It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, even for a beloved celebrity of Michael J. Fox’s caliber, Wednesday November 5th when Fox got to play with The Who. Even Michael acknowledged the monumental moment when he addressed the crowd at his annual A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Cure Parkinson’s event, saying:
“”This is almost worth getting Parkinson’s for!” Michael J. Fox declared as he took the stage to play guitar with The Who in New York City Wednesday night.
The actor – who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991 – rocked out to the legendary band’s “Magic Bus,” trading licks and windmill guitar riffs with Pete Townshend.”
With Fox’s wife Tracey Pollan by his side, MJF has a lot to celebrate lately. Ryan Reynolds recently ran the New York Marathon raising $79,000 for Michael’s Parkinson foundation; and Ryan was front and center with his newlywed bride, Scarlett Johansson at the event. Also Michael is celebrating the election of Barack Obama into Presidential office:
“At the event, Fox spoke of his delight at the election of Barack Obama as president and hope he would be more forthcoming into looking into stem cell research to find a possible cure for Parkinson’s. He said: ‘I’m positive that one of the first things that Obama is going to do … is revisit the George W. Bush’s ban on stem cell research. I’m really excited.’”
I really hope so MJF! Michael is probably best remembered for his role as Mary McFly in the “Back to the Future” series of films but was also a staple on the series “Family Ties,” in which he played a very lovable young republican named Alex P. Keaton (I can almost hear Alex making plans for a Palin campaign in 2012.) Regardless of their political leanings Fox’s characters have always been infused with the actors’ great sense of humor and I’m hopeful research will advance at a pace great enough to keep him around for many more generations to enjoy.
There are moments that even I wonder what some celebrities are like when the camera’s aren’t rolling. Are they as much fun as they seem in the press shots or do they sneak into their favorite clubs, find a quiet corner spread a few rumors about their ‘wild’ night out – and then take a nap? The answer to all these questions could be answered with a stint on Reality TV! So here are a few Celebrities I think would be awesome on a reality television series.
Charlie Sheen
– A funny man that I know is recently married but Charlie would be hilarious fun as a “Bachelor.”
Shannon Doherty
– Picture my favorite catty celebrity on a “Survivor” type show. This would be total awesome!
Jamie Lynn Spears
– Big sister Britney Spears’ life is calming down at a fast clip, but with a new baby in tow and a wedding in need of planning in the near future the daily life of the baby of the Spears clan would probably be fascinating right about now. I see Jamie Lynn in a family based reality show like the “Osbornes.”
Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen
– Some of you grew up with these two. It would be amusing to see them returned to television on a weekly basis in a more grown up setting. This power hitting duo would probably rock out in something like “Apprentice” but with them at the top of the food chain, not one of the peons.
It’s the morning after what will probably be the most historic presidential election of my lifetime and hard on the heels of Barack Obama’s election into the White House, Queerty is reporting that California’s Proposition 8 passed. For those not familiar with it, Proposition 8 is proposed legislation for the state of California to overturn the gay marriage amendments that have recently passed in the state.
Most, if not all of the celebrities that have been so vocal in their support of Barack also lent their names, faces and money to the “No on 8″ campaign. Now that the legislation has passed recently married gay couples like Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, who married on August 16th in a private ceremony at Ellen’s Beverly Hills home and George Takei who recently married his long time partner Brad Altman, both will have a long road ahead of themselves sorting out the legal mire this makes of their marriages.
Television networks are always attempting to divine the next trend in American consciousness, and it’s looking like ABC saw this one coming a mile away. Recently the studio dismissed Brooke Smith, who plays Dr. Erica Hahn on the network’s hit series “Grey’s Anatomy.” I have to say that the timing on this one stinks to high heaven - Brooke’s final episode will be airing tomorrow night, November 6th, shortly after Proposition 8 passes in California. That is plenty bad enough but:
“According to a tally released in September by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, ABC’s fall schedule had seven characters that are either gay men or bisexual women, including the Callie and Erica characters, the most of any broadcast network.”
Right on the heels of being honored as a progressive, gay friendly network, Brooke got the news that her character wouldn’t be returning for any more episodes. Dr. Hahn had only just begun a homosexual relationship with one of the show’s other female doctors but now as her character is finding love, Brooke is finding the unemployment line:
“A still shell-shocked Brooke Smith told EW.com about her character’s abrupt dismissal from the series. She plays Dr. Erica Hahn… who had recently embarked upon a McLesbiany relationship with Callie, played by Sara Ramirez… The relationship—which AfterEllen points out is the only depiction of a lesbian couple currently on primetime TV—was developing rapidly. Now Smith has been informed, in the vaguest terms that her character won’t be returning to Seattle Grace after this week’s episode.”
It’s nearly the start of that wholesome time of year, when families get together and visit the movies in force. Nearly – but not quite. Right now we’re in the no-man’s land between the holiday movies and family friendly romantic comedies and the gore fest of Halloween. What’s to fill in the gap? Normally you might get a few residual horror titles but this year there’s “Role Models” a decidedly adult comedy hidden in the trappings of a family friendly film.
“Role Models” features Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott as sports drink spokesmen who have a little accident and are assigned 150 hours of community service as penance, at the Sturdy Wings mentorship program which is described as:
“Founded by reformed drug and alcohol addict Gayle Sweeny, Sturdy Wings matches local youths with committed, caring adults for constructive, one-on-one friendships. Constructed atop the rubble of one woman’s demolished youth, Sturdy Wings opened its doors to provide a safe environment for countless “Littles” to gather, learn from their “Bigs” and go on to live productive, rewarding lives- lives uncompromised by psychotropic drugs or massive quantities of booze.”
Well today’s the big day and I don’t know about you guys, but after all the horror of last month and the pressures of the election I’m going to need something seriously refreshing to get back in the mood for this winter’s helpings of romantic comedies. And what can be better to get the spirits up up up, but musicals! Not just any musicals either, but the silliest most uplifting musicals I can think of. Feeling a bit hung over from the election or the Halloween holiday? Then take two or three of these and call me in the morning.
Because it’s the beginning of Romantic Comedy season here’s a few of the things we’ve come to love/hate/expect from the romcom family. Maybe not all of these clichés can be found in all romcom’s but you’ll almost definitely see one or two. Of course, romcom’s aren’t my forte (I’m a horror girl) so I’m probably missing a beloved staple of the genre or two – so be sure to leave me a written tongue lashing in the comments if I did!
Happy Ending
– No matter how far apart these two start out everything ends with them in a happy embrace.
Opposites
– The couple doesn’t start off liking each other. Instead they’re such polar opposites that they can’t even stand each other from the start.
Bets
– Someone somewhere at some time will put absurd amounts of money down on someone else’s romantic life or some other financial constraint.
The Underdog
– One of the potential romantic pair is unlucky in love for one of the following reasons: too busy with their career/family, geeky/nerdy/out of touch with society, too outspoken/quiet or just plain weird.
Makeover
– Which ever of the pair seems the most romantically challenged or outcast will have a wonderful transformation midway through that turns them into a hottie and therefore viable romantic partner. This transformation is always physical and rarely has anything to do with their personality changing which illustrates how truly shallow their potential partners can be.
Run
– At some point the characters will run towards or away from each other. It doesn’t really matter which, just so long as a significant amount of passion is expressed in the scene.
Britney Spears together with Justin Timberlake is a combination some fans have been fervently praying would come into being once more. Looks like those prayers are finally being answered, thanks to none other than queen of pop – Madonna:
“Ryan Seacrest called in to local radio station KIIS FM, which airs his morning show On Air with Ryan Seacrest, and broke the news that both Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears will take the stage together with Madonna [Thursday] night when she performs at Dodger Stadium as part of her Sticky & Sweet Tour.”
Congratulations are in order for Ryan Reynolds, who successfully completed his first New York Marathon without any visible bleeding:
“’I'm still standing. I’m very excited about that,’ [Ryan] told reporters at the end. Reynolds, 31, finished 9,646th overall by running the 26.2 miles in three hours, 50 minutes and 22 seconds.”
Several things contributed to Reynolds transformation from running joke to lean mean, marathon running machine, including the loving support of Ryan’s newlywed bride, Scarlet Johansson; as well as memories of Ryan’s beloved father and the inspiration of another actors plight:
“Ryan ran for Team Fox — Michael J. Fox’s team — in honor of his father, Jim, who has suffered from Parkinson’s Disease for the past 15 years. “It was an incredible experience. When I saw Michael J. Fox on Fifth Avenue, I gained about 15 pounds in goose bumps,” [Ryan] said. “It kind of pushed me through the last six miles or so.””
Reynolds managed to raise $79,000 and it’s really great that Michael J. Fox managed to make it out to the race Sunday morning to cheer his champion on. But judging from Ryan’s comments after the race Fox must have been taken a bit by surprise when he caught sight of Ryan’s ‘game’ face:
“I am going to allow three to four hours for my scary marathon face to go away and then I am going to eat my body weight in raw dough.”
There are some people who, despite recent events and common sense – will not be voting in the Presidential election. For these people who will later feel the need to justify their lack of national concern and pride, here are a few perfectly valid reasons for skipping the polls on Tuesday. Warning though: all of these could have been avoided if you’d voted early or with an absentee ballot.
Citizenship
– You are technically not an American citizen.
Aliens
– If there’s an alien invasion – and you survive it, no one will fault you for not going to the polls Tuesday. Besides it’s not like your new alien overlords are going to put much stock in the democratic process.
Prison
– You’re a convicted felon and had your voting privileges revoked.
Spontaneous Combustion
– Through no fault of your own your Voter Registration card spontaneously combusts in your hands as you prepare to put it in your wallet, Monday night.
Outbreak
– Of the vicious flesh eating variety, at your polling station and every other polling station within your ability to travel in 24 hrs. Oversleep – You wander into a fairy ring tonight and fall asleep for one hundred years. Of course when you wake up it’ll probably be another election year so you’d best get moving!
Fear
– A freshly diagnosed fear of the election process that literally has you huddled under your bed with your favorite blanket, crying, all day.
Time Warp
– You’ve just figured out how to travel back and forth in time but discover you suck at it and will now be permanently late for everything.
Food
– You ate something really questionable Monday night and cannot move more than three feet from your toilet for the next 24 hours.
Quarantine
- You’re diagnosed with an extremely contagious virus and placed under quarantine on Monday night.
Cult
– Monday you join a McGuyver-esque cult. They’re eager to have you if you can pass the initiation. They tie you up and lock you in a room with only a rubber band, a paper clip and a bare light bulb in a socket. You’re still trying to figure out how to escape two days later.
By now you’ve probably guessed that it takes a lot for me to warm over to a star, especially if they’re a relative of someone I already admire. Which was totally the case with Joaquin Phoenix, younger brother of the late and absurdly talented River Phoenix; I feel like I’ve only just begun to recognize Joaquin as a talent in his own right and enjoy his performances, which only makes the latest news just that much harder for me to take. During a benefit for the Paul Newman’s Hole In The Wall Camps charity, Phoenix shocked reporters by making this announcement:
“I want to take this opportunity… also to give you the exclusive and just talk a little bit about the fact that this will be my last performance as an actor… I’m not doing films anymore.” Extra’s Jerry Penacoli, shocked by the news, further probed Joaquin. “Are you serious?” Phoenix, who was curiously being followed by his own camera crews, reiterated, “Yeah. I’m working on my music. I’m done. I’ve been through that.”
Classic footage of “The Girls Next Door” from before they left the mansion. Bridget Marquardt is a doll, Kendra Wilkinson posses for the camera[, while Holly Madison signs a few before retreating to their car. Drew Pinsky wanders in, and Tom Cruise flashes the camera his signature grin.
In honor of Henry’s videos from yesterday of the separate Tila Tequila and Courtenay Semel, I thought I’d bring you this video from Steve. He was at, Avalon, for a Welcome Home party for DJ AM, a few weeks ago, when the couple came walking up holding hands. They look very…
In this video, shot by Art (Sorry i don’t have a photo for him) Britney Spears is at the nail salon chatting on her Blackberry while she gets a manicure. Her mom, Lynne, is also at the salon, though not getting her cuticle beds worked on, and chatting on her phone.…
EVAN ROSS - I asked, the Greta star who has nine movies in the works, what he thinks about Barack Obama being elected. Evan said “I’m happy…” then strolled into the club with his girl.
COURTENAY SEMEL - I asked Tila’s former girlfriend what happened between them. Courtenay: “What happened? Let’s see. I think she turned straight…I missed something.” I don’t think so. Tila is still into girls and made that perfectly clear by smooching with her new lady several times, just moments before. Courtenay…
TILA TEQUILA - The sexy, hot Lesbian got a kick out of being caught in the middle of the protest. I asked her if she is going to get married and she said of course she is. I enquired to who? She said it will be to one of the…
LADY VICTORIA HERVEY - The beautiful and elegant Victoria posed with friends, who are like the French Dolce and Gabbana. Lady Victoria updated me on her endeavors, and they include a new fashion PR. She had dinner with Vivian Westwood a couple nights ago. She said she hadn’t seen…
MATT SORUM - The Velvet Revolver and Guns N Roses Drummer left the polling, with his girl, a very excited man, he said the he voted for Barack Obama because he was ready for change. In other news, he did let on that a new singer for Velvet Revolver (Scott Weiland…
It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, even for a beloved celebrity of Michael J. Fox’s caliber, Wednesday November 5th when Fox got to play with The Who. Even Michael acknowledged the monumental moment when he addressed the crowd at his annual A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Cure Parkinson’s event, saying:
It’s the morning after what will probably be the most historic presidential election of my lifetime and hard on the heels of Barack Obama’s election into the White House, 
Congratulations are in order for Ryan Reynolds, who successfully completed his first New York Marathon without any 
Classic footage of “The Girls Next Door” from before they left the mansion. Bridget Marquardt is a doll, Kendra Wilkinson posses for the camera[, while Holly Madison signs a few before retreating to their car. Drew Pinsky wanders in, and Tom Cruise flashes the camera his signature grin.
