When I found out about Mariah Carey’s decision to join American Idol, I thought: “I’ll take the Mariah Carey from ten years ago, and not the Mariah Carey of today.” That’s not a dig at the current state of her career, it’s a dig at the current state of her public persona. In short — she’s almost become a caricature of herself, exuding a diva-like temperament in every interview. I miss the down-to-earth, flannel wearing Mariah Carey of the old days. To prove my point, I’ve posted a vintage interview with the superstar below. Here’s hoping she’s relatable enough to pull off this new role. After all, if Jennifer Lopez can turn her image around, so can Mariah Carey.
Author: The Dishmaster
Quote of the Day — President Obama on Howard Stern?
“If I am lucky enough to be reelected, I want to build a bridge to the future. A bridge that all Americans can sleep on. I know unemployment is 10%, but we can get this number down if Americans would just stop looking for work . . . . The American worker is the most productive worker in the world. You know those signs that say made in china? We make those.” President Obama (Alright — you caught me. It’s not really President Obama. But it might as well have been. The quote came from a very talented Obama impersonator on the Howard Stern show).
Emily Maynard Chooses Jef — Arie Moves On
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I’m rooting for Jef and Emily, but I’ve been through too many failed relationships on this darn show to get overly excited. The most interesting part of the ‘After the Final Rose,’ was the revelation that Arie flew to Emily’s hometown to have a conversation with her off-camera, but he left his journal on her doorstep instead of seeing her. Maynard didn’t read the journal, and Arie rightfully said she should have rejected it upon arrival instead of leading him to believe she’d read it. Maynard confessed she’s not good at rejecting people, and she should have been more blunt, because she now knows it would have helped him move on. Though I felt terrible for Arie, something tells me he’ll be the next Bachelor. As for whether Jef and Emily will actually tie the knot, the Jane Austen in me is holding out a shred of hope. To be continued . . . .
HBO Sacks Aaron Sorkin’s Entire Writing Staff for ‘The Newsroom’?
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Though I appreciate HBO’s desire to save their writing staff’s reputation by calling it normal to sack nearly all of Sorkin’s writing staff for ‘The Newsroom,’ the truth is — it isn’t normal. It might be normal to replace a few writers, but if the rumors are true and the entire staff was overhauled, then they are likely restructuring in response to some harsh critics of the show. The business is brutal, and if the ratings don’t stand up to the network’s expectation, changes are made extremely fast. Plus, something tells me Aaron Sorkin is not an easy guy to deal with in the writer’s room, and his own personal standards as the show’s creator (and God of all entertainment writing) might have also contributed to HBO’s decision.
Tabloid Gossip — The News For Now
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- ‘American Idol’ winner Lee DeWyze got married. People
- Lindsay Price and Curtis Stone are engaged. Us Magazine
- Sofia Vergara is television’s highest paid woman. New York Daily News
- Director Guy Richie is on his way to baby #2 with his current girlfriend. Huffington Post
- Keira Knightly and Mark Ruffalo don’t have chemistry. Just Jared
- Russell Brand has a new girlfriend. Mirror
- Dancing With the Stars’ Cheryl Burke has a new boyfriend. Rumor Fix
- Natalee Holloway’s alleged killer is engaged. Perez
- Ray J mocked Kim Kardashian on Twitter. Wet Paint
- Aaron Sorkin overhauled his entire writing staff for The Newsroom. Hollywood Reporter
Quote of the Day — Russell Brand Tells Howard Stern Why His Marriage Ended
Mad Men’s January Jones Talks to Mom.Me
On advice for working moms:
I think that as hard as it is, that if you have something that you love outside of being a mother, you should definitely maintain it, because it makes you a better mother.
On how being a mother changed her opinion of her character, Betty Draper:
I try not to judge her. It’s like she’s a relative you are embarrassed about. I disagree with her a lot … I don’t think I’d be her friend, but I defend her fiercely when someone says something about her.
On Betty Draper’s influence on her as a mom:
Well, I certainly don’t take anything from Betty home. I have nothing in common with her when it comes mothering. I don’t see it as a burden or irritation. I feel very lucky and I feel like it was something that I was meant to do. I’m at the right age and the right time in my life where it’s just so much fun. And I don’t think Betty sees the fun in that … I think she sees it as an inconvenience.
On playing a mom from a different era:
At the same time we are so rigid and so worried about every little thing now. I had no idea how many warning labels are on kid’s stuff. Everything is warning, warning, warning. You just kind of do the best you can.
Jeff Daniels Attacked Aaron Sorkin to Land His Newsroom Role? — I Call Bull Shit
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Here at The Dishmaster, I read a lot of interviews, and every so often a story is just ridiculous enough to sound off my red-flag alarm. Today’s story in question involves ‘The Newsroom’ star Jeff Daniels, and how he landed his coveted new role. When asked how he convinced writer Aaron Sorkin that he could shed his nice-guy persona for a mean guy role, Daniels said:
“I had to have a meeting with [Aaron Sorkin] at a hotel here in New York to convince him that I could be angry and I tried, you know, raising my voice, being rude to the waiter and I tried all these different things and I could tell he wasn’t buying it. So at some point, I just said, ‘Aaron’ and I reached across and I placed my hand on his head… I”m gonna do this to Jimmy and it’s not going to hurt. I promise. And I took Aaron’s head and I slammed it down into the table and he bounced back up and then I had the role!”
In short, there’s no way that happened.
Howard Stern’s Precious Bianca Dies — It’s a Sad Day
Joseph Gordon-Levitt v. GQ — Who’s Right? — The Dishmaster Decides
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Interviews with actors often run long, in hopes that journalists will get enough material to pick-and-choose what works best with their article. Though actors might think certain disclosures are the most interesting, they are often times incorrect. In the case of Joseph Gordon Levitt, it’s a tough call. Levitt objected to GQ Magazine’s coverage of his brother during their interview, specifically that GQ talked more about how his brother died than how he lived, and mistakenly said his death was related to drugs. I re-read the content in question, and I think Levitt’s sensitivity about the subject skewed his judgment. GQ barely addressed the subject, which is likely because after Levitt’s instruction they were probably paranoid about mentioning him at all. Furthermore, they referred to the drug overdose as “alleged,” and they mentioned his name in a positive context.