The Daytime Emmys: Tyra-rrific

There were three fabulous moments from last Friday's Daytime Emmys. The first was Tyra Banks' win for Best Informative Talk Show and her strident acceptance speech.

Her Emmy clip was about that famous, very unflattering tabloid bathing suit photo from last year.

And though the YouTube clip omits the end---the part where she tells the tabloids to "kiss her big fat ass!"---this clip was what led up to it.

Image details: 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards - Show served by picapp.com

Then when Tyra won her Emmy, she got up on stage, thanked Oprah and her Momma---in that order---and then said when someone tries to belittle your dreams:

"I want you to tell them to kiss your dimply, flat, juicy, bootylicious, skinny, jiggly, saggy...FAT ASS!"

Loved it!

Image details: 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards - Show served by picapp.com

The second best moment of the night was when Kristoff St. John won as Outstanding Supporting Actor for his role of Neil Winters on "The Young and the Restless."  Too bad this photo from picapp is the only Emmy photo of Kristoff available---what up with that?---but he's the good looking black guy whose face is hidden behind the blond.

When you can see him, he's a hottie and one of those actors that's part of the backbone of "Y&R."  It was nice to see him recognized for only the second time after all these years.

And speaking of being recognized after all these years, the third high point of the night was when Jeanne Cooper---that's right the fabulous, older than fire veteran---won as Outstanding Lead Actress.

What a shocker!

Image details: 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards - Arrivals served by picapp.com

It was her first win and she looked sincerely stunned. The first thing she said? "I bet you thought I had died."  Then she facetiously railed against High Def---the bane of actors and actresses with more than one wrinkle.  She concluded with, "I love you all.  What a great profession.  God bless.  Stay alive, stay well."

Talk about another "Young and the Restless" backbone.  Congratulations!

You can see all the Daytime Emmy results on the Daytime Emmy website.

William Hurt Joins "Damages"

FX announced this week that when "Damages" returns, they'll be a new man in town.  He'll be played by Oscar winner William Hurt.

According to the FX press release:

Hurt joins "Damages" for a season-long arc as a new client of Patty Hewes (Glenn Close).  Details of Hurt's character are being kept under wraps but insiders have intimated that Hurt's character will not only share a professional past with Hewes, but a personal one as well.

Production of season two starts on June 24th in New York.

Glenn Close and William Hurt have worked together before in the 80's film "The Big Chill," so Hurt should be an excellent foil for Close's manipulative Patty Hewes.

There's still no word yet on the fate of Ted Danson's character Arthur Frobisher.  If William Hurt's going to be the new man in town, how's that going to affect our friend Art?  The only thing the FX press release guarantees is that Rose Byrne and Tate Donovan will be back.

I've got a feeling we haven't seen the last of Arthur Frobisher though.  He was just too good a character for them to leave him rotting in that empty field.

Hollywood's Summer Movies 2008

Next Saturday is the first day of summer and you know what that means, don't you? Hollywood's summer movies! Well, er...sort of. Several of the so-called summer movies have already been released because in Hollywood summer starts around Memorial Day. But I refuse to operate on Hollywood's timetable. Megan operates on her own timetable---and er, BlogHer's---so here's your summer movie preview based on my own strict movie going standards.

Michelle Obama Enjoys "The View:" A Recap

Michelle Obama, wife of Senator Barack Obama and potential First Lady of the United States had her toughest test of the whole campaign this morning.  No, she didn't go on Fox News Channel.

She co-hosted "The View."

Here's a recap:

First the "important stuff."  Michelle---I'm going to call her Michelle, 'cause she and I are like this---wore a cute little sleeveless, summer black and white sheath and her hair and makeup looked modern and lovely.  She said she often uses a designer, Maria Pinto from Chicago and "It's fun to look pretty."

After she came out and was introduced by Whoopi Goldberg, Michelle made fun of the whole "terrorist fist bump" by fist bumping all the ladies around the table.  Heh.

She said she started doing it because of the young people on her staff.  It's considered a modern version of a "high five."  Actually, in my tennis playing circles, it's also supposed to represent "respect."

The first thing Michelle and the Gabby Girls talked about was the hits she's taken in the press, specifically over the "For the first time, I'm really proud of my country" quote."  They played a clip of the original quote and as Whoopi said, it's the "really" that changes the context of the quote.

Several of us at BlogHer talked about that months ago, the omission of the "really" part, but hey it's nice when the rest of the world catches up with the BlogHers.

What Michelle said said was:

"Of course I'm proud of my country.  Nowhere but in America could my story be possible."

"When I talked about it in my speech what I was talking about was having a pride in the political process."

Resident republican, Elisabeth Hasselbeck---and no, she and Michelle didn't come to blows---pointed out that current First Lady Laura Bush had sent a supportive note to Michelle after the whole incident. 

"I was touched by it.  That's what I like about Laura Bush.  Just calm, rational approach to these issues.  And I'm taking some cues. There's a reason why people like her.  It's because she doesn't sort of, fuel the fire."

Michelle said that she sent a thank you in return but the First Lady might not have gotten it yet.

Barbara then asked why Michelle felt that she was a target for so many attacks.  Michelle said that in today's 24 hour news cycle she "fills up some space," but she also realizes that it goes with the territory.

I'm Really Sick Of Katherine Heigl

Last week I wrote a post for Video Runway titled, "I'm Sick Of Katherine Heigl." Evidently I'm not the only one.  According to a New York Times article, some of the writers and producers at "Grey's Anatomy" are as well.  This after Ms. Heigl took herself out of Emmy contention because she said she didn't feel the material she was given this season was Emmy worthy.

In case you didn't pick up on it, that was a slam directed at the writers of the show, including head writer and show runner, Shonda Rhimes.

The Times article said in part:

Two people involved in the production of the show said that the program’s writers and producers were angered by what they considered a slap by Ms. Heigl at the people in the writers’ room.

Oh I can just imagine how fun that set's going to be when "Grey's" resumes production later this month. 

Ms. Heigl obviously has a severe case of "David Caruso Syndrome."

DCS is a career killing disease that infects young actors/actresses on hit TV shows and causes them to have delusions that they are bigger than the show that made them in the first place.  Symptoms include, bad mouthing their hit TV show all over Hollywood, winning an Emmy and thinking that people in the film industry really care, and being told by your handlers that you're bigger than that "lame show" that made you, and you believing it.

A less destructive version of the Sydrome is prevalent in the soap opera world, but when it hits primetime TV, it's in its most virulent form.  The last time it hit primetime TV this hard was during the first season of "NYPD Blue."  For some reasons, ABC actors/actresses seem especially susceptible to DCS.

In it's latter, more fatal stages, DCS symptoms include the actor/actress leaving said hit TV show with as much bitter fanfare as possible so there's nary a bridge left that doesn't have a puff of black smoke streaming from it.

The only cure for DCS?  About twenty years on the outskirts of the television/movie business waiting tables and doing carpentry until the Hollywood Gods smile down on you once again and you get another chance at TV as part of a "CSI" franchise.  Many, however, never survive.

Ms. Heigl would do well to take note of that.

Glenn Close On "The View"

Glenn Close was on "The View" this morning trying to make sure that everyone knew that just because her alter ego, Patty Hewes had a dog killed on "Damages," and she played Cruella De Ville in "101 Dalmations," doesn't means she really hates our canine friends.

Daisy for one, is very happy to hear that.

Glenn, looking very lovely in a smart grey pantsuit came out to chat with the Gabby girls accompanied by her two adorable, fluffy "terrier mutts, Jake and Bill."  She was there to plug a new website started by her husband David Shaw and others called Fetchdog.com.

For the most part, the site is a shop where you can buy items for your dog, but the best part is Glenn's blog where she interviews dog owners about their pets.  It's called, "Lively Licks:  Portraits of Dogs and Their People."  Some of the dog owners she talks to are celebrities, like fellow "Damages" co-star Ted Danson and his wife Mary Steenburgen but some are people like Bill Campbell, an Iraq war veteran whose dog helps him cope with post traumatic stress.

She even has a post about prepping for her guest spot on "The View."  It's very cute stuff and Daisy and I will be checking back with Glenn and Fetchdog often.

The Season of "The Ringers" On Reality TV

David Cook ruined this post.  Last week, just as I was predicting David Archuleta to win "American Idol," I had a post half written in my head about the season of "The Ringers" on reality TV. 

Think about it:  "Project Runway's" winner, Christian Siriano; "America's Next Top Model" winner, Whitney Thompson; "Dancing with the Stars" winner: Kristi Yamaguchi; and the final piece of the puzzle would have been the crowning of David Archuleta.

And maybe ringer is the wrong word.  What I really mean is, in each case it seems the contestant the producers and judges wanted to win, won.  "America's Next Top Model" wanted a plus-sized winner, they got one.  "Project Runway" wanted a hip, young winner with attitude, they got one.  "Dancing with the Stars" wanted a woman to win, they got one.

Not that any of these contestants weren't worthy, they were.  It's  just that it gets the conspiracy theorists out there buzzing when so many winners are winners that you know the producers were hoping for.

Kimmie at "It's All About" had this to say while the competition was still underway:

But ... I think Kristi Yamaguchi is a ringer, and I'll tell you why. She's got the lines and graceful movements that this competition thrives on. She's got the flexibility and work ethic that is required to win. She already knows the exact ... exact ... way to curtsy on ice, er, stage. Yep, she's a ringer. And I like it.

And she was very happy when Kristi won.

But that aside, the only producer/judge darling that didn't win was David Archuleta.  If he had won, wouldn't that have been one of the signs of the Apocalypse?   What do you think?

"America's Next Top Model" Winner: Whitney Thompson, A Juicy Booty

Last week Whitney Thompson became the first plus-sized model to win "America's Next Top Model."  Or as one of her makeup artists said before the final  runway competition, she was the "first juicy booty to make it on to the  runway."   

Of course the phrase "plus-sized model" is a relative term.  Whitney says she's a size 10 and though in the modeling world, that's considered big enough to call for a forklift, in the real world that's considered, dare I say it...pretty normal.

ANTM is one of my personal guilty pleasures.  All that strutting and pouting in high heels and expensive weaves gives me the giggles.  The show also taught me a shocking lesson:  models really have to know stuff.  They aren't just breadstick thin hangers with no brains.  They're highly trained professionals, skilled in a all kinds of important techniques.    Like actors, they need to know their facial structure.  Like dancers, they need to know movement.  Like prisoners, they need to know how  to live off bread and water.

Two weeks ago Tyra demonstrated the difference between a plain facial expression and the same expression except this time with her eyes smiling.  The difference was simply a matter of how she squinted her eyes, but I tried to do it and I nearly dislocated my eye socket.

It's lots of makeup and hairstyles and pretty pictures.  And as long as you don't take the whole enterprise too seriously, it's harmless fun.

What Do Bruce Willis & Roger Rees Have In Common?

Image details: Premiere Of "Live Free Or Die Hard" served by picapp.com

New York can be great for celeb sightings, but I haven't had a good one since I saw Hugh Laurie last year walking on 7th Avenue and 57th Street.

And then all of a sudden within a space of three weeks, I had three.  My first sighting was while I was waiting for Kay and Collin in the theatre district a couple of weeks ago.  We were going to see "Gypsy" with Patti LuPone and I was waiting across the street to avoid the crowd in front of our theatre.

Well these two guys strolled slowly by reading the theatre posters next to me.  One man was a shortish  blond, and the other was taller, with greying, dark hair.  The dark haired man struck me as someone I'd seen before and I thought, "Is that...?" 

Surreptitiously I watched as they went down the block and then again as they came back in my direction.  When the gentleman with dark hair walked within chatting distance, I asked in my most non-celeb stalker voice, "Excuse me sir, but are you Roger Rees?"

The skin around his eyes crinkled when he smiled and he said, "Why, yes."

Now I was stuck.   What was I going to say now?  Something about one of his roles?  What did I see him in last?

Was it:

"I loved you on "The West Wing," oh, six years ago..."  Nah.

Or:

You were great in "Nicholas Nickleby," now that was a role!"  No, that was no good.  Partly because it was a role he played twenty years ago.

So I fell back on the good manners my mother taught me, smiled and said:

"I love your work."

He smiled back and in that lovely British accent said, "Why, thank you."

I got a little tingle.  Roger Rees.  All British and classy.  How neat.

It didn't occur to me until later that I'd last seen him in "The Prestige," an excellent movie by the way. 

A few minutes later, Kay and Collin strolled up and were extremely impressed when I told my story.  First that I knew what Roger Rees looked like and second that he spoke to me.

Hollywood's Amazing Women Of Film And TV

Cross Posted From BlogHer

As part of BlogHer's focus on Women's History Month, this post is about amazing women in the history of film and television: women who inspired in front of the camera and women who crashed the Hollywood old boy network behind it.

When I sat down and thought about the women I might want to write about, I was overwhelmed with names. Like my fellow Contributing Editor Maria Niles and her post on Women Who Rocked American History, I felt the only way to do the subject justice was with a list.  The list I came up with was as long as my arm.

By the time I'd whittled that down to something manageable, I'd immersed myself in the remarkable careers of a group of twenty-seven talented and pioneering women.

They're listed alphabetically and in two categories, movies and television.

Women Of Television

Lucille Ball:   Actress, Comedienne, TV Executive.

Though she started out as a Goldwyn Girl and then a serious actress in B movies, Lucille Ball will always be remembered as the star of the classic TV comedy, "I Love Lucy." A comic giant, she was the first woman to own a film studio, Desilu, and with her husband Desi Arnaz, created the three camera sitcom technique that is considered a standard today.

As a kid, I watched the "I Love Lucy" shows over and over so often, my grandmother would beg me to turn to something else just to give her a break.

Gail Berman: TV Executive.

Gail Berman was one of the guiding forces behind one of my favorite TV shows, "Buffy The Vampire Slayer," but that's not the only reason she's on this list. Berman began her career as a producer on Broadway and eventually made her way to Hollywood. Once there she broke into television, eventually becoming executive producer of "Buffy" and its spinoff "Angel." In 2001 she was promoted to President of the Fox Television Network. During her tenure she developed such hits as "24," "House," and "American Idol," consequently presiding over Fox's most successful era since its inception

By 2005 she was President of Paramount Pictures and named one of Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women.  

"Damages" and "Buffy" At The Paley Festival

Paley Fest was the hot ticket in Los Angeles the last two weeks.

The Paley Festival is an annual two week event that according to a nice wrap-up by IGN.com "spotlights a group of noteworthy television series and television luminaries, with each night devoted to a different show or person."

The biggest draw was the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" cast reunion with Joss Whedon, it's creator.  I literally would have sold my own first born for a ticket to that, but I had to hear about it from afar.  I read the transcript kindly provided by the Futon Critic and it made me nostalgic for those halcyon days, eagerly waiting every week for each brand new episode.  As you all know, "Buffy" is at the top of my list of best TV shows of all time and it was fun to relive some fun moments, even if it was via transcript.

One of the other evenings was a not so hot ticket, since according to the Futon Critic it wasn't very well attended.  But if I'd had the chance and been on the appropriate coast, I would have definitely attended  the "Damages" evening which included Glenn Close, Ted Danson, Tate Donovan, Anastasia Griffith, Zeljko Ivanek, Noah Bean and the shows creators.  No Rose Byrne because she was off shooting a movie.

Topics discussed during the evening included Mr. Deep Fried Southern Charm's accent, Fatal Attraction's red herring stalker storyline, why the show had such a high body count, and Glenn Close on women and power.

You can read the "Damages" transcript at the Futon Critic as well, and as always, my own "Damages" recaps here.

You can see video clips of all the Paley Fest events at the Paley Center for Media website, but to see the complete videos you'll have to go to one of the centers in New York or Los Angeles.

Angela Bassett Gets Her Star

Angela Bassett got a much deserved star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame last Thursday.  The ceremony was attended by her husband Courtney B. Vance and fellow actors Forest Whitaker and Laurence Fishburne.

Bassett was quoted in USA Today when asked about moving to Hollywood:  "I meant to stay six months but I stayed. Today my cup runneth over!" Bassett said. "I am crying now, I cried yesterday and the day before. ... This day is so, so special to me.

Congratulations Angela!

The Ladies Of "Dancing With The Stars"

When the cast of this season's "Dancing With The Stars" was announced, I was jazzed about the women. Several of them are favorites of mine and I couldn't wait to see how they did on the dance floor. Well Tuesday night they got their chance to shake it up, and I wasn't disappointed.

First of all, Tony Award winner Marrisa Jaret Winokur absolutely knocked my socks off. I knew she was talented, but Tuesday night she was like a bubbling fire cracker. She was fabulous.  And how great was it to see a plus sized chick up there shaking it with fun, fire and loads of confidence.  You.  Go.  Girl!    I loved her and I hope she sticks around a long time.

I never expected Priscilla Presley to do so well, though the foxtrot is one of the simpler dances. Let's see what happens when she gets to the quick step. And I didn't expect Monica Seles to be as stiff as she was. She'll need to loosen up, but as a huge tennis fan I'm rooting for her.

On the other hand Kristi Yamaguchi didn't surprise me one bit. There's a reason she's an Olympic gold medalist. She's got built in musicality and as a skater, she was known for her class and elegance. She's gonna be a tough one to beat.

And who couldn't root for Marlee Matlin? The woman's a great actress and on Tuesday she also showed off her personality. Everybody of course was watching, kind of like with Heather Mills and her one leg, to see how Marlee was gonna do, with her being deaf and all. Well she did very well, thank you very much and Shannon Elizabeth who did just so so better watch herself or she's gonna be booted real quick.

Kristi ended the night on top and Monica ended the night on the bottom, but it's just the beginning and I sense a good competition brewing.

Oh and the men performed on Monday, but the only one worth talking about was Mario. He's the definitive ringer of the season, but that doesn't matter because he danced really well and looked really hot doing it.  I didn't know who he was before, but I sure do now.

Cross Posted From Video Runway.

R.I.P. Anthony Minghella

Film director Anthony Minghella died unexpectedly yesterday in London from complications related to surgery he had last week.  He was 54 years old. 

There were several reasons I felt the need to take note of his passing.  First off, one of his greatest screen achievements, "The English Patient" is a sprawling epic that wasn't necessarily to everyone's taste---did you see the "EP" Seinfeld episode?---but it was a lovely movie and for me had one of the most romantic scenes I've ever experienced at the movies.  Which brings me to my second reason, the scene involved co-stars Naveen Andrews (Kip) of "Lost" and Academy Award winner Juliette Binoche (Hana).

Theirs was the secondary, and I thought, more interesting of the two love stories in the movie.  As most people know the primary love story was between Ralph Fiennes (the aforementioned "Patient") and Kristen Scott Thomas.

"The English Patient" was my first glimpse of Naveen Andrews and he was just as incredibly hot then as he is now.  I won't give away the scene, but it involved the ruins of an old church that Kip takes Hana to, using a very unique way to show her the beauty hidden within the ruins.  The movie's worth renting for that scene alone.

Minghella's other two movies which I loved were "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "Cold Mountain."  "Cold Mountain" was much too long, but I saw the movie on television, and I have a feeling it was much more tolerable on the small screen than on the big one.  Renee Zellweger won a much deserved Oscar for her role as Ruby Thewes and nearly stole the movie right out from under Nicole Kidman.  Jude Law co-starred with Kidman which brings me to my third reason, "The Talented Mr. Ripley."

"The Talented Mr. Ripley" had its problems as well, but it was very entertaining and that had a lot to do with Law and star Matt Damon.  It's a sumptuous, visually stunning movie where everyone is beautiful, but that beauty hides secrets, blackmail and eventually murder.

From Minghella's NY Times obituary:

With a large, bald head, and a thick frame, Mr. Minghella had the physical affect of dockworker, but when he opened his mouth, it was clear he was an omnivorously literate person.

“I can’t think of a conversation that I had in the last five years that didn’t include a reference about what book he was reading,” said Scott Rudin, who produced a number of films with both Mr. Minghella and Mr. Pollack. “He was the first person to pick up the phone and talk about some amazing play he had seen in North London, and a few days later there would be a script on my desk.”

His last completed work, "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" was produced for the BBC and will air in the United States on HBO. 

The man had talent and I, for one will miss his work.

Natalie Portman: A Cut Above

Sick of Britney Spears?  Done with Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan?  Check out "How Utterly Cool Is Natalie Portman" on MSNBC.com by Alonso Duralde about actress Natalie Portman.  The article describes in witty detail the six ways Natalie is a big cut above the current Hollywood crop of ditzy dilettante dames.

An excerpt:

"In an age of starlets gone wild — and the pursuit of same by the insatiable scandal-sheet press corps — Portman has risen to the top of her profession with smarts and class. Even if all of her film choices weren’t the greatest — anybody remember “Where the Heart Is”? — she’s hit upon a winning formula for playing the fame game, and her peers would do well to follow her lead."

"The Other Boleyn Girl" star is getting a lot of buzz from her latest part as the doomed Anne Boleyn and even though the movie itself has its problems, there's no doubt Portman is part of the reason it rises above the usual cinematic royal romps.

But back to the "saintly starlet brigade."  I'd add to that Portman list, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Raven Simone, Julia Stiles, Gabrielle Union, America Ferrera and Amber Tamblyn.  You don't hear about any of these ladies running around flashing photogs while not wearing underwear.  Though now that I've put them in this post, you can bet at least one of them will get into some kind of trouble in the next twenty four hours.

Until then, they're smart, they're publicity savvy and they're going about their business trying to do good work and stay famous without biting the head off a live chicken on TMZ.