NBC’s ’1600 Penn’ further blurs line between news, fiction
So I read with interest how Larry King would guest star on the new, much hyped NBC show ”1600 Penn.” Larry King, though he interviewed news makers, was not a hard core journalist. He is a talk show host. But Savannah Guthrie of “Today” and NBC’s Chief White House Correspondent Chuck Todd are very real and very working. Both are influential journalists who also have been tapped for guest-starring roles on “1600 Penn.” Am I the only one bothered by this… that real journalists covering some of the biggest issues facing the world today are appearing in a fictional comedy about the White House and the President of the United States (POTUS)? I have nothing against the show. Really not. In fact I am rooting for it....
‘Clueless’ star Stacy Dash, Twitter and the often toxic mix of politics, entertainment and social media
‘Clueless’ star Stacey Dash jumped into the political waters and sent a Tweet about her personal decision to vote for Mitt Romney, the Repubican candidate. The Stacey Dash Tweet was well under 140 characters, but boy did ‘Clueless’ star Stacey Dash cause an uproar. ‘Clueless’ star Stacey Dash appeared on CNN’s ‘Piers Morgan’ and said she was “shocked and saddened” by the response from her Tweet. Here’s what happened. On Sunday ‘Clueless’ star Stacey Dash Tweeted: “Vote for Romney. The only choice for your future.” Not only did the Tweet generate lots of feedback from the public, she also got a not-so-nice response from fellow actor Samuel L. Jackson:...
Justin Bieber gets traction from politician who complained about his speeding
Now Justin Bieber is in the news again not because of a new album. But because a Los Angeles city councilman saw Bieber driving faster than 100 miles per hour on a city street last Friday and believes the teen pop star should be arrested and not just ticketed. “As I watched, I was anticipating a crash,” Los Angeles City Councilman Dennis Zine, a former veteran police officer told ABC News. “It was chaos. Total willful disregard for people on the roadway.” When police caught up with him, Bieber said he was being chased by paparazzi. All Bieber got was a ticket. And the paparazzo pursuing Bieber may be charged criminally, according to a report in L.A. Times. Though this incident is clearly a detour from music, Bieber is getting a positive...
John Travolta faces PR crisis following sex lawsuits by men, cross-dressing photos
First it was a naked rubdown that allegedly resulted in John Travolta’s hands on the private parts of a male massage therapist. John Travolta had a lawyer respond with a vehement denial and a vow to bury the accuser legally. Along came more claims from other male message therapists. Then more threats from Travolta’s legal team. Now a John Travolta cross-dressing photo has resurfaced and so has a strange claim from the late Jeff Conaway’s ex girlfriend (Conaway, an actor, starred with Travolta in “Grease”) who says Travolta attacked him sexually while he was sleeping. Even Hollywood would be hard-pressed to make this up. There is clearly a lot of smoke. But that doesn’t mean ANY of the accusations are true. So where does this...
The rush to bash Rush Limbaugh and what the right’s radio king needs to do now
I’ll give Rush Limbaugh credit for commanding attention. He certainly knows how to dish it. And his missteps make news too. Especially one this big. Last week, Rush Limbaugh attacked law student Sandra Fluke calling her a “slut” and “prostitute” after she advocated that insurance companies cover birth control. Some advertisers have suspended ads from his popular show. And news outlets around the country can’t stop talking about it: The talk is so acute, on RushLimbaugh.com, Rush Limbaugh posted a message: “Everything is fine on the business side. Everything’s cool. There is not a thing to worry about. What you’re seeing on television about this program and sponsors and advertisers is just...
With ‘SNL’ appearance, Lindsay Lohan makes strides to rehab her public image
So I’ve heard about the ratings bonanza for Lindsay Lohan hosting ‘Saturday Night Live’--scoring the second highest ratings for ‘SNL’ this season. I also read the reviews and the criticism of the “minor” part she played on the show and commentators who questioned whether she was ready for prime time. (It’s an expression as I know ‘SNL’ is not really in prime time.) Anyway… Here’s my take on Lindsay Lohan and her hosting of ‘Saturday Night Live.’ She showed up, she brought in the numbers and people are talking about it. She had fun with the experience beginning with the promotion… In entertainment, that’s a home run! Indeed Lindsay Lohan did not appear in the opening...
