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Chris Matthews Dances With Ellen
Here's a video clip demonstrating the dancing skills of various MSNBC hosts. You may recall that Tucker Carlson had a brief stint on Dancing With the Stars: alas, Joe Scarborough is still waiting for his callback from his amazing audition tape. But the dancer who really stands out is Chris Matthews, who nearly strangled poor Ellen DeGeneres with his enthusiastic dancing style.
Warning: watching Chris Matthew cutting a rug is not for the faint of heart.
Posted on March 20, 2008
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Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert to Return to the Airwaves
Jon Stewart (The Daily Show and Stephen Colbert (The Colbert Report) will return
the airwaves on January 7, 2008. But there's a catch: they won't have any of their comedy writers, because of the writers' strike.
After a previously scheduled two-week hiatus, "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" will resume production Jan. 7, Comedy Central said in a statement released late Thursday afternoon.
"We continue to hold out hope for a swift resolution to the current stalemate that will enable the shows to be complete again," the network said.
Stewart and Colbert said they wished they could return to work with their writers.
"If we cannot, we would like to express our ambivalence, but without our writers we are unable to express something as nuanced as ambivalence," the comedians said in a statement.
The decision by the Comedy Central hosts, whose programs have been in reruns since the film and TV writers went on strike Nov. 5, follow announcements by Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel this week that they would go back on the air in January, even if they had to cross a picket line. NBC's Carson Daly returned to the air this month.
In contrast with prime-time scripted series that rely on writers, the late-night hosts can theoretically improvise and fill the time with celebrity interviews and musical guests.
Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel and Conan O'Brien are also returning to the airwaves in early January, also without writers. David Letterman, who owns his own production company Worldwide Pants is currently in talks with the Writers Guild to get an exemption so he can use his writers. None of the other comedians own their own shows, so cannot negotiate directly with the WGA.
One strange result of the writers' strike is that the public has been seeing the presidential campaigning without the nightly commentary by comedians. With the comedians back, expect to see much more pointed criticism of all the candidates. That is, if they can improvise enough jokes to make a monologue. It's going to be very interesting to see how they fare.
Posted on December 21, 2007
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Politicians Ponder the Writers' Strike
We are now in the fourth day of the Writers' Strike, which shows no sign of ending anytime soon. The Writers Guild of America ("WGA") is striking after negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers
("AMPTP") failed at the last minute. For the television viewers, this means that their favorite scripted shows - dramas, comedies and the like - are all about to go off the air, along with all the talk shows. If the strike runs as long as the last time eighteen years ago, the studios stand to lose $1 billion. Yet for some reason the media conglomerates are being obstinate, refusing to give writers even a tiny share of the residuals for shows that are shown in digital format, such as those that are downloadable on the Internet or cellphones.
In the old days, studios had staff writers and actors under contract. They got a salary, benefits and worked on whatever the studio told them to. Under the current system, writers are hired on a contract basis with no benefits or job security. At any one time 49% of the WGA writers are unemployed. Currently, the writers get no residuals at all from television shows that are shown online in their entirety, even if there is a commercial embedded into it. DVDs are going away and the writers want to make sure they get their tiny percentage (and, believe me, it is tiny) on the new media that will replace DVDs. The studios won't pay; hence, the strike. For the writers, it's do or die time. If they don't get paid on new media in the future, they will have no future when all media goes digital.
Enter the politicians. Bill Clinton reportedly is interested in brokering a deal before the economic repercussions to all parties becomes devastating. The Mayor of Los Angeles has offered to mediate, but the AMPTP turned him down flat. Governor Schwarzenegger has a vested interest in solving the strike, before the situation costs California millions of dollars in tax revenue. So far, the Governor hasn't done anything but make a few phone calls and at least one inaccurate statement -- that the writers who are striking are rich. They're not. In fact, it couldn't be further from the truth. For every Tim Kring (Heroes) or Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly), there are ten writers who go long stretches of time without a paycheck, writing scripts on spec, making about $5,000
a year, on average. It's a tough business.
The future is digital and the writers must be paid. Otherwise, there will be no quality scripted dramas, comedies or amusing monologues by Leno or Letterman.
You can get full coverage of the issues, with blog posts, links, videos and breaking news at WritersWrite.com's Writers' Strike Resource.
Posted on November 8, 2007
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The Aging of the 18-49 Demographic
The L.A. Times has
an interesting article about advertisers' obsession with the 18-49 year old demographic, which may be changing. The over-50 crowd is less than thrilled with all the hip new products being marketed at 18 year-olds. After all, who do they think earned the money that the 18 year-olds are spending?
Apparently, 50 is the new 30. Today's 50 year olds are just as likely or more likely to change brands and try new things as the under 30's. And some companies, like Apple, are smart enough to have noticed.
One of the most successful products recently to tap into that individualism has been Apple Computer Inc.'s digital music player iPod. Apple set out to market the portable device, which can hold thousands of songs, to people of all ages.
Last fall, its TV commercials featured a silhouette of a dancing Bono of the Irish rock band U2 singing "Vertigo." Apple was confident that younger consumers would see Bono -- who turned 45 today -- as the ultimate in cool: a hardened rocker who crusades for social and environmental causes. Apple was also betting that older consumers, whose fear of technology might have made them anxious, would feel reassured. If Bono, whom they'd listened to for more than two decades, could handle an iPod, so could they.
"We have huge youth appeal," said Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of iPod marketing. "With this campaign, we tried to reach across several generations."
Posted on May 10, 2005
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P. Diddy and W. Have a Chat
The New York Post reports that hip hop impresario and Vote or Die founder P. Diddy (well, he's Sean Coombs to his mother and went by Puffy when he was with J. Lo) showed up at the White House for a private tour, only to discover that his tour guides were President and Mrs. Bush. Which must have been a bit surprising, after that nasty little snafu during the campaign season when Mrs. Bush refused to pose for a photo with the Diddy. P. Diddy's feelings were said to be hurt by the incident and he shared with reporters that Vote or Die is non-partisan. The word must have trickled back to the compound since the first couple reportedly was very gracious during the tour. So what in the world did this threesome discuss? Sources say Laura Bush told Puffy: "I understand you had a wonderful birthday party recently." And when they discovered that P. Diddy and Mrs. Bush have the same birth date, W suggested they celebrate jointly next year. "I'll arrange that," P. Diddy offered. As he left, Mr. Coombs told the first couple, "You have a nice house." Kudos to the Diddy for overcoming the shock and awe of a surprise presidential meeting and coming up with some polite chit chat. Although I'm still not convinced that President Bush had any idea who he was having to lead on a tour, since he kept saying "SO, you're Sean Combs."
Posted on December 7, 2004
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RNC to Rock the Vote: Shut Up or Face the Wrath of the IRS
With American troops stretched thin on the ground in Iraq,
and the activation of reservists and national guardsmen to
active duty in Iraq, many experts are questioning where the
troops are going to come from to continue the progression of the
current administration's foreign policy.
The L.A. Times
quotes Elaine Kamarck, a public policy expert
at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government,
saying that the rumors of the reinstatement of the draft "stem from a direction in foreign policy that is just beginning to sink into the consciousness of the country. Which is, 'Wait a minute, if our foreign policy is to go around the globe and take out bad guys, something's gotta give.'"
And although major newspapers and policy experts are talking about the
realistic possibility of a draft in America's future, apparently, the Republicans
don't even want the subject discussed. Why is that? Polling shows that
young people believe that Bush is much more likely to impose a draft than
Kerry would, although both candidates have said they will not
impose a draft. But Kerry has said he will add two divisions to the Army
and double Special Forces to cover the shortfall and end the backdoor
draft. Bush keeps saying things are fine in Iraq and that the troops
aren't stretched too thin -- which is why there is a credibility gap
as large as the Grand Canyon between his comments and
the beliefs of anyone who has bothered to actually read the
Republican Party Platform.
Founded by liberal-leaning musicians, Rock the Vote is a non-partisan
group which focuses on encouraging young people to get involved with
politics and to vote. It has encouraged a discussion of the draft issue.
Enter
Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie who, after reading
about this in the L.A. Times, sent
this astounding letter to Rock The Vote, demanding that they
stop even discussing the issue of the draft or face the
repeal of their non-profit status. The grounds for Mr. Gillespie's
there will be no draft under President Bush, so an
assertion that even raising the possibility of a draft is
engaging in "malicious intent and a reckless disregard for the truth."
And Mr. Gillespie's proof that there will never be a draft?
Why, President Bush and Donald Rumsfeld said so!
I predict that this heavy-handed attempt by the RNC to stop free speech by Rock the Vote is going to backfire in a big way. Because young people just don't trust old
men who promise not to send them to war -- especially when the old men pull stunts like this.
Posted on October 15, 2004
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Olympic Opening Ceremonies Impress
Everyone has been giving the Greeks so much grief about not being ready for the Olympics -- with endless news stories and even a Saturday Night Live sketch spoofing the confused construction director -- that I'm sure the Olympic Committee was determined to show the world what they are made of. Well, they did it. The opening ceremonies were simply amazing.
During the first hour, a fantastic procession of figures from ancient Greece reminded the world of just how much Greece has contributed to our culture. Figures who were made up to be statues represented various Greek myths. The Greek theater was also represented, such as scenes form
Sophocles' tragedy "Oedipus Rex." Now, you know Bob Costas couldn't let that one pass by. So Costas intones, "Oedipus, as you know, is the tragic Greek king who killed his father and married his mother, a sequence of events that seldom turns out well." Groan.
As the parade of figures went forward in time, the makeup and clothing changed and went from white (such as one would see on a stone bas-relief) to more colorful tones, until we got to the modern age of Greece, where the performers were in full color. The faces of the performers went from the statue-like stillness of the past to vibrant, fully lifelike representations of the current Greeks. It was really quite educational, in spite of Bob Costas.
The lighting of the Olympic rings, the participation of the 70,000 spectators with the use of lights in the darkenss was incredibly moving -- and tasteful. It was so tastefully done, in fact, that it made our opening ceremonies in Atlanta (remember the weird Disney-like figures?) pale in comparison.
I also like the fact that the medalists get crowns of laurel leaves. Now, that's cool.
Let us hope and pray that no violence mars these games. The Greeks have done a fabulous job so far. I can't wait to see what they've got planned for the Closing Ceremonies.
Posted on August 14, 2004
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Will Ferrell Plays George Bush Again
Will Ferrell reprises his impersonation of President George Bush
that was such a hit on Saturday Night Live. In the
hilarious new
online short film by America Coming Together, Ferrell portrays Bush
taping a commercial at his ranch in Crawford, Texas.
Opening line: "I'm George W. Bush and I approved this
ad .....because it's awesome!" The film is written and directed
by former SNL head writer Adam McKay, who also wrote
the feature film, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.
No word yet whether the opposition will respond in kind.
But if they do, who will portray Kerry?
I'm not sure that this was
what Senator McCain had in mind when he pushed for the new,
byzantine campaign finance laws which allow nonprofits to
do ads so long as they don't consult the candidate, but both
sides are wholeheartedly embracing the concept of independent
ads. The candidates, however, are somewhat less happy about messages
that they can't control.
Posted on July 31, 2004
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Michael Moore Stirs the Pot
Well, after all the press and hype about Michael Moore's
Palme D'Or-winning documentary, Fahrenheit 911,
I had to see for
myself what all the fuss was about, so I took in a
showing this afternoon. Ok, the real reason I felt
compelled to see it instead of The Stepford Wives
or even The Chronicles of Riddick, was that
so many people were telling me that I can't see it.
I think that conservatives are making a big mistake,
tactically speaking. Their approach to this film has been
a scorched earth approach: letter-writing campaigns
to the theaters telling them not to carry the movie,
saying that Mr. Moore is anti-American, denunciations of the film
to any reporter who will listen etc. But as Michael
Moore told John Stewart on The Daily Show last night,
all this hyperbole is simply great publicity for the film.
A much better approach would be that taken by one
Republican Senator I saw on CNN this morning.
He said that it was a film
that everyone should see. He said that the hype was
overdone and that it really wasn't that damaging to
the current administration at all. This is much better spin,
in my opinion: to agree that the film has some valid
points, but point out things favorable to the current
administration. The Democrats are winning the spin
on this one, no question.
So, I saw it and was impressed. Moore has stated that this
is not a balanced film, and it's not. He has used
real footage of the war and of political figures,
and edited it in such a way to present his point of view.
It is somewhat uneven as a film and could have
used some shortening, but there is
no question that it is an effective piece of film:
e.g., it clearly and effectively communicates Mr. Moore's
opinions about the reasons for the war in Iraq and
the ability of President Bush to lead the country.
I was surprised at how funny it was. And how sad it was.
And how disturbing it was, for a number of reasons.
But what I found most interesting about the film was that
what you see in the film will surely be seen through
a lens of your preconceived political beliefs.
The theater I saw the film in had a mixed crowd:
Whites, Latinos, Blacks and Asians were all represented.
There was a mix of ages, too. I even saw one
snowy-haired grandfather taking his 15-year old
grandson with him. They were both loaded down with
treats and looked to be having a grand time.
(I just hope they weren't trying to see Harry Potter
and landed in Fahrenheit 911 by mistake.)
I did see one group of 30-somethings who walked
out about halfway through. But everyone else stayed
and applauded wildly at the end.
I think the most important thing about this film is something
that no one has really mentioned yet: this is
the moment in history when documentaries become
major political tools. Mark my words, conservative
filmmakers are wasting no time. According to
Matt Drudge,
there is a film festival
being planned for the fall in Dallas, Texas which
will showcase films that are the polar opposite of
Fahrenheit 911. Believe me, this is the beginning
of a wonderful time for documentary makers.
With the plethora of political books on the bookshelves,
you can read works by Anne Coulter or Al Franken,
Bill O'Reilly or Bill Clinton, Sean Hannity or
Richard Clarke. There's something for everyone.
I know the nation is polarized now. But at least
with all the books and films being made which discuss
important political issues, people are becoming
more involved in the world around them and joining
in the discussion. And that seems like a good thing to me.
Posted on June 25, 2004
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Oscar Hails Lord of the Rings
It was over 3 1/2 hours, but for Peter Jackson
and the cast of The Lord of the Rings: the
Return of the King, it was well-worth it.
The Lord of the Rings swept the Oscars last night, winning 11 awards, including Best Film and Best
Director for Peter Jackson, Best Song for Annie Lennox,
Fran Walsh and Howard Shore's "Into the West."
After the Superbowl fiasco, network execs
cracked down hard and the censorship showed:
this was a pretty boring telecast, all things
considered. But there were a few funny and
worthwhile moments, although there was a
marked lack of political blurt-outs, such as
Michael Moore's infamous anti-Bush
speech from 2003. Here are some highlights and
lowlights:
Highlights:
--A cleaned up, well-barbered Johnny Depp who
politely sat through the entire thing, only to
lose Best Actor gracefully.
--Michael Moore's hilarious cameo in the Billy Crystal opening short film, in which the activist rails against "fictitious hobbits" for waging a "fictitious war" in The Lord of the Rings, before getting crushed by a rampaging oliphant on the battle fields of Middle Earth.
--Peter Jackson's acceptance speech for Best Director in which he dedicated his Oscar to his parents, who he said gave him a Super 8 camera when he was a boy, which he used to make movies in the backyard. Jackson said he wished they were alive to see him win.
--Peter Jackson's acceptance speech for Best Film for The Lord of the Rings, the first fantasy film to be so honored, "Fantasy is one 'f'-word that hopefully the 5-second dealy won't delete."
--Will Ferrell and Jack Black's very funny rendition of the actual words to the song used to hush up wordy
winners entitled, "You're Boring."
--Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller's funny and snappy repartee to promote their new film, Starsky and Hutch. Stiller dressed as Starsky, but Wilson showed up in a tux, looking suave. Wilson tells a pouting jeans-clad Stiller, "It's not the 'Ben Stiller I made a mistake and now everyone has to pay awards.'"
--Blake Edwards' slapstick moment when he shot across the stage in a wheelchair to accept his Oscar for Lifetime Achievement, only to crash into the opposite wall, in a gag worthy of Inspector Clouseau. But Jim Carrey's homage to Edwards was just plain weird.
--Billy Crystal's ad-libbed response to Erroll Morris' acceptance speech for Best Documentary film, The Fog of War in which he said: "Forty years ago, this country went down a rabbit hole in Vietnam and millions died. I fear we're going down a rabbit hole again."
Crystal's quick response: "I can't wait for his audit."
Lowlights:
--The horrifyingly annoying antics of Billy
Bush, who climbed over celebrities and
totally humiliated 13 year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes
by introducing her to her crush Johnny Depp in front of
a billion people. (Earlier she told Billy that's who she
most wanted to meet because "he's such a stud," so he dragged her out of her seat to introduce her to Depp,
who was very nice about the whole thing.)
--In general, the sad lack of shocking and inappropriate political blurt outs. Sean Penn kept his comments clean and only made one joke about the missing WMDs. Even Tim Robbins kept mum about politics and instead urged victims of abuse to come forward.
--The instant replay of the announcement of the winners of major awards. Hey, we just saw who won. We're not that ADD. A major time waster.
--All the beautiful, but boring dresses. Where is Bjork in her swan outfit when you need her? Where is Cher in a Bob Mackie showgirl extravaganza? Blame Joan Rivers and her scathing commentary for scaring the hell out of the more fashion forward stars. Although Diane Keaton did
show up in a totally ridiculous Annie Hall get-up, complete with a man's fedora.
--Renee Zellweger inexplicably thanking Tom Cruise in her acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress, while the camera zooms in on poor Nicole Kidman's face
(whom Renee did not thank) to see how she's taking it.
--With the exception of Annie Lennox's haunting
rendition of "Into the West" (the only decent song nominated), the absolutely grating musical performances. "My Ain True Love" should have been nominated for a Razzie, not an Oscar. Sting should know better.
--The odd sense of humor of the musical director. When Angelina Jolie came out to present an Oscar, the orchestra broke into "Louie, Louie," bringing to mind
the toga party scene from Animal House.
Posted on March 1, 2004
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Mel Gibson Stirs Passions
Who could forget a young and handsome Australian named Mel Gibson in Mad Max, the film that made him famous? And who knew that he'd turn from the People's Sexiest Man Alive to today's Most Controversial Director Alive?
I haven't yet seen The Passion of the Christ, Gibson's film which portrays the last twelve hours of the life of Jesus Christ. So far, critics either love it or hate it. Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper loved it. Roeper said, "This is the most powerful, important and by far the most graphic interpretation of Christ's final hours ever put on film." But David Ansen of Newsweek said it "plays like the Gospel according to the Marquis de Sade ... an R-rated inspirational movie no child can, or should, see ... Gibson's movie is more likely to inspire nightmares than devotion." Ouch.
So what is this movie: a brilliant and moving portrayal of the greatest story ever told or an anti-Semitic, violent gore-fest? I suppose I'll have to see it for myself before I can give an opinion
Posted on February 24, 2004
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Lord of the Rings Cast Wins Best Ensemble
The generally overlooked cast of The Lord of the Rings trilogy finally got their due last night when they won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble in a feature film. They have been nominated for three years running, but finally won. Thank goodness.
And, yes, I am still peeved that not one cast member was nominated for an Oscar.
Posted on February 23, 2004
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WB Stakes Angel Right Through the Heart
It was not a happy Friday the 13th for Joss Whedon and the cast of Angel. On Thursday, WB co-chairman Jordan Levin dropped the bomb on Joss -- that despite good ratings, a growing fan base and being the WB's top show in terms of drawing the coveted 24-35 male demographic, the show was being cancelled at the end of this season. Whedon broke the news to a stunned cast and crew on Friday.
Whedon shared his thoughts on the
situation by posting at the
VIP Bronze Beta, saying:
"I thought this would be a good time to weigh in. to answer some obvious questions: No, we had no idea this was coming. Yes, we will finish out the season. No, I don't think the WB is doing the right thing. Yes, I'm grateful they did it early enough for my people to find other jobs.
Yes, my heart is breaking.
When Buffy ended, I was tapped out and ready to send it off. When Firefly got the axe, I went into a state of denial so huge it may very well cause a movie. But Angel... we really were starting to feel like we were on top, hitting our stride -- and then we strode right into the Pit of Snakes 'n' Lava. I'm so into these characters, these actors, the situations we're building... you wanna know how I feel? Watch the first act of "The Body."
Ouch. And to add insult to injury we now find out the real reason for the cancellation: Levin is bringing back yet a third version of the supernatural vampire soap, Dark Shadows next Fall and didn't want to have two vampire shows on the air. This version is said to be sort of a Gilmore Girls/Dawson's Creek/vampire thing.
Joss Whedon helped make the WB a real network -- not the joke it was when it started. The network was built on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the spinoff Angel. Angel
is far and away one of the best shows
on television today: it's funny, it's witty and it's different from anything else out there. The changes made this season, including the addition to the cast of James Marsters as Spike and Mercedes McNab as Harmony have only added to the show's appeal.
This is a disgrace.
Posted on February 18, 2004
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Network Execs Bracing for More Fallout From Nipplegate
As of today, Janet Jackson's publicist has confirmed that she will not be attending the Grammys on Sunday. However, Entertainment Tonight is reporting that she still has a seat reserved for her in the front row, so who knows whether she'll be there or not. It is also being reported that Justin Timberlake still may be disinvited from performing at the event. But the most unfair fallout from Nipplegate so far has to be the abrupt cancellation of J.C. Chasez's planned halftime performance at the Pro Bowl in Hawaii. Chasez has blasted the NFL for punishing him for something his *NSYNC bandmate did at the Superbowl (he wasn't even there). Daily Variety is reporting the Chasez will be allowed to sing the National Anthem before the game as some sort of consolation prize...
Because it's an election year, Congress has decided to get into the act and is now drawing up witness lists for the hearings to be held next week in Washington, D.C. Word is, the head of Viacom and everyone involved in the now infamous Superbowl halftime show are going to be called to testify.
Not only are the tv execs about to get a congressional grilling on national television, the Grammys and the Oscars are reportedly instituting up to a five minute delay in the broadcasts, allowing censors to delete any performance they feel is indecent under FCC rules. And ER cut a scene which showed trauma surgeons ripping off an elderly woman's shirt to treat her (her breast was exposed for a second or so).
After the furor dies down a bit, it will be interesting to see what the networks do. They are losing viewers in droves to sex and violence-laden shows on cable, such as The Sopranos. FCC rules do not apply to cable because it does not use the public airwaves (the rules were promulgated long before cable existed), so the sky's the limit as far as content goes. But the majority of Americans now get their tv through a cable or satellite system.
I think that it's unfair that Janet Jackson is getting all the blame for this. Yes, she made a mistake in planning any kind of "reveal" for that performance. She's apologized over and over again. But no one at the networks has apologized for the incredibly tacky ads that viewers were forced to watch which featured: a dog biting a man's crotch, a sweaty Scotsman (presumably wearing no underpants) standing over a grate while cold air blows up his kilt while a little boy watches, a horse breaking major wind into the face of a woman in a sleigh and erectile dysfunction ads which warned users to seek medical attention if the erection lasted more than four hours.
Now, that's tacky.
Posted on February 6, 2004
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Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake Spice Up Superbowl Halftime Show
MTV promised a "shocking surprise" the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII, which it produced. CBS wanted MTV to produce the show, thereby ensuring that the younger audience would stick around, instead of heading off to MTV's rival show, as has happened in years past.
Timberlake and Jackson were doing a great job with "Rock Your Body." But right after he sang the lyrics
"Gonna have you naked by the end of this song," Justin leaned over and ripped off the top of Ms. Jackson's costume, thereby exposing her right breast to around -- oh, say -- 60 million people around the world.
A silver tassle was covering her right nipple, preventing total exposure. But right afterward, Ms. Jackson covered herself with her hands and shot a look towards Timberlake that could have melted metal. The censors freaked and pulled the plug. Outraged viewers bombarded CBS with complaints.
Now I'm sure we'll get quotes from Ms. Jackson and Mr. Timberlake tomorrow, but in the meantime here's what I think happened: it was a goof. Ms. Jackson was wearing a tight black corset with a bright red bra peeking through. I think he was supposed to pull off the black material all the way across the chest, exposing the bright red peek-a-boo bra. He used too much force in an Incredible Hulk-like moment and ended up with both the corset and the red bra...of only one breast. Voila! A bare breast, an outraged viewership and an embarassed CBS. It had to be a mistake -- both are seasoned perfomers. Pulling the material off only one breast just looked .....odd. Not balanced, not artistic at all.
That's my theory.
Posted on February 1, 2004
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Angel Set For Another Season
After keeping fans on tenterhooks for weeks,
The WB finally announced that it will renew
the critically acclaimed fantasy drama, starring David Boreanaz
as the vampire with a soul, in search of redemption. Angel
is a spin-off of the recently ended Buffy the Vampire
Slayer series, which starred Sarah Michelle Gellar for a seven year run.
Darker in tone than Buffy, Angel nevertheless
continued with Joss Whedon's trademark
blend of high-octane action, snappy dialogue,
pop culture references and heart-rending drama.
The show will retain its Wednesday timeslot,
at 9:00 pm Eastern time, and will follow
Smallville, which is moving to Wednesdays.
James Marsters, who played Spike
on BTVS, has been announced as a
series regular for the fall, and it's likely that
other Buffy cast members will make guest appearances.
Charisma Carpenter, who plays Cordelia, will scale
back her schedule and will not appear as a regular.
Next season will see Angel head in a new direction,
plot-wise. The season finale featured stylishly evil (and now very
dead) lawyer Lilah returning from the grave to offer
Angel and company the L.A. offices of Wolfram and
Hart as a reward for ending world peace when they
defeated Jasmine (Jasmine's price for world peace was just
too high to pay -- she ate human souls daily to stay in
shape). Bemused and yet tempted, Angel, Wes,
Fred, Gunn and Lorne head over to their new, plush offices.
Suddenly, they have hordes of employees, cool digs,
and access to all of Wolfram and Hart's amazing
R&D department which has the skinny
on all things mystical.
With Spike moving to L.A. (I assume that somehow he
survived dying heroically during the Buffy series finale
Tuesday night) and the incredibly annoying
Conner vaulted to an alternate life, this is going to be a great season.
Go, Joss, go!
Posted on May 21, 2003
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Movie Review: The Matrix Reloaded
When we last saw Neo (Keanu Reeves) in The Matrix,
he had just defeated Agent Smith (excellently played by
Hugo Weaving) and had reluctantly come to terms with the
fact that he was The One who would help free humanity
from its virtual slavery to intelligent machines. Taking a page
from Peter Jackson's book, the Wachowski brothers dispense with
any preliminary explanation at the beginning of The Matrix
Reloaded. The action just picks up where the first movie
left off. So, if you haven't seen The Matrix yet, stop reading
and go rent the DVD before seeing Matrix Reloaded.
Otherwise, you'll be dazed and disoriented, just like
Neo was after he took that red pill in the first movie.
Keanu Reeves plays Neo with a restrained,
Gary Cooper-like performance that perfectly fits
the moody atmosphere. The dialogue is clipped, funny
and jam-packed with pop culture
and regional references: from martial arts films to
westerns to our current traffic woes.
Los Angeles residents are sure to nod their heads
sagely in agreement at this piece of dialogue:
Trinity: "The freeway? You said never to go on the 101,
it's suicide."
Morpheus: "Well, let's hope I was wrong."
This little gem precedes the most amazing car chase scene
in movie history: a spectacular 18-minute adventure set on
a freeway, involving, cars, trucks, motorcycles,
guns, ammo, martial arts and incredible special effects.
Yuen Wo Ping, the fight choreographer who
created the effects in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,
outdoes himself this time out. Neo -- who has discovered
some of the secrets of the Matrix -- is now able to do
almost anything while in the virtual reality world of
the Matrix; he can fly, he can move faster than most
humans, and his martial arts skills are out of this world.
At one point, he fights one hundred Agent Smiths, while
barely breaking a sweat. He also has some really cool clothes.
Carrie-Ann Moss, as Neo's love interest Trinity, looks
great in her black patent leather catsuit, drives like
a Winston Cup-winning NASCAR driver and makes us
believe in her love for Neo and her faith in the prophecy.
Much has been written about the Wachowski brothers'
dark vision of the future of humanity, where the machines
take over, put us in tanks and use our brain emissions as
energy. To keep humans occupied, they are plugged into the
virtual reality world which looks just like our current, modern world.
But a few people -- those who don't fit in, who always felt
that something wasn't quite right about our world -- well,
it turns out they were right. The Wachowski brothers
slip lots of subtext into this movie which reinforces the
idea that our "real" world really isn't real at all, that we are
the ones caught in the Matrix; just because you're paranoid,
doesn't mean they're not out to get you.
In between all the musings about the nature of
reality, the goals of humanity, and the
fundamental role of choice in the universe,
is some fantastic, thought-provoking entertainment. So, for those who
are not into cyberpunk or contemplating the
nature of slavery, reality -- virtual or otherwise --
just grab the popcorn, sit in an air-conditioned movie
theater with a really big screen and enjoy the
best spectacle of the summer.
Director: Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski
Studio: Warner Bros.
Running time: 138 minutes
Rating: Rated R (for sci-fi violence and some sexuality)
Cast:
Neo: Keanu Reeves
Morpheus: Laurence Fishburne
Agent Smith: Hugo Weaving
Trinity: Carrie-Anne Moss
Oracle: Gloria Foster
Niobe: Jada Pinkett Smith
Zee: Nona Gaye
Lock: Harry Lennix
Link: Harold Perrineau
Persephone: Monica Bellucci
Twins: Neil and Adrian Rayment
Posted on May 18, 2003
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Oscars Hit Just the Right Note
In light of the current war in Iraq, many people
felt that the Oscars were just plain inappropriate.
The red carpet arrivals with ostentatious displays
of designer gowns and fabulous jewelry seemed
a bit much when American, British and Australian
servicemen and women are fighting and dying in
Iraq. But the decision that the show must go on
actually turned out to be a good one. Most of
the actresses toned down their outfits quite a bit.
De rigeur for the evening was a black dress,
pulled back hair and no diamonds. To make up for
the lack of glitter, most of the actresses accessorized
with major cleavage. The host, Steve Martin,
did an excellent job. He was funny and discrete, avoiding
the obvious political issues of the day, choosing to focus
on his famous audience for laughs. Sample: "The truth
is, Nicole Kidman has actually worn a prosthetic nose
in every one of her films, except The Hours. That was
her real nose."
Of course, media watchers were all just waiting
for the biggest blurt-out of the night. And, sure enough,
we weren't disappointed. Instead of thanking anyone
for his win for Best Documentary Film for
Bowling for Columbine, Michael Moore instead
used his time to berate the audience about the
"fictitious" war in Iraq (it looks pretty real to me)
and our "fictitious" president, George Bush
(he also appears to be real, as far as we can tell).
I can only assume that Mr. Moore meant that
he doesn't approve of Mr. Bush or the war, not
that he doesn't believe that either Mr. Bush or the war
is not actually real. I mean, honestly,
if you're going to do a big blurt out at the Oscars,
please at least use appropriate language and imagery; otherwise
you run the risk of thoroughly confusing the audience.
Mr. Moore was roundly booed and cut off by the
orchestra, who had been instructed to launch into
the theme from Shaft if anyone started making
political commentary. Steve Martin noted that
"there was lots of love backstage after Moore's speech;
the Teamsters were seen helping Moore into the
trunk of his limo."
In a marvelously graceful speech, Honorary Oscar winner
Peter O'Toole outdid himself, thanking the United States
for all it has done for him over the years. Nominated
seven times for an Oscar, but never winning, O'Toole
noted, "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride my foot.
I have my very own Oscar now to be with me until
death us do part."
There were two upsets of the night: Adrien Brody
winning Best Actor for his performance in The Pianist
and Eminem winning Best Song for "Lose Yourself",
from the 8 Mile soundtrack, much to the apparent
shock of presenter Barbra Streisand.
The very pregnant Catherine Zeta-Jones
looked fabulous as she accepted her Best Supporting
Actress award for Chicago. Looking as if she was expecting
her second child any minute,
Zeta-Jones nevertheless managed to belt out a rousing
rendition of "I Move On" with Queen Latifah. No word
on why Renée Zellweger didn't do the number that she
performed with Ms. Zeta-Jones in the film. She didn't look
ill --- could there be any truth to those rumors that it wasn't
really her voice in the film? Or perhaps she just doesn't
want to sing live in front of millions of people? At any rate,
she looked grand in her red gown, and has her Golden Globe
award to keep her company, since the Oscar for Best Actress
went to Nicole Kidman.
Chicago is the first musical to win an Oscar since
Oliver, although that was no surprise, really.
So, the seemingly endless awards season is coming to a close.
Now we'll have to wait another entire year to see Hollywood
put on the glam to congratulate itself on yet another job
well done.
Posted on March 24, 2003
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Oprah Travels With the Classics
In a move that has the beleaguered book industry
down on its knees thanking the publishing gods,
media mogul
Oprah Winfrey has announced that
she is bringing back her popular book club, although
in a different form.
In a speech to the Association of American Publishers,
Ms. Winfrey said that she will soon be "back in the
business of recommending books...but with a difference."
This time around, the focus will be on classic literature.
The new book club is tentatively titled
"Traveling with the Classics," and will air three to five times a year,
a slower pace than the grueling monthly schedule of the old club.
Another difference is the location of the broadcast. Oprah
will travel to a location connected with the book or the author and
broadcast from there. Full support materials will be found on
Oprah.com, as well as companion study guides.
Of course, the big question for the publishers is:
what constitutes a "classic"? Are we talking public domain
works like Shakespeare here, or will the show include
modern classics, such as Catcher in the Rye, which
are still copyrighted and have exclusive print rights?
The news had publishers flipping through
their backlists immediately, hoping to find some "classic"
gems.
Oprah has publicly stated that she misses doing the old
show, but wanted to do something different. And why, you may
ask, did she cancel the first book club? I have two words
for you: Jonathan Franzen. This is only my opinion, of course,
but I think that the
Franzen debacle really hurt Oprah's feelings.
I mean, here she is doing an unprecedented, wonderful thing for literacy and the
book industry, and she gets kicked in the teeth for her troubles by
the World's Most Ungrateful Author himself. (After being invited
to be a Book Club honoree, the National Book Award-winning
Franzen wouldn't let
his publisher put the Oprah sticker on his precious literary
masterpiece, made fun of the Book Club format and its
female readership, then dissed Oprah's taste in books to
any media outlet that would listen, calling the books she
picked "schmaltzy", among other things. So Oprah uninvited
Franzen from the show.)
The great thing about doing classics is that, generally speaking,
the authors are dead and cannot make insulting comments
about one's taste/readers/tv show format. I, for one,
think that this is a wonderful idea. The classics are a part
of our history, our language and our culture. Yet, they are
sadly being forgotten in the pop culture of the new millennium,
by generations who would rather watch an episode of MTV's
Cribs than dive into Dickens. And if anyone can get people
to discover the joys of Shakespeare, Twain and
the Brontë sisters, it's Oprah Winfrey. More power to her.
Posted on March 4, 2003
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Sarah Michelle Gellar to Leave Buffy
Now this is one Internet rumor that I really didn't want
to be true, that Sarah Michelle Gellar is hanging up
her stake and crossbow and departing from Buffy the Vampire
Slayer. I mean, I know her movie career is
going well, but surely she could fit just one more
year into her schedule? Unfortunately,
Zap2it.com
is reporting that the rumors are true, and that Gellar
will spill all about her departure from the
critically acclaimed show in an exclusive interview for the March 7th issue
of Entertainment Weekly. And the Hollywood Reporter
says that Gellar is slated to start shooting in August for
the lead in MGM's Romantic Comedy, a
love story about a guy who tries to
win the heart of his longtime best friend and U.N.
translator (Gellar),
by recreating romantic scenes from movies. The film
is set for a 2004 release. A male friend, who
falls in the coveted 18-30 age group, responded to the news
of Gellar's departure from the Buffyverse thusly:
"That sucks, bigtime." Bigtime, indeed, my friend.
For as television slips further and futher into the morass
of reality programming, excellent shows with
intelligent writing, witty humor and talented actors
are going to become few and far between in the next year.
Of course, there are also rumors that the show will continue
in some form or another, perhaps with Eliza Dushku
reprising her role as the fallen slayer, Faith. But Dushku
has agreed to star in a new Fox pilot about a girl
who can go back in time for one day to save lives
(shades of UPN's ill-fated series 7 Days come to mind
here), and so a Faith-centered show seems
unlikely. Nicholas Brendon (Xander) and Alyson Hannigan (Willow) are both contractually bound to
stay with Buffy for one more season -- if there is a season.
And James Marsters (Spike) has stated that he's
more than willing to stick around. Of course,
some cast members could migrate over to Angel.
There is still no official confirmation
from either UPN or Mutant Enemy productions, but
those in the know say it's a done deal. That's a stake
through the heart for Buffy fans.
Posted on February 26, 2003
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Michael Jackson: A Trip to Never Never Land
Last night's airing of the Martin Bashir
documentary about Michael Jackson's life truly
had to be seen to be believed. There was so much bizarre, sad and ultimately
disturbing content that was aired during the two hour
interview, that it's hard to know where
to start.
The film began with Bashir's trip to Jackson's
famous Santa Barbara rance, Neverland.
The ranch is truly amazing, containing
a full zoo with elephants, monkeys and other
animals, and a full-blown amusement park,
complete with a working train, carrousel,
go-cart track and many other rides. Jackson, with his
whispery-soft voice, in full make-up, climbs a tree
(he's in great shape for 44, I might add), tells Bashir he wants to "live
forever," and explains the details of his abusive
childhood. He shows Bashir his house full of
Peter Pan statues and tells Bashir that he
"is Peter Pan in his heart." He touchingly describes
his humiliation at having severe acne as a child, and
the relentless teasing by his brothers and father, who called him
"Big Nose." "You didn't get that ugly nose from my side
of the family," says father Joe Jackson, according to
Michael. He also describes throwing up at the mere
sight of his father who "threw him against a wall" and
beat them with "anything that was handy." He admitted
that he hated his father during the beatings -- a normal
reaction, I would say. He also claims to have had only
two nose jobs to help him sing better. He also gave the
oddest impression of almost believing this clearly falst
statement. Based upon a series of photos, a
plastic surgeon later detailed which procedures
she believed had been done: a brow lift, thinning of the lips,
lip tattooing, a chin implant, a cheekbone implant, skin
bleaching, and an eye job. She
said plastic surgeons describe a nose
such as his as "end stage," e.g.,
that's doctor-speak for "his nose
is so screwed up from too many surgeries, that there is nothing else
that can be done to fix it."
A note about smarmy journalist Martin Bashir is in
order here. Michael Jackson said he agreed to give
Bashir unprecedented access to his family and life
because Bashir told Jackson that "He was the man
who turned Princess Diana's life around." Excuse me? Bashir
was the man who conducted that ghastly interview
with the Princess where she looked like a deer
caught in the headlights, eyes red-rimmed from
crying. He is the man who got her to admit to infedility
on international television and to say that Prince
Charles wasn't fit to be king. Princess Diana said
repeatedly that she did not want a divorce, but
as soon as that interview aired, the Queen wrote
a letter telling Charles to divorce her immediately.
Soon after, she lost the right to be called
Her Royal Highness, and is said to have greatly
regretted giving that interview. Bashir is a real creep.
He exudes an oily sympathy which is solely
designed to get celebrities to say things that
they shouldn't on film. He is shown sucking up to
Jackson during most of the film, even holding hands
with poor little Prince Michael I, Jackson's five
year-old son. Then, in sanctimonious voiceovers, he says how
"disturbed" he was by Jackson's comments and
how he "knew he must confront him" about
the
allegations of child molestation which have
haunted the pop superstar since the 1994
civil settlement of the case. (No criminal charges were
ever filed.) Bashir was actually in the hotel room in Berlin
when Jackson dangled Prince Michael II over the balcony,
which caused a worldwide furor. Did he say anything
about child endangerment? No way. That might
end the incredibly lucrative interview.
Of course, Jackson played right into Bashir's hands with
absolutely outrageous comments about having children
in his house for sleepovers, and sleeping in the same
bed as actors McCauley and Kiernan Caulkin.
Jackson maintains the sleepovers are not sexual in
nature, that they are very sweet and touching.
Let's just say I wouldn't want any child of mine
in bed with Michael Jackson, who clearly is in
need of therapy because of his bizarre and abusive
childhood. One also has to wonder about the upbringing
that his own three children are enduring. There are nannies,
but no real mother. Prince II's (also known as Blanket)
mother has not been
identified. Prince I and Paris' mother, Debbie Rowe,
is nowhere to be found, and Prince I told Bashir
"I don't have a mother." The children are dragged
all over the world, and will not attend regular school
"because of the paparazzi." Oh, please. If Prince
William and Prince Harry can go to school,
then I think a way could be found for
Michael Jackson's kids to go to a formal school with
other children, instead of being subjected to a series
of tutors as their father was. I mean, look how weird
he turned out to be.
Several things became very clear as a result of this
interview. Michael Jackson is trapped in a fantasy childhood to make
up for the childhood he never had. He does not appear to be
a violent or aggressive person, and he is an extremely talented musical artist.
He was horribly abused as a child, and is now surrounded by
people and a lifestyle designed to keep him from being
confronted by the harsh realities of the real world.
Lastly, Michael Jackson truly does not seem to realize how strange his
life and attitudes are. And perhaps that is the saddest
thing of all.
Posted on February 7, 2003
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Firefly Swatted by Networks
SciFi.com
is reporting that Joss Whedon's
innovative and critically well-received
series Firefly has been turned down by
ABC, CBS, NBC, UPN and the SCI FI Channel,
according to Christopher Buchanan, president
of Joss Whedon's production company,
Mutant Enemy. With production costs of
around $2 million per episode, the show is finding
it difficult to find a new home mid-season, although
reportedly, Whedon hasn't yet given up finding a home
for the series.
The SF/Western drama originated by Joss Whedon,
the talented creator of the hit television shows Buffy the Vampire
Slayer and Angel, was never really given a chance
by Fox. First, Fox brass decided that the two
hour season premiere "didn't have enough action,"
and so never aired it until the end of the first
season, which made for some continuity problems.
I'm not sure what the Fox brass were
smoking; if there were any more action
in the exciting and well-written two hour premiere, it would
have been yanked off the air by network censors.
The show drew decent ratings for the
dreaded Friday night timeslot, especially given the
total lack of promotion for the series. Given a little
support, it easily could have grown into its own.
The Nielsen Galaxy Report for 12/16/02 - 12/22/02
showed Firefly as the fourth most popular
SF show, pulling a 2.7 HHR Rating.
(The HHR, or household rating, is the average number
of households that watched a specific show expressed
as a percentage of all television households.)
Fan support has been overwhelming.
FireflySupport.com
was launched by loyal followers of the show, who
purchased a full-page ad in Variety, and has been engaged in
an active letter-writing campaign urging network
execs to pick up the show. But after the latest rounds
of pitches to other networks were unsuccessful,
even diehard fans are losing hope for a last-minute
resurection of the show.
With excellent writing, well-rounded characterization,
exciting action and some excellent CGI work, Firefly
deserves to be picked up and promoted properly.
This is the kind of unique and quality programming
that we need more of.
With the loyal fan base, it's clear that this could be
a money maker, given a decent time slot and a
competent publicity campaign. I know I'd tune in.
Posted on January 17, 2003
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Harry Potter and the Juggernaut of Hype
In a development that's sure to thrill booksellers,
Scholastic has announced the long-awaited publication
date of the next Harry Potter novel, Harry Potter and the
Order of the Phoenix: June 21, 2003. To date, the series
about the boy wizard and his friends has sold approximately
80 million hardback and paperback copies
in the United States and 192 million worldwide since
the first book was released in 1998, according to Scholastic.
The book has also been widely ripped off, with bootleg
Russian versions entitled Tania Grotter selling quite well in the
former USSR. Chinese readers (illegally) can enjoy
Harry Potter And Leopard Walk Up To Dragon: a really
bizarre book in which Harry Potter has become an obese
dwarf with no magical powers. The opening line in that
soon-to-be-a-classic is "Harry doesn't know how long
it will take to wash the sticky cream cake off his face."
Luckily, most countries are signatories to international
copyright treaties, and print authorized foreign-language
versions of the books.
Here in the U.S., the hype juggernaut is starting up again: journalists'
requests for interviews with J.K. Rowling are
increasing, bookstores are already planning huge
event parties with treats, parties and even sleepovers
for fans, and people are pre-ordering the book from
amazon.com. Normally, I would eschew any book which
has this kind of in your face marketing, but there's a problem:
I love the Harry Potter books. There, I've said it.
They are funny, witty and wildly entertaining. The films
are excellent, as well. Which puts a real damper on my
inner curmudgeon, to say the least.
So, there you have it. Time to borrow a friend's children
and head to my local Barnes and Noble, carrying:
1) the lightning bolt decal for my forehead,
2) my AMEX gold card
and 3) a sleeping bag for the all-night party.
I'll be in disguise though, so please don't
say hello.
Posted on January 15, 2003
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