The Word: Benedict Cumberbatch quietly announces engagement

I’m starting to worry that Benedict Cumberbatch doesn’t understand how this whole being famous thing works. In an adorably old-fashioned and totally normal move, the “Imitation Game” star announced his engagement to actress Sophie Hunter with a simple announcement in the Forthcoming Marriages section of London’s the Times newspaper. “The engagement is announced between Benedict, son of Wanda and Timothy Cumberbatch of London, and Sophie, daughter of Katharine Hunter of Edinburgh and Charles Hunter of London,” the posting reads. Very traditional, yes, but come on, Ben. You could’ve gotten a lot of mileage out of an exclusive like that. Of course, given the hysteria level of a lot of Cumberbatch’s female fans, it’s understandable he’d want to downplay this. There could still be a riot. Next, he’ll announce he’s been cast as Doctor Strange on Craigslist.

This news is understandably hard to take for Cumberbatch’s legion of female fans. As consolation, please enjoy this image of him soaking wet in a pond.

Britney Spears not such a hot ticket anymore
Hey, you want to go see Britney Spears’ show in Vegas? Because there are seats available. Like, a lot of them. Production staff are reportedly “scrambling” to fill seats after online ticket sales suggested that Spears’ upcoming performances would be half-empty — although they probably explained it to her as half-full. “She said that there was no way in hell that she would perform to a half-empty theater,” a source tells Radar Online. Among the tactics they’ve been employing to fill out the space, my favorite has got to be “Britney Day,” when anyone who shares the same first name as Spears gets a free ticket. But honestly, an entire theater filled with women name Britney is kind of terrifying.

Angelina Jolie mulling political future
Angelina Jolie says that she’s “open” to the idea of pursuing a career in politics because obviously she doesn’t have enough jobs already. The actress, writer, director, humanitarian, UN goodwill ambassador and cancer awareness spokeswoman tells Vanity Fair, “When you work as a humanitarian, you are conscious that politics have to be considered. Because if you really want to make an extreme change, then you have a responsibility.” But running for office could be tricky when any opponent can just flash footage of “Gia,” something Jolie has also considered, admitting that her acting career could “make it less possible” for her to win a high-profile election. “I am conscious of what I do for a living,” she says.

Harry Styles not picky about the whole gender thing
What does a girl need to be to win Harry Styles’ heart? Not necessarily a girl, as it turns out. While taking some probing questions during an interview for On Demand Entertainment alongside fellow One Direction member Liam Payne, Styles got a bit playful. When asked what traits they look for in potential girlfriends, Payne joked, “Female, that’s an important trait,” to which Styles quickly argued, “Not that important.” So what does Styles really want to find in this hypothetical gender-less humanoid? A “sense of humor” and “being nice to people,” as it turns out. Also, when asked what he “sucks at” — too easy — Styles offered a rather odd list of skateboarding, gymnastics, speaking and singing. Hey, you said it, buddy, not us.

Kathy Griffin taking Joan Rivers’ place on “Fashion Police.” Or not.
Kathy Griffin says she’s considering an offer from E! to assume the late Joan Rivers’ spot on “Fashion Police” — only the network says that no such offer has been made. “They did offer it to me. I don’t know if the situation is correct or right at this time for me. We’ll see,” Griffin recently told People magazine. But when asked about that possibility, an E! spokeswoman said, “This is absolutely not true.” Maybe now it’s not, sure.

DAILY VIDEO: New Zealand tries its own catcalling video
Last week’s Hollaback catcalling video has prompted plenty of reactions and debate, so it’s understandable that the folks at the New Zealand Herald would want to get in on the action. They sent own woman, Nicola Simpson, out onto the streets of Auckland to see what sort of treatment she’d get, and the results are a little different than the New York version, to put it mildly. “Only two people spoke to the actress, and one of them was asking for directions,” the video reports. Your move, Toronto.