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Jimmy Kimmel in Cross-Hairs of Trumps Who Want Him Fired, Tonight’s Guest is Oz Pearlman Fresh from Disaster Dinner

Roger Friedman
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Jimmy Kimmel in Cross-Hairs of Trumps Who Want Him Fired, Tonight’s Guest is Oz Pearlman Fresh from Disaster Dinner

Both Melania and Donald Trump want Jimmy Kimmel to be fired.

What else is new?

They’re angry that Kimmel cracked a joke last week about Melania being an “expectant widow.” This was BEFORE Saturday night’s disaster dinner at the WHCA at which a potential shooter was stopped from doing any damage.

Melania “wrote” or someone did it for her:
“Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country. His monologue about my family isn’t comedy- his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America.
People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate.
A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him.
Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community.”

Donald wrote something similar (See below)

Kimmel’s ratings tonight will be through the roof. He doesn’t tape live for a few hours. And Oz Pearlman, the mentalist who was doing tricks with the Trumps when gunshots were heard from the floor above at the Washington Hilton, is a guest tonight unless he cancels. This will be must-see TV!

The Trumps have no idea that no thinking person has any sympathy for them. I was visiting someone in the hospital on Saturday when the whole ballroom blitz happened. The staff — nurses, doctors, cleaners — was laughing. They all said, You know he set this up. I’m not kidding. That’s what 18 months of insanity gets you.

Lizzo Post-Scandals Will Try for a Comeback with Aggressively Titled Album, Single Based on Meredith Brooks Hit “Bitch”

Roger Friedman
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Lizzo Post-Scandals Will Try for a Comeback with Aggressively Titled Album, Single Based on Meredith Brooks Hit “Bitch”

After two years of scandals and lawsuits, you’d think Lizzo would come back with something positive to say in her music.

Alas, she’s going with a single and album called “Bitch.” The title song is an ‘interpolation’ of Meredith Brooks’ much maligned hit of the same name. It sounds really terrible, but no one asked me.

Lizzo is still recovering her reputation from lawsuits filed by former dancers and employees. Her music sales stopped cold when that happened, and never recovered.

The R&B diva did have success with short runs recently at the Blue Note Jazz Clubs in New York and Los Angeles.

The big winner here? Brooks, and all the other writers whose work will turn up sampled on the new album.

Exclusive: Fabled Friars Club Building Sold to Mega Developer Extell, May Be Transformed Into Outpost for Hot London Club

Roger Friedman
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Exclusive: Fabled Friars Club Building Sold to Mega Developer Extell, May Be Transformed Into Outpost for Hot London Club

The British may be on their way to New York.

There’s an unconfirmed rumor that the former Friars Club townhouse on East 55th St. will get a new, exclusive tenant.

That would be Annabel’s, London’s hottest club for the rich and famous.

Richard Caring owns Annabel’s, as well as many top restaurants in London. He reopened the club in 2018 and has never looked back. Annabel’s attracts people like Mick Jagger, Harry Styles, Kylie Minogue, etc. In other words, you and I are not getting in, even for a glass of water!

This news comes as Gary Barnett of Extell Real Estate has purchased the famed Friars building at 57 East 55th St. out of foreclosure for $19 million. Barnett loves to build skyscrapers, but the Friars is landmarked. It’s a unique Tudor style building with a rich history.

With private clubs flourishing in Manhattan, it would seem likely one of them would want to move in and make the place over. It’s better than making it a Sephora! If it’s not Annabel’s, it could easily be an outpost for one of the other clubs that cost tens of thousands for members.

The Friars Club was once a thriving enterprise until it was taken over by people who literally looted it, diminished its standing until no celebrities would set foot in the place. There was an FBI raid, lawsuits, scandals.

Bit by bit, it was destroyed. The former home of Sinatra, Joan Rivers, Jerry Lewis, Larry King, and so on was squandered for all kinds of personal gain.

You can still see the Friars– or at least a replica — in a famous “Seinfeld” episode. But it’s sad to think all these great institutions — I’m still mourning the 21 Club — are gone forever.

Michael Jackson Sales Skyrocket With Movie Success: King of Pop Logs 13 Singles, 8 Albums Takes Over iTunes Top 100

Roger Friedman
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Michael Jackson Sales Skyrocket With Movie Success: King of Pop Logs 13 Singles, 8 Albums Takes Over iTunes Top 100

Michael Jackson is back on the charts.

Thanks to the $97 million US haul on the “Michael” movie this weekend, sales are soaring.

Jackson has lodged 13 singles and 8 albums on the respective iTunes Top 100 charts.

The singles in the top 50 include “Billie Jean,” “Human Nature,” “Don’t Stop til You Get Enough,” “Thriller,” “Smooth Criminal,” “Man in the Mirror.”

“Thriller,” “Off the Wall,” and “Bad” are all on the amazon top 10 CDs and vinyl.

So what if the movie has mostly negative reviews? It’s bringing money into the Jackson Estate bedazzled glove over fist in the air. Paris Jackson has disowned the movie, but it’s making her wealthier than ever. That should take some of the sting out of factual issues.

I’m not taking sides here, but when Michael was alive he was bankrupt. I wrote about it almost daily. He was hundreds of millions in debt. Neverland and his family home Havenhurst were in trouble. Employees were unpaid and laid off at both places. It was a mess. Jackson went to Bahrain and skipped off with $7 million of his host’s money. (Yes, this happened.)

That means the Estate has managed to correct all that, and turn Michael Jackson’s assets into gold. As it said, that’s the story, and we’re stuck with it.

PS There’s a little known duet between Paul McCartney and Michael on Paul’s “Pipes of Peace” album. It’s called “The Man.” A gem!

“Prada 2” Movie Opens Thursday, Today’s Newspaper Ads Had No Critics Quotes Because No One Has Seen It Except Fans and Influencers

Roger Friedman
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“Prada 2” Movie Opens Thursday, Today’s Newspaper Ads Had No Critics Quotes Because No One Has Seen It Except Fans and Influencers

Thursday afternoon comes “The Devil Wears Prada 2.” Some theaters will begin showing it at 2pm.

There’s a lot of pent up expectation about the sequel to the 2006 film. Disney has spent a fortune — maybe more than the film’s shooting budget — to promote “Prada” all over the world. The marketing has been jaw dropping.

As yet, however, no critics have seen it. Or if they have, they’ve signed away their first born agreeing to go along with Wednesday’s lifting of the review embargo.

Today’s New York Times carried a full page without any review quotes, which is very unusual for a big studio movie opening this Friday.

The assumption among some in the press is that “Prada 2” is not good. Or, it’s fun but it’s a rehash of the original film.

But so far, there is silence. And by the time the reviews come in on Wednesday afternoon, it will be too late for any potential bad news to spread. Disney will use all the hyperbolic quotes they can from influencers and reviewers who are kind to their films pro forma, and bypass even the slightest negativity.

Will audiences find the sequel as amusing and disarming as its predecessor? This is a new hard core take on marketing, after all. Disney has deals with Grey Goose vodka, TRESemmé haircare, Target, Old Navy, Coca-Cola, Starbucks and Condé Nast. The last one is the most troubling. Conde Nast publishes Vogue, which is supposed to be the butt of the satire here. But Vogue and Anna Wintour have fully embraced the film, putting the latter and Meryl Streep on the cover this month.

Is it too much? And what if things go wrong? Can you imagine a disappointing box office report on Sunday? Does Anna uninvite everyone to the Met Ball next Monday?

So, cross fingers.

Trump on Shooter’s Manifesto: “I’m not a rapist. I didn’t rape anybody” Norah O’Donnell: “Did you think he was referring to you?” (Video)

Roger Friedman
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Trump on Shooter’s Manifesto: “I’m not a rapist. I didn’t rape anybody” Norah O’Donnell: “Did you think he was referring to you?” (Video)

Norah O’Donnell interviewed Norah O’Donnell tonight on “60 Minutes” less than 24 hours after a potential shooter was arrested at the White House Correspondent’s dinner.

At first it seemed like O’Donnell was shilling for the new CBS News. But then she read Trump a quote from the would-be shooter’s manifesto about not tolerating rapists and pedophiles.

Trump shot back that O’Donnell was “a terrible person” and fell over himself saying “I’m not a rapist. I didn’t rape anyone.” He also declares, “I’m not a pedophile.”

In fact, he lost a case to writer E. Jean Carroll for sexual abuse. He was found “liable,” with emphasis on the first syllable. The judge in the case called Trump a rapist.

I apologize to Norah O’Donnell. This clip was last forever. Actually, brilliant.

Ballroom Blitz: Trump Turns Shooter Incident into Campaign for $400 Million Bunker Even Though Dinner Would Never Be Held There

Roger Friedman
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Ballroom Blitz: Trump Turns Shooter Incident into Campaign for $400 Million Bunker Even Though Dinner Would Never Be Held There

“Well, it’s been getting so hard
Living with the things you did to me, ah-ha
My dreams are getting so strange
I’d like to tell you everything I see
Oh, I see a man at the back
As a matter of fact, his eyes are as red as a sun
And the girl in the corner, let no one ignore her
‘Cause she thinks she’s the passionate one”

Donald Trump turned last night’s shooter incident into his own “Ballroom Blitz.”

He capitalized on the chaos in the Washington Hilton ballroom to campaign for his unnecessary $400 million military bunker and dance hall.

Trump, of course, didn’t mention a glaring fact: the White House Correspondents Dinner isn’t a state occasion, or hosted by the government. It’s a private dinner to which he’s an invited guest. Even if his ballroom existed, the party at the Hilton would have gone as ever.

But that fact means nothing to Trump or his followers. They don’t care about anything but hyperbole.

Not surprisingly, the ballroom issue has become hot on social media. It unleashed Trump’s social media army immediately. They’re out in droves, parroting Trump’s claims that the ballroom is necessary.

None of these people — or bots — has processed the irony of last night’s event. All it took to get into the party was a ticket. No ID necessary. Isn’t the whole ID issue what Trump and his voter suppressors keep carping about? In the movie world, we need to show ID to get a screening ticket! Apparently, you don’t need to one to eat dinner with the president.

 

Michael Jackson Movie Biggest Biopic Opening Ever, Studio Says Opening Weekend Receipts Estimated at $217.4 Mil, Reviews Be Damned

Roger Friedman
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Michael Jackson Movie Biggest Biopic Opening Ever, Studio Says Opening Weekend Receipts Estimated at $217.4 Mil, Reviews Be Damned

It’s not a great movie, and no one cares.

Michael Jackson fans turned out in force around the world this weekend. They drove receipts for “Michael,” directed Antoine Fuqua, to around $217.4 million counting every country. In the US, $97 million.

So Lions Gate says.

The result is the biggest opening ever for a musical biopic.

Damn the critics, which gave it a 40% on Rotten Tomatoes, including yours truly.

The movie is fact free, riddled with narrative issues. But no one blinked an eye. They just wanted to see Michael Jackson sing and dance, moonwalk, twirl around, and perform the most popular music since the Beatles.

Indeed, Jackson’s three main albums — “Thriller,” “Bad,” and “Off the Wall” — are in the Amazon top 10.

The huge amount of money is partially because the film opened in 1,700 IMAX theaters, almost half its venues in the US. The prices are high — up to $30 in some locations. That’s twice the price of a regular movie ticket in the most expensive theater.

Fuqua’s movie and its success says nothing about truthfulness, which is no longer an issue in the Trump-verse. It’s about entertainment. It’s 17 years since Michael Jackson died, but his music has never gone away despite lingering accusations of child molestation. The audience was thirsty to see the King of Pop again, and that’s what Fuqua gave them. No third act? No problem.

Kudos to the producers also for casting Michael’s real life nephew, Jaafar Jackson, to play his uncle. That was value added for fans, who couldn’t get enough of the story. And to be the son of the man who sang “Word to the Badd,” and wrote a book about resenting his brother — well, that’s PR lightning in a bottle.

Michael Jackson Movie Makes $39.5 Mil Over First Three Days But Beware the Hype: Audience Interest Could Be Front Loaded

Roger Friedman
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Michael Jackson Movie Makes $39.5 Mil Over First Three Days But Beware the Hype: Audience Interest Could Be Front Loaded

“Michael,” the Michael Jackson movie, is a big hit.

But how big remains to be seen.

From Wednesday to Friday, domestic box office was 39.5 million. That’s huge.

But now on Saturday and Sunday we wait to see if it had “legs,” and if non hardcore fans will be clamoring to see it with the same gusto.

Lucky for “Michael” that it has no competition.

The only competition is the bad press regurgitating Jackson’s sexual molestation accusations and son. Will they mean anything to fans? Probably not. But we’re a work in progress here.

Don’t fall for the hype! Let’s wait till all the reports come in.

Ringo Starr Out-Nostalgia’s Paul McCartney with Video for New Song Full of Clips of the Old Days in Liverpool

Roger Friedman
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Ringo Starr Out-Nostalgia’s Paul McCartney with Video for New Song Full of Clips of the Old Days in Liverpool

Paul McCartney is getting ready to drop his album, “The Boys of Dungeon Place.”

It’s mostly a nostalgic look back at his childhood and early Beatles days in Liverpool.

But surprise! Paul’s BFF — Beatle Forever — released his new album yesterday. It’s called “Long Long Road,” and it’s very good, produced by T Bone Burnett.

Ringo has released a video also full of memories for the title track. It’s fun to go through it and pick out all the Easter eggs. But he sort of beat Paul to the punch.

I guess with four Beatles movies coming in 2028, the boys are looking back at their extraordinary careers. Who can blame them?

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