Who's Going To Hell This Week
Helen A. Handbasket
Who's Going to Hell This Week?
Weekly Review
from Harper's Magazine
HARPER'S WEEKLY REVIEW - 29 January, 2002
Attorney General John Ashcroft, offended at being repeatedly
photographed in the Justice Department's Great Hall with a large naked
breast near his head, covered two partially nude Art Deco statues, the
Spirit of Justice and the Majesty of Justice, with drapes.
Donald Rumsfeld, the secretary of defense, insisted that the Afghan war
prisoners, whom President Bush refuses to classify as prisoners of war
under the Geneva Conventions, were not being mistreated, even though
the photographs that provide evidence of sensory deprivation and other
psychological abuses were released by the Pentagon, a release, which
Rumsfeld characterized as "probably unfortunate," that in itself may
have violated the Geneva Conventions' prohibition against making a
spectacle of prisoners.
Colin Powell, the secretary of state,
reportedly believes that the Geneva Conventions do apply to the
prisoners and has requested a review of the President's decision.
Afghan refugees continued to protest their incarceration in Australian
concentration camps by refusing food and water and sewing their lips
shut; some of the protesters drank detergent and cut themselves in despair.
Kenneth L. Lay resigned as chairman of Enron as congressional
hearings on the company's bankruptcy began, and President Bush said he
was outraged that Enron had misled its investors and employees, noting
that his own mother-in-law had lost $8,000 in the company's collapse.
A former Enron executive who resigned because of the company's
questionable financial practices was found dead in his car with a
bullet in the brain, apparently self-inflicted.
President Bush said he wanted another $48 billion for the military, though he was still
refusing, even in the face of new budget deficits, to lower or
postpone his big tax cut for the rich.
Emergency medical workers in
Warsaw, Poland, were in trouble for trading in dead bodies and
poisoning patients for payoffs from undertakers.
( continued at Weekly Review )
--Roger D. Hodge
Alex's Entertainment Report
Alex
Reader Response
Re: Calico Cats
Thanks for running the Ashcroft and calico cats story.
I had told a friend (who didn't believe it) about the
story, but I had forgotten where I had seen it. I sent
the link along.
I sent a couple of phototoons I had made about John's
little cat phobia.
~~ Tim
TBH PoliToon
Reader Response
'Dr.' Laura On 'Today'
Oh if you could get a copy of this morning's Today show, what fun you could have. Dr. Slut was on and her neck ... well it wasn't that she had turkey neck ... no, that would actually be an insult to turkeys! She was right off some crazy episode of Star Trek. With no makeup, she could have been Dr. Laura (the neck-ed woman). I kid you not, between the veins moving, the skin flaps and the muscles moving, it was a veritable 3 ring circus. There was fun for the entire family!
She was hyping her latest book with a title something like 10 mistakes couples make or something. Must have been an autobiography. I wonder if posing nude and then getting on the high horse was number 1. Do you think admitting the naked pictures on the web are of you was #2? Probably #3 was bashing gays on your tv show.
She hates obscenity right? Between her nude pictures that have been posted on the web and today's Today show, I honestly don't know which is worse. I promise that her neck on today's show was the most ridiculous, hypnotic, obscene, skin show ever. If you have a way to get a copy, by all means get it.
Below is the note I sent NBC.
Subject: WOW Dr. Laura has a goofy neck!
Is there any way I can get a copy of this morning's segment of Dr. Laura (the nudist). It was fantastic. Did you see her neck? It was a whole new experience for me. I don't know if I'm scared of it or fascinated, but I dearly want a copy of the woman who spreads her legs for the internet showing us her neck Let me know how I can get a copy.
~~ John S
'Dr.' Laura's been obscene for decades. Think she 'gobbled' her way to the top?
Reader Response
''Dirty Rotten Scoundrels''
Did anyone else notice the programming opposite the State of the Union address?
TNN is running ''Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'' opposite Dubya!
How appropriate.
~~ Craig S.
Reader Suggestion
'The State of The Union We Won't See'
Ben Cohen, of ice cream fame, has put together an amusing video of The State of The Union We Won't See. You
might enjoy it.
Go to: Contract with the Planet - 'The State of The Union We Won't See'
Check it out!
~~ Larry W
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Had the TV's on in the background & listened to the 'State Of The Union'. Had a hard time explaining to the resident
9-year-old why 'his' 'Simpsons' weren't on.
'Nova' on PBS had a really interesting program on creating fireworks, and the chemistry involved.
'Dave' is on in the background currently. Jeez...just checked out 'Leno', and there was Drew Carey
wearing a freaking Charlie Brown sweater.
Tonight, Wednesday, CBS cheaps out with 2 'news-magazines' ('60 Minutes II' & '48 Hours')
hammocked between 2 reruns of half-hour sitcoms ('King Of Queens' & 'Becker').
NBC has an all fresh night with 'Ed', 'The West Wing', and 'Law & Order'.
ABC starts the evening fresh with 'My Wife & Kids' & 'Jim'. They are followed by a
rerun of 'Drew Carey', then a fresh 'The Job' & '20/20 DownTown'.
The WB has fresh episodes of 'Dawson's Creek' and 'Glory Days'.
Faux has a fresh night with 'That 80's Show', 'Grounded For Life', 'Bernie Mac', and 'Titus'.
UPN is fresh with 'Enterprise' and 'Special Unit 2'.
Anyone have any opinions?
Or reviews?
(See below for addresses)
Really Scary Masks
Carnivale!
A vendor displays carnival masks depicting U.S. President George W. Bush (R) and Saudi-born dissident Osama bin-Laden,
on sale at his shop in Brasilia, January 29, 2002. The masks have become popular as Brazil heads into its annual carnival
season festivities. They retail for about $2.00 dollars.
Photo by Jamil Bittar
The official BartCop Astrologer, Geneva, always has something interesting to read!
Going For The 'Cyclorama-Effect'?
Camera-Ready John
The Justice Department recently bought drapes to hide two mostly nude statues seen in the background during
press conferences - but Attorney General John Ashcroft is denying he ordered the cover-up.
"It's not something he thought about one way or the other. He's got better things to do," said Ashcroft's
spokeswoman, Barbara Comstock.
Comstock, who insisted Ashcroft is not offended by the statues, said the $8,000 draperies make for better TV pictures.
Comstock said an aide in Ashcroft's office ordered the draperies, which she described as more like curtains,
because it was more cost-effective to buy them than to rent them, as the Justice Department had been doing.
Ashcroft, a conservative ex-senator from Missouri who leads daily prayer sessions at the Justice Department,
didn't pay attention to the statues or have anything to do with buying the new drapes, Comstock said.
"The attorney general had no knowledge that this was being ordered," she said.
Going For The 'Cyclorama-Effect'?
Methinks she doth protest too much.
'The Kids Are All Right!'
Ken Kesey
Merry prankster and pop culture icon Ken Kesey was very up on America right to the end. In the last interview he
gave before his death, Kesey tells the February-March issue of Relix magazine that "when I begin to get depressed
about something, I'll go out and run into a bunch of kids 16 and 17, and they're as dedicated as you'd ever want
anyone to be." The old Deadhead also recalls the first time he saw The Beatles perform, in 1965. "It was scary,
it was so powerful," he says. "It was scary to us, scary to the people putting it on, and it was scary to The
Beatles. The only people not scared was the audience, the kids."
Ken Kesey
Big Dog Watch
Bill In Berkeley
Former president Bill Clinton gestures as Calif. Gov. Gray Davis, right, applauds after Clinton was given an award on the
campus of University of California, Berkeley, in Berkeley, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2002. Clinton was given the Berkeley
Citation award from U.C. Berkeley before his speech at the university.
Photo by Paul Sakuma
''Saw No Combat''
Gov. Jesse Ventura
Gov. Jesse Ventura, who has used his military record to deflect criticism and bash foes but has kept mostly mum on
what he did during the Vietnam War, has disclosed for the first time that he did not see combat.
"To the best of my knowledge, I was never fired upon," Ventura said in an interview with the St. Paul Pioneer Press
for an article published Monday about his years as a Navy SEAL in the 1970s.
Ventura had suggested in an interview with the Star Tribune of Minneapolis last year that he had "hunted man," but
wouldn't give details then or now. And he has steadfastly refused to disclose much about his two overseas deployments,
which totaled 17 months, saying his commanding officer gave their unit strict orders never to talk about what they had seen or done.
Based at Subic Bay in the Philippines, when he was still known as James Janos, Ventura earned the Vietnam Service
Medal. It was awarded to 3 million servicemen and servicewomen who were in Vietnam, in surrounding countries or on ships off the coast.
''Saw No Combat'' - Gov. Jesse Ventura
Back In The Weekly Grind
``Now with Bill Moyers''
``Now with Bill Moyers'' is possibly the season's most important new series - and an ambitious response to Sept. 11.
Airing Friday at 9 p.m. (EST) on PBS, ``Now'' marks the return by public television to quick-response journalism after
decades of long-form, long-in-the-making documentaries.
It also marks a return to weekly journalism for Moyers, who has spent the past 15 years producing many of those documentaries,
with topics including campaign corruption, the power of myth, drug addiction and modern dance.
``Now'' promises to be no less far-flung in its interests. But each hour-long edition will, in Moyers' words, embody ``a
flexible format for ideas and conversation, reportage and debate.'' And as its name makes clear, the program is rooted in
the here and now, even as it searches beyond.
Last week's edition had a report on Enron - the scams, the failings and the victims. Then Moyers discussed the collapse of
this corporate giant with Robert Bartley, editor of The Wall Street Journal, who under politely adversarial questioning
cautioned against government regulation that would ``squeeze the vitality'' out of the free-market system.
``Now with Bill Moyers''
Losing 20%
UPN Lay-Offs
About 20% of UPN's 110 staffers are expected to lose their jobs under a round of layoffs and buyouts related to
the network's merger with CBS.
Contracted employees are being offered 100% of their remaining contract in exchange for leaving. Those without
pacts will be given two weeks of salary for every year they've been at the 6-year-old network. Both UPN and CBS
are owned by Viacom Inc., which recently gave oversight of the networks to CBS Television president Les Moonves.
As part of the restructuring, UPN is closing its Chicago sales office, and at least six sales department employees
will be leaving. Five marketing staffers have been let go so far, while three people are exiting research and
four will leave media relations.
UPN Lay-Offs
8th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards
10 March
The following is a list of nominees announced Tuesday for the 8th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, which will be handed out in a
televised ceremony scheduled for March 10.
FILM CATEGORIES:
Best male actor, lead role:
Russell Crowe, ``A BEAUTIFUL MIND''
Kevin Kline, ``LIFE AS A HOUSE''
Sean Penn, ``I AM SAM''
Denzel Washington, ``TRAINING DAY''
Tom Wilkinson, ``IN THE BEDROOM''
Best female actor, lead role:
Halle Berry, ``MONSTER'S BALL''
Jennifer Connelly, ``A BEAUTIFUL MIND''
Judi Dench, ``IRIS''
Sissy Spacek, ``IN THE BEDROOM''
Renee Zellweger, ``BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY''
Best male actor, supporting role:
Jim Broadbent, ``IRIS''
Hayden Christensen, ``LIFE AS A HOUSE''
Ethan Hawke, ``TRAINING DAY''
Ben Kingsley, ``SEXY BEAST''
Ian McKellen, ``THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING''
Best female actor, supporting role:
Cate Blanchett, ``BANDITS''
Judi Dench, ``THE SHIPPING NEWS''
Cameron Diaz, ``VANILLA SKY''
Dakota Fanning, ``I AM SAM''
Helen Mirren, ``GOSFORD PARK''
Best performance by a cast
``A BEAUTIFUL MIND''
``GOSFORD PARK''
``IN THE BEDROOM''
``THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING''
``MOULIN ROUGE''
TELEVISION CATEGORIES:
Best male actor, TV movie or miniseries:
Alan Alda, ``CLUB LAND''
Richard Dreyfuss, ``THE DAY REAGAN WAS SHOT''
James Franco, ``JAMES DEAN''
Gregory Hines, ``BOJANGLES''
Ben Kingsley, ``ANNE FRANK''
Best female actor, TV movie or miniseries:
Angela Bassett, ``RUBY'S BUCKET OF BLOOD''
Judy Davis, ``LIFE WITH JUDY GARLAND: ME AND MY SHADOWS''
Anjelica Huston, ``THE MISTS OF AVALON''
Sissy Spacek, ``MIDWIVES''
Emma Thompson, ``WIT''
Best male actor, drama series
Richard Dreyfuss, ``THE EDUCATION OF MAX BICKFORD''
Dennis Franz, ``NYPD BLUE''
James Gandolfini, ``THE SOPRANOS''
Peter Krause, ``SIX FEET UNDER''
Martin Sheen, ``THE WEST WING''
Best female actor, drama series
Lorraine Bracco, ``THE SOPRANOS''
Stockard Channing, ``THE WEST WING''
Tyne Daly, ``JUDGING AMY''
Edie Falco, ``THE SOPRANOS''
Lauren Graham, ``GILMORE GIRLS''
Allison Janney, ``THE WEST WING''
Best male actor, comedy series
Peter Boyle, ``EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND''
Kelsey Grammer, ``FRASIER''
Sean Hayes, ``WILL & GRACE''
David Hyde Pierce, ``FRASIER''
Ray Romano, ``EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND''
Best female actor, comedy series
Jennifer Aniston, ``FRIENDS''
Kim Cattrall, ``SEX AND THE CITY''
Patricia Heaton, ``EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND''
Megan Mullally, ``WILL & GRACE''
Sarah Jessica Parker, ``SEX AND THE CITY''
Best cast in a drama series
``CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION''
``LAW & ORDER''
``SIX FEET UNDER''
``THE SOPRANOS''
``THE WEST WING''
Best cast in a comedy series
``EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND''
``FRASIER''
``FRIENDS''
``SEX AND THE CITY''
``WILL & GRACE''
8th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards
BC Entertainment Favorite Link
Thanks To Tim @ TBH PoliToons
'John's Vision'
TBH PoliToon
Lose 25% Of Annual Gross
Disney & Pooh
The Walt Disney Co. could lose as much as 25 percent of its annual gross revenues if it doesn't win the Winnie the Pooh lawsuit
expected to go to trial as soon as the end of this year.
Freshly unsealed court documents show that new Hollywood attorneys for the heirs of New York agent Stephen Slesinger, who first sued
Disney for back Pooh royalties in 1991, are now asking to terminate Disney's license to exploit the beloved bear cub.
The loss of Pooh plush toys or Tigger tee-shirts or Piglet lunch boxes, not to mention theme park attractions like the
incredibly popular "Pooh's Honey Pot" ride in Tokyo and planned for Hong Kong, would be a devastating financial blow to
the entertainment giant, which already is suffering from lower earnings, little growth and a lagging stock price.
The court documents claim that Pooh is the "most lucrative" of all Disney characters, even more than Mickey Mouse.
Disney & Pooh
This is lining up to be a real Battle Of The Titans'. The only legal voice missing is Johnny Cochran.
Intentional Corporate Destruction Of Evidence
More Disney & Pooh
In a bitter, 11-year-old lawsuit with a family that owns the commercial rights to Winnie the Pooh, the Walt Disney Co.
was systematically destroying "massive amounts of documents . . . hundreds of boxes and thousands of pages" that might
have shown it withheld or under-reported Pooh royalties, newly unsealed court records reveal.
The alleged destruction went on at least from 1992 to 1998 - and all the while, the entertainment giant was telling judges
and plaintiffs they couldn't find the documents.
The paperwork was allegedly trashed after the heirs of New York agent Stephen Slesinger, who acquired the merchandising
rights to the beloved bear cub from author A.A. Milne in 1930, had asked to examine the documents during the discovery
phase of the Los Angeles lawsuit.
The total destruction - estimated at 400 to 500 boxes, including records from the years 1982 to 1997 - is 10 times
bigger than even a Los Angeles judge thought when he sanctioned Disney for discarding boxes of files, court records report.
The destruction was so vast that the judge had to issue an injunction in May 2001 barring Disney from further destroying
documents, which included one box labeled "Winnie the Pooh - legal problems."
Intentional Corporate Destruction Of Evidence
It would seem that Disney's hands are more than dirty at this point.
CBS Midseason Replacement
``Baby Bob''
Holland Taylor and Elliott Gould have joined the cast of the CBS midseason comedy ``Baby Bob.''
They will play the grandparents of Bob, the 6-month-old infant whose vocalization skills provide his Los Angeles
family with unique challenges. Adam Arkin and Joely Fisher had previously been cast as Bob's parents, while Kenny
Campbell supplies the voice of Bob.
The series is slated for a spring bow.
CBS Midseason Replacement
Fun Link
::: The Amazing World of Colorgenics :::
::: The Amazing World of Colorgenics :::
On Comparisons
Harold Ramis
Harold Ramis says his ``Orange County'' co-star Jack Black reminds him of the late comedian John Belushi.
Ramis was a co-writer on 1978's ``Animal House,'' which starred Belushi. In 1982, Belushi was found dead of a drug
overdose in a rented bungalow in Hollywood, Calif. He was 33.
``They both have this really explosive unpredictable energy. You just don't know what they're going to do,'' Ramis
told reporters. ``And they're smart and they're dangerous. That's a pretty powerful combination for a certain kind of comedy.
Black's films include ``High Fidelity,'' ``Saving Silverman,'' and ``Shallow Hal.'' He's also half of the folk-metal
duo Tenacious D, which recently released its first album.
Harold Ramis
Big Dog Watch, Continued
Bill In Berkeley, Part 2
Tuesday, a relaxed Clinton addressed a crowd of 2,000 students and others at the University of California, Berkeley, where
he later waded through an adoring crowd of students and shot baskets in the school's basketball gym.
During the speech less than two hours before his successor was to deliver the State of the Union address, Clinton touched
on an array of topics from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to campaign finance reform.
He said he supports the Bush administration's war on terrorism and homeland defense policies. But he said the United States
must work to help the world's poorest countries to stem hate toward this country. Clinton called for increased programs
such as debt relief, small business loans and AIDS treatment and prevention efforts for poor countries to "spread
the benefits and shrink the burdens."
"It's a lot cheaper than going to war," he said.
Clinton also praised "longtime friend" Davis, pledging to help him raise money for his re-election effort. The ex-president
is scheduled to headline a fund-raiser for Davis in Beverly Hills Thursday and joined Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer at a fund-raiser Monday night.
Davis introduced Clinton, lauding him for using "fiscal restraint" to stimulate the economy, and stuck close by his side
as Clinton shook hands with fans after his speech.
Bill In Berkeley, Part 2
Never Caught On
Buh-Bye ``That's Life''
That's it for ``That's Life.''
CBS has cut the second-year drama's initial 22-episode order to 17, effectively killing the show. Two more episodes
are scheduled to air, but those could be pulled due to the start of the February ratings sweeps. Another four
episodes have not been scheduled.
``Life,'' which bowed in fall 2000, starred Heather Paige Kent as a New Jersey woman who decides to start her life
over by going to college. It also starred Ellen Burstyn, Debi Mazar and Paul Sorvino.
Despite good critical notice, ``Life'' had never been able to muster a huge audience on either Saturday or Friday nights.
Buh-Bye ``That's Life''
Baby News
Andy y Marivi Garcia
Andy Garcia is a father for a fourth time.
Andres Antonio Garcia-Lorido weighed 7 pounds and 13 ounces when he was delivered Monday at an undisclosed Los Angeles
area hospital, publicist Stan Rosenfield said Tuesday.
This is the first son for the Cuban-born actor and his wife, Marivi Lorido Garcia. The couple have three daughters, ages 18, 14 and 10.
Garcia, co-star of 1990's "The Godfather: Part III," portrayed the sinister casino owner in the Steven Soderbergh-directed
remake of the heist comedy "Ocean's Eleven."
Andy y Marivi Garcia
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
When The 22 Minutes That's Half-An-Hour Is How Long, Really?
``Supersized'' Sitcoms
NBC will air longer-than-usual episodes of ``Will & Grace'' and ``Scrubs'' next month, repeating a strategy
introduced last winter in part to compete against CBS' ``Survivor.''
The Feb. 5 episode of ``Scrubs'' will run about eight minutes longer than normal, while ``Will & Grace'' will
expand by about four minutes on Feb. 7 to make room for guest star Matt Damon.
NBC will shorten the 10 p.m. edition of ``Dateline'' to accommodate the extra minutes of ``Scrubs,'' while the
network schedule will run slightly past 11 p.m. to fit in the lengthened ``Will & Grace.''
``Supersized'' Sitcoms
'Poppa Needs A Brand New Bag'?
James Brown
Singer James Brown sat quietly in a trial he called ``crazy'' Tuesday for the $2 million lawsuit brought by a woman who
claims the 68-year-old ''Godfather of Soul'' fired her after she rebuffed his sexual advances.
The first day of the trial was spent by lawyers for both sides questioning prospective members of the jury that will hear the
allegations of sexual harassment and wrongful termination lodged against the legendary performer.
The veteran performer, known for such hits as ``Papa's Got a Brand New Bag'' and ``I Feel Good,'' cast himself as a
celebrity targeted by a ``frivolous and expensive'' lawsuit brought ``for no other purpose than to make a quick buck.''
The plaintiff, Lisa Agbalaya, 36, who worked for several years in the West Coast office of the singer's Georgia-based
company, The New James Brown Enterprises Inc., also was in court with her lawyers.
'Poppa Needs A Brand New Bag'?
Mary-Kate and Ashley
The Olsen Twins
Twin actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are stretching their multimedia tentacles across the Atlantic Ocean by
launching their clothing line in Britain.
The clothing will go on sale later this year at Asda, a subsidiary of U.S. retail giant Wal-Mart, which has an
exclusive licensing deal with the twins.
The Olsen Twins
A Very Special Bonus
From BartCop
Special Bonus From BartCop
CBS Locking-In Next Fall
Renewals Galore
CBS locked in a good chunk of its fall 2002 schedule Monday, renewing eight veteran series and rookie drama ``The Guardian''
for next season.
The network ordered up full seasons of its entire Monday 8-10 p.m. comedy block; its Tuesday trio of dramas; the Thursday
smash ``CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''; and Saturday drama anchor ``The District.'' All have been given 22-episode orders
for the 2002-03 season.
The Monday comedies -- ``King of Queens,'' ``Yes, Dear,'' ``Everybody Loves Raymond'' and ``Becker'' -- are among CBS'
most-watched shows. ``Raymond'' remains particularly hot: In its sixth season, the series is still adding viewers, growing
7% in viewers and adults 18-49 from last year.
CBS has not formally picked up the fifth edition of its ``Survivor'' franchise; barring a collapse when the fourth edition
bows this spring, however, it's all but certain to be back. Newsmagazines ``60 Minutes,'' ``60 Minutes II'' and ``48 Hours''
also are safe bets to return in some form next season.
Absent from Monday's list of pickups: Several rookies whose fate is still up in the air, including Sunday's ``The Education
of Max Bickford,'' Thursday drama ``The Agency'' and Friday laffer ``The Ellen Show.'' Returning series still on the bubble
include ``Touched by an Angel,'' ``Family Law'' and ``That's Life.''
CBS' pickups follow moves by NBC and ABC to lock in key scheduling components early. NBC earlier this month picked
up newcomers ``Crossing Jordan,'' ``Scrubs'' and ``Law & Order: Criminal Intent.'' ABC has renewed ``Alias,'' ``According
to Jim'' and ``My Wife and Kids'' for next fall.
CBS Locking-In Next Fall
Rehearsal Matters!
SOTU
President George W. Bush prepares the State of the Union speech in the family theater of the White House, January 29,
2002 with senior staff. Bush will seek to parlay his popularity as a wartime leader into support for a more contentious
domestic agenda in his first State of the Union address which aids say will focus on the themes of winning the war on
terrorism and reviving a recessionary U.S. economy.
Photo by Eric Draper
Updated (Nearly) Daily!
BartCop TV!
Poor Madonna!
'Stinky Andy'
Madonna made her grungy ex-boyfriend Andy Bird disinfect his feet with hydrogen peroxide before he got into bed with
her. Madonna's filthy former flame tells London's Daily Mail his hygiene was so bad, her daughter, Lourdes, dubbed
him "Stinky Andy." Bird, the subject of Madonna's song "Beautiful Stranger," embarrassed his ex last year when the
Daily Mail printed an answering machine transcript of Madonna begging him not to dump her. Seeing as how Bird keeps
blabbing, she ought to thank her "Lucky Star" it ended.
'Stinky Andy'
Bailing Early
Buh-Bye 'The Chamber'
Fox won the battle by putting its controversial game show ``The Chamber'' on the air before ABC's similarly themed ``The
Chair,'' but it may have lost the war.
The network decided Monday to pull ``The Chamber'' from its primetime schedule in favor of sitcom repeats and movies.
Three remaining episodes will likely air this spring.
What's ironic about the early yanking is that Fox had played an extreme game of cat-and-mouse with ABC to ensure that
the Dick Clark-produced ``Chamber'' bowed three days before ABC's ''Chair'' earlier this month.
After two Sunday previews, ``The Chamber'' had its first Friday airing last week, pulling an adults 18-49 share similar
to the low end of what ``Dark Angel'' had been averaging 8 p.m. Fridays in recent weeks.
Buh-Bye 'The Chamber'
'Bob Woodward vs. John Belushi and Me'
Michael Dare
Michael Dare - 'The Life and Death of Captain Preemo'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Memory
Henry "Blackie" Escalante
Henry "Blackie" Escalante, a Hollywood stuntman who doubled for such stars as Johnny Weissmuller in "Tarzan" movies,
has died at 86, from complications of Alzheimer's disease, his niece Louisa Caucia said.
Raised in East Los Angeles, Escalante was the grandson of Mariano Escalante, founder of the Escalante Brothers Circus.
Like his grandfather, father and uncles, Henry Escalante mastered the trapeze and "flew" with the family circus and others.
As the popularity of circuses waned in the West, Escalante veered successfully into Hollywood stunt work.
In addition to Weissmuller, Escalante worked with the Marx Brothers in "At the Circus." He also performed in "Frenchman's
Creek," "Captain Carey, USA," "Salome: The Dance of the Seven Veils" and "Creature from the Black Lagoon," among others.
Escalante is survived by his wife, Sylvia; daughters, Louise McPherson of Vancouver Island, Canada, and Sandra Escalante
of La Crescenta, Calif.; sister, Mrs. Johnny Cline of Lakeland, Fla.; and five grandchildren.
Henry "Blackie" Escalante
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
