Ebert Reflects On Gene Siskel With AARP.org

Roger Ebert interviewed with AARP, and because I love all things Roger Ebert, I’ve posted some quotes from the interview below. Enjoy!

On the health care system

“I have had only positive experiences. I have been lucky to benefit from wonderful doctors — and, on the daily firing line, nurses and nurses’ aides, who are there in the middle of the night. I strongly believe in universal health care, and find it incredible that ours is the only major industrialized nation that doesn’t offer it. The arguments against it are hogwash, and it’s a tragedy that many seniors have been persuaded to vote against their own self-interest.”

On what film critic Gene Siskel means to him

“What he means to me is in the present, not the past. He was remarkably intelligent, observant and incisive. I valued his advice. We shared many things. I often think of his definition of “lip flap.” That’s when people speak without saying anything. I think of it often when listening to celebrities and to politicians of every party.”

On his plans to retire

“If I retired, what would I do then? Exactly the same as I am doing now, but without being able to write? Unthinkable. The ideal would be to retire into a better occupation. If all you do is stop working, then what does that say about your job? Leisure can be exhausting.“

On the best part of growing older

“It’s all worth remembering. The silver lining is that there is more to remember. Since my mind remains intact, the bad part is that my body can’t keep up. That’s built in, so there’s no use fretting.”

Charlie Sheen Reaches Two and a Half Men Settlement? — No Wonder He’s So Nice

If you wondered why Charlie Sheen recently changed his tune about Two and a Half Men in support of Ashton Kutcher — your questions are answered.  According to Deadline, Sheen and Warner Bros. are close to reaching a very lucrative settlement on Sheen’s 100 million dollar lawsuit. Though no contracts are signed as of yet, it certainly helps settlement negotiations when one of the parties is openly cooperative. And furthermore, if it’s true that Sheen will pocket a $25 million settlement without putting in any extra hours on set, well then I imagine he’s a happy guy. Sure it’s less than what he would have had if he kept working on the show — but getting $25 million for getting fired is a sweet deal. Oh yeah — he’s also shopping a new series — which also explains his image cleanup tour.

‘RHOBH’s Taylor Armstrong Discusses Russell’s Abuse

I have mixed feelings about Taylor Armstrong’s interview with Entertainment Tonight where she discussed the physical abuse she suffered at the hands of her now-deceased husband. It’s certainly important to openly discuss domestic violence, and given that she’s already in the spotlight, it’s helpful that she’s in a position to draw more attention to the very serious issue. Having said that, it rubs me the wrong way. I suppose all television interviews are symbiotic, so it’s only inevitable that Entertainment Tonight would gain a ratings coup from this interview. But why is Taylor speaking up now, and why did she choose to engage in a reality show when her personal life was in shambles? Perhaps she wanted to make money independent of her husband so she could gain the strength to leave him? And did Bravo know about the violence? If they did, was it fair to keep her on television? Did they intervene? It’s difficult to spot that line in the sand in order to determine whether it’s been crossed. Click the link below to see the video.

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Rosie O’Donnell on Curb Your Enthusiasm — HILARIOUS!

It’s not a mystery why this season of Curb Your Enthusiasm was one of the highest rated in the history of the show. It’s better than ever, and the clip below is so funny I found myself laughing out loud (and not in that ridiculous “LOL” kind of way — a real, legitimate belly laugh). Larry David and Rosie O’Donnell both meet a potential love interest at an event, and they have a discussion about their excitement without knowing they are talking about the same woman. Because the show is heavily improvised, it’s no surprise that O’Donnell and David’s mutual chemistry and comedic prowess magically unite in this non-scripted format. Watch below.

Netflix is now Qwikster? — Dumbest Company Ever

Just when you thought Netflix could not get more stupid — think again. As if their new, cost splitting structure wasn’t confusing enough, Netflix has now decided to rename their DVD-by-mail service, calling it “Qwikster.” The term “Netflix” will now only apply to online streaming. Don’t worry — it gets worse. If you subscribe to both Netflix and “Qwikster”, then you have the annoying task of logging into to two different websites to maintain your film selection. Allow me to explain to Netflix why this is a terrible decision. The most important element of a successful company is its branding, and Netflix just obliterated that. It’s one thing to increase prices by implementing a new, confusing cost structure, but to remove the name that the consumer has come to love and trust — that’s just corporate suicide. So goodbye Netflix — it was fun while it lasted. And let this be a lesson to everyone — always think like an underdog — because there’s something about success that ruins people’s ability to reason.

The Canadian Tenors Sing Hallelujah at Emmys — In Memoriam

There’s been some confusion about who exactly sang during the In Memoriam segment at the Emmys. No — it was not Il Divo. It was the Canadian Tenors, which includes Fraser Walters, Remigio Pereira and Victor Micallef and Clifton Murray. The group was created by Jill Ann Siemens, and it went through a series of different voices until finally settling on the current individuals. Though some called the performance cheesy — I liked it. It’s always enjoyable to hear great voices, especially during such an emotional segment. In fact, it might be the only thing the Emmys got right this year.

Alec Baldwin Didn’t Boycott the Emmys After All

When rumors surfaced that Alec Baldwin “boycotted” the Emmys because Fox nixed his phone hacking joke from the opening segment, Baldwin was quick to clarify the situation with the Huffington Post. According to Baldwin, he had a previous commitment to Tony Bennett’s charity, and he never planned to attend. But just when you thought there was no ill-will, Baldwin got a witty dig in, saying, “I understand News Corps.’ reluctance to include that joke. If I were accused of illegally hacking into the private phone messages of the families of innocent crime victims and doing so purely for profit, I would be eager for that scandal to go away, too.” Fox defended its decision, saying it had nothing to do with being humorless, and the choice was based solely on respecting the innocent victims involved in the scandal. To be fair, Fox probably made the right choice. America has a fleeting memory, so the less you mention something, the more likely everyone is to forget about it.

Ty Burrell’s Emmy Speech — Heartbreaking and Funny

Modern Family is unequivocally the best comedy on television. In fact, I might say it’s the best comedy since Seinfeld. I was thrilled to see Ty Burrell’s Emmy win, because he’s deserving and seemingly humble. His speech was moving, and I like that he inserted jokes amongst the heartbreaking truth that his father never lived to see his success. Congratulations, Ty Burrell.

Brad Pitt Apologizes for Jennifer Aniston Quote — Was He Wrong?

 

Brad Pitt tried to worm his way out of some hot water recently, after his interview with Parade Magazine caused a tabloid fury. Here’s his original quote:

I spent the ‘90s trying to hide out, trying to duck the full celebrity cacophony. I started to get sick of myself sitting on a couch, holding a joint, hiding out. It started feeling pathetic. It became very clear to me that I was intent on trying to find a movie about an interesting life, but I wasn’t living an interesting life myself. I think that my marriage [to actress Jennifer Aniston] had something to do with it. Trying to pretend the marriage was something that it wasn’t.

When the predictable Jenifer-Aniston-related outrage followed, Pitt immediately did damage-control, saying:

It grieves me that this was interpreted this way. Jen is an incredibly giving, loving and hilarious woman who remains my friend. It is an important relationship I value greatly. The point I was trying to make is not that Jen was dull, but that I was becoming dull to myself — and that, I am responsible for.

I’m going to keep this short and sweet. Pitt’s follow-up is just as douchey as his original quote. Both he and Angelina Jolie need to leave Jennifer Aniston’s name out of their mouths for eternity. There’s no possible way for him to discuss his ex-wife without the tabloids going nuts, so it’s only fair for him to keep his mouth shut. Because he unilaterally ended his marriage, and he ended up with someone who’s also extremely famous, he owes his ex the courtesy of remaining silent.

Tabloid Gossip — Week-in-Review — Love Gained & Lost

  • ‘Glee’s’ Jane Lynch had an affair with her friend’s lover. Contact Music
  • ‘True Blood’s’ Joe Manganiello and his fiance split up. Us Weekly
  • ‘Mad Men’s’ January Jones gave birth to a baby boy named Xander. Huffington Post
  • ‘Sideways” Virginia Madsen went public with her much younger lover.  People
  • Jennifer Love Hewitt has a new man.  Celebuzz
  • Ashlee Simpson went public with her new man, Vincent Piazza, at the ‘Boardwalk Empire’ premiere. E! Online
  • Justin Theroux may or may not have shaved his beard for Jennifer Aniston. Either way, those two look hot together. Wonderwall
  • Eva Longoria and her ex-husband, Tony Parker, no longer speak. MSNBC
  • ‘American Idol’s’ Pia Toscano and ‘Dancing With the Stars’‘ Mark Ballas broke up. Reality TV Magazine
  • Charlie Sheen is making the rounds on his new, “I’m clean & sober” tour. Radar Online
  • ‘Girls Next Door’ star, Kendra Wilkinson, revealed the details behind her depression. In Touch
  • Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell are getting married soon. If Paul McCartney stills believes in love after such a public divorce — there’s hope for everyone. Hello Magazine
  • The infamous White House wedding crasher, Michaele Salahi, left her co-conspirator husband for Journey guitarist Neal Schon. Washington Post