End of an Era in Late Night with ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Move

ABC announced today that in January it's moving "Jimmy Kimmel Live" to 11:35pm to go head to head with "The David Letterman Show" on CBS and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on NBC.

Anne Sweeney, co-chair of the Disney Media Networks and president of the Disney/ABC Television Group, said:

Given the passionate fan base ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ has built over the past decade and the show’s ratings and creative momentum this season, the time is right to make this move. There is the potential for far greater upside over the long term with this shift, given increased advertiser demand for competitive entertainment programming in the time slot.

Nothing against Jimmy Kimmel, but the move will also banish "Nightline" to the late night nether regions. Not that the show isn't already a shell of its former self when Ted Koppel was the anchor, but it's a bit disheartening to see what was once a bastion of journalistic excellence swapped out for another comedy/chat show.

ABC is throwing "Nightline" a bone by launching a Friday night, primetime edition at 9pm beginning next March, but it remains to be seen if the show will become more than just "20/20"-lite.

Gabby Douglas and Michelle Obama on Leno (Video)

Two of my favorite people were on Jay Leno last night and that almost never happens so I had to take note.  First lady Michelle Obama chatted with Jay about the Olympics and how the secret service nearly tackled a little girl to make sure the First Lady was safe.  

Then Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas showed off her two gold medals.  She chatted with Jay and Michelle Obama about how her training, and how she celebrated winning her medals with an Egg McMuffin at McDonald's.

By the way, for all you obsessive, compulsives who tend to focus on the totally unimportant, her hair looked fabulous!!

CNN's Soledad O'Brien Will Speak at BlogHer '12

BlogHer '12 arrives tomorrow and I wanted to make note that joining the big lineup of speakers, including President Barack Obama via satellite today, will be CNN's Soledad O'Brien.

She'll be there talking about her foundation which provides college tuition assistance for deserving young women.

Last week, I had the pleasure of being a BlogHer guest at the New Orleans in the Hamptons Gala, a fundraiser for the Soledad O'Brien & Brad Raymond Foundation.  Several of the young women who've benefitted from the foundation spoke and were truly inspiring.

And since the theme of the party was New Orleans in the Hamptons, it was appropriate that the evening was as warm and steamy as any New Orleans summer night.  The food was fabulous, the music had the joint jumping and my dinner companions were amazing!  

They included BlogHer co-founders, Lisa Stone and Elisa Camamhort Page, BlogHer editor-in-chief, Stacy Morrison, Isabel Kallman of Alpha Mom, Marinka of Motherhood in NYC, Nikki Ogunnaike, online style editor at Glamour.com and Jenni from I Spy DIY.

On to BlogHer '12!

 

Mariah Carey Signs as American Idol Season 12 Judge - TVLine

It’s not just a sweet, sweet fantasy: They belong together. Yes indeed, after several days of intense speculation, Fox announced at the Television Critics Association’s summer press tour in Beverly Hills Monday that Mariah Carey has officially signed on as an American Idol judge for the show’s upcoming 12th season.

via tvline.com

This is a great choice for "Idol" to infuse some new judging blood into what has become stale television. And as long as she gets away from the "you look beautiful tonight" kind of comments, she'll already be ahead of the game.

Now if they would just add Adam Lambert to the judging panel, I would be a true happy "Idol" camper!

What do you think?

Emmy Nominee British Invasion: "Game of Thrones," "Homeland," "Downton Abbey" and "Sherlock!"

"Homeland," "Downton Abbey," "Game of Thrones" and "Sherlock" were some of the big winners when the primetime Emmy nominations were announced from Los Angeles this morning.

In fact, along with some Emmy stalwarts like "Modern Family" and "Mad Men," the Brits gave the American nominees a run for their money this year.

On the British side:  "Downton Abbey:" 16, "Sherlock, A Scandal in Belgravia:"  13, "Game of Thrones:"  11, and "Homeland," which stars Brit, Damian Lewis: 9.

On the American side: "Mad Men:  17," "Modern Family:" 14,"Breaking Bad:  13."

The most pleasant surprises:

• "Game of Thrones" being nominated for Best Drama
• "Sherlock:  A Scandal in Belgravia" being nominated at all
• Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock Holmes) being nominated for "Sherlock"
• Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary Crawley) being nominated for "Downton Abbey"
• Hugh Bonneville (Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham) being nominated for "Downton Abbey"
• Jared Harris (Lane Pryce) being nominated for "Mad Men" (Did you know he was the late Richard Harris' son?)
• Mayim Bialik (Amy Farrah Fowler) being nominated for "The Big Bang Theory"

Damian Lewis is a newbie to the nominations as are Cumberbatch, Dockery, and Bonneville.  In fact several of the British newbies could put a big dent in the American Emmy goodie bags. 

But Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison (photo above) in "Homeland" is the only acting nominee that I'd bet my entire fortune on since she's as great a lock as there's ever been in the whole history of the Emmy awards.  I kid you not. 

Welcome repeat nominees are the marvelous Peter Dinklage as the imp Tyrion Lannister in "Game of Thrones" (pictured left), Maggie Smith as the hoot and a half Dowager Countess in "Downton Abbey," and the incomparable Jim Parsons as the brilliant but coo coo for Cocoa Puffs, Dr. Sheldon Cooper in "The Big Bang Theory."

As expected, Julianne Moore and Woody Harrelson were nominated for the John McCain/Sarah Palin HBO saga, "Game Change."

The biggest snub off the top of my head was Hugh Laurie not being nominated for his last season of "House."

You can see the complete list of nominees on the Emmy website and you can see who wins when the 64th annual primetime Emmy awards airs on September 23rd on ABC.

"Homeland" Image Courtesy:  Showtime

"Game of Thrones" Image Courtesy:  HBO

An Open Letter to Tom Cruise from Oprah's Sofa, er...Settee

Dear Tom,

I'm so sad to hear the news that you and Katie Holmes are breaking up.  It feels like just yesterday when you stomped your pricey Brionis all over my buttery soft cushions. Never had a chance to tell you this before but that hurt!

I've cradled some major celebrity butts in my time but did you have to pop up and down like I was a trampoline!? That little stunt made me almost as famous as you and Oprah put together, and kept me from ending up on Ebay once "The Oprah Winfrey Show" was over, but my springs were sore for a week!

There you were whoopin' and hollerin' and acting like a love struck fool, grabbing onto Oprah and screaming that you were "in love."  You don't even want to know what Oprah had to say about your antics once you left.

The press called you crazy and me a yellow couch.  They were wrong on both counts.  You were just being, er...exuberant.  And me, I'm part of a saffron colored, sectional settee.  Get it right, Entertainment Tonight.

Now Tommy, I get being in love.  I've been in love many times.

There was that forest green wing chair in Oprah's office that kept flashing his bare, muscular arms at me. There was the office chair with those shiny, smooth, fiberglass wheels. I knew he was a player, but couldn't help myself. Then there was that fling I had with a Favorite Things end table.  He turned out to be one of my favorite things.

But love can be fleeting.  Especially if it's played out in front of the paparazzi.

If Oprah weren't so busy trying to build her TV network and all around saving the world, I'm sure she'd contact you with some advice, but since I've been witness to plenty of wise words over the years, I thought I'd toss you a few.

Word on the street is your Scientology religion might have been what pushed Katie out the door.  Or maybe the separations were too long. Or maybe you've had one too many disappointing movie openings lately. 

Katie seems like a nice girl, but some are saying she blindsided you.  Others are saying you deserved it because you blindsided wife #2, Nicole Kidman all those years ago, what with renewing your wedding vows one month and filing for divorce the next.

And still others are saying it's payback for publicly calling Katie "the greatest woman you've ever known" when, hello Tommy!  Nicole is the mother of two of your kids. 

But ever since that day in 2005, I've had a soft spot in my cushions for you, Tommy.  No, really.

So here's what you need to do:  take some time to feel the pain and understand your own truth. Maybe start a gratitude journal to help you through the rough spots.  Always live in the moment so you can live your best life, and remember, you have to put the oxygen mask on yourself first, and only then on your children.

When you're ready to hit the dating scene again, resist the urge to go after another starlet.   Face it, Tommy, they're not for you.  Instead, check out some of the ladies already in your church.  They love L. Ron as much as you do, so what's to be bad?

Finally Tom, you and I share a history.  A history as intimate as you and any of your three wives.  After all, once you've cradled somebody's butt for an hour or so, how much more intimate can you get than that? 

So we may see each other again soon.  Word is Oprah may put me back to work on that Steadman talk show she's shopping around.

Shhhh!  Don't tell anybody I told you that. 

If you need help before then, don't forget, I've got Oprah, Dr. Phil, Gayle and even Dr. Oz on speed dial.   So take it easy, kiss Suri for me and if you're in Chicago, stop by the warehouse and sit for a while.

Cross Posted from BlogHer

Images courtesy Harpo Productions

Getting "Chopped" on the Food Network

While channel surfing the other day, I came across "Chopped" on the Food Network and it's my new mindless, TV addition.  

The premise is simple, four chefs are given the same ingredients and compete against each other to come up with the tastiest and most imaginative dishes they can in 20-30 minutes.  

The first show I saw had the contestants trying to come up with an appetizer that included duck hearts and chocolate covered cherries.  Another episode had the four firefighter contestants trying to come up with a dessert that included croissant pastry dough, hot chocolate mix, and dried currants. 

There are three rounds in each hour long episode, appetizer, entree, and dessert, and after each round, the chef who comes up short is, wait for it... chopped!

Now I have to admit, this show has been around since 2009, so I'm extremely late to this chopping party, but hey, I call 'em when I get to 'em.

The show is an addictive formula that's part "Beat the Clock," part "Survivor," and part "Chefs gone Wild." Actually, I exaggerate 'cause most of the chefs I've seen are well behaved and personable.  That is when they're not cutting off their fingers or throwing refuse on the floor.

A rotating panel of three judges determines the winner based on taste, presentation and creativity. The top prize is $10,000, which in this day and age seems a little chintzy, but this is basic cable after all and I guess, 10 grand is better than no grand. 

One thing I find particularly funny about the show is how the suspenseful music they play while the judges are giving their critiques can swing wildly from the theme from "they like me, they like," to the dirge from "death by chocolate."  

All reality shows use those musical cues to tell us clueless viewers how we're supposed to feel, but the musical director on "Chopped" appears to take great pleasure in grating on our auditory nerves.

Ted Allen, the food guy from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" is the host, and all in all, it's a great premise, a fun show, and destined to teach one or two foodies out there some new tips in the kitchen. 

"Chopped" airs on the Food Network, Tuesdays at 10pm/9c.

Photos courtesy Food Network

Jennifer Hudson joins NBC's "Smash"

Oscar and Grammy award winning artist, Jennifer Hudson has signed on for a second season guest stint on NBC's musical drama, "Smash."

"Smash" is the behind the scenes story of the birth of a Broadway show about Marilyn Monroe.  It stars Debra Messing, former American Idol, Katherine McPhee, Anjelica Huston and Jack Davenport.

The series almost didn't make the cut for a second season renewal because ratings have not been spectacular, but the suits at NBC evidently decided to take the risk.

I've only seen the first three episodes--life and other things got in the way--but the premise was strong, Katherine McPhee was engaging, the musical numbers were entertaining and if NBC didn't bury it on Monday's at 10pm, more viewers might give it a try.  In fact one of the reasons the show was reportedly renewed was because it got a lot of time shifted viewing via DVR.

The biggest weakness was Debra Messing's character as the writer of the musical and her oh so boring personal problems.  Every time she was on screen, all I could think was please, take me back to the theatre!

However, adding the talent and star power of a pro like Hudson will give the show some much needed buzz for the fall season and hopefully the writers will work out any other kinks over the summer.

Viewers are always asking for something different from the networks and "Smash" is definitely that.  I hope NBC can figure out a way to make it a success, and I'm betting Jennifer Hudson will going a long way toward making that happen.

Here are some moments from the show's first season: 

"Rock Center" with Brian Williams - Aaron Sorkin and Madonna Badger (Video)

Despite my lingering bitterness about the last couple of seasons of "West Wing,"--yeah, I've got to work on that whole holding grudges thing--I'll still watch this interview with Aaron Sorkin on this Thursday's "Rock Center."

He'll be talking about his writing style and his new HBO show, "The Newsroom" which premieres on Sunday.

Here's a clip of the interview:

 

On a much more serious note, this week's episode will also have an interview by Matt Lauer with a woman, Madonna Badger, who lost her parents and her three daughters in a Christmas Day fire in Connecticut. The house was under construction and the fire started from fireplace ashes disposed of in an adjacent mud room.  

It's hard to imagine a tragedy much worse than that.

Here's a clip:

 

 

"Rock Center with Brian Williams" airs Thursdays at 10pm/9c.

"True Blood" Fifth Season Premiere: No Respect for The Authority

Stephen Moyer, Alexander Skarsgard and Lucy Griffiths

Switching over from the White Walkers of the "Game of Thrones" finale to the vampires and werewolves of the "True Blood" premiere has been harder than I expected.  I mean seriously, I'm fond of Sookie (Anna Paquin), Tara (Rutina Wesley) and Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis), and the eye candy that is Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) and Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard) sends my female pulses a pounding, but "True Blood" lost its lustre last season and with winter and the White Walkers comin', it was easy to forget the goings on in Bon Temps.

But all that changed when I got the fifth season "True Blood" premiere screeners.  After eagerly sucking them dry like a newbie at Fangtasia, I'm please to tell you the folks of Bon Temps have a host of interesting surprises coming up.

The most pressing question:  what happens to Sookie's best friend Tara, last seen lying in a pool of fatal-looking blood on Sookie's kitchen floor?  I could tell you but I'm pretty sure exceutive producer Alan Ball would come to my house and put me through some of the Vampire Authority's special torture techniques if I did.

Nelsan Ellis and Anna Paquin

All I can say is Sookie and Lafayette have to work together to deal with the aftermath of Tara's fate.

On other plot fronts, Bill and Eric quickly get into hot water with the all powerful Vampire Authority.  And if you think Republicans and Democrats have differences, add blood sucking to the mix, and "True Blood" vampire politics are on a whole other level.

Terry Bellefleur (Todd Lowe) has trouble with someone from his past, Alcide (Joe Manganiello) is in trouble with his pack because he won't play nice in the werewolf dog park, we get some fascinating tidbits about Pam's (Kristin Bauer van Straten) life before Eric, and if that's not enough, Russell Edgington (Denis O'Hare) has escaped from his concrete tomb and is surely ready to get some payback from Bill, Eric and Sookie.

Alcide and his pack of werewolves continue to be underwhelming and take away valuable plot time from the main characters.  And while I long for those hot and steamy days of Sookie and Bill in the sack, we get a small sexy morsel of Eric having steamy container ship sex with Nora (Lucy Griffiths) a woman from his past.

In addition to Griffiths, the former Maid Marian of the BBC's excellent production of "Robin Hood," also new to the cast is "Law & Order's" Christopher Meloni as Roman, the well dressed leader of The Authority.

So after 10 weeks of swords and sorcery, I'm ready for some fangs.

"True Blood's" fifth season premieres tonight at 9pm on HBO.

Images Courtesy HBO

"Mad Men" Eliminates One of Their Own (Spoilers!!)

Jared Harris
Photo Credit: Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC

After this week's "Mad Men," Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Pryce is no more.

With all the excitement of the season finale of "Game of Thrones," it was almost easy to forget that "Mad Men" lost a major character.

After Don (Jon Hamm) discovers he embezzled money from the company and fires him, Lane Pryce (Jared Harris) can't stand the humiliation of being found out and hangs himself in his office.  This after unsuccessfully trying to asphyxiate himself in the brand new Jaguar his wife bought him as a gift.

Poor Lane.  I was disappointed when he stole from the company because of all the men at the firm, I thought he had the deepest streak of decency.  But once he was found out, it was inevitable that his humiliation coupled with his pride wouldn't allow for him to use the weekend to come up with an elegant way to quit as Don suggested.

In fact I was less surprised by Lane committing suicide than I was about Joan (Christina Hendricks) sleeping with that smarmy Jaguar dealer last week.  

The scene where Don cuts him down from the door was disturbing and just this side of egregiously gruesome, but I think it was less about the show being shocking and more about having the audience see Don's reaction to the ugliness for what he set in motion. 

Too bad.  RIP Lane. 

"Game of Thrones" Ends with a Punch-in-the-Gut Finale (Spoilers!!)

Ser Jorah (Iain Glen) and Daenerys (Emilia Clarke)

(Image Courtesy HBO)

The iconic shot from last season's Game of Thrones finale was of Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) rising from the ashes with her baby dragons perched on her naked body. It was a punch-in-the-gut visual that would be hard for any TV show to top.

Well last night, Game of Thrones did it again. This year's punch-in-the-gut shot was a full on, extreme closeup of a White Walker on horseback. With it's hideous blue eyes and frozen facial features, we've finally gotten a full on look at the frightening enemy beyond The Wall.

Like the Wildling Osha (Natalia Tena) has been saying all season, those battles for the iron throne will look like schoolyard tussles compared to what's coming from the north when winter descends.

Episode 20 - Inside the Episode

For those of you who may not know, Game of Thrones is all about several factions vying to command the kingdom of Westeros.  But what makes the series so great is that it's not all swords, sorcery and dark magic.  It's grounded by the family relationships and conflicts, and masterful storytelling that never forgets the audience first has to care about the characters if they are to believe in the swords, sorcery and dark magic.

Not to mention some first class acting.  

And for a world that's purportedly run by men, this season a wide variety of women characters came into their own and took charge. 

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. 

Oscar Movies That Would Have Been Better with Female Leads

The Academy Awards are on Sunday and while we’re all wondering if Viola Davis and The Help or George Clooney and The Descendants will take home big prizes, the approach of Oscar night got me to thinking about the need for more leading roles for women in big movies.

And I don’t mean where they just play the wife of the girlfriend or the hooker. I mean where they are the star in a quality movie and where the whole movie lives and dies with them.

So here's my list of five previous Oscar winning movies, and how they might have been even better with female leads:

NEW YORK, Feb. 24, 2012 People look at the Oscar statuettes displayed at an exhibition held at Grand Central Station in New York, the United States, Feb. 23, 2012.

True Grit: Not that Oscar winner Jeff Bridges wasn't great playing Rooster Cogburn. And how wonderful was the adorably steely Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross, the young woman who hired Cogburn to avenge the murder of her father?

But think about this: how about Susan Sarandon as the only woman marshal in the old west? She's hired by a young man to avenge the murder of his father. Why doesn't he hire a man in the male dominated old west?  Because none of the male marshalls will take him seriously. Just think about the fabulous dramatic tension as the kid wants to hire a man but Sarandon convinces him to hire her because she's after the bad guy for her own reasons. Her name: Henny Cogburn.

 

From HBO to PBS: What's Coming Up On TV This Spring

The holidays are over and that means so are the doldrums of television.  Finally, we TV addicts will get new episodes of favorite shows and premieres of a whole crop of new shows.  And as your intrepid TV watcher, I'm here to tell you about the shows I'll be excited to see debut on my flat screen.

New Shows

 

Smash is NBC attempt at reproducing the success of Glee, and they've recruited American Idol alum, Katherine McPhee to star.  It's about producers mounting a new Broadway show.  It's from the producer's of the film Chicago and also stars Debra Messing and Anjelica Houston. This has the potential to be a fabulous show, and if the writing lives up to the premise, NBC may finally have a hit on its hands.

Keifer Sutherland returns to Fox with a role that's very different from 24's Jack Bauer.  That of a father whose 11-year-old son is emotionally challenged and communicates with the world in a very unusual way in Touch.  The whole premise of the show and how the kid communicates through numbers and shows how people are interconnected all over the world is a little hard to describe, but I'm willing to give it a chance.  It co-stars Danny Glover.

Also on Fox is Alcatraz, the latest show from J.J. Abrams about a police detective who tracks a grisly modern day murder to an Alcatraz prisoner that died 30 years ago.  I said it was J.J. Abrams, didn't I?  And where J.J. goes, I follow.  The show stars Sarah Jones (pictured below), Sam Neill and Jorge Garcia.

 

The march of film stars turning to television in search of edgy drama and quality writing continues as the versatile Don Cheadle stars in Showtime's House of Lies, about less than ethical corporate consultants and their clients. Showtime is still basking in the glow of its masterful thriller, Homeland, which just concluded, and if House of Lies, which premiered this week, comes even close to that kind of quality, it'll be a grand show indeed.

A Pre-Thanksgiving Day Treat: Macy's Parade Balloons Up Close

 

Kermit the Frog

 
Last night I did something I’ve always wanted to do. That’s head over to Central Park West around 79th street, the night before Thanksgiving and watch as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons are inflated.  I’d never done it before so when I got the opportunity to go behind the scenes with a group of fellow bloggers, courtesy of Macy’s, I jumped at the chance.

B. Boy in Progress

Our small group met on Columbus Avenue and 75th street around 4 o’clock and were greeted with a steady drizzle but excited tourists and New Yorkers, eager to get a preview of the big parade.  As with any big event in New York, there are glitches and even though we had bona fide press passes firmly around out necks, the NYPD didn’t want to let us into the restricted area where all the balloon goodies waiting.  But our contact Lauren Roseman did some fast talking and got us through.  

Safely behind the police barricades, we were able to get a closeup look at some of the hard work that goes into getting the 15 giant balloons and 44 mid-size balloons ready for their Thanksgiving Day close-ups.  There were spotlights along the street so workers and spectators could see the balloons more clearly and large speakers piped out jaunty Christmas music.

Julius the Monkey

First we hit 79th street where the balloons at the head of the parade are located.  They’re lined up on the street in the order they will appear in the parade.  Earlier this week, they were transported through the Lincoln Tunnel from their new studio home in Moonachie, New Jersey, to the streets of Central Park West.

Billy Crystal will Host the 2012 Oscars

No sooner did I tell you guys that Eddie Murphy was out as Oscar host, than Billy Crystal announced via Twitter that he will indeed be back to host the Oscars in 2012.

That sound you hear is the Academy breathing a huge sigh of relief.

It'll be Billy's 9th go 'round as host and what do you want to bet there'll be an Eddie Murphy cameo as well?

The 2012 Academy Awards will air on February 26th on ABC.

Eddie Murphy Drops Oscar Hosting Gig

 

Eddie Murphy (l.) stars in director Brett Ratner's new film, 'Tower Heist.'

Image courtesy: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Like many movie fans, I was pretty jazzed when the Academy announced that Eddie Murphy was going to host the 84th annual Oscar telecast in 2012.  Let's face it Eddie deserved the gig 'cause:

1. He's made Hollywood a fortune with movies like, "Beverly Hills Cop," "48 Hours," and "Shrek."
2. He was robbed, cheated, and rooked with a capital "R" out of that Best Supporting Actor statue for his first class turn in the film "Dreamgirls."
3. He can be incredibly funny.

But what happened next reads better than most scripts Hollywood is producing these days, and gave the people who run the Academy all kinds of headaches.

First Brett Ratner who was hired to co-produce the Oscars, and who brought Eddie on board as host, shot off his mouth last weekend about "rehearsals being for **insert gay slur here**."  But that wasn't bad enough. He followed that up with a stint on Howard Stern's radio show talking in great detail about his sexual exploits. 

Well the suits over at the Academy were understandably perturbed, and before you could say, "...And the Oscar goes to..." good ol' Brett had resigned amidst the critical heat.  Though he did apologize first.

Tarra and Bella: An Animal Love Story (Video)

Image Courtesy CBS News

 

You may have heard the story about the bond between an elephant, Tarra and a stray dog, Bella who lived together as friends in a Tennessee animal sanctuary.

The original story was reported by Steve Hartman on CBS's Sunday Morning:

They were so close, in fact, that when Bella got injured a few years ago and had to spend three weeks recuperating in the sanctuary office, guess who held vigil the entire time? Twenty-two hundred acres to roam free, and Tarra just stood in the corner waiting. Home video of their reunion shows how inseparable they'd become and remained, right to the end.

Unfortunately the end of the relationship came last week.  Fair warning, keep the tissues handy.

Here's the original story about the pair.

Y'all know I'm a sucker for doggies, but now I think I'm a sucker for elephants too.

Matthew Morrison's Halloween Party

Colton Haynes, Matthew Morrison, Bryan Fisher and a party guest

 

"Glee" may be off my TV radar this season but that doesn't mean that Matthew Morrison isn't still cute as a button, Or rather, bunny.  Here he is celebrating Halloween at his 2nd annual Halloween party presented by Bing. 

Happy Halloween!