Holidaze

Here's Cedric The Entertainer singing his new Christmas album on the spot ... with an a capella version of some holiday classics that removes any doubt he was using autotune.

We got the comedian at the Bounce Trumpet Awards in Hollywood and our guy asked Cedric to show off his pipes and prove he's no T-Pain ... and boy does he ever deliver!!!

Cedric launches into an abbreviated rendition of "Winter Wonderland" then blesses us with his take on "Deck The Halls." Dude's definitely an entertainer.

As you know ... Cedric's making his singing debut on a new holiday EP, "A Powerbase Christmas," turning up the swag to build a snowman in a meadow.

Some folks couldn't believe Cedric was actually singing, but now we know the dude's not taking a page from Milli Vanilli.

Bonus points to our photog for singing along ... ya gotta hear their duet.

Peloton is standing its ground on the controversial ad pushing the bike as a great Christmas gift for wives ... even in the face of all the backlash and mockery.

The company pushed back against those ridiculing the holiday commercial -- where a wife receives the bike as a present from her hubby and then documents her fitness journey. Peloton says it's bummed people took it the wrong way but insists there's no reason to yank the ad.

A rep for Peloton says, "Our holiday spot was created to celebrate that fitness and wellness journey. While we’re disappointed in how some have misinterpreted this commercial, we are encouraged by — and grateful for — the outpouring of support we’ve received from those who understand what we were trying to communicate."

Translation: Plenty of people like it. The ad stays.

The rep also said their members are constantly pointing out how much the product has changed their lives, especially when it arrives as a gift.

To hit their point home, Peloton also released a bunch of emails it's received in support of the ad.

Of course, not everybody agrees ... including Wall Street. Peloton's stock dropped as much as 6 percent Tuesday after the alleged "sexist" ad went into heavy rotation over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Some stars have weighed in on the controversy too ... including Sherri Shepherd, who raked the ad and any husband who thinks a fitness gift might be a good idea.

Interesting that in a time where companies tend to fold to public pressure, Peloton's holding firm.

Sherri Shepherd has some advice for hubbies looking to whip their wives in shape for the holidays with the help of a new Peloton -- go for diamond earrings instead, pal.

We talked to the comedian Tuesday night about Peloton's new severely mocked ad -- in which a wife documents the highs and lows of her fitness journey a year after her husband gifted her the workout bike for Xmas. It's hilariously awkward.

Sherri's take on the spot -- that might be why she's single. She mockingly said who wouldn't love a bike instead of diamonds and jewelry. Sherri added, she wishes a future husband would buy her a Peloton ... but you have to see HOW she says it.

If you haven't heard the criticism so far, the general idea is that this fake TV husband is pretty freakin' tone-deaf with his gift. As for the wife ... well, people think she's not all there either with how gung-ho she seems to be about the suggestive surprise.

The criticism has hurt the company's bottom-line too -- its stock price dropped about 6 percent on Tuesday.

Sherri's got a hilarious explanation about why husbands should accept their significant others for who they are. Fellas, before you order that bike ... at least listen to her take. Could save ya in the long run.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree ...
How much you f@#%ing cost us?!

When President Trump lights up the National Christmas Tree this week, it's not the decorations that should mesmerize you -- it's the six figures YOU spent to replace last year's tree!!!

The National Park Service planted the new nat'l tree -- a 30-foot Colorado blue spruce from Pennsylvania -- back in October on the Ellipse in D.C.'s President's Park. The old one, it turns out, was damaged shortly after the 2018 lighting ceremony, where one scofflaw went wild.

Ya might remember, the guy wreaked havoc by getting behind the curtain of lights and climbing up the tree's delicate limbs.

As we reported ... the cops got him down after a struggle, and the climber -- described as being under "emotional distress" -- was taken to a hospital for mental evaluation.

Unfortunately, he caused the tree -- which had been there since 2012 -- a lot of distress too. According to federal docs, obtained by TMZ, the gov't paid a tree company $163,984 to plant the new one. It's officially our 6th National Christmas Tree, which can be visited year-round at the park. Might as well go see what your tax dollars bought.

Additionally, the cost of Trump's third lighting ceremony is up significantly compared to last year. According to the docs, the White House tab totals $180,633 ... up from 2018's total of $141,944.

We broke the story ... the 2018 ceremony's cost was only slightly up compared to 2017, with event management services accounting for the majority of the expenses. Other expenses included sound system rental and ballistic glass to protect Donald, Melania and the First Fam.

It's unclear why there's a $40k increase this year. We've reached out to Infinite Power LLC, the company providing event management services ... but no word back yet.

The new tree will be lit for the first time Thursday night -- and that cha-ching you'll be hearing ain't jingle bells!!!

Mama June avoided Black Friday shoppers like the plague by hitting up a casino with her boyfriend ... and there were still no signs of a family reunion after Thanksgiving.

The troubled reality star -- who has apparently hit a rough patch ever since linking up with her man, Geno -- was spotted Friday night at Harrah's Cherokee Hotel and Casino in Cherokee, NC ... drink in hand and looking disheveled.

It's interesting ... the last time we saw Mama June, she was in Georgia pulling out cash at a convenience store ATM shortly before Turkey Day. Now we know where at least some of that dough went ... we're told she was hitting Harrah's slot machines pretty hard.

Mama's family is still not back in the picture for the holiday season -- but, if nothing else, she ain't broke.

As you know ... Mama and Geno have been living outta hotels since unloading her Hampton, GA home for $100,000 cash earlier this year. At one point, June was allegedly shacking up at an Alabama casino.

This is the fourth time we've seen Mama in a casino since her March arrest for crack cocaine ... and the first time her gambling itch struck in Carolina.

The spirit of Christmas is alive and well at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and so is "The Spirit of America" ... impeachment hearings be damned, as far as the First Lady's concerned.

Melania Trump unveiled the patriotic theme for this holiday season's decorations at The White House, saying ... "I am delighted to share this beautiful exhibit of patriotism for all to see."

In a video, Mrs. Trump walked down the halls, cruising through different wings to reveal the USAwesome highlights ... like a White House advent calendar, a gingerbread house in the State Dining Room featuring the WH and famous landmarks from across the country and multiple gorgeous Christmas trees.

The trees include A Gold Star Family Tree to honor those who lost their lives serving in the military ... and the official 18-foot-tall White House Christmas tree.

At one point, Melania's seen sprinkling snow on the tree's branches, and the ornaments include red, white and blue flags and ribbons ... and Scrabble tiles spelling out "Be Best" -- the name of her anti-bullying initiative.

Liziane Gutierrez's hot holiday photoshoot got off to a rocky start ... when she fell on her ass trying to bring in the props.

The Brazilian model was heading to her shoot in Las Vegas in her sexy Christmas attire -- a decorative thong bikini with a "Naughty" Santa hat to boot -- and strapped on some roller skates to make a more memorable entrance.

Not a great idea, but then again ... it worked!!!

Liziane lost her balance -- and the prop Xmas gifts -- and had herself a scary little tumble. Good news is, it looks like she escaped serious injuries in the slip and fall ... which is a welcome change of fortune for her.

The model had another rough year, medically speaking, with a botched plastic surgery in March that led to facial swelling and required an additional procedure to reverse the damage.

This came less than a year after she survived slipping into a coma after a liposuction procedure went awry.

Mama June didn't seem to be anywhere near reconciling and reuniting with her family for Thanksgiving -- but a silver lining might be that she is somewhat nearby ... and has money.

The troubled reality star -- who's been on a downward spiral since linking up with her BF, Geno -- was spotted out this week in McDonough, Georgia ... pulling out cash at an ATM just days before the holiday. She didn't look all too great though ... head low and disheveled.

It's interesting ... we're told June rolled up to a convenience store there in the city in a black SUV, in which she was riding passenger with Geno, we're told, riding in the back.

An eyewitness says June got out of the car, popped into the store to pull out cash ... and was back in her vehicle within minutes. Two things to note ... Mama June had somebody driving her and Geno around, but maybe more important ... they seem to have funds on hand.

Either way, there's no sign of June's family getting back in the picture yet -- at least not permanently. As we've told you ... she's barely in touch with them these days, including with her own daughter, Honey Boo Boo ... this despite the fam's best efforts to reconnect.

We've been hearing that June's been bouncing around from hotel to hotel with Geno since unloading her Hampton, GA home earlier this year. So, if there's any good news to glean from this sighting, it's that she's still in the area and hasn't gone completely off the radar.

Jenna Dewan isn't letting her ever-growing baby bump -- or a bitter custody feud with Channing Tatum -- slow down her holiday shopping ... crowds be damned!

Jenna, just like most weekend shoppers, looked totally over it Saturday in L.A. ... of course, she was doing it with extra passengers. Not only is she expecting, but she had 6-year-old daughter Everly with her too.

Mother and daughter walked out of a clothing store with several bags full of gear, or gifts ... 'tis the season.

Everly took cover from the cold and rainy day under Jenna's coat ... as they made their way to their SUV.

The shopping trip had to be a welcome break for Jenna from what's become a nasty custody battle with Channing. As we first reported, the exes are going at it over their daughter's custody. Channing filed docs asking a judge to lay out a detailed schedule for who gets Everly, and for how long, over holidays, birthdays and work trips.

He also wants a schedule for FaceTime calls -- but sources tied to Jenna tell us she feels Channing is publicly grandstanding because she's already agreed to a schedule. Our Channing sources say it was necessary for the court to intervene because he and Jenna didn't agree on everything.

Ashley Benson brought holiday cheer early this year for a group of people who need it the most -- calling sick kids across the country ... and then popping into a hospital for some one-on-one time as well.

The "Pretty Little Liars" star recently partnered up with this new app called SuperCall, which gives people the opportunity to talk to their favorite celeb via FaceTime. On Thursday and Friday, Ash and SuperCall decided to ring up 50 hospitalized children with varying illnesses.

The result, as you can see, was nothing short of a tug of war at the heartstrings.

Ashley spoke to each kid via SuperCall for 90 seconds, and it sounds like the topic of the day was Thanksgiving and favorite holiday meals. AB's is mashed potatoes, classic. On top of the call, Ashley and SuperCall also sent these young folks brand new iPhones.

As part of the initiative -- which was aimed at raising money that was donated to charity -- Ashley went ahead and visited the Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn and talked to a bunch of the patients, including some of the kids selected. Of course, everyone got a pic too.

While there, it looks like Ashley took time to check in on the neonatal intensive care unit ... where premature babies are cared for. She's been open about the fact she herself was born prematurely, so clearly that hits home for her.

Forget Black Friday -- the madness now begins when stores open up early on Thanksgiving night ... and a Pennsylvania mall's one of the first to have a fight break out as holiday shopping kicks off.

The chaos reportedly went down at the Lehigh Valley Mall in Whitehall Thursday night after 9 PM ... when at least 5 men got involved in a brawl outside the Forever 21.

As you see in the video, it appears 2 men are involved in a fistfight when a third in a striped shirt jumps in to deliver a few blows. Security tries to separate it to no avail, and at least 2 more men join in on the ruckus.

It's unclear what ignited the fight, but a local report says it lasted about a minute before it was separated ... and it didn't appear anyone was arrested. We're working on more details.

As we've reported ... Black Friday's known as one of the most dangerous shopping days -- the craziness just started a bit early this year.

Worried about potential shopping brawls on Black Friday???

UFC stud Mike Perry's got ya covered ... 'cause he's shelling out advice on how to protect yourself in a fight over that marked down big screen TV!!!

"Stick and move, man," Perry tells TMZ Sports. "Throw objects. Use chairs. Keep your distance!"

Of course, the day after Thanksgiving is always mired in some kind of fighting over door-busting deals ... but Perry's got some rock-solid tips to help you survive.

And, if you are brave enough to scrap with the crowds ... Perry's the guy you wanna listen to -- 'cause he's been in a ton of these brawls throughout his life!!!

But, Perry's biggest piece of advice? Forget the whole day in general, stay at home with the fam and wait to shop online on Cyber Monday.

Jeremy Renner seems to be trying to show he should get sole custody of his daughter as he battles his ex-wife in court ... taking Ava to pass out jackets and food to the homeless.

The actor spent part of his Thanksgiving handing out blankets, jackets and meals to the homeless in Reno, Nevada ... with his 6-year-old daughter right by his side.

Jeremy joined forces with The Hope Bus to feed and clothe the homeless ... he's got a place in nearby Lake Tahoe and we're told he heard about what the organization was doing and wanted to lend a helping hand with Ava.

We're told Jeremy brought two big cartons filled with blankets, and he helped serve over 100 meals ... spending about 3 hours with Ava giving some needy folks much to be thankful for.

People were really excited to see the movie star ... we're told everyone recognized Jeremy and knew who he was, and Renner wasn't shy about giving out hugs.

Jeremy's good deeds with Ava come amid a nasty custody battle with his ex, Sonni Pacheco ... with allegations against both parents flying left and right.

As we've reported ... Sonni claims Jeremy is a substance-abusing loose canon who she says threatened to kill her as well as himself. Jeremy denied that, and says Sonni is actually the parent with a substance abuse issue. He also says she's obsessed with sex, and called her a liar and mentally unstable.

Sonni's trying to put herself in a good light too ... taking Ava to a pumpkin patch last month for a fun mommy and daughter day.

Sofia Richie is giving Scott Disick plenty to be thankful for ... hitting the beach on Thanksgiving and wearing the hell out of a skimpy bikini.

Sofia is flaunting her smoking-hot body, rocking this sexy lavender bikini during a romantic Turkey Day getaway to South Beach with Lord Disick.

As you can see, there's plenty of sun in Miami ... Sofia's blocking the rays with some Chanel sunglasses, and Scott's got his shades on too.

He clearly made the right choice with his Thanksgiving plans ... Scott's got a front-row seat to watch his chick work on her tan. Sexy holiday trips are kinda their thing -- they were in Mexico earlier this year for Easter.

Miami seems like the place to be for celebs this Thanksgiving ... Justin and Hailey are also living it up in the 305, with the Biebs teasing some new tunes.

While you're here, check out the gallery ... and thank us later.

Justin Bieber's got a lot on his mind this Thanksgiving ... and it seems he's at least toying with the idea of dropping his new R&B album soon.

Justin and Hailey are spending their Turkey Day in Miami, grabbing juice at Joe & The Juice together to start off their holiday ... and ya gotta check out the shirt on Justin's back.

As you can see ... Justin's threads say, "Drop the album already."

Is it a sign Justin's getting ready to bless his fans with some R&Bieber?!? Then again, maybe he just likes the shirt -- it's from his fashion line after all.

As we first told you ... JB's planning a new tour and practicing his dance moves. We've been told the tour will coincide with a new album, which he's teasing as a transition into R&B.

Oh, and get this ... Justin's going with platinum blonde hair ... he debuted some pink hair earlier this week, but he's already switched to platinum.

R. Kelly, Kodak Black and Michael Cohen are spending their first Thanksgiving behind bars, and they're about to find out what Suge Knight and Bill Cosby already know -- turkey day is mostly plain and dry.

TMZ's obtained prison menus from across the county, and locked-up celebs are being treated to your typical Thanksgiving spread ... turkey, stuffing, gravy and pie.

Here's a breakdown of their turkey day options:

Kelly at MCC Chicago:

-- Turkey, cornbread stuffing, brown gravy, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls or whole wheat bread, pecan pie or whole fresh fruit

Kodak at FDC Miami:

-- Smoked turkey, cornbread dressing, macaroni & cheese, green beans, potato salad, dinner rolls and holiday pies

Cohen at New York's FCI Otisville:

-- Turkey roast, bread stuffing mix, baked sweet potato, green bean casserole, turkey gravy, dinner rolls or margarine patty, fruit and holiday pies

Cosby at Pennsylvania's SCI Phoenix:

-- Roast turkey, bread stuffing, whipped potatoes, gravy, green peas, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, pumpkin pie with whipped topping

Suge at San Diego's Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility:

-- Roast turkey, green salad with dressing, seasoned chicken, cranberry sauce, yams, mashed potatoes, chicken gravy, vegetables, cake and cornbread

And, if you care what Fyre Festival (dis)organizer Billy McFarland will be chowing down on at Ohio's FCI Elkton:

-- Turkey roast, baked ham, soy hot dog, mashed potatoes, corn, cornbread dressing, turkey gravy, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, fruit and pies