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Taylor Swift, Mistress of Manipulation: There Will Be Thursday Previews After AMC Insisted There Would Be None

Roger Friedman
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Taylor Swift, Mistress of Manipulation: There Will Be Thursday Previews After AMC Insisted There Would Be None

Taylor Swift is a mistress of manipulation, that’s for sure.

She can play her fans like a fiddle, Stradivarius style.

For weeks AMC Theaters insisted there would be no previews of Swift’s “Eras Tour” movie. They said the concert film would open on Friday only. I can show you the emails.

Then, suddenly, around 7pm Wednesday night. AMC announced the movie would start playing on Thursday night.

The Eras Tour film will launch tonight at 6pm on the east coast, everywhere in the country, and with multiple showings. This was not spur of the moment. This was a decision already known but held til now.

This is like Swift saying a piece of merchandise is only available for 48 hours. This is a concoction of the Swift marketing team to get the teenage girls frenzy buying up more and more crap.

But this whole approach may backfire for AMC and Swift. Since the fans already bought seats from Friday going forward, the Thursday tickets so far are not selling very well. I see mostly empty theaters Thursday at 6 and 7pm. Thursday preview numbers may come in lower than hoped for.

PS Swift turned up at her “premiere” in LA Wednesday night, spoke to the audience in the theater but didn’t take press questions and said nothing about the massive violence against women and children in Israel. She dare not for fear of push back from fringe wokesters.

Wag the Tail: Drake’s “For All the Dogs” Expected to Debut with 420K Copies Sold, Good News for Pet Shop Boys

Roger Friedman
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Wag the Tail: Drake’s “For All the Dogs” Expected to Debut with 420K Copies Sold, Good News for Pet Shop Boys

Good news for the Pet Shop Boys:

Drake’s new album, “For All the Dogs,” is expected to end the week with 420,000 copies sold.

That will be the only album to sell more than 100,000 copies this week as record sales are generally way down this summer and fall.

The Pet Shop Boys will be happy since their “West End Girls” is sampled in one of the Drake songs but was never cleared or paid for. The better Drake does, the more they can ask for. Or demand.

The record biz is really looking for a smash hit this fall. Next up is the Rolling Stones’ “Hackney Diamonds” on October 20th. It’s a great record. Hopefully young people who want to hear the genuine deal will scoop it up, as well as older fans.

Taylor Swift Will Skip Red Carpet Tonight to Avoid Questions about Israel, Hasn’t Said a Word to Her 274 Million Followers (UPDATED)

Roger Friedman
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Taylor Swift Will Skip Red Carpet Tonight to Avoid Questions about Israel, Hasn’t Said a Word to Her 274 Million Followers (UPDATED)

I’m told Taylor Swift will not walk a red carpet tonight at her movie premiere. She’s avoiding taking a stand on Israel.

Taylor Swift has 274,000,000 followers on Instagram and tens of millions of fans.

Tonight she’s launching her “Eras Tour” movie in 7,500 theaters around the world. Estimates say the film could earn over $100 million this weekend.

And yet she’s one of the dozen top social media celebrities who have not said a word about the horrific attack on Israel this week.

Swift is on a list that includes Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber, Christian Ronaldo, and other “influencers” who are too cowardly to speak up lest they offend antisemites.

No one expects Bieber, who’s not a bright lightbulb, to take a political stand. And if he does, you know it will be the wrong one.

But Swift’s silence is loud. She speaks up about her own rights all the time. We all know how she’s been screwed by the music business and won’t take it.

So how about offering at least condolences for the women who’ve been murdered, raped, beheaded, and kidnapped by Hamas since Saturday? So far she’s only offered a Blank Space.

Tonight Swift is supposedly walking a red carpet in Los Angeles to promote “The Eras Tour” movie. But if she’s celebrating in the face of all this, it could be a sobering moment as well, one in which her fans might question their devotion.

(Video) Jada Pinkett Smith Says She and Will Smith Have Been Living Apart Since 2016, She Thought Slap Was a “Skit”

Roger Friedman
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(Video) Jada Pinkett Smith Says She and Will Smith Have Been Living Apart Since 2016, She Thought Slap Was a “Skit”

Jada Pinkett Smith says she and husband Will Smith have been living apart since 2016.

Pinkett Smith is publishing a book next Tuesday which she talks about in People magazine. She says she thought Will’s Oscar slap was a “skit.”

Jada is brutally honest about depression, her thoughts of suicide, too. The People story doesn’t mention her affair with her son’s friend.

You almost feel sympathetic to Will Smith after reading all of these revelations. I’m surprised he’s not on Prozac or something stronger!

The book is called “Worthy” and it sounds worthy of a best seller — which it will certainly be next Tuesday.

Curb Your Enthusiasm About a “Seinfeld” Reunion, It Happened 14 Years Ago on Larry David’s Show

Roger Friedman
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Curb Your Enthusiasm About a “Seinfeld” Reunion, It Happened 14 Years Ago on Larry David’s Show

No one I spoke to today has any idea about a “Seinfeld” reunion.

These are people who know Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David. If something’s happening, it’s a surprise.

“No one has mentioned it,” says a source.

Seinfeld brought this up at a comedy show in Boston over the weekend when asked about the much reviled actual of “Seinfeld.” All the characters went to jail for being bad people. The audience hated it.

A new ending would have to involve picking up where that left off and undoing it. But Jerry and the gang already had that chance There was a “Seinfeld” reunion back in 2009 on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” All the main players were on including Jerry, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, Michael Richards, and even Wayne Knight.

It was the 10th episode of season 7 of “Curb.” The cast got a second shot at a series finale. George was trying to get back together with his wife. Jerry donated sperm so Elaine could hae a child. George invented an iPhone app for finding public toilets.

So it’s unlikely that another reunion would occur on “Curb,” but you never know. Anything is possible.

Black Lives Matter, Plagued by Fraud Accusations, Scandals, and Lawsuits, Posts Support for Palestinians from LA and Chicago Branches

Roger Friedman
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Black Lives Matter, Plagued by Fraud Accusations, Scandals, and Lawsuits, Posts Support for Palestinians from LA and Chicago Branches

I think we’re just as happy that Black Lives Matter has posted support tonight for the Palestinians, and referred to Israel using the word ‘apartheid.’

BLM Chapters in Los Angeles and Chicago are satisfied to see beheadings, kidnappings, torture, and wholesale murder of Jews by the Palestinians.

But this is one time that might ok. Black Lives Matter is a fraud organization that has frittered away tens of millions of dollars on their own executives.

There are many lawsuits from outside and within the organization wondering where the $90 million donated to them in the last couple of years has gone.

On their recent Form 990 tax filing, BLM listed under Revenue Less Expenses MINUS $8.5 million. The previous year, they reported $76 million in donations. Another almost $10 million came in in 2022.

The LA Times reported on one of their gross inside jobs in 2022. Shalomyah Bowers was accused of stealing $10 million.

Here’s an Associated Press report on their internal lawsuits over fraud.

So Black Lives Matter has become totally irrelevant. If they knew the actual history, they’d know that Dr. Martin Luther King wrote in 1967:

“I would have made it crystal clear that I could not have supported any resolution calling for Black separatism or calling for a condemnation of Israel and an unqualified endorsement of the policy of the Arab powers.”

“Israel’s right to exist as a state is incontestable,” Dr. King wrote. He then added, almost prophetically, “At the same time the great powers have the obligation to recognize that the Arab world is in a state of imposed poverty and backwardness that must threaten peace and harmony.”

Dr. King would be ashamed of posts like these:

Beatles “Reunion” Coming Friday as Ringo Starr Releases Song Paul McCartney Wrote for Him, Sings and Plays On

Roger Friedman
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Beatles “Reunion” Coming Friday as Ringo Starr Releases Song Paul McCartney Wrote for Him, Sings and Plays On

Are you feeling the sunlight? Because a Beatles “reunion” is coming at midnight Thursday night.

I’ve just heard the song Paul McCartney wrote and produced for Ringo Starr which Ringo is releasing on his four track EP this week.

The EP is called “Rewind Forward” and the McCartney song is “Feeling the Sunlight.”

Ringo has said in an interview that Paul made the track in the UK and sent it to him even playing the drums.

“We took those off,” Ringo says cheekily because, of course, we want to hear the best drummer in rock history on the skins. Ringo doesn’t disappoint. It’s his trademark sound, both vocally and instrumentally.

“Feeling the Sunlight” sounds at first very frothy and upbeat, just one of McCartney’s good time songs like “Silly Love Songs” or “Hello Goodbye.” Or even Ringo’s “Octopus’s Garden.”

But play it a couple of times and you hear the depth of it. McCartney is the most clever melodist of all time, and knows his way around a catchy hook. But he’s also singing background and playing guitar with his trademark sound.

The “Rewind Forward” EP has three other terrific songs including the title track. Ringo’s been releasing EPs, which is very smart, rather than issue full albums. But now he’s got enough songs to put out an EP box set if he wants. Ringo’s drums are unique, so take a listen. And his energy is infectious!

Check back here as Friday strikes 12am to hear the song.

Roger Waters Bad Timing: Ex Pink Floyder, Noted Antisemite, Releases New Version of “Dark Side of the Moon” and It Flops

Roger Friedman
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Roger Waters Bad Timing: Ex Pink Floyder, Noted Antisemite, Releases New Version of “Dark Side of the Moon” and It Flops

The disgusting Hamas attack on Israel has proven to be bad timing for noted antisemite Roger Waters.

The former member of Pink Floyd released his own re-recorded version of “Dark Side of the Moon” on Friday.

I doubt it was going to be a bit, but now it’s really a flop. Buying a copy would really be an endorsement for antisemitism and the anti-Israel movement. Hence, the Watered down version of “Dark Side” is at number 27 on iTunes. Estimates put weekend sales at around 600 for downloads and CDs, and streaming equivalent of about 3,500.

Waters revealed himself as antisemite years ago, but in recent times has stepped up his verbal attacks on Israel. Concert fans in Europe watched him goosestep in a Nazi uniform on stage.

So far Waters has not posted any comments on the savage murders and kidnappings perpetuated on the Israelis by Hamas. He obviously knows he’s been mostly cancelled already. One more statement should do him in.

In the meantime, why would anyone want a re-recorded “Dark Side” without Nick Mason, Richard Wright, and David Gilmour. Stick with the original.

UPDATED Famed Restaurateur Keith McNally Deletes Offending Post About Hamas After 5,000 Wildly Negative Reactions Threatened Business, Apologizes Twice

Roger Friedman
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UPDATED Famed Restaurateur Keith McNally Deletes Offending Post About Hamas After 5,000 Wildly Negative Reactions Threatened Business, Apologizes Twice

Social media is like playing with toxic chemicals — say the wrong thing, by accident, and there will be an explosion.

Balthazar restaurant owner Keith McNally blew up his Instagram account over the weekend when he posted what seemed like a conciliatory message to Hamas. McNally wrote: “The More Utterly Repugnant The Facts, The Greater The Responsibility Becomes To Listen To The Other Side.”

 

Nearly 5,000 replies came in and none of them were good. Most threatened to never return to his restaurants in New York, London, and Miami including Balthazar, Pastis, and Morandi. Reservations were being cancelled by the boatload.

Leading the way was Jessica Seinfeld, wife of comedian Jerry, who was infuriated, she said, especially since the couple had gotten engaged at Balthazar.

McNally was slow to respond but finally did around 3am Eastern today. He deleted the post and apologized, saying he did not support Hamas, they were a terrorist organization, and that he never supported them.

But some damage has been done. The NY Post quickly elicited comments denouncing McNally’s original post from his partners.

Yesterday McNally told the Post: “I stand by what i wrote this morning: THE MORE UTTERLY REPUGNANT THE FACTS, THE GREATER THE RESPONSIBILITY TO LISTEN TO T HE OTHER SIDE. This doesn’t mean forgive. This doesn’t mean not retaliate. It simply means listen. There’s nothing to lose by listening. Nothing whatsoever.”

Will the deletion and apology be enough to appease McNally’s outraged diners? We won’t know until dawn breaks. But I do think McNally simply used words badly. He has quite a bit of Jewish blood in his DNA, something he’s only started to embrace in recent years after a debilitating stroke almost killed him.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Keith McNally (@keithmcnallynyc)

Gwyneth Paltrow Uses Her Oscar as a Doorstop In Her Garden: She Might as Well Give It Back

Roger Friedman
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0
Gwyneth Paltrow Uses Her Oscar as a Doorstop In Her Garden: She Might as Well Give It Back

Gywneth Paltrow might as well give her Oscar back to the Academy..

She won Best Actress in 1999 for “Shakespeare in Love.” She was never nominated again (not before). She frittered away her acting career and instead made a mint by selling overpriced crap under the name Goop.

Now she’s made a video for the 15th anniversary of Goop. In it the cameraman following her around discovers that she uses her Oscar to prop open a door in her garden.

Look, just give it back already. A lot of people worked hard to get Paltrow that Oscar. Cate Blanchett was much stronger in “Elizabeth” and probably should have won. But Paltrow was pushed by Miramax, and “SiL” was a phenomenon at the time, a refreshing take on an old subject.

Paltrow’s low regard for the movie, for the Oscars, and her acting career has already been emphasized by her. Maybe she had problems with Harvey Weinstein. Who cares? John Madden, a gifted director, made the movie. Really talented actors were part of the ensemble. Artisans created the unique look. None of them would have treated their Oscar so shabbily. Give it to Madden if you can’t show a little respect.

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