Tag Archives: Celebrity

Breaking News, Celebrities

Barbara Walters, Trailblazing Journalist and Celebrity has Died

At once a serious and entertaining force, she changed the face of news in America

ABC News announced on Friday Evening that Barbara Walter’s has died. She was 93. The cause of death was not provided in the announcement. Barbara Walters was a pioneering journalist and television personality who has had a long and successful career in the media industry, a career that seems larger than life now, to many looking back.

She was born on September 25, 1929, in Boston, Massachusetts. Her parents, Lou and Dena Seaman, were both Russian immigrants, and her father owned a jewelry store.

As a child, Walters showed an early interest in journalism and writing. She attended Lawrence High School in Lawrence, Massachusetts, where she wrote for the school newspaper and participated in drama productions. After graduating from high school, she attended Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English in 1951.

After college, Walters began her career in journalism as a researcher and writer for NBC News. She quickly worked her way up the ranks, eventually becoming a producer and correspondent for the network.

In 1961, she became the first woman to co-host the Today show, alongside Hugh Downs. She remained with the show for more than 10 years, becoming a household name and paving the way for other women in television news.

In 1976, Walters left the Today show to co-host the ABC news magazine 20/20 with Hugh Downs. She remained with the show for over 25 years, becoming known for her in-depth interviews with world leaders, celebrities, and other notable figures.

She was also a frequent contributor to other ABC news programs, including Good Morning America and World News Tonight.

In addition to her work on 20/20, Walters also hosted a number of specials and television events, including the Academy Awards and the Miss America pageant. She became the first woman to solo host the Oscars in 1984, and she continued to co-host the awards show for several years.

Throughout her career, Walters has interviewed countless high-profile figures, including presidents, world leaders, and celebrities.

She was known for her ability to ask tough questions and get her subjects to open up, and she has been recognized for her contributions to journalism with numerous awards and honors. In 1989, she was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame, and in 2008, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Challenges to face and overcome

Despite her many accolades, Walters faced her share of challenges and controversies over the course of her career. She faced criticism for her involvement in the Miss America pageant, which was seen as out of step with the feminist movement of the time.

She also faced backlash for her interviews with controversial figures, including former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Despite these controversies, Walters has remained a respected and influential figure in the media industry. She retired from full-time television work in 2014. She is widely regarded as a trailblazer and role model for women in the media industry, and her work has had a lasting impact on the way television news is produced and consumed.

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Books, Celebrities, Entertainment

‘Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama’: Bob Odenkirk Memoir exposes his Comedic Origins

Actor Bob Odenkirk, who portrays the iconic Jimmy McGill /Saul Goodman character in AMC’s “Better Call Saul” is currently wrapping up the show’s final season, which is now available to watch (or stream) weekly on AMC . And even though the show is coming to an end, there is still so much more in store for the actor; he is set to star in a new series, an adaptation, also on the AMC Network called “Straight Man”, as well as venturing out on a book tour for his newly released memoir “Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama”. 

Starting to re-watch the series from scratch, it’s easy to see the why the show has been so incredibly successful. Odenkirk it’s a unique star with a wide acting range, playing an easily lovable character that you feel you can stand behind (as he cares for his mentally ill brother), even when he is doing sketchy things (bribing witnesses, forging documents, etc.) to get by. 

Of course, not to be forgotten is the epic and one-of-a-kind construction that made ‘Better Call Saul’ into a 6 season prequel to ‘Breaking Bad’s’ 5 amazing seasons. Since the 6th and final season is currently underway – there will no doubt be an amazing opportunity to watch all 11 seasons in the binge of all binge marathons.

The shared characters and storylines, from Ignacio “Nacho” Varga to Michael Ehrmantraut to Walter White and Jesse Pinkman make for an amazing and truly gargantuan story arc. The final season of ‘Better Call Saul’ even includes a few “flash forwards’ to the post ‘Breaking Bad’ timeframe which currently also has the ‘El Camino’ feature in its time-space dimension.

Rising from his early origins as a stand up comic, then to writing for Saturday Night Live (SNL) to eventually an on-screen debut in “The Ben Stiller Show”, HBO’s “Mr Show with Bod and David” and of course, making his lasting trademark as Saul Goodman in “Breaking Bad”. 

If you want to learn more about Bob’s new memoir, more information about the book with a description from the publisher follows, below.

Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir

Click the photo for more information on “Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama“

Bob Odenkirk’s career is inexplicable. And yet he will try like hell to explicate it for you. Charting a “Homeric” decades-long “odyssey” from his origins in the seedy comedy clubs of Chicago to a dramatic career full of award nominations–with a side-trip into the action-man world that is baffling to all who know him–it’s almost like there are many Bob Odenkirks! But there is just one and one is plenty. Bob embraced a life in comedy after a chance meeting with Second City’s legendary Del Close. He somehow made his way to a job as a writer at Saturday Night Live.

While surviving that legendary gauntlet by the skin of his gnashing teeth, he stashed away the secrets of comedy writing–eventually employing them in the immortal “Motivational Speaker” sketch for Chris Farley, honing them on The Ben Stiller Show, and perfecting them on Mr. Show with Bob and David. In Hollywood, Bob demonstrated a bullheadedness that would shame Sisyphus himself, and when all hope was lost for the umpteenth time, the phone rang with an offer to appear on Breaking Bad–a show about how boring it is to be a high school chemistry teacher. His embrace of this strange new world of dramatic acting led him to working with Steven Spielberg, Alexander Payne, and Greta Gerwig, and then, in a twist that will confound you, he re-re-invented himself as a bona fide action star. Why? Read this and do your own psychoanalysis–it’s fun! Featuring humorous tangents, never-before-seen photos, wild characters, and Bob’s trademark unflinching drive, Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama is a classic showbiz tale told by a determined idiot.

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Entertainment, Movies

Barbie Movie Features Margot Robbie Pretty and Very Pink: Trailer to Come

Video

Back in 2019 Greta Gerwig (known for work on “Lady Bird”, “Little Women” and “The Squid and the Whale”) and Noah Baumbach signed on to write a live-action Barbie movie for Warner Bros.  By the looks of it, giving by a sneak-peak that it’s giving hot pink, retro 80’s Barbie vibes.  

Some might find it anomalous that Robbie, famed for, among others, being Harley Quinn of suicide squad, a role that had the feel of a life-time type-casting dream, so Barbie might seem a stretch for those that feel married to her portrayal of a more, shall we say, dangerous female anti-hero.

And yet, perhaps it’s brilliant. Certainly the photo, released as a teaser at CinemaCon gives out a vibe that is spot-on for an inspired casting take on the doll come to life. Unfortunately the official trailer is still to come, so we’ve provided a “first look” video with clips from her that kind of visualizes a fantasy take in the meantime.

Alongside Margot Robbie as Barbie, Ryan Gosling will play the iconic boyfriend Ken. There are also a handful of crazy talent with fellow cast members to include: Will Ferrell, America Ferrera, Simu Lui, Issa Rae, Michael Cera and Kate McKinnon. 

The plot details for the film have not been shared and kept quite mum as of now, so we may have to wait closer to the release date next year to see Gerwig’s adaptation.  Currently “Barbie” is scheduled for theatrical release on July 21, 2023. 

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Celebrities, Entertainment, Movies, Netflix, Streaming, Videos

Funny or Die: in ‘Don’t Look up’ – Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence tackle the End of the World

Video

A race against time in order to save the world is ostensibly the schema of the latest Netflix film “Don’t Look Up”. DiCaprio plays as professor Dr. Randall Mindy and JLaw is an astronomy grad student. The pair stumble across a life-changing discovery… that a comet is on a collision course for Earth.

Based on first impressions film may be more of a accurate allegorical send up for our real life climate crisis. In the film, when the scientists raise the alarm to the U.S. government about the comet, the response, in typical bureaucratic insanity is to “sit tight and assess”, just as has been the case for over 30 years regarding global warming (joke delivered by the wildly funny Jonah Hill).

The über impressive cast has a handful of extremely talented actors including (in addition to the marquee stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence); Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Ron Perlman, Timothée Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Kid Cudi, Cate Blanchett, and Tyler Perry.

The movie was both written and directed by Adam McKay, the Oscar Award winner responsible for “The Big Short” and “Vice”.

Similar to those films, his patented multi-layered approach is in play, where comedy, absurd pathos and a “laugh about the tragic stupidity of the human race” reigns.

And, possibly, with this amazing cast, it will be the most successful iteration to date.

A huge departure, if you take the correlation to the looming climate extinction level events at face value, is how the film is focused on the future (a fictional one, but still looking forward) for a change.

While both “The Big Short” and “Vice” chronicled a historic event or personage, this time, it is the potentially devastating human inability to see past their own self absorbed pathetic existences that is lampooned.

And if we can all laugh at ourselves and somehow get the message underlying, what meanwhile appears as great comic entertainment, perhaps the outcome can be altered. Or at least we can appreciate the absurdity as we all go down in flames.

The comedy will be released in select theaters on December 10th and two weeks later be available for subscribers to stream free on Netflix, starting on December 24th 

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Apps, Celebrities, Entertainment, Music, Social Media, Tech, TikTok, Videos

Billie Eilish Wows again on TikTok: Rehearsal “Slumber Party” (X)

Video

“we r hot” show dance rehearsal with commentary (hilarious sexy fun)

After her wild Ukulele post popped up on her crazy subterranean TikTok account and a couple of random posts since, today Billi Eilish posted what appears to be a impromptu reversal video with some hilarious commentary. Set to the song “Lost Cause” (very hot now).

The account which only has 14 videos since it first popped up and has 35.4 million followers (of course!) and 190.3 millions likes, and the video (below) got a whopping 3.2 million in the first hour and currently has accumulated 80 million views to date. The first full video on the account – other than the Ukulele post mentioned above. That one went live back on November 13, 2020.

watch now
watch video

It’s pretty clear from the humor, voice over and the attitude that Billie loves the vibe and spontaneity of TikTok and this video and her rogue account style fits right in!

LInk to Video on TikTok

https://www.tiktok.com/@billieeilish/video/6969705648401452293?sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6967902097740793350&is_from_webapp=v1&is_copy_url=0

Even at the relatively elderly summit of 19 her sultry, dark style along with top of the world presence continues to command loyalty and love for her music and style. Her recent biographical photo book was also a hit and the new songs will likely continue at the top of our summer list. The documentary is great also.

Oh, and the WORLD TOUR 2022 starts in February! Kicking off in Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA, however, unfortunately tickets for that show has since been SOLD OUT!

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Celebrities, Entertainment, Movies

Rave Reviews for Kristen Stewart as she channels Princess Diana in ‘Spencer’: Watch Trailer

Video

Photo Credit / Neon

Royalty Arrives this Fall….

The official trailer for “Spencer” has been released, starring Kristen Stewart who looks like an absolute ringer for Princess Diana.

There have already been rave reviews since the film had its debut at the Venice Film Festival. Stewart is said to be an Oscar Award top contender for Best Actress.

The movie is set over a single weekend and focusing on how Princess Diana contemplates ending her marriage to Prince charles.

According to Neon, the official synopsis reads:

“December, 1991: The Prince and Princess of Wales’ marriage has long since grown cold. Though rumors of affairs and a divorce abound, peace is ordained for the Christmas festivities at Sandringham Estate. There’s eating and drinking, shooting and hunting. Diana knows the game. This year, things will be a whole lot different.”

The movie will be released in theaters later this fall on November 5, 2021. Check out the official trailer, below, for the upcoming biographical drama:

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Hot-Lynx

Chris Rock tests positive for coronavirus -‘Trust me you don’t want this’

Above: Photo Collage / Lynxotic

In a tweet on Sunday morning the superstar comedian and actor, 56, announced that he had a positive covid result. He also urged his 5.2 million followers to get vaccinated.

“Hey guys I just found out I have COVID, trust me you don’t want this. Get vaccinated.”

In May 2021, Rock divulged that he had been vaccinated while he was being interviewed on The Tonight Show with Jammy Fallon.

He has spoken out previously and often in favor of people and his fans getting vaccinated.

It is unclear what, if any symptoms he may have. So-called “breakthrough” infections – a positive test in spite of already being vaccinated, are somewhat common, with the statistics showing that, though a vaccinated individual can still carry the virus, hence the positive test result, the symptoms are usually mild and seldom require hospitalization.

These are, of course, generalizations, based on various statistics and studies. A danger, particularly of the new “Delta” variant is that a person is easily infected and the severity of the symptoms differ greatly among individuals.

So, the likely potential benefit of Rock having had the Johnson and Johnson vaccination in May, is that he could experience milder symptoms that had he not done so.

IN an interview in January with Gayle King on CBS Sunday Morning, Rock replied to queries regarding his perspective on the issue: “Let me put it this way. Do I take Tylenol when I get a headache? Yes. Do I know what’s in Tylenol? I don’t know what’s in Tylenol. I just know my headache is gone.

“Do I know what’s in a Big Mac, Gayle? No. I just know it’s delicious.”

Recently, in early September, US President Joe Biden initiated new vaccine requirements and criticized the choice of roughly 80 million Americans who had at that time not had the jab.

The new mandate calls for all employers with more than 100 workers must require them to be vaccinated or test for the virus weekly.

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Celebrities, Crypto, Entertainment

Kim Kardashian: Marketing Genius or crypto cash-out?: Kim K Alt-coin ad getting unwanted attention from UK

Above: Photo Collage / Lynxotic

What is the deal with Ethereum Max?  

A post on the celebrity’s instagram stories back in June is now getting some unwelcome attention from the head of U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority Charles Randell.  

Randall called out Kim Kardashian West, in particular, in a speech to the Cambridge International Symposium on Economics Crime as he discussed risks in crypto and the needs for token regulation.

Here’s an excerpt from his speech: “Which brings me on to Kim Kardashian West. When she was recently paid to ask her 250 million Instagram followers to speculate on crypto tokens by ’joining the Ethereum Max Community‘, it may have been the financial promotion with the single biggest audience reach in history.”

The concern is that her ad could have easily been confused with Ethereum.”Ethereum Max” is a newer token created by unknown developers. More importantly the price peak, to date, for the not-ethereum coin coincided with Kim’s Instagram ad going live. She is rumored to receive up to $1 million or more per Instagram post.

Despite the name and the similar look of the logo, its is not affiliated with any of the developers behind the already well established Ethereum digital currency known as “Ether” or ETH. 

Not only that, but her massive payday for boosting the coin coincided with a price crash for the token immediately thereafter. A classic pump-and-dump scenario.

It is unknown if the E-Max founders and her client, or even she herself “double-dipped” and sold on the bump she and her ad orchestrated, but that, along with the potential victims that bought at the high and subsequently were left holding the bag, are exactly what the questions are all about.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) cautioned against “hype” in the marketing of cryptocurrencies, particularly new tokens backed by celebrities that may end up being fake, as reported in The Guardian.

This is where is the big issue arises since this problem is a fairly common one, generally because crypto names are sometimes not copyrighted, and therefore there can be many look-a-likes, and these can often be riddled with higher risks, etc. 

The speculative token hasn’t officially been deemed a scam, however it is quite common for social media influencers to get paid large sums of money by the developers of scam products and services, with little regard to those being “scammed” (that is to say, the general public targeted with the ads) or the total amounts of money lost in “pump-and-dump” schemes. 

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Crypto, Entertainment

Reese Witherspoon Crashes into Cryptocurrency

Above: Photo Collage / Lynxotic

Receives Lots of commentary: Support, Suggestions, NFT Requests and Memes

Actress, producer, entrepreneur – and now a recently, new owner and proponent of the Ethereum (ETH) cryptocurrency.  Aside from her characteristically ebullient tweet announcing her purchase there has, as of yet been little verbiage to to expand on her reasoning or perspective on the space.

Also not clear how she arrived at the choice of ETH rather than the obvious #1 crypto BitCoin.

While some twitter reactions were slanted toward the negative, implying that her entry into the space implies some sort of over commercialization that is a sign of impending decline or decay.

This could well be a possibility but there appears to be more going on here beneath the surface.

Though most of the attention toward Cryptocurrencies revolves around speculation on a given coins price vs. the US $, there is much more to the phenom than that very recent trend.
Even after the mania and the get-rich-quick schemes are long gone the use and existence of Bitcoin and Blockchain is likely to go on.

A new cryptocurrency called “Pi” (π) allows anyone to “mine” the currency from a cell phone. With over 23 million “Pioneers” mining the goal of 100 million is in sight and when reached the coin will launch. Until then there is no price for the coin and it can only be earned by mining with your phone.

The egalitarian and decentralized concept behind the coin is new and could take cryptocurrency to a whole new level, all without price speculation being the main driver. Learn more about Pi here.

Witherspoon launched Hello Sunshine back in 2016 to provide a digital space to showcase women storytelling.

The company recently sold, earlier this year, for a whopping $900 million.  And it sounds like she’s using some of that payout to test the crypto waters.

The “Legally Blonde” actress took to her social media account to trumpet the news, “Just bought my first ETH! Let’s do this #cryptotwitter”. As of this writing the current price of 1 ETH is $3,942.21 (although prices can fluctuate quickly in either direction).

This is not far off the all time high of over $4100 that was breached in May of this year.

Her tweet was liked instantly by 60k and her followers quickly sky rocketed, now at 2.9 million.

Many took the opportunity to comment on her account giving the actress a taste of Crypto Twitter (which as you read the comments, you can see are quite intense).  

Vocal Youtuber, social media star, brother to Jake and “boxer” Logan Paul didn’t waste any time by responding to Reese’s tweet offering her a NFT of the World of Women collection (a project aimed to foster diversity within the NFT space). 

This is not likely without a self-promoting aspect as Paul launched his new native ZOO” crypto token for his NFT game called CryptoZoo.

Another high profile blonde added to the Crypto Twitterati conversation with her preferred takes in digital coin.

It’s just more evidence that the crypto future is not going to disappear anytime soon – there are just too many strata of society that are taking a stake in the continued existence and growth of blockchain and crypto.

Other crypto coin users were compelled to let Witherspoon know how they feel, flooding her account with tweets explaining the benefits of competing crypto coins, sending unsolicited pitches for a varie f the obvious choices including Bitcoin and Dogecoin. 

DogeCoin is likely best known as the crypto alt-coin that Elon Musk has often championed from his twitter account, along with Mark Cuban and others.

During his stint hosting Saturday Night Live the billionaire (Musk) also broadcast his involvement with the Doge, and has received the moniker “DogeFather” as a result.

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Books, Celebrities

Just Days following the birth of Lilibeth: Meghan Markle releases first Children’s book ‘The Bench’

Photo Collage / Lynxotic

The bonds between fathers and sons, as seen through the eye of their mothers

The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, already holds so many titles: she is a wife, a mother, feminist, activist, and now will be adding author to her list of accomplishments. Just a few days ago, the couple announced the birth of their daughter, with reference to both grandmother and great-grandmother naming her Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.

Fittingly, today, June 8th, 2021, marks the the release of Markle’s first children’s book.

The Duchess sweetly dedicates the book to “the man and the boy who make my heart go pump-pump”. “Lili” also holds a special place in her heart as her own mother Doria Ragland gave her the childhood nickname “Flower”. The Lilly flower happens to signify happiness and rebirth which gives their daughter name lots of symbolism and meaning to royal family’s newest (‘lil) addition.

The inspiration for the Duchess of Sussex’s first book started from a poem Megan wrote for Prince Harry after their son Archie was born for Father’s day. The poem then evolved into a story, the book will capture the special bond and relationship between fathers and sons from all walks of life, as described by mothers.

As news relating to the upcoming release of Markle’s debut book, reports began to surface speculating potential plagiarism with another children’s book “The Boy on the Bench” by Corrinne Averiss. The only real similarity between the two titles is they both have the word “bench”, aside from this, Averiss took to Twitter to defend the Duchess stating “I don’t see any similarities”.

https://twitter.com/CorrinneAveriss/status/1389918927073988608?s=20
Buy at Bookshop

“The Bench” includes illustrations by Christian Robinson, a Caldecott Award winner, who has worked with both Pixar and Sesame Street Workshop. Markle and Robinson worked together to make sure the final product was inclusive and shared a universal message every kind of family could relate to.

In a statement from Random House Children’s Books, Markle said “Christian layered in beautiful and ethereal watercolor illustrations that capture the warmth, joy, and comfort of the relationship between fathers and sons from all walks of life,” and continued to say “This representation was particularly important to me, and Christian and I worked closely to depict this special bond through an inclusive lens.

My hope is that The Bench resonates with every family, no matter the makeup, as much as it does with mine.”

“The Bench” will mark the latest venture for the Duchess after stepping back from the Royal Family and moving to the United States in 2020. Prince Harry and Meghan have also launched a podcast in partnership with Spotify Archewell Audio. The two also have plans to work on a Netflix documentary based on the Invictus Games which the Prince founded back in 2014.

The book, along with the audiobook (Markle as narrator) is currently available for to order and will we be available for purchase starting June 8, 2021.

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1402019623638384640/pu/vid/484x270/n724DHK22WiE-rC_.mp4?tag=12

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Books, Celebrities

Meghan Markle debuts first children’s book ‘The Bench’

Photo Collage / Lynxotic

The bonds between fathers and sons, as seen through the eye of their mothers

The inspiration for the Duchess of Sussex’s first book started from a poem Megan wrote for Prince Harry after their son Archie was born for Father’s day. The poem then evolved into a story, the book will capture the special bond and relationship between fathers and sons from all walks of life, as described by mothers.

As news relating to the upcoming release of Markle’s debut book, reports began to surface speculating potential plagiarism with another children’s book “The Boy on the Bench” by Corrinne Averiss. The only real similarity between the two titles is they both have the word “bench”, aside from this, Averiss took to Twitter to defend the Duchess stating “I don’t see any similarities”.

https://twitter.com/CorrinneAveriss/status/1389918927073988608?s=20
Buy at Bookshop

“The Bench” includes illustrations by Christian Robinson, a Caldecott Award winner, who has worked with both Pixar and Sesame Street Workshop. Markle and Robinson worked together to make sure the final product was inclusive and shared a universal message every kind of family could relate to.

In a statement from Random House Children’s Books, Markle said “Christian layered in beautiful and ethereal watercolor illustrations that capture the warmth, joy, and comfort of the relationship between fathers and sons from all walks of life,” and continued to say “This representation was particularly important to me, and Christian and I worked closely to depict this special bond through an inclusive lens.

My hope is that The Bench resonates with every family, no matter the makeup, as much as it does with mine.”

The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, already holds so many titles: she is a wife, a mother, feminist, activist, and now will be adding author to her list of accomplishments.

“The Bench” will mark the latest venture for the Duchess after stepping back from the Royal Family and moving to the United States in 2020. Prince Harry and Meghan have also launched a podcast in partnership with Spotify Archewell Audio. The two also have plans to work on a Netflix documentary based on the Invictus Games which the Prince founded back in 2014.

The book, along with the audiobook (Markle as narrator) is currently available for pre-order and will we be available for purchase starting June 8, 2021.

Photo Credit /Courtesy of Random House Kids

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Entertainment, Politics

Trump ditches SAG-AFTRA: Permanently banned from Reapplying

Yes, below is the actual resignation letter….

Trump sent a resignation letter to The Screen Actors Guild and its a pretty petty one. His response to the labor union came after its move to expel him due to his role in inciting violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, which resulted in five deaths. 

His full letter as shared by SAG: 

Ms. Carteris: 

February 4, 2021 

I write to you today regarding the so-called Disciplinary Committee hearing aimed at revoking my union membership. Who cares! 

While I’m not familiar with your work, I’m very proud of my work on movies such as Home Alone 2, Zoolander and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps; and television shows including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Saturday Night Live, and of course, one of the most successful shows in television history, The Apprentice – to name just a few! 

I’ve also greatly helped the cable news television business (said to be a dying platform with not much time left until I got involved in politics), and created thousands of jobs at networks such as MSDNC and Fake News CNN, among many others. 

Which brings me to your blatant attempt at free media attention to distract from your dismal record as a union. Your organization has done little for its members, and nothing for me – besides collecting dues and promoting dangerous un-American policies and ideas – as evident by your massive unemployment rates and lawsuits from celebrated actors, who even recorded a video asking, “Why isn’t the union fighting for me?” 

These, however, are policy failures. Your disciplinary failures are even more egregious. 

I no longer wish to be associated with your union. 

As such, this letter is to inform you of my immediate resignation from SAG-AFTRA. You have done nothing for me. 

SAG-AFTRA response, with a permanent ban

Upon Trump’s letter of resignation from the union, SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris and National Executive Director David White, simply responded, “Thank you.”

On Feb 7, the union took future action and released an additional statement: “Preventing Donald Trump from ever rejoining SAG-AFTRA is more than a symbolic step,” said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris. “It is a resounding statement that threatening or inciting harm against fellow members will not be tolerated. An attack against one is an attack against all.”

Reactions from John Stewart and the Twitterverse

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Celebrities, Entertainment, Movies, Videos

‘Firefly Lane’ hits top spot on Netflix: Katherine Heigl celebrates on Twitter

Video

Netflix’s newest drama, “Firefly Lane” has jumped to the first spot on the platforms top 10.  The series follows the decade-long friends, Tully Hart played by Katherine Heigl and Kate Mularkey played Sarah Chalke.  The young girls original meet in the early 1970’s when then the two teens move across from one other on ….Firefly Lane. 

The two become inseparable friends through 30 years of the good and bad times, as well as everything that in between that can happen when you’ve been friends for multiple decades. The series follows the two young ladies from their teens years up to their 40’s.

Click to see “Firefly Lane” and help independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.

Katherine Heigl, who many people recognize her name from the very famous ABC series “Grey’s Anatomy”.

The actor who has been working for decades, was labeled in Hollywood as “difficult” back in the early 2000’s and was essentially blacklisted for a period of time. “Firefly Lane” is the actresses latest comeback, and by looks of her tweet, she is very happy about it!

The episodic, based on the bestselling novel by Kristin Hannah (with same title) premiered February 3rd, and those that have already binged it, are already wanting to know, desperately when season 2 will be out. 

Those that have read the book, without giving away any spoilers, knows that there will be a dramatic ending to the season.

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Entertainment, Lifestyle, Movies, Music, Observation, Politics

James Corden’s Les Misérables send-up a fitting Comedy Tour-de-force

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There’s a strange and oddly fitting feeling as Les Misérables spoof soars on a sad yet freeing occasion

On the eve before the final hours of Trump’s bizarre and sick term in office, James Corden and company took the time to put together this video musical spoof that captures the odd combination of joy, disgust and freedom that comes with the knowledge that, going forward, all things Trump will recede in importance, inexorably.

For most of us, that would be along the lines of “the sooner-the-better” that he has finally disappeared from the public discourse and most of all from the political life of the USA.

Read more: As Trump Flees to Florida, Memes Follow

At the same time, many of us, particularly in the media, have had an odd way of life due to this wannabe tyrant dominating the airwaves and news-cycles. It’s become such a daily ritual to follow the outrage and try, in any way possible, to stand up and challenge the criminal ideas and even actions that have swirled around us in a way that has been so consistent that it almost became “normal”. Almost.

It never was normal, and that’s where the odd “joy”, as can be heard in various tenor tones from this song, is also an honest reaction to history, finally, moving forward. And perhaps, there is the ever so faint recognition that we, all of us, played a small part in making sure that this man’s sick and twisted dreams did not continue to impact our reality for more than his four year term.

https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1351714199903236097/vid/1280x720/A_d2F1G10uPrvgV6.mp4?tag=13

Above: Photo Collage / Lynxotic / James Corden

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Observation, Politics

Opinion: Trump is finally Squashed: Now it gets worse (hopefully only for him)

Above: Photo Collage / Lynxotic / Adobe Stock

Still not time to exhale, but the end-game is coming

For nearly five years many good people, people who never thought there was a single reason in hell that Trump should be president, or even dog catcher for that matter, have been annoyed and eventually terrorized by the orange menace.

Somehow, no matter how disgusting his behavior was, no matter how big and ugly his lies were, not mater how obviously racist or imbecilic he was, he still hung around , seemingly enjoying the suffering of any who didn’t worship him.

Read More: Second Impeachment for Trump is Confirmed: Double Disgrace for all Time

In the end it took a murderous mob, inspired and unleashed by his infantile fascist agenda, to finally cross a line that would bring a big enough backlash to squash his putrid plans.

In a sign of how bizarre the world is, and how it’s not likely to become less so anytime soon, it was Twitter and and the rest of the online communications infrastructure, that he love so much to abuse, that shut him down. Then the congress, taking up the momentum of a Trump-tweet free atmosphere for the first time in 5 years, and give him a going away prize: a second impeachment that might eventually carry a conviction and lifetime ban from politics.

Now comes at the last gasp of his wacko “civil war” militia then it’s bye-bye Donny

Naturally the open questions regarding any finality are still many. Will he flee the country perhaps to a country without US extradition treaties? Will his stick around, mute and impotent looking for ways to continue stirring up trouble? Will his sicko-army continue to commit treasonous terrorist acts, up until the inauguration and beyond?

Read More: Mike Pence slammed in Hilarious Future Campaign Ad

In the longer term, how many of the many, many crimes that he committed will be investigate, charged and even go to trial? How will the future for his most ardent supporters and sycophants look? Will one of them really become the “new” Trump for 2024?

It is perhaps one of the strangest side-effects of having lived through this strange traumatic time ( I am speaking about politics, not pandemics) that the idea that Trump and his insane followers could just fade away quietly in nearly inconceivable. The idea that anything resembling “normal” could ever happen again is not a thought that seems even remotely plausible.

It’s like our minds are careening between the horror and fear of more death and destruction and a vague uneasiness of the unknown and unfamiliar feeling of… silence, with the orange ogre of idiocy no longer bombarding us with his self-serving bile.

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Celebrities, Entertainment, Movies

‘Coup Before Christmas’: Late Show Airs Animated Spoof then Clooney plugs ‘Midnight Sky’

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Coup of Deplorables falls flat, led by Trump, Giuliani, McConnell

Stephen Colbert had a one-two punch lined up to kick off the Late Show on Friday night. First, was the hilarious and almost eight minute long animated clip: “Twas The Coup Before Christmas” A Late Show Animated Holiday Classic.

Starring is the whole gang of perpetrators; Rudy Giuliani, Moscow Mitch McConnell, looking like the ultimate villain, echoing the “melting face trench-coat guy” from ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ and, naturally, Trump. Spoiler alert; the coup is finally thwarted by a team-up between Santa & Biden.

Next up, George Clooney appear and put in some great promo banter while seeking attention for his new sci-fi film “The Midnight Sky”, which has been lauded already by critics. There’s even been Oscar talk on this one.

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Celebrities, Entertainment, Lifestyle, Movies

Ryan Reynold’s Match.com Ad perfectly encapsulates the hellish year that is 2020

Video
https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1333906027390017536/vid/1280x720/pXyW4W2irOGCbDLl.mp4?tag=13

A “Match Made in Hell”  

2020 has been a hard one, almost everyone can easily say, they were affected negatively one way or another by the raging pandemic, whether reasons be economic, physical or even our personal relationships. 

Actor and director Ryan Reynolds and his production company, Maximum Effort, hilariously delivered to viewers just how crazy this year has been in an extremely entertaining video ad for the online dating service Match.com. 

Reynolds, who is known for his quirky sense of humor described the commercial as a “A Love Story for the ages. Or at least this age”. 

The devil himself, Satan is seen swiping on the doing app and matches with a woman with the user name “2020”. We see Satan and 2020 go on a series of date, including working out at a socially distanced gym, starting a dumpster fire, stealing armfuls of toilet paper, and eating scorching hot chili peppers at an empty sporting stadium. The two break all the rules and jokingly references in some form or another exaggerations on some of the struggles, limitations and restrictions set for covid-19.

The ad ends with the couple, in love, watching what looks like the end of the world, an apocalyptic backdrop with asteroids destroying buildings and the city around them. With the truly devilish end comment “ I just don’t want this year to end”. Although, unquestionably we all can’t wait for 2021 and better times to come. This ad brings much levity to the seriousness brought on this year.

The cherry on top is, we get to hear Taylor Swift’s romantic ballad and 2008 smash hit “Love Story” play in the background. Swift who is in the process of re-recording her songs due to battling with Scooter Braun, gave Reynolds a sneak peak for the advert. 

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Books

John Lithgow’s “Trumpty-Dumpty wanted a Crown: verses for a despotic age” becomes instant bestseller

Robust Laughter will arise from these Verses for the Despotic Age of Trump

Last year, Tony Award winning actor John Lithgow released a playful book of satirical poems titled “Dumpty: The Age Of Trump In Verse.” The collection poked scathing fun at President Donald Trump as well as many of his supporters in Washington, all alongside illustrations from the author.

Click here to see
“Trumpty Dumpty Wanted a Crown“
and help Independent Bookstores.
Also available on Amazon.

Now, Lithgow is back with a follow-up— a new anthology with an even more creative title, “Trumpty Dumpty Wanted A Crown: Verses For A Despotic Age.”

Like Lithgow’s first book, “Trumpty Dumpty” explores the chaos that is the current presidency through poetry. Only now, there are even more characters and topics to delve into, and Lithgow does so with humorous and timely poignancy. 

Read More: Important New Books on WWII, fascism and threats to Democracy

Lithgow’s images take on the same style as those in the first book as well. The author noted in an interview that he grew up wanting to be a visual artist before falling into acting. Clearly, he’s never lost touch with his original passion. For this book, the pictures appropriately look like something out of an old-time newspaper; the author cites political cartoonist Thomas Nast as a primary inspiration.

More than a book of illustrations – prose and rhymes delight as well

As for the writing itself, Lithgow has always held a longstanding passion for stories and verse. The Harvard grad mentions that his father— actor/director Arthur Washington Lithgow—held immense skill in creating rhymes on the fly. Evidently, it must be hereditary, as John never misses an opportunity for cleverness in this cheeky collection.

The author finished writing the book in May, and he read some of the original pieces on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert several months back. However, the accompanying drawings took a bit longer to finish, and the publication process went right up to the bell.

Click here to see “Dumpty”
and help Independent Bookstores.
Also available on Amazon.

Now that the book is out, though, many others are getting in on the fun. In an amusing promotional endeavor, Lithgow organized some dramatic readings from his celebrity friends. Fellow actors Meryl Streep, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Samuel L. Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Glenn Close all showed up, as well as a few figures on the political scene.

With the help of producers B. Swibel, Adam Westbrook, Adam Bankhead, and Tim Van Patten, the team created a series of videos with these notable faces reciting Lithgow’s zany words, the backgrounds all cartoonish facades in the spirit of Lithgow’s art. 

Lithgow says that he had the time to write the book during quarantine, as Broadway theaters shut their doors and film/television productions took a pause due to the pandemic. Poetry kept him busy as the acting business went on hiatus. Only now are productions starting to pick up again. While Lithgow makes a stellar poet and a great humorist, he now looks forward to returning to the thespian world.

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Entertainment

Jon Cryer and Matt Gaetz Feud veers into Charlie Sheen Territory

First Salvo was knock on Gaetz’s Political Extremism then things went sideways…

The tweets below say it all. After Jon Cryer just happened to tweet the list of accomplishments of one Matt Gaetz, the latter, true to character got personal. Lashing out at the actor with a bizarre dis meant to lower his value in the massive hit show he starred in for, like, ever Gaetz brought former co-star Charlie Sheen into the mix!

Cryer then, also true to character, decided to get real and give his take on this odd and flaccid comment that was, apparently, meant to be an insult. Wow.

…And, FWIW, this wasn’t meant to as a slam on Charle. He was undeniably the star of the show. And a fantastic actor.

JOn Cryer on Twitter

For more on who Matt Gaetz really is, watch this video:

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Entertainment, Movies

Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice – A Reintroduction to her Saga and Sound

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https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/independent/linda-ronstadt-the-sound-of-my-voice/linda-ronstadt-the-sound-of-my-voice-trailer-1_h1080p.mov
 Official Preview Trailer for “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice”

The Latest Central Subject In The Celebrity, Activist, Bio-Pic Documentary Trend…

When it comes to cinema, documentary is not a distinct genre per-se. It is a mode in and of itself, a unique filmic language with its own rolodex of forms, tropes, and trends. Thus, it is hard to look at documentary as a whole and pick out the medium’s exact kinds of iconographic shifts. Most documentaries attempt to be didactic, and teach the audience something concrete through their narratives. Usually that something is culturally relevant.

A handful of recent documentaries have been looking to the past in order to say something about the present. “Apollo 11”, “Leaving Neverland”, and “Woodstock: Three Days That Changed A Generation” are just a few examples of docs that came out in the past year that have dug deep into the stories of previous generations.

On top of that, audiences have shown a fascination in celebrity stories with documentaries such as Won’t You Be My Neighbor about Fred Rogers and Amazing Grace about Aretha Franklin garnering success in 2018.

Lastly, documentaries about identity and social justice, particularly in light of the current political climate, have been ubiquitous. Netflix’s Knock Down The House and Magnolia Picture’s RBG have both been examples of films about strong females rising above all odds to inspire, empower, and evoke change.

With all of these popular trends at hand, it was only a matter of time before a documentary came out that combined them all. Perhaps the right subject or story just needed to come along.

Encapsulating her Unique and Meaningful Life and Career

Linda Ronstadt was a celebrity and musical sensation across the 1960s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. In addition to being a brilliant singer-songwriter, Ronstadt was an activist, using her music and influence during the Civil Rights era to stand up for the rights of many marginalized groups. In particular, she advocated for gay, feminist, Latinx, and immigrant rights and spoke out against oppressive policies in the second half of the twentieth century.

Additionally, Ronstadt was also an actress and record producer, influencing the entertainment industry in a highly patriarchal period of its history. Now, Linda Ronstadt adds to her impressive resume being the central subject of the new documentary, “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice”.

Photo / Greenwich Entertainment

Greenwich Entertainment and CNN Films are set to release “The Sound of My Voice” in select theaters beginning September 6th. Rob Epstein and Jeffery Friedman directed the film, the same duo that created “Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt” back in 1989. “Stories from the Quilt” chronicled the lives of people affected by the AIDS virus in the days before the 1987 gay-rights march on Washington. Clearly, the directors are not new to telling controversial stories and championing important subjects.

“The Sound of My Voice” promises to be just as enthralling and inspiring as Epstein and Friefman’s previous collaboration, but with a large dose of upbeat, Linda Ronstadt energy. The film will focus on Ronstadt’s bravery and initiative, how she stood up to adversary, overcame roadblocks, and helped other women achieve success and recognition in music.

These stories are told primarily through interviews with other musicians who knew and worked with Ronstadt during her prime. Footage of Ronstadt herself, in concert and making both personal and public appearances across her decades in the spotlight.

At the same time, it seems like the film will also be a celebration of Ronstadt’s amazing career. While Linda Ronstadt involved herself in many very heavy topics over the years, she remains a great artist at her core. The belief that she is a superb singer is unanimously held, and all politics aside, everyone can enjoy her music. At times the songs were sad, at times they were introspective, but at other times they were uplifting, soulful, and happy.

If the film does not lose sight of this, it will leave viewers appreciating Ronstadt in her entirety, as a musician, and as a singer; as a songwriter, as an actress, as a producer and as an activist; as sensation, and as an icon; as a woman.

Photo / Greenwich Entertainment

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