examiner.com - The animal advocacy group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has found a way to draw attention to their cause. The organization has a knack for convincing celebrities to take their clothes off. One of the latest is Amanda Beard…
Rod Blagojevich loves reality shows. But the judge in his pending criminal trial may have other ideas.
A dramatic hearing will take place in a courtroom Monday to determine if the former Illinois governor will get the chance to be fired by Donald Trump on “Celebrity Apprentice.”
Federal prosecutors plan to present arguments to the court at a scheduled status hearing that by appearing on the NBC reality show, Blago may influence prospective jurors in a corruption trial scheduled for June 3.
The judge who will make the decision in James Zagel, who has already refused to allow Blago to go to Costa Rica for another reality program…EXCERPT CLICK HERE FOR MORE
Billy Ray must be beside himself.
Mark McLeod a 53-year-old man decided that he was in love with 16-year-old singing star, Miley Cyrus and had decided she ought to become his wife.
McLeod showed up at a March book-signing for Miley. He declared his love to her in a video that was posted on the Internet. He claims that the singer communicates with him via secret messages in her photos and “Hannah Montana” television show.
In June McLeod was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct when he crashed the set of a Cyrus’ movie, “The Last Song,” that was filming in the Tybee Island area in the state of Georgia.
He told the police he and Miley were secretly engaged after “our eyes met at her concert and we both knew.”
He said “Nobody will ever be able to keep us apart.” McLeod claimed Miley’s father, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, had given his blessing for the marriage….CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE
by James Hirsen
After the touching tribute Paris, daughter of Michael Jackson, gave her daddy at the memorial service, media attention turned to the future of Jackson’s three young children.
Despite the fact that the court gave Michael’s mother, Katherine, guardianship over Prince Michael, Paris and Prince Michael II, the legal tug-of-war over custody continues.
Because the two older children, Prince Michael and Paris, were born to a married couple, under California law there is a presumption that the custody of minors will be granted to the legal parents. That presumption of custody would result in the surviving parent, Debbie Rowe, getting custody.
In the past, pursuant to an arrangement with Jackson, Rowe attempted to give up her status as legal parent, but she later returned to court and had her parental rights restored.
Rowe’s effort to end her parental rights will likely be brought up in the legal discussion, but in the state of California, parents’ rights are not terminated without a judicial investigation and hearing.
Still, the presumption gives Rowe custody of the children, if there is no evidence that refutes the idea the custody is in the best interests of the children. The law allows judges to overrule this presumption based on proof that parental custody would be detrimental to the children.
Everything hinges on the evidence. If evidence is presented that Rowe has little or no relationship with the children, her custody will be denied; if evidence is presented that the children have frequently spent time with her and know her as their mother, she will be given custody.
If Rowe wins custody of the two older children, she may also get custody of the third child, Prince Michael II, despite having no claim as the legal mother, because of the court’s desire to keep all of the siblings together.
Jackson’s will names his mother, Katherine, as guardian and, states that if she were unavailable, the children would go to singer and actress Diana Ross.
However, a will is not normally effective for custody purposes in a case in which one parent’s will deprives another parent of custody.
James Hirsen, J.D., M.A. in media psychology, is a media analyst, teacher of mass media and entertainment law at Biola University, and professor at Trinity Law School.
Veteran critically acclaimed CSI actor Gary Sinise’s special will be on the Fox News Channel Saturday January 10 at 9 pm ET.
“With the help of the USO, my brother-in-law Jack, and my friend Jonathan Flora who used a handheld camera, you will see what happened on a seven day trip I took to Iraq last summer which will air this Saturday night on the FOX News Channel,” Sinuse said.
“It was my fourth trip there with the USO. My goal, as always, was to cover as many miles as possible and to take pictures, sign autographs and shake hands with as many troops as I could in the time I had. Stops included bases in Kuwait and in Iraq – Al Asad, Al Qaim, Ramadi , Habbaniyah, TQ airbase and Baghdad.”
“It was the first time I have let a camera follow me around on one of these trips. Over the last six years, I have traveled around the world and all over the United States to visit and perform for our troops with the USO. I have supported many grass roots efforts as well and visited our wounded in the hospitals several times. I could not be more honored to play a small part in helping our troops and their families. We can never do enough for our veterans who have sacrificed so much to keep this nation free.”
Why would actress Natalie Portman turn down the chance to be in a film with Oscar winning Meryl Streep?
The answer lies in Portman’s attitude toward Roman Catholic vocations.
“Doubt,” a film adaptation of the successful play by John Patrick Shanley (who, incidentally, directs the movie), tells the story of two nuns (Meryl Streep and Amy Adams) that confront a priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) whom they suspect of abusing an altar boy. Themes of religion, morality and authority punctuate the dialogue.
Portman reportedly wanted to co-star in the movie but turned down the part for what seems like a fairly flimsy reason, considering that she’s supposed to be a professional.
“We asked Natalie Portman, and Natalie was very interested but kept saying she had a problem. And we finally nailed down as to what the problem was: she basically said she didn’t understand celibacy,” Shanley told the GossipSauce Web site.
If it took so much brainpower to understand celibacy, Portman probably could have benefited from a class in abstinence.
Instead she’s likely to find out that she made a bad career move by ultimately denying herself what actors lust after most, and that is prestige, which in Hollywood comes in the form of a little gold statue.
“Doubt” opens in limited release on December 12, just in time to qualify for Oscar’s attention.
James Hirsen, J.D., M.A. in Media Psychology, is a media analyst, teacher of mass media and entertainment law at Biola University and professor at Trinity Law School.
Elton John and David Furnish may have had a ceremony to solidify their commitment, but John recently let the world know, “We’re not married. Let’s get that right. We have a civil partnership.”
John distanced himself from the protests that are taking place in cities across the U.S. “What is wrong with Proposition 8 is that they went for marriage,” he said.
John and Furnish came to the U.S. for the annual benefit for the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
“I don’t want to be married. I’m very happy with a civil partnership. If gay people want to get married, or get together, they should have a civil partnership,” John advised.
“The word ‘marriage,’ I think, puts a lot of people off. You get the same equal rights that we do when we have a civil partnership. Heterosexual people get married. We can have civil partnerships,” John added.
The dinner-fundraiser was hosted by CNN’s Anderson Cooper, who hasn’t yet indicated whether he agrees with the legendary rocker or not.
Over the past several years, many of the studio blockbusters have been financed with Wall Street and hedge fund money. With the current financial mess we’re in, Hollywood found itself in the position of having to look elsewhere for film budget assistance.
It turns out it didn’t have to look for very long. The oil rich government of Abu Dhabi has committed a $1-billion-plus fund to make movies and digital content via Abu Dhabi Media Co., a government controlled entity.
Using a newly formed subsidiary called Imagenation, Abu Dhabi made its first deal with Participant Media, a U.S. company well known in the Middle East for producing the Islamic terrorist friendly flick, “Syriana.” Two-hundred-fifty-million dollars has been set aside for 18 movies to be made over the next five years. Participant’s head Jim Berk told the New York Times that the films will “entertain” but will “also raise awareness of issues and inspire social change.”
Founded in 2004 by former eBay exec Jeff Skoll, Participant has specialized in “message” movies including “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Good Night, and Good Luck” along with “Syriana.” According to the Khaleej Times, Dubai seeks to establish “a strong regional and global media presence through successful implementation of public diplomacy.”
Wonder how many ways they can come up with to make a “Syriana” sequel.
Now that she has co-starred in the mega-blockbuster “The Dark Knight,” is Maggie Gyllenhaal going to Disneyland?
No, she’s celebrating her cinematic success by taking a job as a judge on an online reality show to, of all things, fight global warming.
It’s called “Climate Matters.”
Contestants will be submitting ad-length videos to convince the next occupant of the White House to take action against climate change.
The winner will get a $3,000 Visa gift card, and the Top Ten videos will be broadcast on various eco-oriented Web sites.
A number of filmmakers have agreed to be judges including an Emmy-winning documentary producer, Rory Kennedy.
The “Simon Cowell” role on the panel of judges has yet to be filled, but a certain Nobel Prize winning recipient is rumored to be begging for an audition.
James Hirsen is a media analyst, Trinity Law School professor, and teacher of mass media and entertainment law at Biola University.
In another example of special interest group meddling of the PC kind, candy bar maker Mars has had to cancel a Snickers advertisement, which was running in the U.K. and featured Mr. T.
According to the gay advocacy group, Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the candy company pulled the ad after some “communication between the HRC Workplace Project and Mars.”
The HRC Workplace Project issued a statement applauding Mars for taking “swift and appropriate action” in canceling the ad.
In the commercial, a man was engaged in speed walking, an activity that may sometimes appear to be deficient in the macho department.
Mr. T poked fun at the man, who was subsequently shot at by a Snickers cannon.
The last scene featured Mr. T proclaiming the Snickers slogan: “Get some nuts.”
James Hirsen is a media analyst, Trinity Law School professor, and teacher of mass media and entertainment law at Biola University.
Robert Redford recently journeyed to Dublin, Ireland to receive an honorary degree from Trinity College.
The actor-director expressed doubts about Barack Obama and the Dems’ chances of winning in the fall.
“I’m not confident of anything,” Redford told the Irish Times. “I’m hopeful.”
Redford acknowledged Obama’s resume deficit.
“I think Obama is not tall on experience . . . but I believe he’s a really good person,” Redford said, adding that the Dem presumptive nominee is “smart. And he does represent what the country needs most now, which is change.”
Redford sees the election of Obama to the presidency as a must win for the Democrats, or it will mean the end of Hollywood’s favorite political party.
“I hope he’ll win. I think he will. If he doesn’t, you can kiss the Democratic Party goodbye . . .,” Redford lamented.
According to the Sundance Kid, it’s all about “new blood.”
“I think we need new voices, new blood. We need to get a whole group out, get a new group in,” Redford said.
Robert Downey Jr. may be the actor least likely thought of to play a comic book superhero.
But the critics and public love Downey in Marvel’s latest big-screen spectacular, “Iron Man.”
“Iron Man” is the first film to be produced by Marvel Studios, although it is distributed by Paramount. Marvel is now financing its own flicks after an impressive track record of blockbusters like “Spider-Man,” “X-Men,” “Fantastic Four” and sequels.
Meanwhile, during a recent interview with the New York Times, Downey disclosed a change he experienced in his worldview as a result of his troubled past.
The veteran actor noted that his newfound politics would not necessarily be well received by his Hollywood friends.
“I have a really interesting political point of view, and it’s not always something I say too loud at dinner tables here,” Downey said.
“But you can’t go from a $2,000-a-night suite at La Mirage to a penitentiary and really understand it and come out a liberal. You can’t. I wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone else, but it was very, very, very educational for me and has informed my proclivities and politics every since,” he added.
The New York Times commented on Downey’s educational experience in this way: “Suffice it to say he is not one of the Hollywood types who weeps over innocents trapped behind bars.”
The effects of Downey’s new views are obvious—he’s happily married, a father to teenage kids and far distance away from the struggles he had to endure.
He explained, “If I see somebody who is throwing their life away with both hands and is raging around and destroying their family, I can’t understand that person.”
“I’m not in that sphere of activity anymore, and I don’t understand it any more than I understood 10 or 20 years ago that somehow everything was going to turn out O.K. from this lousy, exotic and dark triple chapter of my life. I swear to God I don’t even really understand that planet anymore,” he shared.
Things on Downey’s new planet turned out really okay. “Iron Man” looks to be the start of a Downey franchise. The movie had the second best opening weekend ever for a film that’s not a sequel, with over $100 million being brought in on the domestic front and another $97 million from overseas ticket sales.
In Variety’s review, “Iron Man” was contrasted with previous anti-war flops: “Finally, someone’s found a sure-fire way to make money with a modern Middle East war movie: Just send a Marvel superhero into the fray to kick some insurgent butt.”
James Hirsen is a media analyst, Trinity Law School professor and teacher of mass media law at Biola University.
She won the fame game by appearing on the Internet in the buff and bringing her own brand of chic to the slammer.
Now Paris Hilton is trying to convince folks that she’s a good role model for young people.
“I work very hard and I’ve built this empire on my own. I think this is an inspiration for a lot of girls out there,” Paris told Reuters.
Recently, the heiress was getting ready to judge the Miss Turkey beauty contest and to prove to the citizens of Turkey just what an exemplary figure she is, the would-be singer and reality show actress took to the stage alongside one of the local women and performed a belly dance.
Prior to traveling to Turkey, Hilton visited Johannesburg, South Africa with rocker boyfriend Benji Madden. Reporters asked her about her impression of South Africa.
“I love Africa in general, South Africa and West Africa,” Hilton responded. “They are both great countries.”
I think Paris may have a future as a celebrity spokesperson for Google Earth.
Another one of Hollywood’s “finest” role models is in the news as well.
Here’s looking at you, Madge.
Never one to give up easily, Madonna has yet another plan to establish her acting creds.
This time around she has her sights set on a classic film, one with plot, depth and built-in appeal to the public.
The material girl is looking to do a remake of “Casablanca.” But rather than having the story set in WWII like the original, the popster plans on paying homage to Hollywood’s current politics.
The Bogie-Bergman revamp will reportedly be set in Iraq during the ongoing war.
In the past, Madonna has been panned by film critics and moviegoers alike for her big-screen bloopers, which include “Shanghai Surprise,” “Body Of Evidence” and “Swept Away.”
Seemingly undeterred, she now seeks to play the role of Ilsa Lund, the “Casablanca” character that caused Ingrid Bergman’s career to skyrocket.
Despite an aggressive push, though, Hollywood execs haven’t been too excited about taking on a project that tries to overhaul one of the best films ever made.
Some of them must be thinking, “Of all the film joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.”
“American Idol”’s famed Brit judge Simon Cowell has been trading barbs with host Ryan Seacrest, and each week the rhetoric seems to rise a notch.
Things have gotten so bad even Oprah Winfrey has taken note.
Cowell recently appeared on Oprah’s daytime talk show, and she asked him about the on-air squabbling with Seacrest.
Cowell explained that over the years his relationship with members of the show has changed.
“They used to be more groveling towards me,” he said, adding, “As the show has gotten more successful, they got more confidence . . . and they probably dislike me more than seven years ago.”
The “Idol” maker told Winfrey that there is no time to prepare a simulated fight prior to the show. “I see Paula maybe two seconds before the show starts. Ryan, it’s the same thing,” Cowell said.
He then went on to compare Seacrest to an annoying bug.
“Ryan has developed this – he’s like a mosquito in your face,” Cowell said. “It’s like he’s flying around, and you want to swat him but he can’t be bothered. That’s my relationship now with Ryan.”
No one knows more about bugging people than the master mosquito himself.
In more Oprah news, lawsuits involving daytime’s reigning queen are starting to clog up the courts.
One woman has brought legal action against Oprah’s production company and daytime talk show, claiming that in their mad dash to be in the studio audience, overly excited fans of the show pushed her down the stairs. And another female plaintiff from Boston alleges that it was she who years ago came up with a television reality show almost identical to “Oprah’s Big Give.”
In the first case, Orit Greenberg filed papers in an Illinois state court, which claimed that she went to Harpo Studios in December 2006 to be an audience member for Oprah’s TV show; however, when audience members were purportedly told to go sit where they wished in the studio, a stampede resulted. Greenberg alleges that she was pushed down a flight of stairs by the rushing crowd. She says she has suffered “severe and permanent injuries” from the incident and is seeking more than $50,000 in damages.
In the second suit, Darlene Tracy, a mother of four who is representing herself, filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Boston, seeking to stop “Oprah’s Big Give” from airing. Tracy claims that she created a reality show titled “The Philanthropist” in February 2005. The show purportedly featured contestants who were challenged to help the needy.
According to Tracy, she submitted the idea to the executive producer of Oprah’s show, Ellen Rakieten, and claims that Rakieten and another producer wrote and requested additional details. After Tracy purportedly responded in early 2005 with a more complete package, she was allegedly informed that Oprah’s company, Harpo Productions, was going to pass on the project. In December 2006, ABC announced a new show, “Oprah’s Big Give,” which Tracy claims came from her idea.
A trial judge has dismissed the suit without explanation and Tracy has hired an attorney and filed an appeal.
We’ll have to stay tuned to see if after the big appeal the “Big Give” will be forced to shell out the big bucks.
James Hirsen is a media analyst, Trinity Law School professor and teacher of mass media law at Biola University.
Richard Gere is in the clear.
The highest court in India has ordered that an arrest warrant against the actor be suspended.
Indian Supreme Court Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice R.V. Raveendran have indefinitely stayed the warrant, which had been issued against Gere for allegedly violating public obscenity laws.
It turns out that while at a 2007 AIDS awareness event, the actor publicly embraced Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty and gave her a big kiss.
Hindu activists had filed three cases against Gere and Shetty, alleging that the two had offended the sensibilities of India’s culture.
An unauthorized spokesperson for Gere suggests that the actor should never have been held responsible for his slippery lip behavior since he has an inherent condition that causes him to offend sensibilities the world over.
We now know how Paul McCartney came to be a vegetarian.
Those who thought there was something fishy about the former Beatle’s commitment to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have been proven right.
McCartney is now part of the celebrity team (along with Pamela Anderson, Casey Affleck, Alicia Silverstone, Forest Whitaker and others) that PETA is using to advance its causes.
A new PETA poster that is promoting vegetarianism features the famed bass player from Liverpool and reads as follows: “Many years ago, I was fishing, and as I was reeling in the poor fish, I realized, ‘I am killing him – all for the passing pleasure it brings me.’ Something inside me clicked.”
Paul probably wishes something inside him had clicked before he took Heather Mills as his bride.
Hollywood celebrities are known for supporting candidates who campaign on the promise to bring the troops home from Iraq.
But Angelina Jolie, in her capacity as a UN Goodwill Ambassador, visited Iraq and had the opportunity to meet with the military genius responsible for the success of the “surge,” General David Petraeus. And the actress-diplomat is now distinguishing herself from most of the Hollywood Left.
In an op-ed titled, “Staying to Help in Iraq,” Jolie writes about speaking to the general and how she is “pleased that he has offered that support.”
“General Petraeus also told me he would support new efforts to address the humanitarian crisis ‘to the maximum extent possible’ — which leaves me hopeful that more progress can be made.” Jolie adds.
As for the surge, Jolie explains, “I can only state what I witnessed: U.N. staff and those of non-governmental organizations seem to feel they have the right set of circumstances to attempt to scale up their programs. And when I asked the troops if they wanted to go home as soon as possible, they said that they miss home but feel invested in Iraq. They have lost many friends and want to be a part of the humanitarian progress they now feel is possible.”
Sounding like Bill Krystol, Jolie asks: “Can the United States afford to gamble that four million or more poor and displaced people, in the heart of the Middle East, won’t explode in violent desperation, sending the whole region into further disorder?”
It appears as though Jolie is affirming what military leaders have been saying; that not only will humanitarian progress be halted if the U.S. pulls out, a humanitarian calamity will ensue.
James Hirsen is a media analyst, Trinity Law School professor and teacher of mass media law at Biola University.
Attorney Jon Eardley, who purports to represent Britney Spears, has filed documents in an L.A. U.S. District Court to move Britney’s conservatorship case from the Los Angeles County Superior Court to federal court. Eardley maintains offices in Washington, D.C., Jericho, NewYork, and Whittier, California.
Eardley claims in court papers that, without due process, Spears “is being confined by the conservator to the private prison of her own home,” and he contends that this is a violation of her civil rights.
After Britney twice spent time in a psychiatric ward, Superior Court Commissioner Reva Goetz placed her in a temporary conservatorship under her father Jamie and his attorney Andrew Wallet. The order will continue until a scheduled hearing on March 10.
“I see the case as a civil rights case,” Eardley told People magazine. “These are issues of confinement. Very serious confinement. Not allowed to contact her friends. Not allowed to use the phone. Not allowed to come and go as you please. Bodyguards controlling you and so forth.”
Under the terms of the conservatorship, Spears lacks the capacity to hire her own lawyer without the approval of her conservators.
Spears’ civil rights case is unlikely to be heard by the federal court.
When an individual is determined by a court to be unable to handle his or her own affairs, a conservatorship is established. By definition, anyone who is placed in a conservatorship could claim that his or her civil rights have been violated.
This area of the law, though, is handled exclusively by state courts, and therefore a federal judge would be extremely reluctant to get involved.
Interestingly, a copy of Eardley’s filing was delivered to the L.A. Superior Court by Spears’ former manager Sam Lufti’s publicist, Michael Sands.
Sands also handled publicity matters for Mark Vincent Kaplan, the lawyer who represents Spears’ ex-husband Kevin Federline.
With this cast of characters the only question is: When will the “Six Degrees of Britney” game come out?
In other celebrity-related legal news, Paris Hilton is being investigated by the L.A. Department of Animal Services
It turns out that during a recent appearance on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show,” Hilton made mention of the number of dogs that she owns.
“I have 17 dogs — lots … They all sleep in my bed – well, not all of them, but I let some of them,” the heiress divulged.
Paris explained that she has so many dogs because “they keep having babies, and I feel bad about giving them away.”
Officials from the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services apparently watch the “Ellen” show, because after the revelation they showed up at Hilton’s home to inspect.
The city of L.A. has an ordinance that allows three pets per home unless the pet owner happens to be a commercial breeder.
Since Hilton wasn’t at home at the time of the officials’ visit, they left a “notice to comply” [with the law] form for her perusal.
While contending with her pet violations, Hilton has also had to deal with some stinky reviews of her new movie, “’The Hottie and The Nottie.”
Users of the Internet Movie Database voted the flick the worst movie ever made.
On a scale of 1-10, film fans gave it a 1.2—not a hottie, but a really big nottie.
James Hirsen is a media analyst, Trinity Law School professor and teacher of mass media law at Biola University.
Just before the Super Duper Tuesday showdown, Hollywood’s coffers opened up and the Obama campaign reaped the benefit.
Obama continues to generate enthusiasm and excitement from the Hollywood community, which identifies with the Illinois senator’s charisma and star power.
Tinseltown’s love affair with Obama has translated into additional campaign cash for the presidential hopeful.
Contributions have come in from A-listers that include George Clooney and Eddie Murphy.
Barbra Streisand continues to play both sides, endorsing and introducing Hillary Clinton at an L.A. fundraiser and giving money to Obama as well, according to the Associated Press.
One recent night in Beverly Hills garnered $1.3 million for Obama’s campaign. Donations came from Hollywood hotshots that included Paramount Pictures studio chief Brad Grey, Walt Disney Studios chairman Richard Cook and Universal Studios honcho Ron Meyer.
The event itself had been arranged by DreamWorks studio founders Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen.
Attendees of the event included Spielberg, Murphy, Jennifer Anniston and Jackson Browne. Gatherers listened attentively to Obama as he told them that they [actors and filmmakers] have “enormous power” that comes with “enormous responsibility.”
“Don’t sell yourselves short,” Barack said. “You are the storytellers of our age.”
The cost of a ticket to the event was the maximum individual donation allowed for a federal campaign: $2,300.
Even though Spielberg was one of the hosts of the event, he had previously endorsed Hillary (in 2007), saying, “I’ve taken the time to familiarize myself with the impressive field of Democratic candidates and am convinced that Hillary Clinton is the most qualified candidate to lead us from her first day in the White House.”
In other Obama news, in an apparent effort to cut into Barack’s support within the African-American community, Hillary’s other half, former President Bill Clinton, took to the L.A. pulpits.
In turn, the Obama campaign unleashed its own not-so-secret weapon—Oprah Winfrey.
The daytime queen was joined by Obama’s wife Michelle and legendary singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder at a “Get Out The Vote Rally” at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion.
Showing that she doesn’t necessarily share the politics of her governor husband Arnold Schwarzenegger, California’s First Lady Maria Shriver made a surprise appearance.
Tens of thousands of exuberant Obama supporters were in attendance as Oprah restarted her personal endorsement tour.
Oprah’s reemergence could help Obama with women voters, a group that has in the past displayed affection for Hillary Clinton.
Oprah moved the crowd to resounding cheer when she said, “I’m not voting for Barack Obama because he’s black. I’m voting for Barack Obama because he’s brilliant!”
James Hirsen is a media analyst, Trinity Law School professor and teacher of mass media law at Biola University.
David Letterman is one happy guy.
“I am grateful to the WGA for granting us this agreement,” Letterman said in a recent statement to the press.
A few weeks back Letterman’s production company, Worldwide Pants, went public with its plan to seek a separate deal with the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA). The comedian got what he wanted.
As a result, the Letterman show and Craig Ferguson’s “Late Late Show,” also produced by Letterman’s company, get to go back on the air with help from their writers pumping out jokes.
Unlike their competitors who have no similar agreements, which includes Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien, Letterman and Ferguson are now going to be able to get the big-name celebs on their shows.
Two important facts explain Letterman’s huge score.
The first fact has to do with history. Back in 1988 when the writers last struck, the late-night shows affected were the “Tonight” show, then-hosted by Johnny Carson, and “Late Night” hosted by Letterman. Both shows were on NBC at the time.
Carson was able to cut a separate agreement with the Writer’s Guild while Letterman had no agreement and consequently had to host his show for weeks minus the writers. That kind of experience can leave an indelible mark in a late-night comic’s memory bank.
The second fact has to do with business. Sometimes it really does matter who owns the show.
Unlike his competitors, Letterman was able to negotiate directly with the union because his company owns his program as well as Ferguson’s.
With shows like NBC’s Leno and O’Brien, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel and Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert going back on the air without having made deals with the union, writers intend to exert heavy pressure.
In a joint letter to their members, the WGA East and WGA West said, “In the case of late-night shows, our strike pressure will be intense and essential in directing political and SAG-member guests to Letterman and Ferguson rather than to struck talk shows.”
Also included in the letter was the following: “At this time, picket lines at venues such as NBC (both Burbank and Rockefeller Center), The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and the Golden Globes are essential.”
What does it mean?
“Struck talk shows” is a reference to those of Leno, Conan, etc., who will obviously find it a lot more difficult to book guests. In addition, the shows will most likely serve as targets of intensified picket activity.
All of which means the funny business doesn’t seem so funny right now.
Just as the polls show that the race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama is getting tighter, over the primary hill comes a player in the Obama campaign who just may deliver the Dem nomination to the Illinois senator.
For the first time in her career, daytime TV icon Oprah Winfrey is endorsing a candidate for the White House.
What’s even more astounding is that Winfrey is touring Iowa with Obama, and she’s luring even bigger crowds than the charismatic candidate and his wife have been drawing.
Hillary is fighting back with an in-house celebrity of her own, former president and First Gent wannabe Bill Clinton.
In the Oprah vs. Bill battle, there’s really no contest.
Bill prevaricated in a recent comment about his supposed opposition to the Iraq war, a clear negative for his wife.
Meanwhile Oprah has a huge influence track record with her vast audience of 8.6 million fans.
Her message about Obama is simple and clear: “I know him well enough to believe in his moral authority,” Winfrey told the Hollywood Reporter.
Lady O’s endorsement certainly has the potential to work big-time for Obama.
Obscure books turn into massive bestsellers with a mere Oprah mention.
And when it comes to endorsements of individuals, let’s just say Oprah was able to take an unknown jury consultant from Texas, transport him to Beverly Hills and make a mega-TV star out of him.
She did just that with a guy named—Dr. Phil.
In more presidential primary news, as the Writers Guild of America strike drones on, late-night talk shows are featuring monologues with rerun jokes on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s run for California governor, Scooter Libby’s pardon and President Bush’s pretzel mishap.
As a result, the current presidential primary candidates have been spared being the target of late-night wisecracks.
One candidate in particular is benefiting from the humor vacuum: Dem frontrunner Hillary Clinton.
The Center for Media and Public Affairs keeps tabs on Jay Leno, David Letterman and fellow jesters via a joke-tracking database called “Punchlines.”
From Jan. 1, 2007 to Oct. 10, 2007, the former First Lady was the subject of 186 late-night jokes as reported by the Los Angeles Times. All of the other Dem candidates combined chalked up a mere 197 quips.
Three non-candidates did better than Hillary with their joke counts: Vice President Dick Cheney (197), Paris Hilton (258) and late-night perennial punching bag George W. Bush (826).
Here’s a sampling of some late-night Hillary horseplay:
Jay Leno’s comment on the Clinton marriage: “Sen. Clinton said that as president she would bring the troops home. The troops? She can’t even get Bill to come home.”
David Letterman’s fashion quip: “Hillary is dressing sexier and sexier. Yesterday she was seen shopping at Victoria’s Pantsuit.”
Brad Pitt has been out promoting his latest flick with the long-winded title, “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.”
In an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Pitt shared some of his thoughts on being a dad. He also talked about how fatherhood has helped him overcome a sadness that he has had since he was a boy growing up in Missouri.
Pitt’s onscreen character Jesse James also grew up in the Show Me State, which evidently spurred the actor into examining his past and the region of his childhood.
Pitt spoke of something he characterized as the South’s “congenital sadness.”
“It’s something that I feel in my grandparents, in the people I’ve met, in a Southern way of life,” Pitt said.
Interestingly, he sees the Christian faith as an antidote for Southern woe.
“It’s something pervasive, an undercurrent that I think Christianity answers,” Pitt professed.
Not one to get into the tabloids for her excessive partying, “Grey’s Anatomy”’s Ellen Pompeo is sharing her thoughts on the topic of fame and responsibility.
“I just worry about the girls who look up to me,” Pompeo tells Los Angeles Confidential Magazine.
Pompeo is concerned on two fronts.
With the extreme emphasis being placed on thinness, the actress doesn’t want her fans to deprive themselves of nutrition. “I don’t want them to think I starve myself or don’t eat, and that to be like me that’s what they have to do.”
She explains that she is naturally on the slim side and finds the media to be “irresponsible” on the subject.
Pompeo is also concerned about the “famous for being famous” phenomenon.
“What are we doing to this younger generation?” Pompeo asks. “We’re so focused on the wrong things. We’re teaching young girls that this is what they should be focusing on: rich and famous girls who are rich and famous for nothing.”
After the coverage of young women like Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, Pompeo has a succinct message for the tabloid press: “I just think the media should take this country in a different direction.”
It seems that the locals aren’t acting very neighborly toward Paris Hilton.
Hilton’s home happens to be in West Hollywood, just above the famed Sunset Strip. And residents who live near the troubled heiress’ digs have reportedly signed a petition requesting that she move somewhere else.
Folks didn’t seem to mind having Hilton as a neighbor when she was out drinking every night. But now reports are circulating, which claim she’s changed her life, found God and is reading the Bible.
Hey, there are some things that just can’t be tolerated in Tinseltown.
Meanwhile Larry King won the Paris post-jail interview sweepstakes by default.
NBC and ABC backed away from a Hilton interview. CBS also let it be known it wasn’t interested.
However, the reason for the sudden chill toward Hilton had less to do with the heiress and more to do with the networks’ reps.
Networks have been trying to distance themselves from numerous reports that have implied that, in an attempt to obtain an exclusive post-jail interview with Paris, checkbook journalism may have been at work.
The New York Post started the ball rolling when it reported that NBC agreed to pay up to $1 million for a “Today” show sit down. The report ignited other stories about media bidding.
ABC and NBC News were then forced to publicly insist that they do not pay for interviews and that neither had a deal with Hilton.
However, an ABC executive has said otherwise. According to the executive, the Hiltons had taken NBC up on a $1 million offer for the licensing of family photos and a video because it was more lucrative than ABC’s $100,000 bid.
For decades news organizations have frowned upon checkbook journalism primarily because the practice implicitly taints the credibility of sources. Cash payments provided in exchange for news may give a source an incentive to inflate a story. The hotter the account, the more money it is worth. In all of the jockeying, truth may be lost in the mix.
The nets have been cleverly getting around the rule by paying money for what they call “licensing” of photos, videos or made-for TV movie rights.
Some examples include the following:
-NBC scored exclusive interviews with the two UK Princes, William and Harry. Coincidently, the Peacock network paid a reported $2.5 million fee to air a concert in July that commemorates the 10th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death.
-ABC News paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to Steve Irwin’s widow for footage used in a Barbara Walters primetime interview in Fall 2006.
- In 2003 CBS News offered Private Jessica Lynch, the former prisoner of war in Iraq who was rescued by U.S. forces, possible movie and book deals through its sister corporate divisions.
Prior to the 1970s, paying for stories was fairly routine. It is an acceptable practice in Europe.
Disclosure is the key. Now if we can only get the networks to quit the charade.
Michael Moore can’t seem to work the press the way he used to.
Heiress and reality star Paris Hilton will do her first post-prison TV interview on CNN’s “Larry King Live.”
It turns out that “Sicko” propagandist Moore had to be bumped so Larry could do some jail time talking with “The Simple Life” star.
“She will be on for the hour,” Spokesperson Bridget Leininger told Reuters. “We had Michael Moore originally scheduled for that time.”
Hilton was released from jail after serving roughly half of her 45-day sentence.
It turns out that Hilton’s jail stint produced something positive after all.
It generated some discussion about the appearance of a two-tiered justice system, shed light on the checkbook journalism issue and sank a Moore promo spot.
Here’s Michael Moore a few years ago after he already pocketed lots of box office cash:
“I don’t agree with the copyright laws and I don’t have a problem with people downloading the movie and sharing it with people,” said Moore when asked about pirating. “I make these books and movies and TV shows because I want things to change, so the more people that get to see them the better, so I’m happy when that happens. I think information and art, ideas should be shared.”
Now here’s Michael Moore talking about “Sicko”:
“Every filmmaker intends for his film to be seen on the big screen,” Moore said. “This wasn’t a guy taking a video camera into a theater. This was an inside job, a copy made from a high-quality master and could potentially impact the opening weekend boxoffice. Who do you think benefits from that?”
When asked about accusations that he may have leaked the film himself for publicity purposes, Moore responded, “Oh no. The (Weinstein) brothers are devastated.”
A federal bankruptcy judge has ordered O.J. Simpson’s daughter to give a deposition by week’s end in a lawsuit about the former football star’s canceled book, “If I Did It.”
The issue involves a bankrupt company owned by Simpson’s children.
The company was previously ordered to turn over any copies of the book. You know, the where he explains how he might have committed the killings of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.
Hopefully this judge will be able to trace the money and put it where it belongs – in the bank accounts of the victims.
It seems Rosie O’Donnell is a mixed bag.
The actress, TV host and sometimes comedienne has been known to spout half-truths, fling rude affronts and lob conspiracy theories in between her laugh lines. She’s also, at times, alienated the Heartland, given sponsors a major headache and frazzled the nerves of media conglomerates and their shareholders.
But Rosie has also been known for roping in a lot of viewers. And at a time when television is suffering a general decline, network producers are taking note.
The controversial May 2007 episodes of “The View” in which Rosie participated brought in larger audiences than in any other month that the decade-long Barbara Walters show has been on the air. The show averaged a record 3.8-million viewers.
In Rosie’s current situation, replacing Paris Hilton on “The Simple Life,” getting Paula Abdul’s spot on “American Idol” or taking Katie Couric’s CBS anchor job don’t seem to be in the offing. However, speculation is emerging about where Rosie may turn up in her post-“View” career.
One major network executive reportedly wants O’Donnell for either a daytime spot or a primetime game show slot, according to Foxnews.com. Recently announced new head of programming for NBC Ben Silverman has let it be known that he’ll do whatever it takes to obtain the services of the former “View” cast member.
NBC is in desperate need of ratings. Judging by its imbalanced network news division and cable channel MSNBC’s lack of impartiality, a decision to cater to its most leftist viewers appears to have been made.
The ex-Queen of Nice may very well end up on the cockeyed Peacock Network. Since quitting “The View” three weeks prior to her contract’s expiration, Rosie has been working on a memoir to be released in Fall 2007 titled “Celebrity Detox.” During a recent speaking engagement, she explained that her memoirs will be written in the same style as her blog.
In another skewed signal, NBC’s parent company, NBC Universal, has set aside a mind-boggling 75-hours-plus of broadcast time for Al Gore’s “Live Earth: The Concerts for a Climate in Crisis.”
On July 7, NBC will devote all of its primetime to the Gore event. CNBC will provide an additional 7 hours of coverage and Bravo, another18 hours. MSNBC will cover the Gore event via special reports with correspondents reporting live from New York and London.
“Live Earth” will also be featured for 22 hours on the Universal HD channel, with another hour on Telemundo and 2 hours on Telemundo’s cable network, mun2.
It makes you wonder if all the face time is going to prompt Gore to enter the Democrat campaign follies.
With the number of delinquent and/or jailed female pop stars on the rise, somebody had to start urging young women to quit dressing like trollops.
Well, Sarah Jessica Parker has.
The former “Sex and the City” actress is now an unofficial spokesperson for a return to modesty.
Parker has launched a new clothing line, and she is taking the opportunity to encourage folks to cover up.
Parker’s new Steve & Barry line of affordable female fashion consists of exclusively conservative attire.
“There’s not going to be any inappropriate midriff showing, regardless of your age. I really don’t care for it,” Parker passionately proclaimed to the Female First Web site.
“I feel like, as a culture, we have seen enough damage done by it. It’s provocative in a way that I just don’t feel comfortable with,” she added.
It turns out that Parker’s new line of apparel is a bargain in more ways than one.
The cost of the clothing has been held down; this despite the fact that in order to create attire that reflects the desired class and refinement, more fabric is needed.
And just think, if celebrities actually clean up their outfits and their acts, taxpayers’ jail bills may go down.
Michael Moore is ecstatic.
Premiering May 19 at the Cannes Film Festival, Moore’s new film, “Sicko,” is set to debut in U.S. theaters in June.
As if choreographed to a tee, the Bush administration has given the factually challenged filmmaker the thing that he needs the most to generate publicity—controversy.
Predictably, after the news broke about him being under investigation for a possible violation of the U.S. embargo of Cuba, Moore immediately issued an attention getter of a response, which invoked the name that has lefty mega-cyberspace bang for the buck: George Bush.
The U.S.Treasury Department is looking into Moore’s production trip to Cuba because he allegedly failed to get permission to conduct business in the Communist country.
Evidently, Moore received a form letter from the Treasury Dept. Each year the government sends out hundreds of such letters seeking additional information when sanctions violations appear to have occurred.
In characteristic propaganda-like fashion, Moore posted on his Web site an “open letter” to U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, which took a routine and foreseeable investigation and turned it into another set of Moore’s patented Bush administration conspiracies.
“First, the Bush Administration has been aware of this matter for months (since October 2006) and never took any action until less than two weeks before SiCKO is set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and a little more than a month before it is scheduled to open in the United States,” Moore wrote, transparently trying to link the release of the film to the Treasury Department’s timing.
Not content with one conspiracy, Moore added another. He implied that a corporate conspiracy exists as well.
“Second, the health care and insurance industry, which is exposed in the movie and has expressed concerns about the impact of the movie on their industries, is a major corporate underwriter of President George W. Bush and the Republican Party…” Moore explained.
“For five and a half years, the Bush administration has ignored and neglected the heroes of the 9/11 community. These heroic first responders have been left to fend for themselves, without coverage and without care. I understand why the Bush administration is coming after me — I have tried to help the very people they refuse to help…,” Moore added.
He then demanded that the Bush administration call off the investigation.
Moore’s fantasy-filled “Fahrenheit 9/11” premiered at Cannes in 2004 while he sought PR using his disagreement with the Walt Disney Company. Disney decided that the film was detrimental to its brand and refused to let subsidiary Miramax release it.
Miramax owners Harvey and Bob Weinstein ended up releasing the film on their own and later left to form the Weinstein Co., which is now the distributor of “Sicko.”
Harvey Weinstein has joined in on the publicity revelry.
“The timing is amazing. You would think that we originated this. It reads like a fiction best-seller,” Weinstein told the Associated Press. “This is ‘Fahrenheit’ all over again. ‘Let’s pressure somebody.’ Last time it was Disney, this time it’s direct,” Weinstein said.
“It’s like the Bush Administration had Mickey Mouse as part of their investigative team,” Chris Lehane, a Weinstein Company consultant told Time magazine.
The Weinsteins have put David Boies on the “Sicko” case, the lawyer who lost Bush v. Gore in 2000.
It should come as no surprise that Cuba, a communist dictatorship that jails dissidents, arrests reporters and lacks free elections, is defending Moore.
Cuba described Moore as a victim of censorship. “Any resemblance to McCarthyism is no coincidence,” the Communist Party newspaper, Granma, read.
According to the Cuban paper, in investigating Moore American officials confirmed “the imperial philosophy of censorship.”
It looked like a red carpet event.
Outside the courthouse, cameras flashed and fans swooned.
Paris Hilton showed up 20 minutes late for her probation violation hearing, dabbing on makeup prior to waltzing in.
Evidently, Paris thought she could use the Debra LaFave defense in court; that her prominent presence in the courtroom would make the judge realize that she was far too beautiful to go to prison.
It may have worked for LaFave, but not for Hilton. Los Angeles Judge Michael Sauer, apparently unimpressed with Hilton’s celebrity status, sentenced her to 45 days in the slammer. She was ordered to report to her new accommodations on June 5.
Hilton’s home for a potential month and a half will be a cell in a Lynwood, California detention center for women. Like her fellow inmates, she’ll wear an orange jumpsuit and be confined to a 12-by-8 foot space. If she wants to primp, she’ll have to use the polished metal plate that’s provided to see her reflection.
She won’t be eating any gourmet meals either. The incarcerated heiress will get only one hot meal per day, with two other cold fowl-based ones.
TV execs are already buzzing about the potential for a “Paris in Prison” show. But the possibility still exists that she’ll escape punishment.
After an appeal is filed, Paris may be allowed to remain free on bail. Or she may follow the pattern of another celebrity.
In 2006, then “Lost” actress Michelle Rodriguez started a 60-day jail sentence for violating probation after a driving-under-the-influence arrest in Hawaii. She was released in mere hours due to an overcrowded prison situation.
Hilton’s mouthpiece, renowned celeb counsel Howard Weitzman, has indicated that he will file an appeal. His defense is his client’s fame and the two-tiered justice system it purportedly produces.
“She’s been selectively targeted in my opinion to be prosecuted because of who she is,” Weitzman said.
After hearing her fate in court, Hilton told photographers gathered outside her home, “I feel that I was treated unfairly and that the sentence is both cruel and unwanted and I don’t deserve this.”
Still, in terms of public behavior, Paris has been pushing the envelope for a long time.
The fact of the matter is she presented a real danger to the public when she was driving in an intoxicated state and was put on probation instead of jail. The court gave her conditional mercy.
When Hilton ignored the conditions of her probation, she chose jail for herself. She’s not being punished for being Paris. She’s being punished for committing a crime.
It all started when, in front of thousands of onlookers at an AIDS function in New Delhi, India, Richard Gere grabbed Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty and took her for a lip-lock and extreme dance dip.
The public reaction to Gere’s behavior was that of outrage.
The actor didn’t respond in the normal Hollywood fashion by issuing an apology, appearing with Dr. Phil and racing to rehab.
He did, however, after the public burning of effigies of him and issuance of an arrest warrant, decide that it was a good time for him to say he was sorry.
Gere issued a statement of “sincere apology” addressed to his “dear Indian friends.” But he also held out one of his film roles as an excuse.
He said that the way he kissed Shetty was influenced by his movie “Shall We Dance.”
“My clumsy attempt at a ‘Shall We Dance’ move was a naive misread of Indian customs and I assure you nothing more.”
I believe that instead of “Shall We Dance” Gere meant to say “American Gigolo.”
Even though she is leaving “The View,” Rosie O’ Donnell has already lined up a new gig on Broadway.
Word has it that O’Donnell is in negotiations to play a part in the musical version of the novel “Les Miserables” and hopes to snag the role of Madame Thenardier.
O’Donnell’s part would be a supporting role, that of the wife and partner in crime to a con artist innkeeper.
Since O’Donnell didn’t seem to like playing a supporting role to Barbara Walters on “The View,” if she gets the Broadway part it probably won’t take long for her to go after the starring role and maybe even add ad lib a few lines about a conspiracy between Donald Trump and John Edwards’ hairdresser.
Singer Sheryl Crow is concerned about the way you wipe your butt.
Crow says you should use “only one square per restroom visit, except, of course, on those pesky occasions where two to three could be required.”
On her website, Crow writes, “I have spent the better part of this tour trying to come up with easy ways for us all to become a part of the solution to global warming. Although my ideas are in the earliest stages of development, they are, in my mind, worth investigating. I propose a limitation be put on how many squares of toilet paper can be used in any one sitting.”
I’ve got a better idea. Let’s wipe our rear ends with Sheryl Crow CDs.
Unmarried and pregnant Salma Hayek has a new vocation, theologian. The actress has decided to sound off on the contents of the Bible. Seems she’s doesn’t agree with the way the Good Book treats women.
“I don’t like the way the Bible views women – this thing about the Virgin Mary conceiving a child without having sex – so if you conceive a child by having sex, there’s a subliminal message that there’s something dirty about it,” the actress told Marie Clare magazine.
“And this is what makes us divine,” Hayek added.
“I mean, the possibility of creating another life should remind women that we are creators, that we are made like God in our ability. There is nothing greater than to create another human being.”
Feminists are ecstatic over Hayek’s idea that women are like God. By applying a woman’s “right to choose” to interpreting the Bible she’s created “the right to pick and choose.”
Just is case anyone thought Michael Moore had taken an early retirement from his unethical approach to movie making, a report from the New York Post shows the filmmaker is seeking to undermine one of the nation’s institutions once again.
Moore’s production company has engaged in a scheme designed to bolster the ridiculous argument that medical care in Fidel Castro’s totalitarian dictatorship is superior to health care in the United States.
As part of Moore’s latest film “Sicko,” which deals with the subject of American health care, the deceptive director transported Ground Zero workers with respiratory ailments to Cuba to prove that the care provided in the U.S. is inferior to the care offered at Fidel’s centrally planned “paradise.”
In typical Moore fashion, the factually challenged filmmaker used ailing 9/11 workers as pawns to apparently satisfy his personal ambition.
An ill worker who was allegedly promised to be taken to Cuba was left behind by Moore. Michael McCormack, a disabled medic, was contacted via phone.
“What he [Moore] wanted to do is shove it up George W’s rear end that 9/11 heroes had to go to a communist country to get adequate health care,” McCormack told the Post.
Moore went to Cuba minus McCormack.
“It’s the ultimate betrayal,” McCormack said. “You’re promised that you’re going to be taken care of and then you find out you’re not. He’s trying to profiteer off of our suffering.”
In a tape of a telephone conversation between McCormack and a Moore producer, a female voice indicated, “Even for the people that we did bring down to Cuba, we said we can promise that you will be evaluated, that you will get looked at. We can’t promise that you will get fixed.”
Moore’s popularity in communist Cuba has been solid ever since a pirated version of his movie, “Fahrenheit 9/11,”was shown on state-owned TV.
Presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton recently went on a WOKQ-FM radio talk show to answer voter’s questions.
The New York senator was asked what the United States can do about the crisis created by contestant Sanjaya Malakar staying on “American Idol” despite an apparent lack of talent.
“That’s the best question I’ve been asked in a long time,” Clinton said. “Well, you know, people can vote for whomever they want. That’s true in my election, and its true on ‘American Idol.’”
Disney is having some PR problems.
Mickey and Minnie’s corporate boss is also in charge of “The View,” the program that’s enabling Rosie O’Donnell to spout her enemy-pleasing inanity.
The company also has Rolling Stone Keith Richards contracted to appear in an upcoming sequel, “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.”
Richards’ recent comments about snorting his deceased father’s ashes mixed with cocaine likely had executives applying “Head On” directly to their foreheads.
The rocker who made news last year after falling from a coconut tree now claims he was only joking about the nasal experience.
Senior vice president Dennis Rice told U.K. music magazine NME, “When (a senior Disney publicist) forwarded the (Richards) story to me, I thought ‘How are we going to spin this?’”
The Disney exec evidently doesn’t subscribe to the old adage that any publicity is good publicity.
“Keith won’t be doing a lot of publicity for this movie,” Rice divulged.
Rolling Stone Keith Richards may have indulged in a host of illegal substances in his life, but, hey this is not something to be bragging about.
“The strangest thing I’ve tried to snort? My father. I snorted my father,” Richards told the British music magazine NME.
“He was cremated and I couldn’t resist grinding him up with a little bit of blow. My dad wouldn’t have cared,” he said. “… It went down pretty well, and I’m still alive.”
Richards’ father, Bert, died at age 84 in 2002.
It’s bad enough to be boasting about sucking up blow, but mixing it with your departed dad’s remains is ghoulish.
Continuing in her bid to destroy the credibility of Barbara Walters and ABC, Rosie O’Donnell’s factually deficient and irresponsible comments on “The View” are increasing in both frequency and outrageousness. Maybe she’s been hanging upside down too long
Drawing on her apparent science background she lectured viewers on the events of September 11, 2001. “I do believe that it’s the first time in history that fire has ever melted steel,” O’Donnell confidently affirmed. “I do believe that it defies physics that World Trade Center tower 7—building 7, which collapsed in on itself—it is impossible for a building to fall the way it fell without explosives being involved. World Trade Center 7. World Trade [Center] 1 and 2 got hit by planes—7, miraculously, the first time in history, steel was melted by fire. It is physically impossible.”
Rosie’s weird science prompted a response from Popular Mechanics magazine.
-Steel was weakened – not “melted.” The crashes destroyed support columns and ignited raging fires that weakened the steel structures so that the towers could no longer support their own weights. Building 7, which had fuel tanks located throughout, including two 6000-gal. tanks in the basement, collapsed because fires weakened its steel structure.
Steel melts at about 2,750 degrees Fahrenheit—but it loses strength at temperatures as low as 400 F. When temperatures break 1000 degrees F, steel loses nearly 50 percent of its strength.
-The North and South Towers weren’t knocked down by they were “hit by planes.” In fact, both towers remained standing for more than a half-hour after the planes hit.
- Tower 7 wasn’t hit by a plane, but was severely damaged due to debris from the collapse of the North Tower. (Which is when the fires started.) In early photographs of building 7 smoke and debris obscured the pictures so that the first reports from FEMA did not take into account the extent of damage due to the debris from the collapsing 110 floor North Tower.
After additional studies, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) indicated that the debris from the North Tower hit building 7 with the force of a volcanic eruption. Almost a quarter of the building was carved away from floors 11 and higher. The NIST has found no evidence of a blast or controlled demolition.
But lack of evidence doesn’t stop Rosie. Her blog claimed that “the British did it on purpose” to provide an excuse for war. She spoke out on “The View” cocerning the British sailors held hostage by Iran, “There were 15 British sailors and Marines who apparently went into Iranian waters and they were seized by the Iranians. And I have one thing to say: Gulf of Tonkin, Google it.”
Memo to Rosie: You have become “The View’s” and America’s albatross. Google it.
Wondering where Sean Penn has been?
The Oscar-winning actor recently surfaced at a town hall meeting.
Penn was evidently emboldened by events of the day before in which the House voted 218-212 to withdraw troops from Iraq by September 2008.
Hundreds gathered at the meeting to get an earful of anti-Iraq war talk. They would not be disappointed.
Penn was present along with Democrat Rep. Barbara Lee, a member of the Out of Iraq Caucus.
Maybe the many “Impeach Bush” signs that were displayed by people outside that inspired Penn to let the insults fly like a pizza pie.
“You and your smarmy pundits — and the smarmy pundits you have in your pocket — can take your war and shove it,” Penn wailed about the president to applause and cheers. “Let’s unite not only in stopping this war, but in holding this administration accountable.”
While Rep. Lee told the crowd that the war was “illegal and unwinnable,” Penn tried to finesse the support of the troops as he proceeded to undercut their mission.
“Let’s make this crystal clear: We do support our troops, but not the exploitation of them and their families,” Penn said. “The money that’s spent on this war would be better spent on building levees in New Orleans and health care in Africa and care for our veterans. Iraq is not our toilet. It’s a country of human beings whose lives that were once oppressed by Saddam are now in ‘Dante’s Inferno.’”
Nice to know Penn was educated in the classics at Ridgemont High.
Leonardo DiCaprio seems to be taking a political turn in his acting career.
After watching George Clooney take home one of those little golden statues and being a nominee for an Oscar this year for the politically correct “Blood Diamond,” DiCaprio’s next film deals with a subject sure to please the Left.
The new flick will focus on the favorite business saga, the story how the energy company Enron went bust. Of course the movie will spotlight the company’s donations to the Bush campaign.
Take a wild guess when this film titled “Conspiracy of Fools” is likely to come to a theater near you? Yep, just in time for the general presidential election and also in time to give a boost to the Democratic nominee, whoever she may be.
Gloria Allred always seems to be attached to a highly publicized news story.
Knowing that there are no genuine lawsuit possibilities raised by the facts of this case, Allred has come up with a creative way to seek money for the two men who were directly insulted by Michael Richards’ racist outburst.
Allred has insisted to the media that Cosmo Kramer’s alter ego meet with her clients, Frank McBride and Kyle Doss, in front of a retired judge to apologize and allow the judge to decide on compensation.
Allred claims that concerning her clients, Richards “went after them,” “singled them out,” “taunted them,” and “did it in a closed room where they were captive.”
Anyone held captive in today’s comedy club’s deserves some big bucks.
Maybe this lawsuit should be called a crass action.
Colombia’s largest rebel group wants a deal with the government on exchanging imprisoned guerrillas for rebel-held hostages.
Guess who the group wants to act as intermediaries?
The negotiators of choice for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, also known as the FARC, are some high profile Hollywood celebrities.
Listed by the U.S. government as a “foreign terrorist organization,” the FARC is presently holding some 60 hostages, including three defense contractors, former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, politicians and military officers.
The FARC says it will only release the hostages in exchange for nearly 600 imprisoned rebels.
In a letter, the FARC called on Michael Moore, Oliver Stone and Denzel Washington to help put together a hostage swap.
In addition to the aforementioned Tinseltown notables, the letter was also addressed to well-known leftists Noam Chomsky, James Petras, Angela Davis and the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
Celebrities have to be careful about what they discard.
“Collectors” routinely search through dumpsters of the famous, hoping to find some treasures among the trash.
“Desperate Housewives”’s Marcia Cross is desperate to have her trash remover return some pictures to her that she had placed in the round file.
A man who was hired to haul away some refuse reportedly found over 200 pictures of Cross, some of which captured the actress enjoying an outdoor shower.
The actress’s attorneys are threatening to file a lawsuit. They’ve indicated that Cross tossed the photos by mistake.
But an agent for the trash collector is asserting the venerable legal doctrine of “Finders Keepers.”
Cross recently got married and is pregnant with twins.
As Sacha Baron Cohen’s Kazakhstani alter ego Borat would say, “My movie is bringing glorious takings of much American dollars at box office.”
According to the studio estimates of 20th Century Fox, “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” took in $26.4 million during its opening weekend, mystifying experts and beating the highly favored Disney flick “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause,” which stars Tim Allen.
“Santa Clause” ended up in second place with a $20 million take.
Another film that was supposed to beat “Borat” is Paramount-DreamWorks’ animated comedy “Flushed Away,” which features the voices of Hugh Jackman and Kate Winslet, but the movie landed in the number three spot with $19.1 million.
Theaters were jam-packed with “Borat” fans because “Borat” was released in only 837 theaters, a reflection of execs’ low expectations for the comedy.
In stark contrast “Santa Clause” and “Flushed Away” were on 3,458 screens and 3,707 screens, respectively.
“Borat” averaged $31,511 per theater while “Santa” and “Flushed” averaged less than $6000 per screen.
Needless to say, Fox plans on increasing the number of “Borat” screens ASAP.
Why the success for the highly satirical comedy?
The Internet has been buzzing with feedback on the flick with most of the comments indicating that throughout the movie audiences were in hysterics.
Disney Sticks with Mel Gibson
The Walt Disney Company has indicated its firm support for Mel Gibson’s upcoming epic, “Apocalypto.”
Disney execs undoubtedly saw what I did when viewing the movie, which Gibson co-wrote, produced and directed.
It’s a highly entertaining film that’s part “Road Warrior,” part “Braveheart,” with a highly original setting and story.
The movie will have audience appeal, particularly in the coveted 18 to 25 age group.
The suits at Disney see the potential of “Apocalypto” overcoming the recent coverage of the DUI charge and anti-Semitic remarks, which Gibson apologized for and explained on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Disney spokesman Dennis Rice told Reuters, “If it’s a good movie, people are going to see it. … One of the great things about Mel Gibson is that he is a great filmmaker and he has a proven track record.”
Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations for Disney, acknowledged that controversy will be a factor in marketing the Gibson film.
“I don’t know how that cannot be a factor,” Dergarabedian said. “His personality has come into play … but if it’s a good movie that will hold it in good stead.”
Michael J. Fox can’t shill for big biotech without being opposed this time….
Bill Clinton may have erupted in anger on Fox News Sunday when questioned about his administration’s pursuit of bin Laden, or lack thereof.
But there’s typically not a whole lot of questioning when it comes to the former prez’s pursuits of the amorous kind.
Ashton Kutcher, star voice of the animated “Open Season” and co-star of “the Guardian,” told “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno about an unpleasant meeting he once had with Clinton.
Evidently, Kutcher and his wife, actress Demi Moore, had dinner with the former commander in cheat.
According to Kutcher, Clinton ignored him. “I met Bill Clinton once but he didn’t really talk,” Kutcher said.
Kutcher went on to explain that Bill was too busy. “He was hitting on my wife.”
Guess it makes sense. Moore was, after all, the star of “Indecent Proposal.”
Oh, the many faces of Al Franken.
The guy has visited and entertained the troops and deserves mega-credit for that.
But ever since he entered the world of politics, Franken has become caustic, cranky and generally unfunny.
His much touted talk radio career is currently on life support.
Air America Radio is close to bankruptcy and recently had to endure the sordid publicity surrounding a Bronx charity that improperly lent money to the radio network.
The New York City Department of Investigation discovered that the Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club had transferred $875,000 to Air America in the period leading up to the network’s launch in March 2004.
The charity recently had to pay the city back $625,000 ($250,000 the charity allegedly misused and $375,000 in overpayments).
Investigation into the matter continues and more shoes may drop.
Meanwhile Franken is entering the political arena and the movie-making one as well. He has set up a political action committee and established residency to run for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota.
He also has a documentary, “Al Franken: God Spoke,” which has been released just in time for the mid-term election campaign.
The movie starts out with a scene that invokes the film’s name, with Franken dressed up as Moses and letting viewers know that he’s on a mission from God.
The best movie moments are from Franken’s “Saturday Night Live” days and his standup routines. But the bulk of the film is all about Al–Al as a guest on cable, Al at a beltway party interacting with Republicans, Al promoting his book, Al hyping Air America and Al engaged in various behind-the-scenes rants.
The problem is, though, Al doesn’t wear very well.
The same qualities that he claims to abhor in his right-wing foes are displayed throughout the flick.
Stubborn disregard for facts, fondness for nasty personal attacks and endless supply of whiny voiced complaints makes “Al Franken: God Spoke” a must skip movie.
Two NBC television shows are receiving very different treatment.
The TV network is censoring one program that has positive religious content while at the same time it is resisting calls to exclude religious imagery of a derogatory nature, which appears in another one of its slated programs.
In the first instance, NBC eliminated faith-oriented material from a well-known and highly popular animated children’s program called “VeggieTales.” In the second instance, the network is reportedly still contemplating whether or not to air a Vegas-style crucifixion act, which is part of a Madonna concert that NBC plans on broadcasting during the November ratings sweeps.
Madonna is apparently irritated with the criticism that has come down the pike about her staged scene from her “Confessions” tour. Evidently, the material girl, who often asks for respect for her own faith, Kabbalah, doesn’t understand why there would be hesitancy over the proposed TV airing of the centerpiece of her show, where she wears a crown of thorns while suspended from a large cross.
Many religious organizations, including the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church, have gone on record to let NBC know that including Madonna’s rock-mock crucifixion is unacceptable and insulting.
Meanwhile NBC has removed religious references from “VeggieTales,” which was recently added to its Saturday morning line-up.
Co-creator of the show Phil Vischer wrote this on his Web site: “I’m not at all happy with the edits. I didn’t know I’d need to make them when I agreed to produce the show, and I considered dropping out when I found out just how much would need to be removed.”
Vischer told the Los Angeles Times, “When the first edit notes came back, I thought, ‘This is going to be difficult because the stories were going to fall apart.’ This has implications for ‘VeggieTales,’ which would have been nice to talk about in the beginning.”
Initially the network claimed that the religious references had to be removed from the children’s show because of time concerns. But in a written statement NBC changed its story. It indicated that the reason for the cuts was that the network did not want to be seen as backing a particular religion.
“NBC is committed to the positive messages and universal values of ‘VeggieTales,’” the statement said. “Our goal is to reach as broad an audience as possible with these positive messages, while being careful not to advocate any one religious point of view.”
Alan Wurtzel, an NBC broadcast standards executive, told the New York Times that there was no double standard at work with regard to the shows and that the network was evaluating each show separately.
“We had to make a decision about where it went further than we considered appropriate.” Wurtzel said.
Madonna also spent some time issuing explanations to the press. The singer’s statement claimed that her appearance on Christ’s cross in her concert “is no different than a person wearing a cross or ‘taking up the cross’ as it says in the Bible.”
“My performance is neither anti-Christian, sacrilegious or blasphemous. Rather, it is my plea to the audience to encourage mankind to help one another and to see the world as a unified whole,” Madonna explained, adding that she believed in her “heart that if Jesus were alive today he would be doing the same thing.”
Madonna also said that she is using sacred Christian imagery “to bring attention to the millions of children in Africa who are dying every day [or] are living without care, without medicine and without hope.”
Although NBC claims that it is still deliberating, TV Guide Magazine reported that NBC entertainment chief Kevin Reilly said that Madonna’s crucifixion imitation would probably be in the show because Madonna felt strongly about it.
Liz Rosenberg, a spokeswoman for Madonna, said in an e-mail message to the New York Times that Madonna would not want this number to be censored. She predicted that Madonna “will not back down.”
If NBC does allow Madonna’s Jesus imitation to be aired while justifying the removal of faith references from “VeggieTales,” the tragic message the network will be sending is that it is fine to depict God on TV as long as you’re making fun of Him.
Online bookies are calculating the odds.
Will Rosie O’Donnell, the newest co-host of ABC’s “The View,” be fired, quit or otherwise exit the chitchat stage before her first-year contract is up?
After having to apologize for disparaging statements that she made on her blog about head hostess Barbara Walters, as an encore O’Donnell insulted a lioness’ share of the program’s audience with this statement: “Radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam.”
The family members of numerous beheading victims would beg to disagree as would Christians the world over.
As outrageously offensive as O’Donnell’s statements are, equating evangelical Christians and traditional Catholics with Muslim extremists is fairly routine on left-wing blogs, Air America broadcasts and “Real Time with Bill Maher” panels.
But they also reflect the widely held beliefs of the current far left-leaning Democrat base.
Since the late 1990s O’Donnell has given over $100,000 to political campaigns and organizations, with $74,000 going to candidates with a “D” attached to their names, $27,800 going to left-oriented special interest groups and $1,000 going to the Elizabeth Dole For President Exploratory Committee Inc.
Wonder if O’Donnell was aware that, when it comes to “radical Christianity,” Dole regularly stands up and testifies.
