Is Michael Strahan making a mistake by leaving ‘Live With Kelly and Michael‘ for ‘Good Morning America’? Only time will tell, but at least he can cry into a big pile of money if the career move doesn’t work out. After watching his exit package below, I couldn’t help but feel sad, because Kelly and Michael really did have sweet on-stage chemistry, and life isn’t just about money. He’s moving to another show as part of an ensemble, which apart from the money, feels like a step down. Good luck, Michael. You will be missed, especially since I don’t watch GMA.
Kelly Ripa returned to ‘Live With Kelly and Michael’ after a press firestorm surrounding Strahan’s abrupt departure to ‘Good Morning America.’ Though it might seem impossible to make light of a difficult situation, Ripa stayed true to her classy form with some funny jokes and genuine honesty. She said she deserved to take two days off after over two decades with ABC, and she’s been assured that her show is in fact a priority. She also said there were snipers with tranquilizer darts ready in case she went off script. Strahan seemed to take it in stride, once again assuring Ripa that she is the Queen and he’s honored to have worked beside her. Their love-fest was short-lived; however, because it’s recently been revealed that Strahan will leave earlier than expected.
In everyday life, when one is upset with the executives in charge, he or she might call in sick in silent defiance and fly under the radar. Ripa is not given that same luxury, because the world is watching. I’ve previously noted that she has been given sexist treatment from the media and I still must tip my hat to her maturity. As for Strahan, I don’t blame him for taking a higher-paying job, but I think it’s the wrong move. To quote Andy Cohen, when your name is in the title of a show, how could you forgo that in favor of an ensemble? It must also be noted that Ripa can find solace in the fact that ABC will be punished for their poor, disrespectful move, because it has impacted Strahan’s squeaky clean image, which will make it more difficult to win viewers at his new post. So good job, guys.
I find it incredibly suspicious that Amy Robach and Lara Spencer were conveniently spotted at lunch together and a TMZ camera just happened to catch them in action. According to TMZ, the leading ladies on Good Morning American have bad blood, with Amy allegedly feeling as if Lara didn’t have enough journalism experience to justify such a coveted role. While it might be true that they’ve kissed and made up, I’m guessing it was at the insistence of ABC executives, given that GMA’s ratings are contingent upon their One-Big-Happy-Family image. And since The Today show ratings fell victim to the same rumors, it’s extremely important that these kinks get smoothed out. Watch their schmaltzy performance below.
I paid close attention to Reese Witherspoon’s mea culpa, and my forgiveness is on the fence. She’s in a tough position. If she blames her bad behavior on being wasted, then it’s less understandable that she and her husband felt fine to drive. So she’s either wasted and not a bitch, or she was sober enough to feel fine to drive, and acted like a bitch because that’s her true personality. Since this is her first slip-up though, I’m guessing she wont’ be in the dog house for long.
When people ask me for my favorite celebrity style-icon, I always answer with Gwen Stefani. Though I love Jennifer Lopez, Stefani doesn’t just pick the right clothes, she styles it perfectly. As for what she was wearing on Good Morning America, it’s an OLIMA red frame top and Fendi pants — and calf-length Dr. Martin boots. It’s genius!
Gwen Stefani is one of my favorite front-women in history. It’s not just about the music. It’s about her stage-presence and her sweet-girl persona that she balances with a rock-star edge. I was devastated when she went solo, but I’m happy to see her back in the spotlight beside her band-mates. Watch her take the Good Morning America stage to perform “Settle Down” off No Doubt’s new record, Push and Shove.
Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Hope Solo skipped their Dancing With the Stars post elimination tour, and I have a feeling ABC had something to do with it. Though there’s speculation that Solo and Chmerkovskiy are “sore losers” for their absence on Jimmy Kimmel and Good Morning America, it’s likely that these post-elimination appearances were built into their contract, which means they are either in breach, or ABC decided that their sour attitude would make for bad publicity. The latter makes more sense. It’s also startling that Chmerkovskiy feels so comfortable soiling his status with ABC, especially considering his per-episode payday. Given the headache he’s caused the show, I would not be surprised if he wasn’t picked-up for next season. Here’s hoping he’s saved his money.
Paris Hilton’s interview with ‘Good Morning America’ proves why celebrities need to hand-pick interviewers that they trust. I understand that Paris Hilton might be a faux celebrity whose fame came from her family’s empire, but so are a lot of other very respected individuals that don’t get the same level of criticism. Ever heard of Christian Slater? His mother was a Hollywood agent who gave her son a ticket into the business, and he’s been acting ever since. Sure he might be a good actor, but would you ever know his name if not for nepotism? So when Paris Hilton sits down for an interview, is it really fair for the jackass (also known as Dan Harris) asking her questions to inquire whether she’s “washed up?” It’s a rude sneak-attack, and don’t invite someone onto your network if your only intention is to embarrass and humiliate them. And furthermore, it’s extremely unfair to blast her in a voice-over, especially when she has no final approval over the segment. This brings me to my original point — only do an interview with Barbara Walters. Other than that — stay away.
Remember that story about the 51 year old actor who married the 16 year old? Well, they interviewed with Good Morning America to “set the record straight,” and I’m pretty sure the “record” now confirms how gross these two are. Sure it’s possible for love to exist amongst such a vast age difference, but it’s also extremely unlikely. And judging by the interview below, these two don’t fall into one of those rare exceptions. The most entertaining part was when Alexis claimed to be a virgin upon meeting him, which is hard to believe considering she almost licked Doug’s face during the interview. Did I mention her misplaced and uncomfortable laughter? I assure you — her husband is not a funny guy. In fact — disturbing is a better word.
Rumors are circulating that Enrique Iglesias bailed on Britney Spears’ upcoming tour because he was upset over money and billing. Apparently, he wanted a larger percentage of the ticket sales, and he felt that the tour was promoted as if Enrique was opening for Britney, instead of co-headlining with her. If this is true, then he should have a long talk with his team, because there’s no excuse for bailing on a tour this late in the game over a contract dispute. I highly doubt Britney would have announced the tour on Good Morning America unless the deal was closed. So did Enrique want to renegotiate his deal after hearing the public’s reaction to the announcement? I’m not sure. His people have since stated that he simply “didn’t need the tour,” as he’s “already on a sold out tour.” Yeah — sure that’s true. That’s why he started negotiating this in the first place. All I know for sure is that this is extremely sloppy, and either Enrique or his representatives need to be more professional. You don’t have your co-headliner announce a tour at one of the biggest shows in the United States, only to subsequently bail. It makes everyone look bad.
