Because it’s a beautiful day outside, I’ve chosen this gratuitous picture of the still breathtaking Brad Pitt, who is currently shooting David Ayer’s ‘Fury.’ Enjoy.
Julie Chen v. Jenny McCarthy — Is ‘The View’ Doomed?
Julie Chen visited the King of all Media to promote ‘The Talk’ and she admirably answered the shock jock’s probing questions with honesty (except for the nose job one). One such question was whether ‘The View’ made a mistake with its new, non-politics direction. Howard Stern then asked about Jenny McCarthy, and Chen insisted that McCarthy is more suited for a pop culture format, and since ‘The View’ has always been known for hard-hitting topics, she simply doesn’t fit in.
The interesting irony of Julie Chen’s comment is that Jenny McCarthy is no more suited to discuss politics than Survivor contestant Elisabeth Hasselbeck. In fact, it might actually be more interesting to hear the former playmate’s take on harder topics. It’s unfortunate; however, that Jenny McCarthy got caught in the cross-hairs of a more interesting debate. Is it true that ‘The View’ made a mistake with it’s new format? Though it pains me to say this, the answer is yes.
ABC fell victim to a common error with its revamp. They listened to the public. While it’s true that public opinion matters, a major network should be led by their opinion, not bound to it. Elisabeth Hasselbeck was too contentious and off-putting, and she made ‘The View’ uncomfortable to watch while unwinding. That being said, just because one person is poisonous, that doesn’t mean the format should be entirely trashed. There are a million resources for pop-culture, and I have zero interest in watching a group of women debate what I can find in any other forum imaginable. But try finding a show that discusses political issues with entertaining, non-experts and a spoonful of sugar (there aren’t many).’The View’ was a resource to learn about intricate political topics with ease, and they have now become a bunch of girls gabbing about gunk. I get it. They want to be one with the times. Hopefully they will learn what those times actually are before it’s too late.
Maria Shriver Covers AARP — Talks Arnold, Alzheimer’s, and Finding Love
Maria Shriver covered the December/January issue of AARP Magazine, and she covered all the topics that inquiring minds want to know. Though she’s never directly addressed Arnold infidelity, she certainly brushed on the topic. Read some choice quotes below.
On being self reliant after Arnold:
“That’s certainly been a struggle for me…[In 2011], I was trying to reimagine my life. You have to be willing to let go of the life you planned in order to make the life you’re meant to live.”
On finding love again:
“I’ve been blessed by my parents’ love, by the love I had with Arnold, by the love of my children and my friends. We’re so consumed as a society with “Do you have a boyfriend?” or “Are you married?” We miss the love that is staring you right in the face. I feel surrounding by love. I feel blessed now here in my life.”
On aging:
“I don’t think about it that much. I try to surround myself with lots of young people who are full of life and energy and ideas…I’ve been loved, and I’ve loved. I wouldn’t trade my life for anyone’s.”
On what she’s still working on:
“I’d like to get really good at meditation. I’d like to get really good at accepting love. I’d like to get really good at unconditional love.”
On dealing with grief:
“…we don’t have a culture for handling grief. Understand that there’s not something wrong with you, and that you will get through it, is probably one of the most important things you do.”
On her late father’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease:
“Alzheimer’s is a boomers’ disease…It rattles your whole family dynamic, and it’s not something that going to happen some other time. It’s happening now.”
On building self-esteem:
“I was not brought up to put myself first, but you have to…It’s your job to know who you are. What do you value? What’s your mission? What makes you happy?”
On the subject of her upcoming “Shriver Report”:
“At The Women’s Conference we had these power women discussing “Can I have it all?” I started to think about the women who are left out that discussion. They’re not invited to the power conferences – they barely have time to wash their hair! I wanted to find out what those women need, what we could do differently.”
On raising her children:
“I feel that it’s my job on a daily basis to love my four children unconditionally and to focus on them…I’m really big on elevating people. I always say to my kids, “Our job here is to elevate each other. The world knocks you down.’”
On being a member of the sandwich generation:
“It’s emotionally challenging trying to raise your kids- and parent your parents at the same time. But not a day goes by that I don’t miss my parents. If I had a choice to have them here, I’d do that all again.”
Celebrity News Rundown — Get Linked In
The Lindsay Lohan dram continues. Daily Mail
Lance Armstrong has a lot of balls. DListed
Khloe Kardashian filed for divorce. TMZ
Mary Kate Olsen is getting serious with her May/December romance. Celebuzz
Kevin Federline is on his way to baby number six. USA Today
Simon Cowell’s baby name is revealed. NY Daily News
Drew Barrymore disclosed her baby’s gender. Hollywood Life
Taye Diggs & Idina Menzel separated. MSN
There’s a new Dancing With the Stars romance. Reality TV World
Keri Russell and her husband separated. TV Guide
Khloe Kardashian might already have a new boyfriend. RumorFix
Kelly Rutherford hit another blow in her custody battle. Radar Online
Vintage Quote of the Day — Roger Ebert on the MPAA’s Hypocrisy
“The MPAA’s R rating is definitive proof that the organization either will never give the NC-17 rating for violence alone, or was intimidated by the subject matter. If it had been anyone other than Jesus up on that cross, I have a feeling that NC-17 would have been automatic.” The late, great Roger Ebert, addressing an issue while reviewing Passion of the Christ that’s now gaining even more momentum. The man was always ahead of his time.
Are Alex & Sierra the Next Sonny & Cher? — Watch their Final Four Performance
Here at The Dishmaster, I pride myself on my ability to pick the next big thing. And if you question my taste, just head over to my interview section and judge for yourself. Having said that, I’d like to take a moment to gloat about The X Factor’s Alex & Sierra, who I smartly singled out as the season’s front-runners on September 12th. Since no one likes a braggart, I’ve posted their most recent performance so that you can judge their future success for yourself. Don’t forget to read my interview with Alex & Sierra.
Lea Michele Talks About Cory Monteith — Performs Cannonball
It’s nearly impossible not to root for Lea Michele. The Glee star tragically lost her love to his drug addiction, and the world has watched with bated breath to determine her state ever since. She’s releasing a record, and she sat down with Ellen DeGeneres to discuss her grief and her relationship with the late, great Cory Monteith. Though I was skeptical about her ability to produce a hit, Cannonball is a very catchy tune. Watch her performance and her sweet interview below.
Kim Kardashian Responds to Typhoon Criticism With Ridiculous Defense
Over the years, I’ve wavered with my support of the Kardashian Klan. For starters, it’s quite fine that they have no talent. I know plenty of people with little creative talent who value their personal life over their professional life. Most of those people might pounce on the opportunity to place cameras in their home in exchange for a hefty payday. Money is money. But if you’re going to gain fame in an entertainment industry with minimal entertainment skills, you better use that power for good. And that brings me to my current tirade of Kim Kardashian, who held an ebay auction for the Philippines typhoon victims.
Because the media follows her every move, people quickly picked up on the fact that she was only donating 10% of the proceeds to the victims, keeping the rest for herself. Kardashian finally responded to the criticism with a laughable defense, claiming “the people of the Philippines need all of our help, no matter how big or small,” and “I feel like I get criticized for any and everything I do.”
Because Kim Kardashian is not fully understanding the criticism, I will generously take the time to explain it in a kinder way than my blogging cohorts. The issue isn’t that she makes a bunch of money and only donated a small percentage of it. It’s absolutely acceptable to donate 5 dollars or 5 million dollars, no matter what your income. Help is help. The issue is that because the title of the sale claimed to donate the proceeds to the typhoon victims, it generated more interest, and a stronger desire for the public to participate. Because the actual percentage was not immediately apparent (it was in small print at the bottom of the page), it therefore appears as if Kim Kardashian is using a cause to get more money for a sale, only to restrict the donation to a mere 10%. In short, that’s deplorable. You cannot ride a cause to increase your sales and then limit the donation to the cause that generated those sales.
I fully understand that Kim Kardashian receives an inordinate amount of arbitrary criticism from a plethora of people who make it their mission to take her down. In fact, if you simply look at the comments on her instagram page, you’d have a little more sympathy for the star. But some criticism is deserved. And she cannot simply wax on with a woe-is-me rant to avoid the truth. She made a serious error with the Ebay auction, and the aftermath is deserved.
Obama Takes a Selfie at Nelson Mandela’s Memorial — MAJOR FAIL?
Adults are always preaching about my generation. “You’re so consumed with technology you’re missing the world around you,” they say. And while I usually liken their sentiments to a ‘Midnight in Paris’ style critique, this might be the first times in history I’ll join the outrage. In case you missed it, President Obama took a selfie with British Prime Minister David Cameron and Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service in South Africa.
The media is predictably and justifiably aghast. Though this was a memorial, not a funeral, the point remains the same. While celebrating the life of such an esteemed legend, is it appropriate to take a selfie? Is the narcissistic school-kid behavior appropriate for the President, or this too harsh a standard for the man who has predicated his presidency on being relatable? The answer is simple. Our leaders are held to higher standards, and had this been a personal friend, my reaction would be equal in its outrage. There are times for selfies (see Kim Kardashian), and this was not it. To see the photos in question, click HERE.
Carrie Underwood in The Sound of Music Live! — How’d She Do?!
Risk-takers are worth celebrating, especially when those risks encourage families to take time together, in a world dictated by the demands of multi-tasking, technology, and endless email-checking. For one of the first times in a long time, NBC thought outside the box and produced The Sound of Music Live! with Carrie Underwood as its star. Though there are inevitable assaults on Underwood’s acting chops and unfair comparisons to Julie Andrews, the country crooner held her own and rose to the occasion.
Carrie Underwood’s career trajectory has consistently impressed me. She began on American Idol and could have easily rested on her laurels with expected albums and tours, but she’s instead pushed herself in unpredictable ways. She’s hosted awards shows, poked public fun at her cohorts (see Jimmy Fallon), and now — The Sound of Music Live! There are stories about her insane talent at memorizing lines and devotion to the project, and it showed. Overall, I loved it. And judging from the 18 million viewers, so did the public. If you missed it, check it out below.