James Brady, who did Parade magazine's "In Step With" column for almost 25 years, has died, according to news reports. He was 80.

Though most people knew of Brady through his Parade column, he was a fixture in the New York media scene. He created the New York Post’s “Page Six” gossip column and had a regular byline at Women’s Wear Daily. He also wrote New York magazine’s “Intelligencer” column for several years.

He was a veteran of the Korean War and wrote several books about the conflict, including 1990’s “The Coldest War.”

Brady’s breezy interviews in Parade were a back-page fixture in the Sunday supplement. His last one, according to Parade, will be on Kevin Bacon and will run February 15.

– From news services

Wow, there's just no denying "Slumdog Millionaire!" I'm happily eating crow after predicting a big win for "Milk" (see previous blog post). These are heady times for the Best Cast in a Motion Picture winners.

After doing a little dance backstage, Dev Patel told us that it was a surreal experience walking down the red carpet and seeing Kate Winslet. "Titanic" was one of the first movies he really loved, and he was blown away that she recognized him. She wasn't the only star who did.

Patel: "I just couldn't believe it. They know who we are." Anil Kapoor, who plays the treacherous host of the Indian version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" in the film, had his sights on another big star on the red carpet: Angelina Jolie.

He implored his co-star Irrfan Khan (who appeared with Jolie in "A Mighty Heart") to introduce him. "Don't be a shy American," he implored, "act like an Indian!" Khan did, and Kapoor delightfully made her acquaintance.

But beyond the famous faces they're seeing, it's clear that what the "Slumdog Millionaire" cast values more is the effect its success is having on India and its film industry.

Kapoor: "This is what India needed. We needed a platform for more films to be shot in India."

On a lighter note, he said he heard from Regis Philbin, who hosted the original American version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." Kapoor said Regis joked that he wished "he could have been as nasty to his contestants."

It's full speed to the Oscars, now, and if these guys tell you it's just a thrill to be nominated, believe them.

"We were in Mumbai and Danny, Dev, and Freida (Pinto) were there," Kapoor recollects, "When it was was nominated for Oscars, Dev started dancing and getting excited. [Director] Danny [Boyle] had tears in his eyes. Danny said, 'We premiere in Mumbai, and we hear the Oscar nominations were announced.' We couldn't feel it - we were completely numb."

The backstage bursts into applause when Best Actor winner Sean Penn walks in. The first question posed is, did he have any reservations when he took the title role in "Milk?" His one word answer: "No."

What can I say, he is a man of few words! But then he opened up a bit about the film and credited most of its success to director Gus Van Sant, who, he said, was "incapable of making an irrelevant movie." He called him talented, great, and an adjective you don't hear often about a director: gentle.

Van Sant, he said, did a tremendous job of creating a positive environment for the cast. Ultimately, Penn felt it wasn't the theme or the politics that drew him to "Milk," but the script and the director.

And while Penn is definitely one of our more serious actors, there was a moment of levity: he said he realizes he's getting older every time he sees those crow's feet on the big screen! The feeling here backstage is that Penn really disappeared into the role and truly became Milk. I think the word that sums it up best for me is that is was a "winning" character and performance in every sense of the word.

Kate Winslet won a SAG Award for playing a character she didn't particularly like. Winslet, looking gorgeous in a Nelsio Rodriguez dress (if I misspelled that designer's name, forgive me fashionistas, I'm writing this on the fly!) was the first winner to come back stage.

She won a Supporting Actor award for "The Reader" and she said bringing her character, "Hanna Schmitz," to life was "tough" because she couldn't find anything in her life that compared to her. Thank God, huh? She was playing a former Nazi concentration camp guard! Did she sympathize with Hanna?, someone asked. "Sympathize? No. But you have to understand the character." When you come right down to it, Kate said she really didn't like Hanna all the time. Can you blame her?

On the TV comedy side of things, Tina Fey and the "30 Rock" gang were in a buoyant and boisterous mood. They're riding high on Emmy and Golden Globe success, and now SAG wins for Fey, Alec Baldwin and the entire ensemble cast. Fey joked, "Feels like everyone's really turned on us!"

"Mad Men's" leading man Jon Hamm came out next with the cast of his show. After thanking AMC for sticking by the show and noting its "notoriously huge ratings,” he took a very serious question about a potential actors' strike from the Los Angeles Times. "Do you want to take that one, Aaron?" he said, gesturing to the little boy who plays his son on the show. Then, turning serious, he said he hoped the new political atmosphere would lead to a softened approach to labor and that the guild was negotiating in good faith.

Then he took a REAL serious question: What do you think about your "Dom Draper" hair? "It's low maintenance. It literally does not move." He said a piece of the set once fell on him, he took seven stitches in the head and the hair was still perfect!!

Good evening, everybody! I'll be blogging backstage here at the SAG Awards, sending along any snacky bit of Screen Actors Guild goodness that comes my way. The awards are being held in L.A.'s famed Shrine Auditorium, and folks, they ain't kidding - it is super "Shriney" in here.

I've got Moorish style balconies, chandaliers, and stain-glassed windows surrounding me. And I'm sitting not far from the "Silver Scimitar Wall of Honor." Somebody get me a fez so I'll feel right at home.

Right now all of us media types are settling in. I'm sitting shoulder to shoulder with a couple of journalists from a rival news service and we're pondering who will win the big trophy of the night: the Cast in a Motion Picture award. It's the equivalent of Best Picture at the other kudo-fests and we're thinking "Milk" might grab it, even though "Slumdog Millionaire" is gathering momentum with Golden Globe and Producers Guild Awards wins. The logic being that the Hollywood buzz surrounding "Slumdog" is mainly centered on director Danny Boyle, not the largely unknown - but hugely talented - cast. We'll see what the night brings. Maybe there's just no betting against Slumdog - and destiny - this year.

Reviews are still coming in for President Barack Obama's inaugural address. Chris Rock is weighing in, and his reaction might be summed up in one word: "eh."

He told CNN International producer/reporter Katie Walmsley, "He's got like five better speeches in his pocket for when he needs them."

Rock said he thinks President Obama made a tactical decision not to use his best oratory during the speech, because he'll need to draw on even greater rhetorical firepower if the country really hits the skids. OK, he didn't exactly say "hit the skids." He used a more colorful term to suggest the dire condition we will be in if the economic situation worsens.

Rock didn't travel to D.C. for the inauguration. He watched the proceedings at the Sundance Film Festival, just before he did an interview with Walmsley about his new documentary called "Good Hair" (it explores how African-American women perceive themselves and their hair).

I talked with him at a dinner party hosted by Bon Appetit magazine for the filmmakers in Sundance and if he was excited about Obama taking office, I had a hard time detecting it. He did take a swipe at the outgoing president, however.

When I asked him if he had any hopes or fears regarding Obama's presidency he responded, "Fears? How could it get any worse?"

Ouch!

– Matthew Carey, CNN Entertainment Producer

Many stars showed up for Barack Obama’s inauguration in D.C. this week. CNN caught up with President Obama’s close friend, Hill Harper from "CSI: NY," on his political involvement as an actor.

According to Harper, the best currency on the campaign trail wasn’t money. "Well, certainly being on a TV show like 'CSI: NY' where 15 million people watch the show every week is what I call a currency or platform from which to speak. It’s almost like a currency of celebrity,” said Harper.

Although he’s a best-selling author and holds two degrees from Harvard, Harper says most people listen to him because of his role as an actor. “[Being an actor] gives a platform to actually speak and talk about something … that’s part of the key. You convince them to know about the relationship and let them know how good he will be.”

– Aspen Steib, CNN Producer

The Oscars may have just lost a few million viewers.

“The Dark Knight,” which seemed to be gaining ground in the best picture race, didn’t get a nomination in that category. In fact, the only one of the Big Six categories it was tabbed for was best supporting actor, an honor for the late Heath Ledger, who died one year ago today.

It’s a surprise, since the film had done well among the motion picture guilds -– producers, directors and writers -– and had both critical praise and big box office in its favor.

Taking its place, apparently, is “The Reader,” which received nominations for best picture, best director (Stephen Daldry), best actress (Kate Winslet) and best adapted screenplay (David Hare). I haven’t seen “The Reader,” so I have no idea if it’s good or bad or something else, but its inclusion among the best picture nominees would seem to be as much a tribute to its master marketer, producer Harvey Weinstein, as its quality.

Now Hollywood may find out how many people care. Box office success has tended to mean rooting interest, which translates to good ratings.

Last year’s two leading best picture possibilities, “No Country for Old Men” and “There Will Be Blood,” were terrific films –- but they weren’t huge hits in theaters. Consequently, ratings for the Oscars were the lowest since Nielsen started keeping track in 1974.

This year’s biggies, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “Slumdog Millionaire,” have done well -– “Button” has topped the key $100 million threshold, and “Slumdog” just cracked the top 10 though it’s still in just 614 theaters. So the bigwigs at the Academy and broadcaster ABC are probably hoping their success -– along with the success of the other nominees -– spreads.

So, are you going to watch? What did you think of the nominations in general? Comment below or send us an iReport.

– Todd Leopold, CNN.com Entertainment Producer

The atmosphere at Sundance this year seems more subdued than normal. Not somber, just a little less feverish than usual. I think all the excitement over the inauguration of a new president has taken some of the wind out of the sails of festival-goers. The Hollywood types who come here are used to being the center of the universe—or feeling like they are. But they’re playing second fiddle to Barack Obama this time. It feels like a comeuppance of sorts.

The economy may be the other reason the festival seems less festive this year. Sundance veterans are all talking about how much quieter the town seems. The restaurants, usually packed to overflowing, have empty tables. You can get a cell signal here—usually there are so many industry-ites clogging the airwaves you can’t get a call out—your cell squawks “call failed” or “circuits busy” at every turn. But not this year.

Interestingly enough, festival founder Robert Redford is pleased with the decrease in traffic. At his opening day press conference he admitted he felt it was a good thing that fewer people are in town. He has long railed against celebrities who come to Park City to party and revel and could hardly be lured into a theater if their lives depended on it. Marketers set up “gifting suites” and “luxury lounges” to swag the stars (and attract the media). But there seems to be less of that going on this year. Or maybe the stars are just being more discreet—afraid to parade around with shopping bags stuffed with freebies in this period of hardship for ordinary folks.

Welcome to Sundance ’09 — maybe a place where, after all, film comes first.

Update, 1/15: The AJC's Frank Rizzo e-mailed to point out that the AJC has cut back from 1-1/2 pages to one, not "two full pages" as I wrote below. I've edited the passage. Thanks to Frank, and I apologize for the error. – TL

My hometown newspaper, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, is cutting back - like almost every other newspaper in the country. Yesterday, the cutbacks reached one of my favorite sections: the comics.

Until Monday, the AJC ran two full pages one-and-a-half pages of comic strips. Now it’s down to one.

The good news is that the strips it dropped includes “Judge Parker,” “Cathy” and that perennial car accident, “Mary Worth.” The bad news is that it still has “Curtis” and “Garfield.”

I’m not surprised they’re cutting down the comics page, though comics have long been ranked a favorite of newspaper readers. But there are fewer newspaper readers in the U.S. than ever - and, as “Pearls Before Swine” cartoonist Stephan Pastis told me in 2006, even comics can’t seem to reverse the trend.

Though, he pointed out, the “edgier” strips haven’t always been given much of a shot.

"If you ask 20 people in their 20s and 30s if they get a daily newspaper, I'd bet 18 would say they don't," he said then. "It may be too late [to attract them]. And if you cancel us [younger strips] because we're edgy, in 12 years, will you say, 'What happened?' "

Twelve years? In 12 years I may be the only person left who still reads the comics in a newspaper. (What can I say? I’m old-fashioned that way. In fact, the AJC just started running the daily strips in color, and it looks wrong. Call me a curmudgeon, though not this one.)

So I want to know: Do you care about the comics? Do you care about reading them in a newspaper, or is online just fine? And if you had to choose between “Cathy,” “Mary Worth” and “Judge Parker,” would you sooner drop yourself down a mineshaft?

– Todd Leopold, CNN.com Entertainment Producer

P.S. To change the subject to a different kind of comic, PBS begins airing its six-hour history of American comedy, "Make 'em Laugh," Wednesday night. From what I’ve heard, it’s well worth tuning in.