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Archive for April, 2009

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Lindsay Lohan: ‘I’ve Been a Target’

In Celebrities, Hollywood, Movies, Show Business, entertainment on April 26, 2009 at 10:03 pm

In what appears to be a pity ploy, Lindsay Lohan recently tried to explain why she’s having trouble finding work.

It’s not the ailing economy or any mistake she herself may have made.

No, according to Lindsay, she’s a victim of a media conspiracy.

In a recent appearance on the “Ellen” show, the “Mean Girls” star spoke of a specific gig she had lost.

“I had a really good opportunity with an amazing actor and it’s been put on hold because of this coverage that’s been coming out,” Lohan contended.

Somewhat disgusted, she added, “I didn’t get into this to be a celebrity on the cover of tabloids and I’ve been a target and I’m not that interesting but it’s distracting; it distracts people, studio heads, everyone – they get nervous.”

Someone should tell Lindsay that when execs read reports of eating disorders, drug abuse and unstable relationships, it’s their job to get nervous.

Still trying to make her case, Lohan had a message for her prospective Tinseltown employers.

“I’m ready to work and I’m responsible,” she said.

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Stephen Colbert Out of the Conservative Closet?

In Culture, Politics, Television on April 19, 2009 at 9:35 pm

After a parody of the National Organization for Marriage’s “Gathering Storm” ad was featured on his show, a new theory emerged about cable satirist Stephen Colbert.

Could the Comedy Central star’s bits really contain right-of-center messages, making him a genuine closet conservative?

NOM released a statement to the press in which the group’s president, Maggie Gallagher, posited, “I’ve always thought Stephen Colbert was a double-agent, pretending to pretend to be a conservative, to pull one over on Hollywood. Now I’m sure.”

Colbert’s cable character, who is a loosely modeled caricature of Fox News Channel’s Bill O’Reilly, began the segment by showing the original NOM video in its entirety.

The comic shared that he “loved” the footage because it was “like watching The 700 Club and The Weather Channel at the same time.”

“Thank you Stephen for playing our ad in full on national television-for free. HRC eat your heart out. Plus we all had a great chuckle, too!” NOM Executive Director Brian Brown said.

Colbert pointed out that New York Governor David Paterson had introduced a bill to legalize gay marriage and cracked that he “thought Massachusetts would be a gay promised land, a ‘Gaysreal’ if you will, but then the same-sex chickens came home to gentrify their roost.”

He also snapped that gay marriage shouldn’t be allowed in New York because “it’s hard enough as it is to get a wedding announcement in the Times.”

James Hirsen is a N.Y. Times best selling author, commentator and news analyst

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Movie Outing

In Hollywood, Politics, entertainment on April 12, 2009 at 8:41 pm

A new documentary is set to premiere at the upcoming Tribeca Film Festival, and it’s likely to cause consternation at the nation’s capital.

The promotional poster for the movie describes it as “a searing expose of the secret lives of closeted gay politicians.”

Although the film will purportedly feature familiar gay pols such as Barney Frank, its primary aim is to publicly reveal closeted Republicans who have taken a stand in defense of traditional marriage.

Its publicity slogan is “Do ask, do tell.”

Colleagues of mine who have seen the rough cut tell me that the film will feature politicians who haven’t previously been “outed.”

Kirby Dick directed it. He also made “This Film Is Not Yet Rated,” which ticked off the MPAA.

The executive producer is well-known Left Coast political advisor to the stars Chad Griffin, who was also an advisor for California’s No on Proposition 8 campaign.

Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute produced it, and Magnolia Pictures will be the distributor.

The version of the movie that’s been shown to selected critics is far from finished, and filmmakers are avoiding revealing the identities of politicians who will supposedly be outed.

In any case, the movie is poised to get lots of publicity, which is just what the creators wanted all along.

James Hirsen is a New York Times bestseller, media law professor and commentator.

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Tweeting with the Stars

In Celebrities, Culture, Entertainment and Media, law on April 5, 2009 at 7:06 pm

Lately Twitter has been getting a terrabyte’s worth of celebrity buzz.

After a tweeting addiction got pinned with the blame for John Mayer’s breakup with Jennifer Anniston, Mayer opined that posting on the micro blogging social network is “inherently silly and inherently dumb.”

He proceeded to put up a non-silly and fairly astute post on the subject of self-esteem.

“Living by the power of other people’s suggestion will slowly kill you. Genuine self esteem isn’t a roller coaster. It comes from within,” Mayer texted.

Look for esteem or something like it to end up in a new Mayer song.

Meanwhile Demi Moore’s Twitter wits may have helped save a life.

A distressed woman had sent the “Charlie’s Angels” star an ominous Twitter message that read: “Getting a knife, a big one that is sharp. Going to cut my arm down the whole arm so it doesn’t waste time.”

The alert actress and Ashton Kutcher spouse forwarded the terrible tweet to her 350,000 Twitter followers, adding this supplemental message: “Hope you are joking. Everyone I was very torn about responding or retweeting that woman’s post but felt uncomfortable just letting it go.”

Demi’s followers sprang into action and contacted the police who were able to find the woman and prevent the potential suicide.

“Thanks everyone for reaching out to the San Jose PD,” Moore later tweeted. “I am told they are aware and no need to call anymore. I do not know this woman…”

“It is my understanding that the situation was not a joke and that through the collective efforts here action was taken to provide help!” Moore added.

It just goes to show that social networks can be used for more than mere amusement.

They can be twitterly important and at times tweetastic.

BTY, I’m a twitterer, too, and if you’re so inclined please forward me your choicest news twips and H-tweets.

Twanks.

James Hirsen is a media analyst, teacher of mass media and entertainment law at Biola University and professor at Trinity Law School.