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Kanye West has posted a bunch of new antisemitic statements. They’re disgusting but not unexpected.
No one in the world will ever do business with Kanye again. No record company, no clothing company. He’s still promoting a tshirt with a swastika.
Is he crazy? Who cares? It’s gone beyond being bipolar or autistic. He’s a blot on society.
UPDATED: I’m told the 50 members of the HFPA were asked to be on a Zoom. It lasted four minutes. A message was read to them, but no person’s face was seen and they didn’t know who it was who spoke to them.
EARLIER
When PenskeBoehlyetc Media bought the Golden Globes, they offered annual salaries of $75,000 to 50 members of the former Hollywood Press Association. It was a five year deal from 2023-2028.
Today, the 50 members were told the deal is over. They’re being offered severance pay of $102,500. They can stay on as voters until 2026.
Whoops! The HFPA members were the base members and voters, culled from the 90 or so members that formed their group. Penske, et al added around 200 or more members who were not salary.
The plan was ridiculous on its face. The HFPA was already accused of all kinds of financial malfeasance. The original members were part of the biggest swag deal in the world, going on free trips everywhere. Penske et all — which owns Variety, the Hollywood Reporter, Deadline,com, Rolling Stone, Billboard and WWD, not to mention the Globes and Dick Clark Productions — thought that by putting money in their pockets the need for graft would be over.
So the party is really over. The 50 members must be furious. Stay tuned…
The Kennedy Center in Washington is getting more and more cancellations.
The latest one is from Peter Wolf, legendary rocker and leader of the immortal blues, soul, and rock band, the J Geils Band.
Wolf was supposed to hold a book signing and Q&A at the Center on March 21st for his memoir, “Waiting on the Moon: Artists, Poets, Drifters, Grifters, and Goddesses.”
But I’ve confirmed that the “Freeze Frame” and “Centerfold” singer has shut that down because of the recent changes at the Center.
It’s only the latest blow at the venue now that Donald Trump has installed himself as chairman of the board, and replaced the entire board and staff with his lackeys.
The book is published on March 11th. The signing was set for March 21st.
Instead, Wolf has a full list of signing appearances including one here at The Strand Bookstore on March 12th.
Something tells me “Waiting on the Moon” is going to be a must read. Wolf has had a prety successful and wild life. There have been lots of hits, great music, and at one point he was married to Oscar winning actress Faye Dunaway!
According to the publisher’s description, “Wolf’s marriage to Faye Dunaway is presented in a clear yet balanced and nuanced light.”
Balanced and nuanced is not what’s happening at the Kennedy Center as artist after artist refuses to appear there. This begs the question of what will happen in April when the artists’ committee meets to select Kennedy Center honorees. If they just pick right wing and Christian based performers, that may be the end.
Observers are joking that the next KCH will consist of Mel Gibson, Jon Voight, Lee Greenwood, and Big & Rich. But even if honors are extended to more appropriate acts, will they accept? Or come? It’s going to be a debacle either way.
Francis Ford Coppola has graciously accepted winning Worst Director of the Year at the Razzies for “Megalopolis.”
The irony is that Coppola has directed in his life three of the greatest movies of all time — “The Godfather,” “The Godfather II,” and “Apocalypse Now.” Plus many other excellent films.
“Madame Web” won Worst Picture. Congrats!
Here are the “winners” at 45th Golden Raspberry Awards
Worst Picture
Madame Web
Actor
Jerry Seinfeld / Unfrosted
Actress
Dakota Johnson / Madame Web
Razzie Redeemer
Pamela Anderson / The Last Showgirl
Supporting Actor
Jon Voight / Megalopolis, Reagan, Shadow Land & Strangers
Supporting Actress
Amy Schumer / Unfrosted
Director
Francis Ford Coppola / Megalopolis
Screen Combo
Joaquin Phoenix & Lady Gaga / Joker: Folie à Deux
Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel
Joker: Folie à Deux
Screenplay
Madame Web,
Screenplay by Matt Sazama & Burk Sharples and Claire Parker & S.J. Clarkson
At a live press conference with Ukrainian president Zelensky, Donald Trump and JD Vance literally blew up any chance at peace by taking Russia’s side.
On TV all the pundits are calling what happened a debacle, disaster, and a catastrophe.
No president in history has ever been in over his head in this way. Vance was absolutely disrespectful to Zelensky, telling him he’s never said “thank you” for his help, as if he were a child.
When Trump met Zelensky at the door of White House he immediately insulted him, setting the tone for the meeting. He actually said to him, “You got dressed up!” Zelensky was no doubt angry by the time they got in front of the cameras.
Zelensky was appalled listening to Trump show his support for Putin once they got inside. It was a jaw dropping moment in history in front of the whole world. Trump will not be satisfied until Ukraine is destroyed. He will go down in history for causing the obliteration of Ukraine.
Today’s press conference is cancelled. Zelensky has left the White House.
This is utterly repulsive!
Trump and Vance just tried to humiliate Zelensky live on American TV, smugly demanding gratitude while openly mocking him like playground bullies counting favors. My respect for Zelensky—and my embarrassment as an American—just surged off the charts.… pic.twitter.com/0C4d03PDmi
Trump to a reporter who asks him about Russia breaking a ceasefire: "What if a bomb drops on your head right now … Putin went through a hell of a lot with me. He went through a phony witch hunt." pic.twitter.com/7Z1IdNvMcr
Trump to a reporter who asks him about Russia breaking a ceasefire: "What if a bomb drops on your head right now … Putin went through a hell of a lot with me. He went through a phony witch hunt." pic.twitter.com/7Z1IdNvMcr
Since January 1st, in fact, the R&B pop singer has sold just 1,182 albums according to Luminate.
Add in streaming, and her total this year is 30,492.
Long ago are the days when Lizzo ruled the charts back in 2022-23.
But then in the summer of 2023, ex-employees made a splash when they sued for a variety of reasons including fat shaming and sexual and racial harassment, a hostile work environment, and unpaid overtime. Lizzo’s PR fell into the ocean. Suddenly she was fighting gossip 24/7, settling cases, and vowing to leave show business.
Her records stopped selling.
Does anyone really ever leave? No. So after cleaning up some of the PR mess, Lizzo is back with a new single, her first new recording in three years. It’s called “Love in Real Life,” and is accompanied by a peppy video that doesn’t present the song well — with stops and starts — but gives the once popular singer a solid platform.
So welcome back, Lizzo, who’s also slimmed down quite a bit, she says thanks to dieting and exercise. She’s refuted rumors about Ozempic (I don’t know why she’d hide it. Everyone’s on Ozempix). However she did it, congrats!
On “The Honeymooners,” Ralph Kramden used to exclaim to his wife, “To the moon Alice!”
Now Jeff Bezos, the billionaire busy destroying the Washington Post, can do it for real.
Bezos is sending fiancee Lauren Sanchez into space on one of his Blue Origin rockets.
Sanchez will be accompanied by an eclectic grouo: Gayle King, Katy Perry, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen and “film producer” Kerianne Flynn (three credits for movies we’ve never heard of), whose husband, James, is a wealthy hedge fund player.
The reported cost per person to fly on Blue Origin starts at $150,000. The flights last 10 minutes. You get to experience weightlessness. It’s unclear if there’s a gift bag.
So it’s up, up, and away for these six women who –except for one– have no actual qualifications. What will they find? What’s the purpose? What’s the difference? Maybe Gayle will do a segment from above the clouds! Maybe they’ll find Jeff Bezos’s conscience.
“I don’t know how to explain being terrified and excited at the same time. It’s like how I felt about to deliver a baby,” King, 70, said during the announcement on “CBS Mornings.”
Gene Hackman’s death this morning is shocking and sad. He was found with his wife and dog at their Santa Fe home. Hackman was 95.
Hackman won two Oscars, for “The French Connection,” and “Unforgiven.” He was what Clint Eastwood told me was a “get and up go actor,” meaning there was no drama, he just did his job.
Gene’s other sterling credits included “Superman,” and “The Royal Tennenbaums,” “Bonnie and Clyde,” “I Never Sang for My Father,” and dozens more.
The great Gene Hackman has passed away.He was a genius & 1 of the greatest to grace the silver screen. I had the honor of working with Him on Superman. His performances are legendary. His talent will be missed. Goodbye my sweet Lex Till we meet again. Valerie#genehackmanpic.twitter.com/893mLH3vLl
He retired from Hollywood in 2004, when he was 75. People were shocked. He could have gone on for five to ten more years as an elder statesman. When I saw him at an Oscar party that year, he and his wife Betsy said no, that’s it, he wanted to go have some peace and quiet. He was very adamant about it.
Gene Hackman brought grace and humility to every role. He was admired as an “actor’s actor,” one of the all time greats who didn’t seek fame but shrunk from it. The work he leave behind speaks for itself. Condolences to the couple’s family and friends.
The destruction of the Kennedy Center goes on apace.
Two days after Donald Trump took over the Kennedy Center on February 12th, the theater cancelled its first show.
That would be “FINN,” a children’s musical about a fish out of water, that was commissioned by the Kennedy Center and played there to sold out audiences in 2024.
But the new Ken Cen quickly recognized that “FINN” was about making kids of all kinds feel comfortable and acceptable. It’s considered to LGBTQ friendly. Of course, the Center’s disgraceful new leader, Richard Grennell, who is openly gay and evidently self-loathing, wouldn’t allow it.
But there’s a bright side. “FINN” will instead be staged in New York with an all star cast including ndrew Rannells, Andrea Martin, Kelli O’Hara, Lea Salonga, Bonnie Milligan, Jessie Mueller, Nikki M. James, Jose Llana and Hennessy Winkler. Wow!
Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley Jackson’s digital series, “Stars in the House,” will use “FINN” to celebrate their fifth anniversary at New York’s Town Hall on March 17th. The group raises money for the Entertainment Community Fund.
The upcoming performance will also be live streamed on StarsintheHouse.com. A limited number of $500 tickets are available, which includes VIP seating and a backstage meet and greet. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales and live-stream donations will go to The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people.
HBO said yesterday that “The White Lotus” episode 2 drew 3.4 million viewers.
Maybe. But the linear HBO audience was 687,000 up significantly from 420,00 the first week. Much of the audience came from delayed viewing, as HBO pumped out stories about Patrick Schwarzenegger’s lack of clothing.
What comes next? Plenty. I can’t tell you much, but viewers will be sufficiently jolted when they get to episodes 5 and 6. “White Lotus” does somewhere not seen before in proper TV, or even on HBO. There’s a huge ick factor on its way. If there were still watercoolers, the area around them would three deep.
Also, as I’ve said before, there’s still at least one mystery character coming from an Oscar winning actor. They’re going to jumpstart part of the story, and maybe answer some questions.
Episode 3 beckons on Sunday against the Oscars, so delayed viewing will once again be a big part of the story.
Me? Do I have a favorite character? I really like Sam Nivola as Lochlon, the seemingly innocent younger child in the Ratliff family. And Leslie Bibb as one of the trio of cougars may have some surprises.
