Garth Brooks celebrated his Kennedy Center Honors induction last night with country star wife Trisha Yearwood. Looks like they had a grand time.
Garth wrote on Instagram: To loosely quote Maya Angelou
I stand here as one but I stand here for the people who have carried me to this point. Grateful! love
Garth and Trisha are class acts all the way! Congrats!
“SNL” season finale ratings were 3.5 million, same as last week, tied for lowest ever in show history.
The show had a lot of landmark moments. Lil Nas X, performing his hit “Call Me By Your Name,” ripped his pants while pole dancing. That will go on the anniversary reel. Plus several cast members, as I wrote last night, are leaving or considering it and said their goodbyes last night including Kate McKinnon, Kenan Thompson, and Cecily Strong.
Anya Joy Taylor of “Queen’s Gambit” fame proved to be a versatile host who was excellent in her monologue and sketches. She also got to reveal herself other than the character she’s known for as light and fun. The season finale was funny, the audience seemed like they were on steroids (the laughs and applause were very loud), and the show was daring in letting Lil Nas X really put on quite a gay musical number.
Atlanta HAwks NBA legend Dominique Wilkins says he was turned away from a fancy Atlanta restaurant Saturday night. The reason?
Wilkins Tweets: “In my many years in the world, I’ve eaten at some of the greatest restaurants in the world, but never have I felt prejudice or been turned away because of the color of my skin, until today.”
The restaurant is Le Bilboquet, known on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and the Hamptons to be expensive and exclusive– not in the good way. They’ve been accused of Googling their guests before accepting reservations to see if they “qualify” for admittance.
What Le Bilboquet– which counts Revlon chairman Ronald Perelman as its big investor — doesn’t realize is, this party is over. They claim Wilkins was turned away because he wasn’t dressed properly. It’s utterly ridiculous. This might damage them, except their clientele doesn’t care one bit.
(In New York, it’s the one place you might see the ailing Perelman in person these days. It’s where Trump lawyer Michael Cohen went when we got out of jail with an ankle bracelet on. He was promptly put back in jail.)
Wilkins says on Twitter: ” I would have been fine if they said just no tables. But they looked me up and down before that and then said that and to add insult, talked about how my clothes were not appropriate when I was wearing designer casual pants and a shirt”
The restaurant has stated tonight: “We do our best to accommodate all of our guests. We have a “business casual” dress code which includes jeans & sneakers but prohibits athletic clothing including sweat pants & tops. The definition of “casual” is ever evolving, we strive to maintain our policy requirements daily.”
This is a PR disaster, but more than that. It speaks to exactly why Black Lives Matter, and why this country is in such a terrible situation. Le Bilboquet in the Hamptons, by the way, is located in Sag Harbor, the only town out there with a Black population. Look for push back now. Everyone knows Donna Karan’s Tutto il Giorno welcomes everyone.
(On the UES, me? I go to the Viand Coffee Shop. Best BLT in town and there’s no dress code. Also, the only place I can afford! )
PS If Dominique Wilkins walks into an Atlanta restaurant wearing jeans and a Hawks t shirt, ratty sneakers, give him the best table in the house. He is royalty in your lame ass city.
In my many years in the world, I’ve eaten at some of the greatest restaurants in the world, but never have I felt prejudice or been turned away because of the color of my skin, until today in #atlanta In @LeBilboquetAtl #turnedawaybecauseimblack pic.twitter.com/vh7zuyxH0K
— Dominique Wilkins 🏀 (@DWilkins21) May 22, 2021
“SNL” ended its season, a rocky one, on a high note tonight. The show was funny and the cast was teary. But the latter may be because a lot of the cast may not return in the fall.
Kenan Thompson, who has his own sitcom on NBC returning in the fall, said “we’ll see you at Thanksgiving.” Which means we won’t be seeing him in September.
Kate McKinnon, who has won Emmys and is a movie actress now, is ready to go. She teared up on the show when she described the cast as “family” during the poignant cold opening.
Pete Davidson, who seems to be cleaned up at last and out of danger, thanked the audience for letting him grow up in front of them. This may be the end for him.
Cecily Strong stole the show as Judge Jeanine Pirro in what may have been her exit sketch. It was a crowning achievement. Cecily gives me Ana Gasteyer vibes: extremely talented but not motivated for superstardom. I hope I’m wrong.
Aidy Bryant might be leaving, although her other show, called “Shrill,” was not renewed on Hulu. She’s got a good gig at “SNL” and may consider that Vanessa Bayer hasn’t been seen much since she left.
Even if all these talented people leave, “SNL” has a deep bench. Beck Bennett and Kyle Mooney are solid core players, Chloe Fineman and Bowen Yang are ready for the spotlight. Mikey Day and Alex Moffat have a lot of life left in them. And Chris Redd already seems like a star. Ego Nwodim became one this season as Dionne Warwick.
So “SNL” will survive, as it always does. And don’t forget Michael Che and Colin Jost. They’re staying, and they make the show.
Come back tomorrow at 1pm and we’ll see how tonight’s ratings went. Lil Nas X’s very gay “Montero” song may have turned a lot of people off. His second number should have been his first. It was excellent. On “Montero” it felt like he was lip synching, as if any of his fans would care.
Well, it’s not going that smoothly at the Kennedy Center Honors reception. Norm Nixon Jr., nicknamed Thump, 34 year old actor son of honoree Debbie Allen and NBA great Norm Nixon, posted a video from the cocktail party in which he called Dr. Fauci “Public Enemy Number 1.”
From the looks of his post, Thump doesn’t seem to be on board with vaccines. He refers to Maxine Waters as “VaccineWaters.” Can he be sent to his room? (I’m sorry to report this but he made it public. Debbie Allen is the nicest person in the world!)
“Ooooooo They not gone like this one! 😂😂😂😂 😷!!!! Somebody call the CDC! The secret service n**** heard me call him public enemy number one 😳 he wanted all the 💨 😂😂. I felt like I was about to get kicked out the club by Samoan security (u not even from La if this has never happened to u😂). I pressed him, he said he didn’t start aids and it ain’t no nanochip shit cracking. He said he just tryna save us from being like India right now and that “u n***** is ungrateful” his words not mine. But man, u conspiracy and Qan— enjoy! 😂 #VaccineWaters #VaxPayne #Vaximus #VaxiPad #VaxnJill #vaxStreetsVaxedAlright *hums Bass line* #topTierTroll”
Joan Baez–who posted this picture to Instagram– brought her family to the Kennedy Center Honors celebrations that began on Thursday in Washington, DC.
The famed folk singer also had a special guest with her: Dr. Anthony Fauci.
All the honorees came to Washington for a weekend of gatherings. On Thursday they did something KCH honorees haven’t done since Barack Obama was in office. They met with the President at the White House. Joe and Jill Biden welcomed them with open arms and the inductees were relieved to see them. They included Dick van Dyke, Garth Brooks, Debbie Allen, and violinist Midori.
Tonight they’ll tape the rest of the show set for broadcast on June 6th on CBS. Chita Rivera is expected to induct van Dyke, who is 95 years young. Gloria Estefan is hosting the show.
It’s actually possible Jean Smart is going to win two Emmy Awards this year. It’s been the best of times, I imagine, and the worst.
Once a star of “Designing Women,” Smart, who is 69, is having the best year of her career probably at the worst possible time. She’s in two hot shows on HBO, “Hacks” and “Mare of Easttown.” But when she was finishing shooting the former, her husband of 34 years, Richard Gilliland, died after a brief illness.
In “Mare of Easttown,” a runaway hit drama murder mystery. she plays Kate Winslet’s worn and wonderful mom. As Helen Fahey, Smart seems also warm and wise, which she is. But we learn some kinky stuff about her that gives Smart a chance to set herself apart in a cast of eccentrics who are all vying for the David Lynch Award.
Smart’s real breakout on HBO this spring just started last week. She’s the star of a potentially great comedy called “Hacks.” Her Deborah Vance is very Joan Rivers-based, a successful, wealthy stand up comedian who’s made her money in Las Vegas after failing at things like late night TV. Deborah lives there in a mansion, and rules her world. But when it looks like her act may be getting stale, she takes in a female comedy writer from Los Angeles who’s made some mistakes and can’t get work. That’s Hannah Einbinder, killing it in her debut. (She’s also the daughter of the great Laraine Newman, from the original cast of “Saturday Night Live.”)
I don’t where “Hacks” came from because the imdb is now unreadable and I have no press information on it. But three episodes in, it’s a box of chocolates. The creators have mixed together elements of Joan Rivers’ life with Midge Maisel’s, added a touch of “Veep,” and put it all in a Cuisinart. Looking at the “Maisel” aspect, Smart is playing Jane Lynch’s character as if she were Rivers and Einbinder is playing Midge. But it’s current, not nostalgic, and there’s just a pinch of sex, vulgarity, and bad language so you know it’s HBO.
“Hacks” is Jean Smart’s show, she’s the queen of this universe. While Helen Fahey is stripped down, no makeup or money, responsible for grandchildren, Deborah is the quantum opposite. She’s buying antique pepper shakers for $10,000, something Helen could not comprehend. Deborah is snarky and rude and over the top, so much fun to play. Helen has to keep her eye on the ball in her house to make all the tentative things around her don’t fall apart.
So, yes, HBO loves Emmy nominations and awards. But this should be a cake walk for them. Jean Smart is going to be the talk of the town this summer and fall. And boy, does she deserve it!
Lana del Rey is having a busy year. She already released one hit acclaimed album with “Chemtrails over the Country Club.” On July 4th she releases another album, “Blue Banisters.” This week she unveiled three tracks from that album. They’re pretty great.
Lana is among many artists from her generation who are really working, recording, and releasing all the time, like the good old days. Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, everyone just keeps punching away.
Fifty years ago, Carole King released “Tapestry” and “Music” in the same year. Each was a big hit.
Adele has released nothing since 2015 except the single “Skyfall.”
This is a lovely story. Leah Remini, aka the “queen” of Queens from her hit show “The King of Queens.” is finally going to college. She’s been accepted to New York University’s School of Professional Studies to get an AA in Liberal Arts. Remini turns 51 next month.
She writes on Instagram:
“I am so excited, in tears and wanted to share this with you guys. For someone like me, a person who desperately wanted a higher education and options in my life, coming from a cult and a family who didn’t value an education, this is a very big day for me. This didn’t come easy. This is one of the last chunks of my life that I am taking back for myself from Scientology. It took a lot for me to take this step, for fear that I was not smart enough, not worthy enough, not able to do the work that will be required, my age…. I did it anyway with a lot of encouragement from a very special person in my life. I am ready to do the work and honestly, I’m scared shitless! And I am excited to start on my journey. It’s just never too late is it? Thank you to NYU”
As a graduate of NYU, I welcome her to the school and to what the school hasn’t destroyed of Greenwich Village. In my day we would meet at Dave’s Luncheonette on Canal Street around midnight. Then off to CBGB or the Mudd Club. Those were the days!
Olivia Rodrigo has arrived.
After having a massive hit with “Driver’s License” this winter, the 18 year old dropped her first album last night. It’s called “Sour.” And went right to number 1.
Rodrigo, who just performed on “Saturday Night Live,” makes a debut in the grand tradition of Alanis Morissette, Avril Lavigne,Janis Ian, and even Billie Eilish.
Unlike Billie, Rodrigo is much more punk, more rough edged, and has a larger voice that suits her big arrangements.
Rodrigo’s album, I think, is a triumph. She was more than assisted in her endeavor by Dan Nigro. On one track, Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff share a writing credit. That’s because Rodrigo and Nigro incorporated a Swift song into “1 step forward, 3 steps back.” The Swift song is called “New Year’s Day,” and now it’s been repurposed. That’s the way it is these days. You can tell it’s being pitched as the next single because it’s track four on the album. Clean up hitter.
Teen age girls singing songs of woe are a pop tradition. Welcome, Olivia Rodrigo!