According to the New York Post, Kathy Hilton was overheard telling friends at a party that Paris Hilton was the original reality television star and Kim Kardashian basically copied her entire life. I’m not sure why this is making headlines, especially since it’s already obvious. While it’s true that Kim Kardashian had some moderate notoriety as Robert Kardashian’s daughter, she only received press attention when she was photographed beside Paris Hilton at Hollywood parties. When Kim’s career took off, her friendship with Paris ended. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with following in someone’s footsteps, though. And Kim did a better job at sustaining her career than Paris. The only issue is that Kim never credited Paris with her success. Or the sex tape for that matter.
Category: Television
Grey’s Anatomy Musical Episode — It Didn’t Work
I just watched this much talked about Grey’s Anatomy episode, and I really wanted to like it — I promise I did. Unfortunately, it simply didn’t work. The plot surrounded Dr. Callie Torres, who was near death following a car accident. In the process of trying to save her, just about every doctor breaks into song, which is loosely justified by Callie’s hallucinations. There’s a few problems with this. First, in order to justify awkwardly singing in the middle of a hospital operation, each song must take place in Callie’s presence, otherwise it’s not a hallucination, and it’s instead just a crazy doctor that should be fired for singing on the job. Second, the song choices should have been somewhat thematic. It just doesn’t make sense to sing Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol and Breathe by Anna Nalick. It felt too random, as if they picked the songs out of a very large hat. I realize that Shonda Rimes has some very talented cast members whose voice she wanted to feature in her show. But if I were advising her, I’d tell her to take a note from Ally McBeal instead of Glee, and have the actors randomly sing at a bar after work instead. It would have made much more sense that way. Watch a clip of last Thursday’s episode below.
‘Dancing With the Stars’ Repeats Yesterday’s Show — I’m No Fool
Want to know an easy way for a television network to pocket a ton of ad revenue without doing any work? Run a clip-show! Tonight’s Dancing With the Stars “results show” consisted of an hour long recap of yesterday’s show, and I found myself completely baffled. “At some point they have to have original content,” I thought. No such luck. At the very least ABC could air back-stage material or dress rehearsal footage for the first hour. Instead, the entire hour consisted of the brilliant Tom Bergeron wasting his skills on just introducing yesterday’s dances, which I could have easily watched online instead. I understand that ABC wants to maximize their best product, but isn’t it possible to have original content for that initial hour? Sure, it’s possible. But it’s also expensive, and I’m guessing the theory at ABC is — why do it if we don’t have to? I know your tricks ABC.
‘Teen Mom 2’ Star Brutally Beats Another Teen — This Show Must Die
When Teen Mom first began, the story was uplifting. You had a group of girls that got pregnant at a very young age, and although their struggle was hard, they handled it. They were interesting to watch, and I never felt as though MTV was promoting teen pregnancy. They were simply documenting struggles, while allowing you to root for these people at the same time. Because MTV felt that the original group’s story-line became stale, they decided to follow an all new group of teens. My guess is that MTV figured they’d not only freshen up the format by selecting new people, but they’d also save money, considering the longer you employ people, the more you have to pay them. Unfortunately, the new group sucks, and it’s time to pull the show off the air. In case you didn’t hear, Jenelle Evans (one of the stars of Teen Mom 2) was captured on camera beating up another girl — and the video is violent. She’s since been arrested for the fight, but the damage is done. If MTV wants to turn their show into Jerry Springer, then feel free to keep this on the air. But if they want to maintain the show’s original integrity, then make a few phone calls to the original cast.
The Daily Show Writers Discuss How the Show is Made
If you’ve ever wondered how one of the greatest shows in television history gets made, then watch below to see the interview from last year’s Paley Center panel. In it, you’ll see The Daily Show writers discuss extremely short period of time they have each day to write Jon Stewart’s material. It’s shocking. Enjoy!
‘Dancing With the Stars’ Premieres — Kirstie Alley Rocks the House
Just when I thought there would be no one to root for on Dancing With the Stars this season, Kirstie Alley shocked me. I knew she’d be worth watching, but I had no idea she’d be incredible. Her performance with Maksim Chmerkovskiy was the best of the night, and they actually had surprising sexual chemistry. I use the word “surprising,” because I never thought Maksim and Kirstie would get along, given that they are both strong personalities. I suppose it makes sense though. Maksim needs someone to slap him around and compensate for his sometimes awkward interview demeanor. Did I mention that Kirstie looks hot? Can someone sign me up for their workout routine? Watch below.
Dancing With the Stars Costume Designer: “Celebrities Not as Hot as They Think”
Randall Christensen, the costume designer for Dancing With the Stars, revealed that his biggest design challenge is the celebrities’ distorted body image. When I first read the article, I thought he was about to discuss how the celebrities are too insecure to wear the revealing costumes, but it’s actually the opposite. According to Christensen, “a lot of times they really think they’re in better shape or a lot more toned than they are.” Nothing pleases me more than hearing about an “untoned” celebrity. That’s not because I like to swim in the misery of others, but rather, I enjoy knowing that I’m not the only one with a fat ass.
The Paley Center — Hot in Cleveland — Recap
I was lucky enough to get invited to the Hot in Cleveland panel at The Paley Center. The panel included: Betty White; Valerie Bertinelli; Wendie Malick; Jane Leeves; and series creator Suzanne Martin. This was probably the best event I’ve ever been invited to since moving to Los Angeles. First, it was incredible to see Betty White’s improvisational comedic brilliance in action. I’ve seen her execute this unique talent on various talk-shows, but seeing it in person will be forever etched in my memory. White discussed how she only planned to star in the Hot in Cleveland pilot, because her intense work schedule didn’t allow her time for the series. Because she “has the backbone of a jelly-fish,” as White put it, she relented after much coddling from the studio. When an audience member asked the panel to choose their all-time favorite co-stars, White said, “Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty.” I’m not embarrassed to say that I got slightly choked up by her response. After seeing these women interact, it’s clear to me that they actually like each other’s company. I can spot a Hollywood lie when I see it, and these ladies are legitimate. Wendie Malick was also a favorite, not only because she snorts when she laughs, but also because she had a very funny description of Susan Lucci, saying, “Lucci’s so tiny, her leg is as big as my arm.” Malick also had a hilarious exchange with Valerie Bertinelli. When Bertinelli said she removed the part of her wall where she measured her son’s height because of its sentimental value, Malick asked, “did the house fall down?” The panel laughed, at which point Suzanne joked that she gets her material from the actors true personalities. It’s always fun to see the origin of how great television shows are made, and these ladies certainly delivered the information in an entertaining way. My only critique involves the moderator, who wasn’t equipped for such a hefty task. When I turned to my friend to lambaste the moderator’s terrible questions, a woman behind me barked in my direction, saying, “I completely disagree. She was good because she got out of the way.” If “getting out of the way” means excessive gushing coupled with impertinent questions, then yeah, she got out of the way. Thank goodness these comedic veterans were equipped to run the show.
Charlie Sheen Fired From Two and a Half Men — a $60 Million Dollar Mistake
Warner Bros. (the studio that produces Two and a Half Men for CBS) announced the end of Charlie Sheen today, firing him before the remainder of the season. I’m actually shocked by the news, not only because I ‘thought the studio would rather take the personal risk of employing a crazy actor, than the financial risk of killing their cash cow. Having said that, Charlie Sheen’s antics just cost him $60 million dollars, and then some. Because the show was shut down prior to the remainder of the season, that means CBS doesn’t have to pay Charlie Sheen for the eight episodes that went un-produced. Let me break this down in simpler terms to make the point clear. When actors sign television contracts, they get paid per episode, for “all episodes produced.” For example, if Sheen was fired mid-season, and then Stamos was hired to take his place, CBS would have to pay both Stamos AND Sheen, because Sheen’s contract said he gets paid for every episode produced in that season, whether he’s in the episode or not. Unfortunately for Sheen, CBS shut down production entirely, before finishing the last 8 episodes of the season. Translation — if the episodes weren’t made, then Sheen doesn’t get paid. Since Sheen makes 2 million dollars per episode, that means he just lost 16 million dollars. If only he could have contained his crazy for the rest of the season — he might have been able to hold off a predictable future bankruptcy a little longer (has he learned nothing from Nic Cage?). He also could have just acted like a normal human being and stayed on the the show until it ran it’s course. Just to make your jaw drop at his stupidity, just one more season of Two and a Half Men at $2 million per episode would have likely earned him $44 million. That’s a total of $60 million. Sheen’s lawyer is currently arguing that he should be paid for the remaining eight episodes of the current season, even though Warner Bros. never produced them. Good luck, Charlie.
Charlie Sheen’s Web-Cast — Just a Boring House-Party
Have you ever gone to a house party where everyone seems to be having a great time, and you’re looking for the nearest exit? Such is the case with Charlie Sheen’s web-cast, which looked like the least happening shin-dig imaginable. The only entertainment involved his overuse of the word “winning,” which never gets old. Unless Sheen plans on releasing a porn involving his two “goddesses,” I’m not interested in any future broadcasting from his mansion. As an aside, Charlie Sheen’s antics prove exactly why television networks make actors “exclusive” to the network in their contracts. Now that Charlie Sheen is free from Two and a Half Men, he can be “funny” in real life. Great for him, bad for us. I imagine that if every actor was this legally free to pursue their creative fantasies, you might see some other A-listers going bat-sh#t-crazy. Watch the “entertainment” below.