On the heels of the publicity circus surrounding “Different Strokes” actor Todd Bridges’ new memoir about how he’s been sober for nearly 2 decades and his gripe about how in spite of this very fact everyone still recognizes him as the “Different Strokes” star who turned junkie outlaw comes news today that his TV brother Arnold/Gary Coleman is being hospitalized in Utah. The most shocking detail of the story is not the fact that Coleman’s wife and family don’t want to leak to the press anything related to his health (especially given his wife’s predilection for abusive gestures) or that Gary is sick (he’s been sick a few times in the past year), but that the dude lives in a state where booze is a no-no, trusts his treatment to physicians who don’t drink coffee, and furthermore doesn’t take advantage of the whole polygamy deal the state has going on. Really Gary?
Well, we here at Bloggin’ With Amaldo hope that Gary makes a hasty recovery. The world would be a different place without the little dude.
A-Team, The Movie! Coming to theaters in June. Bradley Cooper, Liam Neeson and Jessica Biel will try to revive the mythological 80′ TV show. While the TV A-Team were a bunch of ex Vietnam soldiers turned into escaping convicts, in the movie they are Iraq war veterans. The trailer sure brings back memories.
TMZ.com is reporting that actress Brittany Murphy died this morning after having been rushed to Cedars-Sinai in LA where she suffered from full cardiac arrest. The 32-year-old actress, best-known for her featured work and memorable roles in “Clueless” and “Girl Interrupted” was also once engaged to Ashton Kutcher. Media is still speculating on the exact cause of her death, though asthma is rumored to have been a catalyst.
This Friday, after more then 7 years, it’s about time to say goodbye to Adrian Monk, the detective with an OCD that actually helps him solve crimes, and getting him over and over into awkward situations.
The USA Network will air the Final episode of Monk on Friday.
The show was not an immediate hit in our home, and it kind of grew on us in the last couple of years. And even though we did not become addicted to it like we are to let’s say… The Office, we still tried to catch up here and there, and to follow up on the reruns.
So it’s a little sad but not too bad… Worth watching, if you have the time for it.
Tonight marks the season finale of the much-hyped about 60s ad show detailing the lives of Madison Avenue’s finest, Mad Men. Last week’s Kennedy assassination plot explored the emotional subtext between the show’s characters and the outside world - the universe outside the microcosm known as Sterling Cooper. At the end of the episode, we weren’t quite sure if Betty was going to really leave Don; how Don was going to further atone for all of his transgressions (give the guy a rest already!); if Roger was going to end up with his female match, Joan after all; and where the heck in-the-closet illustrator Sal has been for the past few weeks. Yes, this show has truly transformed itself into the high-brow, culturally acceptable soap opera of its time, but having been hooked up until now, I don’t see myself going back in the closet anytime soon. I think most of the show’s fans feel the same way.
Be sure to tune into AMC tonight at 10 PM ET to catch the season finale!
If you were around during the short lived Grunge era, this video is a must! During a Pearl Jam concert in L.A. on October 6, Chris Cornell suddenly came on stage, and together with the band performed one of Temple Of The Dog’s classics, Hunger Strike:
A little while ago Hugh Hefner teased on his Twitter page that Marge Simpson fans would have a treat in store for them in the November issues of Playboy. Turns out as next month’s cover of Playboy reveals (see right), Marge is stripping for her fans.
So does anyone else find is downright bizarre that a relatively benign PG-show like The Simpsons is stooping to this level of debasement? Series creator Matt Groening has always made a serious effort to keep his show from veering down that path, so why now?
Surely one might expect such behavior from a Seth MacFarlane matriarch like Family Guy’s Lois, but Marge has always been way too wholesome and morally upright. I guess even I’ll be tempted to buy next month’s issue - if for nothing else, than sheer curiosity.
Hearing about Michael Jackson’sdeath made me sad. Hearing about it constantly for almost a week angers me. Yes he died, yes he was the king of pop (and pop culture is what this blog is about,) but come on, give it a break. Does anyone remember what the main topic on the news was the day before Michael Jackson’s death? Well I do, it was Iran. The current Iranian regime could not have hoped for a better distraction, now, when no one is looking anymore, they can take care of the poor protesters old school middle eastern style, we won’t hear about it until after the funeral.
Michael Jackson, who was rushed to the hospital today in cardiac arrest, was confirmed dead. He was 50-years-old. And let’s not overlook, one of the Charlie’s Angel’s and 70s icon, Farrah Fawcett lost her battle with cancer earlier today at the young age of 62.
Regina Spektor’s new album, Far, is slated for release this Tuesday, June 23rd. For a sneak peak of the talented chanteuse’s signature track, “Laughing With,” listen below.
Billy Joel’s wife Katie Lee, 33 years his junior, and the former host of the hit Bravo reality TV show, Top Chef, is shagging Israeli fashion designer, Yigal Azrouel. Sidebar: Am I wrong in thinking this guy is a total arse schmuck? Then again, maybe my pragmatism and miserly disposition just don’t see the value in spending $1150 on a cotton dress with a zipper, which by any other name smells like shmatas.
Joel and Lee announced their split just this week amidst rumors of infidelity. While the Joel-Lees are denying the rumors, it would seem that the age difference was a major factor in their split. Joel’s former “Uptown Girl,” Christie Brinkley was in the news last year when news of her former hubby’s scandalous shacking up with their nanny hit the fan.
Now that they’re both older, anyone else think that Joel and Brinkley should just reunite and stop trying to reclaim their youth by marrying adulterous klumniks?
When everything is said and done, and the dust will settle, Al Roker will ask himself, “How did I get here?” It all started on Monday, when these two clowns whom I’ve never heard of before (Well maybe I have heard of them, but never on purpose,) Heidi and Spencer Pratt (A.K.A Speidi,) showed the entire nation how smart they really are while on TheToday Show. Roker, who seems to have something against idiots, threw a couple of punches, then wrote about it on Twitter. The couple, while going from one TV station to another, complained about how he treated them, now everyone is talking about it because it’s not like there is anything that are more important in our world then this, and the interview will surely make its way to The Soup. There you have it, Al Roker is in reality TV world. Next thing you know, will be the star of a show Called “Being Al Roker- The Life Of A Weatherman” which is actually not a bad idea!
Because it’s never too late to think about “trialing” new vocations and you’ve got nothing but time on your hands when your producers are picking up your $3340/night villa tab (not to mention the $410/day on handlers), Amy Winehouse has taken to a bit of volunteerism - setting her mind on healing the inhabitants of St. Lucia.
WInehouse has been in the news lately for making even more random, off-colored comments (no pun intended) than usual, but then again, envisioning Amy as a candy striper prepping meals, visiting expectant mothers, and handing out medicines seems the most far-fetched role to date.
Whatever the case may be, here’s hoping that Amy keeps her head up amidst the trashy news of her husband’s bastard baby. Focusing on people who have learned to live with a little less might be just what the doctor ordered.
Will Ferrell made a stop on the Today Show today to promote his latest flick, Land of the Lost. Ferrell has been fulfilling his various promotional duties - the press-related racket that comes with being owned by Universal and even made a stop earlier this week to baptize Conan’s new Late Show, and proclaiming himself honorary 1st guest. Ferrell’s memorable entrance on the show featured him sitting atop a sedan chair while 4 men in loincloths carried him and the chair.
But back to Matt Lauer and his visions of stardom.
Lauer was not on hand to interview Will Ferrell (that would be too gauche), but Meredith Vierra was and true to her ever-inappropriate, stick 2-feet-and-elbow-and-a-car-in-her-mouth ways, she simply talked about Matt Lauer’s cameo with little regard for Will or the film. Whether this was calculated or not, the whole interview was about Matt Lauer.
For those of you egging for a real Will Ferrell interview and what components it should entail, check out this Daily Showclip from 2000.
Here’s a revelation: Somehow watching “Oprah” makes people want to eat. The few times I’ve been home early enough to watch the show, it never makes me wanna make a b-line for the fridge, especially when Dr. Oz is on talking about bowel movements or someone is griping about crash diets, but Oprah’s stellar star power and popularity has once again facilitated the way for a major brand to make money, and then fail miserably in the actual follow-through.
This time for KFC.
On last week’s show, Oprah announced that she’d be featuring coupons on her website for free KFC grilled chicken dinners. Her website was flooded with phat consumers, just waiting to get their hands on a golden, fried ticket. (p.s. KFC’s official website also has printable coupons)
Long story short KFC had to end the promotion after they realized they’d have to hire competent people to cook the chicken to meet the demand they were faced with. Ok, I made second part of that sentence up, but really, I can’t be that far off from the truth here.
David Faustino, better known as “Married with Children’s” Bud Bundy, is attempting a comeback in an online show called Star-Ving.
From Crackle: With the money from “Married… with Children” gone, Faustino’s short stature, alcoholism, and sex fueled Hollywood life has kicked him squarely in the cubes. “Star-ving” follows his second attempt at stardom. Pulling along his old buddy Corin Nemec (“Parker Lewis Can’t Lose”)
Guest staring in this hilarious yet extremely vulgar and rude show, are the entire “Married With Children” cast, Gilbert Gottfried, Coolio, Ron Jeramy, Ed Asner and many more.
How far does the show goes? Well let’s just mention that in one episode Christina Applegate’s answer to Faustino’s cry for help is: Leave me alone, I had Cancer (!) and in another he literally eat shit. We’ll stop there…
Grade-A actor and resident hunk Ryan Gosling has a new career these days as frontman and pianist for the band, Dead Man’s Bones. His deep, throaty voice lends itself to a brooding crooner style (hence the Leonard Cohen reference) and I’m digging G’s moxie in the video. He’s come a long way from the Micky Mouse Club. Then again, so have Brit and Christina A.
So without further adieu, here’s Ryan belting it out with his break-out single, In the Room Where You Sleep.
Blues Traveler frontman John Popper said it best a few years back when he likened his struggles with obesity to fueling the angst and consequently the power of his sound. Sad as it sounds, Popper recognized that in shedding lbs through gastric bypass, he had lost his drive. He was too happy to make good music.
The same might be said of the new upbeat Ray LaMontagne album, Gossip in the Grain which was released today. It’s as if overnight, LaMontagne sold out to music execs demanding more poppy overtures to fuel the likes of “Grey’s Anatomy,” Grain’s songs are infused with a lighthearted cheery tempo. There are but a few songs worth listening to and it’s mostly stale. The one notable song (and no, it’s not the featured single on the album) is LaMontagne’s rather dour diddy about his quasi-freakish obsession with drummer Meg White. The song delivers us a piece of the Ray we fell in love with - all yearning and raw melancholy. It’s also probably the only genuine song on the album.
I give Ray a thumbs up on the taking chances bit with trying out a new, upbeat vibe. Hope is good. Now go back to making us sad and help us rediscover emotions we didn’t even know we had. We love that more.