SEOUL, South Korea - The New York Philharmonic built a musical bridge between the two Koreas on Thursday, reprising its emotional performance of the Korean folk tune "Arirang" in the South Korean capital after its unprecedented concert in Pyongyang.
The audience of South Koreans, who had been able to watch the North Korean concert on Tuesday via a live television feed, gave the American orchestra ovation after ovation following its program and two encores -- yearning for the song beloved by all Koreans to be played here on the other side of the Demilitarized Zone.
When Philharmonic music director Lorin Maazel took the stage for "Arirang" and raised his arms to start the piece, the audience immediately hushed in anticipation. Thunderous applause and cries of "Bravo!" rang out from the crowd of some 2,500 at the Seoul Arts Center that jumped to its feet after the music ended.
"There's no sides -- there's no North and South in 'Arirang,'" Maazel told The Associated Press after the triumphant performance that brought the orchestra's trip full-circle. "It's a melody for everybody. All these artificially created barriers fade away."
"Seventy million Koreans love you," Park Sam-koo, chairman of the Kumho-Asiana Culture Foundation, told Maazel backstage, referring to the combined population of both Koreas.
The orchestra began as they did in Pyongyang with the national anthems of the host country and the United States.
South Korea's new President Lee Myung-bak, sworn in Monday, did not attend the concert. On Tuesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il also was not seen in the audience.
The orchestra featured South Korean pianist Son Yeol-eum in Beethoven's Second Piano Concerto. They finished the regular program with Beethoven's inspiring Fifth Symphony, which starts with the most famous four notes in music that signal fate knocking.
After two encores, the orchestra gave the crowd what it had been waiting for with "Arirang" -- an unofficial anthem for reunification that is regularly played at friendly events between the rival Koreas.
"We are the same people in the same land, but different issues separate us from each other," said Kim Kyung-rok, 34, an information technology worker in the audience, speaking of the peninsula that remains split by the world's last Cold War frontier. "It's very sad because there is North Korea and South Korea, but the New York Philharmonic orchestra will make (us) be one."
"It was an unforgettable moment," Andre Kim, South Korea's most famous fashion designer, said of the Pyongyang concert. "Very soon I do wish there would be diplomatic relations between the United States and North Korea, and that will help bring peace in all the world."
"I hope that music will turn Kim Jong Il's ways," said Song Ja, 73, former president of Seoul's Yonsei University.
Although the U.S. anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner" was played by the Philharmonic in North Korea -- and the U.S. and North Korean flags stood on opposite sides of the stage -- Song noted the North has refused so far to allow the South Korean national anthem to be played or its flag flown at a scheduled World Cup soccer qualifying match next month in Pyongyang.
"Still, they are not opening their minds," he said.
The North remains locked in long-running negotiations with the United States and other countries over its nuclear weapons program, which hit its latest impasse this year after Washington said Pyongyang failed to give a full declaration of its long history of seeking to build atomic bombs.
Alexander Vershbow, the U.S. ambassador to South Korea, said the Pyongyang concert did not "change the system and the fundamental nature of the problems we're facing."
Still, Vershbow said ahead of the Philharmonic's Seoul performance that its visit to Pyongyang could show isolated North Koreans "the possibility of a different relationship with the United States."
"Through music, we were able to make some kind of connection with North Korea," he said.
Kamis, 28 Februari 2008
"Gangster" rides to top of DVD charts (Reuters)
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "American Gangster" outgunned best picture Oscar nominee "Michael Clayton" to top the latest DVD sales and rental charts, according to data issued Wednesday.
"Gangster" with North American box office earnings of 129.8 million, sold an estimated 4 million units during its first week in stores, the period ended February 24.
According to Nielsen VideoScan First Alert data, that was more than three times as many copies as "Michael Clayton," which finished a distant second. The previous weeks top seller, "Why Did I Get Married?" slipped to No. 3.
Making a surprisingly strong debut at No. 7 was "Chaos," a direct-to-video action movie starring Jason Statham, Ryan Phillippe and Wesley Snipes.
"Gangster" also scored big in the rental arena, according to Home Media Magazine. The crime drama generated an estimated 9.7 million to take the No. 1 slot, while "Clayton" coughed up a respectable 8.2 million. The previous weeks top renter, "Gone Baby Gone," slipped to No. 3.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
"Gangster" with North American box office earnings of 129.8 million, sold an estimated 4 million units during its first week in stores, the period ended February 24.
According to Nielsen VideoScan First Alert data, that was more than three times as many copies as "Michael Clayton," which finished a distant second. The previous weeks top seller, "Why Did I Get Married?" slipped to No. 3.
Making a surprisingly strong debut at No. 7 was "Chaos," a direct-to-video action movie starring Jason Statham, Ryan Phillippe and Wesley Snipes.
"Gangster" also scored big in the rental arena, according to Home Media Magazine. The crime drama generated an estimated 9.7 million to take the No. 1 slot, while "Clayton" coughed up a respectable 8.2 million. The previous weeks top renter, "Gone Baby Gone," slipped to No. 3.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
Nielsen puts Hollywood, music media in one unit (Reuters)
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Nielsen Co. is rolling the Hollywood Reporter, Billboard and its other media publications and conference organizers into a new Entertainment Group, and has put a former Variety chief in charge, the company said on Wednesday.
The move comes about a week after rival Reed-Elsevier said it would put up for sale its own business publishing unit, which includes show business paper Daily Variety, Publishers Weekly and others.
Nielsen said the move would let it better cover trends across the entertainment industry, which is becoming less segmented by product. Previously, Nielsens entertainment properties existed under two separate market groups, Film & Performing Arts and Music & Literary.
Hollywood Reporter Publisher John Kilcullen will leave the company while former Variety publisher and media and marketing consultant Gerry Byrne will run the new Entertainment Group starting March 1, privately held Nielsen Co. said in a statement.
Assets in the new division include Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Back Stage, Kirkus Reviews, The Bookseller, Film Journal International, and the film industry expositions ShoWest, ShowEast, Cinema Expo International and CineAsia Exposition.
Reuters Group Plc and Nielsen have a joint entertainment news service.
(Reporting by Paul Thomasch and Peter Henderson, editing by Richard Chang)
The move comes about a week after rival Reed-Elsevier said it would put up for sale its own business publishing unit, which includes show business paper Daily Variety, Publishers Weekly and others.
Nielsen said the move would let it better cover trends across the entertainment industry, which is becoming less segmented by product. Previously, Nielsens entertainment properties existed under two separate market groups, Film & Performing Arts and Music & Literary.
Hollywood Reporter Publisher John Kilcullen will leave the company while former Variety publisher and media and marketing consultant Gerry Byrne will run the new Entertainment Group starting March 1, privately held Nielsen Co. said in a statement.
Assets in the new division include Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Back Stage, Kirkus Reviews, The Bookseller, Film Journal International, and the film industry expositions ShoWest, ShowEast, Cinema Expo International and CineAsia Exposition.
Reuters Group Plc and Nielsen have a joint entertainment news service.
(Reporting by Paul Thomasch and Peter Henderson, editing by Richard Chang)
Former Hendrix drummer Buddy Miles dies in Texas (Reuters)
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Drummer Buddy Miles, who played with Jimi Hendrix in his short-lived group, Band of Gypsys, died at his home in Austin, Texas on Tuesday, his publicist said.
Miles, who was 60, suffered from congestive heart failure, Duane Lee said on Wednesday. He did not know the official cause of death.
With his bombastic style, the former teen prodigy helped develop such musical forms as funk metal and acid jazz thanks to his work with such guitarists as John McLaughlin, Mike Bloomfield and Carlos Santana.
In 1967, he and Bloomfield co-founded Electric Flag, whose rock-brass sound influenced Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears.
But Miles is probably best known for his stint with Band of Gypsys, an all-black group put together by Hendrix in 1969 after the dissolution of the Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Miles and bass player Billy Cox, an old Army buddy of Hendrixs, kicked the guitarist into a higher gear with an Afrocentric, polyrhythmic groove.
The funky sound marked a strong contrast from the melodic stylings of Hendrixs English bandmates in the Experience, drummer Mitch Mitchell and bass player Noel Redding.
The Band of Gypsys are immortalized on an acclaimed album of the same name, which drew from four shows performed on New Years Eve and New Years Day 1970 at the Fillmore East in New York City. Miles contributed two of his own compositions, "We Gotta Live Together" and "Changes."
"All the shows were bad-ass," Miles told Seconds magazine in 1995. "It was the highlight of my life, and I had a good time playing those shows. That was vintage James Marshall Hendrix."
But the group crumbled following a disastrous performance at Madison Square Garden later in January. Hendrix eventually reunited with Mitchell and started work on a new album before dying of an accidental overdose in September 1970.
Miles kept busy working with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Muddy Waters, Barry White and David Bowie.
In a statement, Cox described Miles as "an unsung musical genius." He said they had worked together on a recording session in October, and were planning a Band of Gypsys reunion in the late spring.
"Jimi Hendrix no longer has to hold auditions as the right drummer has just flown in," Cox said.
Asked by Seconds how he would like to be remembered, Miles said: "The baddest of the bad. People say Im the baddest drummer. If thats true, thank you world."
(Editing by Steve Gorman and Todd Eastham)
Miles, who was 60, suffered from congestive heart failure, Duane Lee said on Wednesday. He did not know the official cause of death.
With his bombastic style, the former teen prodigy helped develop such musical forms as funk metal and acid jazz thanks to his work with such guitarists as John McLaughlin, Mike Bloomfield and Carlos Santana.
In 1967, he and Bloomfield co-founded Electric Flag, whose rock-brass sound influenced Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears.
But Miles is probably best known for his stint with Band of Gypsys, an all-black group put together by Hendrix in 1969 after the dissolution of the Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Miles and bass player Billy Cox, an old Army buddy of Hendrixs, kicked the guitarist into a higher gear with an Afrocentric, polyrhythmic groove.
The funky sound marked a strong contrast from the melodic stylings of Hendrixs English bandmates in the Experience, drummer Mitch Mitchell and bass player Noel Redding.
The Band of Gypsys are immortalized on an acclaimed album of the same name, which drew from four shows performed on New Years Eve and New Years Day 1970 at the Fillmore East in New York City. Miles contributed two of his own compositions, "We Gotta Live Together" and "Changes."
"All the shows were bad-ass," Miles told Seconds magazine in 1995. "It was the highlight of my life, and I had a good time playing those shows. That was vintage James Marshall Hendrix."
But the group crumbled following a disastrous performance at Madison Square Garden later in January. Hendrix eventually reunited with Mitchell and started work on a new album before dying of an accidental overdose in September 1970.
Miles kept busy working with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Muddy Waters, Barry White and David Bowie.
In a statement, Cox described Miles as "an unsung musical genius." He said they had worked together on a recording session in October, and were planning a Band of Gypsys reunion in the late spring.
"Jimi Hendrix no longer has to hold auditions as the right drummer has just flown in," Cox said.
Asked by Seconds how he would like to be remembered, Miles said: "The baddest of the bad. People say Im the baddest drummer. If thats true, thank you world."
(Editing by Steve Gorman and Todd Eastham)
Simpson to perform at concert for troops (AP)
NEW YORK - Jessica Simpson will join rock act Disturbed and comedian Carlos Mencia in Kuwait during a concert for U.S troops next month. The event, to be held March 10, is set to be broadcast live on the social networking site MySpace.com.
"It's truly an honor to perform for the troops," Simpson said in a statement. "Through Operation MySpace, I get to serve my country by doing what I love to do in front of thousands of brave men in uniform. It's every girl's dream!"
Other acts are expected to be added to the bill, which also includes Filter and DJ Z-Trip.
"For years troops stationed all over the world have utilized MySpace as a lifeline to communicate with their loved ones back home," said MySpace's co-founder, Tom Anderson. "Many of them have been generous enough to share their unique experiences with me through messages on MySpace. I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to thank them in person and bring along the entire MySpace community."
An abbreviated version of the concert is set to air April 12 on the cable network FX.
___
On the Net:
http://myspace.com/operationmyspace
"It's truly an honor to perform for the troops," Simpson said in a statement. "Through Operation MySpace, I get to serve my country by doing what I love to do in front of thousands of brave men in uniform. It's every girl's dream!"
Other acts are expected to be added to the bill, which also includes Filter and DJ Z-Trip.
"For years troops stationed all over the world have utilized MySpace as a lifeline to communicate with their loved ones back home," said MySpace's co-founder, Tom Anderson. "Many of them have been generous enough to share their unique experiences with me through messages on MySpace. I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to thank them in person and bring along the entire MySpace community."
An abbreviated version of the concert is set to air April 12 on the cable network FX.
___
On the Net:
http://myspace.com/operationmyspace
Naomi Campbell remains hospitalized (AP)
SAO PAULO, Brazil - British supermodel Naomi Campbell spent a second day recuperating in a Brazilian hospital Wednesday after doctors removed a cyst.
"We have been instructed to not release any information regarding Naomi," a Sirio Libanes Hospital spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity in line with hospital policy. "All I can tell you is that she is still at the hospital and that she is recovering very nicely."
Neither the spokeswoman nor Campbell's publicist, Jeff Raymond, knew how long she would remain there.
Campbell, a frequent visitor to Brazil who earlier this month celebrated Carnival in the northeastern city of Salvador, was admitted in recent days to the Sao Paulo facility.
Gynecologist Jose Aristodemo Pinotti described the procedure as a laparoscopy, in which doctors use a thin, lighted scope to view internal organs.
On Tuesday, the day after the surgery, Pinotti said Campbell was "completely cured and walking in her room."
The supermodel also was being cared for by David Uip, one of Brazil's leading experts in the treatment of infectious diseases, the hospital said.
"We have been instructed to not release any information regarding Naomi," a Sirio Libanes Hospital spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity in line with hospital policy. "All I can tell you is that she is still at the hospital and that she is recovering very nicely."
Neither the spokeswoman nor Campbell's publicist, Jeff Raymond, knew how long she would remain there.
Campbell, a frequent visitor to Brazil who earlier this month celebrated Carnival in the northeastern city of Salvador, was admitted in recent days to the Sao Paulo facility.
Gynecologist Jose Aristodemo Pinotti described the procedure as a laparoscopy, in which doctors use a thin, lighted scope to view internal organs.
On Tuesday, the day after the surgery, Pinotti said Campbell was "completely cured and walking in her room."
The supermodel also was being cared for by David Uip, one of Brazil's leading experts in the treatment of infectious diseases, the hospital said.
Car-Building legend Boyd Coddington dies (AP)
LOS ANGELES - Car-building legend Boyd Coddington, whose testosterone-injected cable TV reality show "American Hot Rod" introduced the nation to the West Coast hot rod guru, has died. He was 63.
Coddington died at Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in suburban Whittier at 6:20 a.m. Wednesday. His La Habra office spokeswoman Amanda Curry wouldn't disclose the cause of death.
Coddington, who started building cars when he was 13 and once operated a gas station in Utah, set a standard for his workmanship and creativity, with his popular "Cadzilla" creation considered a design masterpiece. The customized car based on a 1950s Cadillac was built for rocker Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top.
"That was a groundbreaking car. Very cool," said Dick Messer, executive director of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
"This was your modern era George Barris," Messer said. "He did things to hot rods and customs that weren't being done by anyone else. But the main thing is he designed cars that were drivable."
Coddington was a machinist by trade, working at Disneyland during the day and tinkering with cars in his home garage at night and on weekends. His rolling creations captured the imagination of car-crazy Southern Californians and soon he was building custom cars and making money.
Most often, he customized 1932 Ford "little deuce coupes."
"It was one of those things when a hobby turned into business," Messer said, noting Coddington was also "one of the first guys to get into the custom wheel business."
Wheels by Boyd were fetching $2,000 apiece, which was unheard of two decades ago.
Coddington also surrounded himself with talent. Alumni from his shop include Jesse James and Chip Foose, who went on to open their own shops and star in reality TV shows.
Coddington twice won the Daimler-Chrysler Design Excellence Award and he was inducted into the Grand National Roadster Show Hall of Fame, the National Rod & Custom Museum Hall of Fame and the Route 66 Wall of Fame.
Always dressed in a Hawaiian shirt, Coddington said he loved his "American Hot Rod" Discovery Channel show, which featured ground-up construction of $500,000 hot rods.
"The viewers are ... people who lived in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s and loved these cars. Now, they have money," Coddington told The Associated Press in a 2004 interview.
___
On The Net:
http://www.boydcoddington.com
Coddington died at Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in suburban Whittier at 6:20 a.m. Wednesday. His La Habra office spokeswoman Amanda Curry wouldn't disclose the cause of death.
Coddington, who started building cars when he was 13 and once operated a gas station in Utah, set a standard for his workmanship and creativity, with his popular "Cadzilla" creation considered a design masterpiece. The customized car based on a 1950s Cadillac was built for rocker Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top.
"That was a groundbreaking car. Very cool," said Dick Messer, executive director of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
"This was your modern era George Barris," Messer said. "He did things to hot rods and customs that weren't being done by anyone else. But the main thing is he designed cars that were drivable."
Coddington was a machinist by trade, working at Disneyland during the day and tinkering with cars in his home garage at night and on weekends. His rolling creations captured the imagination of car-crazy Southern Californians and soon he was building custom cars and making money.
Most often, he customized 1932 Ford "little deuce coupes."
"It was one of those things when a hobby turned into business," Messer said, noting Coddington was also "one of the first guys to get into the custom wheel business."
Wheels by Boyd were fetching $2,000 apiece, which was unheard of two decades ago.
Coddington also surrounded himself with talent. Alumni from his shop include Jesse James and Chip Foose, who went on to open their own shops and star in reality TV shows.
Coddington twice won the Daimler-Chrysler Design Excellence Award and he was inducted into the Grand National Roadster Show Hall of Fame, the National Rod & Custom Museum Hall of Fame and the Route 66 Wall of Fame.
Always dressed in a Hawaiian shirt, Coddington said he loved his "American Hot Rod" Discovery Channel show, which featured ground-up construction of $500,000 hot rods.
"The viewers are ... people who lived in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s and loved these cars. Now, they have money," Coddington told The Associated Press in a 2004 interview.
___
On The Net:
http://www.boydcoddington.com
Police reviewing alleged Spears drugging (AP)
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles police say they are looking into allegations that someone drugged Britney Spears but have not decided whether to open a formal investigation.
Police Capt. Kyle Jackon said in a statement Wednesday that the allegations "are being considered" by the Robbery-Homicide unit to determine if laws have been violated.
Jackson says no suspect has been identified.
Spears' mother claimed in recent court papers that the pop star's sometime companion Sam Lutfi drugged Spears and tried to take control of her life. Those claims led to a restraining order against Lutfi.
Spears is currently under a court-ordered conservatorship.
Police Capt. Kyle Jackon said in a statement Wednesday that the allegations "are being considered" by the Robbery-Homicide unit to determine if laws have been violated.
Jackson says no suspect has been identified.
Spears' mother claimed in recent court papers that the pop star's sometime companion Sam Lutfi drugged Spears and tried to take control of her life. Those claims led to a restraining order against Lutfi.
Spears is currently under a court-ordered conservatorship.
Conservative author Buckley dies at 82 (AP)
NEW YORK - William F. Buckley Jr. died at work, in his study. The Cold War had ended long before. A Republican was in the White House. The word "liberal" had been shunned like an ill-mannered guest.
At the end of his 82 years, much of it spent stoking and riding a right-wing wave as an erudite commentator and conservative herald, all of Buckley's dreams seemingly had come true.
"He founded a magazine, wrote over 50 books, influenced the course of political history, had a son, had two grandchildren and sailed across the Atlantic Ocean three times," said his son, novelist Christopher Buckley. "He really didn't leave any stone unturned."
Buckley was found dead in his study Wednesday morning in Stamford, Conn. His son noted Buckley had died "with his boots on, after a lifetime of riding pretty tall in the saddle."
His assistant said Buckley was found by his cook. The cause of death was unknown, but he had been ill with emphysema, she said.
As an editor, columnist, novelist, debater and host of the TV talk show "Firing Line," Buckley worked at a daunting pace, taking as little as 20 minutes to write a column for his magazine, National Review.
Yet on the platform, he was all handsome, reptilian languor, flexing his imposing vocabulary ever so slowly, accenting each point with an arched brow or rolling tongue and savoring an opponent's discomfort with wide-eyed glee.
"There's no `weltschmerz,' or any sadness that permeates my vision," he told The Associated Press during a 2004 interview at his Park Avenue duplex. "There isn't anything I reasonably hoped for that wasn't achieved."
President Bush called Buckley a great political thinker, wit, author and leader. "He influenced a lot of people, including me," the president said. "He captured the imagination of a lot of people."
But Buckley was also willing to criticize his own and made no secret of his distaste for at least some of Bush's policies. In a 2006 interview with CBS, he called the Iraq war a failure.
"If you had a European prime minister who experienced what we've experienced, it would be expected that he would retire or resign," Buckley said at the time.
Luck was in the very bones of Buckley, blessed with a leading man's looks, an orator's voice, a satirist's wit and an Ivy League scholar's vocabulary. But before he emerged in the 1950s, few imagined conservatives would rise so high, or so enjoy the heights.
For at least a generation, conservatism had meant the pale austerity of Herbert Hoover, the grim isolationism of Sen. Robert Taft, the snarls and innuendoes of Sen. Joseph McCarthy. Democrats were the party of big spenders and "Happy Days Are Here Again." Republicans settled for respectable cloth coats.
Unlike so many of his peers and predecessors on the right, Buckley wasn't a self-made man prescribing thrift, but a multimillionaire's son who enjoyed wine, sailing and banter and assumed his wishes would be granted. Even historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., who labeled Buckley "the scourge of American liberalism," came to appreciate his "wit, his passion for the harpsichord, his human decency, even ... his compulsion to epater the liberals."
Buckley once teased Schlesinger after the historian praised the rise of computers for helping him work more quickly. "Suddenly I was face to face with the flip side of Paradise," Buckley wrote. "That means, doesn't it, that Professor Schlesinger will write more than he would do otherwise?"
Buckley founded the biweekly magazine National Review in 1955, declaring that he proposed to stand "athwart history, yelling `stop' at a time when no one is inclined to do so, or to have much patience with those who urge it."
Conservatives had been outsiders in both mind and spirit, marginalized by a generation of discredited stands -- from opposing Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal to the isolationism that preceded the U.S. entry into World War II. Before Buckley, liberals so dominated intellectual thought that critic Lionel Trilling claimed there were "no conservative or reactionary ideas in general circulation."
"Bill could go to the campus with that arch manner of his. And he was exciting and young and conservative," conservative author and columnist George Will told the AP in 2004. "And all of a sudden, conservatism was sexy."
In the 1950s, "conservatism was barely a presence at all," Will said. "To the extent that it was a political presence, it was a blocking faction in Congress."
The National Review was initially behind history, opposing civil rights legislation and once declaring that "the white community in the South is entitled to take such measures as are necessary to prevail."
Buckley also had little use for the music of the counterculture, once calling the Beatles "so unbelievably horrible, so appallingly unmusical, so dogmatically insensitive to the magic of the art, that they qualify as crowned heads of antimusic."
The magazine could do little to prevent Barry Goldwater's landslide defeat in 1964, but as conservatives gained influence, so did Buckley and his magazine. The long rise would peak in 1980, when Buckley's good friend Ronald Reagan was elected president.
"Ronnie valued Bill's counsel throughout his political life, and after Ronnie died, Bill and Pat were there for me in so many ways," Reagan's widow, Nancy Reagan, said Wednesday in a statement.
Buckley's wife, the former Patricia Alden Austin Taylor, died in 2007 at age 80. Christopher is their only child. Buckley is also survived by two brothers and three sisters.
Christopher Buckley remembers his father's one losing adventure, albeit one happily lost. William F. Buckley was the Conservative Party's candidate for mayor of New York in 1965, waging a campaign that was in part a lark -- he proposed an elevated bikeway on Second Avenue -- but that also reflected a deep distaste for the liberal Republicanism of Mayor John V. Lindsay.
"By this time I realized he wasn't just any other dad," Christopher Buckley told the AP. "I was 13 at the time, and there were mock debates in my fifth grade home room class. And there were people playing him, so that was kind of strange.
"And that's when you get the sense that your dad is not just Ozzie and your parents are not Ozzie and Harriet. But he was a great dad, and he was a great man, and that's not a bad epitaph."
At the end of his 82 years, much of it spent stoking and riding a right-wing wave as an erudite commentator and conservative herald, all of Buckley's dreams seemingly had come true.
"He founded a magazine, wrote over 50 books, influenced the course of political history, had a son, had two grandchildren and sailed across the Atlantic Ocean three times," said his son, novelist Christopher Buckley. "He really didn't leave any stone unturned."
Buckley was found dead in his study Wednesday morning in Stamford, Conn. His son noted Buckley had died "with his boots on, after a lifetime of riding pretty tall in the saddle."
His assistant said Buckley was found by his cook. The cause of death was unknown, but he had been ill with emphysema, she said.
As an editor, columnist, novelist, debater and host of the TV talk show "Firing Line," Buckley worked at a daunting pace, taking as little as 20 minutes to write a column for his magazine, National Review.
Yet on the platform, he was all handsome, reptilian languor, flexing his imposing vocabulary ever so slowly, accenting each point with an arched brow or rolling tongue and savoring an opponent's discomfort with wide-eyed glee.
"There's no `weltschmerz,' or any sadness that permeates my vision," he told The Associated Press during a 2004 interview at his Park Avenue duplex. "There isn't anything I reasonably hoped for that wasn't achieved."
President Bush called Buckley a great political thinker, wit, author and leader. "He influenced a lot of people, including me," the president said. "He captured the imagination of a lot of people."
But Buckley was also willing to criticize his own and made no secret of his distaste for at least some of Bush's policies. In a 2006 interview with CBS, he called the Iraq war a failure.
"If you had a European prime minister who experienced what we've experienced, it would be expected that he would retire or resign," Buckley said at the time.
Luck was in the very bones of Buckley, blessed with a leading man's looks, an orator's voice, a satirist's wit and an Ivy League scholar's vocabulary. But before he emerged in the 1950s, few imagined conservatives would rise so high, or so enjoy the heights.
For at least a generation, conservatism had meant the pale austerity of Herbert Hoover, the grim isolationism of Sen. Robert Taft, the snarls and innuendoes of Sen. Joseph McCarthy. Democrats were the party of big spenders and "Happy Days Are Here Again." Republicans settled for respectable cloth coats.
Unlike so many of his peers and predecessors on the right, Buckley wasn't a self-made man prescribing thrift, but a multimillionaire's son who enjoyed wine, sailing and banter and assumed his wishes would be granted. Even historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., who labeled Buckley "the scourge of American liberalism," came to appreciate his "wit, his passion for the harpsichord, his human decency, even ... his compulsion to epater the liberals."
Buckley once teased Schlesinger after the historian praised the rise of computers for helping him work more quickly. "Suddenly I was face to face with the flip side of Paradise," Buckley wrote. "That means, doesn't it, that Professor Schlesinger will write more than he would do otherwise?"
Buckley founded the biweekly magazine National Review in 1955, declaring that he proposed to stand "athwart history, yelling `stop' at a time when no one is inclined to do so, or to have much patience with those who urge it."
Conservatives had been outsiders in both mind and spirit, marginalized by a generation of discredited stands -- from opposing Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal to the isolationism that preceded the U.S. entry into World War II. Before Buckley, liberals so dominated intellectual thought that critic Lionel Trilling claimed there were "no conservative or reactionary ideas in general circulation."
"Bill could go to the campus with that arch manner of his. And he was exciting and young and conservative," conservative author and columnist George Will told the AP in 2004. "And all of a sudden, conservatism was sexy."
In the 1950s, "conservatism was barely a presence at all," Will said. "To the extent that it was a political presence, it was a blocking faction in Congress."
The National Review was initially behind history, opposing civil rights legislation and once declaring that "the white community in the South is entitled to take such measures as are necessary to prevail."
Buckley also had little use for the music of the counterculture, once calling the Beatles "so unbelievably horrible, so appallingly unmusical, so dogmatically insensitive to the magic of the art, that they qualify as crowned heads of antimusic."
The magazine could do little to prevent Barry Goldwater's landslide defeat in 1964, but as conservatives gained influence, so did Buckley and his magazine. The long rise would peak in 1980, when Buckley's good friend Ronald Reagan was elected president.
"Ronnie valued Bill's counsel throughout his political life, and after Ronnie died, Bill and Pat were there for me in so many ways," Reagan's widow, Nancy Reagan, said Wednesday in a statement.
Buckley's wife, the former Patricia Alden Austin Taylor, died in 2007 at age 80. Christopher is their only child. Buckley is also survived by two brothers and three sisters.
Christopher Buckley remembers his father's one losing adventure, albeit one happily lost. William F. Buckley was the Conservative Party's candidate for mayor of New York in 1965, waging a campaign that was in part a lark -- he proposed an elevated bikeway on Second Avenue -- but that also reflected a deep distaste for the liberal Republicanism of Mayor John V. Lindsay.
"By this time I realized he wasn't just any other dad," Christopher Buckley told the AP. "I was 13 at the time, and there were mock debates in my fifth grade home room class. And there were people playing him, so that was kind of strange.
"And that's when you get the sense that your dad is not just Ozzie and your parents are not Ozzie and Harriet. But he was a great dad, and he was a great man, and that's not a bad epitaph."
Norway court postpones Winehouse hearing (AP)
BERGEN, Norway - A Norwegian court has postponed a hearing for Amy Winehouse, who is accused of drug possession.
The British singer-songwriter and her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, were arrested in the western city of Bergen last October. They were held overnight on charges of possessing 1/4 ounce of marijuana and released the next morning after paying fines of $715 each.
Winehouse later appealed the fine, claiming Norwegian police made mistakes in the case.
The tattooed songstress was due in court Friday to contest the fine, but the Bergen district court approved a request by her lawyer to reschedule the hearing, Norwegian news agency NTB reported Wednesday.
The Bergen court postponed the hearing because Fielder-Civil is scheduled to appear in a separate court hearing Friday in Britain, the news agency reported.
Winehouse, 24, won five Grammy Awards earlier this month, including best record ("Rehab"), best song ("Rehab") and best new artist.
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On the Net:
Amy Winehouse:
http://www.amywinehouse.co.uk/
The British singer-songwriter and her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, were arrested in the western city of Bergen last October. They were held overnight on charges of possessing 1/4 ounce of marijuana and released the next morning after paying fines of $715 each.
Winehouse later appealed the fine, claiming Norwegian police made mistakes in the case.
The tattooed songstress was due in court Friday to contest the fine, but the Bergen district court approved a request by her lawyer to reschedule the hearing, Norwegian news agency NTB reported Wednesday.
The Bergen court postponed the hearing because Fielder-Civil is scheduled to appear in a separate court hearing Friday in Britain, the news agency reported.
Winehouse, 24, won five Grammy Awards earlier this month, including best record ("Rehab"), best song ("Rehab") and best new artist.
___
On the Net:
Amy Winehouse:
http://www.amywinehouse.co.uk/
Whoopi Goldberg accepts Oscar apology (AP)
NEW YORK - Whoopi Goldberg has accepted an apology from producer Gil Cates for not including her in a montage featuring Oscar hosts during Sunday's Academy Awards telecast.
Cates called her Tuesday and "talked about the fact that he had made an oversight, pure and simple. He said, `You know I love you,'" Goldberg said Wednesday on ABC daytime talk show "The View."
Goldberg, who called Cates a "great gentleman," accepted his apology.
She said she has "moved on" since choking up on Monday's show when her fellow co-hosts discussed how she was left out of the clip.
The 52-year-old actress-comedian hosted the Oscars in 1994, 1996, 1999 and 2002.
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ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co.
___
On the Net:
ABC:
http://abc.go.com/
Cates called her Tuesday and "talked about the fact that he had made an oversight, pure and simple. He said, `You know I love you,'" Goldberg said Wednesday on ABC daytime talk show "The View."
Goldberg, who called Cates a "great gentleman," accepted his apology.
She said she has "moved on" since choking up on Monday's show when her fellow co-hosts discussed how she was left out of the clip.
The 52-year-old actress-comedian hosted the Oscars in 1994, 1996, 1999 and 2002.
___
ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co.
___
On the Net:
ABC:
http://abc.go.com/
Satellite radio in limbo as merger stalls (Reuters)
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Sirius Satellite Radio CEO Mel Karmazin has more than just a stalled merger with XM Satellite on his mind. Hes also wondering what its going to cost to keep his star talker, Howard Stern, on board.
"Great content costs money," Karmazin reminded analysts Tuesday during a conference call to discuss quarterly earnings.
"If Howard is on the call and listening, if he would like to extend his deal at less money, we would be interested in that," Karmazin told the analysts. "But from my history with him, I dont think that is apt to happen."
Stern costs Sirius 500 million for five years, and hes in his third year already. Add to that the billions Sirius spent on rights to the NFL, NBA, NASCAR and other content, not to mention the building and launching of expensive satellites, and its easy to see why Sirius wants so desperately to merge with XM, though regulators have yet to approve that plan.
In fact, the termination date for the merger deal is Saturday, though Karmazin said Tuesday that he expects the boards of both companies to meet before then to extend the deadline. XM will no doubt update analysts Thursday when it reports financial results.
Karmazin was once optimistic that the merger would be complete at the end of 2007, even while referring to it on occasion as "an uphill battle."
Not only has Karmazins timetable been thrashed, but the one-year anniversary of the deal struck on February 19, 2007, also has passed, a significant milestone given that more than 200 mergers have been completed since then, each taking an average 110 days to complete.
Still, the bureaucrats arent in any hurry. In fact, 10 months into the process, Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, asked the Justice Department not to "rush through" an approval, if there is to be one.
"We wait by our telephone," Karmazin said Tuesday. "But we really have not heard anything from them. It has been more radio silence than anything else."
Even if the DOJ approves, the Federal Communications Commission must also bless the merger.
Karmazin also said that confusion about the merger among consumers is having a negative impact on retail sales, though Sirius posted better-than-expected quarterly results Tuesday.
The company added 654,000 new subscribers to 8.3 million on its way to losing 166.2 million, compared with a loss of 245.6 million in the year-ago quarter. Revenue rose 29% to 249.8 million.
Sirius posted a full-year net loss of 565.3 million; the year earlier it lost 1.1 billion. Sirius and XM together have burned through billions in the past decade, and merging the companies, by some estimates, would save them an equal amount over the next several years.
Many observers seem to think theres not much of a reason to reject the planned merger, though that hasnt stopped Wall Street from hammering the stock prices as if deal approval were a long shot.
Since February 20, 2007, Sirius shares have fallen 22% to 3.05, while XM shares have sunk 15% to 13.13.
Regulators presumably have been considering for more than a year now the question of whether a merger of the only two satellite radio firms in the nation would constitute a monopoly that would harm consumers.
But most observers seem to have come to the conclusion long ago that the answer is no, considering that sat radio is used mostly in vehicles where competing devices like free radio, iPod docks and CD players are also options, as are DVD players. Soon, the Internet and satellite television will become mainstream attractions in cars, as well.
Anyone blocking the deal on the grounds that merging the two companies would stifle competition "may as well lay on the ground and become fossil fuel for that kind of dinosaur thinking," Motley Fool senior analyst Rick Munarriz said.
Munarriz, like others, worries that two competing satellite radio services cant survive. If they dont merge, Munarriz predicts, "one or the other will fail, and that will give the victor the monopoly it wanted."
Munarriz suggests that investors buy shares of XM and Sirius because the stocks will pop when the merger is approved. "Obviously its a gamble to get in at this point, but the uncertainty is also discounting the shares," he said.
Steve Birenberg of Northlake Capital also advises buying the stocks, but he says to sell them once the deal is approved and buyers rush in.
"I dont think that satellite radio will ever be the pervasive technology for in-car entertainment based on the current subscription model," he said.
One particularly bearish analyst, Mark Wienkes, said recently that it is "increasingly unlikely" that regulators will block the deal, though he wouldnt buy either stock, merger or no merger.
"Our outlook for satellite radio is cautious given our view of unrealistic cash flow expectations," he said.
Karmazin touted several positive outcomes if the merger were approved, including a la carte programming and cheaper prices for consumers. Plus, the company and its shareholders will benefit from increased advertising revenue.
Sirius only sells about 35 million a year in ads, an anemic amount considering it features dozens of channels with advertising, including two with Howard Stern.
"We ought to be doing a better job in selling Howard," Karmazin said Tuesday.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
"Great content costs money," Karmazin reminded analysts Tuesday during a conference call to discuss quarterly earnings.
"If Howard is on the call and listening, if he would like to extend his deal at less money, we would be interested in that," Karmazin told the analysts. "But from my history with him, I dont think that is apt to happen."
Stern costs Sirius 500 million for five years, and hes in his third year already. Add to that the billions Sirius spent on rights to the NFL, NBA, NASCAR and other content, not to mention the building and launching of expensive satellites, and its easy to see why Sirius wants so desperately to merge with XM, though regulators have yet to approve that plan.
In fact, the termination date for the merger deal is Saturday, though Karmazin said Tuesday that he expects the boards of both companies to meet before then to extend the deadline. XM will no doubt update analysts Thursday when it reports financial results.
Karmazin was once optimistic that the merger would be complete at the end of 2007, even while referring to it on occasion as "an uphill battle."
Not only has Karmazins timetable been thrashed, but the one-year anniversary of the deal struck on February 19, 2007, also has passed, a significant milestone given that more than 200 mergers have been completed since then, each taking an average 110 days to complete.
Still, the bureaucrats arent in any hurry. In fact, 10 months into the process, Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, asked the Justice Department not to "rush through" an approval, if there is to be one.
"We wait by our telephone," Karmazin said Tuesday. "But we really have not heard anything from them. It has been more radio silence than anything else."
Even if the DOJ approves, the Federal Communications Commission must also bless the merger.
Karmazin also said that confusion about the merger among consumers is having a negative impact on retail sales, though Sirius posted better-than-expected quarterly results Tuesday.
The company added 654,000 new subscribers to 8.3 million on its way to losing 166.2 million, compared with a loss of 245.6 million in the year-ago quarter. Revenue rose 29% to 249.8 million.
Sirius posted a full-year net loss of 565.3 million; the year earlier it lost 1.1 billion. Sirius and XM together have burned through billions in the past decade, and merging the companies, by some estimates, would save them an equal amount over the next several years.
Many observers seem to think theres not much of a reason to reject the planned merger, though that hasnt stopped Wall Street from hammering the stock prices as if deal approval were a long shot.
Since February 20, 2007, Sirius shares have fallen 22% to 3.05, while XM shares have sunk 15% to 13.13.
Regulators presumably have been considering for more than a year now the question of whether a merger of the only two satellite radio firms in the nation would constitute a monopoly that would harm consumers.
But most observers seem to have come to the conclusion long ago that the answer is no, considering that sat radio is used mostly in vehicles where competing devices like free radio, iPod docks and CD players are also options, as are DVD players. Soon, the Internet and satellite television will become mainstream attractions in cars, as well.
Anyone blocking the deal on the grounds that merging the two companies would stifle competition "may as well lay on the ground and become fossil fuel for that kind of dinosaur thinking," Motley Fool senior analyst Rick Munarriz said.
Munarriz, like others, worries that two competing satellite radio services cant survive. If they dont merge, Munarriz predicts, "one or the other will fail, and that will give the victor the monopoly it wanted."
Munarriz suggests that investors buy shares of XM and Sirius because the stocks will pop when the merger is approved. "Obviously its a gamble to get in at this point, but the uncertainty is also discounting the shares," he said.
Steve Birenberg of Northlake Capital also advises buying the stocks, but he says to sell them once the deal is approved and buyers rush in.
"I dont think that satellite radio will ever be the pervasive technology for in-car entertainment based on the current subscription model," he said.
One particularly bearish analyst, Mark Wienkes, said recently that it is "increasingly unlikely" that regulators will block the deal, though he wouldnt buy either stock, merger or no merger.
"Our outlook for satellite radio is cautious given our view of unrealistic cash flow expectations," he said.
Karmazin touted several positive outcomes if the merger were approved, including a la carte programming and cheaper prices for consumers. Plus, the company and its shareholders will benefit from increased advertising revenue.
Sirius only sells about 35 million a year in ads, an anemic amount considering it features dozens of channels with advertising, including two with Howard Stern.
"We ought to be doing a better job in selling Howard," Karmazin said Tuesday.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
Bruce Lee's master subject of biopics (AP)
FOSHAN, China - Bruce Lee is the master to many martial arts fans, but less is known about his master, Ip Man, a pioneer in the kung fu style that influenced Lee. Hong Kong filmmakers hope to change that by bringing Ip's story to the big screen.
On Tuesday, action stars Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung from the U.S. TV series "Martial Law" prepared to start shooting one of two planned movies about Ip. They joined Ip's sons in paying tribute to their father at his hometown in the southern city of Foshan, a four hours northwest of Hong Kong.
Performers staged a traditional Chinese lion dance featuring four bright orange lions on outdoor platform near a memorial hall that honors Ip.
Yen posed next to a bust of Ip and performed a series of maneuvers against a wooden mannequin -- a common practice in kung fu's wing chun style, which is known for its practical, no-frills style.
Yen, a veteran action star whose credits include "Blade II," "Hero" and "Shanghai Knights," said his role as Ip would be his most challenging ever.
"We all know that teacher Ip Man promoted Chinese kung fu around the world. He's also the teacher of my idol Bruce Lee. So when I took this role I put a lot of pressure on myself," he said.
Yen's reverence for Ip's legacy is testimony to his storied reputation.
Born in Foshan in 1893, Ip started training around 1903 in wing chun. He arrived in Hong Kong in the 1940s to escape the Communist takeover of the mainland. In Hong Kong, he started out teaching kung fu to restaurant workers but broadened his reach to hundreds of students, including Lee, before passing away in 1972.
Lee, who died in 1973 at age 32 from swelling of the brain, studied under Ip for five years, according to his official biography on the Bruce Lee Foundation Web site.
The movie starring Yen isn't the only production about Ip Man in the works.
Famed Hong Kong art-house director Wong Kar-wai is also planning a biopic starring Cannes best actor winner Tony Leung Chiu-wai, although the timetable for the project is unclear.
Wong's Jettone Films has not released any information about the movie, but Leung said this week he planned to devote the second half of this year to studying wing chun and hoped to start shooting at the end of the year or the beginning of next year.
Yen's movie, a $5 million production directed by Wilson Yip, aims to start shooting in March in Shanghai and to be released early next year, Yip said Tuesday.
On Tuesday, action stars Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung from the U.S. TV series "Martial Law" prepared to start shooting one of two planned movies about Ip. They joined Ip's sons in paying tribute to their father at his hometown in the southern city of Foshan, a four hours northwest of Hong Kong.
Performers staged a traditional Chinese lion dance featuring four bright orange lions on outdoor platform near a memorial hall that honors Ip.
Yen posed next to a bust of Ip and performed a series of maneuvers against a wooden mannequin -- a common practice in kung fu's wing chun style, which is known for its practical, no-frills style.
Yen, a veteran action star whose credits include "Blade II," "Hero" and "Shanghai Knights," said his role as Ip would be his most challenging ever.
"We all know that teacher Ip Man promoted Chinese kung fu around the world. He's also the teacher of my idol Bruce Lee. So when I took this role I put a lot of pressure on myself," he said.
Yen's reverence for Ip's legacy is testimony to his storied reputation.
Born in Foshan in 1893, Ip started training around 1903 in wing chun. He arrived in Hong Kong in the 1940s to escape the Communist takeover of the mainland. In Hong Kong, he started out teaching kung fu to restaurant workers but broadened his reach to hundreds of students, including Lee, before passing away in 1972.
Lee, who died in 1973 at age 32 from swelling of the brain, studied under Ip for five years, according to his official biography on the Bruce Lee Foundation Web site.
The movie starring Yen isn't the only production about Ip Man in the works.
Famed Hong Kong art-house director Wong Kar-wai is also planning a biopic starring Cannes best actor winner Tony Leung Chiu-wai, although the timetable for the project is unclear.
Wong's Jettone Films has not released any information about the movie, but Leung said this week he planned to devote the second half of this year to studying wing chun and hoped to start shooting at the end of the year or the beginning of next year.
Yen's movie, a $5 million production directed by Wilson Yip, aims to start shooting in March in Shanghai and to be released early next year, Yip said Tuesday.
Diablo Cody pays the price of fame, too (AP)
NEW YORK -- Being the most famous stripper-turned-screenwriter in the world isn't always as pleasant as it may sound.
Diablo Cody, whose blog-to-riches fairy tale culminated in an Academy Award win for "Juno," has spent the past few months dominating a tiny little niche of Hollywood stardom: the celebrity writer. Not even wordsmith heavies Paul Haggis, Wes Anderson or Charlie Kaufman have stood in a spotlight so bright -- but then, none of them had the allure of a pole-dancing past, punkish attitude or surprising smash-hit, Oscar-worthy pregnancy comedy.
And in Cody's case, there's a downside: The very things that make her star unique are suddenly being panned and scrutinized. From tabloid newspapers to well-trafficked celeb- and media-sniping blogs, Cody's meteoric rise has made her something of a target.
The first-time scriptwriter from Lemont, Ill., demonstrated her no-nonsense, rebellious personality last week when she took to her MySpace blog to vent about the $1 million diamond-laced shoes designed for her by Stuart Weitzman to wear on Oscar's red carpet.
"They're using me to publicize their stupid shoes and NOBODY ASKED ME," wrote Cody, who ultimately wore gold flats. "I would never consent to a lame publicity stunt at a time when I already want to hide."
Cody, who has been unapologetic and candid about her colorful life, drew praise in the blogosphere for her remarks at the time. But in the days that followed, Weitzman told the celebrity Web site TMZ that Cody actually selected the shoes herself, and bloggers (and subsequent commenters) had their fun calling her out for what they saw as diva behavior.
The New York Post chose a picture of Cody for its after-Oscars cover that prominently featured her bikini-clad stripper tattoo. The headline: Who's Tat Girl! And on Tuesday, Photos of a scantily clad Cody surfaced on the Web site Egotastic -- nothing new, considering she's posted scantily clad photos of herself before.
With her Oscar firmly in hand, Diablo is laying low for now. She is "out of town," spending her time writing -- and won't be available for media interviews "for the foreseeable future," her representative, Craig Bankey, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Earlier this month, the Web site Something Awful posted three pages of a fake Cody screenplay called "Quotey" that mocked the hipster wordplay she showcased in "Juno," which had the oft-mocked line: "Honest to blog?"
And right before the Oscars, New York comedian Jackie Clarke released a video impersonation of Cody, complete with the writer's trademark black bob. In it, Clarke-as-Cody quipped: "Hey, did I ever tell you I used to be a stripper?"
"Everybody was ... rallying behind her before `Juno' hit $125 million at the box office, and now comes the inevitable backlash where they see her selling out to Hollywood," observed Tom O'Neil, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times' "The Envelope" Web site.
"She always seemed like a rebel, a social rebel who now seems to have cashed in and joined the club. And I think what we're witnessing is resentment to that," said O'Neil, who noted that Cody's raunchy backstory likely proved irresistible to Hollywood types who don't get a chance to show their bohemian, darker sides in public.
O'Neil called Cody's rise a "naughty Cinderella" story. Cody, whose real name is Brook Busey, caught the eye of manager Mason Novick after he found her sexy blog while surfing for porn online several years ago. She wrote a memoir about her year as a stripper in Minneapolis -- and whipped up "Juno" on a laptop at a Starbucks in a Target store.
Cody's new projects include the Steven Spielberg-produced "The United States of Tara" for Showtime, featuring Toni Collette as a mom with split personalities, and the horror film "Jennifer's Body," which counts "Juno" director Jason Reitman among the producers. She's also taking a turn as a backpage pop-culture columnist for the magazine Entertainment Weekly.
"She was wooed by Hollywood from the start to join them," O'Neil said. "And once she did, then they exalted her. She became the ultimate epitome of Hollywood's free spirit."
Movie critic Robert Wilonsky of the Dallas Observer thinks potshots against Cody are rooted in jealousy.
"She deserves what she has coming to her," Wilonsky said. "This is not accidental and it's not undeserved. Anyone who says otherwise is just a would-be screenwriter with a movie script sitting in their desk that nobody has any interest in."
New York magazine recently published a chart showing "Juno" as experiencing "backlash to the backlash": "Almost everyone we know hates it," the magazine said. "So much so that others are now hating on the haters."
One of those haters is the mag's film critic, David Edelstein, who has professed to be "almost alone" -- among critics, anyway -- "in disliking" the dramedy.
"A lot of people I know have problems with the film because they think it's not the way a 16-year-old girl talks," Wilonsky said. "That's probably right to some extent. It's not meant to be a documentary."
O'Neil said the trick for Cody now is to deal with the pressure to match the success of "Juno."
"She's got to deliver," he said. "She's got to prove that all of this adulation is not just about her, but was really about her work."
The self-deprecating, yet self-promoting It Screenwriter seems as awed by her good fortune as her fans and detractors.
"I've always been a writer, I've always been a storyteller, but I never thought about screenwriting," Cody said after her Oscar victory. "I grew up in the Midwest, you don't know any screenwriters. It didn't seem like a realistic career possibility."
And until now, neither did the fame -- and all of its pitfalls -- that came along with it.
Diablo Cody, whose blog-to-riches fairy tale culminated in an Academy Award win for "Juno," has spent the past few months dominating a tiny little niche of Hollywood stardom: the celebrity writer. Not even wordsmith heavies Paul Haggis, Wes Anderson or Charlie Kaufman have stood in a spotlight so bright -- but then, none of them had the allure of a pole-dancing past, punkish attitude or surprising smash-hit, Oscar-worthy pregnancy comedy.
And in Cody's case, there's a downside: The very things that make her star unique are suddenly being panned and scrutinized. From tabloid newspapers to well-trafficked celeb- and media-sniping blogs, Cody's meteoric rise has made her something of a target.
The first-time scriptwriter from Lemont, Ill., demonstrated her no-nonsense, rebellious personality last week when she took to her MySpace blog to vent about the $1 million diamond-laced shoes designed for her by Stuart Weitzman to wear on Oscar's red carpet.
"They're using me to publicize their stupid shoes and NOBODY ASKED ME," wrote Cody, who ultimately wore gold flats. "I would never consent to a lame publicity stunt at a time when I already want to hide."
Cody, who has been unapologetic and candid about her colorful life, drew praise in the blogosphere for her remarks at the time. But in the days that followed, Weitzman told the celebrity Web site TMZ that Cody actually selected the shoes herself, and bloggers (and subsequent commenters) had their fun calling her out for what they saw as diva behavior.
The New York Post chose a picture of Cody for its after-Oscars cover that prominently featured her bikini-clad stripper tattoo. The headline: Who's Tat Girl! And on Tuesday, Photos of a scantily clad Cody surfaced on the Web site Egotastic -- nothing new, considering she's posted scantily clad photos of herself before.
With her Oscar firmly in hand, Diablo is laying low for now. She is "out of town," spending her time writing -- and won't be available for media interviews "for the foreseeable future," her representative, Craig Bankey, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Earlier this month, the Web site Something Awful posted three pages of a fake Cody screenplay called "Quotey" that mocked the hipster wordplay she showcased in "Juno," which had the oft-mocked line: "Honest to blog?"
And right before the Oscars, New York comedian Jackie Clarke released a video impersonation of Cody, complete with the writer's trademark black bob. In it, Clarke-as-Cody quipped: "Hey, did I ever tell you I used to be a stripper?"
"Everybody was ... rallying behind her before `Juno' hit $125 million at the box office, and now comes the inevitable backlash where they see her selling out to Hollywood," observed Tom O'Neil, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times' "The Envelope" Web site.
"She always seemed like a rebel, a social rebel who now seems to have cashed in and joined the club. And I think what we're witnessing is resentment to that," said O'Neil, who noted that Cody's raunchy backstory likely proved irresistible to Hollywood types who don't get a chance to show their bohemian, darker sides in public.
O'Neil called Cody's rise a "naughty Cinderella" story. Cody, whose real name is Brook Busey, caught the eye of manager Mason Novick after he found her sexy blog while surfing for porn online several years ago. She wrote a memoir about her year as a stripper in Minneapolis -- and whipped up "Juno" on a laptop at a Starbucks in a Target store.
Cody's new projects include the Steven Spielberg-produced "The United States of Tara" for Showtime, featuring Toni Collette as a mom with split personalities, and the horror film "Jennifer's Body," which counts "Juno" director Jason Reitman among the producers. She's also taking a turn as a backpage pop-culture columnist for the magazine Entertainment Weekly.
"She was wooed by Hollywood from the start to join them," O'Neil said. "And once she did, then they exalted her. She became the ultimate epitome of Hollywood's free spirit."
Movie critic Robert Wilonsky of the Dallas Observer thinks potshots against Cody are rooted in jealousy.
"She deserves what she has coming to her," Wilonsky said. "This is not accidental and it's not undeserved. Anyone who says otherwise is just a would-be screenwriter with a movie script sitting in their desk that nobody has any interest in."
New York magazine recently published a chart showing "Juno" as experiencing "backlash to the backlash": "Almost everyone we know hates it," the magazine said. "So much so that others are now hating on the haters."
One of those haters is the mag's film critic, David Edelstein, who has professed to be "almost alone" -- among critics, anyway -- "in disliking" the dramedy.
"A lot of people I know have problems with the film because they think it's not the way a 16-year-old girl talks," Wilonsky said. "That's probably right to some extent. It's not meant to be a documentary."
O'Neil said the trick for Cody now is to deal with the pressure to match the success of "Juno."
"She's got to deliver," he said. "She's got to prove that all of this adulation is not just about her, but was really about her work."
The self-deprecating, yet self-promoting It Screenwriter seems as awed by her good fortune as her fans and detractors.
"I've always been a writer, I've always been a storyteller, but I never thought about screenwriting," Cody said after her Oscar victory. "I grew up in the Midwest, you don't know any screenwriters. It didn't seem like a realistic career possibility."
And until now, neither did the fame -- and all of its pitfalls -- that came along with it.
Jackson's 'Neverland' ranch to be auctioned off: report (AFP)
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Michael Jacksons Neverland Ranch has been foreclosed and will be auctioned off next month unless the singer pays off a 24.5 million dollar loan, Fox News reported on its website Tuesday.
The US network said in a report citing official documents that the sprawling 1,000 hectare (2,800 acres) ranch in Santa Barbara County would be sold at auction on March 19 unless the fallen King of Pop pays 24,525,906.61 dollars.
The auction sale would include the house as well as all personal property inside, including fixtures and appliances, furniture and "all merry go round type devices", rides and games, the report said.
Fox reported that Jackson -- who has not lived in Neverland since June 2005, when he was acquitted of sexual molestation charges arising from alleged incidents involving a young at the property -- may let the auction proceed.
A spokeswoman for Jackson, who has been struggling to rebuild his career since his "Trial of the Century", was not immediately available for comment.
If Jackson, 49, is forced to part company with Neverland it will mark the end of an era for the eccentric pop star, who purchased the property in 1987 before setting out to transform it as a paradise for children.
Named after the fantasy island in Peter Pan, where children never grow up, the estate features a mock-Tudor mansion and at one stage boasted a fully-fledged fairground and zoo.
At his trial, defense lawyers described Neverland as a childrens fantasy-land where kids from underprivileged areas would spend the day playing as Jackson did his creative thinking from atop a tree.
The US network said in a report citing official documents that the sprawling 1,000 hectare (2,800 acres) ranch in Santa Barbara County would be sold at auction on March 19 unless the fallen King of Pop pays 24,525,906.61 dollars.
The auction sale would include the house as well as all personal property inside, including fixtures and appliances, furniture and "all merry go round type devices", rides and games, the report said.
Fox reported that Jackson -- who has not lived in Neverland since June 2005, when he was acquitted of sexual molestation charges arising from alleged incidents involving a young at the property -- may let the auction proceed.
A spokeswoman for Jackson, who has been struggling to rebuild his career since his "Trial of the Century", was not immediately available for comment.
If Jackson, 49, is forced to part company with Neverland it will mark the end of an era for the eccentric pop star, who purchased the property in 1987 before setting out to transform it as a paradise for children.
Named after the fantasy island in Peter Pan, where children never grow up, the estate features a mock-Tudor mansion and at one stage boasted a fully-fledged fairground and zoo.
At his trial, defense lawyers described Neverland as a childrens fantasy-land where kids from underprivileged areas would spend the day playing as Jackson did his creative thinking from atop a tree.
PLAYBILL.COM'S BRIEF ENCOUNTER With Judith Ivey (Playbill)
For theatregoers who have put in two or three decades of service, Judith Ivey is an actress of note, a two-time Tony winner (Steamers, Hurlyburly) who has played in everything from David Rabe to Noel Coward. Theatregoers of only a few years standing, however, might view her as a rising director.
Recently, when Iveys name is announced in connection to a coming production, its as director. Recent behind-the-scenes credits include Kathleen Clarks Southern Comforts at Primary Stages, Lee Thunas Fugue at Cherry Lane, and Marisa Wegrzyns The Butcher of Baraboo at Second Stages Uptown Festival. Now, shes back with another Clark play, Secrets of a Soccer Mom and is preparing to stage the Broadway-aimed musical Vanities. Ivey talked to Playbill.com about her second career in theatre.
PLAYBILL.COM: YOUVE DIRECTED FIVE OR SIX THINGS IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF MORE A DIRECTOR THAN AN ACTOR NOW?
Judith Ivey: Id like to. I had directed some things about ten years ago. Friends would ask me to direct them. I did it, but I never really actively pursued it. About five years ago, I thought, maybe I want to do this more seriously than I have. Fortunately, people want to hire me, so I keep building a resume.
PLAYBILL.COM: DOES ONE JOB JUST LEAD TO ANOTHER?
JI: Yes, I think so, even moreso than acting. I cant really credit my agents with going out and finding me work the way they do as an actress. But I think thats true of all directors, that the work begets the work.
PLAYBILL.COM: SECRETS OF A SOCCER MOM IS YOUR SECOND PLAY BY KATHLEEN CLARK. I ASSUME YOU LIKE HER WORK.
JI: I think its about real people and real situations. Certainly in the case of Soccer Mom. People dont pay a lot of attention to the everyday. And I like that. I like all kinds of drama and comedy, but I really appreciate the way she lovingly writes about these people and hears them, the same way she did with the older couple in Southern Comforts. She appreciates the drama in the everyday, and Im kind of that way. Im always more of an observer than a participant.
PLAYBILL.COM: YOU ARE A SOCCER MOM YOURSELF, ARENT YOU?
JI: Yes. One kid is 18 and in college, and the other one is 14 and in eighth grade. Ive been all kind of sports moms. Ive been a tennis mom, a soccer mom, a swimming mom and a football mom now.
PLAYBILL.COM: YOU WERE RECENTLY ANNOUNCED AS THE DIRECTOR OF A BIG UPCOMING PROJECT, THE MUSICAL VERSION OF VANITIES. THAT WILL BRING YOU TO BROADWAY FOR THE FIRST TIME, AS A DIRECTOR. HOW DID YOU GET THE JOB?
JI: I directed Southern Comforts by Kathleen Clark and the composer of Vanities was at a show and looked at the back of the Playbill [where there is a list all the shows playing in town] and landed on "Southern Comforts directed by Judith Ivey," and had this brainstorm. He is good friends with some actresses with whom I had worked and they had sung my praises, so he decided it was worth exploring. I read the script. Vanities was a play that was hugely popular when I was a young actress. I was cast in a production, but I had already been offered another job, so I didnt do it. But I saw I dont know how many different friends in different productions of it.
PLAYBILL.COM: WOULD THIS BE YOUR FIRST MUSICAL AS DIRECTOR?
JI: No. But we wont talk about those [others]. (Laughs.) That was a long time ago. (Laughs.)
PLAYBILL.COM: DO YOU HAVE YOUR CAST
JI: We have two thirds of it. Well hopefully announce by the end of the month.
PLAYBILL.COM: I DONT MEAN TO PIGEONHOLE YOU, BUT ARE YOU INTERESTED IN PLAYS POPULATED BY FEMALE CHARACTERS?
JI: Its kind of a natural, in the way that for plays that are all male, they probably think of a male director first. But I think its a coincidence that Im spending this year with casts that have three women.
PLAYBILL.COM: WE WILL SEE YOU AS AN ACTRESS AGAIN SOON, WHEN YOU APPEAR IN NEW PRODUCTIONS OF ALBEES THE AMERICAN DREAM AND THE SANDBOX AT THE CHERRY LANE. THIS PROJECT IS A BIT LIKE TIME TRAVEL. THE SAME PLAYS WERE FIRST DONE AT THE CHERRY LANE MORE THAN 40 YEARS AGO.
JI: Its sort of the Cherry Lane mission, to hold on to its legacy. This is a throwaway society. People remember less and less about where things all began. So, I think its good to celebrate that, [to] keep it alive. I was not familiar with these two plays as I am with Albees other work. I did Martha in Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at the Alley Theatre. Edward came down and asked if he could come in an edit it! He cut a scene out that he felt was too on-the-nose now. He said, "Some young playwright wrote that."
Recently, when Iveys name is announced in connection to a coming production, its as director. Recent behind-the-scenes credits include Kathleen Clarks Southern Comforts at Primary Stages, Lee Thunas Fugue at Cherry Lane, and Marisa Wegrzyns The Butcher of Baraboo at Second Stages Uptown Festival. Now, shes back with another Clark play, Secrets of a Soccer Mom and is preparing to stage the Broadway-aimed musical Vanities. Ivey talked to Playbill.com about her second career in theatre.
PLAYBILL.COM: YOUVE DIRECTED FIVE OR SIX THINGS IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF MORE A DIRECTOR THAN AN ACTOR NOW?
Judith Ivey: Id like to. I had directed some things about ten years ago. Friends would ask me to direct them. I did it, but I never really actively pursued it. About five years ago, I thought, maybe I want to do this more seriously than I have. Fortunately, people want to hire me, so I keep building a resume.
PLAYBILL.COM: DOES ONE JOB JUST LEAD TO ANOTHER?
JI: Yes, I think so, even moreso than acting. I cant really credit my agents with going out and finding me work the way they do as an actress. But I think thats true of all directors, that the work begets the work.
| Kathleen Clark and Judith Ivey |
| photo by Carol Rosegg |
JI: I think its about real people and real situations. Certainly in the case of Soccer Mom. People dont pay a lot of attention to the everyday. And I like that. I like all kinds of drama and comedy, but I really appreciate the way she lovingly writes about these people and hears them, the same way she did with the older couple in Southern Comforts. She appreciates the drama in the everyday, and Im kind of that way. Im always more of an observer than a participant.
PLAYBILL.COM: YOU ARE A SOCCER MOM YOURSELF, ARENT YOU?
JI: Yes. One kid is 18 and in college, and the other one is 14 and in eighth grade. Ive been all kind of sports moms. Ive been a tennis mom, a soccer mom, a swimming mom and a football mom now.
PLAYBILL.COM: YOU WERE RECENTLY ANNOUNCED AS THE DIRECTOR OF A BIG UPCOMING PROJECT, THE MUSICAL VERSION OF VANITIES. THAT WILL BRING YOU TO BROADWAY FOR THE FIRST TIME, AS A DIRECTOR. HOW DID YOU GET THE JOB?
JI: I directed Southern Comforts by Kathleen Clark and the composer of Vanities was at a show and looked at the back of the Playbill [where there is a list all the shows playing in town] and landed on "Southern Comforts directed by Judith Ivey," and had this brainstorm. He is good friends with some actresses with whom I had worked and they had sung my praises, so he decided it was worth exploring. I read the script. Vanities was a play that was hugely popular when I was a young actress. I was cast in a production, but I had already been offered another job, so I didnt do it. But I saw I dont know how many different friends in different productions of it.
PLAYBILL.COM: WOULD THIS BE YOUR FIRST MUSICAL AS DIRECTOR?
JI: No. But we wont talk about those [others]. (Laughs.) That was a long time ago. (Laughs.)
PLAYBILL.COM: DO YOU HAVE YOUR CAST
JI: We have two thirds of it. Well hopefully announce by the end of the month.
PLAYBILL.COM: I DONT MEAN TO PIGEONHOLE YOU, BUT ARE YOU INTERESTED IN PLAYS POPULATED BY FEMALE CHARACTERS?
JI: Its kind of a natural, in the way that for plays that are all male, they probably think of a male director first. But I think its a coincidence that Im spending this year with casts that have three women.
PLAYBILL.COM: WE WILL SEE YOU AS AN ACTRESS AGAIN SOON, WHEN YOU APPEAR IN NEW PRODUCTIONS OF ALBEES THE AMERICAN DREAM AND THE SANDBOX AT THE CHERRY LANE. THIS PROJECT IS A BIT LIKE TIME TRAVEL. THE SAME PLAYS WERE FIRST DONE AT THE CHERRY LANE MORE THAN 40 YEARS AGO.
JI: Its sort of the Cherry Lane mission, to hold on to its legacy. This is a throwaway society. People remember less and less about where things all began. So, I think its good to celebrate that, [to] keep it alive. I was not familiar with these two plays as I am with Albees other work. I did Martha in Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at the Alley Theatre. Edward came down and asked if he could come in an edit it! He cut a scene out that he felt was too on-the-nose now. He said, "Some young playwright wrote that."
Eddie Money is going country (AP)
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -- Eddie Money is going country. The veteran rocker is working on an album featuring countrified remakes of some of his early hits, including "Two Tickets to Paradise" and "Hard Life."
The first single from "The Other Side of Money," a new version of "Give Me Some Water" recorded in Nashville with backing vocals by Grammy winner Vince Gill and co-produced by John Ford Coley, is scheduled to be released this weekend.
The album is a production of Big 7 Records, a small country record label based in Northern California, where Money began his career.
Dennis Sanfillipo, who co-founded Big 7 with some of the millions he won in the state lottery 16 years ago, has known the gravelly voiced singer for years and helped persuade him to give country music a try.
"I knew Eddie was really well-known, but the way the country people have ingratiated him to the community is really incredible," Sanfillipo said.
Money, 58, released his last album of new music in 1999 and came out last year with a disc of 1960s soul and R&B covers.
The first single from "The Other Side of Money," a new version of "Give Me Some Water" recorded in Nashville with backing vocals by Grammy winner Vince Gill and co-produced by John Ford Coley, is scheduled to be released this weekend.
The album is a production of Big 7 Records, a small country record label based in Northern California, where Money began his career.
Dennis Sanfillipo, who co-founded Big 7 with some of the millions he won in the state lottery 16 years ago, has known the gravelly voiced singer for years and helped persuade him to give country music a try.
"I knew Eddie was really well-known, but the way the country people have ingratiated him to the community is really incredible," Sanfillipo said.
Money, 58, released his last album of new music in 1999 and came out last year with a disc of 1960s soul and R&B covers.
CBS profit drops as TV strike shakes up business (Reuters)
NEW YORK (Reuters) - CBS Corp reported a 15 percent drop in quarterly profit on Tuesday but declined to blame the economic slowdown or writers strike, saying that three months of labor trouble actually may help business.
CBS instead attributed its profit decline to the sale of TV and radio stations and the loss of some outdoor advertising contracts. As for the economy, executives said they had yet to see a "recession in our day-to-day operations."
Chief Executive Les Moonves also said during a conference call with analysts that the strike against major TV and film studios resulted in a helpful shake-up in the way the television business is run, particularly when it comes to developing new shows.
"Many of the economic benefits we were able to achieve during the strike have changed the way we do business and will allow us to operate more efficiently going forward," Moonves said.
Among the changes caused by the strike, CBS signed half as many deals to develop TV shows as normal, commissioned far fewer pilots, and managed to cut overall production costs by 60 million or 75 million when the writers union halted work.
Like other executives, Moonves said some of those changes may become permanent, such as cutting back on pilots, which are essentially test shows but can cost millions to put together.
"When I look back over the various shows I have been involved in that have been hits, it hasnt been the most expensive shows that have hit it out of the ballpark, and theres some feeling that you dont need to spend 5 million on a pilot to know whether you have a potential hit series," Moonves said.
He also said the media company would simply decline to sign as many development deals for potential TV shows.
"We will never get up to the number we had before," he said. "These changes will be fundamental."
The trick for CBS and other networks is sticking with those changes next year, when they will undoubtedly be under pressure to come up with strong new programs if audience ratings continue to decline.
"Well have to wait and see how it actually does shake out. Hopefully, its not a case where the industry goes back to business as usual," said Robin Diedrich, a senior analyst with Edward Jones. "This could be something that could really improve the profitability of these companies, at a time they need it, too."
As for the economy, she said, "I believe they will see some of that softness. It takes a little bit of time. When consumer spending starts to slow, and that trickles into corporate profits, then that cuts into advertising budgets."
More than the economy, CBS results for the fourth quarter appeared to be affected by the TV and radio station divestitures, the loss of some billboard contracts, and record political advertising sales in the prior years quarter.
Net profit fell to 286.2 million, or 42 cents a share, from 335 million, or 43 cents a share, in the same period a year earlier.
When the shedding of those stations and other one-time events are taken into account, the media company reported an adjusted share of 54 cents against analyst expectations of 52 cents for the fourth quarter.
Revenue slipped more than 3 percent to 3.76 billion, but also managed to surpass the 3.73 billion for the quarter analysts polled by Reuters Estimates had expected.
Shares rose 18 cents to 25.18 on the New York Stock Exchange.
(Editing by John Wallace and Derek Caney)
CBS instead attributed its profit decline to the sale of TV and radio stations and the loss of some outdoor advertising contracts. As for the economy, executives said they had yet to see a "recession in our day-to-day operations."
Chief Executive Les Moonves also said during a conference call with analysts that the strike against major TV and film studios resulted in a helpful shake-up in the way the television business is run, particularly when it comes to developing new shows.
"Many of the economic benefits we were able to achieve during the strike have changed the way we do business and will allow us to operate more efficiently going forward," Moonves said.
Among the changes caused by the strike, CBS signed half as many deals to develop TV shows as normal, commissioned far fewer pilots, and managed to cut overall production costs by 60 million or 75 million when the writers union halted work.
Like other executives, Moonves said some of those changes may become permanent, such as cutting back on pilots, which are essentially test shows but can cost millions to put together.
"When I look back over the various shows I have been involved in that have been hits, it hasnt been the most expensive shows that have hit it out of the ballpark, and theres some feeling that you dont need to spend 5 million on a pilot to know whether you have a potential hit series," Moonves said.
He also said the media company would simply decline to sign as many development deals for potential TV shows.
"We will never get up to the number we had before," he said. "These changes will be fundamental."
The trick for CBS and other networks is sticking with those changes next year, when they will undoubtedly be under pressure to come up with strong new programs if audience ratings continue to decline.
"Well have to wait and see how it actually does shake out. Hopefully, its not a case where the industry goes back to business as usual," said Robin Diedrich, a senior analyst with Edward Jones. "This could be something that could really improve the profitability of these companies, at a time they need it, too."
As for the economy, she said, "I believe they will see some of that softness. It takes a little bit of time. When consumer spending starts to slow, and that trickles into corporate profits, then that cuts into advertising budgets."
More than the economy, CBS results for the fourth quarter appeared to be affected by the TV and radio station divestitures, the loss of some billboard contracts, and record political advertising sales in the prior years quarter.
Net profit fell to 286.2 million, or 42 cents a share, from 335 million, or 43 cents a share, in the same period a year earlier.
When the shedding of those stations and other one-time events are taken into account, the media company reported an adjusted share of 54 cents against analyst expectations of 52 cents for the fourth quarter.
Revenue slipped more than 3 percent to 3.76 billion, but also managed to surpass the 3.73 billion for the quarter analysts polled by Reuters Estimates had expected.
Shares rose 18 cents to 25.18 on the New York Stock Exchange.
(Editing by John Wallace and Derek Caney)
'Adding Machine', Singing Song of a Wage Slave, Opens in NYC (Playbill)
Previews for the Chicago hit - a modernist musical whose score jabs and shrieks, suggesting a cry of the human heart - began Feb. 8 at the Minetta Lane Theatre in Greenwich Village.
A Jeff winner as Best New Musical in Chicago, the 90-minute intermissionless Adding Machine features a score by Joshua Schmidt and a libretto by Jason Loewith and Schmidt. David Cromer directs, as he did the world premiere at Next Theatre Company in Evanston, IL, in 2007. The spare, dark spaces created by Cromer include a gray bedroom, a lifeless parlor, an airless accounting office, a death-row jailhouse and - in a surprise explosion of light - a place many people dream of.
Joining the trio of Cyrilla Baer as Mrs. Zero, Joel Hatch as Mr. Zero and Amy Warren as Daisy (all reprising their acclaimed performances from the original production) are Joe Farrell as Shrdlu, Jeff Still in multiple roles as the Boss, Fixer and Charles, Adinah Alexander as Mrs. Two, Niffer Clarke as Mrs. One, Roger E. DeWitt as Mr. Two and Daniel Marcus as Mr. One.
"Darkly comic and heartbreakingly beautiful, Adding Machine, a musical adaptation of Elmer Rices incendiary 1923 play, tells the story of Mr. Zero, who after 25 years of service to his company is replaced by a mechanical adding machine," according to production notes. "In a vengeful rage, he murders his boss. An eclectic score gives passionate and memorable voice to this stylish and stylized production, which follows Zeros journey to the afterlife in the Elysian Fields where he is met with one last chance for romance and redemption."
The score is brazenly non-commercial and has been embraced by industry folk for perfectly capturing the grinding joylessness of its stuck, loveless, workaday characters.
Whats the musical flavor or shape of the show? Co-librettist Loewith told Playbill.com, "Each of the musicals seven scenes features its own musical vocabulary, though words, melodic fragments, phrases of music and even whole pieces repeat often to create a fully-conceived dramatic arc. An academic might call our work a 21st century reimagining of early-20th century expressionism. Its not at all a standard Broadway book musical, as works like Carousel or Oklahoma! - but its not like the contemporary opera experiments of John Adams or Phillip Glass, either. We hope that weve taken full advantage of American musical idiom without becoming collagist. If the Chicago production was any indication, we managed to put together a coherent work of music-theatre, even if its hard to put a label on it!"
How is the New York production different than the Chicago one?
"We learned a lot in Chicago about what worked and what needed tightening," Loewith said. "With the enormous help of director David Cromer, we did some judicious trimming of the book and added more music to the final two scenes. I think if weve succeeded, the audience will identify even more fully with Zeros journey, and find themselves asking just what constitutes personal freedom in 21st century America."
The authors "wanted to reflect the experimental nature of Rices play, which veers from naturalism to expressionism to proto-absurdism from scene to scene," Loewith said.
Is it experimental? Loewith explained, "Joshs music uses Rices own expressionist techniques as a jumping-off point. The music becomes self-referential in the way Rices play experiments with clashing styles. So sure, its experimental. We set out not to break the rules, but [be] blissfully ignorant of them. I dont think Josh has ever seen a traditional musical, and Id never written one."
Adding Machine is produced Off-Broadway by Scott Morfee, Tom Wirtshafter and Margaret Cotter and features scenic design by Takeshi Kata, lighting design by Keith Parham, costume design by Kristine Knanishu, sound design by Tony Smolenski, projection design by Peter Flaherty, properties design by Michele Spadaro and musical direction by J. Oconer Navarro.
Schmidt (composer/co-librettist) is a Milwaukee-based composer/sound designer. His work has been featured at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Writers Theatre In Glencoe, Next Theatre, Northlight Theatre and Seanachai Theatre Company (Chicago), Alley Theatre (Houston), Kennedy Center and Fords Theatre (Washington DC), Public Theater (associate design), Jean Cocteau Rep and Genesius Theatre Guild (both NYC), South Coast Repertory, American Players Theatre (Spring Green), Madison Rep and UW-Madison (Madison), Milwaukee Rep, Milwaukee Ballet, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Milwaukee Shakespeare and elsewhere. He is a recipient of an NEA/TCG Career Development Program Award and was named one of nine emerging designers in Entertainment/Design Magazine in 2004. He has received four Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and two awards for his composition/sound design work in Chicago.
Loewith (co-librettist) is a Jeff and After Dark award-winning producer, director and writer. As artistic director of Chicagos Next Theatre Company since 2002, he has directed the area premieres of plays by John Patrick Shanley, Christopher Durang, Lynn Nottage, Paula Vogel and many others. Prior to the Next, he spent two years as artistic administrator at Chicagos Court Theatre and five years as general manager/dramaturg at Off Broadways Classic Stage Company. He serves on advisory boards for New Yorks Red Bull Theatre and Synapse Productions and Philadelphias Flashpoint Theater. Other directing credits include his own play Bert Brecht Before the House Un-American Activities Committee for HERE, the New York International Fringe Festival and workshops of his own adaptations at CSC.
The Minetta Lane Theatre, one block south of West 3rd Street and east of Sixth Avenue, is located at 18 Minetta Lane in Greenwich Village.
The performance schedule for Adding Machine is Tuesday-Friday at 8 PM, Saturday at 3 & 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM. Tickets are $65 and are available by calling the Minetta Lane Theatre box office at (212) 420-8000 or Ticketmaster at (212) 307-4100 or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com.
A limited number of $25 student rush tickets will be available in person at the box office on the day of the performance, subject to availability.
For more information visit www.addingmachineamusical.com.
A Jeff winner as Best New Musical in Chicago, the 90-minute intermissionless Adding Machine features a score by Joshua Schmidt and a libretto by Jason Loewith and Schmidt. David Cromer directs, as he did the world premiere at Next Theatre Company in Evanston, IL, in 2007. The spare, dark spaces created by Cromer include a gray bedroom, a lifeless parlor, an airless accounting office, a death-row jailhouse and - in a surprise explosion of light - a place many people dream of.
Joining the trio of Cyrilla Baer as Mrs. Zero, Joel Hatch as Mr. Zero and Amy Warren as Daisy (all reprising their acclaimed performances from the original production) are Joe Farrell as Shrdlu, Jeff Still in multiple roles as the Boss, Fixer and Charles, Adinah Alexander as Mrs. Two, Niffer Clarke as Mrs. One, Roger E. DeWitt as Mr. Two and Daniel Marcus as Mr. One.
"Darkly comic and heartbreakingly beautiful, Adding Machine, a musical adaptation of Elmer Rices incendiary 1923 play, tells the story of Mr. Zero, who after 25 years of service to his company is replaced by a mechanical adding machine," according to production notes. "In a vengeful rage, he murders his boss. An eclectic score gives passionate and memorable voice to this stylish and stylized production, which follows Zeros journey to the afterlife in the Elysian Fields where he is met with one last chance for romance and redemption."
The score is brazenly non-commercial and has been embraced by industry folk for perfectly capturing the grinding joylessness of its stuck, loveless, workaday characters.
Whats the musical flavor or shape of the show? Co-librettist Loewith told Playbill.com, "Each of the musicals seven scenes features its own musical vocabulary, though words, melodic fragments, phrases of music and even whole pieces repeat often to create a fully-conceived dramatic arc. An academic might call our work a 21st century reimagining of early-20th century expressionism. Its not at all a standard Broadway book musical, as works like Carousel or Oklahoma! - but its not like the contemporary opera experiments of John Adams or Phillip Glass, either. We hope that weve taken full advantage of American musical idiom without becoming collagist. If the Chicago production was any indication, we managed to put together a coherent work of music-theatre, even if its hard to put a label on it!"
How is the New York production different than the Chicago one?
"We learned a lot in Chicago about what worked and what needed tightening," Loewith said. "With the enormous help of director David Cromer, we did some judicious trimming of the book and added more music to the final two scenes. I think if weve succeeded, the audience will identify even more fully with Zeros journey, and find themselves asking just what constitutes personal freedom in 21st century America."
The authors "wanted to reflect the experimental nature of Rices play, which veers from naturalism to expressionism to proto-absurdism from scene to scene," Loewith said.
Is it experimental? Loewith explained, "Joshs music uses Rices own expressionist techniques as a jumping-off point. The music becomes self-referential in the way Rices play experiments with clashing styles. So sure, its experimental. We set out not to break the rules, but [be] blissfully ignorant of them. I dont think Josh has ever seen a traditional musical, and Id never written one."
Adding Machine is produced Off-Broadway by Scott Morfee, Tom Wirtshafter and Margaret Cotter and features scenic design by Takeshi Kata, lighting design by Keith Parham, costume design by Kristine Knanishu, sound design by Tony Smolenski, projection design by Peter Flaherty, properties design by Michele Spadaro and musical direction by J. Oconer Navarro.
Schmidt (composer/co-librettist) is a Milwaukee-based composer/sound designer. His work has been featured at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Writers Theatre In Glencoe, Next Theatre, Northlight Theatre and Seanachai Theatre Company (Chicago), Alley Theatre (Houston), Kennedy Center and Fords Theatre (Washington DC), Public Theater (associate design), Jean Cocteau Rep and Genesius Theatre Guild (both NYC), South Coast Repertory, American Players Theatre (Spring Green), Madison Rep and UW-Madison (Madison), Milwaukee Rep, Milwaukee Ballet, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Milwaukee Shakespeare and elsewhere. He is a recipient of an NEA/TCG Career Development Program Award and was named one of nine emerging designers in Entertainment/Design Magazine in 2004. He has received four Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and two awards for his composition/sound design work in Chicago.
Loewith (co-librettist) is a Jeff and After Dark award-winning producer, director and writer. As artistic director of Chicagos Next Theatre Company since 2002, he has directed the area premieres of plays by John Patrick Shanley, Christopher Durang, Lynn Nottage, Paula Vogel and many others. Prior to the Next, he spent two years as artistic administrator at Chicagos Court Theatre and five years as general manager/dramaturg at Off Broadways Classic Stage Company. He serves on advisory boards for New Yorks Red Bull Theatre and Synapse Productions and Philadelphias Flashpoint Theater. Other directing credits include his own play Bert Brecht Before the House Un-American Activities Committee for HERE, the New York International Fringe Festival and workshops of his own adaptations at CSC.
The Minetta Lane Theatre, one block south of West 3rd Street and east of Sixth Avenue, is located at 18 Minetta Lane in Greenwich Village.
The performance schedule for Adding Machine is Tuesday-Friday at 8 PM, Saturday at 3 & 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM. Tickets are $65 and are available by calling the Minetta Lane Theatre box office at (212) 420-8000 or Ticketmaster at (212) 307-4100 or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com.
A limited number of $25 student rush tickets will be available in person at the box office on the day of the performance, subject to availability.
For more information visit www.addingmachineamusical.com.
Coen brothers movie wins 4 Oscars (AP)
LOS ANGELES - They ground up Steve Buscemi in a wood-chipper. They made baby-snatchers out of Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter. They turned mythic Greek wanderer Odysseus into a Depression-era roots-music minstrel with George Clooney's face.
Two of the most imaginatively twisted minds in modern film, Joel and Ethan Coen, completed their journey from the fringes to Hollywood's mainstream on Sunday as their crime saga "No Country for Old Men" won a leading four Academy Awards, including best picture.
In a year when the quirky, offbeat and just plain weird storytelling of the Coens triumphed at the biggest ceremony in show business, the oddball brothers found a lot to like in their fellow nominees.
"It sounds like a cliche, but all the movies that were nominated were really interesting to me personally, and that isn't always the case," Joel Coen said. "All of them to me personally I thought were fantastically good movies."
The Coens' brooding, bloody tale of violence in a desolate corner of west Texas was the American standard-bearer for an Oscar show that otherwise had an international flair.
All four acting prizes went to Europeans: Frenchwoman Marion Cotillard, the best-actress winner for "La Vie En Rose"; Spaniard Javier Bardem, who took supporting actor for "No Country"; and Brits Daniel Day-Lewis and Tilda Swinton, he claiming his second best-actor honor for "There Will Be Blood," she winning supporting actress for "Michael Clayton."
Talking to reporters backstage, Swinton still was in disbelief, saying she initially thought "I heard someone else's name and suddenly, slowly heard my own" when she was announced as the winner for her role as a ruthless attorney.
"I'm still recovering from that moment, and I have absolutely no idea what happened after that," Swinton said. "So, you know, you can tell me my dress fell off and I'd believe you, so don't be cruel."
Day-Lewis, a previous best-actor winner for "My Left Foot," was gratified that a line he utters in "There Will Be Blood" -- "I drink your milkshake," a reference to draining oil that's not yours -- has found a life in the broader vernacular.
"I think it's fantastic," Day-Lewis said. "If people absorb something that you've done -- for whatever your reasons are, it's not relevant -- but if that gets absorbed into the culture in such a way that people make something else, somebody can make something else out of it, that's delightful to me."
By winning three Oscars -- best picture as producers on the film, director and adapted screenplay -- the Coens matched a feat achieved by only an elite list of filmmakers who also received three awards for a single film, including Francis Ford Coppola ("The Godfather Part II"), James Cameron ("Titanic") and Billy Wilder ("The Apartment").
They did miss out on a chance to become the only people to win four Oscars with one film, losing the editing prize, for which they had been nominated under the pseudonym Roderick Jaynes.
How did the fictitious Jaynes, whom the Coens describe as a cranky British recluse in his 80s, take the loss? "We haven't talked to him," Ethan Coen said backstage. "We know he's elderly and unhappy, so probably not well."
Crime often has paid for the Coens, a pair of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett fans who gravitate toward lawbreakers even in their comedies, such as Cage and Hunter's infant-kidnappers in "Raising Arizona," the bumbling thieves in "The Ladykillers," an abduction that leaves a trail of bodies -- including Buscemi in a wood-chipper -- in "Fargo," or Clooney and his fellow jailbreakers in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"
"They're as talented as anybody in the game over decades now," Clooney, a best-actor nominee for "Michael Clayton," said of the Coens. "For 20 years they've made films that last."
In addition to its Oscar haul, "No Country" has delivered the Coens' biggest commercial spoils with $64 million and climbing at the domestic box office, topping the $45.5 million gross of "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"
The biggest commercial success among the best-picture nominees, the $100 million hit "Juno," came away with the original screenplay Oscar for first-time scriptwriter Diablo Cody, who penned wickedly smart dialogue for her cast, led by best-actress nominee Ellen Page as a pregnant teen.
"I've always been a writer, I've always been a storyteller, but I never thought about screenwriting," Cody said backstage. "I grew up in the Midwest, you don't know any screenwriters. It didn't seem like a realistic career possibility."
Adding to the international Oscar flavor, the animation winner was a U.S. film set in a Paris restaurant, "Ratatouille." The best-song recipient was a tune written by the Irish and Czech stars of a micro-budgeted romance set in Dublin, "Once."
The globe-trotting thriller "The Bourne Ultimatum" swept all three of its categories, film editing, sound editing and sound mixing. Other winners included three films set around Britain and Europe: "Atonement" (music score), "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (costume design) and "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (art direction).
Host Jon Stewart started his opening monologue with a wisecrack about the 100-day writers strike that ended just in time for the Oscars to come off as usual.
"These past three and a half months have been very tough. The town was torn apart by a bitter writer's strike, but I'm happy to say that the fight is over," Stewart said. "So tonight, welcome to the makeup sex."
As singer Edith Piaf in "La Vie En Rose," Cotillard became the first performer ever to win an Oscar for a French-language film. Backstage, she crooned a bit of a Piaf song in French and described the task she had in playing the singer from her fiery teens to her fragile 40s.
"My aim was to understand her, to understand her heart, her soul, and so I went as deep as I could," Cotillard said. "I tried to do my best to find her inside me. But it was not so hard because I really love her."
___
On the Net:
Academy Awards: http://www.oscars.org
(This version CORRECTS to Diablo Cody from Cody Diablo. )
Two of the most imaginatively twisted minds in modern film, Joel and Ethan Coen, completed their journey from the fringes to Hollywood's mainstream on Sunday as their crime saga "No Country for Old Men" won a leading four Academy Awards, including best picture.
In a year when the quirky, offbeat and just plain weird storytelling of the Coens triumphed at the biggest ceremony in show business, the oddball brothers found a lot to like in their fellow nominees.
"It sounds like a cliche, but all the movies that were nominated were really interesting to me personally, and that isn't always the case," Joel Coen said. "All of them to me personally I thought were fantastically good movies."
The Coens' brooding, bloody tale of violence in a desolate corner of west Texas was the American standard-bearer for an Oscar show that otherwise had an international flair.
All four acting prizes went to Europeans: Frenchwoman Marion Cotillard, the best-actress winner for "La Vie En Rose"; Spaniard Javier Bardem, who took supporting actor for "No Country"; and Brits Daniel Day-Lewis and Tilda Swinton, he claiming his second best-actor honor for "There Will Be Blood," she winning supporting actress for "Michael Clayton."
Talking to reporters backstage, Swinton still was in disbelief, saying she initially thought "I heard someone else's name and suddenly, slowly heard my own" when she was announced as the winner for her role as a ruthless attorney.
"I'm still recovering from that moment, and I have absolutely no idea what happened after that," Swinton said. "So, you know, you can tell me my dress fell off and I'd believe you, so don't be cruel."
Day-Lewis, a previous best-actor winner for "My Left Foot," was gratified that a line he utters in "There Will Be Blood" -- "I drink your milkshake," a reference to draining oil that's not yours -- has found a life in the broader vernacular.
"I think it's fantastic," Day-Lewis said. "If people absorb something that you've done -- for whatever your reasons are, it's not relevant -- but if that gets absorbed into the culture in such a way that people make something else, somebody can make something else out of it, that's delightful to me."
By winning three Oscars -- best picture as producers on the film, director and adapted screenplay -- the Coens matched a feat achieved by only an elite list of filmmakers who also received three awards for a single film, including Francis Ford Coppola ("The Godfather Part II"), James Cameron ("Titanic") and Billy Wilder ("The Apartment").
They did miss out on a chance to become the only people to win four Oscars with one film, losing the editing prize, for which they had been nominated under the pseudonym Roderick Jaynes.
How did the fictitious Jaynes, whom the Coens describe as a cranky British recluse in his 80s, take the loss? "We haven't talked to him," Ethan Coen said backstage. "We know he's elderly and unhappy, so probably not well."
Crime often has paid for the Coens, a pair of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett fans who gravitate toward lawbreakers even in their comedies, such as Cage and Hunter's infant-kidnappers in "Raising Arizona," the bumbling thieves in "The Ladykillers," an abduction that leaves a trail of bodies -- including Buscemi in a wood-chipper -- in "Fargo," or Clooney and his fellow jailbreakers in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"
"They're as talented as anybody in the game over decades now," Clooney, a best-actor nominee for "Michael Clayton," said of the Coens. "For 20 years they've made films that last."
In addition to its Oscar haul, "No Country" has delivered the Coens' biggest commercial spoils with $64 million and climbing at the domestic box office, topping the $45.5 million gross of "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"
The biggest commercial success among the best-picture nominees, the $100 million hit "Juno," came away with the original screenplay Oscar for first-time scriptwriter Diablo Cody, who penned wickedly smart dialogue for her cast, led by best-actress nominee Ellen Page as a pregnant teen.
"I've always been a writer, I've always been a storyteller, but I never thought about screenwriting," Cody said backstage. "I grew up in the Midwest, you don't know any screenwriters. It didn't seem like a realistic career possibility."
Adding to the international Oscar flavor, the animation winner was a U.S. film set in a Paris restaurant, "Ratatouille." The best-song recipient was a tune written by the Irish and Czech stars of a micro-budgeted romance set in Dublin, "Once."
The globe-trotting thriller "The Bourne Ultimatum" swept all three of its categories, film editing, sound editing and sound mixing. Other winners included three films set around Britain and Europe: "Atonement" (music score), "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (costume design) and "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (art direction).
Host Jon Stewart started his opening monologue with a wisecrack about the 100-day writers strike that ended just in time for the Oscars to come off as usual.
"These past three and a half months have been very tough. The town was torn apart by a bitter writer's strike, but I'm happy to say that the fight is over," Stewart said. "So tonight, welcome to the makeup sex."
As singer Edith Piaf in "La Vie En Rose," Cotillard became the first performer ever to win an Oscar for a French-language film. Backstage, she crooned a bit of a Piaf song in French and described the task she had in playing the singer from her fiery teens to her fragile 40s.
"My aim was to understand her, to understand her heart, her soul, and so I went as deep as I could," Cotillard said. "I tried to do my best to find her inside me. But it was not so hard because I really love her."
___
On the Net:
Academy Awards: http://www.oscars.org
(This version CORRECTS to Diablo Cody from Cody Diablo. )
Warner Music digital head Zubillaga to quit (Reuters)
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Warner Music Group, the worlds third-largest music company, said on Monday its executive vice president of digital strategy, Alex Zubillaga, is leaving the business in June to pursue other opportunities.
Zubillaga has overseen key digital initiatives at Warner as the company has made the difficult transition from selling music on CDs to selling songs in digital files such as MP3 and licensing music videos for Web sites like YouTube and Yahoo Inc. He will be replaced by long-time Warner digital executive Michael Nash.
Digital strategy has become the linchpin for the future of the music business as major companies work frantically to strike deals with new partners on the Web and mobile platforms to boost revenue and stymie piracy.
Warner said it has seen digital revenue grow from a standing start four years ago to 141 million in its fiscal first quarter over the Christmas period, representing 14 percent of the companys total revenue.
Before joining Warner, Zubillaga was a managing director and co-founder of Lexa Partners, a venture capital firm which was part of the investor group that included Thomas H Lee Partners, Bain Capital and Providence Equity Partners and which purchased Warner from Time Warner Inc in 2004.
Zubillaga, who is a brother-in-law of Warner Music Chief Executive Edgar Bronfman, said in a statement he is eager to return to his entrepreneurial roots.
(Reporting by Yinka Adegoke; Editing by Quentin Bryar)
Zubillaga has overseen key digital initiatives at Warner as the company has made the difficult transition from selling music on CDs to selling songs in digital files such as MP3 and licensing music videos for Web sites like YouTube and Yahoo Inc. He will be replaced by long-time Warner digital executive Michael Nash.
Digital strategy has become the linchpin for the future of the music business as major companies work frantically to strike deals with new partners on the Web and mobile platforms to boost revenue and stymie piracy.
Warner said it has seen digital revenue grow from a standing start four years ago to 141 million in its fiscal first quarter over the Christmas period, representing 14 percent of the companys total revenue.
Before joining Warner, Zubillaga was a managing director and co-founder of Lexa Partners, a venture capital firm which was part of the investor group that included Thomas H Lee Partners, Bain Capital and Providence Equity Partners and which purchased Warner from Time Warner Inc in 2004.
Zubillaga, who is a brother-in-law of Warner Music Chief Executive Edgar Bronfman, said in a statement he is eager to return to his entrepreneurial roots.
(Reporting by Yinka Adegoke; Editing by Quentin Bryar)
Jon Stewart opens Oscars with post-strike humor (Reuters)
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Political satirist Jon Stewart returned as Oscar host on Sunday with a slew of jokes about the bitter Hollywood writers strike that had threatened the show and the grim, violent themes of many of the films.
"Tonight we look beyond the dark days to focus on happier fare -- this years slate of Oscar-nominated psychopathic killer movies," Stewart dead-panned, adding "Does this town need a hug?"
He then ticked off the titles of several of this seasons bloodier Oscar contenders.
"No Country For Old Men, Sweeney Todd, There Will Be Blood. All I can say is: Thank God for teen pregnancy," he joked in a reference to the only comedy vying for best picture, "Juno," a story of unexpected motherhood.
The introductory monologue by Stewart, making his second appearance as Oscar host, was notably shorter than his opening performance in 2006, owing to production constraints posed by the Hollywood writers strike.
The 14-week walkout officially ended on February 12, giving Oscar producers just 11 days to write material for a live telecast that normally takes many weeks to prepare.
PLAYFUL, IRREVERENT TONE
Early reviews of the Oscar event and Stewarts performance noted that the rush to produce the show was evident in the large number of video montages and clips.
Daily Variety critic Brian Lowry said Stewart "played it pretty safe" in his opening routine but "earned his keep by maintaining a playful, irreverent tone throughout the night."
A review by Frank Scheck in the Hollywood Reporter said "Stewart was relaxed and funny, even if his opening monologue was more notable for its brevity than its one-liners."
For weeks, the Oscar show also was threatened with the possibility that stars might boycott the event in support of striking writers rather than cross picket lines.
"These past 3-1/2 months have been very tough," said Stewart, whose own nightly cable TV show was thrown into reruns by the labor dispute. "Im happy to say that the fight is over. So tonight, welcome to the makeup sex."
One of Stewarts biggest laughs came as he mentioned the cancellation of the annual Oscar party hosted by Vanity Fair magazine, "out of respect for the writers."
"You know another way they could show respect for the writers? Maybe one day invite some of them to the Vanity Fair Oscar party," he joked. "Dont worry. They wont mingle."
Turning his humor on his favorite comic targets, Stewart used a number of Oscar references to segue into jabs at the candidates running for president.
"Julie Christie was absolutely amazing in Away from Her ... a moving story of a woman who forgets her own husband," he said. "Hillary Clinton called it the feel-good movie of the year."
And in a reference to the presumed Republican nominee, 71-year-old John McCain, Stewart noted that "Oscar is 80 this year, which makes him now automatically the front-runner for the Republican nomination."
Stewart also took a veiled crack at the Iraq war policy and rhetoric of President George W. Bush and McCain as he joked about the anemic box office performance of several Iraq-themed movies in recent months.
"I am telling you, if we stay the course and keep these movies in the theaters, we can turn this around," he shouted. "Withdrawing the Iraq movies would only embolden the audience. We cannot let the audience win."
(Editing by Dean Goodman and John OCallaghan)
"Tonight we look beyond the dark days to focus on happier fare -- this years slate of Oscar-nominated psychopathic killer movies," Stewart dead-panned, adding "Does this town need a hug?"
He then ticked off the titles of several of this seasons bloodier Oscar contenders.
"No Country For Old Men, Sweeney Todd, There Will Be Blood. All I can say is: Thank God for teen pregnancy," he joked in a reference to the only comedy vying for best picture, "Juno," a story of unexpected motherhood.
The introductory monologue by Stewart, making his second appearance as Oscar host, was notably shorter than his opening performance in 2006, owing to production constraints posed by the Hollywood writers strike.
The 14-week walkout officially ended on February 12, giving Oscar producers just 11 days to write material for a live telecast that normally takes many weeks to prepare.
PLAYFUL, IRREVERENT TONE
Early reviews of the Oscar event and Stewarts performance noted that the rush to produce the show was evident in the large number of video montages and clips.
Daily Variety critic Brian Lowry said Stewart "played it pretty safe" in his opening routine but "earned his keep by maintaining a playful, irreverent tone throughout the night."
A review by Frank Scheck in the Hollywood Reporter said "Stewart was relaxed and funny, even if his opening monologue was more notable for its brevity than its one-liners."
For weeks, the Oscar show also was threatened with the possibility that stars might boycott the event in support of striking writers rather than cross picket lines.
"These past 3-1/2 months have been very tough," said Stewart, whose own nightly cable TV show was thrown into reruns by the labor dispute. "Im happy to say that the fight is over. So tonight, welcome to the makeup sex."
One of Stewarts biggest laughs came as he mentioned the cancellation of the annual Oscar party hosted by Vanity Fair magazine, "out of respect for the writers."
"You know another way they could show respect for the writers? Maybe one day invite some of them to the Vanity Fair Oscar party," he joked. "Dont worry. They wont mingle."
Turning his humor on his favorite comic targets, Stewart used a number of Oscar references to segue into jabs at the candidates running for president.
"Julie Christie was absolutely amazing in Away from Her ... a moving story of a woman who forgets her own husband," he said. "Hillary Clinton called it the feel-good movie of the year."
And in a reference to the presumed Republican nominee, 71-year-old John McCain, Stewart noted that "Oscar is 80 this year, which makes him now automatically the front-runner for the Republican nomination."
Stewart also took a veiled crack at the Iraq war policy and rhetoric of President George W. Bush and McCain as he joked about the anemic box office performance of several Iraq-themed movies in recent months.
"I am telling you, if we stay the course and keep these movies in the theaters, we can turn this around," he shouted. "Withdrawing the Iraq movies would only embolden the audience. We cannot let the audience win."
(Editing by Dean Goodman and John OCallaghan)
Writer Stephen Marlowe dies (AP)
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - Novelist Stephen Marlowe, best known for a series of books featuring private detective Chester Drum, died Friday at a hospital after a long illness, his family said in a statement. He was 79.
Marlowe began his career as a writer of pulp and science fiction and wrote more than 50 novels. His series featuring Chester Drum began with "The Second Longest Night" in 1955 and concluded with "Drumbeat Marianne" in 1968. His more recent work included fictionalized biographies, including "The Memoirs of Christopher Columbus" in 1987, "The Lighthouse at the End of the World" in 1995 and "The Death and Life of Miguel de Cervantes" in 1996.
Marlowe was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1949 with a degree in philosophy before serving two years in the Army. He spent decades of his working life overseas, mostly in France and Spain, and founded a writer-in-residence program at his alma mater in 1974.
Marlowe received France's Prix Gutenberg du Livre in 1988 and the Life Achievement Award of the Private Eye Writers of America in 1997.
He is survived by his wife, Ann, and two daughters.
Marlowe began his career as a writer of pulp and science fiction and wrote more than 50 novels. His series featuring Chester Drum began with "The Second Longest Night" in 1955 and concluded with "Drumbeat Marianne" in 1968. His more recent work included fictionalized biographies, including "The Memoirs of Christopher Columbus" in 1987, "The Lighthouse at the End of the World" in 1995 and "The Death and Life of Miguel de Cervantes" in 1996.
Marlowe was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1949 with a degree in philosophy before serving two years in the Army. He spent decades of his working life overseas, mostly in France and Spain, and founded a writer-in-residence program at his alma mater in 1974.
Marlowe received France's Prix Gutenberg du Livre in 1988 and the Life Achievement Award of the Private Eye Writers of America in 1997.
He is survived by his wife, Ann, and two daughters.
The Oscar moments you didn't see on TV (AP)
LOS ANGELES - Most of the action on the Oscar stage is choreographed and rehearsed. Backstage is another story.
In the wings of the Kodak Theatre, stars grapple with nerves, have impromptu meetings with colleagues and make last-minute adjustments to their hair and makeup. Presenters and performers mingle with brand-new Oscar winners while dodging props and cameramen.
What you see on TV is Hollywood magic. Backstage is like a home movie, where everybody knows each other and they're all excited about putting on a show.
___
OSCAR SHOCK: As Marion Cotillard stepped offstage with the best-actress Oscar for "La Vie En Rose," Forest Whitaker enveloped her in a hug that lasted at least a minute.
Then they looked at each other and laughed.
"I'm shaking, like wow," Cotillard trembled.
Stopping by the backstage "thank you" cam, she expressed her gratitude in French and studied her Oscar.
"I'm shaking so much I think I can't talk," she said.
Whitaker led her arm-in-arm behind the stage on the winner's walk.
"This is huge, this is huge," she gushed as backstage workers applauded.
At a stop for a makeup touch up she tried to breathe deeply.
"This is crazy, this is totally crazy. Ooh la la la la! It's totally surreal," she said.
Tilda Swinton was so stunned by her win for supporting actress in "Michael Clayton" that she could only keep repeating "wow, wow" as she walked offstage.
Presenter Alan Arkin chased her with the winner's envelope.
"Oh yes, this is the proof," Swinton said, leaving arm-in-arm with Arkin.
___
JITTERS: Katherine Heigl wasn't kidding when she told the Oscar audience she was nervous.
Behind the scenes, a stagehand asked if she was OK.
"I just need a cigarette," she said, bumming one from a security guard and heading out to a loading dock.
Cameron Diaz also had a bad moment when she couldn't quite say the word "cinematography" on stage, and she was slow to recover from the flub afterward.
"I couldn't say my category," Diaz said to Amy Adams.
"You did great," Adams reassured.
Later in the evening, Diaz confessed her mistake again to Jennifer Garner.
"It made you charming," Garner soothed. "It made you cuter, like the world didn't know you were cute."
___
NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOE BUSINESS: Adjusting her dress as she stepped into the theater wings and prepared to take the stage, Jennifer Garner confessed to the stage manager: "I'd like to take my shoes off."
"We could do it," he replied.
Instead, she looked skyward and said, "I didn't mean it, karmic dressing gods," and walked in a small circle.
"I'm just going to make sure I'm not going to fall," she explained.
Renee Zellweger had slung her silver Christian Louboutins over her shoulder when Johnny Depp ran into her.
"I like your shoes," Depp said.
"Thanks man," Zellweger replied. "I used to like the shoes."
___
STAR CLUSTERS: At times it seemed there were as many stars in the green room as in the audience.
Penelope Cruz sat by her sister, Monica, and fanned herself. They were joined by Miley Cyrus, Johnny Depp and companion Vanessa Paradis, and Forest Whitaker.
Marion Cotillard was about to join them when she learned she would have to smoke outside.
In a hallway, Patrick Dempsey and "Grey's Anatomy" co-star Katherine Heigl met up with "Enchanted" star Amy Adams, and all agreed that appearing at the Academy Awards is no easy task.
"It's surreal," said Adams.
Later, she met her "Charlie Wilson's War" co-star Tom Hanks in the wings of the Kodak. Hanks complimented Adams on her outfit and her performance of "Happy Working Song."
"I'm so relieved," she said.
Hanks said that as he watched her he thought, "Wow, they make her do it all by herself."
"No costume, no anything," she replied. "It's like, 'Sell it, girl.'"
___
CELEBRITY PLUMBING: The restroom just offstage was another Kodak Theatre hotspot.
Jessica Alba and Forest Whitaker waited in line, and Javier Bardem brought his Oscar inside with him.
First-time presenters Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill passed the crowd on the way to the stage, but Hill paused and thought better of it. They joined lineup.
___
TOM TOUCH-UP: Tom Hanks got a bit of powder from a makeup artist in the view of backstage photographers.
"Boys, get a picture of this. It's so masculine," he said, adding in nasally voice: "Oh look, Hanks is getting his face powdered at the Academy Awards. He stormed Normandy Beach in 'Saving Private Ryan.'"
___
THAT'S A WRAP: When the curtain fell, host Jon Stewart and his writing staff gathered on stage.
"You did such an awesome job, great job, really, really nice job," Stewart said before posing with the crew.
Fourteen-time Oscar telecast producer Gil Cates joined them.
"Guys I gotta hug all of you. I think I'm older than all of you put together," Cates said.
Stewart told reporters his recipe was getting "back to basics"
"You let it come to you. You let it come. I think the crowd was ready to have fun," he said.
___
LADIES MAN: This backstage reporter was just trying to get out of Jack Nicholson's way, but ended up in his crosshairs.
As he passed in a narrow corridor he brushed against her synthetic white fur coat.
"Nice jacket," he said half under his breath.
As the reporter thanked him, photographers in the hallway aimed their cameras.
"Let's have a picture," said Nicholson.
In the wings of the Kodak Theatre, stars grapple with nerves, have impromptu meetings with colleagues and make last-minute adjustments to their hair and makeup. Presenters and performers mingle with brand-new Oscar winners while dodging props and cameramen.
What you see on TV is Hollywood magic. Backstage is like a home movie, where everybody knows each other and they're all excited about putting on a show.
___
OSCAR SHOCK: As Marion Cotillard stepped offstage with the best-actress Oscar for "La Vie En Rose," Forest Whitaker enveloped her in a hug that lasted at least a minute.
Then they looked at each other and laughed.
"I'm shaking, like wow," Cotillard trembled.
Stopping by the backstage "thank you" cam, she expressed her gratitude in French and studied her Oscar.
"I'm shaking so much I think I can't talk," she said.
Whitaker led her arm-in-arm behind the stage on the winner's walk.
"This is huge, this is huge," she gushed as backstage workers applauded.
At a stop for a makeup touch up she tried to breathe deeply.
"This is crazy, this is totally crazy. Ooh la la la la! It's totally surreal," she said.
Tilda Swinton was so stunned by her win for supporting actress in "Michael Clayton" that she could only keep repeating "wow, wow" as she walked offstage.
Presenter Alan Arkin chased her with the winner's envelope.
"Oh yes, this is the proof," Swinton said, leaving arm-in-arm with Arkin.
___
JITTERS: Katherine Heigl wasn't kidding when she told the Oscar audience she was nervous.
Behind the scenes, a stagehand asked if she was OK.
"I just need a cigarette," she said, bumming one from a security guard and heading out to a loading dock.
Cameron Diaz also had a bad moment when she couldn't quite say the word "cinematography" on stage, and she was slow to recover from the flub afterward.
"I couldn't say my category," Diaz said to Amy Adams.
"You did great," Adams reassured.
Later in the evening, Diaz confessed her mistake again to Jennifer Garner.
"It made you charming," Garner soothed. "It made you cuter, like the world didn't know you were cute."
___
NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOE BUSINESS: Adjusting her dress as she stepped into the theater wings and prepared to take the stage, Jennifer Garner confessed to the stage manager: "I'd like to take my shoes off."
"We could do it," he replied.
Instead, she looked skyward and said, "I didn't mean it, karmic dressing gods," and walked in a small circle.
"I'm just going to make sure I'm not going to fall," she explained.
Renee Zellweger had slung her silver Christian Louboutins over her shoulder when Johnny Depp ran into her.
"I like your shoes," Depp said.
"Thanks man," Zellweger replied. "I used to like the shoes."
___
STAR CLUSTERS: At times it seemed there were as many stars in the green room as in the audience.
Penelope Cruz sat by her sister, Monica, and fanned herself. They were joined by Miley Cyrus, Johnny Depp and companion Vanessa Paradis, and Forest Whitaker.
Marion Cotillard was about to join them when she learned she would have to smoke outside.
In a hallway, Patrick Dempsey and "Grey's Anatomy" co-star Katherine Heigl met up with "Enchanted" star Amy Adams, and all agreed that appearing at the Academy Awards is no easy task.
"It's surreal," said Adams.
Later, she met her "Charlie Wilson's War" co-star Tom Hanks in the wings of the Kodak. Hanks complimented Adams on her outfit and her performance of "Happy Working Song."
"I'm so relieved," she said.
Hanks said that as he watched her he thought, "Wow, they make her do it all by herself."
"No costume, no anything," she replied. "It's like, 'Sell it, girl.'"
___
CELEBRITY PLUMBING: The restroom just offstage was another Kodak Theatre hotspot.
Jessica Alba and Forest Whitaker waited in line, and Javier Bardem brought his Oscar inside with him.
First-time presenters Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill passed the crowd on the way to the stage, but Hill paused and thought better of it. They joined lineup.
___
TOM TOUCH-UP: Tom Hanks got a bit of powder from a makeup artist in the view of backstage photographers.
"Boys, get a picture of this. It's so masculine," he said, adding in nasally voice: "Oh look, Hanks is getting his face powdered at the Academy Awards. He stormed Normandy Beach in 'Saving Private Ryan.'"
___
THAT'S A WRAP: When the curtain fell, host Jon Stewart and his writing staff gathered on stage.
"You did such an awesome job, great job, really, really nice job," Stewart said before posing with the crew.
Fourteen-time Oscar telecast producer Gil Cates joined them.
"Guys I gotta hug all of you. I think I'm older than all of you put together," Cates said.
Stewart told reporters his recipe was getting "back to basics"
"You let it come to you. You let it come. I think the crowd was ready to have fun," he said.
___
LADIES MAN: This backstage reporter was just trying to get out of Jack Nicholson's way, but ended up in his crosshairs.
As he passed in a narrow corridor he brushed against her synthetic white fur coat.
"Nice jacket," he said half under his breath.
As the reporter thanked him, photographers in the hallway aimed their cameras.
"Let's have a picture," said Nicholson.
Obama won?t answer traditional ?boxers or briefs? question
I'm torn in my feelings for Barack Obama. On the one hand, I think he's amazing. On the other, I find it distracting to see someone so attractive running for president. Do you all remember that photo of him on the beach a few years ago? Yeah, distracting. Can you imagine trying to focus on his State of the Union speech? Although I will admit with much embarrassment that I occasionally had the hots for Clinton, so I guess I can get over it. Obama gave a celebrity-friendly interview to Us Weekly in which he said his daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, are aware of Britney Spears and her ilk, but think she's “yuck.” Anyone with kids that smart is good by me.
Do your daughters Sasha and Malia ever ask about Britney Spears?
Actually, yeah. But they're very sensible. They're pretty down on Britney and Paris and all of that. They think that's very "yuck." They're way more into Hannah Montana and Beyonce. They got to go backstage and meet Beyonce and they just love her to death.
Your supporters include Oprah Winfrey. Ever been starstruck?
I don't really get starstruck. Everyone I've met has been very nice and friendly, like Kal Penn. During the writers' strike, he was like a staffer! And Scarlett Johansson has been traveling a lot. George Clooney is a good friend. He and I worked on Darfur issues together. I'm always impressed by people who do their homework and use their celebrity to advocate for issues. George does that just about as well as anyone I know.
[From Us Weekly]
But leave it to Us Weekly to make sure an interview doesn't accidentally sink into something with a little bit of elegance and class. They had to launch into the trite and lame “boxers or briefs” question. But Obama put them into their place pretty quickly – but still gave a good answer.
So, boxers or briefs? Bill Clinton said he wore boxers in a 1992 interview with MTV.
I don't answer those humiliating questions. But whichever one it is, I look good in 'em!
[From Us Weekly]
I would be that's a very true answer. I'm just waiting for some reporter to ask Hillary Clinton what size bra she wears. Or maybe “underwire or soft cup?” “Maxi pads or tampons?” What ridiculousness. I curse Bill for ever answering the question. Actually it's fine that he rolled with it; I curse whoever asked in the first place. You'll notice that no ever asked Bush what was going on underneath his trousers. Shudder at the thought. No one would dream of asking Huckabee what he's sporting down there. Though I think McCain is still fair game.
Here's Barack Obama campaigning at Del Sol High School in Las Vegas on January 11th. Images thanks to PR Photos.
Nicole Richie shows off baby Harlow
Nicole Richie appears on the cover of this week's People with baby Harlow, and the little six week old is super cute and aware-looking.
In the excerpt of the article available on People's website, Richie talks about breastfeeding and having to limit the type of foods she eats so that her baby isn't colicky. In my experience and from what my friends report it's true that what the mother eats affects the breastmilk, particularly in the first few weeks. This gradually goes away after a few months after which you can start adding foods back into your diet.
My son was very fussy until I cut out milk and bread. While some people say that it doesn't matter what the mother eats and cite the spicy food and diets of different cultures, proteins from the mother's diet do pass into the milk, especially in the first few weeks and months. I'm really glad that Richie mentioned this because it's come up with several of my friends with their first babies and doesn't get much attention.
"It's almost like I don't even remember what life was like before her. She gives life a whole new meaning and a whole new purpose."
As for breastfeeding, "There's just so much I can't eat because she's sensitive," says the new mom, 26. "I eat really bland [food] – chicken noodle soup, vegetables, fish. I had to cut out milk, no tomatoes, no lettuce. You think you have to cut everything out when you're pregnant, but you really have to cut everything out when you're breastfeeding."
And while Richie says, "I don't know" how long she was in labor, "because I don't know what time I actually went into labor, but I pushed for 10 minutes," Madden, 28, said of his daughter: "She came out and she was crying. The doctor goes, 'Well, it looks like you got a little girl!' "
[From People.com]
The Journal of the American Medical Association says that pregnant and breastfeeding women should be careful not to eat peanuts because they can possibly cause peanut allergies in their children. From my anecdotal experience again, this is true. There were two women in my La Leche League meetings who had children with peanut allergies and said they frequently snacked on peanut butter sandwiches when their babies were little.
Congratulations to Joel and Nicole. Seeing that cute little one reminds me how quickly the time passes. Good for her for speaking candidly about breastfeeding and having to limit your diet. I know this made me lose weight quickly after my son was born as I subsisted on turkey, chicken and rice for a couple of months. I never quite got as thin as Nicole is now, though.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie skipped event where they would meet Aniston
Angelina and Brad were at the Independent Spirit Awards over the weekend, where they revealed Angelina's baby bump. They didn't show up at the Beverly Hills Hotel for the charity event that night in which Angelina was listed as a co-host along with Jennifer Aniston and about 10 other celebrities. The ultimate in Hollywood showdowns didn't happen, and it was Brad and Angelina who skipped out while Aniston attended for about an hour:
ANGELINA Jolie and Brad Pitt, expecting their second biological child, avoided an Oscar meeting with Pitt's ex Jennifer Aniston by pulling out of a party they were all set to attend.
The pair were due to meet Brad's ex-wife Jennifer at a pre-Oscars party at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Saturday, but instead decided to go to the nearby Film Independent Spirit Awards.
Aniston spent an hour mingling with stars including George Clooney, Jake Gyllenhaal, Seal and Heidi Klum before retreating back to the one of the hotel's private bungalows.
[From The Sydney Herald]
I initially thought that the whole Aniston vs Jolie-Pitt faux feud was just media hype, until they skipped the party, but were still seen at the Independent Spirit Awards that same night.
Angelina was nominated for a Independent Spirit Award for best actress, so that would explain why she decided to head there instead of a pre-Oscar party. Angelina lost in the best actress category to Ellen Page, who took home the Independent Spirit award for her performance in Juno. They weren't nominated for any Oscars, and didn't attend the ceremony or any Oscars parties. The couple didn't attend last year's Oscars ceremony or parties, either, so maybe this was just par for the course for them.
NOTE BY CELEBITCHY: The party was press free and there are no photos outside the event that I can tell, so I'm not sure how the Sydney Herald knows that Brad and Angelina didn't attend. It sounds like they're assuming that they didn't go based on the fact that the Independent Spirit Awards were that night too.
Thanks to Splash News for these pictures from Saturday.
Sean Penn And Petra Nemcova Hit Oscar Parties As A Couple
Let's be honest: the best part of awards shows are all the little bits of gossip you hear afterwards. Like Jon Stewart was actually drunk as a skunk during the whole ceremony last night. Or Jack Nicholson and Javier Bardem got in a fistfight, and Javier sat on Jack's head. Okay none of those things actually happened, but how much would it rock if they did? Well a little bit of juicy gossip that does appear to be true: it seems Sean Penn and Petra Nemcova are hooking up.
Newly single Sean Penn and supermodel Petra Nemcova slipped out of LA's Villa nightclub at 3:10 a.m. this morning-clearly Hollywood's hottest new item.
The pair followed up an appearance at a CAA event two days ago with a full-on assault of coupledom tonight at Elton John's Oscar Party (above). Sean, 47, and Petra, 28, posed on the red carpet at the singer's AIDS Foundation fete and danced to his many hits before heading to Villa.
[From Page Six]
Further confirmation comes from People. While they say there was no “clear cut PDA” when Petra was asked about Penn, she noted, "Yes, we are friends. He is on the advisory board of my charity."
I can't really explain why, but somehow this pairing strikes me as odd. Penn is nineteen years old than Nemcova, but I don't think that's what really seems odd. He just looks like he should be out living in a tree somewhere, while she looks like her image should be chiseled in marble or something. He's very rustic and asymmetrical. And she is highly symmetrical. And since I can't think of any other way to explain why I don't think these two go together, I'm going to rely on symmetry (and a lack thereof) to be my main argument.
Sean Penn split from wife Robin Wright Penn right after Christmas; with both parties citing the traditional “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their divorce. The San Francisco Gate reports that Robin is now dating her ex-boyfriend from the 90s, Jason Patric. It seems fast, but they're both moving on with their lives and that's probably for the best. And Jason Patric is much more symmetrical than Sean Penn.
Rabu, 27 Februari 2008
The math behind the vote (AP)
"Gaming the Vote: Why Elections Aren't Fair (and What We Can Do About It)" (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 352 pages, $25), by William Poundstone: Most analysts doubt Ralph Nader's bid for the White House will divide Democrats and tip the presidency to Republicans in 2008. After all, he received less than 0.4 percent of the vote in 2004, down from nearly 3 percent in 2000.
But according to William Poundstone's new book on voting, tipping the vote is exactly what Nader has sought to do.
To draw votes from Democrats, Republicans paid cash to get Nader on the 2004 ballot -- an enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend tactic that both parties used to divide and cherry pick congressional opponents from San Diego to Pennsylvania in 2006, Poundstone says in "Gaming the Vote: Why Elections Aren't Fair (and What We Can Do About It)."
But spoilers are nothing new, having determined at least five presidential elections since popular voting for the White House widely began in 1828, Poundstone argues. James Polk, Zachary Taylor, Abraham Lincoln, Grover Cleveland, Woodrow Wilson, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush all benefited from a split vote, taking office even though a majority of voters preferred someone else.
How can that happen in a democracy? Poundstone looks for answers in an offshoot of mathematics called social choice theory.
The problem, it turns out, is that neither plurality voting, nor any other known method, is entirely fair. This depressing notion was proved in 1948 by Nobel Prize-winning economist Kenneth Arrow, whose "impossibility theorem" showed that when three or more candidates compete, no voting system yields truly representative results.
"Arrow's work was a death knell for any idealistic notion of democracy," causing concern at the cusp of the Cold War when many of the greatest American minds were bent on proving democracy superior, Poundstone writes.
That's not to say voting theorists and political strategists failed to seek alternatives. Many had long been looking for fairer voting methods -- and better ways to game the plurality system now in place.
In an avalanche of quirky anecdotes, Poundstone surveys their alternatives: The so-called "Borda count" lets voters rank choices on a ballot, while "Condorcet voting" pairs every possible combination of candidates in a one-on-one duel. "Approval voting" allows voters to give a thumbs up or down to multiple candidates, while an "instant runoff" redistributes losing votes to stronger, second choice contenders.
All alternatives are flawed, but Poundstone suggests that one method, "range voting" -- an internet favorite used, for example, to rate books on Amazon.com -- is actually the best among imperfect options, because it allows voters to express their degree of preference with a numerical score, rather than a simple yes or no.
Split into contentious camps, railing proponents of these different methods dismiss one another as "snake oil" salesmen and "mathematical zealots." But their feuding theories leave it unclear what general readers are meant to learn from the mess.
As Poundstone acknowledges: "This ongoing lack of expert consensus has been the biggest obstacle confronting those who would reform American voting."
To an extent, Poundstone's argument is obvious: Spoilers tip elections and political consultants game them because the math behind the vote allows it. What is surprising to hear, though, is that every other way of voting is also inherently flawed.
It seems it might be best, then, to just play the game and stop complaining about the rules.
"Democracy is the worst form of government," Poundstone recalls, citing Winston Churchill, "except all those other forms that have been tried."
But according to William Poundstone's new book on voting, tipping the vote is exactly what Nader has sought to do.
To draw votes from Democrats, Republicans paid cash to get Nader on the 2004 ballot -- an enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend tactic that both parties used to divide and cherry pick congressional opponents from San Diego to Pennsylvania in 2006, Poundstone says in "Gaming the Vote: Why Elections Aren't Fair (and What We Can Do About It)."
But spoilers are nothing new, having determined at least five presidential elections since popular voting for the White House widely began in 1828, Poundstone argues. James Polk, Zachary Taylor, Abraham Lincoln, Grover Cleveland, Woodrow Wilson, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush all benefited from a split vote, taking office even though a majority of voters preferred someone else.
How can that happen in a democracy? Poundstone looks for answers in an offshoot of mathematics called social choice theory.
The problem, it turns out, is that neither plurality voting, nor any other known method, is entirely fair. This depressing notion was proved in 1948 by Nobel Prize-winning economist Kenneth Arrow, whose "impossibility theorem" showed that when three or more candidates compete, no voting system yields truly representative results.
"Arrow's work was a death knell for any idealistic notion of democracy," causing concern at the cusp of the Cold War when many of the greatest American minds were bent on proving democracy superior, Poundstone writes.
That's not to say voting theorists and political strategists failed to seek alternatives. Many had long been looking for fairer voting methods -- and better ways to game the plurality system now in place.
In an avalanche of quirky anecdotes, Poundstone surveys their alternatives: The so-called "Borda count" lets voters rank choices on a ballot, while "Condorcet voting" pairs every possible combination of candidates in a one-on-one duel. "Approval voting" allows voters to give a thumbs up or down to multiple candidates, while an "instant runoff" redistributes losing votes to stronger, second choice contenders.
All alternatives are flawed, but Poundstone suggests that one method, "range voting" -- an internet favorite used, for example, to rate books on Amazon.com -- is actually the best among imperfect options, because it allows voters to express their degree of preference with a numerical score, rather than a simple yes or no.
Split into contentious camps, railing proponents of these different methods dismiss one another as "snake oil" salesmen and "mathematical zealots." But their feuding theories leave it unclear what general readers are meant to learn from the mess.
As Poundstone acknowledges: "This ongoing lack of expert consensus has been the biggest obstacle confronting those who would reform American voting."
To an extent, Poundstone's argument is obvious: Spoilers tip elections and political consultants game them because the math behind the vote allows it. What is surprising to hear, though, is that every other way of voting is also inherently flawed.
It seems it might be best, then, to just play the game and stop complaining about the rules.
"Democracy is the worst form of government," Poundstone recalls, citing Winston Churchill, "except all those other forms that have been tried."
Clapton and Winwood reunion thrills boomers (Reuters)
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - It took nearly 40 years, but the supergroup Blind Faith returned to Madison Square Garden on Monday night for the first of a three-night stand.
Well, OK, it was really just Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood (drummer Ginger Baker is AWOL and bassist Rich Grech died in 1990), but these shows marking the duos first full performances together since 1982 are plenty historic enough.
The classic rock stalwarts, who earned raves last year for their short set at Chicagos Crossroads festival, delivered a two-hour, 20-minute show featuring two-thirds of Blind Faiths recorded output -- that translates to all of four songs -- as well as numbers from their respective solo careers and Winwoods stint with Traffic. Beginning with Bline Faiths "Had to Cry Today" and ending with an encore of "Crossroads," it was a blues-heavy set list guaranteed to please the sold-out baby boomer crowd.
Claptons most recent foray into his past with the Cream reunion shows seemed a distinctly chilly affair, but he clearly was having a terrific time onstage with this former bandmate. Halfway through the show, he commented: "Ive been looking forward to this for a long time. . . . Im enjoying it, so I hope you are. So who knows, maybe well do this a bit more, I think."
Performing with a tight three-piece band that included Willie Weeks (bass), Chris Stainton (keyboards) and Ian Thomas (drums), the duo traded vocals and instrumentals with well-practiced ease. Claptons electrifying solos provided fresh energy to such numbers as Traffics "Pearly Queen" and "Dear Mr. Fantasy," while Winwoods fluid keyboard work and still-soaring vocals enlivened such songs as Jimi Hendrixs "Little Wing" and Claptons "Tell the Truth." Winwood strapped on a guitar for most of the Blind Faith songs, as well as numbers including the rollicking "Low Down."
Each star also delivered one solo number, with Clapton performing an acoustic version of "Ramblin on My Mind" and Winwood delivering a nicely moving take on "Georgia on My Mind."
Of course, the Blind Faith classics including "Had to Cry Today," "Presence of the Lord" and "Cant Find My Way Home" garnered the biggest responses, but such Clapton pop hits as "Forever Man" and "After Midnight" came close.
Reuters/Billboard.
Well, OK, it was really just Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood (drummer Ginger Baker is AWOL and bassist Rich Grech died in 1990), but these shows marking the duos first full performances together since 1982 are plenty historic enough.
The classic rock stalwarts, who earned raves last year for their short set at Chicagos Crossroads festival, delivered a two-hour, 20-minute show featuring two-thirds of Blind Faiths recorded output -- that translates to all of four songs -- as well as numbers from their respective solo careers and Winwoods stint with Traffic. Beginning with Bline Faiths "Had to Cry Today" and ending with an encore of "Crossroads," it was a blues-heavy set list guaranteed to please the sold-out baby boomer crowd.
Claptons most recent foray into his past with the Cream reunion shows seemed a distinctly chilly affair, but he clearly was having a terrific time onstage with this former bandmate. Halfway through the show, he commented: "Ive been looking forward to this for a long time. . . . Im enjoying it, so I hope you are. So who knows, maybe well do this a bit more, I think."
Performing with a tight three-piece band that included Willie Weeks (bass), Chris Stainton (keyboards) and Ian Thomas (drums), the duo traded vocals and instrumentals with well-practiced ease. Claptons electrifying solos provided fresh energy to such numbers as Traffics "Pearly Queen" and "Dear Mr. Fantasy," while Winwoods fluid keyboard work and still-soaring vocals enlivened such songs as Jimi Hendrixs "Little Wing" and Claptons "Tell the Truth." Winwood strapped on a guitar for most of the Blind Faith songs, as well as numbers including the rollicking "Low Down."
Each star also delivered one solo number, with Clapton performing an acoustic version of "Ramblin on My Mind" and Winwood delivering a nicely moving take on "Georgia on My Mind."
Of course, the Blind Faith classics including "Had to Cry Today," "Presence of the Lord" and "Cant Find My Way Home" garnered the biggest responses, but such Clapton pop hits as "Forever Man" and "After Midnight" came close.
Reuters/Billboard.
Michael Jackson's Neverland auction set (AP)
LOS ANGELES - Want Michael Jackson's merry-go-round? How about his locomotive, or his curtains? Those items and more could hit the auction block next month as the pop star's Neverland Ranch will be put up for public sale unless he pays the more than $24 million he still owes on the property, according to a Tuesday court filing.
Financial Title Co. filed the notice of trustee's sale with Santa Barbara County Superior Court, setting the auction date for March 19.
A spokeswoman for Jackson did not return a call for comment.
Julie Wagner, a manager at the San Francisco-based title company, confirmed that Jackson's property was set for auction.
Court documents obtained by Fox News warn Jackson that he has until the date of the auction to take action to keep his lavish estate.
If the property does go to auction, the initial asking price could be higher than the $24.5 million Jackson owes because of interest due and other costs, according to the filing.
Also going up for sale would be all the home's furnishings and items on the property, according to the filing.
The reclusive star no longer lives at the famous, 2,500-acre spread in Los Olivos, a popular tourist spot northwest of Santa Barbara known for its wineries.
He has been mostly residing abroad since his 2005 acquittal on child molestation charges, although he has spent time in Las Vegas as he tries to stage his musical comeback.
Financial Title Co. filed the notice of trustee's sale with Santa Barbara County Superior Court, setting the auction date for March 19.
A spokeswoman for Jackson did not return a call for comment.
Julie Wagner, a manager at the San Francisco-based title company, confirmed that Jackson's property was set for auction.
Court documents obtained by Fox News warn Jackson that he has until the date of the auction to take action to keep his lavish estate.
If the property does go to auction, the initial asking price could be higher than the $24.5 million Jackson owes because of interest due and other costs, according to the filing.
Also going up for sale would be all the home's furnishings and items on the property, according to the filing.
The reclusive star no longer lives at the famous, 2,500-acre spread in Los Olivos, a popular tourist spot northwest of Santa Barbara known for its wineries.
He has been mostly residing abroad since his 2005 acquittal on child molestation charges, although he has spent time in Las Vegas as he tries to stage his musical comeback.
Judge: Photographer hounded Kidman (AP)
SYDNEY, Australia - A celebrity photographer who sued a newspaper for accusing him of hounding Nicole Kidman was handed a huge legal bill instead when a judge ruled his intrusive behavior had frightened the actress.
Jamie Fawcett tried to bug Kidman's house in Sydney and had engaged in a dangerous car chase in his determination to photograph the star, New South Wales state Supreme Court Justice Carolyn Simpson said Wednesday.
"That Ms. Kidman was frightened by Mr. Fawcett's conduct cannot be doubted," Simpson said. "The evidence amply demonstrates that Mr. Fawcett's conduct was `intrusive' and `threatening'."
Fawcett had sued Fairfax Media, publisher of The Sun-Herald newspaper, for defamation for a January 2005 gossip column item that accused him of being Sydney's most disliked photographer who was determined to "wreak havoc" on Kidman's life.
A jury last year found that elements of the item defamed Fawcett, but Fairfax sought a further hearing to try to prove that the published claims were true. Simpson was asked to rule on that, and alternatively whether Fawcett should be paid damages, and if so how much.
Simpson found the published comments were "substantially true" and ruled out damages.
She ordered Fawcett to pay Fairfax's legal costs, which were not immediately revealed but would likely run to many tens of thousands of dollars.
Fawcett, who has a reputation as a paparazzi-style photographer who specializes in photographing Kidman when the Oscar winner is on her regular visits to her home town of Sydney, said he would likely appeal Wednesday's ruling.
"It is a massive economic decision for me," Fawcett told reporters outside the court, adding he was "already hurting financially."
Kidman was the star witness in the case, and described to the judge breaking into tears and being terrified of a car wreck as a vehicle with Fawcett inside lurched through traffic as it chased her from her house in Sydney to her mother's in January 2005.
"I was frightened and I was worried there was going to be an accident," Kidman told the court last November.
Simpson said she accepted "absolutely" the testimony Kidman had given, but that Fawcett's evidence could not be relied on. This included Fawcett's denials that he had pursued Kidman dangerously or that he had hidden a listening device outside her home.
Jamie Fawcett tried to bug Kidman's house in Sydney and had engaged in a dangerous car chase in his determination to photograph the star, New South Wales state Supreme Court Justice Carolyn Simpson said Wednesday.
"That Ms. Kidman was frightened by Mr. Fawcett's conduct cannot be doubted," Simpson said. "The evidence amply demonstrates that Mr. Fawcett's conduct was `intrusive' and `threatening'."
Fawcett had sued Fairfax Media, publisher of The Sun-Herald newspaper, for defamation for a January 2005 gossip column item that accused him of being Sydney's most disliked photographer who was determined to "wreak havoc" on Kidman's life.
A jury last year found that elements of the item defamed Fawcett, but Fairfax sought a further hearing to try to prove that the published claims were true. Simpson was asked to rule on that, and alternatively whether Fawcett should be paid damages, and if so how much.
Simpson found the published comments were "substantially true" and ruled out damages.
She ordered Fawcett to pay Fairfax's legal costs, which were not immediately revealed but would likely run to many tens of thousands of dollars.
Fawcett, who has a reputation as a paparazzi-style photographer who specializes in photographing Kidman when the Oscar winner is on her regular visits to her home town of Sydney, said he would likely appeal Wednesday's ruling.
"It is a massive economic decision for me," Fawcett told reporters outside the court, adding he was "already hurting financially."
Kidman was the star witness in the case, and described to the judge breaking into tears and being terrified of a car wreck as a vehicle with Fawcett inside lurched through traffic as it chased her from her house in Sydney to her mother's in January 2005.
"I was frightened and I was worried there was going to be an accident," Kidman told the court last November.
Simpson said she accepted "absolutely" the testimony Kidman had given, but that Fawcett's evidence could not be relied on. This included Fawcett's denials that he had pursued Kidman dangerously or that he had hidden a listening device outside her home.
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