Michael Fassbender: Frontrunner

Beverly Hills, CA — Bowing to increased pressure from its members, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) today announced the addition of a new awards category recognizing actors and actresses for their outstanding achievement in full frontal nudity on film.

Academy president Tom Sherak made the official announcement in a statement circulated to the press. Calling the historic move "a long time coming," Sherak said it all began as a grassroots campaign started by Kevin Bacon shortly after the release of "Wild Things," the 1998 thriller in which Bacon showed his "crown jewels."

"It took us a while, but the Academy and all of its members are pleased to finally be able to acknowledge and honor our colleagues who go the distance by fully revealing their genitalia for the viewing pleasures of the movie-going public," Sherak said.

Sherak said the groundbreaking new category will be "gender-blind" and allow male, female, hermaphrodite and transsexual nominees.

The nominees for next year's Oscars are still weeks away from being revealed, but there is already strong speculation that Michael Fassbender, who unreluctantly showed his Irish-German genitals in this year's "Shame," will be a frontrunner nominee and has the lock on walking away with the inaugural award.

Another star that Academy insiders expect on the nominee list is comedienne Sarah Silverman, who bared it all in the Sarah Polley-directed "Take This Waltz."

Nominees for the 84th Academy Awards will be announced January 24, 2012. The ceremony will be held February 26, 2012 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California.

Standout tracks:

Standout tracks: "Pumped Up Kicks," "Warrant," "Helena Beat," "I Would Do Anything For You," "Waste"

Standout tracks: "Be With Me Now," "Over" & "Changes Come"

Lady Gaga: Validate me

The final numbers aren't in yet, but Lady Gaga has already officially declared her "Born This Way" CD as "the ultimate smash hit album of all time" since its release on May 23rd.

In a telephone interview with Los Angeles radio station WKRZ 99.1, the "Poker Face" singer proudly gushed over the album's success, estimating its first week worldwide sales at 200 million copies.

"Like, I know the number is a little steep and all, but hear me out... The average regular price of a CD these days is $15, right? If you totaled the sales of all the copies sold at that price, divided it by 99 cents, and then added the resulting number to the total number of units I gave away at 99 cents, you would totally arrive at 200 million. You savvy?" Gaga explained to WKRZ DJ Darcy Moran.

"Um, I guess," a bewildered Moran replied.

The New York-based singer was referring to the outrageously discounted pricing of "Born This Way" at Amazon.com last week, which inflated the album's total sales in the United States by a great margin.

"So, like, this proves I'm totally the greatest artist in like, ever. That people will pay 99 cents for my album. Like, I should be in the Guinness Book or something. Go on, like, just say it to me already. Affirm me, validate me, come on..." the singer quipped before laughing and then bursting into a coughing spell that lasted for thirty seconds.

In the interview that lasted for ten minutes, Lady Gaga also talked about how she's already planning to top her achievement with her next album.

"I'm going to do a duets album with David Hasselhoff and Wayne Newton and sell it for 10 cents," she told Moran.

At the end of their conversation, the singer reminded all her fans who were listening that the album will be on sale again for 99 cents at Amazon.com this week, "so, like, get another copy or 92. Help me, my monsters. Validate me."