I read your column on the debate of New Jersey flying its flag at half mast for Whitney Houston. I don't have a problem with it, as I agree with the Governor that she is a cultural icon. There was a smaller but similiar debate in Pennsylvania over Pennsylvania flying its flag at half mast for Joe Paterno. That one was easier to settle, as he had at least Joe Paterno technically had been a state employee. I doubt Whitney Houston ever worked for government, yet she was respected and noted for her New Jersey roots.
I don't have a huge issue with it either. Indiana did it for Michael Jackson. I personally think Jackson was a more significant cultural figure than Houston, but Houston was certainly significant enough to warrant some response like this, regardless of the issues she also may have had.
How will Taylor Kitch (aka Tim Riggins #33) have time to work on a Friday Night Lights movie? Isn't he in every major movie coming out this summer? I'm not sure I would pay money to see John Carter on Mars but if they called it Timmy Riggins on Mars, I would be there on opening night.
Lisa de Moraes posted an item on this earlier today. The Wall Street Journal is now reporting that taping has been shut down to an emergency in Colbert's family.
The material is good (the play won a Pulitzer), it's just a question of how it's handled for the big screen. But agreed, it will be interesting to see these two together.
It feels like they must have appeared opposite each other before, but they have not.
I so want Adele to be my new best friend. She's beautiful, amazing voice (and I am so glad all went well post-surgery), and seems like a ton of fun to be around. Her performance on Sunday blew me away.
She's managed to continue coming across as down-to-Earth despite the avalanche of attention she's received over the past year or so.
In case you need another reason to love her, watch this interview she did on Graham Norton. Her story at the end about accidentally calling Jennifer Aniston Rachel cracked me up.
Reportedly will speak at Whitney Houston's funeral. In a 2009 interview he was asked about the final scene in The Bodyguard where he had chosen Whitney to star with him.. His last words in the interview referred to the final kiss between their characters in the film and is a fitting conclusion to his thoughts on his leading lady. "I kissed her once for everybody in America, and I kissed her once for myself," he said.
Yes, saw that about Costner. That's a nice quote. I don't know how close they remained in recent years, but it seems fitting for him to speak given how big that movie -- and, even more so, its soundtrack -- became.
Jon Stewart was absolutely tears-running-down-my-face hilarious on David Letterman's show last night. I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, but can you post an embedded video, at least of the part that winds up referring to Letterman's, uh, personal embarrassment?
In your blog today, you mentioned about a Friday Night Lights movie being written. I know my memory ain't the greatest these days, but I seem to recall there being one already, starring Billy Bob Thornton. And if memory serves, said movie then inspired the TV series. Wouldn't a new movie be redundant--or at the very least, a sequel to the original?
In my original post on this film adaptation, I noted that there was indeed a Friday Night Lights movie once before, which was inspired by the book that really started this whole thing. You are absolutely correct, and thanks for noting this again.
A new movie would be a sequel, of sorts, to the TV series, which developed a whole new set of characters. Eric and Tami Taylor, for example, were not the coach and coach's wife in the original movie (although Connie Britton played the wife role, it was a different character).
The series departed from the film so I think this would be entirely divorced from the Billy Bob project as well, apart from the involvement of those (like Britton and Peter Berg) who worked on both projects.
All of the negative comments on the 'net re. Whitney Houston really highlights, for me, the unhealthy view some people have of celebrities -- i.e., that they are somehow perfect and are not flawed, irregular human beings just like the rest of us. Sure they have more money -- but that doesn't mean they aren't flawed human beings. RIP Whitney Houston. The whole thing is very sad.
I think the debate over the flag issue is more about whether we should treat a Whitney Houston they same way we treat a head of state who passes. Personally, I think some entertainers contribute to our culture just as much as members of Congress do and should be accorded some kind of tribute.
Hope this makes the chat before I have to leave for court.
Bobby Brown said yesterday that Bobbi Christina needs her privacy now. Then I see in the Daily Mail he is giving updates on her condition. Umm, practice what you preach, Dad?
What I saw in the Daily Mail was a reference to a statement he gave to ABC. I may have missed additional statements, but the one I saw just said she is doing better and asked for privacy.
If he or his publicists are getting bombarded with calls, they may have decided to say something. It will be interesting to see how he handles this going forward.
Read the book the movie is based on: "A Princess of Mars" by Edgar Rice Burroughs, who also wrote the Tarzan books (very different from most of the movies).
Tarzan and Troyzan (Troy Tarzan) are both on the new Survivor: One World.
One of the girls who lived in the dorm room next to mine played "I Will Always Love You" on an endless loop for the entire second semester of my junior year. When I say endless, I am not exaggerating. Only occasionally would she stray from Whitney, at which point she would play "Respect" by Erasure, then immediately revert to "The Bodyguard" soundtrack.
Needless to say, Eyyyy-eeee-eyyyyyy was really tired of the song by the time that semester was over. I haven't gotten too sick of it this week, though.
Yes! Every director should give Billy Riggins a cameo in all of Tim Riggins' movies--it would be like spotting Alfred Hitchcock's cameo. I do love the fact that Landry is in Battleship with #33 but why no love for Matt Saracen?
Berg can't put the entire FNL cast in every movie. However, I like your idea -- there should be a rule that at least one cast member must appear every time Kitsch gets cast.
If it isn't Billy, then throw in Smash or Street or something.
I'm not trying to be mean or anything but damn this chat is dry as toast. Jen you used to be a heck of a lot more irreverant and fun before you became the top celebritologist. Maybe it's time for some Flintstones chewables or a tune-up ?
No one can be monitored 24/7 is so true. All the kerfuffle over whether more could have been done to save Whitney, Amy Winehouse, Michael Jackson ... people are, when it comes down to it, responsible for themselves ... and there is only so much anyone else can do.
I was watching some show on TLC last night about a medical examiner. Both people featured on the show died of prescription drug interactions. Given what we have seen in the celeb world, and the possibility that prescription drugs may have contributed to Whitney Houston's death, I hope this shines a klieg light on how to help manage our own prescriptions so we don't accidentally take a lethal combo or dose.
First, to be clear, we still don't know the cause of death in Houston's case.
That said, you are absolutely right. Heath Ledger's death was another example of this. People sometimes get cavalier with prescription meds and think, "Eh, it won't hurt if I take two of these with three of those." Clearly that is not the case.
This question fascinates me, so I am answering it even though I am not Carolyn Hax, who is far more irreverent.
Do you know the sister? If you do and you were on good terms with her and don't think it would lead you into some weird situation where you start posting passive-aggressive things on her wall so that her brother will see them, then sure. Accept it.
If you don't know her or think it might be unhealthy for you, then I say don't accept.
Am I the only one who thinks it was equal parts creepy and disrespectful to carry on with that party while the poor woman's BODY was still in the same hotel??? I can't believe Clive Davis didn't get called out on that by somebody.
I also raised the same question. He said at the party that the family encouraged him to continue with the party. But it definitely seemed strange to have people walking a red carpet in the same hotel.
Jason Bateman and his wife Amanda just had a daughter. Maple. Maple Sylvia. Didn't he read the moratorium on strange celebrity names? After Bear, I thought the whole thing just jumped the shark.
I am not sure how I feel about Maple, though I do like Sylvie. (I think the middle name is Sylvie, not Sylvia.)
Weird names will always have a place in celebrity-dom, my friend. It's truths like this that bring me comfort every night as I drift off to sleep by counting sheep, Bears and Pilot Inspektors.
So, one of the most recognizable faces and voices of country music is sitting in his car in a church parking lot and the office needs to drive him to the jail to ID him. May I share Mr. Travis' disbelief: Are you kidding me?
I think the thing is, as someone alluded to, we all think: oh, she made it big so young! she had everythign! fame/fortune/etc.
And we see that well, you could have 'everything' and still have nothing.
Still be hurt when something happens, still be hurt in love, still be hurt when someone does something. It means - you are not immune to the things that get to all of us.
These celebrities are *real* people. And the fame isn't all it's cracked up to be.
So I think we (the 'real' people) maybe get angry at that. Because so many people think: oh, if I make a few more dollars, then everything will be okay. But it won't be - you will still be the same person. And something like Whitney having troubles shows that to us.
You can look at two ways: we glorify fame too much as a society, and the excessive coverage of a death like this one only makes that glorification more apparent. Or that Houston or any celeb has, as you said, a life that's as fragile as anyone else's. Which should make us more sensitive to the fact that she passed away under sad circumstances.
Or maybe one can see it both ways, simultaneously.
Any new reasons that I should plan on watching. For instance, will Miss Piggy and Michael Fassbender be presenting an award together? Cause that would be AWESOME.
As of now, it doesn't appear she will be there at all. No word on whether the Academy has reversed its plan to prevent a performance of "Man or Muppet."
I have a hunch they will reverse it and will announce it next week in the days before the ceremony. But we'll see.
Is there anyway that Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer can be as great as the trailer portends? I haven't read the books b/c the premise was so silly and while it is still a silly premise, I thought the 90 second trailer with Lincoln exploding trees with his axe was amazing.
Why so much screen time for Chris Brown? Is he THAT big a star? He's not an exceptional singer or dancer. And he apparently can't do BOTH at the same time. What were the Grammy honchos thinking?
My guess is that they were thinking Chris Brown would get a lot of attention, so why not double it? It worked.
To be fair, they also had Foo Fighters and Paul McCartney perform twice. Which seemed like a strange choice when there are so many other artists they could highlight, rather than giving established ones additional air time.
And on that note, it's time to sign off.
I am not sure when I will be chatting next week; I may move the discussion to Friday since I'll be in travel mode next Thursday. (Heading to L.A. for my annual Oscar pilgrimage.) Will keep you apprised of the new day/time in the blog and on the Celebritology Facebook page.
