards show attire.

What made Jada decide to dress up as the 2007 version of a Grease Pink Lady? Ponder that while you check out the rest of the pics from The Kingdom’s premiere.

CONTINUED »

Tisha Campbell on the Duane Martin and Will Smith gay rumors:

When two brothers are successful or have influential and powerful friends, we have to emasculate them. On the real, we even did it to Oprah and Gayle. We have to get over that because at the end of the day who really cares? We have Katrina, autism and children killing one another in my hometown of Newark. I don’t know what the obsession is with celebrities, but maybe it helps people feel better about their own situation. We just know that it’s something that comes along with being in front of the camera.

Will Smith and Duane Martin, who worked together on the recently canceled All of Us, are not having a gay love affair, says Tisha Campbell, who I guess is in a position to know (but certainly not to tell if it were true). And furthermore, rumors of her separation from Martin aren’t true either.

The 38-year-old insists there are “no problems” in her marriage and that the reports are “completely made up.”

And Campbell, Martin, Smith and his actress wife Jada Pinkett Smith recently got together to share their amusement with the far-fetched story.

Campbell says, “They laughed. Will was like, ‘Yo, how great is this?’”

It is great, isn’t it? Kanye West should start approaching his gay rumors with the same good humor.

[SP]

Are we surprised that Tyra Banks has donated $2300 to Barack Obama? I am, but only because she is the self-proclaimed “Queen of Cheap.”

The Huffington Post has a handy new feature called Fundrace 2008, where you can search by name or address for campaign contributers. Although it contains information that was already available on other sites, it’s, well, newer and nicer to look at. People put in some search work and found that Tyra, Jennifer Aniston, Halle Berry, George Clooney, Jamie Foxx, and Will Smith are all team Obama. In Hilary’s corner, she’s gotten money from the less interesting (but no less loaded) Donald Trump, Jr. and Martha Stewart.

I searched for a few famous names and all I came up with was that Michael Jordan’s an Obama fan. The paparazzi would certainly have a better time shooting a party filled with his campaign donors than Hilary’s.

[People]

• Will Smith and Tom Cruise roll out the red carpet for the UK’s foremost “honorary black man.”
• Ja Rule and Lil Wayne go above and beyond the call of duty to promote their new song, “Uh Oh.”
• All the people working for ridiculously low wages are now working for wages that are only slightly less ridiculous.
• Melanie “Scary Spice” Brown outs Eddie Murphy’s “lifestyle” in a cryptic, yet highly effective, fashion.
• Francois Girbaud? He doesn’t really want us wearing his clothes. Trust us, F.G., that won’t be a problem.
• Producers of We Got To Do Better should show a clip of the show during its next episode. You know, to illustrate the title.
• Lindsay Lohan messed with the wrong doofuses.