-
Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check
October 13, 2009
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. Sample content intended for show prep.
-
Trash talk and satellite dish:
Twitter has evolved into "the new go-to site for celebrity feuds."
Once seen as a great promotional platform for celebrities, the LA Times says the micro-blogging site has become "a fertile incubator for the unchecked emotions of stars," says the paper. Whether it's DEMI MOORE vs PEREZ HILTON or SPENCER PRATT vs RYAN SEACREST, publicists are being ignored and celebrities are offering the world a look into their private personas.
Public-relations specialists are, of course, horrified. "Giving some celebrities Twitter is like giving a kid a loaded gun," said one. Some have had enough. MILEY CYRUS and COURTNEY LOVE have become the latest celebrities to leave Twitter. The 16-year-old Cyrus even released a YouTube video explaining her decision with the help of a cheesy rap song. (One fan just "couldn't handle" the loss.)
Her last Tweet: "FYI Liam doesn't have a twitter and he wants ME to delete mine with good reason."
Liam is LIAM HEMSWORTH, BOTM (Boyfriend of the Moment). She denies he had anything to do with her bailing on Twitter.
Editor's note: What a lame final Tweet. You have 140 character limit and she uses 79. Weak! (Maiman)
Halloween:
It looks like Wall Street swindler BERNIE MADOFF will be the hit of many Halloween parties this year.
One company that makes rubber masks has already shipped out 15-thousand Madoff masks and while stories like this rumble first out of New York, it appears local media elsewhere in the country is noticing the shortage, too.
Still, experts tell the NY Daily News the Madoff mask will be outsold by masks of Super Mario Brothers and MICHAEL JACKSON. (Maiman)
The New Yorker magazine breaks out a list of this years hottest costumes:
Hipster grifter (based on a 22-year-old con artist who scammed people by lying about having cancer, eventually going to jail and becomeing a plot line on "Law & Order")
- David Letterman
- Don and Betty Draper (of the cable show, "Mad Men")
- Captain "Sully" Sullenberger
- Jon and Kate Gosselin
- Lady Gaga
- Plaxico Burress
- Bernie Madoff
- Dorota Kishlovsky (the maid from "Gossip Girl")
- NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg
It's all fun and games ... until:
Art projects can be fun. But, not this time.
Reuters says a 16-year-old girl attending the Giles School in England decided to make a sculpture of her hands in art class. That's why she pressed her hands down into a bucket of Plaster-of-Paris. Unfortunately, as the plaster began to set up, she couldn't get her hands free.
Problem: Plaster-of-Paris also gets really hot as it hardens --reaching temps of up to 140-degrees. Paramedics arrived but couldn't set her free.
After a series of 12 different surgeries, she lost most of her fingers. Now the school has been found negligent and ordered to pay the girl over 30-thousand dollars.
Editor's note: Sure, it all starts innocent enough. Children pressing their little fingers into Play-Doh. Then, when the thrill wears off --they move on to sculptor's clay. Then comes the hard stuff -- Plaster-of-Paris. That's why I urge you to "just say no" to dangerous art supplies! (Still)
Broadcast, cable and video news:
CARRIE UNDERWOOD is doing a holiday TV special again this year. The Hollywood Reporter says the show, which is set to air Dec 07, will feature previous hits, holiday classics and songs from her upcoming album and she'll also participate in comedy bits with DOLLY PARTON, BRAD PAISLEY and DAVID COOK.
Grace notes:
GARTH BROOKS will make a major announcement on Thursday. Las Vegas Weekly says the country music legend will come out of retirement and begin a long-term performance residency at the Encore/Wynn Theater, which is part of the Wynn casino resort complex. STEVE WYNN is scheduled to make the announcement on Thursday and it will be carried live at GarthBrooks.com.
FYI: Garth will replace the late DANNY GANS who was the permanent resident of the Encore/Wynn Theater before his sudden death in May. (Marino)
PAUL ANKA claims MICHAEL JACKSON's new single, "This Is It" was stolen from recordings he made with the late entertainer two decades ago. Paul told TMZ.com that Michael's vocals on the track were recorded at his studio in 1983 for a song they wrote together called "I Never Heard."
A duet version was going to appear on Paul's "Walk A Fine Line" album, but Michael went back to the studio and stole the tapes. Paul threatened to sue, but the tapes were returned. However, Michael made a copy and retitled the song, "This Is it."
In one of the fastest settlements in music business history, Paul revealed yesterday that he has been given 50-percent of all earnings from "This Is It."
In 1990, Paul gave the song to Safire who recorded it. (You can hear both versions HERE to compare.) (Marino)
-
-