Welcome back, Arsenio Hall

Will return with a new talk show next year

The big buzz in the TV world so far this week is the news that Arsenio Hall is returning to late-night TV. And I couldn't be happier! I've long lamented the fact that Arsenio's been gone far too long, and after he won the last Celebrity Apprentice, I'd hoped this marked the start of his television comeback.

I was right! Arsenio is indeed coming back, with a syndicated talk show that's set to start in the fall of 2013. As a former fan of The Arsenio Hall Show, I can only hope that this new show, a partnership with CBS Television Distribution, is half as entertaining.Here's the thing: Back when Arsenio Hall's first late-night talk show was on, I really almost had to watch it. That's because I was living in a dorm with crappy TV reception, and The Arsenio Hall Show was all I could get late-night. I suppose when something is your only option, you just learn to love it. My roommate and I barked right along with him, every single night (except weekends, when we were of course partying ourselves into a stupor).

Maybe The Arsenio Hall Show wasn't that great, after all? I guess we'll see soon enough. I remember that Arsenio was a great host and a fun interviewer -- but again, I was watching on rabbit ears (and even then, the picture was usually fuzzy). I hope it's as good as I remember...

At the moment, the new Arsenio show will be shown (for sure) on 17 stations in major markets, including New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Chicago. If the buzz gets bigger, I bet they'll add more markets.

Welcome back, Arsenio! It's good to have options and variety in late-night television, though I'm not entirely sure I'd prefer Hall to Craig Ferguson or David Letterman. I will, however, be thrilled to watch Arsenio's new show on a (much) larger television with (much) better reception!

Anyone else kind of excited that Arsenio Hall is coming back to late-night TV?

More health challenges for Robin Roberts

'Good Morning America' host has rare blood disorder

Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts is without a doubt one of my favorite women on TV. When she underwent treatment for breast cancer several years ago, I kept track of her condition as much as possible and cheered her on from the comfort of my couch each morning as I sipped my coffee. It seems I'm going to have to start cheering once again.

Robin Roberts made a shocking and saddening announcement on GMA earlier this week: She's developed a rare blood/bone marrow disease as a result of her breast cancer treatment. She's going to need a bone marrow transplant, and she's already started chemotherapy to prepare. It's time to fight again, and if anyone can fight and win, it's Robin! Her courage is truly inspiring.
Robin Roberts has a disease called myelodysplastic syndrome, or MDS. To be honest, until her announcement on Good Morning America, I'd never heard of this particular disease. I know all too well about chemotherapy treatment for cancer, and the horrible effects it can have on the body -- but I had no idea about MDS.

In case you missed it, here's Robin Roberts' emotional announcement on Good Morning America on Monday:

Robin Roberts, 'Good Morning America' Host, Discusses MDS Diagnosis: 'I'm Going to Beat This'



Thankfully for Robin Roberts, her sister is a perfect match to be a bone marrow donor. Not everyone is this fortunate, so it's important for everyone who can to register to be a donor. Roberts said on GMA that she hoped to raise awareness about bone marrow donation and about MDS, and she's certainly done both in recent days.

FYI: If you are interested in becoming a bone marrow donor, you can join the registry by visiting the official website of the National Marrow Donor Program.

Hopefully Robin Roberts realizes how incredibly brave and courageous so many think she is (including me). Roberts says she's "always been a fighter" and now, it's time to fight once again. She beat breast cancer, and if anyone can beat this disease, it's her.
 

Celebrity Close-Up

One blog celebrates the silly and imperfect moments of the beautiful and famous.

So this is interesting. Usually, when we're subjected to images of celebrities, it's in advertising, on magazine covers, in films or on television. In these prepared images, they've been tweaked and recreated to something resembling a proto-human: airless, poreless, in perfect shape, wearing designer faces and spouting written speech. These are not the people, but the shells around the people that Hollywood wishes to sell to you. Or Chanel, ClearChannel, ProActiv, whoever. Corporate America takes famous people, builds a product around them then profits from that product. 

Which is why it's so interesting just to see celebrity faces without all that sheen. No professional lighting, no Photoshop. Makeup, sure, but that's a given--and this close, we can even see individual pores under all that foundation. We can see wrinkles and creases and spots and moles and all that stuff that makes up the good old-fashioned human face. We can see imperfections and we're not asked to balk at them. 

I mean, if you're a woman or girl in America, you've been conditioned to believe that the pores in your own goddamn face are somehow unnatural, unsightly abominations that must be smoothed over with a $14 bottle of Caucasian-colored goop. The base unit of that awesome organ we call skin has been demonized because rich old white men need to sell us makeup. They've actually convinced us that the only way to cultivate our own beauty is to resemble porcelain in texture as closely as possible. To become objects. To gently reflect light and stay quiet. 

Here, women are allowed to be imperfect--and to emote. Many of the photos feature leading ladies caught in an expressive moment, their faces stretched beyond the usual passive kitten-gaze that plasters women's magazines. So it's not just amusing to see Selena Gomez's goofy smile or Julia Roberts' tooth fillings or Kirsten Stewart's nose hairs (nose hairs! Who knew she had nose hairs??). It's actually incredibly important. The images on Celebrity Close-Up aren't framed in the same way that magazines frame their "celebrities without makeup" (the shock! the horror!) features.

We're not asked to balk at how horrible these people actually look without their usual masks. We're just asked to look a little closer at the images that bombard us on a daily basis. We're asked to remind ourselves that yeah, celebrities are people too. Even in their makeup, they're all delightfully human when stripped of the product around them and presented as just a detailed face. No context, no demands, just features shaped into an expression. 

Miley Cyrus will walk down the aisle with Liam Hemsworth

Famous couple got engaged, but have little time to celebrate

Miley Cyrus is all grown up now. In case you were still under the impression that Miley was the sweet, young Hannah Montana, think again: Miley's engaged! Yes, Cyrus and her longtime boyfriend Liam Hemsworth are tying the knot and there's no doubt this will be a massive celebrity wedding!

I have to confess that when Miley and Liam started dating (they met and fell in love while filming The Last Song), I never thought they'd last. I thought both of them were just too young. Apparently I was wrong, because three years after they first got together, wedding bells are about to ring. That's what I get for being so cynical.And yeah, I still think that Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth are young (she's 19, he's 22) -- but hey, if they're happy, they're happy. Hemsworth proposed late last month, giving his beautiful bride-to-be a 3.5 carat engagement ring (Neil Lane, of course).

Miley Cyrus' famous father, Billy Ray Cyrus, sounded off about his daughter's engagement on Twitter, saying, "All I ever hoped for as a Daddy was to see my kids reach their dreams. To find happiness...peace of mind ...and someday know... true love." That is absolutely heartwarming, isn't it? He sounds like one proud dad!

Now that Miley and Liam are officially planning on spending the rest of their lives together, when can fans expect them to work together again? Not anytime soon, unfortunately. Both were back at work yesterday -- Miley at a photo shoot in California and Liam in New Orleans, where he's filming a movie.

So, now the big question is: When is the wedding?! The answer, for now, is unclear. A source tells People magazine that Miley Cyrus isn't into the planning stages just yet, saying, "She's playing that part by ear." Good! She's young, beautiful, talented and she has a gorgeous, equally talented fiancé. Miley should enjoy her engagement for a while, before she risks turning into bridezilla!
 

Matthew Fox's former 'Lost' co-star claims he beats women?!

Dominic Monaghan's accusation comes via Twitter

Just a few days ago, I somberly marked the two-year anniversary since the final episode of Lost. I remembered each and every cast member fondly, thinking wow, I bet they miss each other, don't they? Apparently not. And apparently, at least two of the former cast members are feuding (or they will be soon).

Why the potential feud? Oh, just a little matter of one former cast member (Dominic Monaghan, aka Charlie from Lost) claiming that Matthew Fox (aka Jack from Lost) batters women. Seriously, Monaghan actually said that flat out -- on Twitter. Yowza!OK, how did this all come about? It seems that Dominic Monaghan was answering a fan's request via Twitter the other day when he made the accusation. The fan playfully asked Monaghan if perhaps he could convince Matthew Fox to join Twitter? That's when Monaghan dropped the bomb, replying via a tweet, "He beats women. No thanks."

Wow, right? Fox was arrested last year for allegedly assaulting a female bus driver, so the fan mentioned this in the Twitter discussion, saying, "I know it was wrong, but what?! What about all those good times you had together?!" That's when a pretty irritated Monaghan elaborated on his previous tweet, telling the fan, "You don't know either of us. He beats women. Not isolated incidents. Often. Not interested."

Again, wow. Just stunning. Now really, Matthew Fox may or may not be a "nice" guy, but this kind of allegation is really, really serious. Statements like this from former colleagues can cause major reputation damage (not that Fox is squeaky clean to begin with). Dominic Monaghan obviously has a massive problem with Matthew Fox, but should he air this kind of dirty laundry in public?

If Matthew Fox is indeed a repeat offender in terms of beating/battering women, he deserved to be called out by anyone and everyone who knows about it (and can back it up). Period.

For his part, Fox denies ever beating anyone, according to TMZ's sources. The "sources" (not named of course) also claim that there's no real beef between Fox and Monaghan (until now), so it's "baffling to Fox" why Monaghan would say what he said.

Stay tuned, because this is out there now, true or not. Hopefully it isn't true!

What does Tom Cruise think about P.T. Anderson's movie 'The Master?'

Film may or may not be about Scientology

Have you heard about Paul Thomas Anderson's new film, The Master? It's widely believed to be inspired, at least in part, on the Scientology religion and it's founder, L. Ron Hubbard. The trailer for The Master dropped earlier this week, and clips of the film were shown at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday. The buzz on the film is pretty positive and, considering it's now (loosely) linked to Scientology, it's getting a ton of attention.

Which begs the question: What does Tom Cruise think about the movie? Has he seen it? He and P.T. Anderson are buddies, and Cruise is Mr. Scientology, so did he get a private screening? And if so, did he flip out over it? Jump on couches? Apparently, Cruise did see a cut of The Master and he did have some "issues" with it.In The Master, Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Lancaster Dodd, a man who decides to form his own religion, The Cause. This is set in the 1950s, around the time, coincidentally (or not) that L. Ron Hubbard got things going. Here's the newly-released teaser trailer for The Master:

The Master



And yes, that's Joaquin Phoenix (welcome back!) as one of Lancaster Dodd's closest associates. The Master also stars Amy Adams and Laura Dern, so yeah, The Master has major star power.

But back to the far more important matter at hand: What does Tom Cruise think about the movie? In short, he's got some "issues" with it, according to TheWrap, but that's basically all we know. What issues, specifically? What parts of the film bothered him? Apparently Cruise's people had "no immediate comment," so we may never know.

This whole situation only helps to build the buzz for The Master even more. I love P.T. Anderson's films, especially There Will Be Blood and Magnolia (see: Tom Cruise). But should the Weinstein Company embrace the similarities this film's plot has to Hubbard and the Church of Scientology, or not? TheWrap reports that Weinstein will also screen The Master for another famous Scientology member, John Travolta. The reactions of these two mega-stars, Travolta and Cruise, may well dictate how The Master is marketed in coming months.

Does anyone else think it's kind of creepy that Weinstein is essentially vetting a film for these two actors? And if it's NOT about the S-word, why bother vetting to two of the world's most famous S-word followers?
 

Donna Summer has died, and the world has lost another pop music icon

Legendary singer-songwriter passed away today.

Singer Donna Summer has died. The 63-year-old Summer was a true icon in music. Today, I'm seeing a lot of headlines dubbing her the "Queen of Disco," and while I don't disagree, I think perhaps that's selling Summer a bit short. She was more than that: she was a pioneer. Her contributions to the music industry are immeasurable, and her songs (particularly those of the 1970s) paved the way for other great artists in the 80s.

Donna Summer passed away today in Florida, after a battle with cancer. I'd heard nothing about her being ill before today, so this comes as a particular shock. My heart goes out to her family.

Donna Summer Last Dance


I was fortunate enough to (finally) hear Donna Summer live just a few short years ago. It was at a music festival near my hometown, and I have to tell you: Her voice was incredible. She had an amazing stage presence, too. I was blown away at her talent. Oh sure, I knew all the classic Donna Summer hits: "Last Dance," "On the Radio" and of course, "Bad Girls," but I hadn't given much thought to them in years. Seeing her live prompted me to dig through my old record albums (yes, kids, we had something called albums back in the day) and revisit her (impressive) music catalog.

According to TMZ, Donna Summer was working on new music at the time of her death, with hopes of putting out a new album. I hope that perhaps someone will step in and make sure that great music gets to us at some point in the future.

For now, we'll have to remember Donna Summer with some of her (many) incredible Top 40 hits:

Donna Summer On The Radio. (1979) Original



In the meantime, rest in peace, Donna Summer. You are a true legend.

 

The Five Worst Fictional Moms

Ah Mother's Day, that annual celebration of flowers and pancakes in bed and all that sappy talk about "a mother's love." But not all mothers are as ideal as the greeting card companies make them out to be. And although real life mothers can be pretty bad, fictional mothers can literally create monsters.

 
1. Carrie's Mother, Margaret
Everyone remembers Carrie, the classic "bullied kid who turns the tables and destroys them all." But many forget that Carrie's mother is largely to blame for Carrie's situation in the first place. 
 
Image copyright United Artists
 
Carrie's mother Margaret is a mentally unstable and ultra-religious Christian fundamentalist. In addition to abusing Carrie at home, she dresses Carrie in awkward, ill-fitting, out-of-date clothing, thus virtually ensuring that the other kids will pick on Carrie at school. 

 
She also fails to discuss any of the facts of life with Carrie. Thus, when the bewildered Carrie begins to menstruate in the girl's shower at school, she thinks she is dying. 
 
In the end, when Carrie is the victim of a prank, she grossly overreacts. Maybe if her mother hadn't heaped cruelty upon her for the first 15 years of her life, she wouldn't have snapped and killed everyone.
 
2. Norman Bates' Mother, Norma
Poor little Norman Bates. Growing up alone with his mother, who informs him that sex is a sin, and every other woman in the world is a whore. This overbearing mother creates a kid who is perfectly passive and submissive… right up until he isn't.
 
Image copyright Paramount Pictures
 
What's a kid supposed to do, when a mom like that takes a boyfriend? It's like a walking Oedipal Complex. Norman decides that the best answer is a double dose of strychnine, although he keeps his mother's corpse around to keep him company. Later, in the psychiatric hospital, he actually becomes his own mother. 
 
(Norman Bates was loosely modeled on serial killer Ed Gein, whose real-world mother was no prize, either.)
 
3. The Sixth Sense Poisoning Mom, Mrs. Collins
One of the most shocking scenes in "The Sixth Sense" is also a pivotal moment in the movie. Baby Mischa Barton's ghost leads little Cole to a video cassette, which he queues up on the VCR during her own funeral. 
 
Image copyright Hollywood Pictures
 
On the tape, we see poor sickly Mischa's stepmother bring her a bowl of soup… but not before adding an extra dollop of household cleaner. 
 
Not only did this scene introduce thousands of movie-goers to "Munchausen By Proxy Syndrome," it's also the turning point in the movie when the good guys (the living) and the bad guys (the ghosts) change places. 
 
4. Precious's Mom, Mary
Precious' mother (played by Mo'Nique) is directly responsible for creating her as a person. She is both physically and sexually abusive (thankfully the movie skips the scene in the book when Mary forces Precious to perform oral sex on her). She fails to protect Precious from the sexual predation of her father, which is why we meet Precious as she is pregnant by her father for the second time. Precious has to resort to stealing food to feed herself, and she has to sneak out to go to school.
 
Image copyright Lionsgate Films
 
The movie is considerably less bleak than the book. If Mary is responsible for who Precious was, Precious herself is responsible for creating the person that she will become. 
 
5. The Mother of All Robots (And Three Ineffectual Sons), Carol
All of the robots in the world of Futurama were built by Mom's Friendly Robot Company, a multi-billion-dollar industrial corporation headed - in public - by a sweet, plump little old lady who likes to knit and use folksy sayings. 
 
Image copyright FOX Television
 
But as soon as the cameras are off, Mom unzips her fat suit and emerges: a stone-hearted witch in an ill-advised cat suit. 
 
There are very few actual antagonists on Futurama, but Mom is one of them. She's a conniving, vicious old broad who thinks nothing of activating the planet's robot population to destroy every human being on Earth to get back at a lover who once spurned her.
 

Mila Kunis' stalker arrested again

This is the (major) downside of being a celebrity

Mila Kunis is without question one of the most beautiful women in the world. She's extremely talented and she's also extremely high-profile. No doubt she lives a wonderful life, doing what she loves (acting) and enjoying all of the many perks that come with being a major A-list celebrity.

But there's a huge downside to being famous and, unfortunately, Mila Kunis knows this all too well. She has a stalker. And he's a persistent one. This man has been terrorizing Mila for months, and late last week, she came face to face with him -- again.
Mila Kunis' stalker is 27-year-old Stuart Dunn. Back in February, Dunn was arrested and sentenced to two months behind bars (plus probation) for stalking Kunis. He was also ordered to stay far away from the actress for three years. Now? He's out. And guess where he turned up? Outside Kunis' gym. Last week, Dunn reportedly showed up not once, not twice, but three times outside the gym where Kunis works out regularly.

Scary stuff, isn't it? Police were called in (quickly) and Stuart Dunn was taken into custody. Mila Kunis had to be terrified. The guy just got out from serving a sentence for stalking her -- and now, he's at it again. Oh, and last time he got caught, he was trying to get into Kunis' home! So yeah, this is serious stuff.

Apparently, Stuart Dunn was having a mental evaluation (no kidding?). Hopefully, he'll be locked away for a long, long time. It's quite obvious that he isn't going to stop stalking Mila Kunis, even with the threat of incarceration. Here's hoping he stays behind bars, giving Kunis some peace of mind.

Lady Gaga discusses past drug addiction

Admits that cocaine was her "friend"

In a shockingly candid new interview, pop superstar Lady Gaga really opens up about her past drug use. Among other things, Gaga reveals that she was addicted to cocaine. She says she was very lonely when she was younger, and the drug actually became her friend.

This was years ago, and Lady Gaga says she's not doing any drugs now, so that's good news. It would be such a tragedy to lose another brilliant music artist to drugs!
In an interview on the Lifetime series The Conversation with Amanda de Cadenet, Lady Gaga offers great insight into her difficult drug years. At the time, she was a struggling young musician in New York City. Gaga says she suffered from depression at age 19, and was painfully lonely, with only her piano for company. That's when the trouble began.

The 26-year-old star says that she began doing cocaine, but she always did it alone. She says that the drug, which she calls the "white devil," was her "friend." Lady Gaga, aka Stefani Germanotta, says that looking back she realizes that doing cocaine was not the answer to her problems, adding that, "It's such a terrible way to fill that void, because it just adds to that void, because it's not real."

And she couldn't be more right. The high that she got from the cocaine eventually wore off, and Lady Gaga was more alone than ever before. Thankfully, she says she finally made the decision to stop using. When Gaga says that drugs are for "losers," she knows what she's talking about. She's lived it.

By the way, if you aren't familiar with The Conversation, it looks like a really good show.

Preview: Lady Gaga on Lifetime's "The Conversation"

Amanda de Cadenet is a former actress and photographer who scored some incredible A-list celebrity interviews. The show is produced by Demi Moore, but no word if she'll be among the interviewees (she'd certainly have a lot to discuss). FYI: If you're a fan of celebrity gossip and/or interviews, this show looks fantastic!

 

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