Did you think Mel Gibson had a chance this past weekend? Probably not. By now, we're all used to seeing News Corp.s (NWS) Avatar take the top spot. And for those keeping score, this is the seventh victory in a row for James Cameron (who, by the way, may offer lessons for entrepreneurs, according to Tom Taulli).

According to early estimates from Box Office Mojo, Avatar made another $30 million at domestic theaters over the past three days. At the time of this writing, the worldwide gross was just under $2 billion (it will definitely go over $2 billion, don't worry). Time Warner's (TWX) Edge of Darkness, starring the aforementioned Gibson, wasn't even close to a challenge for the 3-D aliens. Give it some credit, though: It came in second with $17 million.

Continue reading News Corp.'s 'Avatar' Isn't Ready to Step Down

News Corp.'s 'Avatar' Isn't Ready to Step Down originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Voting continues for the Best & Worst of 2006, and there is no closer race right now than between Borat, Sacha Baron Cohen's bumbling faux-journalist from Kazakhstan (as well as the motion picture named for him), and YouTube, everyone's favorite source for wacky foreign television commercials, drunken celebrity rants, and re-edited movie trailers, as the Up-and-Comer of 2006. Whether you think that Baron Cohen is brilliantly clever or just a cheap-shot artist, whether you believe YouTube offers hours of wholesome entertainment or is just an online version of America's Dumbest Home Videos, let your vote be counted.

The contest for Biggest Fall from Grace is not quite so close, but close enough that with a late surge, Mel Gibson could still overtake current frontrunner, President Bush. As some commenters have pointed out, Bush really didn't have far to fall as he'd already lost credibility before 2006. So if you think Gibson's arrest and drunken tirade have permanently harmed his career (despite the apparent popularity of Apocalypto), then lend your support to help him take the lead in this category.

Many of the close races are for second place. While Donald Trump leads in the Most Annoying Money Personality category, there is a virtual tie for the silver among Suze Orman, Jim Cramer, and Mark Cuban. In the Most Overpaid CEO contest, Barry Diller of IAC (NASDAQ:IACI) and Bob Nardelli of Home Depot (NYSE:HD) are battling for second place behind Lee Raymond of ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM). The Walton family has a slight edge over Martha Stewart for second place as the Tycoon We'd Send to the Poor House, and the Enron sentencing and the real estate market trail gas prices as the Money Story of the Year.

As we've learned from the past few national elections, every vote counts.

Voting for the Best & Worst of 2006 ends Christmas Eve, so don't wait too long. Results will be posted December 28.

For another view on Borat and YouTube, as well as many other of the nominees, also check out MarketWatch's Winners and Losers of 2006.

Best & Worst: YouTube and Borat headed for a photo finish? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 18 Dec 2006 11:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is written as part of AOL Money & Finance's Best & Worst 2006. Vote for Mel Gibson's fall from grace or see other nominees in this category.

Remember when Mel Gibson was accused of being an anti-Semite -- before everyone learned that he actually was an anti-Semite? Back when a little negative depiction in Passion of the Christ was the worst of it? I bet Mel Gibson remembers those days, and looks back to the then-baseless accusations with fondness.

Now, when people accuse Gibson of hating Jews, they have a drunken tirade of truth at which to point. And Gibson has a huge hole to climb out of. He's such a "persona non grata" that some pundits are asking if The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) should really be including Mel's visage in the marketing for his new movie, Apocalypto, released December 8.

Mel Gibson fell so hard this year, from paragon of family virtues to alcoholic bigot, that he famously commiserated with Michael Richards after he got in trouble for using the oh-so-very-bad "N-word" in a comic bit gone wrong.

Continue reading Best & Worst: Mel Gibson, grace is hard to come by -- just ask 'Christ'

Best & Worst: Mel Gibson, grace is hard to come by -- just ask 'Christ' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 09 Dec 2006 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.