and she's on the cover of "People" and on "The Larry King Show" discussing it and everyone's reaction to it.
I gained around 10 pounds over the holiday season. So far, it hasn't really made much of a hoopla. Perhaps the public is still deciding how it feels about it.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Sunday, January 28, 2007
DIAMOND DAVE BACK IN VAN HALEN
Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth are going to try it again: suppress their personalities and their personal hatred for each other to tour as Van Halen one more time. The two are in the process of negotiating a deal for a summer tour.
I predict the animosity will be worse than ever this go 'round, with Van Halen's son, Wolfgang, playing bass (Van Halen senior kicked out original member Michael Anthony. Hey, there's a reason the band's name is eponymous: this guy runs the show).
Can you imagine if Junior's ego is as big as dad's?
Can you imagine Dave giving constructive criticism to either one? Or Dave talking to Wolfie as if he is, indeed, a 15 year old?
The last time I saw David Lee Roth live, it was 15 minutes before I realized it wasn't Carol Channing. Physically, he may not be the same Diamond Dave, but he yelped and jumped around a lot.
But, you know, any thing David Lee Roth does with Van Halen kicks the ass of "Van Hagar" anyday. Sammy Hagar isn't rock 'n' roll, he's a bumper sticker: I CAN'T DRIVE 55. And his hair looks like freakin' Shirley Temples'.
I predict the animosity will be worse than ever this go 'round, with Van Halen's son, Wolfgang, playing bass (Van Halen senior kicked out original member Michael Anthony. Hey, there's a reason the band's name is eponymous: this guy runs the show).
Can you imagine if Junior's ego is as big as dad's?
Can you imagine Dave giving constructive criticism to either one? Or Dave talking to Wolfie as if he is, indeed, a 15 year old?
The last time I saw David Lee Roth live, it was 15 minutes before I realized it wasn't Carol Channing. Physically, he may not be the same Diamond Dave, but he yelped and jumped around a lot.
But, you know, any thing David Lee Roth does with Van Halen kicks the ass of "Van Hagar" anyday. Sammy Hagar isn't rock 'n' roll, he's a bumper sticker: I CAN'T DRIVE 55. And his hair looks like freakin' Shirley Temples'.
Friday, January 26, 2007
TURNS OUT, "PAN'S LABYRINTH" IS NOT A KID'S MOVIE
My friends took me the other night to see the Oscar-nominated "Pan's Labyrinth," explaining it was a "kids' movie."
Very quickly, we realized this "fairy tale" story, set in fascist Spain of the 1940s, is no kiddie flick. Granted, I got through most of the really gorey segments by stuffing my face firmly behind my girlfriend's shoulder and putting my fingers in my ears, but I did get to witness the bludgeoning (to death) of a man by numerous thrusts of a broken bottle into his face, the widening of a fascist captain's mouth via kitchen knife, and some gross things done to a prisoner war with common tool shed implements.
What have we learned here?
"Pan's Labyrinth" is not for children, and even if it were, you don't need fancy military weapons to maim and kill. A simple stroll through your kitchen and garage - hello, pliers! - will suffice.
Very quickly, we realized this "fairy tale" story, set in fascist Spain of the 1940s, is no kiddie flick. Granted, I got through most of the really gorey segments by stuffing my face firmly behind my girlfriend's shoulder and putting my fingers in my ears, but I did get to witness the bludgeoning (to death) of a man by numerous thrusts of a broken bottle into his face, the widening of a fascist captain's mouth via kitchen knife, and some gross things done to a prisoner war with common tool shed implements.
What have we learned here?
"Pan's Labyrinth" is not for children, and even if it were, you don't need fancy military weapons to maim and kill. A simple stroll through your kitchen and garage - hello, pliers! - will suffice.
TARGETS OF TEEN-AGE HOMICIDE RING: Oprah, Tom Cruise, Energizer Bunny
CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (AP) -- Six girls at a rural high school were charged with homicide conspiracy after their principal found a list of 300 names and officials discovered online postings suggesting they kill people, authorities said Thursday.
School officials said the list, discovered in a classroom trash can, mostly named students and faculty members but also included Tom Cruise, Oprah Winfrey and the Energizer Bunny.
(Do you suppose they had a problem with longevity?)
School officials said the list, discovered in a classroom trash can, mostly named students and faculty members but also included Tom Cruise, Oprah Winfrey and the Energizer Bunny.
(Do you suppose they had a problem with longevity?)
Thursday, January 18, 2007
IN RELATED NEWS
Comedian, author and former "Saturday Night Live" writer and performer Al Franken recently announced he is seriously considering running for Senate (Democratic ticket) in Minnesota.
"It's unknown how people will respond to a comedian running for the Senate," Franken, 51, told reporters, "I need to figure out a way to let people know I'm extremely serious about Minnesotans and their lives"
Franken is the author of "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations," among other comic tomes.
"It's unknown how people will respond to a comedian running for the Senate," Franken, 51, told reporters, "I need to figure out a way to let people know I'm extremely serious about Minnesotans and their lives"
Franken is the author of "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations," among other comic tomes.
BILL O'REILLY & STEPHEN COLBERT
Even though conservative pundit Bill O'Reilly refused to interview Sacha Baron Cohen in character as "Borat", he's willing to interview Stephen Colbert in character (unless, of course, O'Reilly doesn't realize that's a character Colbert is playing).
Tonight, Colbert, who stars in Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report," a show he's said was modeled after O'Reilly's, will appear on the Fox News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor" at 8 p.m.
At 11:30 p.m., O'Reilly will appear on "The Colbert Report."
Tonight, Colbert, who stars in Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report," a show he's said was modeled after O'Reilly's, will appear on the Fox News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor" at 8 p.m.
At 11:30 p.m., O'Reilly will appear on "The Colbert Report."
TODAY'S CELEBRITY NEWS: ISAIAH, LINDSAY
The day has just begun, but so far the leaders in celebrity scandals for January 18 are "Grey's Anatomy"'s actor Isaiah Washington and Holywood bad girl Lindsay Lohan.
GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) has asked for an apology from Washington for (1) calling castmate T.R. Knight (who is gay) a "faggot" on the show's set during an argument with another castmate and (2) denying to a reporter that he called Knight a "faggot" (but saying the dreaded word again) at this week's "Golden Globe Awards."
What do you suppose Washington's apology will sound like? "I'd like to sincerely apologize to all the dykes and faggots of the world..." He just doesn't seem to get it, does he?
As for Ms. Lohan, she has checked herself into a rehab. I guess carrying around that AA book at L.A. nightspots hasn't done much for her sobriety. This is the girl who recently admittted she was in AA, but added she had not stopped drinking.
The "Earful of Cool" team wishes both Washington and Lohan success in turning a new leaf.
GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) has asked for an apology from Washington for (1) calling castmate T.R. Knight (who is gay) a "faggot" on the show's set during an argument with another castmate and (2) denying to a reporter that he called Knight a "faggot" (but saying the dreaded word again) at this week's "Golden Globe Awards."
What do you suppose Washington's apology will sound like? "I'd like to sincerely apologize to all the dykes and faggots of the world..." He just doesn't seem to get it, does he?
As for Ms. Lohan, she has checked herself into a rehab. I guess carrying around that AA book at L.A. nightspots hasn't done much for her sobriety. This is the girl who recently admittted she was in AA, but added she had not stopped drinking.
The "Earful of Cool" team wishes both Washington and Lohan success in turning a new leaf.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
PAULA ABDUL, STRAIGHT UP DRUNK:
Speaking of "American Idol" judges, if you haven't seen it yet, here is a link to the most recent television clip of Paula Abdul really drunk:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=eeAQu9I0wfM
http://youtube.com/watch?v=eeAQu9I0wfM
A WINONA JOKE
A fan asked Johnny Depp if it's true he had altered his legendary "Winona Forever" tattoo.
"Well, yes, I did change it," the actor replied, explaining how he wanted his ink to better reflect life since the couple's split.
"Now it says 'Winona ForEveryone.'"
"Well, yes, I did change it," the actor replied, explaining how he wanted his ink to better reflect life since the couple's split.
"Now it says 'Winona ForEveryone.'"
WHICH REMINDS ME - WINONA!
Winona Ryder, who's named after a city in Minneapolis, once dated Paul Westerberg of the Replacements. My friends and I like to list all of Noni's indie rock boyfriends from over the years, but admittedly, it's an astounding feat.
I'll attempt to do it here, but please add any you recall:
* PAUL WESTERBERG
* BECK
* RYAN ADAMS
* DAVE GROHL (Foo Fighters)
* DAVE PIRNER (Soul Asylum)
* PETE YORN
* RHETT MILLER (the Old 97s)
* CONOR OBERST (Bright Eyes)
* PAGE HAMILTON (Helmet)
I'll attempt to do it here, but please add any you recall:
* PAUL WESTERBERG
* BECK
* RYAN ADAMS
* DAVE GROHL (Foo Fighters)
* DAVE PIRNER (Soul Asylum)
* PETE YORN
* RHETT MILLER (the Old 97s)
* CONOR OBERST (Bright Eyes)
* PAGE HAMILTON (Helmet)
"AMERICAN IDOL" IN MINNEAPOLIS
So, "American Idol" kicks off its 7th season this week in Minneapolis, one of the greatest music cities our nation's ever offered. And the celebrity guest judge is Jewel.
A better idea is having celebrity judges from each city in which the show makes a stop. If not for comedy alone. Can you imagine these little novice tarts being critiqued by, say, Bob Dylan- if you could even undertand his weird ramblings and mumbles.
Or Prince. Husker Du. All great musical acts from Minneapolis.
How about the Replacements? Let's hear it for someone on the judges' panel more wasted than Paula Abdul. Pick any of the Replacements who, in their prime, could barely hold their instruments, let alone play a show, due to drunkeness.
Hey, I know great televison.
A better idea is having celebrity judges from each city in which the show makes a stop. If not for comedy alone. Can you imagine these little novice tarts being critiqued by, say, Bob Dylan- if you could even undertand his weird ramblings and mumbles.
Or Prince. Husker Du. All great musical acts from Minneapolis.
How about the Replacements? Let's hear it for someone on the judges' panel more wasted than Paula Abdul. Pick any of the Replacements who, in their prime, could barely hold their instruments, let alone play a show, due to drunkeness.
Hey, I know great televison.
WHY IS RENEE ZELLWEGER SO SHINY?
Enough has been said by celebrity gossip hounds about Renee Zellweger's shiny appearance over the years, which begs the question, why don't her handlers give her some nice face powder?
Zellweger - who has dated White Stripe Jack White and been married to country crooner Kenny Chesney- was all spruced-up and shiny again at Monday's "Golden Globe Awards".
Really, even Target sells Sonia Kashuk compacts now.
Can't someone leave one on her dressing table in her trailer on her next set?
Zellweger - who has dated White Stripe Jack White and been married to country crooner Kenny Chesney- was all spruced-up and shiny again at Monday's "Golden Globe Awards".
Really, even Target sells Sonia Kashuk compacts now.
Can't someone leave one on her dressing table in her trailer on her next set?
BOB DYLAN: MORE PROLIFIC THAN WE KNEW
This is a pretty funny video by a sketch comedy troupe that calls itself the Post Show. I found it at SuperDeluxe.com:
http://www.superdeluxe.com/sd/contentDetail.do?id=D81F2344BF5AC7BBCB527A16E29DBD1B3E00117445392387
http://www.superdeluxe.com/sd/contentDetail.do?id=D81F2344BF5AC7BBCB527A16E29DBD1B3E00117445392387
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
GOLDEN GLOBES - STRESSFUL SEATING
As I watched last night's Golden Globe Awards, I was struck by how many former couples were seated - apart - in the venue.
Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz.
Ben Affleck and J.Lo
J.Lo and Puff Daddy
Reese was there (but was Ryan?)
Brad was there, with Angelina, which most likely troubled Jennifer Aniston pal Courteney Cox, who was there with hubby, the truly trippy David Arquette.
Prince, who used to sleep with Kim Basinger, was there, so I hope Alec Baldwin (Kim's notoriously jealous ex-husband) didn't get near his table.
I would hate to be the poor scrub whose job it is to make the seating charts at Hollywood awards shows.
Of course, all of Hollywood rotates lovers like the players on a volleyball court, but still, wasn't it tacky when show organizers played that Madonna song over the Warren Beatty montage of films? Camera operators should have panned right to Annette Bening when the tune began. But she's too classy to react - and thank god, since her husband is Warren Beatty and she probably is faced with an ex-lover of his everytime she hits an L.A. Starbucks.
(P.S. However, I did think it was a riot that they struck up Madonna's "Vogue" as Meryl Streep took to the stage for a win for "The Devil Wears Prada," which is widely rumored to be about Vogue editor Anna Wintour.)
Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz.
Ben Affleck and J.Lo
J.Lo and Puff Daddy
Reese was there (but was Ryan?)
Brad was there, with Angelina, which most likely troubled Jennifer Aniston pal Courteney Cox, who was there with hubby, the truly trippy David Arquette.
Prince, who used to sleep with Kim Basinger, was there, so I hope Alec Baldwin (Kim's notoriously jealous ex-husband) didn't get near his table.
I would hate to be the poor scrub whose job it is to make the seating charts at Hollywood awards shows.
Of course, all of Hollywood rotates lovers like the players on a volleyball court, but still, wasn't it tacky when show organizers played that Madonna song over the Warren Beatty montage of films? Camera operators should have panned right to Annette Bening when the tune began. But she's too classy to react - and thank god, since her husband is Warren Beatty and she probably is faced with an ex-lover of his everytime she hits an L.A. Starbucks.
(P.S. However, I did think it was a riot that they struck up Madonna's "Vogue" as Meryl Streep took to the stage for a win for "The Devil Wears Prada," which is widely rumored to be about Vogue editor Anna Wintour.)
"THE YOUNG ONES" - SOME GUESTS
I don't remember every espisode I've seen of "The Young Ones" (see previous post to understand that I'm not pulling this out of nowhere), but some quick research indicates that the show also had guest stars who would later become so famous, even we Yanks recognize them, including:
* Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders
* Stephen Fry
* Hugh Laurie (who's now winning Emmys on "House")
* Emma Thompson
* Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders
* Stephen Fry
* Hugh Laurie (who's now winning Emmys on "House")
* Emma Thompson
"ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS" - GUEST SPOTS
I spent the weekend catching up with "Absolutely Fabulous" - rewatching all the seasons (or "series" as they say in the BBC) and some bonus bits on DVD.
I came away astounded by two bits of info:
* Jennifer Saunders, who plays "Edina" and solely writes every script for the show, is married to Adrian Edmundson who some of us former New Wavers remember as "Vyvyan" on the 1980s BBC smash "The Young Ones." The couple has been married for more than 20 years and have three daughters.
* In the recurring dream sequences of Patsy's childhood, we see Patsy's mother, an over-the-top poet/artist gone mad (in the 1940s, or so) who's constantly espousing bohemian drivel about her need to be free and how she will not let her children spoil her freedom. (A classic scene depicts her giving birth to Patsy and immediately crying, "Bring me another lover!")
This woman is played by the reknown feminist author Germaine Greer. Which is sort of like having Betty Friedan or Gloria Steinham playing a crazy aunt on the program.
Other cameos and guest spots include:
* Helena Bonham Carter (playing Edina's dream version of Saffy);
* Richard E. Grant
* British '60s pop star Lulu (of "To Sir, With Love" fame)
* American comedian Mo Gaffney
* Christopher Ryan, who plays Eddie's ex-husband Marshall (recognize him as Mike from "The Young Ones"?).
* Adrian Edmunson (Vyvian on "The Young Ones")
* Britt Eckland
* Anita Pallenberg (who plays the Devil)
* Brit rock star Marianne Faithful (who plays God)
* Twiggy
* 1970s rocker Suzi Quatro
* Mandy Rice-Davies - yes, the girl from the 1960s British Parliament scandal
* Emma "Baby Spice" Bunton, in a recurring role as herself
* British thespian Miranda Richardson
* Naomi Campbell
* Dawn French of the famed BBC comedy series "French and Saunders" (she also co-created "AbFab")
* Whoopi Goldberg
* Debbie Harry
* Rufus Wainwright
* Nathan Lane
* Kristin Scott Thomas
* Laurie Metcalf ("Roseanne")
* Minnie Driver
* Elton John
I came away astounded by two bits of info:
* Jennifer Saunders, who plays "Edina" and solely writes every script for the show, is married to Adrian Edmundson who some of us former New Wavers remember as "Vyvyan" on the 1980s BBC smash "The Young Ones." The couple has been married for more than 20 years and have three daughters.
* In the recurring dream sequences of Patsy's childhood, we see Patsy's mother, an over-the-top poet/artist gone mad (in the 1940s, or so) who's constantly espousing bohemian drivel about her need to be free and how she will not let her children spoil her freedom. (A classic scene depicts her giving birth to Patsy and immediately crying, "Bring me another lover!")
This woman is played by the reknown feminist author Germaine Greer. Which is sort of like having Betty Friedan or Gloria Steinham playing a crazy aunt on the program.
Other cameos and guest spots include:
* Helena Bonham Carter (playing Edina's dream version of Saffy);
* Richard E. Grant
* British '60s pop star Lulu (of "To Sir, With Love" fame)
* American comedian Mo Gaffney
* Christopher Ryan, who plays Eddie's ex-husband Marshall (recognize him as Mike from "The Young Ones"?).
* Adrian Edmunson (Vyvian on "The Young Ones")
* Britt Eckland
* Anita Pallenberg (who plays the Devil)
* Brit rock star Marianne Faithful (who plays God)
* Twiggy
* 1970s rocker Suzi Quatro
* Mandy Rice-Davies - yes, the girl from the 1960s British Parliament scandal
* Emma "Baby Spice" Bunton, in a recurring role as herself
* British thespian Miranda Richardson
* Naomi Campbell
* Dawn French of the famed BBC comedy series "French and Saunders" (she also co-created "AbFab")
* Whoopi Goldberg
* Debbie Harry
* Rufus Wainwright
* Nathan Lane
* Kristin Scott Thomas
* Laurie Metcalf ("Roseanne")
* Minnie Driver
* Elton John
Saturday, January 13, 2007
THE SKINNY ON SKINNY IN "BUST"
I'm browsing through the current issue of feminist magazine "Bust" - the one with Gwen Stefani, of all people - on the cover. There's an interesting op-ed piece on skinny Hollywood stars by Wendy McClure with a blurb reading, "When it comes to skinny celebrities, we're really thick-headed."
The author points out some crazy cultural stuff such as the inanity of Vh-1 hosting a "20 Skinniest Celebs" special with all the snarky speculation from a gaggle of pop culture "personalities," trying to guess who's naturally thin and who's, in fact, sick.
She also suggests something is very very wrong in a culture that ten years ago raised eyebrows over the weights of just a handful of famous young women - specifically Kate Moss, Laura Flynn Boyle, and Calista Flockhart. In 2006, however, the worry bell rang for no less than a dozen Hollywood ladies including Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Ritchie, Keira Knightly, Mischa Barton, Ashlee Simpson, Sienna Miller, Brittany Murphy, and Hilary Duff.
How sad. Even sadder, as the author points out, we regular folks frequently address the problem by cringing and remarking, "She doesn't even look good."
And the even more asinine, "That's not even what guys like."
Please. This has so little to do with men. It's just about control and body image and the media glorifying a sickness.
Maybe all the tabloids and celebrity mags SHOULD STOP PRINTING THEIR DAMN PICTURES. And stop printing their weights. Why do I know that Nicole Richie weighs 87 pounds? Why?
Don't bombard our culture, the check-out lines and the minds of little girls everywhere, with these f-upped images of stick-thin ladies. Stop paying the paparazzi to get shots of them. And stop showing the footage of Calista with her ribs and collarbones jumping out of her skin at the Emmys.
Do you suppose there was much anorexia in the days before the media?
The author points out some crazy cultural stuff such as the inanity of Vh-1 hosting a "20 Skinniest Celebs" special with all the snarky speculation from a gaggle of pop culture "personalities," trying to guess who's naturally thin and who's, in fact, sick.
She also suggests something is very very wrong in a culture that ten years ago raised eyebrows over the weights of just a handful of famous young women - specifically Kate Moss, Laura Flynn Boyle, and Calista Flockhart. In 2006, however, the worry bell rang for no less than a dozen Hollywood ladies including Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Ritchie, Keira Knightly, Mischa Barton, Ashlee Simpson, Sienna Miller, Brittany Murphy, and Hilary Duff.
How sad. Even sadder, as the author points out, we regular folks frequently address the problem by cringing and remarking, "She doesn't even look good."
And the even more asinine, "That's not even what guys like."
Please. This has so little to do with men. It's just about control and body image and the media glorifying a sickness.
Maybe all the tabloids and celebrity mags SHOULD STOP PRINTING THEIR DAMN PICTURES. And stop printing their weights. Why do I know that Nicole Richie weighs 87 pounds? Why?
Don't bombard our culture, the check-out lines and the minds of little girls everywhere, with these f-upped images of stick-thin ladies. Stop paying the paparazzi to get shots of them. And stop showing the footage of Calista with her ribs and collarbones jumping out of her skin at the Emmys.
Do you suppose there was much anorexia in the days before the media?
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
IT'S "THE SIMPLE LIFE" FOR ME
Two friends and I have been accepted to compete in the "Vh1 World Series of Popular Culture," which takes us to a preliminary try-out in Orlando in February. For more than a month now, we've been "in training." We've been reading "Entertaiment Weekly," "People" and "Us" even more obsessively, playing trivia games on pop culture, having our friends grill us whenever we get the chance, and most importantly, finally giving a chance to all the lowbrow films and televison shows we stuck up our noses at initially.
This means Paris Hilton.
Last night one of my teammates and I watched the entire first season of "The Simple Life," wherein Paris Hilton and her then BFF, Nicole Richie, went to live in that small, rural Arkansas dairy town and tried to do mundane small-town things like work at the Sonic hamburger jont and meet cute guys.
Well, we both thought the show was hilarious. I had a particular soft spot for Nicole, who seemed sweeter than Paris (even though she lied about her cat dying to the man whose credit card she used to buy the bird house for her host mom - long story.) Also, Nicole was a normal-sized girl then, not yet letting the ravages of her eating disorder make her scary thin. She also doesn't appear to be on heroin or vicodin, her reported drugs of choice. Plus, there was just something about her laugh, and the episode where she made the middle-aged man repeat after her and shimmy while singing "Sa sa sa sa" in a high-pitched voice, which is now one of my favorite moments of television, ever.
Nicole Richie! If you need a new BFF, I'm available. And I'm not just using you to win the "World Series of Pop Culture," though knowing you wouldn't hurt.
This means Paris Hilton.
Last night one of my teammates and I watched the entire first season of "The Simple Life," wherein Paris Hilton and her then BFF, Nicole Richie, went to live in that small, rural Arkansas dairy town and tried to do mundane small-town things like work at the Sonic hamburger jont and meet cute guys.
Well, we both thought the show was hilarious. I had a particular soft spot for Nicole, who seemed sweeter than Paris (even though she lied about her cat dying to the man whose credit card she used to buy the bird house for her host mom - long story.) Also, Nicole was a normal-sized girl then, not yet letting the ravages of her eating disorder make her scary thin. She also doesn't appear to be on heroin or vicodin, her reported drugs of choice. Plus, there was just something about her laugh, and the episode where she made the middle-aged man repeat after her and shimmy while singing "Sa sa sa sa" in a high-pitched voice, which is now one of my favorite moments of television, ever.
Nicole Richie! If you need a new BFF, I'm available. And I'm not just using you to win the "World Series of Pop Culture," though knowing you wouldn't hurt.
Monday, January 8, 2007
CARRIE BRADSHAW DRESSES LIKE RHODA (Or how I realized "Sex In The City " cribbed from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show")
A friend of mine got me every season of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" available on DVD for my birthday. The minute I started watching the show, which aired from 1970-78, I realized it was the influence for single-gal-about-town blockbuster series "Sex and the City." That's a polite way of saying, "Sex In The City" ripped off MTM.
Maybe you, too, notice similarities:
* Mary is 30 at the beginning of the series..
* She is single and dates scores of idiosyncratic men.
* She works in the media (as an "executive producer" for the WJM Minneapolis news).
* She surrounds herself with other kooky females: Phyllis (Cloris Leachman) who plays the obnoxious married-with-a-kid friend, and the absolutely one-of-a-kind Rhoda Morgenstern, Mary's witty, neurotic Jewish friend from Queens.
* Rhoda, Phyllis and Mary are all fashion nuts.
In fact, on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," Rhoda is a window dresser for a department store, but several years later, when she gets her own series( "Rhoda"), Ms. Morgenstern blossoms into a fashion maverick, moving back to Manhattan, opening a boutique and wearing badass gypsy scarves that twenty years later Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw would try to pull off as her signature look.
Face it, "Sex in the City" is the same show -- except Mary and Rhoda needed only two characters to tell the same stories.
Proof: Check out the episodes: "Toulouse-Lautrec Is One Of My Favorite Artists," the show in Season One where Mary accepts a date from a guy and then realizes he is nearly a foot shorter than she is. (Didn't this happen to Samantha (Kim Cattrall) on "Sex"?) Or the episode where Mary starts dating the IRS man who is auditng her. (So very Carrie). Or "Just A Lunch", wherein Mary falls for a dashing foreign correspondent who's - naturally- married.
Maybe you, too, notice similarities:
* Mary is 30 at the beginning of the series..
* She is single and dates scores of idiosyncratic men.
* She works in the media (as an "executive producer" for the WJM Minneapolis news).
* She surrounds herself with other kooky females: Phyllis (Cloris Leachman) who plays the obnoxious married-with-a-kid friend, and the absolutely one-of-a-kind Rhoda Morgenstern, Mary's witty, neurotic Jewish friend from Queens.
* Rhoda, Phyllis and Mary are all fashion nuts.
In fact, on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," Rhoda is a window dresser for a department store, but several years later, when she gets her own series( "Rhoda"), Ms. Morgenstern blossoms into a fashion maverick, moving back to Manhattan, opening a boutique and wearing badass gypsy scarves that twenty years later Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw would try to pull off as her signature look.
Face it, "Sex in the City" is the same show -- except Mary and Rhoda needed only two characters to tell the same stories.
Proof: Check out the episodes: "Toulouse-Lautrec Is One Of My Favorite Artists," the show in Season One where Mary accepts a date from a guy and then realizes he is nearly a foot shorter than she is. (Didn't this happen to Samantha (Kim Cattrall) on "Sex"?) Or the episode where Mary starts dating the IRS man who is auditng her. (So very Carrie). Or "Just A Lunch", wherein Mary falls for a dashing foreign correspondent who's - naturally- married.
ROCK 'N' ROLL BIRTHDAY - JANUARY 8
If you're really devoted to rock 'n' roll, like me, you managed to orchestrate things so you would be born on January 8. That way, you could join all the other important people in rock born on this day.
Give a big birthday hug to me and the following folks today, if you happen to see us:
* ELVIS PRESLEY aka THE KING
* DAVID BOWIE
* ROBBY KRIEGER of the Doors
* LITTLE ANTHONY of Little Anthony and the Imperials.
* TERRY SYLVESTER of the Hollies
* R. KELLY
* SHIRLEY BASSEY
* BILL GRAHAM (the late concert promoter and Grateful Dead buddy).
Let's not forget JEREMY GLOFF, Tampa's queer rock innovator.
Give a big birthday hug to me and the following folks today, if you happen to see us:
* ELVIS PRESLEY aka THE KING
* DAVID BOWIE
* ROBBY KRIEGER of the Doors
* LITTLE ANTHONY of Little Anthony and the Imperials.
* TERRY SYLVESTER of the Hollies
* R. KELLY
* SHIRLEY BASSEY
* BILL GRAHAM (the late concert promoter and Grateful Dead buddy).
Let's not forget JEREMY GLOFF, Tampa's queer rock innovator.
REPUBLIC OF DREAMS - with a trivia question!
I'm reading a big ol' book called "Republic of Dreams Greenwich Village: The America Bohemia, 1910-1960" (by Ross Wetzsteon, who wrote for The Village Voice for more than 30 years).
It's got all the dirt on many of the interesting characters who inhabited that one square mile in New York that has contributed more to American culture - particularly theatre, literature and music - than any other I can think of. The book discusses the lives of Max Eastman, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Henry James, Eugene O'Neill, e.e. cummings, Bob Dylan, Jackson Pollock, Sherwood Anderson, Upton Sinclair and scores more. Including interesting bits of trivia.
For instance, did you know the poet Hart Crane pursued his career in letters despite that his father, C.C. Crane, wanted him to join him in the family candy-making business? And what famous "candy with the hole" did the senior Crane invent?
Life Savers.
This is the snooty, literary equivalent of the rock geek's old favorite: "Who invented Liquid Paper?"
It's got all the dirt on many of the interesting characters who inhabited that one square mile in New York that has contributed more to American culture - particularly theatre, literature and music - than any other I can think of. The book discusses the lives of Max Eastman, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Henry James, Eugene O'Neill, e.e. cummings, Bob Dylan, Jackson Pollock, Sherwood Anderson, Upton Sinclair and scores more. Including interesting bits of trivia.
For instance, did you know the poet Hart Crane pursued his career in letters despite that his father, C.C. Crane, wanted him to join him in the family candy-making business? And what famous "candy with the hole" did the senior Crane invent?
Life Savers.
This is the snooty, literary equivalent of the rock geek's old favorite: "Who invented Liquid Paper?"
Friday, January 5, 2007
MY SO-CALLED BAND (ACTORS TURNED MUSICIANS)
The same issue of Entertainment Weekly (Jan. 12) features a profile of actor-turned musician Jared Leto who fronts the band 30 Seconds to Mars in all his newby Ziggy Stardust garb. (Leto was previously found portraying hearthrob Jordan Catalano on the brilliant "My So-Called Life".)
Let's not poke fun at just Leto for (temporarily) trading the screen for the crummy stages of tiny music venues. Plenty of other actors have given music a shot - with varying results - including:
* RUSSELL CROWE (in the aptly named 30 Odd Foot Of Grunts, which is some kind of doo doo slang)
* JULIETTE LEWIS (Juliette Lewis and the Licks)
* BILLY BOB THORNTON (who recorded that song about his then-wife Angelina Jolie)
* DAVID HASSELHOFF (Hell yes, The Hof is huge in Europe)
* BRUCE WILLIS (Remember? He got all blues rocky in the 1980s.)
* KEANU REEVES (played bass, badly, in Dog Star)
* LINDSAY LOHAN (who sings about as well as she acts)
* EDDIE MURPHY ("My girl wants to party all the time, party all the time...")
* WILLIAM SHATNER ( who actually just talked and didn't much sing or play an instrument on the now classic album "The Transformed Man," featuring covers of "Lucy And The Sky With Diamonds" and other tunes.)
* LEONARD NIMOY
* TELLY SAVALES
* KEVIN BACON (The Bacon Brothers)
and some have been less laughable:
* former child star JENNY LEWIS who fronts Rilo Kiley and her own solo band.
* RIVER PHOENIX who played guitar and sang in the pretty good 1980/90's Gainesville, Florida band Aleka's Attic with sisters, actors Rain and Summer Phoenix.
Let's not poke fun at just Leto for (temporarily) trading the screen for the crummy stages of tiny music venues. Plenty of other actors have given music a shot - with varying results - including:
* RUSSELL CROWE (in the aptly named 30 Odd Foot Of Grunts, which is some kind of doo doo slang)
* JULIETTE LEWIS (Juliette Lewis and the Licks)
* BILLY BOB THORNTON (who recorded that song about his then-wife Angelina Jolie)
* DAVID HASSELHOFF (Hell yes, The Hof is huge in Europe)
* BRUCE WILLIS (Remember? He got all blues rocky in the 1980s.)
* KEANU REEVES (played bass, badly, in Dog Star)
* LINDSAY LOHAN (who sings about as well as she acts)
* EDDIE MURPHY ("My girl wants to party all the time, party all the time...")
* WILLIAM SHATNER ( who actually just talked and didn't much sing or play an instrument on the now classic album "The Transformed Man," featuring covers of "Lucy And The Sky With Diamonds" and other tunes.)
* LEONARD NIMOY
* TELLY SAVALES
* KEVIN BACON (The Bacon Brothers)
and some have been less laughable:
* former child star JENNY LEWIS who fronts Rilo Kiley and her own solo band.
* RIVER PHOENIX who played guitar and sang in the pretty good 1980/90's Gainesville, Florida band Aleka's Attic with sisters, actors Rain and Summer Phoenix.
WHITNEY HOUSTON GARAGE SALE
According to Entertainment Weekly, newly single former pop star Whitney Houston is being forced by the courts to have a yard sale next Tuesday, January 9. The singer is broke and needs the dough that will come from selling memorabilia including a Versace catsuit and a church pew. (A church pew?) The sale will take place in Irvington, New Jersey.
This actually soothes the scared part in me that envisions Whitney cashing in wigs, furs and Grammys at a nearby Southern Pawn store.
This actually soothes the scared part in me that envisions Whitney cashing in wigs, furs and Grammys at a nearby Southern Pawn store.
Thursday, January 4, 2007
"MUSIC" BY RILKE
Take me by the hand;
it's so easy for you, Angel
for you are the road
even while being immobile.
You see, I'm scared no one
here will look for me again;
I couldn't make use of
whatever was given,
so they abandoned me.
At first the solitude
charmed me like a prelude
but so much music wounded me.
--Raina Maria Rilke
it's so easy for you, Angel
for you are the road
even while being immobile.
You see, I'm scared no one
here will look for me again;
I couldn't make use of
whatever was given,
so they abandoned me.
At first the solitude
charmed me like a prelude
but so much music wounded me.
--Raina Maria Rilke
ROCK 'N' PROSE---ANOTHER LIST!
Searching around the internet for a list on the subject, I found this old story of mine, which appeared in the Oakland Tribune (reprinted).
Put on your thinking caps--add more.
ROCK, POP AND PROSE COMBINATION IS NOTHNG NEW
Oakland Tribune, May 30, 2004 by Gina Vivinetto - ST. PETERSBURG TIMES
Tell me, do you notice a trend with these recent news items? British rocker Elvis Costello announced in March he's penning not one but two books for Simon & Schuster: (1) a story collection inspired by his songs due in late 2005 and (2) a "comic philosophy" tome on how to play the guitar. R&B singer-pianist Alicia Keys has let folks know she's in talks to create a series of children's mystery books called "Alicia Keys' Street Mysteries," with each novel named after one of her tunes. Esquire introduces pop singer- guitarist and Grammy-winner John Mayer as the writer behind the new monthly column, "The Resident Rock Star," beginning in June. Is it me or are a whole lot of pop stars picking up pens and laptops?
Nothing to cringe about
Alas, this phenomenon isn't so new. It called to mind rockers in the past with published prose. It also reminded me that some of it wasn't half bad.
Including:
* RICHARD HELL, punk-rock guitarist and leader of Richard Hell and the Voidoids, in 1996 published the critically acclaimed novel "Go Now," which dazzled, among others, cyberpunk author William Gibson. (Hell has published other works, too.)
* KINKY FRIEDMAN, once the leader of Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys, a beloved quirky country band, is now better known as a mystery author.
* HENRY ROLLINS, former Black Flag and Rollins Band leader, is so in love with the printed word he created 2:13:61, a grass roots publishing company to release his and other maverick authors' books.
POP POETS
When it comes to poetry, look out. Seems every rock and pop lyricist under the sun considers himself well-versed enough to be published. The bards include:
* JIM MORRISON of the Doors, because he was the Lizard King, and as such, he could do anything, including writing "Lords and New Creatures."
* The voice of his generation, BOB DYLAN, whose song lyrics have been printed as poetry in many collections. As has:
* LOU REED, former leader of the Velvet Underground and disciple of poet Delmore Schwartz, Reed's professor at Syracuse University. Several of Reed's songs are dedicated to Schwartz.
* LYDIA LUNCH (once the frontperson for the 1970s act Teenage Jesus and the Jerks), who has had many journals and books of poetry published.
* PATTI SMITH the Godmother of Punk, acolyte of Dylan, the Stones and Rimbaud, who has been published in many forms.
* JEWEL, the little folkie who penned the god-awful "A Night Without Armor."
* ED SANDERS and TULI KUPFERBERG of the Fugs, both published poets.
* TUPAC SHAKUR, whose lyrics have been published as poetry.
And let's not forget JOSEPH SIMMONS, better known as RUN of pioneer rap group Run-DMC. In April, Simmons entered himself as a candidate for poet laureate of Queens, N.Y. (He didn't win.)
CRITICS OR STARS?
A special category features folks who pulled off both tasks. These are the music writers and pop-music critics who wrote about other performers and played music in bands of their own:
* CHRISSIE HYNDE of the Pretenders
* NEIL TENNANT of the Pet Shop Boys
* IRA KAPLAN of Yo La Tengo
* PATTI SMITH
* LENNY KAYE of the Patti Smith Group
* And of course, famed Creem critic LESTER BANGS, who led Lester Bangs and the Delinquents.
NOVEL ROCKERS:
In a very special domain, we place noted fiction writers and aspiring rockers STEPHEN KING, AMY TAN, DAVE BARRY, KATHI KAMEN GOLDMARK and BARBARA KINGSOLVER, who together call themselves the Rock Bottom Remainders and perform occasionally.
The band, which features King and Barry on guitar and Tan on lead vocal, got started back in 1992. The Remainders even embarked on a tour, dubbed the "Three Chords and an Attitude" tour, and released a "Stranger Than Fiction" CD.
How good are the Rock Bottom Remainders? On the band's Web site, Barry says, "The band plays music as well as Metallica writes novels."
Put on your thinking caps--add more.
ROCK, POP AND PROSE COMBINATION IS NOTHNG NEW
Oakland Tribune, May 30, 2004 by Gina Vivinetto - ST. PETERSBURG TIMES
Tell me, do you notice a trend with these recent news items? British rocker Elvis Costello announced in March he's penning not one but two books for Simon & Schuster: (1) a story collection inspired by his songs due in late 2005 and (2) a "comic philosophy" tome on how to play the guitar. R&B singer-pianist Alicia Keys has let folks know she's in talks to create a series of children's mystery books called "Alicia Keys' Street Mysteries," with each novel named after one of her tunes. Esquire introduces pop singer- guitarist and Grammy-winner John Mayer as the writer behind the new monthly column, "The Resident Rock Star," beginning in June. Is it me or are a whole lot of pop stars picking up pens and laptops?
Nothing to cringe about
Alas, this phenomenon isn't so new. It called to mind rockers in the past with published prose. It also reminded me that some of it wasn't half bad.
Including:
* RICHARD HELL, punk-rock guitarist and leader of Richard Hell and the Voidoids, in 1996 published the critically acclaimed novel "Go Now," which dazzled, among others, cyberpunk author William Gibson. (Hell has published other works, too.)
* KINKY FRIEDMAN, once the leader of Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys, a beloved quirky country band, is now better known as a mystery author.
* HENRY ROLLINS, former Black Flag and Rollins Band leader, is so in love with the printed word he created 2:13:61, a grass roots publishing company to release his and other maverick authors' books.
POP POETS
When it comes to poetry, look out. Seems every rock and pop lyricist under the sun considers himself well-versed enough to be published. The bards include:
* JIM MORRISON of the Doors, because he was the Lizard King, and as such, he could do anything, including writing "Lords and New Creatures."
* The voice of his generation, BOB DYLAN, whose song lyrics have been printed as poetry in many collections. As has:
* LOU REED, former leader of the Velvet Underground and disciple of poet Delmore Schwartz, Reed's professor at Syracuse University. Several of Reed's songs are dedicated to Schwartz.
* LYDIA LUNCH (once the frontperson for the 1970s act Teenage Jesus and the Jerks), who has had many journals and books of poetry published.
* PATTI SMITH the Godmother of Punk, acolyte of Dylan, the Stones and Rimbaud, who has been published in many forms.
* JEWEL, the little folkie who penned the god-awful "A Night Without Armor."
* ED SANDERS and TULI KUPFERBERG of the Fugs, both published poets.
* TUPAC SHAKUR, whose lyrics have been published as poetry.
And let's not forget JOSEPH SIMMONS, better known as RUN of pioneer rap group Run-DMC. In April, Simmons entered himself as a candidate for poet laureate of Queens, N.Y. (He didn't win.)
CRITICS OR STARS?
A special category features folks who pulled off both tasks. These are the music writers and pop-music critics who wrote about other performers and played music in bands of their own:
* CHRISSIE HYNDE of the Pretenders
* NEIL TENNANT of the Pet Shop Boys
* IRA KAPLAN of Yo La Tengo
* PATTI SMITH
* LENNY KAYE of the Patti Smith Group
* And of course, famed Creem critic LESTER BANGS, who led Lester Bangs and the Delinquents.
NOVEL ROCKERS:
In a very special domain, we place noted fiction writers and aspiring rockers STEPHEN KING, AMY TAN, DAVE BARRY, KATHI KAMEN GOLDMARK and BARBARA KINGSOLVER, who together call themselves the Rock Bottom Remainders and perform occasionally.
The band, which features King and Barry on guitar and Tan on lead vocal, got started back in 1992. The Remainders even embarked on a tour, dubbed the "Three Chords and an Attitude" tour, and released a "Stranger Than Fiction" CD.
How good are the Rock Bottom Remainders? On the band's Web site, Barry says, "The band plays music as well as Metallica writes novels."
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