Saturday, October 12, 2024
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“Barbie” Movie Gets a Shocking Unofficial Tie-In from Russian Rifle Maker at NRA Convention

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Last summer, the movie “Barbie” was the talk of the town. It made hundreds of millions at the box office and sold tons of merchandise for Mattel.

Now come reports that a “Barbie” AK-9 pistol was featured at the recent National Rifle Association convention on May 17th in Dallas. It’s made by Kalashnikov, a Russian company with a Florida outpost and a shady background. (The display was found by researcher Devin Hughes, President of GVPedia.org.)

One gun offered on www.outlawordnance.com is a “Kalashnikov Barbie 9” an AK-style pistol for $1,299. Perfect for when Barbie loses patience with Ken, or can’t the attention of the other Barbie’s!

No word yet on whether Mattel or Warner Bros. has done anything to stop Kalashnikov from using their branding. But gun safety advocates, like www.SaferCountry.org, are furious, and wonder why Mattel, especially, hasn’t put an end to this.

“We challenge Mattel to take a public stand against this and hope everyone associated with the wonderful movie, Barbie, will do so too.”

Here’s a video showing how to use an AK-9, just in case there’s Bad Kenergy in the air.

photo courtesy of Devin Hughes

Oscars Gov Awards to Quincy Jones, James Bond Producers, “Love Always” Director, Famed “Schindler’s List” Casting Director

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Quincy Jones is getting a Governors Award from the Oscars. It’s about time!

The Academy has announced its Lifetime Achievement winners for this year, which will be handed out in the fall.

Academy Honorary Awards will go to Quincy Jones and Juliet Taylor, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Richard Curtis, and the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.

The latter two are producers of the James Bond movies.

Curtis’s film credits include “Notting Hill,” “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” “Love Actually” and “About Time.” He earned an Oscar nomination for his screenplay for “Four Weddings and a Funeral.”

Jones has produced and composed an expansive body of work. His film credits include “In the Heat of the Night” and he has earned a total of seven Oscar nominations for his work on such films as “In Cold Blood,” “The Wiz” and “The Color Purple,” receiving a Best Picture nomination for the latter. In 1967, Jones was the first Black composer to be nominated in the Original Song category. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with Lesley Gore, Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey, among others. Jones was the recipient of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1994.

Lewis is famed for casting nearly all of Woody Allen’s movies, as well as hits like “Schindler’s List” and “Sleepless in Seattle.” She’s a legend.

“The recipients of this year’s Governors Awards have set the bar incredibly high across their remarkable careers, and the Academy’s Board of Governors is thrilled to recognize them with Oscars,” said Academy President Janet Yang. “The selection of Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli is a testament to their success as producers of the fan-favorite Bond series and their contribution to the industry’s theatrical landscape. Richard Curtis is a brilliant comedic storyteller whose tremendous charitable efforts embody the meaning of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. Quincy Jones’s artistic genius and relentless creativity have made him one of the most influential musical figures of all time. Juliet Taylor has cast iconic and beloved films and paved a new path for the field. Their profound love of cinema and indelible contribution to our art form make these five individuals truly deserving of these honors.”

Broadway: Tony Awards Invite “Stereophonic” to Perform on Show After Online Complaints

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The Tony Awards — coming this Sunday — are acquiescing to a big public complaint. At first it seemed like they were not going to allow the play with music, “Stereophonic,” to perform on the show.

But after a lot of negative press — including this column — “Stereophonic” will get to play one of their Fleetwood Mac like songs on the Tonys. The Tonys say this was after all the complaints. But a TV insider says this may have all been planned PR to get people’s attention for the Sunday show.

One irony of this year’s Tony awards is that “Stereophonic” is entered as a play, not a musical. So it’s up against “Appropriate,” a hit play with no music. But “Stereophonic” is also up for Best Score nonetheless. The most nominated musical, Alicia Keys’s “Hell’s Kitchen,” is not.

Confused? How can “Hell’s Kitchen” be best musical without the best score? Good question. How can the best score go to a play? And should a play with music be competing with a regular play?

I guess we’ll find out out all these answers on Sunday. I would give best musical to “Suffs,” because it has the best score of all original songs by one composer. But that may be an old fashioned idea!

Eric Clapton Goes from Anti-Vaxxer to Pro-Palestinian, Backs Antisemite Roger Waters and UK Right Wing Politician

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Eric Clapton is determined to destroy whatever legacy he had.

The rocker has posted to social media that he supports antisemitic former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters and a right wing UK politician named Andrew Feinstein. Clapton, already an anti-vaxxer and often described as a racist, is now pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel.

He wrote on Twitter X:

“Along with my dear friend Roger Waters, I stand in support of Andrew Feinstein, independent candidate for Holborn and St Pancras, in his fight for the children of Gaza, for the freedom of the people of Palestine, and for the soul of the human race… Against the genocide in Gaza… For love and Truth… Eric C”

Waters’s move to the right against Israel and the Jews has been going on for more than a decade. He’s appeared on stage in a Hitler costume and used a swastika for a backdrop.

Feinstein is a self-loathing South African author and activist who’s turned the idea of apartheid in his own country into a campaign against Israel. He’s a fan and friend of Jeremy Corbyn, former UK Labour Party leader often accused of antisemitism in Britain. Feinstein now lives in London and says he will run for office in the Labour Party.

Clapton himself has been accused of racism in the past, so antisemitism shouldn’t come as a surprise. Clapton asked “foreigners” at a 1976 show to raise their hands before suggesting they “should all leave.”

“Not just leave the hall, leave our country… I don’t want you here, in the room or in my country,” he said in part.

“The Black w— and c—- and Arabs and f—— Jamaicans don’t belong here, we don’t want them here,” Clapton added. “This is England, this is a white country, we don’t want any Black w— and c—- living here. We need to make clear to them they are not welcome.”

He called England “a white country” made “for white people.” Clapton supported right wing Conservative minister Enoch Powell. His statements inspired the Rock Against Racism movement in the UK in the late 70s. The irony, of course, is that all of his music is based on Black music, especially the catalog of the late blues man Robert Johnson, whose songs he now owns.

Contemporary blues musician Robert Cray broke with Clapton and quit their tour in 2021 after Clapton compared the pandemic lockdown to “slavery” in a song written by Van Morrison.

On a personal note, I am done with Clapton now. “Layla” for decades was my favorite song. Carol Miller used to play it on the radio for me on my birthday. But that’s all over now. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about on any subject, and doesn’t care that he might be influencing opinion to harm people’s health and perpetuate antisemitism. The only thing he’s said that true is that there are tears in heaven.

This is one result of Clapton and Waters’ racism:

Bon Jovi’s Run at Number 1 Was Not “Forever” as Taylor, Billie Retake Top of Chart After 5 Days

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Bon Jovi’s new album debuted at number 1 on Friday on iTunes.

The album, called “Forever,” lasted five days in the top spot. But today it’s number 3, as Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish have pushed past it.

“Forever” has not engendered must streaming, and no tracks from it have caught on. But this is to be expected with legacy acts. Radio refuses to play new songs from the classic rock artists who keep them going 24/7.

Everyone from the Rolling Stones to Bruce Springsteen have experienced this strange phenomenon. Frankly, they should just pull their music off FM radio entirely. But they won’t.

“Forever” will barely last a week and then it will be gone. Since Jon Bon Jovi says he can’t tour to promote it, a lot of hard work will go down the drain. Too bad.

NBC Cheaps Out, Cuts Seth Meyers’ Live Band from Show Beginning in September

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We can’t have nice things.

NBC has proven that by cheaping out and cutting the live band from Seth Meyers’ talk show after 11 years.

Starting in September, reports Vulture, there will just be canned music. The 8G Band, often starring Fred Armisen, will be gone. Musical director blabbed the news to the New York magazine site today. He said, “What are they going to do, fire me again?”

The Late Show starring Seth Meyers is one of the best shows on TV, although NBC does little for it. Meyers and his writing staff put on a sharp, smart hour every night. Their “A Closer Look” segment should have won a Peabody already.

The band is exciting because they’re much more versatile than the Roots, on earlier with Jimmy Fallon. The Late Show is going to seem a little dry without them.

But look at late night TV: Meyers has no competition. ABC has “Nightline.” CBS has a show that costs nothing that no one’s ever watched since James Corden closed up shop. NBC would probably put on an AI show if they could get away with it.

What other cuts does NBC have coming? Maybe they’ll animate the “Law & Order” shows. We can only wait and see!

https://www.vulture.com/article/seth-meyers-late-night-band-goodbye-eli-janney.html#/

WSJ: Paramount Merger Talks with Skydance Have “Stopped” On Brink of Vote

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UPDATING:

Jessica Tonkel of the Washington Post says talks to merge Shari Redstone’s National Amusements aka Viacom, the company that owns Paramount and CBS, have “stopped.”

There was a vote going to merge NAI with David Ellison’s Skydance. It was presumed until the meeting that it was all going to happen.

But as in “Succession,” nothing goes to plan. So discussions have “stopped.” WSJ gets a big scoop. But it’s bad news for Paramount. If they can’t make deal here, and go back to a Sony deal, the company will be pulled apart and sold for junk. (See Time Inc.)

More to come…keep refreshing…

Hunter Biden GUILTY on All Three Counts in Gun Trial: He’s Probably Going to Prison (UPDATED with Statement)

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Hunter Biden has been found guilty on all three counts in his gun trial.

The son of President Joe Biden will likely go to prison when he’s sentenced. President Biden has already said he will not pardon him or commute his sentence.

“I am more grateful today for the love and support I experienced this last week from Melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than I am disappointed by the outcome,” Hunter Biden wrote in a statement following his guilty verdict. “Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time.”

Biden was found guilty of making a false statement in connection with the sale of a firearm, a false statement in a firearms transaction, and possessing a firearm while being a drug user or drug addict.

He still has another trial to face in Los Angeles this September where he’s charged in federal court with failing to pay taxes on more than $1.4 million in income over several years.

Noted: unlike Donald Trump — convicted on 34 counts — Hunter Biden has not attacked his judge or prosecutors.

Motion Picture Academy Criticized in Signed Petition Over Lacking Jewish Influence Exhibit

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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has had a day that started with promise but ended with criticism.

Earlier in the day, AMPAS announced their new slate of governing directors, returning and newly installed.

They also announced the A list names that would be honored in October at a dinner to raise money for the newish Academy Museum. They are Rita Moreno, Quentin Tarantino, and oddly, actor Paul Mescal. The latter is rather a new name in Hollywood, and unexpected for any honor yet.

But the real drama concerning the Museum broke a little later when the New York Times revealed the tug of war going on inside the museum over a new exhibit designed to highlight how Jews built Hollywood and the studios. The Times revealed a petition that was signed and sent to the Academy objecting to the shabby presentation of the men who gave us the studios that still roar like turbo engines.

No names were released, but I knew this was going on a few weeks ago when “Hollywoodland: Jewish Founders and the Making of a Movie Capital” opened. That night, I got many phone calls from guests who were severely disappointed that the exhibit was skimpy and bordered on antisemitic. They said that night that the wording on signs was offensive.

What followed was anger among Academy members and the ouster of museum director Jacqueline Stewart. She was instantly replaced by Amy Homma, considered more sympathetic to the actual origin story of Hollywood and not the new woke alternative.

But now the Times reports that the petition has surfaced, signed by over 300 Academy members. Many of them are big stars in their different areas, and many whose names came up on the day after the opening. After all, the Museum first opened last fall there was no nod to Hollywood’s Jewish roots. This was supposed to be an improvement, but it backfired.

“While we acknowledge the value in confronting Hollywood’s problematic past, the despicable double standard of the Jewish Founders exhibit, blaming only the Jews for that problematic past, is unacceptable and, whether intentional or not, antisemitic,” said the letter. “We call on the Academy Museum to thoroughly redo this exhibit so that it celebrates the Jewish founders of Hollywood with the same respect and enthusiasm granted to those celebrated throughout the rest of the museum.”

All of this comes as the Museum itself has been under pressure to raise money and attract visitors. The Form 990 tax filing for the Museum shows ballooning expenses not off set by donations. If the Museum is hoping for influx of revenue from the big names in Hollywood, offending the local community doesn’t seem like a good idea.

So what was wrong with the “Hollywoodland” exhibit? According to the signed petition,it began with the use of words including “tyrant,” “oppressive,” “womanizer” and “predator” in its wall text. They called the exhibit “antisemitic” and described it as “the only section of the museum that vilifies those it purports to celebrate.”

I do know that on opening night, many guests left shaking their heads in disbelief. Hollywood is the town built by Fox, Goldwyn, Mayer, Warner, Wasserstein, Zucker, Cohn et al. Much of the history can be found in Neal Gabler’s terrific book, “An Empire of Their Own: How the Jews Invented Hollywood.” The Museum is now expected to embrace these stories, not denigrate them, and quickly, before that fundraiser in October.

 

Tony Awards This Sunday Battle Internal, External Forces Including Competition and Exclusion

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The Tony Awards are coming this Sunday on CBS.

While this has been an excellent season on Broadway, the show — which begins at 8pm — is battling internal and external forces.

Let’s start with external and ratings. HBO is launching the second season of “House of the Dragon” at 9pm, and will repeat it when its over. Is there a cross over audience? Probably. “Dragon” and “Game of Thrones” are hugely popular. The possibility of the Tonys being crushed at least from 9 to 10pm is upsetting.

Then there are the internal issues. The Tony Awards were for years staged at Radio City Musical, where there is plenty of room — 5,000 seats. But union issues have increased the rental price so much that the Tonys had to go looking for a new home last year.

The show wound up at the United Palace Theatre in Washington Heights. The place was cavernous but not modern enough to accommodate anyone comfortably. Audience members in the orchestra section lost weight because it was so hot down there. Access to bathrooms and snacks was incredibly limited. The whole United Palace experience was one best forgotten.

So this year the Tonys are coming from the David Koch Theater in Lincoln Center. Capacity is about half of Radio City’s. All I’ve heard about it for weeks is producers, investors, guests of nominees all fighting for tickets. We may have to watch this from PJ Clarke’s across the plaza!

The party that follows — which used to be at the Plaza Hotel — is in the lobby of David Geffen Hall, formerly Avery Fisher Hall, which is also smaller than the previous venue. Luckily many shows head to their own parties, and that seems the case this Sunday.

There’s one other internal problem: not all the nominated musicals or plays with music will perform on the CBS broadcast. “Stereophonic,” a hybrid, is nominated for Best Play. It’s also nominated for Best Score, as the play –which may win — is loosely based on Fleetwood Mac. It has terrific songs and performers, yet they have not been invited to perform! The “Stereophonic” gang would have driven up ratings.

Will it all get resolved? Of course. And Broadway will close one season and get ready for a new one that also looks very promising.