I’m posting Oprah’s interview with JK Rowling, because I think everyone should watch it. It’s one of Oprah’s best interviews in history, and Rowling doesn’t waste her words. Everything she says is profound, and she has no trouble sharing her personal life. She discussed the pain of depression following the failure of her first marriage and subsequent poverty. She also revealed the difficulty in “becoming a Beatle overnight,” saying that she never predicted this level of success, and there was no one to talk to about the difficult adjustment. She revealed that she could still write more Harry Potter books, but it’s unlikely, and she cried when she finished the last Harry Potter book. Whether or not you’re a Harry Potter fan, the interview is worth watching.
Julie Chen is Damn Beautiful
Every time I watch The Talk, I find myself incredibly distracted by Julie Chen’s looks. You know when you have a crush on a guy and you invite your girlfriends out as your wing-women? Yeah — if Julie Chen was my my girlfriend, I’d tell her to stay home for fear of competition. No one needs a hot chick as their wing. I can’t imagine sitting on that panel with her everyday and listening her to her say things like, “I miss my 20 year old body.” Chen is married to Les Moonves, who is the head of CBS, and Moonves allegedly starting dating Chen while he was still married. Chen hosted The Early Show on CBS at the time. They married 13 days after his divorce was final. Something tells me it was love at first sight.
Kid Rock — My Favorite Performance at the AMAs
Vintage Movie Pick: Sea of Love
People are always asking me for Netflix recommendations, and I’m consistently shocked to discover how many great films go unwatched. So this week I’m recommending Sea of Love, a classic thriller with Al Pacino and the very sexy Ellen Barkin. Here’s the story in a nutshell: three men are killed in the same unique way, and Al Pacino and John Goodman (two cops assigned to the case) discover that all the men took out a personal ad. Pacino decides that they were probably killed by the same woman, so he takes out his own personal ad and goes on a series of very quick dates for the purpose of getting each woman’s finger prints. One woman doesn’t touch her glass, and Pacino finds himself attracted to her. They begin to date, despite the possibility that she’s the killer. So is she the killer? You’ll have to rent the movie to find out. I’d also like to say that there’s some very hot sex scenes in the film, which is great because you rarely get a great story coupled with great on-screen sex. It’s usually one or the other (remember Showgirls?).
Did You Know: The Osbournes Have a Third Child Named Aimee Osbourne?
Most people don’t know that Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne spawned three children, not two. We all know about Kelly Osbourne and Jack Osbourne, but what about Aimee, and why wasn’t she ever featured on The Osbournes? The story is somewhat interesting. Aimee hated the idea for the show, and she refused to appear in it. She predicted that it would ruin her father’s public image, and she later said the show turned him into a “laughing stock.” She said it was edited to make Ozzy look a “clown” and a “stuttering alcoholic.” She also indicated that it was all her mother’s idea, and Sharon ultimately “won,” by becoming extremely successful. But Aimee still objects because her mother’s success was at the expense of her fathers image, saying, “after all those years of hard work and touring, this is how he’ll be remembered and appreciated.”
Dear Celebrities Everywhere — Fire Your “People”
There’s a big secret in Hollywood that many outside Tinseltown don’t know. When you hear about a celebrity being an asshole, it’s usually their handlers that are assholes, and the celebrity gets blamed. I went to a party last night and I tried to score a picture with an A-lister (whose name I won’t mention). This is something I never do, but because the event warranted picture-taking, it seemed fine to ask. He was surrounded by his handlers, who told me that he wasn’t taking any pictures. I found that suspicious, and I told them that I’ve heard through the Hollywood grapevine that he’s the nicest guy in the business, and I’m certain he wouldn’t mind. They still said no, until I dropped some names, which peaked their interest. They assured me they’d ask. I then noticed that they were instead escorting him out of the event altogether. I was snowed. I’m less annoyed that I didn’t get my coveted picture, and more annoyed by his handlers. Unfortunately, this isn’t my first experience with this type of thing. I once tried to get Brad Pitt to speak at an event I was hosting. Without getting into details, I was certain he’d be interested. I went through the proper protocol by first contacting his publicist. She wrote me back “no” within seconds, making it clear that she never even asked him. I was therefore forced to call in reinforcements, and I used connections to actually get the invitation to Pitt. It turns out he would have said yes, but his shooting schedule overlapped. And there you have it. I’m sure Pitt still has that publicist. George Clooney once discussed this issue, admitting in an interview that he’s had to fire people in his camp, because they act like assholes while throwing his name around. That’s probably why Clooney has managed to uphold his nice-guy reputation. I’m told through the rumor mill that Christopher Walken is the only celebrity that specifically instructs his “people” to extend every single offer his way (which includes student films). I’m sure that’s how he ended up in that Fat Boy Slim video. As a tribute to Christopher Walken, who I think consistently gets it right, I’ve posted the Fat Boy Slim video below.
Vintage Interview Clip: Chelsea Handler Gets Told by Chris Matthews
I randomly saw this clip, and I had to share it. One of my complaints about late night shows today is that the initial guest exits after their interview. Some of the greatest moments happen when the first guest stays for the second interview, and they share a couch someone they have nothing in common with. The camera often pans to their face, and the result is comedic magic. Watch below to see what I mean.
Blog Weekly Roundup — Tabloid Review
- Tony Parker cheated on Eva Longoria with his teammate’s wife. Astrochicks
- Kate Winslet and her hot model boyfriend broke up. Ok! Magazine
- Teri Hatcher quit Desperate Housewives. Hollywood Life
- Lindsay Lohan was replaced in the Linda Lovelace biopic. Us Magazine
- Natalie Portman has a great ass. The Superficial
- Sean Connery is one of 26 people that have to deposit a $86 million dollar bond as part of a property scam. Real Bollywood
- Portia De Rossi refused to be interviewed by men. Monsters and Critics
- Britney Spears and Beyonce have something in common: their parents are reuniting. E! Online
- Taylor Momsen blames her parents for her meltdown. The Hollywood Gossip
- Wesley Snipes is going to jail for tax evasion. Bloginity
- Jessica Simpson’s fiance isn’t a mootcher after all. Trending Daily
- Anne Hathaway admits that actors sometimes have real sex in movies. Radar Online
Carlos Vives — Music that Never Gets Old
There’s very few albums that bring me out of a bad mood. Most have a combination of up-tempo and low-tempo tracks, which makes me swing from depression to joy from one moment to another. Plus, how long can I play Britney Spears? I can only picture myself naked while holding a snake for so long (and yes, I’m aware of what that sentence implies — wash your mind out with soap). Anyways, Carlos Vives is timeless, and just because I don’t speak fluent Spanish doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the music. I like to think that if I listen to the album enough, I learn the meaning through osmosis. His best album is El Amor De mi Tierra, and I posted the song Fruta Fresca below (forgive him for the cheesiest video ever — you can’t have everything). Listen and enjoy!
Vintage Playboy Interview: George Clooney
It’s no secret that Playboy has the best interviews in history, and as a tribute to the revolutionary magazine, I’ve decided to share an anecdote from a George Clooney interview, because it confirms what a great guy he is. Clooney revealed his on set war with director David O. Russell while shooting the 1999 film, Three Kings. Clooney said Russell yelled at everyone on the set, including a camera car driver. Clooney confronted Russell, saying, “You can yell and scream and even fire him, but what you can’t do is humiliate him in front of people. Not on my set, if I have any say about it.” Russell then screamed at a second assistant director, who quit on the spot. Clooney addressed him again, saying, “you can’t shove, push or humiliate people who aren’t allowed to defend themselves.” Russell responded to Clooney’s criticism by challenging him to a fist fight, and the two men came to blows. Clooney “had him by the throat,” confessing that he was “going to kill him.” Though they finally finished the movie, Clooney said it was “without exception, the worst experience of [his] life.” My favorite part of this story is the idea that George Clooney stuck up for the little guy at the very beginning of his career before he really became the star he is today. It’s no secret that directors can be demeaning assholes, but it’s up to the power players to put a stop to it. To add to this story, Lily Tomlin later worked with David O. Russell on I Heart Huckabees, and a tape was released of a fight between Russell and Tomlin. Many accused Clooney of circulating the tape, which he later denied. Watch below to see Russell lose it half-way in.