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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!
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.
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
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.
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.
“Simpsons” and “Spinal Tap” star Harry Shearer is one of the great comic geniuses of our time. He’s been releasing hilarious videos of side splitting songs about Trump every week this summer on YouTube. Now they’re all going to be on an album called “The Many Moods of Donald Trump.” Here’s the link to order everything.
Here’s the full tracklist. I have to say, the music is better than on most albums by current top 40 artists.
1. I Can’t Believe I’m Me (4:22)
To be released October 9
2. I Can’t Drive Anymore (2:35)
To be released on October 2
3. Son-in-Law (3:42)
Available to watch here
Shearer Trump performing an old style New Orleans number in praise his senior advisor, Jared Kushner. Always mentioned as one of Trump’s top aides, Jared Kushner has been given a portfolio that ranges from Middle-East peace to the pandemic. His success rate speaks for itself.
Music and words by Harry Shearer
Harry Shearer – vocals
David Torkanowsky – piano. Organ
George Porter, Jr. – bass
Raymond Weber – drums
Brad Walker – saxophone
Scott Frock – trumpet
Jon Ramm – trombone
4. Stormy Daniels (4:00)
Available to listen to here
A lush string-filled ode to passion, power and pay-off. What good is hush money when it buys so little hush?
Music and lyrics by Harry Shearer
Lead Vocal: Harry Shearer
Piano: CJ Vanston
Drums: Gregg Bissonette
Strings, bass, trumpet and string arrangement: CJ Vanston
5. Bill of Love(4:02)
To be released October 16
6. Executive Time (3:35)
A languorous love of leisure ballad in which Shearer as Trump sings wistfully of those long periods of contemplation and nothingness between unnecessary briefings from so called ‘experts. When does the President get the time to watch all the TV news? It’s a big section of his daily schedule.
Music and lyrics by Harry Shearer
Lead Vocal: Harry Shearer
Backing Vocals: Sharlotte Gibson, CJ Vanston
Drums: Toss Panos
Keyboards, Trombone, all other instruments: CJ Vanston
7. I Never Knew Him (3:09)
Available to listen to here
An eclectic musical mix in which Trump demonstrates that he might not have “one of the greatest memories of all time” as he purges his contact book and airbrushes his history of those who may be an impediment to his ratings. A very famous guy has so many people claiming to be his friends or family. It’s always important to clear the air.
Music and lyrics by Harry Shearer
Lead Vocal: Harry Shearer
Backing Vocals: Sharlotte Gibson, CJ Vanston
Trumpet: Jim Gammon
Drums: Toss Panos
Keyboards, Trombone, all other instruments: CJ Vanston
8. Very Stable Genius(4:09)
Available to listen to here
A power ballad in which Trump vaunts his own intellectual prowess combined with his calm and balanced disposition. When a person refers to himself with that phrase once, it’s newsworthy. When he does it repeatedly, it’s song- worthy.
Music and words by Harry Shearer
Lead Vocal: Harry Shearer
BG Vocals: CJ Vanston
Guitars: Marc Bonilla
Drums: Toss Panos
Keyboards, all other instruments: CJ Vanston
9. Number One Son(2:51)
Available to listen to here
An electric chop suey, listing all Donald Jr.’s qualities and Trump’s new-found love for the boy who serves him well. The apple doesn’t fall far from the refrigerator.
Music and lyrics by Harry Shearer
Lead Vocal: Harry Shearer
BG Vocals; Sharlotte Gibson, CJ Vanston
Guitars: Marc Bonilla
Drums: Toss Panos
Keyboards, all other instruments: CJ Vanston
10. Alabama (3:22)
Available to listen to here
A southern rock tribute to the state that holds a special place in the President’s “heart.” The trouble with official hurricane forecast maps is that they don’t often include Sharpie additions. When it’s the state that gave your Presidential campaign its kickoff, a Sharpie warning is the least you can do.
Music and lyrics by Harry Shearer
Lead Vocal: Harry Shearer
BG Vocals: CJ Vanston
Harmonica: Howard Levy
Guitars: Mark Bonilla
Drums: Toss Panos
Keyboards, all other instruments: CJ Vanston
11. COVID-180 (4:47)
Available to listen to here
Alternating stanzas of pumped-up disco and plaintive folk rock to represent the alternating “up” and “down” approaches taken to the pandemic by the President. Emerson once said, “Petty consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.” Trump agrees, though he may not quite understand it.
Music and words by Harry Shearer
Lead Vocal: Harry Shearer
BG vocals: Sharlotte Gibson, CJ Vanston
Guitars: Marc Bonilla
Drums: Toss Panos
12. Acquittal (3:58)
Available to listen to here
A “prog rock revenge anthem,” in which the president basks in the sheer vitriolic joy on offer when it’s time to settle scores. When you’re impeached, and survive, the natural human impulse is balls-out revenge.
Music and lyrics by Harry Shearer
Lead Vocal: Harry Shearer
Backing Vocals: Sharlotte Gibson, CJ Vanston
Guitars: Marc Bonilla
Drums: Toss Panos
Keyboards, all other instruments: CJ Vanston
12. He Lies (3:27)
To be released October 23
This is my favorite of the songs right now, I can’t get it out of my head.
Sad news: Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, sort of America’s premier couple right now, have suffered a miscarriage. Chrissy was pregnant with their third child. I don’t usually write about this sort of thing but I like these guys so much– they are the rare celebrities who have heart, soul, and accomplishments. They are so full of optimism and good vibes that you can really feel this unexpected shock for them. They even named the unborn baby Jack, which maybe makes it even harder. My condolences to them.
Chrissy shares everything on social media. (It’s the generation. Us old folk don’t quite get that.) As usual she’s posted a uniquely poignant statement. Here it is:
“We are shocked and in the kind of deep pain you only hear about, the kind of pain we’ve never felt before. We were never able to stop the bleeding and give our baby the fluids he needed, despite bags and bags of blood transfusions. It just wasn’t enough.
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“We never decide on our babies’ names until the last possible moment after they’re born, just before we leave the hospital. But we, for some reason, had started to call this little guy in my belly Jack. So he will always be Jack to us. Jack worked so hard to be a part of our little family, and he will be, forever.
.
“To our Jack – I’m so sorry that the first few moments of your life were met with so many complications, that we couldn’t give you the home you needed to survive. We will always love you.
.
“Thank you to everyone who has been sending us positive energy, thoughts and prayers. We feel all of your love and truly appreciate you.
.
“We are so grateful for the life we have, for our wonderful babies Luna and Miles, for all the amazing things we’ve been able to experience. But everyday can’t be full of sunshine. On this darkest of days, we will grieve, we will cry our eyes out. But we will hug and love each other harder and get through it.”
Francis Ford Coppola’s remade “The Godfather Part III” has hit Amazon as blu-ray DVD ready for advance purchase.
Now called: “Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone,” Coppola’s re imagined film is priced to sell at just $14.99. That price seems very low considering it’s an event release of something that’s highly anticipated. But I guess they figure we know the story already.
“Coda” will give Coppola to right the wrongs of the original, awful final chapter of “The Godfather.” It would be unprecedented if he fixed “III” so that it really fit with chapters 1 and 2. This could be the great director’s crowning achievement.
The original film clocks in at 2 hours, 42 minutes. The new one says 2 hours, 38 minutes, so maybe 4 minutes have been trimmed. We’ll have to wait and see. Release date is December 8th.
There have only been two posthumous Oscars for acting in the history of the Academy Awards. The last one was Heath Ledger, for “The Dark Knight,” in 2008. Before that it was only Peter Finch in “Network,” 1977.
But now there may be a third. It does seem like Chadwick Boseman has a strong chance of a nomination if not a win for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” directed by Denzel Washington and co-starring a major ensemble that starts with Viola Davis.
Boseman died last month after a secret four year battle with colon cancer. The outpouring of love for him was amazing, enough to propel Boseman to a rare Oscar after he’s left us. I wouldn’t be surprised.
A big feature in the New York Times broke this afternoon, well in advance of the movie’s premiere on Netflix on December 18th. That’s just the first move by Netflix PR on the way to a major campaign for Bosewick, Davis, Washington, and the film. In Best Actor, Boseman will have a clear shot at the big prize. For Davis, if she goes in lead, she’s got Frances McDormand and probably Jennifer Hudson to deal with.
One irony: the last posthumous Oscar nomination went to the late August Wilson, the Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, for “Fences,” also directed by Washington and starring Davis, in 2016.
This Friday at 2pm, my friend– I’m blessed to call him that– the great Don Bryant will be featured on SiriusXM’s Little Steven’s Underground Garage. They’re celebrating Don’s new album called “You Make Me Feel” and the Coolest Song in the World, “Your Love is to Blame.”
This show is only for real lovers of R&B, soul, and gospel. Don is a Memphis legend, husband of Ann Peebles, co-writer of “I Can’t Stand the Rain,” and one of the best people around. So is Ann! I won’t miss this show hosted by The Mighty Manfred. He’s obviously a man of great taste and discernment!
Francis Ford Coppola’s remade “The Godfather Part III” has hit Amazon as blu-ray DVD ready for advance purchase.
