Mel Gibson Rehab Alert

I read a report today that Mel Gibson is in out-patient rehab. I don't know enough about rehab to have an "educated" opinion. But my snarky opinion is that the unpublished version of rehab he's chosen is just like his apology: empty. A way for him not to take responsibility for his bigotted actions.

Also, I read that Jodie Foster says about Mel: "Is he an anti-semite? Absolutely not." Of course, I wonder how much faith we should hold in Foster's opinion, when everyone in the world (including my Grandmother, Gaggie) knows that she leads an "in-the-closet" life.

Watch Tonight!

Don't forget to watch James Roday on USA's Psych tonight. And if you're too busy, you can always download it on your computer through iTunes. The show is really spectacularly funny.

Whose Bitch is Richard Hatch?

While we don't know the answer to that question...yet...we do know a little bit more about the Federal prison where Survivor's first season winner Richard Hatch is staying. The prison is in Morgantown, West Virginia and holds 1,200 inmates in an all-male, minimum security setting.

There are go locks on doors, no guard towers, and if he doesn't A) escape; B) get released early; or C) get transferred to a fourth prison; Hatch will be out in October 2009.

Meathead Quote of the Week

"I'm not scared whatsoever to go up against a gay guy and a skinny girl."
--Wes, meathead from MTV's Fresh Meat (and he's not cute enough for me to post a pic)

Roman Church Officials Shame Madonna? Yawn....

Several Catholic and Jewish religious leaders in Rome are up in arms about Madonna's upcoming concert at Rome's Olympic Stadium. It's funny that they would even try to dissuade people from attending the concert--we all know it will give her tour even more publicity.

In other Madonna news, she has pledged $3 million to children in the African country of Malawi.

Project Runway

Last night's Project Runway was fantastic. Everybody I know was trying to figure out who was going to get thrown off, and I'm glad it was Keith. He's such a putz. If you didn't watch, Keith evidently 1) left the show for a few hours and researched designs on the Internet; and b) brought some pattern-making books to the show. Both are no-no's.

Keith said, “I didn’t expect this. … My image has been tarnished forever, I’m off the show, and I’m going to be a laughing stock to my friends.” Karma alert! Karma alert!

Katherine McClumsy and Queer Eye

• Katherine McPhee tripped backstage on the American Idol tour and broke her foot. But she is going to stay with the tour. What a trooper...
• Maybe I was on to something talking about Jai from Queer Eye the other day. Turns out Bravo says they are planning for more of the show in 2007. Maybe, just maybe, they'll hire someone instead of Jai! We can hope.
  

Mid-week TV Tidbits

• Amy Sherman-Palladino, the creator of Gilmore Girls, has gotten a deal to write and executive produce (and perhaps even direct) a new 1/2 hour dramedy on Fox.
• Jai Rodriquez says the Fab Five of the Queer Eye team haven't been approached about a new season, so this one may be the last. Though with Jai, it could just be that everyone else but him was approached.
• Julianna Margulies, straight off her stint on the The Sopranos, has joined the upcoming SciFi miniseries The Lost Room starring Peter Krause of Six Feet Under fame.

It's all about Ambiance...

Netflix is organizing this really cool movie festival called the Rolling Roadshow. They are showing movies in the areas they were filmed or took place. Kevin Costern is hosting Field of Dreams in the famous cornstalk baseball field he made famous in Dyersville, Iowa. Other movies include Jaws at Martha's Vineyard, and perhaps the coolest: The Shining in Estes Park, Colorado.

Harry Potter Casualties List

This news story on J.K. Rowling is fascinating and not just because Stephen King and John Irving are pressuring the author not to kill Harry Potter. The story gets at the real forethought it takes to publish a series of books such as the seven Harry Potters. Rowling says she has always kept a list of characters who would die, so when it came to writing the death scenes it seemed less poingnant.

About the last Harry Potter book, Rowling says, "We're working toward the end I always planned but a couple of characters I expected to survive have died and one character got a reprieve."

Bad News for Tom Cruise is Good News for Us

Tom Cruise has had a development deal with Paramount Pictures for over 1o years now. This deal gave him upwards of $10 million a year just to develop movies. But after the disappointment of Mission Impossible III (and perhaps Tom's crazy Scientologist behavior) Paramount is cutting back. The once $10 million+ is now a paltry (to Cruise's standards) $2 million a year.

Turns out Paramount may just break even after MI III grossed only $381 million. Do you see that in the distance? As all the stars seem to be aligning to fight the crazy behavior of ego-driven Hollywood quacks (Cruise, Lohan, Gibson), Tom Cruise's own personal star seems to be shining a little less brightly. Maybe even fading...

Mel Apologizes to the Jewish Community

The Drudge Report has posted an apology from Mel Gibson specifically aimed at Jews. In part it says, "There is no excuse, nor should there be any tolerance, for anyone who thinks or expresses any kind of Anti-Semitic remark. I want to apologize specifically to everyone in the Jewish community for the vitriolic and harmful words that I said to a law enforcement officer the night I was arrested on a DUI charge."

Even more interesting, Mel goes on to talk about deep-seated anti-semitic feelings he may have: "I am in the process of understanding where those vicious words came from during that drunken display, and I am asking the Jewish community, whom I have personally offended, to help me on my journey through recovery."

It sounds pretty sincere, but who knows.

News on 24, Lost, and Prison Break

Kristin at E! has some great scoop on these three shows:

• A Lost producer says when it comes to the character of Libby, "obviously we left the audience dangling." It is their intention to get at more of Libby's backstory with Hurley and Desmond.
• Jean Smart will rock our worlds again next year on 24!
• The upcoming 24 movie and television show will occur during the same time period. My guess is creating a synergy between what happens in each.
• The escaped convicts from Prison Break will be on the run next season and won't be staying together in one big pack. But look for them to all come together again as they try to find the $5 million that they know is buried in the Utah desert.

You Gotta Watch Psych

My cable box has been on the fritz and I don't get USA Network anymore. So tonight I bought the second and third episodes of the show Psych on iTunes and I'm convinced more than ever that it is the can't-miss show of the summer!

"Gus, you have got to stop calling your nose the super smeller. You want to nickname a body part? Nickname your butt, man. Call it the tight bouncer. Or the hexagon. The ladies are gonna dig that. I'm telling ya."
--Shawn, genius detective and fake psychic

Smile for the Camera!

A few interesting Mel Gibson tidbits:
1) The police finally released the mug shot. Nice.
2) Turns out that the arresting deputy James May is...wait for it...wait for it...(I swear I'm not making this up) Jewish. Yep, Mr. Gibson couldn't have put his foot any further in his mouth.
3) Gibson has done what any self-respecting star who needs to bide his time while caught in an anti-semitic scandal would do: go to rehab. I think he's hoping we'll feel sorry he has drinking issues and forget that he's a bigot.

Republicans to Katherine Harris: Get Out!

This week has brought a really nice round of karmic "you-get-what-you-deserve." To continue this trend, the Florida Republication party is dumping Katherine Harris: "We have determined that your campaign faces irreparable damage...We feel that we have no other choice but to revoke our support."

The only thing that could make this karma-thon better is for Karl Rove to be caught committing felonous or treasonous activity. Oh wait, did that already happen a few months ago? I guess getting caught and prosecuted are two different things.

More Jason Love

Okay, I know this isn't the best pic of him, and he does need to cut his hair, but good news: Reality Blurred is reporting that MTV's The Hills has been picked up for a 2nd season. That means a) we get more Jason love; and b) more opportunities to see Heidi act stupid. I can't wait.

And the thing that makes pick-up of the 2nd season even sweeter is that poor Kristin (the bitchy "star" of Laguna Beach) couldn't even parlay her "fame" into one full season of a new show.

Hemingway's Cats

I'm glad the US Government is concerned about the things that really make a difference in our lives. I certainly consider the regulation of the late Ernest Hemingway's 6-toed cats in Key West a very high priority.

Whaaaa? The USDA is threatening to fine the Hemingway estate $200 per cat per day until the cats are caged, or the estate gets a special zoo-type license. Nevermind that there is a 6-foot brick wall around the area. Nevermind that the cats and the home bring in countless tourism dollars to the economy. Nevermind that the local government has no issue with the cats. I'm glad the Federal Government is able to intervene is such grave matters. Ugh.

My Life on the D-List

According to RealityBlurred, My Life on the D-List still hasn't been renewed by Bravo. I have to wonder, what the hell are they waiting for? Ratings are up, the show has buzz, and it earned an Emmy nomination. There is speculation that if Bravo doesn't pony up the money, VH-1 will.

Harry Potter Naked?

Today is a slow day so far, so I'll link to this article about Daniel Radcliffe from last week.

Mel Gibson: Victim of His Own Stupidity?

Gosh, it's terrible when you're a star and your actions actually have consequences! I mean, can you imagine how catastrophic it would be to drive drunk? No, you didn't hit anyone or drive off a cliff or anything--but what if your anti-semitism were to rear its ugly head, or your movie career were to be tarnished? I mean, shouldn't we all feel sorry for Mel Gibson? Ugh.

TMZ quotes uber-publicist Michael Levine regarding Mel Gibson's recent DUI arrest and volatile, anti-semetic tirade: "It's a nuclear disaster for him. I don't see how he can restore himself."

The director of the Anti-Defamation League, Abraham Foxman, says: "We would hope that Hollywood now would realize the bigot in their midst and that they will distance themselves from this anti-Semite."

Stagemom Alert! Stagemom Alert!

In the ever-continuing saga of Lindsay Lohan, it turns out the star's mom isn't too happy about her daughter being called out by a Hollywood movie producer. (Remember last week how Lindsay was hand-delivered a letter saying she was a "spoiled child" for stopping Georgia Rule production for two days). Lohan's mom says, "I feel like when you are 19...it is way out of line." She follows by quoting the words of the "heat exhausted" Lindsay: "Mommy, I feel sick; like I am going to faint."

Uh huh. Well, let's not forget this 19 year-old is making millions...and every time she's late or doesn't show up it costs other people money. Oh, and let's also try to remember that this isn't the first time Lindsay's left a movie for "heat exhaustion."

Katie Couric: A Diva on Delta?

My friend Jeff passed this along: Katie Couric delayed a Delta flight from Washington to New York last Wednesday. The plane had closed its doors and was about to taxi to the runway when Katie got permission to visit the cockpit and ask the pilots to wait for one of her news producers.

Jeff also reminds me that while talking up her new CBS news job, Katie's been saying over and over that she wants to end the "pretentious era" of network news. Well, I guess that means that only she can be pretentious or a diva.

Entourage Quote of the Week

It's a tie between two Hollywood super agent Ari Gold quotes this week. You pick:

1) "It's not true, Shauna. Tell Variety they can suck my balls....but, you know, clean it up."

2) "I always knew you like dick, Babs. I just didn't know you were a cocksucker."