The daily gossip: March 12, 2020

(Image credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)

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1. Now even Tom Hanks has the new coronavirus
2. Sarah Palin rapped about 'big butts' on The Masked Singer
3. Pink channels stress into kneading dough for homemade ravioli
4. Lady Gaga now has a bug named after her
5. The Oscars might have a host next year

published 12 March 2020

1. Now even Tom Hanks has the new coronavirus

America's dad, Tom Hanks, has tested positive for the new coronavirus, along with his wife, Rita Wilson. The Academy Award-winning actor was in Australia at the time of his diagnosis, where he was set to film an untitled Baz Luhrmann movie about Elvis Presley. "We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches," wrote Hanks in an Instagram post, adding: "To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the coronavirus, and were found to be positive." Hanks and Wilson, both 63, will be "tested, observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires," Hanks additionally confirmed. "Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no?"

Pestilence is one of the seven seals of the Apocalypse, but maybe "Sarah Palin dancing to 'Baby Got Back' in a pink and purple bear costume" ought to be one as well. In true proof that we're living in end times, Republican John McCain's running mate in the 2008 presidential race was "unmasked" on The Masked Singer on Wednesday night, where she belted out the lyrics to Sir Mix-a-Lot's pygophilic hit. "This might be the most shocked I've ever been on this show," host Nick Cannon said. Palin explained she picked the bear costume in part because "they're in Alaska," but to echo the sentiment of Esquire's Dave Holmes — who'd have guessed the apocalypse would be this tacky?

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Raise your glass if you are … stressed out. Even Grammy-winner Pink isn't immune to feeling anxious about the current state of the world. But she has just the solution — homemade ravioli. In video posted to her Instagram account, a friend asks the singer what she's doing as she intensely kneads a ball of dough, with a glass of wine perched on the counter next to her. "I'm stressed out ... it's all bad news, so I'm making ravioli." She accompanied the video with a caption reassuring her followers that we're all probably going to be okay. Followed by "Washyourdisgustinghands", just for good measure. Buon appetito!

Antennae up, Little Monsters! Lady Gaga now has an insect counterpart, after scientists named a newly identified species of treehopper after Mother Monster herself. The bug, named Kaikaia gaga, can be found galavanting in forests across the globe and is known for having a "wacky fashion sense" — so the creature clearly needed a colorful namesake. The entomology graduate student who named the critter said there is "basically everything" left to learn about K. gaga, including what her "song" sounds like. Luckily for the bug, Lady Gaga recently announced a sixth headlining concert tour, and we'll bet she's in need of an opening act.

That whole host-free Oscars experiment might already be over. The Academy is reportedly considering bringing back a host for the Oscars after forgoing the show's emcee two years in a row. The organization's board of governors recently reportedly discussed the "deeply troublesome" ratings plunge that resulted from this year's Oscars, which drew the smallest audience in the show's history. The industry bigwigs apparently discussed how “having a big-name host of the telecast” in the future might not be such a terrible idea. Who that big name could be is anyone's guess, though based on how things shook out last time, any interested parties might want to start deleting tweets now.

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