Saturday, December 20, 2025
Home Blog Page 918

Hubris Hurts: President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump Test Positive for COVID-19

0

President Donald Trump, a denier of the COVID-19 virus, and his wife Melania have tested positive for the virus. They have gone into quarantine.

This is what we call just desserts. Trump denied all aspects of the virus, refused to wear a mask or participate in social distancing. He’s advocated all that publicly, lying about the science behind the virus and disputing advice of Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx.

Hubris hurts. Trump carried on like everyone was crazy and he knew something we didn’t. He knew nothing.

PS Thanks to NBC News. They had it and broke into “Seth Meyers” without even warning. They’re on live now at 1:24am. Good work.

(Listen) UPDATE Biden/Harris Campaign Chooses Campaign Song, “The Change” Sung by JoJo, Written by 11 Time Oscar Nominee Diane Warren

0

UPDATE FRIDAY MORNING The Biden/Harris campaign has chosen “The Change” as their official campaign song. Variety reported the news first this morning. Showbiz411 confirmed the news independently. Vice President Joe Biden and Diane Warren have a long friendship that dates back to Biden presenting Warren’s song “Til it Happens to You” sung by Lady Gaga on the Oscars a few years ago.

THURSDAY NIGHT A hot new single hits iTunes and YouTube tonight from pop star JoJo. “The Change” is written by 11 time Oscar nominee Diane Warren, whose hits include most of the last 30 years’ chart toppers.

Diane tells me: “Hopefully the “Change” can be a part of making a much needed change.  JoJo’s vocal is a master class. I’m just so proud to be a part of this, it’s pretty cool. Nothing like the power of music.”

JoJo– real name Joanna Noëlle Levesque— hit the music scene with her first album in 2004, at age 13. She’s only released four albums in that time. She has a rich, powerful voice and is considered a singer’s singer. In August, Warner Records released her most recent album called “good to know” featuring a duet with Demi Lovato.

Just wait: “The Change” — also on Warner Records– is destined for big things. Come back here mid morning for more news about it.

Kathie Lee Gifford Made Rare Appearance on ABC’s “Live,” the Show She Once Co-Hosted, Since Leaving 20 Years Ago

0

All eyes will be on “Live with Kelly and Ryan” Friday morning. Kathie Lee Gifford is the guest.

Gifford co-hosted “Live with Regis and Kathie” for 15 years until 2000, when she left to find new adventures. She has made three or four appearance over 20 years.

Indeed, Kathie Lee went on to have a big success at rival NBC with Hoda Kotb and the third hour of “Today.” She often welcomed Regis, who was not welcome at their old show and never heard from Kelly Ripa again after he left.

Kathie Lee is promoting a rom-com movie called “Then Came You,” which she wrote and is going on Video on Demand this weekend. She stars in the film with Craig Ferguson. On September 30th, “Then Came You” played in theaters for one night via Fathom Entertainment.

Why Kathie Lee isn’t appearing on the Today show, and how she wound up returning to the so called scene of the crime is a mystery. She didn’t stay friendly with producer Michael Gelman, but maybe after Regis’s death this summer there was a reach out.

So set your DVRs. Of course, Kathie Lee won’t be in the same room with Kelly and Ryan. She’ll Zoom in from Nashville, where she’s been living since leaving the Today show.

 

Trump Says He and Melania “Will Begin Our Quarantine” After Aide Gets COVID: Will This Keep Him from Next Debate?

0

Donald Trump says just now on Twitter that he’s already begun his quarantine after aide Hope Hicks tested positive for COVID 19. What does he know that he’s not saying? That he’s positive and knows it now. After refusing to wear a mask and telling the public not to? Are his fans so blind to him that they don’t see what’s happened? And will this be an excuse for Trump to miss the next debate? Sometimes I think he did all this so he would get sick. On purpose.

He just wrote:
“Hope Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for Covid 19. Terrible! The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!”

Wait: Didn’t Mariah Carey Say She Was Diagnosed Bipolar in 2018? It’s Disappeared in New Memoir

0

I’m getting nasty tweets from Mariah Carey’s fans about my take on her book, “The Meaning of Mariah Carey.”

They say the book is a “memoir,” it’s just about her, and not about the vast amount of people she’s omitted.

If that’s the case, then something really major is missing from “The Meaning of.” In 2018, Mariah was on the cover of People magazine with an exclusive. It was called “My Battle with Bipolar Disorder: Mariah Opens Up.”

Wasn’t this a huge life changing moment?

“I’m actually taking medication that seems to be pretty good. It’s not making me feel too tired or sluggish or anything like that. Finding the proper balance is what is most important,” Mariah told People.

She continued: “For a long time I thought I had a severe sleep disorder…But it wasn’t normal insomnia and I wasn’t lying awake counting sheep. I was working and working and working … I was irritable and in constant fear of letting people down. It turns out that I was experiencing a form of mania. Eventually I would just hit a wall. I guess my depressive episodes were characterized by having very low energy. I would feel so lonely and sad — even guilty that I wasn’t doing what I needed to be doing for my career.”

Might not bipolar disorder account for several episodes in Carey’s life, from the “Glitter” breakdown to the James Packer engagement? And yet, there is not a word about it in the memoir. Bipolar disorder is a serious matter, and it would affect all parts of a person’s life including their extreme mood changes, decision making, and so on. Excluding it from “The Meaning of” kind of invalidates the whole book, or at least brings into question the truthfulness of the diagnosis in the first place.

One more strange thing about the book: Mariah holds Bedford Hills, New York in her memory as a place of terror, calling the mansion where she lived with Tommy Mottola “Sing Sing.” Yet, according to a recent New York magazine article, she’s moved back there during the pandemic, abandoning her Tribeca loft. She could have moved to Greenwich, Connecticut or the ritzy part of New Jersey if she wanted to stay local, or even East Hampton. But she went right back to Bedford. That’s a headscratcher.

 

 

 

Close Trump Aide Hope Hicks Tests Positive for COVID-19, Reuters Says She’s “Experiencing Symptoms”

0

UPDATE: Reuters says she’s “experiencing symptoms” which could include guilt over participating in this administration.

EARLIER Hope Hicks, who’s dated everyone in the White House and is a close Trump aide, has tested positive for COVID-19.

Hicks traveled with Trump to Minnesota for a rally, where he and his constituents were maskless. Hicks probably was, too. She was without a mask Tuesday night in Cleveland for the debate when Trump became belligerent and fought with moderator Chris Wallace and set new standards for boorishness in public.

The story of Hicks’s positive test was reported by Bloomberg News, the New York Times and other outlets.

So far Trump has remained strangely immune to COVID even though he’s taken no precautions against it, and had plenty of people around him who’ve had it. Recently, Kimberly Guilfoyle, who’s paid by his campaign and his son Donald Jr.’s girlfriend, tested positive.

Hicks was in close physical proximity to Trump a lot this week. But it could be that Stephen Miller is medicating the president with something from his home planet.

Meantime, another former Trump aide, Brad Parscale, remains locked up after threatening to kill himself, allegedly beating his wife, and possibly stealing money from Trump’s campaign.

In five years, I want to be at this White House’s staff reunion, that’s for sure!

 

 

Toxic: “The Ellen Show” Ratings Dropped 25 Percent in Key Demos First Week Back, Off 11 Percent Overall

0

Ellen DeGeneres has a problem.

The ratings for her first week, in metered markets, were down 25% from last year. According to tvnewscheck.com, “The Ellen Show” scored only 800,00 viewers in its return week. Just 300,000 were in the desired 25-54 age group.  DeGeneres’s show was 25% down in the key demo and 11% off over all.

More numbers will be in soon, but “The Ellen Show” finished 5th among all syndicated talk shows. “Live with Kelly and Ryan” was number 1 with 1.9 million viewers.

DeGeneres should be concerned that she lost the young and younger women advertisers depend on. They were obviously aware of her “toxic backstage” scandal. It’s taken a big bite of her audience.

“Judge Judy,” on the other hand, returned up 6% with 5.7 million viewers. This is her 25th and last season but she’ll go out with the banging of a gavel.

Drew Barrymore’s show came in tied for 9th place with Wendy Williams. Drew had 700,000 viewers. The show she replaced in New York, “Hot Bench,” carried on in other time slots and channels with 1.7 million viewers. I know a lot of people miss “Hot Bench” in New York at 9am on CBS 2. And “Live with Kelly and Ryan” is probably happy it’s gone from direct competition.

Elsewhere, among magazine shows, everyone’s watching “Entertainment Tonight” and “Inside Edition.” But “Extra” with Billy Bush is down 14%. That’s a huge drop. I don’t know what’s happening there  but it’s not good.

 

 

Listen to One of Joni Mitchell’s Earliest Recordings, “Day After Day,” from Her New Archival Collection

0

This is “Day After Day,” the first release from Joni Mitchell’s archival collection due October 30th from Rhino. It’s heads and tales better than anything by current singer songwriters. Joni’s a genius. And to think how her music progressed from this over the years is mind blowing.

“I wrote it on the train, between Regina and Mariposa, Ontario. Orillia, Ontario, really, the setting at the time of the Mariposa Folk Festival. I was on my way to see Buffy Sainte-Marie. I was pregnant, and I was traveling with my daughter’s father, and we were making a ruse. I had told my parents—they thought I was a quitter anyway—“I’m going east to the Mariposa Folk Festival. I’m going to become a musician.” But I had no desire to do it. It was just a way of protecting, parent protecting, really. You know, a lie for their dignity.” – Joni

Joni Mitchell Archives Volume 1: The Early Years (1963-1967) is available for pre-order https://JM.lnk.to/JMAVol1

The Trailer for “Borat 2” is Here, This Time He Has a “Daughter” Whom He’s Impregnated, It’s Very Funny

0

Borat is back. “Subsequent MovieFilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime” seems to be the subtitle. This time Borat has a “daughter” whom he’s impregnated. Sacha Baron Cohen managed to pull the wool over the eyes of many new stupid rednecks who will undoubtedly sue or threaten to, or say they were in on the joke. But the trailer is a hoot. Bring it on! Coming to Amazon Prime October 23rd. The director is Jason Woliner. From the trailer I don’t know the name of the actress who plays the daughter. If you do, let me know at showbiz411@gmail.com. On the imdb they say Ken Davitian is “rumored” to be reprising Azamat, but he says he’s not in the film.

Revival: Billie Eilish Debuts New Video for James Bond Song “No Time to Die,” Eight Months After Its Release

0

Billie Eilish’s theme song for “No Time to Die” was released in February, the thinking was the James Bond movie was coming in April. Well, that didn’t happen. The song got 57,000 paid downloads, but a total of 738,000 copies counting streaming. Now it’s back, with a video featuring Daniel Craig and friends. Will the song come back on the charts? It’s no “Live and Let Die,” that’s for sure. But it looks good here. The movie arrives November 20th wherever theaters are open.

The video was directed by Daniel Kleinman.The song is out via Darkroom/Interscope Records and was produced by Billie’s brother; fellow multi Grammy Award winning Finneas alongside Stephen Lipson, with orchestral arrangements by Hans Zimmer and Matt Dunkley, and guitar from Johnny Marr. At 18, Eilish is officially the youngest artist in history to both write and record a James Bond theme song.