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Gayle King-Charles Barkley CNN Show 2nd Week Ratings a Disaster: Down 7%, Loses 50K Viewers

Roger Friedman
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Gayle King-Charles Barkley CNN Show 2nd Week Ratings a Disaster: Down 7%, Loses 50K Viewers

Sorry to say the Gayle King-Charles Barkley ratings on CNN are beyond awful.

On Wednesday night, for its second week, “King Charles” scored just 466,000 viewers. That was down 50K from last week, or 7%.

Second place Alex Wagner on MSNBC had 1 million more viewers. Sean Hannity on Fox had 1.5 million more.

“King Charles” is a bad idea, and apparently no one wants to see it. King is a great broadcaster, and Charles is a sports hero. But why they are together, and what they are doing is a mystery.

I’m sure Gayle knows this is a disaster. But what is she going to do? King runs the CBS Mornings five days a week. Her plate is full. If she’s planning headline making interviews, they’ll be on CBS, not here. So far CNN isn’t really promoting “King Charles” because they don’t what it is either.

Last night, King and Barkley interviewed Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. It sounds like when Joe Franklin used to interview, say, Henry Kissinger and Loni Anderson, something so desperately inappropriate and unequal in importance. Pick one or the other. I don’t think anyone wants to hear Charles Barkley interview Blinken on any subject except may be his guitar playing.

Bring back Don Lemon. Give him celebrities at 9pm. Or give it to Anderson Cooper. The only solution to knocking off Hannity and Maddow is a Larry King-like show with the right person hosting.

NY Media Mayhem as Guild Files Complaint Against Magazine Publisher Conde Nast: Read Their Statement

Roger Friedman
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NY Media Mayhem as Guild Files Complaint Against Magazine Publisher Conde Nast: Read Their Statement

There are media layoffs going on everywhere. Most notably, Conde Nast, where the New Yorker just canned a bunch of people including their Culture Editor, and Vanity Fair is said to have dumped staff even though an unnamed source said that wasn’t so in a separate interview.

The sad truth is that the advertising world has dried up, not just for print but for online as well. Plus, Vanity Fair’s web traffic and circulation are way down.

Earlier this week the News Guild of New York filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board against Conde Nast. The Guild says Conde Nast was spying on staff before they were laid off. Yikes.

The trouble isn’t all in magazines. Both Spotify and Tidal streaming services have also just cut their payrolls. And there’s more to come.

Here’s the statement from the News Guild of New York:

Condé Nast management chose to announce layoffs Thursday to the staff at
WIRED, Pitchfork and Ars Technica just as the Guild was going into bargaining, in a clear
display of contempt for the workers who have contributed to the company’s success.
“It’s obvious who is taking the bargaining process seriously and who isn’t,” said Susan
DeCarava, President of the NewsGuild of New York. “Instead of being transparent and
recognizing how difficult this is for people, Condé management is playing games with people’s livelihoods. What happened today is unacceptable and will not stop us from negotiating and fighting for every affected Guild member.”

Condé Nast management announced on Nov. 1 its plans to lay off 5% of its workforce. Since then the Guild has been fighting on behalf of all affected workers, whether they already have contracts or are negotiating first contracts. That process is ongoing and as a result, we cannot discuss the number of layoffs announced Thursday.
Pitchfork Union, WIRED Union and Ars Union are all under contract. Conde Nast Union – which represents workers powering brands such as Allure, Architectural Digest, Bon Appétit, Condé Nast Traveler, Epicurious, Glamour, GQ, Self, Teen Vogue, them., Vanity Fair, Vogue, and Condé Nast Entertainment – has been bargaining its first contract since certification in September 2022. Any changes to working conditions, including layoffs, must be bargained.

(Watch) Russell Simmons Finally Talks About His Many Allegations of Sexual Abuse in Rare TV Interview

Roger Friedman
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(Watch) Russell Simmons Finally Talks About His Many Allegations of Sexual Abuse in Rare TV Interview

DefJam Records founder Russell Simmons has been persona non grata for several years now since lawsuits and allegations against him for sexual abuse and harassment.

Now Simmons, who was a major player in music and philanthropy until everything fell apart, has given an interview to Canadian broadcaster Graham Bensinger.

The syndicated show will be running this weekend. But the show has put up clips on YouTube which you can find here. And here’s a link to past stories about Simmons on this site.

Here’s the main interview. Some of his statements are not fact checked. But this is what he had to say.

AFI Top Ten Movies and TV: Flower Moon, Oppenheimer, Succession, Poker Face, But No Color Purple, Air, Crown, or Maisel

Roger Friedman
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AFI Top Ten Movies and TV: Flower Moon, Oppenheimer, Succession, Poker Face, But No Color Purple, Air, Crown, or Maisel

The AFI Top Ten Movies and TV shows have been announced. The list for movie is succinct and maybe the Oscar Top 10 also. The only film I’d swap out would be “Spider Man” for “Air.” And where is The Color Purple? (I missed that the first time I read it.) Very odd on that one.

TOP 10 AFI FILMS
American Fiction
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
May December
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

The top 10 TV shows exclude “The Crown,” which if the final season qualified, is a mistake. Also missing is the final season of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”

TOP 10 TV SHOWS
Abbott Elementary
The Morning Show
Jury Duty
The Last of Us
Poker Face
Only Murders in the Building
Reservation Dogs
The Bear
Succession
Beef

Donald Trump Social Media Tirade Calls NY Judge “Crooked,” Attorney General “Batsh*t, Crazy,” Falsely Claims Win at Appellate Court

Roger Friedman
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Donald Trump Social Media Tirade Calls NY Judge “Crooked,” Attorney General “Batsh*t, Crazy,” Falsely Claims Win at Appellate Court

Donald Trump has a severe case of projection.

On social media today he’s projecting his own deficiencies on Judge Arthur Engoron and New York AG Letitia James.

Trump calls Engoron “crooked” — which Trump is, and James “batshit crazy,” which describes Trump to a ‘t.’

He also says that

“we won at the Appellate level” which is not true. The case has already been decided by Engoron, who is now trying to figure out the amount of money Trump has to pay to New York State for lying about his value (business or human).

In fact, last week a NY State Appeals Court lifted the temporary stay on Trump’s gag order in New York. He is prohibited from writing or saying anything abut the court staff or jury. He is allowed, however, to go after the judge and the DA. Listen, they don’t care what he says. He just lies to himself and to his base.

RIP “One Life to Live” Star Ellen Holly, 92, Whose Groundbreaking 1968 Storyline About Passing as White Made History

Roger Friedman
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RIP “One Life to Live” Star Ellen Holly, 92, Whose Groundbreaking 1968 Storyline About Passing as White Made History

Ellen Holly has died at age 92. The famed African American actress made history on the soap “One Life to Live” in 1968 when she played Carla Gray (the name, obviously was an inside joke0, who passed for white while dating a white man. It was a groundbreaking storyline written by Agnes Nixon and delivered by Holly with art and grace.

“Agnes [Nixon, OLTL’s creator] wanted to take the viewers and have them become involved with a character, believing that character to be one thing,” Holly shared with in an interview here. That way, when the character’s true identity was revealed, if a viewer’s feelings about her changed, “the viewer would have her eyes opened up as to how she must be prejudiced.”

Carla eventually married Ed Hall, played by the legendary Al Freeman, Jr. If they did this story now, both actors would have won Emmy Awards. A young Lawrence Fishburne played her son. Holly left the show in 1973.

Besides “One Life to Live,” Holly had many New York theater credits. After the soap she had a recurring role on the TV version of “In the Heat of the Night.” In real life, she had a long on again, off again affair with actor and civil rights advocate Harry Belafonte.

Ellen Holly was a trailblazer. The picture here from “One Life to Live” may have been the first of its kind on daytime TV. I hope the Emmy Awards will include her next month in the In Memoriam.

Gwyneth Paltrow Tells Saudi Arabia Crowd She’s Never Seen “Avengers Endgame,” Says She’d Like to Open Biz in Middle East

Roger Friedman
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Gwyneth Paltrow Tells Saudi Arabia Crowd She’s Never Seen “Avengers Endgame,” Says She’d Like to Open Biz in Middle East

There is no end or bottom to Gwyneth Paltrow.

The long ago Oscar winner took the free trip to Saudi Arabia and did a Q&A with the Red Sea Film Festival this week.

According to Variety, she told the crowd that she’s never seen “Avengers Endgame” or “any of that.”

This jibes with an interview she did a few years ago in which she couldn’t remember what had happened to her character in the “Avengers” movies because she’d never seen them.

Since a lot of the audience was described as clutching Marvel memorabilia they hoped would be signed, this must have stung a little. (No one brought shiny plastic eggs to stick up their wazoo.)

One audience member was overheard saying “Too much Goop,” as they left the gathering. This either meant Paltrow only wanted to talk about her nonsensical overpriced business or that the whole thing was “bs.” It could have been either, but was apparently because most of the conversation was to plug the company. Paltrow said: “We’ve just started this very cool food delivery service. I’d love to bring it into the Middle East.”

Paltrow, like many celebs I wrote about recently, had no qualms about attending a film festival in Saudi Arabia despite the country’s lack of civil rights for women, their stand on homosexuality, or the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. (Her Goop customers in Saudi Arabia have limited rights. it’s unclear if they can buy the eggs or other sexually-oriented products.)

Paltrow’s in a league now with Will Smith and Johnny Depp. If they pay for it, you will come.

Listen to All the Classic Theme Songs from Norman Lear’s Iconic, Culture Changing TV Shows

Roger Friedman
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Listen to All the Classic Theme Songs from Norman Lear’s Iconic, Culture Changing TV Shows

Norman Lear’s TV shows each had memorable, identifiable theme music. Some were songs, some instrumentals. It was the era of theme music in the 70s, just like the MTM shows. You hear them now and you know exactly what is going on.

Here are the big ones from Lear’s show. Note that Quincy Jones wrote the music for “Sanford and Son.”

All in the Family:

The Jeffersons:

Maude:

Good Times:

One Day at a Time:

Sanford and Son:

Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman:

National Board of Review Follows New York Film Critics Circle, Names “Killers of the Flower Moon” Best Picture

Roger Friedman
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National Board of Review Follows New York Film Critics Circle, Names “Killers of the Flower Moon” Best Picture

The National Board of Review, a group I’ve chastised in the past for a variety of issues, has followed the New York Film Critics Circle this year almost to the finish.

The NBR — run by a woman named Annie Schulhof — has named Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” as Best Picture. They’ve given Best Director to Scorsese and Best Actress to Lily Gladstone.

With these wins, “Killers” is quickly advancing toward the Oscars.

Paul Giamatti was named Best Actor for “The Holdovers.” The NBR pretty much ignored Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.”

In keeping with previous years the group also mostly snubbed the so called Black films of the year. As usual, they threw Breakthrough Performance to two Black actresses, respectively Teyana Taylor and Da’Vine Joy Randolph. That covered them.

To make up for dissing Cooper, they gave him an Icon Award, whatever that means.

“Killers” deserves all its accolades certainly. But the NBR is about money and its gala. The group — made up of fans — charges members huge annual fees and even more for tickets to the gala. Schulhof no doubt sees herself taking a big bite of the Apple, which released “Killers.” They’ll buy many tables and bring their cast to Cipriani 42nd Street. Well played!

Best Film

Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Director

Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Actor

Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers

Best Actress

Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Supporting Actor

Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things

Best Supporting Actress

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

NBR Icon Award

Bradley Cooper

Best Original Screenplay

David Hemingson, The Holdovers

Best Adapted Screenplay

Tony McNamara, Poor Things

Breakthrough Performance

Teyana Taylor, A Thousand and One

Best Directorial Debut

Celine Song, Past Lives

Best Animated Feature

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Best International Film

Anatomy of a Fall

Best Documentary

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie

Best Ensemble

The Iron Claw

Outstanding Achievement in Stunt Artistry

Director Chad Stahelski and Stunt Coordinators Stephen Dunlevy & Scott Rogers, John Wick: Chapter 4

Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography

Rodrigo Prieto, Barbie & Killers of the Flower Moon

Top Films (in alphabetical order)

Barbie
The Boy and the Heron
Ferrari
The Holdovers
The Iron Claw
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things

Top 5 International Films (in alphabetical order)

La Chimera
Fallen Leaves
The Teachers’ Lounge
Tótem
The Zone of Interest

Top 5 Documentaries (in alphabetical order)

20 Days in Mariupol
32 Sounds
The Eternal Memory
The Pigeon Tunnel
A Still Small Voice

Top 10 Independent Films (in alphabetical order)

All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt
All of Us Strangers
BlackBerry
Earth Mama
Flora and Son
The Persian Version
Scrapper
Showing Up
Theater Camp
A Thousand and One

Sean Diddy Combs Posts Message Denying All Claims Against Him: “Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a payday”

Roger Friedman
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Sean Diddy Combs Posts Message Denying All Claims Against Him: “Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a payday”

Sean Combs, aka Diddy, has issued a statement defending himself against various claims from the last few weeks.

Combs was first sued by ex girlfriend, Cassie, for sex abuse and harassment. He settled that suit overnight with his lawyer, Ben Brafman, cautioning that a settlement was not an admission of guilt.

A second woman has sued Diddy, also. And a third.

Now a a woman who says that Combs and two other men gang-raped her in a New York recording studio 20 years ago, when she was 17 years old.

Is this a piling on? Or is there truth to the claims?

The unidentified woman is represented by Douglas Wigdor, who’s made a business with these kinds of lawsuits. He released a statement that said: “As alleged in the complaint, defendants preyed on a vulnerable high school teenager as part of a sex trafficking scheme that involved plying her with alcohol and transporting her by private jet to New York City where she was gang-raped by the three individual defendants at Mr. Combs’s studio.”

He added: “The depravity of these abhorrent acts …scarred” the woman “for life.”

Combs’s business, meantime, is falling apart amidst the allegations. He’s been dropped by the liquor company that’s helped make him a fortune. His music business was already a disaster after a flop album release this fall. Macy’s has dropped his Sean John line of clothing.

But Combs’s defense will be marked by his past behavior as well: his infamous nightclub shooting episode that involved Jennifer Lopez, and his attack on record executive Steve Stoute, who Combs attacked in his office with a Champagne bottle.

In his statement, Diddy said: “Enough is enough. For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy. Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”

 

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