Jessica Simpson is Still Having a Rough Go of It

I’m rooting for Jessica Simpson. I’ve always been a fan, I watched newlyweds, and when she and Nick Lachey split up it felt like the end of an era. But they were young, and they didn’t stand a chance with the monkey of Hollywood on their back.

Since the show has ended, Jessica Simpson has had great success as a businesswoman and mother of three, and Nick Lachey has started a family of his own. It therefore baffles me why Jessica Simpson would take the route of writing a memoir, especially if she is not in the mental place to do it.

Though I know absolutely nothing about her on a personal level, it took me two seconds to watch her interview on The Today Show to surmise that even though she proclaims to be sober, something is awry. I by no means want to pick on her, but I also want to make it clear that I’m not buying what she’s selling, literally and figuratively. 

Corey Feldman Returns to The Today Show — Is This Morally Sound?

Following up his much-talked about performance of “Go For It” on ‘The Today Show’ the Goonies star is back for what’s been billed “Corey’s Comeback,” and this time he’s performing “Take a Stand” from his new album, ‘Angelic 2 the Core.’ When Feldman first performed “Go For It,” he was met with heavy online criticism, and Feldman subsequently cried in response. Stars and fans quickly came to his defense and the public’s conversation turned to questions about twitter trolls and the mean-spirited hatred we see so often with online bullying. Though I feel sorry for Feldman for many reasons and wish him the absolute best, my take on this is much more complex.

Los Angeles is latent with an insane entitlement from both deserving and undeserving celebrities. When the world caters to your every need and want, you become a spoiled infant. Such is the case, I believe, with Corey Feldman. Maybe he’s a nice, kind person, but his music is not good enough to be featured on ‘The Today Show,’ and the only reason he got there is because of his former fame, and because the producers obviously knew what they had on their hands. They knew he would be laughed AT (not WITH), but they booked him regardless. They got greedy, wanted extra eyeballs, and got them at Feldman’s expense. Had Feldman been in on the joke, I’d have been happy to join his party, but I won’t point my finger and laugh at someone. There are thousands of indie artists dying for exposure (I can name 100 of them off the top of my head) that are more deserving of a slot, and they should be booked instead. Lastly, shame on ‘The Today Show’ for booking Feldman AGAIN. They can mask it as a kind gesture for the guy that had his feelings hurt the last time around, but I know the truth. And the truth is they once again got greedy.

If Feldman wants to make money, perhaps he should go back to school or learn a trade. Maybe he should get a desk job and work a 9 to 5 like the rest of us. He had his time in La La Land, and not everyone gets to continue their most-desired career for eternity. The idea that Hollywood or the music industry is readily accessible for any and all artists that once reigned supreme brings me back to my original point about entitlement. Sometimes jobs don’t work out. Like every other person in America, send your resume out and see who bites.

In Defense of Billy Bush

The rise of social media has brought justice upon individuals that would otherwise go unpunished, but it has also brought unjust punishment to those who would ordinarily get a slap on the wrist. When Billy Bush engaged in “locker room” talk with Donald Trump, who led a conversation about how his advances toward the then-married Nancy O’Dell went unrequited, and how he attempts to kiss women whether they like it or not, the public viewed Bush as complicit. He should have spoken up. He should have said, “Donald, don’t talk that way. That’s uncalled for, and I won’t tolerate it. Women deserve to be respected, and you should not hit on married women.” Most importantly, he should not have laughed.

The entire event reminded me of a recent lunch I experienced with a friend of a friend, who made a comment I deemed racist. I did speak up. I said it wasn’t cool, and I wouldn’t tolerate it in my presence. The conversation quickly came to a halt, and things got awkward. Those who know me are well aware I am not afraid of confrontation. I am not easily intimidated by authority, and there’s no amount of money, fame, or recognition you can offer that would make me sacrifice my integrity. But I am a rare breed. Most people do not want confrontation. Most people can remember those “locker room” moments where they don’t want to be the odd man out, and they participate in deplorable behavior even though it does not reflect their character. They vow to be better people the next time around, and they feel silently ashamed.

I don’t know Billy Bush. Perhaps he is a misogynist. Perhaps he does not respect women. Perhaps he is personally friends with Donald Trump and agreed with his off-color, offensive comments. But to repeat my original point, I don’t know him, and neither do you. We all make mistakes in the workplace and don’t get fired for them. We all do things of which we’re ashamed and silently correct them without the world watching. And if the world wasn’t watching, would Billy Bush be suspended? Or would he simply be privately admonished? Before you judge him, take a long, hard look in the mirror and ask yourself whether you too would like to be forgiven for your own mistakes.

Uma Thurman Returns to Normal: Faces Off on Press

Uma Thurman visited ‘The Today Show’ to promote her new project, ‘The Slap,’ and her fresh-faced look put to rest all those plastic surgery rumors. Thurman eloquently addressed the controversy surrounding her face, saying, “I guess nobody liked my makeup.” Watch below.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Jimmy Fallon Reveals Fertility Struggles — Watch Now

Jimmy Fallon is so sweet I got a cavity from the video below. Watch the late night host discuss using a surrogate, and the inspiration behind his daughter’s name, Winnie.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Katie Couric Visits Howard Stern — Magic Ensues

Katie Couric’s awesome-factor went from luke-warm to red hot when she visited the Howard Stern show this week. Couric was presumably returning the favor after Stern’s one-hour sit-down on her own show. She talked openly about her husband and sister’s early death, her dating life, her CBS stint, and her potential return to The Today Show. Watch a clip below.

Matt Lauer v. Ann Curry v. NBC — Analysis of a Stink Train

20130327-105241.jpgWhen one outlet advocates an opinion, the others run with it, and it’s soon too late to undo the damage. Such is the case with Matt Lauer’s Today Show downfall, and the constant assertions that he’s to blame for the ratings decline. So is he to blame? And will he recover?

While I’ve certainly taken my fair share of digs at Lauer for his aggressive interview style, the only people to blame for the ratings decline are Ann Curry and NBC. And before I get the backlash for bashing America’s sweetheart, allow me to explain. First, she never should have been promoted to that post in the first place. She was historically passed-over for that position for more appropriate hosts (see Meredith Vieria), and someone with a soft-spot felt it fair gift her with the role she’d been patiently eyeing. When she got it, it was immediately clear that she didn’t fit. She lacked the laid-back energy necessary for the show’s family-style morning atmosphere. Though she was perfect for hard news, the soft-stuff was an obvious struggle.

I don’t have inside sources at NBC, so I can’t confirm whether Lauer pointed out what was already clear to anyone watching — Curry didn’t fit, and she had to go. His nice-guy status began to tank when other news outlets did in fact blame him, and he was immediately painted as the bully who swiped the sweet-girl’s dream. My uneducated guess is that Curry and some inside-folks with an agenda leaked the stories. And Curry got public revenge when she openly weeped on the air, in what I can only describe as unprofessional. All I’ve ever left behind at a job is a thank you note and a smile, and while those jobs were not public, I certainly didn’t walk around the office complaining and crying about how I wish I could have “carried the ball.”

The subsequent fallout seems to be irreparable, and the only suggestion I’ve got is to commission Barbara Walters for a sit-down with Lauer and get the folks at NBC to give Ann Curry what she wants so she can stop leaking unflattering stories to the press about how NBC banned her from wishing cancer-stricken Robin Roberts well on twitter (Note: I don’t KNOW she leaked that, but again — it’s just an educated guess). Clean up your mess, guys. I’m sick of this garbage.

NBC Attacked Ann Curry’s Style? — Good Work

If fashion didn’t matter, then a lot of people would be out of work. Hear that Ann Curry? The former Today Show anchor had some key quotes exposed from her recent Ladies Home Journal interview, which apparently shed light on her squabbles with NBC. Curry said her bosses wanted her to die her grey hair, and despite their insistence that she wear heels, she wore “clogs and flats” instead. Also — she refuses to die her hair because she wants to “honor [her] family by looking exactly as they did as they got older.” Sigh . . . where do I begin? Before feminists everywhere wave their disapproving fingers in NBC’s face, I’d encourage them to wave it in Ann’s face instead. Workplace fashion exists everywhere, not just on The Today Show. And clogs are gross. If your going to be on a big time show — then dress like a big-timer.

Alexis Stewart on ‘The Today Show’ — Confirms She’s Horrible

Alexis Stewart appeared on ‘The Today Show’ to promote her new book, ‘Whateverland,’ and it’s obvious she should immediately check into therapy. First, she was clearly annoyed by the Martha Stewart related questions, which is hilarious considering the book would never be published without her mother’s name. Second, she co-wrote the book with Jennifer Koppelman-Hutt, who she’s no longer friends with. When asked why the friendship ended, Stewart gave vague answers, but reiterated a quote from her book, saying, “If you want to punish somebody, never talking to them is a good method.” It didn’t surprise me that Koppelman-Hutt couldn’t answer the question either, given her recent appearance on Howard Stern where she divulged she has absolutely no idea why Alexis banished her from her life. What exactly happened during Alexis Stewart’s life to make her such a horrible, angry person? And furthermore, who wants to buy an advice book from someone that needs twelve of their own? Perhaps the ‘Whateverland’ title should be changed to “Why-I-Gratuitously-Drop-My-Friends-And Hate-Life.”