WeekEnder: April 22-28
Saturday, April 28, 2007
You Know It's Sweeps When...
It's May, which means it's time for sweeps stunts! Here's our weekly look at what TV show's are doing to drive up the ratings:
American Idol Gives Back: As Lame As It Gets
American Idol's two-hour special to raise money for the poor was good in concept, but very poor in action. Did Ellen Degeneres really need to co-host the show? Five hours of her mind-numbingly cheesy talk show a week is enough. Not to mention, the show was being promoted as this huge concert event, yet most of the performances weren't even on the Idol stage. Some of them, like the bizarre Celine Dion and Elvis duet, were recorded. While it's great that producers are looking for ideas to keep the show buzzworthy and high in the ratings, Idol should stick to what it's semi-good at: searching for talent. Leave the telethons for Jerry Lewis.
Labels: weekender
posted by jc @ 3:15 PM,
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Hugh Grant Throws Baked Beans at Photographer
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Actor Hugh Grant was arrested for thowing a tub of baked beans at a photographer. Grant got heated when the photographer appeared outside his home in Chelsea on Tuesday. The photog allgedly said he was there to take pictures of Grant's ex, Liz Hurley, and asked Grant to smile for the camera. That's when the movie star allegedly lost it, kicking the photog three or four times. Then, as Grant entered his house, he allegedly turned around and threw a contained of baked beans at the paparazzo. Grant was arrested at the scene and quickly made bail. Of course, this isn't the first time the actor has been in trouble with the law. In 1995, he was cuaght with a prostitute in Los Angeles.
Labels: celebrity arrests
posted by jc @ 9:53 PM,
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Roger Ebert Fights Back From Cancer
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Roger Ebert has been absent from his movie review show, Ebert & Roeper, for about a year as he recovers from cancer. It's been a real uphill battle for the beloved film critic, that's left him without the ability to speak. He has a tracheostomy, but will soon have a surgery that should restore his voice. For now, Ebert is still the world's biggest movie fan and is taking part of his Overlooked Film Festival from the comfort of a La-Z-Boy chair. His road to recovery hasn't been easy. Ebert wrote all about it in a column that's been posted on rogerebert.com. For Roger his fans who have been worried about him, this candid and eloquent message shows that Roger Ebert is stronger than ever:
My Ninth Annual Film Festival opens Wednesday night at the University of Illinois at Urbana, and Chaz and I will be in attendance. This year I won’t be speaking, however, as I await another surgery.I have received a lot of advice that I should not attend the Festival. I’m told that paparazzi will take unflattering pictures, people will be unkind, etc. Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn. As a journalist I can take it as well as dish it out.
So let’s talk turkey. What will I look like? To paraphrase a line from “Raging Bull,” I ain’t a pretty boy no more. (Not that I ever was. The original appeal of Siskel & Ebert was that we didn’t look like we belonged on TV.) What happened was, cancer of the salivary gland spread to my right lower jaw. A segment of the mandible was removed. Two operations to replace the missing segment were unsuccessful, both leading to unanticipated bleeding.A tracheostomy was necessary so, for the time being, I cannot speak. I make do with written notes and a lot of hand waving and eye-rolling. The doctors now plan an approach that does not involve the risk of unplanned bleeding. If all goes well, my speech will be restored. So when I turn up in Urbana, I will be wearing a gauze bandage around my neck, and my mouth will be seen to droop. So it goes.
I was told photos of me in this condition would attract the gossip papers. So what? I have been very sick, am getting better and this is how it looks. I still have my brain and my typing fingers. Although months in bed after the bleeding episodes caused a lack of strength and co-ordination, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago restored my ability to walk on my own, climb stairs, etc. I no longer use a walker much and the wheelchair is more for occasional speed and comfort than need. Just today we went for a long stroll in Lincoln Park.
We spend too much time hiding illness. There is an assumption that I must always look the same. I hope to look better than I look now. But I’m not going tomiss my Festival.Why do I want to go? Above all, to see the movies. Then to meet old friends and great directors and personally thank all the loyal audience members who continue to support the Festival. At least, not being able to speak, I am spared the need to explain why every film is “overlooked,” or why I wrote “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.”
Being sick is no fun. But you can have fun while you’re sick. I wouldn’t miss the Festival for anything!
P.S. To Gossip Rags: I have some back pain, and to make it easier for me to sit through screenings, the Festival has installed my very own La-Z-Boy chair. Photos of me in the chair should be captioned, “La-Z-Critic.”
posted by jc @ 9:02 PM,
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Rosie O'Donnell Leaving "The View"
After causing controversy after controversy on ABC's "The View" for less than a year, Rosie O'Donnell has decided to not renew her contract with the show. That means, she'll be leaving in June. O'Donnell and ABC could not agree on a contract. She wanted one year, ABC wanted to lock her in for three."It just didn't work," O'Donnell said on the show Wednesday, "and that's show biz. But it's not sad because I loved it here and I love you guys and I'm not going away."
O'Donnell says she will appeared on The View occassionally next season. ABC was hoping to tie her down so she wouldn't leave and become competition. Rumor has it Rosie may be shopping around for her own daytime show again.
O'Donnell earned $3 million dollars for her short gig on the show. She also caused all sorts of controversy, getting into a heated feud with billionaire Donald Trump. She was also said to not get along with Barbara Walters and executive producer Bill Getty.
Labels: daytime tv
posted by jc @ 8:17 PM,
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WeekEnder: April 15-21
Saturday, April 21, 2007
THE BIG STORY
The Virgnia Tech Shootings
We've all heard the grisly details and seen the sickening video of the Virginia Tech shootings. But out of this horrible tragedy comes amazing forgiveness. A makeshift memorial on campus includes a semi-circle of stones each of which has a ribbon with the name of someone who died in the shooting spree. There are 33 stones, including one for the gunman, Cho Seung-hui. "His family is suffering just as much as anyone else. So I think we should put a stone out for him, too," 17-year-old Elizabeth Lineberry told USA Today. "He was a Hokie just like everyone else."
WORTH CHECKING OUT
The Springer Hustle (VH1, Sundays at 11pm/EST and repeats all week)
Go behind the scenes of the Jerry Springer show to see how producers do whatever it takes to get guests. This show shows it all, including how producers coach guests on what they should say and how they sweat it out in the hopes of putting on the trashiest show possible. An interesting look at how a national talk show is pieced together that proves things aren't always what they seem.
Labels: weekender
posted by jc @ 8:47 AM,
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Alec Baldwin Lashes Out At Daughter
Friday, April 20, 2007
He may be a good actor, but you always get the impression that Alec Baldwin probably isn't the nicest guy in real life. Here's further proof of that. TMZ.com obtained a nasty, profanity-laced message from Baldwin, which he left on his 11-year-old daughter, Ireland's, voicemail. Throughout the two-minute plus message, he launches a string of insults at the girl. He calls her a "thoughtless little pig" and goes on to bash her mother, Kim Basinger, who he's been in a messy divorce with. Baldwin was apparently upset because Ireland didn't answer his scheduled phone call on April 11th."I don't give a damn that you're 12-years-old or 11-years-old, or a child, or that your mother is a thoughtless pain in the ass who doesn't care about what you do." The irate Baldwin went on to say, "You've made me feel like shit," Baldwin screamed.
Baldwin posted an apology on his Website today, saying he was over emotional because of the custody battle brewing between him in Basinger.
"Although I have been told by numerous people not to worry too much, as all parents lose their patience with their kids, I am most saddened that this was released to the media because of what it does to a child," he wrote. "I'm sorry, as everyone who knows me is aware, for losing my temper with my child. I have been driven to the edge by parental alienation for many years now. You have to go through this to understand."
Labels: star scandals
posted by jc @ 7:41 PM,
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SANJAYA VOTED OFF AMERICAN IDOL!
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
After weeks of bad singing and bad hairstyles, Sanjaya Malakar has finally been voted off of American Idol. His pitchy rendition of Bonnie Raitt's "Let Give Them Something To Talk About" last night did him in tonight. It was down to Sanjaya and powerhouse singer Lakisha Jones and Lakisha got more votes. Sanjaya gained national attention on the Howard Stern show and on the website VoteForTheWorst.com, which both campaigned to keep him on to ruin American Idol.
Labels: american idol
posted by jc @ 10:03 PM,
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Thoughts on a Tragedy
Various quotes made in the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings.
"We are better than we think....We are alive and with the imagination we will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears, through all this sadness, we are the Hokies! We will prevail! We will prevail! We will prevail! We will prevail! We are Virginia Tech!" -- Virginia tech teacher and poet, Nikki Giovanni
"He was a loner, and we're having difficulty finding information about him." -- Virginia Tech spokesman Larry Hincker on gunman Cho Seung-Hui
"People who have never met you are praying for you. They're praying for your friends who have fallen and who are injured." -- President Bush to Virginia Tech students and teachers
"We always joked we were just waiting for him to do something, waiting to hear about something he did." -- Cho's classmate Stephanie Derry.
"He was a nice, clean-cut college kid. We won't sell a gun if we have any idea at all that a purchase is suspicious." --
John Markell, owner of the gun shop where Cho bought his murder weapon
"We will move on from this. But it will take the strength of each other to do that." -- Zenobia Hikes, vice president for student affairs at Virginia Tech
posted by jc @ 3:58 AM,
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Virginia Tech Massacre
Monday, April 16, 2007
A crazed gunman went on a shooting rampage on the campus of Virginia Tech this morning, killing 32 people before turning the gun on himself. The shooting is being called the deadliest rampage in modern U.S. history. The gunman was carrying two handguns and was armed with multiple clips of ammunition when he opened fire at a dorm at 7:15 a.m. killing two people. One of the dead is said to be an ex, while the other was a student advisor. More than two-and-half hours later, 31 people including the gunman were killed in a classroom building. Several other students were injured in the senseless attack. The scene was complete chaos as many students jumped out of windows to save their own lives.
This rampage comes nearly eight years to the day of the Columbine high school shootings in Colorado. Teenage killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold gunned down 12 students and a teacher on April 20, 1999, before killing themselves.
posted by jc @ 10:26 PM,
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WeekEnder: April 8-14
Saturday, April 14, 2007
THE BIG STORIES
Imus Gets Fired
Don Imus ignited more anger and outrage than Mel Gibson when he called the women of the Rutgers basketball team "nappy headed hos." As the sponsors pulled out and racial arsonists like Al Sharpton voiced their anger, Imus stood no chance of staying on the air. MSNBC and CBS quickly fired the longtime host, leaving many wondering if he'll resurface on sattelite radio.
Duke Lacrosse Charges
The rape charges against the three Duke lacrosse players accused of raping a stripper at a party were dismissed this week. Some publications like the New York Post were quick to publish the name and picture of the accuser, branding her a liar.
Anna Nicole's Baby Daddy
After months of wondering who was the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby, DNA tests prove that it's Larry Birkhead. Howard K. Stern says he's not going to pursue custody, so hopefully all of these clowns will fade into the sunset.
QUICK HITS
Labels: weekender
posted by jc @ 9:42 AM,
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Cashing In On Controversy
Friday, April 13, 2007
You knew it was comimg. All sorts of "Nappy Headed Ho" merchandise is being sold online in the wake of the Imus controversy. The cuddly racist above can be yours for just $17.99. You can also buy "Ho" T-shirts for you, your baby or your dog. If that's not enough, you can buy "Nappy Headed Ho" mugs, coasters, mousepads, clocks and even a BBQ apron for cooking over your hibachi of hate. The designer says he's selling all this in support of Imus and free speech. Seems like he just wants to make a few quick bucks off a national scandal.Labels: good grief
posted by jc @ 5:46 PM,
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100 Unsexiest Men of 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
The Boston Phoenix is out with its annual list of the 100 Unsexiest Men. Last year, comedian Gilbert Gottfried topped the list. This year, Donald Trump gets the dubious honor with the paper referring to him as a "loathsome billionaire." Here's a look at some of the more familiar faces that made the list:100. Tom Cruise
99. Aaron Carter
98. Reverend Ted Haggard
97. Larry King
96. Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite star)
95. Patrick Stump 9lead singer of Fall Out Boy)
93. Jimmy Kimmel
92. Osama bin Laden
91. Bob Saget
89. Newt Gingrich
88. Eric Estrada
87. Joe Simpson (Jessica Simpson's father)
86. John Popper (lead singer of Blues Traveler)
82. The Geico Cavemen
80. Ann Coulter (Honorary member of the rodded gender thanks to a conspicuous Adam’s apple and complementary set of brass balls.)
79. Joe Francis (Girls Gone Wild founder)
78. Bill Gates
77. Dick Cheney
75. David Lee Roth
74. Peyton Manning
73. Pope Benedict
72. George Steinbrenner
70. Artie Lang
69. Ying Yang Twins
66. Rush Limbaugh
63. Chad Kroeger (lead singer of Nickelback)
62. Larry Bird (basketball great)
59. Gene Simmons
57. Randy Johnson (baseball pitcher)
54. Dr. Phil
52. Jay-Z
50. Mitt Romney
48. Alan Colmes
45. The Duke Lacrosse Team
42. Jeff Foxworthy
40. Curt Schilling
35. Kevin Federline
31. Bill Belickick (Patriots coach)
30. Howie Mandel
29. Mark Anthony
28. Dustin "Screech" Diamond
27. Mr. Blackwell
25. O.J. Simpson
24. Phil Spector
22. Bruce Vilanch (comedian)
21. Gerard Way (Lead singer of My Chemical Romance)
20. Jared Fogle (Subway spokesman)
19. Larry the Cable Guy
18. Mel Gibson
16. Bill O'Reilly
15. James Gandolfini
14. The Senators from Massachusetts (aka Ted Kennedy and John Kerry)
13. Philip Seymour Hoffman
11. Michael Richards
10. Carl from Aqua Teen Hunger Force
9. Bob Dylan
8. Perez Hilton
7. Sanjaya Malakar
6. Don Imus
5. Howard K. Stern
4. Karl Rove
3. Flavor Flav
2. The Fat Guy from Borat
1. Donald Trump (It’s not the greed, the preposterous comb-over, or the public bullying that turns women off any more: it’s the pursed lips and the scrunched, pineal stare. Actually, scratch that: it’s still the hair, the greed, and the bullying.
List courtesy: The Boston Phoenix
posted by jc @ 10:25 PM,
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IMUS: RADIO SHOW CANCELLED!
CBS has fired Don Imus from his radio show, a week after the shock jock referred to the women of the Rutgers basketball team as "nappy headed hos." The show is off the air effective immediately. Losing the longtime host will result in a huge financial loss for CBS Radio, which also suffered when Howard Stern left for satellite radio early last year. The program is worth about $15 million in annual revenue to CBS, which owns Imus' home radio station, WFAN-AM in New York, and manages Westwood One, the company that syndicates the show across the country. CBS CEO Les moonves issued the following statement regarding Imus' firing:
From the outset, I believe all of us have been deeply upset and revulsed by the statements that were made on our air about the young women who represented Rutgers University in the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship with such class, energy and talent. Those who have spoken with us the last few days represent people of goodwill from all segments of our society - all races, economic groups, men and women alike. In our meetings with concerned groups, there has been much discussion of the effect language like this has on our young people, particularly young women of color trying to make their way in this society. That consideration has weighed most heavily on our minds as we made our decision, as have the many emails, phone calls and personal discussions we have had with our colleagues across the CBS Corporation and our many other constituencies.
Moonves met up with Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson this morning to discuss Imus' future with CBS. Both called for him to be fired.
Labels: radio, star scandals
posted by jc @ 8:36 PM,
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You ARE The Father!!!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
After months of bullshit, a DNA test has finally proven that Larry Birkhead IS the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby. "My baby's going to be coming home pretty soon," the 34-year-old photographer said. He then hugged hHoward K. Stern who's been claiming that Dannielynn is his. Stern says he will not fight for custody, but Anna Nicole's mother has indicated that she might. Does this nonsense ever end?!Labels: star scandals
posted by jc @ 9:27 PM,
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Update: Don Imus Suspended
Monday, April 09, 2007
Things continue to snowball for talk radio's Don Imus days after he refered to the women of the Rutgers basketball team as "nappy headed hos." CBS Radio and MSNBC have both suspended the longtime host for two weeks because of his comment. The suspension begins next Monday.
Today, Imus appeared on Al Sharpton's radio show to apologize to the black community. But his apology comes too little too late for some, like Sharpton, who want Imus to be fired.
On his show Monday, Imus called himself "a good person" who just made a bad mistake.
"Here's what I've learned: that you can't make fun of everybody, because some people don't deserve it," Imus said. "And because the climate on this program has been what it's been for 30 years doesn't mean that it has to be that way for the next five years or whatever because that has to change, and I understand that."
Labels: radio, star scandals
posted by jc @ 9:08 PM,
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Lily Allen Concert
I had the pleasure of seeing Lily Allen in concert in Boston the other night. She did an amazing job performing all of the songs from her CD, "Alright, Still" with her band which was every bit as energetic as she was. Just an amazing performer. Allen's opening act The Bird and The Bee also put on a great show and is definitely a band to keep an eye on. Be sure to check out this tour when it stops by in your city.Labels: music
posted by jc @ 3:53 PM,
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WeekEnder: April 1-7
Saturday, April 07, 2007
THE BIG STORY
Rolling Stones rocker Keith Richards shocked everyone by telling NME Magazine that he once snorted his dead father's ashes with some coke. The story was broadcasted as a legitimate news story for almost a full day until Richards came forward, saying it was all a joke. "It was an off-the-cuff remark, a joke, and it is not true. File under April Fool's joke," said a Rolling Stones spokesperson.
QUICK HITS
HAPPY EASTER!
Labels: weekender
posted by jc @ 7:19 AM,
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Don Imus Apologizes For "Hos" Comment
Longtime radio host Don Imus is in hot water for calling the women of the Rutgers University basketball team "nappy headed hos." Imus was speaking with his producer Bernard McGurk about the game Wednesday morning when McGurk called them "some hardcore hos." Imus then laughed and made the above comment. On Friday, Imus apologized for his comments, calling them "insensitive" and "completely inappropriate." Rutgers basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer says she's upset with Imus' comments. "I am deeply saddened and angered by Mr. Imus' statements," Stringer said. "To serve as a joke of Mr. Imus in such an insensitive manner creates a wedge and makes light of these classy individuals, both as women and as women of color."
The radio station that produces his show has promised to keep tabs on his comments. W-FAN issued a statement on Friday saying in part, "We fully agree that a sincere apology was called for and will continue to monitor the program's content going forward."
Labels: radio, star scandals
posted by jc @ 7:05 AM,
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ION Television
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
TV Land is getting some competition with the new network, ION. Formerly known as PAX TV and then "i," ION focuses on bringing back all of your favorite shows of yester year. Programming starts at 6pm/EST weeknights with Larry Elder's old court show Moral Court. The judge weighs in on who is morally right and awards the winner with a cash prize. At 7, catch "Amen" followed by "alice" at 7:30. Primetime kicks off with a full hour of "Mama's Family"at 8. The at 9, catch a full hour of "Diagnosis Murder" with classic Fred Savage sitcom "Wonder Years" wrapping things up at 10. ION is a nin-cable network that can be found in most television markets, so check out your local listings for more.Labels: television
posted by jc @ 10:45 PM,
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Keith Richards Says He Snorted His Father's Ashes!
Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards has a made a sickening confession. The known drug user has admitted to snorting the ashes of his dead father during a drug binge! The 63-year-old tells a UK magazine that he mixed the ashes with cocaine and snuffed them up his nose."He was cremated and I couldn't resist grinding him up with a little bit of blow...My dad wouldn't have cared - he didn't give a shit. It went down pretty well. And I'm still alive."
Richards father, bert, died in 2002 at age 84. Of course, this news is said to not be going over well with his mother. Does it get any more sick than this?
Labels: good grief
posted by jc @ 9:12 PM,
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WATCH THIS
CATFISHMTV, Mondays 10pm/ET
Based on a popular documentary film, this weekly series follows people who are in online relationships. They meet their longtime loves with the help of the show, but things aren't always what they seem.
FAST FOOD MANIA
DESTINATION AMERICA, Sundays 10pm/ET
If you listen to the Howard Stern show, the you already know that Jon Hein is the biggest fan of fast food around. Join Jon as he checks out the best places to chow down for cheap on this new show on the new network, Destination America. If you're not craving something greasing after watch this show, then something is wrong with you.
TRISHA
Syndicated, Weekdays/ET
Trisha Goddard hosted talk shows overseas for years. Now, she's the star of her own show, a spin-off of Maury, here in the states. Topics have included a man with 5 wives and women who eat strange objects like drywall and dirt.
About THE DAILY EDITION
The Daily Edition blog brings you the stories you'll be talking about at the water cooler. Follow The Daily Edition on Twitter: @JCers.
