Megan's Minute Has Returned!

Knock, knock, knock..."Is this thing on?"

I know the few readers I have left may be scratching their heads and saying, "Where the hell is she?"

Well no, I didn't drop off the edge of the earth.  I didn't join the French Foreign Legion.  I didn't sell all my things and run off and join the circus.

Nope.  I went to graduate school.  For the past three years I've been reading, studying, researching, interviewing and testing.  But as of a couple of weeks ago that's all behind me. 

I've graduated with a Master's Degree in journalism, an accomplishment I can barely believe I was able to complete.  The photo above is of a bloom from a beautiful bouquet of sunflowers I got as a graduation present.  I look at that photo and all the golden optimism it seems to represent makes me smile.  Somehow it perfectly captures my re-energized frame of mind.

I'll write more about my school experiences in the coming weeks, but right now, I'm ready to launch back into the blogging world, breaking some boundaries with my ideas and my writing.

What does that mean for Megan's Minute?  

Damned if I know.  

Kind of like when I started this blog five years ago, I'm playing it by ear.  I may come up with some new features, I may have some guest bloggers, I may also tinker with the design.  But those changes will be gradual and as the spirit moves me. 

In the meantime:

• There's a presidential election going on and I'll have a lot to say about that.  
• I've been watching some amazing TV shows and I'll have a lot to say about that. ("Game of Thrones, anyone?" I'll have a review of the finale on Monday)
• I'm way behind on my non-school reading, so I'll throw in some book reviews.
• I'm still a huge tennis fan, so I'm sure I'll mention that as well.

So, I'm back.  Tell your friends, and don't be a stranger. 

A Dead Qaddafi and the Media: Some Modest Thoughts

If you've been anywhere near a TV, newspaper or magazine this week, odds are you got a glimpse or more than that of Muammar Qaddafi's dead body, face or bloody wounds up close.  Personally, I'm happy for the Libyan people and won't lose any sleep because Qaddafi is dead, but I do question the broad dissemination of the images of Qaddafi's bloody face all over network and local news. 

First there was the shaky camera phone footage of Qaddafi when he was captured, alive but bloody.  Then there was the footage of his body being dragged through the streets after he was dead.  Then finally, the shots of his dead body in a meat locker where some Libyans understandably lined up to get a glimpse to prove that indeed Qaddafi was dead.

I'm surprised there wasn't more debate in American media circles about whether or not so much gruesome footage of Qaddafi should have been used.  During the first couple of days of coverage, there were warnings from news anchors before showing the footage, but by the end of the week, the shots just showed up out of nowhere.

Is it okay because he was universally considered a bad guy and deserving of whatever punishment the Libyans decided he should have?  Is it because once the footage was out there on the internet the networks and local stations didn't want to feel left behind?

Call me old fashioned and maybe the least bit squeamish, but I wish more restraint had been shown, because the almost casual broadcasting of the images has only added to our already high desensitization to that kind of violence.

Courageous Journalism Allows Us to Get the Real Story form Egypt

Imagine that one day you're watching CNN and a breaking news story comes on saying that Diane Sawyer, anchor of ABC's World News with Diane Sawyer, has suddenly quit. 

In an interview, Sawyer says the reason she quit was because ABC was demanding, via the White House, that she read a story at the beginning of every newscast that says citizens are rioting in the streets of New York and the National Guard must be called in to restore order.

The problem is the streets of New York are quiet. Or as quiet as they ever are, and Sawyer knows for a fact that there are no riots. So instead of reading a story that she knows is not true, she quit.

That scenario actually happened last week, except it didn't happen in the United States; it happened in Egypt. And the famous anchorwoman in question was not Diane Sawyer of ABC but Shahira Amin of the Egyptian state owned broadcast network, Nile Television.

I'm Shutting Off TV for a Week: Day 1 - Tragedy Takes Precedent

Obviously my little No TV experiment pales in comparison to the terrible news yesterday of the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and 17 others at a shopping center in Arizona. 

As of now 6 people are dead, including a federal judge, John Roll, and a 9-year-old girl.  Five others, including Giffords, are in critical condition.

It's an awful tragedy and my heart goes out to Giffords' and her family and to all those who died or were wounded.

As I said, my little TV tune out is frivolous in comparison, but I think my reactions while trying to avoid TV and stay connected to developments throughout the day are worth writing about, so here goes.

Oprah's OWN Kicks Off the New TV Year

Last weekend's launch of Oprah Winfrey's new cable TV network, OWN, was a milestone in TV history and Oprah history: a self-made, black woman starting her own television network using her personal life lessons as the guiding vision for all the programming. It's all Oprah, all the time, even when she's not actually in the show you're watching. Based on the few shows I've sampled, Oprah's off to a flying start.

Image: OWN, Oprah Winfrey Network

Last weekend's launch of Oprah Winfrey's new cable TV network, OWN, was a milestone in TV history and Oprah history: a self-made, black woman starting her own television network using her personal life lessons as the guiding vision for all the programming. It's all Oprah, all the time, even when she's not actually in the show you're watching.

Based on the few shows I've sampled, Oprah's off to a flying start.

Airport Body Scan Travel Tip: Suck it Up

For everyone who has a problem with the new body scanners, or pat downs at the airport, I got three words for you:  World Trade Center.

Every news outlet that does a story on the complaints from the public about the new security procedures needs to show pictures of Lockerbie after Pan Am Flight 103 blew up. 

Or the disintegration of the World Trade Center, or the smoldering Pentagon, or that black, smoldering pit in the middle of a Pennsylvania field that used to be United Airlines Flight 93.

Better yet, accompanying all the video of guys telling screeners "don't touch my junk,” they should also show interviews with a relative of someone who died on September 11, 2001, or was blown to smithereens over Lockerbie.

The other popular complaint is that the sweet little old lady can’t be a terrorist.  That nice looking older man can’t be a terrorist.  That little girl carrying the doll can’t be a terrorist.

Well listen up.  Don’t you think the real terrorists are paying attention?  Don’t you think they might put a bomb in a little girl’s doll?

Ever hear of a guy named Timothy McVeigh who, before he became the most notorious American baby killer ever, looked like he could be on the cover a GQ magazine?  A regular Mr. Normal American. 

Except not.

People, you don’t want to go through security?  Drive.  Take the bus.  Take a train.  Walk.

See because the problem is, the minute some whack job with an agenda gets past the TSA screeners and blows up a plane is when these same people are going to be screaming about why something more wasn’t done.

Time for the media to remind the American public that these rules and regulations didn’t just come out of thin air.

Should President Obama Have Appeared on "The View?" Of Course!

Well they did it! The Gabby Girls snagged President Barack Obama as a guest and were rewarded with big ratings and slams from a former co-host and a former vice presidential candidate.

Today, the show was still aglow with their presidential coup.  As Whoopi Goldberg sang at one point, "We've got the sweeeeeeeeeetest hangover...!"  Even resident Republican Elisabeth Hasselbeck looked like she was rethinking swigging that right wing cool-aid after Obama invited her and her family, along with Sherri Shepherd and her son, to visit the White House.

Barbara Walters had returned to her sick bed, but not before doing her interview thing yesterday, where the president calmly laid out his accomplishments and refused to acknowledge, rightfully so, that he'd ever heard of Snooki. Considering she got arrested today on disorderly conduct charges, the man had amazing foresight.

But there were the slams by Sarah Palin and former co-host of "The View," Rosie O'Donnell.  Rosie thought a sitting president shouldn't do a "fluffy" daytime talk show.  And Palin thought the president should have taken more time to enjoy the view of the Mexican/American border.

Emmy Nominations 2010: What's Cool, What's Crappy

The 2010 Emmy nominations were announced this morning and as usual the TV world was up early to hear the news.  It was a Glee-ful day for Losties, Mad Men, Good Wives and True Bloods.

Here's my take on the nominees:

What's Cool:

• Lost nominated for Best Drama.  Though last season wasn't its best, the show deserves the nod for its groundbreaking storytelling and kick-ass finale.
• Nice to see True Blood, Dexter, and The Good Wife join Lost for Best Drama Series.  My heart's with "Lost" but it was a killer year for Dexter so I wouldn't be too upset if the dark passenger took the big prize.  Glad True Blood was acknowledged too.
• It was a good day for the Matthews.  Matthew Fox as Best Actor in a Drama series for Lost.  He'll have a tough time up against fellow nominees Michael C. Hall for Dexter and Bryan Cranston for Breaking Bad, but the academy may just get past their "we don't understand Lost" thing and rightfully give it to Fox.
• The other Matthew?  Matthew Morrison nominated as Best Actor in a Comedy for Glee.  Who could vote against that beautiful Morrison hair?
• Another Glee-miester, Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy should be shoe-in.
• Julianna Margulies as Best Actress in a Drama for The Good Wife"  It's a tough category that includes Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer) and Glenn Close (Damages), but Margulies deserves to be in that company.
• Lea Michele nominated for Best Actress in a Comedy for Glee.
• Glee should be a shoe-in for Best Comedy Series.
• Chris Colfer as Kurt Hummel in Glee. 
• Mike O'Malley for Best Guest Actor in a Comedy as Kurt's Dad in Glee.  O'Malley plays a blue collar, man's man trying to lovingly deal with the fact his son is gay.
• John Lithgow as the freakiest of serial killers in Dexter.
• Archie Panjabi and Christine Baranski, both in the Best Supporting Actress in a Drama category for The Good Wife.  Panjabi is especially marvelous as a mysterious private eye.
• Elizabeth Mitchell as Best Guest Actress in a Drama for Lost. That I no longer hated Juliet by the end of the series is partially due to Mitchell's portrayal.
• This season's "It Girl" Betty White, nominated as Best Guest Actress in a Comedy for her star turn hosting Saturday Night Live.

What's Crappy:

• That I don't have a lot of time and therefore haven't watched Modern Family which got a bunch of nominations and which several people I trust have told me is a good show. I'll have to check it out this summer.

Cool/Crappy Combo:

Since I don't feel there was too much crappy about the nominations, I'll settle for a combo:

• Cool: Terry O'Quinn being nominated as Best Supporting Actor for Lost.
• Crappy: No Josh Holloway! Love Michael Emerson, but his slot in the Best Supporting Category should have gone to Holloway, whose James "Sawyer" Ford was a linchpin on Lost this year.

What's Very Cool

A couple of behind the scenes Lost nominations that are near and dear to my heart:

Editing For A Drama Series

Stephen Semel, Editor
Mark J. Goldman, Editor
Christopher Nelson, Editor
Henk Van Eeghan, Editor

Art Direction For A
Single-Camera Series

Zack Grobler, Production Designer
Matthew Jacobs, Art Director
Carol Bayne Kelley, Set Decorator

The Emmys will air August 29th on NBC and you can see a complete list of the nominees on the Emmy website.

Congratulations to all you fabulous nominees and good luck!

Images courtesy and copyright FOX and ABC

The "Lost" Finale: It Ended the Way It Began, Brilliantly!

Well, it ended the way it began.  "Lost," one of the most ambitious, mind bending and exciting shows ever on television ended by being true to itself and its characters.  Frustrated viewers be damned.

Personally, I loved it!

Though I'll be honest.  I had to watch the show all the way through, then spend the next hour going back through all the flash sideways scenes.   And then, spending the next half hour playing back the last fifteen minutes, twice.

Only then did I feel like I could do this post justice.  Only then did I feel I could verbalize what this long awaited finale was all about.

Ultimately, I figured it out.  All you had to do was listen carefully to Jack's dead father, Christian Shephard, as he answered Jack's questions, which were really our questions.

Okay, so here goes.  This entire season of flashes sideways, those were all scenes of the characters after they had died.  They were living not real lives, but spiritual lives.  Lives that they created based on their own experiences, hopes and desires. 

Celeb Interviewer Chats About Johnny Depp, "Avatar" and "Jerk" James Cameron: An Interview with Author Christopher Heard - Part 2

Yesterday, if you're a smart and loyal reader--and all of my readers are--you read Part 1 of my interview with Christopher Heard, whose new book, "Kiefer Sutherland, Living Dangerously" is a bio of "24's" Kiefer Sutherland.

Christopher Heard's been a film reviewer on TV and radio and   he's written celeb bios on Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke, director John Woo, and "Titanic" and "Avatar" director James Cameron.

So read on to find out why Heard thinks James Cameron's "a jerk," why he was pulling for Kathryn Bigelow to win the Best Director Oscar, how Johnny Depp took him to get his first tattoo, and why seeing "Avatar" was one of his worst movie experiences.

We started off talking about Mickey Rourke and playing the Hollywood game.

"24's" Kiefer Sutherland "Living Dangerously:" An Interview with Author Christopher Heard - Part 1

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of interviewing author Christopher Heard, whose new book, "Kiefer Sutherland, Living Dangerously" is a bio of "24's" Jack Bauer himself, actor Kiefer Sutherland.

What a funny and interesting man!

I mean Heard, not Sutherland--though Sutherland is funny and interesting too, I just didn't get to talk to him on the phone about his book, movies, celebrities and Hollywood fame and fortune.

"Living Dangerously" covers Sutherland's early acting success, his notorious drunken binges, and how acting didn't come from his famous father, Donald Sutherland, but from his Canadian actress mother, Shirley Douglas.

Even though it was recently announced that this will be "24's" last season, if you like celeb bios and you're a Kiefer fan, you'll like this book.  It's a quick read and the stuff about Sutherland's time on the rodeo circuit when roles in Hollywood had dried up, give a unique insight into a talented actor with a wild streak.

Christopher Heard's a veteran celeb interviewer who's written books on Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke, director John Woo, and "Titanic" and "Avatar" director James Cameron.

We chatted for nearly an hour--only rudely interrupted when the battery on my phone died--and there was so much good stuff to play with, I've split the interview into two parts. 

Today's Part 1 is about Kiefer, his drinking, "24" and comparisons to Charlie Sheen.  Part 2 on Wednesday will cover Heard's thoughts on Hollywood, Johnny Depp, James Cameron and Mickey Rourke.

Enjoy!

War is Hell: HBO's "The Pacific" Draws Fire for Producer Tom Hanks

Photo courtesy HBO

Actors like Tom Hanks need to be really careful when it comes to commenting on weighty subjects like war and peace. That's because Hanks is not only very talented but also well liked, and why throw away all that goodwill on a few loose comments?

First some background. HBO's "The Pacific" is a WWII mini-series produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg that acts as a companion piece to their critically acclaimed HBO series "Band of Brothers." Just as "Band of Brothers" dealt with the war in Europe, "The Pacific," as you can probably tell from the title, deals with the horrors of the war in the Pacific.

It stars James Badge Dale, Jon Seda, Joe Mazzello and Ashton Holmes as four real young men who shipped out to tiny islands in the Pacific in the aftermath of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

The first three episodes have been gritty and compelling, and during all those flying bullets, I kept being reminded of two things:

1) That, as I said when I wrote about "Saving Private Ryan" in a Memorial Day post two years ago, it's impossible for me to imagine how you go back to a "normal" life after experiencing the unspeakable destruction on the battlefield

2) That so much of war in those days was a uniquely male experience that women couldn't fully understand.

I like what I've seen of "The Pacific" so far, and if you want to gain a small understanding of what it's like to be in battle, I highly recommend it.

Now, back to Tom Hanks. He got himself into trouble a couple of weeks ago when in a Time Magazine cover story he seemingly implied that WWII, and today's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, had more to do with racism than they had to do with:

Bigleow, Bullock, Bridges and Mo'Nique: 10 Best Moments of the 2010 Oscars

Last night's Oscars had laughter, tears and some strange musical numbers, but it also had some wonderful moments.  Below, these happy, smiling faces are my picks for the ten best.

1. Kathryn Bigelow's win for Best Director for "The Hurt Locker."  The first woman evah!
2. Mo'Nique winning Best Supporting Actress for "Precious" and her lovely speech in which she paid tribute to Hattie McDaniel.
3. Kathryn Bigelow being given the Best Director award by Barbra Streisand.  Many think Babs should have won herself for "Yentl" or "The Prince of Tides." 
4. Geoffrey Fletcher winning for writing the screenplay of "Precious."  A black guy who gave a lovely and emotional speech thanking his family.  That's right, a black guy.
5. "The Hurt Locker's" lead acting trio, Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty whooping it up on stage behind the film's producers when "The Hurt Locker" won Best Picture.  Unscripted and spontaneous.
6. Sandra Bullock's speech.  She appears to be such a genuine person and her speech showed that.
7. Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin's opening monologue.  The funniest line, "over here are the inglourious basterds, and over here are the makers of the film."
8. Jeff Bridges winning and saluting his parents.
9. Neil Patrick Harris' fun and bubbly opening musical number
10. Oprah paying tribute to a tearful Gabourey Sidibe of "Precious" during the presentation of the Best Actress award.

My predictions got everyone right except Sandra Bullock.  I'm glad she won, but I can only think the fact that she made so much money for Hollywood last year had something to do with it.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Oscars Predictions 2010: Who Should Win, Who Will Win

Hollywood's biggest night is just days away, and the question on everyone's lips in Tinseltown is, "How the hell are we going to get through the night with ten Best Picture nominations!? That's right, ladies and gents, in case you've forgotten, when it came to Best Picture nomination, this year the Academy instituted the emergency "Dark Knight" rule.

The Dark Knight rule went into effect after the biggest blockbuster of 2008, which was also a damn good movie with great performances, was shut out of Best Picture Oscar contention. The Academy went into a tailspin and decided to try and sneak in some box office favorites this year by expanding the nominees for Best Picture to ten.

Would Avatar really have been nominated if there hadn't been ten slots? Probably. But Up, An Education, District 9 and The Blind Side? Not in a million years.

Having said that, even with ten slots, the Academy skipped over the very worthy "Star Trek." But that's over and done. Now it's time to deal with the nominees we do have.

So without further ado, here are my 2010 Academy Award "Should Win/Will Win" picks.

10 Women Who Should Have Won The Oscar for Best Director -- Sort Of

When you look at the title of this post, you might think, "Hmm, which of the many women nominated for Best Director should have won the Academy Award?" Well, the problem with that is you'd have to stop and remind yourself that in the history of the Oscars, only four women have been nominated for Best Director.

Only four.

Sophia Coppola, Lina Wertmuller, Jane Campion, and this year's nominee for the film Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow.

What up, Hollywood? And while we're at it, where are the women of color?

Just a couple of weeks ago, Bigelow became the first woman to win the Director's Guild of America award for Hurt Locker.

And last weekend, she won Best Director at the BAFTAS, the British version of the Oscars, another first. Hurt Locker won as Best Picture.

So if history holds up, those wins will propel Bigelow toward taking home an unprecedented Oscar. But as we all know, in Hollywood, anything can happen.

Interestingly enough, women didn't always have it so tough in Hollywood. During the silent era, according to the excellent book, Women Directors and Their Films, by Mary G. Hurd, "opportunities for women were plentiful, ranging from positions as typists, assistants, writers, editors, actresses, with some women gaining chances to direct, and a few creating their own companies."

When movies became big business and unions and talkies came into play, slots for women became more scarce and the current old boy network took root. Still, women directors like Dorothy Arzner and actress Ida Lupino made a variety of films while working within the constraints of the old boy system.

However, it's only been in the last 30 years that women directors have begun to break through in Hollywood. Several should have been nominated for their work and rewarded with a win. I set out to find 10. I only partially succeeded.

You see, I didn't realize until I started my search that I haven't seen a lot of what I thought were really good movies directed by women.

I've heard of Eve's Bayou, directed by Kasi Lemmons; Seven Beauties, directed by Lina Wertmuller; and Clueless, directed by Amy Heckerling -- but I haven't seen them. I've obviously got some catching up to do.

In the meantime here are my, er ... six:

"Avatar:" Simple Entertainment or Destructive Stereotypes?

It's gotten nine Oscar nominations and is destined to take home at least a couple, but how good is "Avatar?"  Here's my review.

Some have called director James Cameron's "Avatar" a visually stunning film that's not to be taken more seriously than an afternoon's entertainment at your local multiplex.  Others have called it another in a long line of films illustrating Hollywood's racial insensitivity.

Which is it?  I'll get back to that.

First let me tell you what "Avatar" is all about.  Set on the futuristic planet of Pandora, "Avatar" is about a native people, the Na'vi whose planet is being exploited for a valuable natural mineral, unobtanium, by a colony of money grubbing humans.  The humans, who include a non-money grubbing staff of scientists are trying to negotiate mining rights to the unobtanium, but if that doesn't work, they're not above taking it by force.

Sigourney Weaver is Dr. Grace Augustine, the head of a science team who've developed a way for humans to become one of the Na'vi using computers and a home grown Na'vi body.  Or something like that. 

The scientists do it to learn.  The military do it to "win the hearts and minds" of the Na'vi and get their unobtanium without a fight.

Sam Worthington plays Jake Sully, a paraplegic Marine who becomes part of the experiment when his brother who was scheduled for the program is killed.  As Jake becomes accustomed to the nine foot, blue bodies of the Na'vi, he becomes enamored with the Na'vi people, their spiritual connections, culture and traditions.

Megan on Blog Talk Radio - Controversy Surrounding "The Princess and the Frog"

Last night I was interviewed by the fabulous Renee of the blog for Blog Talk Radio.  Our discussion was about the Disney film, "The Princess and the Frog" and some of the controversy surrounding the star Tiana, Disney's first black princess.

The interview runs about 50 minutes but feel free to skip around.

If you have difficulty with the volume on the podcast, you can download it from iTunes and adjust the volume accordingly.

 

NBC's Leno/O'Brien Debacle: Audiences Chuckle, Letterman Laughs

This NBC Leno/O'Brien late night brouhaha is better than "All My Children" in its heyday. It's got everything:

• Corporate blunders of epic proportions.
• Millionaires fighting it out over turf.
• Audiences protesting and taking sides.
• Two distinct personalities trapped in a legal, corporate morass.
• A peanut gallery of one, cackling about how payback is a bitch.

First, a little background.  Five years ago, NBC told Jay Leno, "In five years we're replacing you with Conan O'Brien, 'cause if we don't seal him up now, he's going to the competition.  Your audience is old and replaceable and we want Conan's following of 15-29-year-old frat boys who love guys with tilted red hair."

Jay was like, "But I'm number one!"

NBC was like, "But that won't last so you're out!"

Jay was like, "Okay, I'll go home to work on my 500 classic cars, see ya later, peacock."

David Letterman watched from afar.

As the time drew near for Conan to take over "The Tonight Show," NBC got colder feet than a groom at the altar.  They wondered if Jay would really go home and work on his 500 classic cars, or whether he might not skip to ABC and give Conan a run.

More and more critics and audience members scratched their heads and asked, "Why is NBC kicking out Leno in 2009?  He's still number one!"  NBC flew into an executive panic.

They thought, "In primetime we're suffering from a fatal case of no-hit-itis, and we seriously need to save some money.  We've got all those Olympics to pay for!"

Led by NBC/Universal CEO Jeff Zucker, the suits figured out a way to save money and also keep Jay out of ABC's clutches.

So they called up executive producer Dick Wolf and said, "Take your 'Law & Order' SUV, SVI, and UVS and your expensive, useless writers and scram! We're putting Leno in your 10PM time slot five nights a week."

I don't know what Dick Wolf said, but I'm sure it was unprintable.

Then the suits, led by Jeff Zucker, sat around congratulating themselves on a brilliant programming move.

It was bold!  It was brash!

It was stupid!

I warned you, NBC!

After five months, Leno's un-funny prime-time show tanked, O'Brien's un-funny 11:35 "Tonight Show" tanked, and NBC's affiliates started screaming like a 6-year-old who's just found out there's no Santa Claus.

David Letterman watched and chuckled from afar.

Leno, with his old and unwanted audience is indeed returning to 11:35.  That means O'Brien is out, out, out -- and all that's left is to figure how much NBC will have to shell out to satisfy his hefty contract.

According to Leno himself, a final deal with O'Brien could be reached later today.

Oh and Dick Wolf's unwanted "Law and Order" SUVs, VSIs and UVSes, with their pesky, unnecessary writers?  They're coming back to 10 o'clock in primetime.

Oh, and all that money NBC saved?  It's going for a down payment on O'Brien's own collection of 500 classic cars.

Oh, and all those primetime hours NBC has to fill?  They have to start producing new pilots, pronto.

Why is the public so caught up in this stuff?

Because it's fun.

Yeah, you heard me.  It's fun to see two rich white guys brought down a peg or two over a couple of hours on television.  There's no death, or famine, or (like in the case of Britney Spears) mental illness involved.  It's all about ego and money and power and money.

Not only that, creatively it's been a godsend for O'Brien.  I've never seen him funnier than he's been in the last two weeks. 

I guess it took near extinction for him to find the funny.

My favorite part, though?  Letterman.

David Letterman watches, laughs out loud and rubs it in.  I'd say he's earned it.

Related Links:

NBC's Jeff Zucker:  Jay Leno Show Failed and "I Take Responsibility," by Gillian Reagan

"Five Lessons to Learn from NBC's Late-Night Leno/Conan Folly," by Eric Deggans

"Everyone's Pissed at Jay Leno," by Holly Won't

Laurie at Punk Rock HR thinks the Leno/O'Brien mess is bad personnel management.

 

Golden Globes 2010: Mo'Nique Rehearses for Oscar

At last night's Golden Globes, Mo'Nique gave a preview of her Oscar speech when she won Best Supporting Actress in a drama for her role as a monstrous mother in the film "Precious."

Rockin' a gorgeous gold gown, she also gave the most touching speech of the night when she tearfully thanked director Lee Daniels.

I celebrate this award with all the Precious's, with all the Mary's. I celebrate this award with every person that's ever been touched--it's now time to tell.  And it's okay.

Other big winners were director James Cameron and his blockbuster "Avatar."  "Mad Men" won for Best TV drama and Kevin Bacon took home the award for Best Actor for the HBO TV movie, "Taking Chance."

Comedian Ricky Gervais was this year's Golden Globe host and had some excellent one-liners.  For example he celebrated "some of the great work that's been done this year--by cosmetic surgeons."

He also took a pot shot at NBC:  "Let's get on with it before NBC replaces me with Jay Leno."

More comedy came in the form of Drew Barrymore's bumbling speech when she accepted the award for Best Actress for her role in HBO's "Grey Gardens."

The marvelous Michael C. Hall won for his lead role in the Showtime drama "Dexter."  Hall who was recently diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma wore a black cap to the ceremony, possibly to hide his loss of hair due to cancer treatments.

Let's hope he's well on the road to recovery.

Dexter's adversary this season was the Trinity Killer played with fabulous creepiness by John Lithgow.  Lithgow was rewarded with a Supporting Actor award.

Several celebrities referred to the crisis in Haiti due to last week's earthquake.  Many wore red and yellow ribbons in remembrance.

Meryl Streep, while accepting her award for her role as Julia Child in "Julie and Julia" talked about finding it difficult to dress up and celebrate.

I come to Golden Globes weekend and I am really honestly conflicted how to have my 'happy movie self' in the face of everything that I'm aware of in the real world.

On a more positive note, Julianna Margulies got a well deserved win for CBS's freshman series, "The Good Wife."  Taking another pot shot at NBC and the failed Jay Leno experiment, she thanked CBS execs "Les Moonves and Nina Tassler for believing in the10 o'clock drama."  Heh.

You can see a complete list of the winners on the Golden Globe website.

A Review of "The Lovely Bones" Starring Saoirse Ronan

I'm one of the five or six people out there who hasn't read the bestselling novel, "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold.  That's one reason I was excited about the film version.   After all, I didn't have the book to cloud my judgment of the movie.  The other reason I was excited was because the movie was directed by Peter Jackson who's the Oscar winning director of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

But you might be asking yourself, if I never read the book, how am I going to help out those who did read it?  Well I saw the film with my friend Lucy who has read the book, so I'll give you her take as well.

"The Lovely Bones" is about the murder of a 14-year-old girl and the effect it has on her family.  What's unique in the book and in the film is that the story is told by the murdered girl herself.  Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan) narrates her experiences and observations as she exists in a nether world between the land of the living and what we perceive to be heaven. 

Meanwhile her family, devastated by their loss, splinters into varying levels of grief.  Susie's mother, Abigail (Rachel Weisz) eventually leaves the family to find relief, while Susie's father, Jack (Mark Wahlberg) becomes obsessed with finding her killer.

And he doesn't have far to look.  The killer, as Susie tells us at the beginning of the movie is the Salmon's neighbor George Harvey (Stanley Tucci).