Friday, December 19, 2025
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Prince Harry to Publish “Literary” Memoir in Effort to Further Annoy Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles

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Prince Harry — I have a theory now that he’s trying to drive his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, into retirement or worse by embarrassing and annoying her so much that she’ll step down.

Harry — who has no last name — will publish a memoir with Random House in 2022. If it’s really bad, and Queen Elizabeth is still in charge, she will concede the throne to Charles, who’s been waiting his whole life for something to do.

Harry says he’s not writing the book as a prince but as the man he’s become. That’s a man who gone from sympathetic to villainous in a short time as he racks up paydays at Netflix, Apple, and now Random House. It’s unclear after the Oprah interviews, etc what’s left to say, unless he’s going to admit that Charles isn’t his father.

The book is being written by J.R. Moehringer. Advance is unknown, but if he got less than a million bucks, everyone would be surprised.

PS Already a selection of Oprah’s book club!

Golden Globes Aren’t Alone: National Board of Review Board of Directors Has No Black Members Either

The Golden Globes are in a big scandal over having no Black members.

But the National Board of Review, a fan based membership group, has no Blacks or non whites on its board of directors.

Annie Schulhof runs this phony baloney group as a private enterprise. Black people can join, but they have not yet made it to the board. The NBR has been around since 1909. They’re obviously taking their time.

As I’ve written many times in the past, most of these people have no business awarding movies for anything anyway. Daniel Goldstine is a shrink and sex therapist from California. Ronnie McMahan (Trenk) is a marketer who used to work for Bulgari. Leon Friedman is the group’s long time lawyer; Michael is his son. (No relation to yours truly.) Andrew Weinberg, Michael’s friend, is on Wall Street.

Annie Schulhof? Don’t get me started. Sister-in-law of long ago Sony chief Mickey Schulhof, she has a long and colorful history running the NBR like Madame Putin.

Somehow, the NBR’s lily whiteness has escaped the attention of the media while the Hollywood Foreign Press has been taken to task. If anyone knows of non-white paying members of the NBR, shoot me an email at showbiz411@gmail.com.

By the way, in light of Black Lives Matter and mounting criticism, Schulhof covered herself big time. She made Spike Lee Best Director, gave Best Picture to “Da 5 Bloods,” bestowed a bs Icon Award on the late Chadwick Boseman, made up more awards for other Black filmmakers. (They don’t like Searchlight films so “Nomadland,” the eventual Oscar winner, was snubbed entirely.)

It was an extraordinary move considering Spike was only the second Black director ever to get the prize. The year before, like most NBR years, was an all-white pageant with The Irishman, Scorsese, Zellweger, Adam Sandler, Kathy Bates, and Brad Pitt picking up the main awards.

 

Tony Bennett Will Celebrate 95th Birthday With Two Lady Gaga Duet Shows at Radio City Music Hall

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Tony Bennett will celebrate his 95th birthday with Lady Gaga at Radio City. Shows are August 3rd and August 5th. On the 3rd, the pair will drop a single or album from their Cole Porter duets album. I assume we’ll hear those duets at the shows.

Would I go into Radio City this summer? Just for this, really. Just for this.

As Cole Porter wrote, “Love for sale.” Well, Tickets for sale starting Wednesday on Live Nation’s website.

Pay for Play: CNN Will Start $ubscription Streaming Network in Early 2022, For a Price

Disney has it, CBS has it, why not CNN? They’re going the “Plus” route in early 2022, adding a subscription streaming service called CNN+ or CNNPlus.

Let’s cut to the chase: “CNN will continue to have a single app where CNN+ subscribers can access CNN+ programming and pay TV subscribers can get the TVE experience they have enjoyed for many years. The app will include CNN’s linear TV feeds of CNN, CNN International, HLN and CNN en Español channels, which will be available exclusively for pay TV subscribers. If pay TV subscribers choose to maximize their experience, they can also subscribe to CNN+ to access the full CNN+ programming all in one place.”

Programming will be all the documentaries like the ones about Jackie Collins, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Gilda Radner, specials, Stanley Tucci’s Italy shows, all the Anthony Bourdain series, and so on.

How much will it cost? They don’t say. $7.95? How many of these subscriptions do people have? I’m curious. Or have they just replaced magazine subs?

According to a press release, the leadership of CNN+ includes:

Andrew Morse, chief digital officer for CNN Worldwide, is the executive in charge of CNN+, with oversight of the content, product development and business operations of the platform.

Alex MacCallum, CNN Worldwide’s head of product is the general manager of CNN+, with oversight of product development, customer acquisition and marketing, strategy and growth and revenue operations.

Rebecca Kutler, senior vice president and head of programming for CNN+, is overseeing the development, production and programming of live and taped programs for CNN+.

Courtney Coupe, senior vice president of content strategy and operations for CNN+, is overseeing the strategy, curation and programming of content on CNN+, as well as community management.

Robyn Peterson, CNN Worldwide’s chief technology officer, is overseeing the team of technologists and engineers developing a world class platform and user experience for CNN+.

CNN’s Original Series and Films unit, led by CNN Worldwide executive vice president for talent and content development, Amy Entelis, is developing new series and films for the platform. Vice president of program development Katie Hinman will lead the development and production of external series for CNN+, working with Jon Adler, vice president of program development for CNN Original Series.

Kanye West Readies First Post-Trump, Election Album: After “Slavery is a Choice” Does He Have an Audience?

UPDATE Tickets have gone on sale for the Thursday event in Atlanta. Looks like “Donda” should drop that night. 

Artwork may be this painting by the famed artist Louise Bourgeoise, if Kanye cleared the rights.

 

EARLIER Kanye West is readying a new album. It may be called “Donda,” the name of the album he didn’t release two years ago.

That was before Kanye backed Donald Trump and announced “slavery is a choice” to his fans, then ran for president for a nano second. And now he’s in the middle of a divorce from the mother of his four children, Kim Kardashian.

Bipolar and often out of control, Kanye held a listening party in Las Vegas Saturday night for among other people, basketball great Kevin Durant and radio personality Justin Laboy. This was after the Big 3 basketball game in Vegas, where Kanye showed up wearing a ski mask.

Laboy hit Twitter tonight raving about the album, which he says will drop this week. Or not. With Kanye, a release date is a fungible thing. He’s also been designing really ugly clothes for the Gap. We can only guess at some of this since he left Twitter at the end of 2020 after several breakdowns and public embarrassments.

Laboy wrote: “Kanye played his new album for me & @KDTrey5
last night in Vegas. Man listen! The production is light years ahead of it’s time, and the bars sound like he’s broke & hungry trying to get signed again. Any artist who plan on dropping soon should just push it back”

He also said: “Kanye West album is really done. When it drops this week, we probably not going to listen to anything else for a while.. Let me go enjoy all the current artist I’m listening to until then. God bless”

But what is Kanye’s audience? He hasn’t had an actual hit in ages. His pro-Trump stance, which he has never disavowed, may have cost him a big chunk. “Slavery is a choice” didn’t help either.

The word is a huge listening party is planned for this Thursday in Atlanta. Then maybe the album drops at midnight. Will anyone care? We’ll see.

 

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Swag Heaven Can Wait: Golden Globes Members Will No Longer Take Gifts, Trips, Greenbacks from Studios

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This story broke on Friday, but when I saw it I couldn’t believe it. Hell has frozen over, pigs are flying, all of that.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association– long the recipients of swag that would blow your mind — are putting in a policy against it. No more gifts, trips, meals, greenbacks, shiny things from the studios.

Wait! What? The World’s Happiest Guests are going to try and make it on their own. Publicists all over Hollywood, the world, must be LOL and ROF. Giving gifts to the HFPA is almost an American pastime. And as Stevie Wonder might sing, they  were living in a pastime paradise.

Some members must be distraught enough to seek grief therapy. What will they do? How will they function?

Anyway, here’s their statement.

“The HFPA remains dedicated to the transformational change it outlined in its May reform plan and timeline. Yesterday, the organization put several more key pieces in place to move forward with reform.

HFPA membership approved the draft bylaws for a final vote with no amendments, demonstrating its continued commitment to foundational change. Official ballots will now go out via mail to the membership, with a final vote tally in early August.

The HFPA also approved new gift, travel and conflict of interest policies. Under these new policies, HFPA members shall not be permitted to accept promotional materials or other gifts from studios, publicists, actors, directors or others associated with motion pictures and television programs.

With these updates, our members have completed virtually all of the reforms agreed upon in May — including establishing a functioning hotline (with grievances to be investigated by an outside group), approving a new code of conduct, and bringing on trusted DEI advisors.

We will continue to update the industry on our progress as we vote on new bylaws that will create an inclusive, diverse, and accountable organization — one that our members, stakeholders, and partners will be proud of.”

The HFPA, of course, still has no Black members. They’re weighing an offer to split the Golden Globes off from the philanthropic side of their organization and form an LLC with MRC/Dick Clark Productions to give the show transparency and inclusivity. New members, if the above goes through, will have to listen to stories about all the great trips and gifts of he past. Dang! They’ve removed the whole reason to join! 

Adele is Four Months Away from Her Sixth Year of No New Music, Has Sold Just 27K Albums This Year

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I’ve no doubt Adele is rich as Croesus, the famed ancient Greek king. She’s got a bunch of houses in Beverly Hills, and everything she could dream of.

But come November 15th– four months from now– she will also cross a professional divide. It will be six years since her last record. The album, “25,” sold a gazillion copies and made her an international superstar.

After “25,” came one single, the movie theme from “Skyfall,” the James Bond film. The song won an Oscar. And that was that. In 2017, “25” won a bunch of Grammys, but it was more than a year old.

There have been rumors in the last couple of years that Adele would be doing something. But nothing followed. There was a fake story about her registering a song co-written with Taylor Swift.

Over this weekend she was photographed at the NBA Finals with super agent Rich Paul. Is she dating him? I don’t care. Adele Laurie Blue Adkins is 33 years old. She’s wasting her years by not recording. You do not get this time, or this voice, back.

In the time since “25” came out, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, and her other contemporaries have put out dozens of records. Adele is almost not their contemporary anymore. She’s missed a big chunk of time dare I say it, demographically, when people who would have grown up to her music have now moved on, aged out of that generation.

Maybe she doesn’t care about singing, or music. Who knows? Maybe what she did was enough. Not for most artists, but maybe for her.

So we wait. For a surprise? I hope so.

 

Review: Bob Dylan’s “Shadow Kingdom” Streaming Event is an 80th Birthday Legacy Concert– And In Very Good Voice

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Bob Dylan’s live streaming event is going on right now.

“Shadow Kingdom” is pre-taped, at veeps.com. Filmed in gorgeous black and white, the video vignettes include “Watching the River Flow,” When I Paint My Masterpiece,” “Forever Young,” “Wicked Messenger,” “Tombstone Blues,” It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue,” “Most Likely You Go Your Way,” “Queen Jane,” “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight,” “Tom Thumb’s Blues,” and other Dylan classics.

He also included “What Was It You Wanted,” from a later album, 1989’s “Oh Mercy.” It’s a very supple version and beautifully accessible. It might be my highlight of this little show. (It was last heard, once, in 1995.)

Dylan hasn’t played “Forever Young” in a concert since 2011. It’s maybe his most covered song, probably one of his most valuable copyrights. He’s not stupid. More generations will record it now.

(The 13 songs are so beautifully re-arranged that even Shazam doesn’t know what they are!)

The director is Alma Ha’rel, who directed Shia LaBeouf’s “Honey Boy” feature and many music videos and commercials. Cinematography from Lol Crawley, but no one is LOL. Beautiful work. The black and white is sumptuous.

Bob is in unusually good voice, and the music production is sensational and rich. I would guess “Shadow Kingdom” will be released as an album and a DVD at some point. In the meantime, it’s on veeps.com for 25 bucks today and tomorrow. I was happy to pay for it.

The show is billed as “The Early Songs of Bob Dylan,” which would indicate there will be more one hour specials like this, for the same price.

PS Since I’m writing this on the fly, Dylan fans who also enjoyed recent Legacy release with George Harrison will adore the 50th anniversary mix of “All Things Must Pass.” Their song, “If Not For You” sounds fresher and more alive than ever.

 

SET LIST
When I Paint My Masterpiece

Most Likely You Go Your Way and I’ll Go Mine

Queen Jane Approximately

I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight

Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

Tombstone Blues

To Be Alone With You

What Was It You Wanted

Forever Young

Pledging My Time

The Wicked Messenger

Watching the River Flow

It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue

KPoop: Korean Boy Band BTS Has Their First Real Flop with “Permission to Dance” A Sales Disaster UPDATED

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WEDS MORNING: Total is up to 178,000. That’s it. There are a lot of questions about how “Permission” is being listed as number 1 anywhere. The fact is, it’s number 14 or 15 on iTunes.

MONDAY MORNING update: Total sales through Saturday are 161,000 all in. Downloads (included) are 46,400. The song is number 19 on iTunes.

 

EARLIER BTS may stand for Better Luck Next Time.

After a string of hits including recent ones like “Butter” and “Dynamite,” K Pop group BTS has pooped out.

Their new single, “Permission to Dance,” has seriously flopped. After one week, it’s number 17 on iTunes.

According Buzz Angle Music, “Permission” has been denied everywhere. Total sales including streaming are just 150,000. That includes 45,000 paid downloads. Most of the sales are streaming, and they are minor compared to other hits on the charts this summer.

Compare that number also with the single, “Butter,” released in May. “Butter” has sold 1 million copies so far, including 207,000 downloads.

But “Permission” may have come out too soon on heels of “Butter.” It’s also a rare failure for factory like songwriters Ed Sheeran and Johnny McDaid, who’ve had hits with Justin Bieber and others. Sheeran has a hit himself right now in the top 5 called “Bad Habits,” which typifies his own bad habits in songwriting. (Sheeran is still dodging a lawsuit over one song by the Marvin Gaye estate.)

What’s next for BTS? Stay tuned…

Box Office: $31 Million for Warner Bros. Studio Store Branded “Space Jam 2” Starring LeBron James with Negative Reviews

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Sometimes it doesn’t matter how bad a movie is, or how brazen it is in promoting brads.

“Space Jam 2: A New Legacy” made $31 million this weekend despite terrible reviews. Basketball legend LeBron James stars in the sequel to the clever original from 1996 with Michael Jordan.

The new “Space Jam” scored a 31 on Rotten Tomatoes, and that was being kind. Most reviewers described it as not a movie but a trip to the Warner Bros. studio store. The corporate branding is over the top, sucking the charm out of the original premise.

“James’s natural charisma should allow the film to soar but he’s bogged down by an avalanche of distracting cameos, from Gremlins to Game of Thrones,” wrote the UK Observer.

“Just a Warner Bros ad with LeBron James and Looney Tunes characters as its spokespeople… a designed-by-algorithm shambles,” said another.

Richard Roeper wrote in the Chicago Sun Times: “I’ve never seen anything like it. I also hope to never see anything like it again, and I wish I could unsee what I HAVE seen. ”

And yet, the movie — made by middling director Malcolm Lee, of “Soul Men” infamy — beat “Black Widow” on its second weekend. What that suggests is parents who are at wit’s end in the pandemic hit the “Space Jam” theaters in lieu of daycare. Does this mean “Space Jam 3” is coming soon? Undoubtedly.

If you watch “Space Jam 2,” which can be seen at home on HBO Max, the only interesting part of it is picking out all the images from 70 years of Warner Bros. movies and TV shows, from “Harry Potter” and “The Sopranos” to “The Wizard of Oz” and “Casablanca.” You’ll also see Gandalf, Frodo Baggins and Gollum from “The Lord of the Rings” movies.

And that, in 2021, is entertainment!