Betty calls out Idris Elba and Hollywood racism

From THOMAS FRIEDMAN IS A GREAT MAN:

Shut up, Idris Elba, racism has driven your career in the US

From VARIETY:

  The upcoming Whitney Houston biopic “I Wanna Dance Somebody” stars BAFTA-winning actor Naomi Ackie as the legendary singer, which means the debate over Black British actors taking roles away from American actors is bound to resurface. The debate surged in 2017 after Samuel L. Jackson called out Daniel Kaluuya’s casting in “Get Out,” for which the actor earned an Oscar nomination.

“I tend to wonder what that movie would have been with an American brother who really feels that,” Jackson said.

In a new interview on “The Shop” (via The Root), Idris Elba railed against the claim that Black British actors take roles away from American actors. Naomi Ackie’s role in “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” served as a launching pad for the discussion. Talk show host Maverick Carter asked Elba about Ackie’s casting, noting that Black American women might criticize a Black British actor playing an American icon.   

I'm really sick of Idris Elba.  He's not a star.  He's been given multiple chances and failed everytime -- twice in the last few weeks alone.  See Stan's "Weekend box office" for more on that.  If he's British, he's British.  There's nothing wrong with that.  But get your Black ass out of American films playing Americans -- especially real life ones.  It is racist and you're offensive.  Ava and C.I. have addressed this repeatedly at THIRD and been very clear on this issue.  

American studios are casting British Blacks because American studios are racists.  They think MLK and then think that 'lower' US Blacks can't play the roles so they case British.  It's offensive.  

Idris was offeed many chances to become a star in America and he failed repeatedly.  He's Clifton Davis, someone who is known but can't sell tickets. Idris turns 50 in three days.  He's not a movie star and he's now too old to become one.  He had two flop films in the last three weeks.  

Here's how CRAPAPEDIA lies for him:

In 2007, Elba signed on as the lead role of the film Daddy's Little Girls, playing Monty, a blue-collar mechanic who falls in love with an attorney helping him gain custody of his kids, and finds the relationship and his custody hopes threatened by the return of his former wife. He appeared in 28 Weeks Later (2007) and This Christmas (2007), which brought in nearly $50 million at the box office in 2007.^[28][29] In 2008, he starred in the horror film Prom Night and the Guy Ritchie London gangster film RocknRolla.^[28] In 2009, he starred in the horror film The Unborn and in Obsessed, a thriller that had him cast opposite Beyoncé.^[30] The latter was a box office success, taking $29 million in its opening weekend.^[31]

Two films brought in neary $50 million?  Which means that each made $25 million.  $100 million domestically in the US is a blockbuster -- even during the pandemic.  So, no, those films weren't hits.  He did not 'sar' in PROM NIGHT OR ROCKNROLLA.  He was part of an ensemble in both.   In PROM NIGHT, he is tenth billed.  In ROCKNROLLA, he is fifth billed.  Those aren't starring roles.  OBSESSED was not a box office success.  It almost made $70 million in the US -- on a 20 million shooting budget, with a ten million promotion budget (they went all in, convinced Beyonce could have a film career) and that's not counting prints.  It did a little better than break even.  Stop pretending. THE DARK TOWER cost $60 million just to shoot and brought in about $50 million in North America.  Not a hit.  His -- or 'his' -- hits come from playing a bit part in the Thor and Avengers films.  He was fourth billed in the bomb that is CATS.  He's a failure.

And he built his career around racism.  "Classy."  Racist US studios cast him in Black American roles because unlike people like me (Black Americans) they saw British Idris as classy.

"Iraq snapshot" (THE COMMON ILLS):

Shut up, Idris Elba, racism has driven your career in the US

From VARIETY:

  The upcoming Whitney Houston biopic “I Wanna Dance Somebody” stars BAFTA-winning actor Naomi Ackie as the legendary singer, which means the debate over Black British actors taking roles away from American actors is bound to resurface. The debate surged in 2017 after Samuel L. Jackson called out Daniel Kaluuya’s casting in “Get Out,” for which the actor earned an Oscar nomination.

“I tend to wonder what that movie would have been with an American brother who really feels that,” Jackson said.

In a new interview on “The Shop” (via The Root), Idris Elba railed against the claim that Black British actors take roles away from American actors. Naomi Ackie’s role in “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” served as a launching pad for the discussion. Talk show host Maverick Carter asked Elba about Ackie’s casting, noting that Black American women might criticize a Black British actor playing an American icon.   

I'm really sick of Idris Elba.  He's not a star.  He's been given multiple chances and failed everytime -- twice in the last few weeks alone.  See Stan's "Weekend box office" for more on that.  If he's British, he's British.  There's nothing wrong with that.  But get your Black ass out of American films playing Americans -- especially real life ones.  It is racist and you're offensive.  Ava and C.I. have addressed this repeatedly at THIRD and been very clear on this issue.  

American studios are casting British Blacks because American studios are racists.  They think MLK and then think that 'lower' US Blacks can't play the roles so they case British.  It's offensive.  

Idris was offeed many chances to become a star in America and he failed repeatedly.  He's Clifton Davis, someone who is known but can't sell tickets. Idris turns 50 in three days.  He's not a movie star and he's now too old to become one.  He had two flop films in the last three weeks.  

Here's how CRAPAPEDIA lies for him:

In 2007, Elba signed on as the lead role of the film Daddy's Little Girls, playing Monty, a blue-collar mechanic who falls in love with an attorney helping him gain custody of his kids, and finds the relationship and his custody hopes threatened by the return of his former wife. He appeared in 28 Weeks Later (2007) and This Christmas (2007), which brought in nearly $50 million at the box office in 2007.^[28][29] In 2008, he starred in the horror film Prom Night and the Guy Ritchie London gangster film RocknRolla.^[28] In 2009, he starred in the horror film The Unborn and in Obsessed, a thriller that had him cast opposite Beyoncé.^[30] The latter was a box office success, taking $29 million in its opening weekend.^[31]

Two films brought in neary $50 million?  Which means that each made $25 million.  $100 million domestically in the US is a blockbuster -- even during the pandemic.  So, no, those films weren't hits.  He did not 'sar' in PROM NIGHT OR ROCKNROLLA.  He was part of an ensemble in both.   In PROM NIGHT, he is tenth billed.  In ROCKNROLLA, he is fifth billed.  Those aren't starring roles.  OBSESSED was not a box office success.  It almost made $70 million in the US -- on a 20 million shooting budget, with a ten million promotion budget (they went all in, convinced Beyonce could have a film career) and that's not counting prints.  It did a little better than break even.  Stop pretending. THE DARK TOWER cost $60 million just to shoot and brought in about $50 million in North America.  Not a hit.  His -- or 'his' -- hits come from playing a bit part in the Thor and Avengers films.  He was fourth billed in the bomb that is CATS.  He's a failure.

And he built his career around racism.  "Classy."  Racist US studios cast him in Black American roles because unlike people like me (Black Americans) they saw British Idris as classy.

"Iraq snapshot" (THE COMMON ILLS):

 

 

 

My Labor Day Weekend (C.I.)

Repost from THE COMMON ILLS:

My Labor Day Weekend

Hope your Labor Day Weekend was better than mine.

A friend asked for a favor.  Could I speak to one of their former clients?  

By phone?  No problem.  

No, in person.  

He lives in the valley.  I did not want to go.

But he thinks he's dying -- he's thought that before.  And the man he's spent his life with wants him to come out and called my friend.  

"I'll send a car."

Yeah, you better because I'm not driving in the valley, let alone to it.

So he's an actor.  Unlike some closeted actors and actresses, he can't insist his mother would be shocked -- his mother died long, long ago.  How old is he?  He's so old that ____ _____ once bearded for him back when she was a starlet -- a decade before she became a respectable actress and a winner of numerous awards.

He won an award too.  Many, many decades ago.  

He made a lot of movies.

He was like Orlando Bloom.  He didn't really sell tickets but no one who went to the movies he was in felt like they'd been short changed.  So he was more like Orlando Bloom than, for example, Josh Harnett.  

He's been part of five classics -- one is a camp classic but it's a classic none the less.  He was popular on the big screen but never a star.  In TV, he'd finally become a star.  

He's well over seventy and he won't step out of the closet.  He's worried what people will think.

What people will think? Few think of him today and even fewer know he's alive.  

By the time the sixties ended, so did his pretense of dating actresses.  By the 80s, the never married status should have registered.  

No one's going to be appalled.  Coming out would be seen as brave.  And if he truly is on the end cycle (again, he's thought this before but he's edging ever closer to 100 so this could be it), coming out would mean he would make the In Memoriam reel at the Academy Awards broadcast.  It would also mean renewed interest in his work.  He hasn't played a role in a film or TV show in over two decades.  

It would also mean that it would come out (his being gay) on his terms.  He could give a few interviews as his life wound down (if he is indeed dying) and talk about what is was like coming up in Hollywood in the fifties. There would be tremendous interest for historical, sociological and media reasons.  

The more we talked, the more obvious it was that nothing was going to happen re: his coming out.  I offered to hook him up with Lily Tomlin because in our only conversation before this one -- a conversation that took place over 30 years ago -- he'd expressed that he was a fan of Lily Tomlin's and then, he leaned in, and sotto voice added, "I've heard she's gay."  To which I replied, "You mean like you."

Is that why, all these years later, his former publicist had arranged this meeting?  No.  It was because, I was told by the actor, I was known for not sugar coating.  That reputation's been there for years but it was when the Iraq War was about to start and I told off a roomful of big names as they tried to figure out how best to 'message' what was coming -- as opposed to standing up against it -- that the reputation really took hold.  I didn't realize what a bitch I was considered -- and I'm fine with that.  I did rip people apart -- fake ass, faux lefties who are held up as heroes by a public that doesn't know better.  I don't regret a word I said (and I'm very grateful to the friend, a film director, who stood up and walked out of the room with me) and it was past time that someone said it to those fake asses. 

Apparently, the actor feels the country has gone astray (it has) with one war after another and, as a veteran himself, he has loved hearing about that moment when I told off a bunch of fake asses.  (It's rather notorious within the industry.)  

I told him the truth.  He can act on it or not.

Not only would it be good for his image -- coming out -- it would be good for others who need role models.  The man's not had any scandals in his life -- no arrests for drug use or what have you.  When people do think of him, they think of him fondly because he didn't wear out his welcome.

It would also be good because someone's going to talk after he's dead.  Better he be the one to talk about it now.  

It would also be good because he had two strong, loving relationships that I know of and it would be good for him to honor what he had with those two men.  (I'm referring to an earlier relationship many years ago as well as his current one.  To be clear, these two strong relationships were at different times in his life.)

I don't think it worked.  Maybe it will as he continues to think about it.  Maybe it won't.

But it's sad that all these years later, this man well over 70, can't come out -- or at least, can't come out with some persuasion. 

 

 

 

 

Ann on the upcoming film BROS

From ANN'S MEGA DUB:

Bros

I agree with Billy Eichner.  From ROLLING STONE:

Ooooh, Billy Eichner just @’d the Supreme Court. While presenting an award at the 2022 VMAs on Sunday night, Eichner took the opportunity to promote his upcoming film Bros — the gay rom-com he wrote and stars in — by namedropping Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and advocating for more gay love onscreen.

“We need to show all the homophobes like Clarence Thomas and all the homophobes on the supreme court that we want gay love stories,” Eichner said. “And we support LGBTQ people. And we are not letting them drag us back into the last century because they are in the past, and Bros is the future. Are you with me, VMAs?”

[. . .]

Eichner spoke to Rolling Stone last month about the film and the impact he hopes it has on viewers.

“I’m in my forties, and I look around at movies in general — about straight people, about gay people, especially comedies — and say, “Where are the adults? What happened to the adults?” [Laughs.] I grew up with those great James L. Brooks movies and Nora Ephron movies and Woody Allen movies,” he said. “Those movies have disappeared entirely. I at least wanted to hold [Bros] to a higher standard than what’s passing for rom-coms these days.”

He added, “But as much as I love all those movies – Broadcast News, Moonstruck, Annie Hall, Tootsie – LGBTQ people are literally completely ignored and erased in those worlds. We weren’t even the best friend!”

Here are some trailers for his film Bros. 

I want to see it.  It's looks funny and it's been a long time since we've had a good romantic comedy.    

It'll be released in the US on September 30th.  

In other news, Benjamin Mateus (WSWS) reports:

In its latest guidelines, from August 8, 2022, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) gave one of its strongest recommendations to Paxlovid for patients at high risk of progressing to severe COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status. The list of underlying medical conditions that raise one’s risk of severe COVID-19 is long and accounts for more than four out of 10 adults (138 million Americans, including 54 million who are 65 or older). Close to 4 million prescriptions have been filled since Paxlovid was authorized.

However, the results of a new retrospective observational study out of Israel published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) seem to place a question mark over the strength of these recommendations, in particular, with the Omicron subvariant.

The report’s authors found that Pfizer’s antiviral medication Paxlovid offered little to no benefit for younger adults. However, it did reduce the risk of hospitalization for high-risk seniors. Notably, supplementary material from the original study of Paxlovid in high-risk non-hospitalized adults with COVID-19 during the Delta wave had demonstrated benefits in those younger than 65, albeit the difference compared to the placebo was much less than in those 65 and older.

The study’s authors utilized the electronic medical records from almost 110,000 patients enrolled in Clalit Health Services, Israel’s largest state-mandated health service organization. Nearly 4 percent, or 3,900 of the patients, had taken Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir) after contracting COVID-19.

Among those over 65, there was a 73 percent decrease in the hospitalization rate and a 79 percent reduction in the risk of death. However, patients between the ages of 40 and 65 saw no benefit in taking the antiviral medication in either category, regardless of previous immunity status.

This is C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"

 

 

 

 

Trina serves up some recipes

From TRINA'S KITCHEN:

Spaghetti with Bacon in the Kitchen

Maya notes this Taste of Home recipe for spaghetti with bacon:

Ingredients
8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1/2 pound bacon strips, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
Minced fresh parsley, optional


Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Cook spaghetti according to package directions for al dente.
In a large skillet, cook bacon and onion over medium heat until bacon is crisp, stirring occasionally; drain. Stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce; bring to a boil.
Drain spaghetti; transfer to a greased 11x7-in. baking dish. Spread sauce over top. Bake, covered, until bubbly, 40-45 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with parsley.

Maya likes that recipe because "I usually have everything for an easy pasta -- except meat.  Since finding this recipe that uses bacon, we have pasta a lot more.  It's a quick and easy last minute recipe when needed."

And let's pair that with a pasta recipe from Matteo Lane.

This is from Philip Guelpa (WSWS):

Following the initial discovery in July of an infected individual in Rockland County, evidence that polio is continuing to spread in New York state has now come to light. In addition to previous detection of the virus via wastewater testing in New York City and two suburban counties—Orange and Rockland—it has now been found farther away in Sullivan County, in samples taken in July and August. 

A pattern of geographic spread is indicated. Rockland County lies immediately northwest of New York City, across the Hudson River. Orange County is adjacent to Rockland to the northwest and Sullivan to the northwest of Orange. Given the highly interconnected economy of the New York metropolitan region, which encompasses portions of the adjacent states of Connecticut and New Jersey, there is no reason to believe that the virus would not already be in those areas as well. However, wastewater testing so far has been extremely limited, making it impossible to comprehensively trace the spread of the polio virus. 

Dr. Mary T. Bassett, New York State Health Commissioner, exemplified the official response to these developments in a guest essay published in the New York Times. She exclaimed that, “The case of a young adult paralyzed by polio in New York is not simply unexpected. It’s shocking.” No public health expert could be genuinely shocked.

It has long been recognized by those who have seriously considered the matter that, although it came close to achieving its goal, the underfunded and incompletely executed world campaign to eradicate polio, led by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, would not only fail in its stated mission but would open the door to the resurgence of this dread disease. This failure provides an object lesson regarding the necessary approach to combating all infectious diseases. A brief review will make this evident. 

There are two basic types of polio vaccine—the inactivated (“killed”) virus vaccine, the Salk vaccine, first deployed in 1955, and the attenuated virus vaccine, the Sabin vaccine, released in 1961, which contains live virus that has been weakened so that, although still infectious, it does not normally cause disease. Both are highly effective in preventing disease in vaccinated individuals. However, each has advantages and disadvantages, which affected how and where they were employed. 

Check back in four months when Joe Biden's finally aware of the problem.

This is C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot" for Tuesday:

Spaghetti with Bacon in the Kitchen

Maya notes this Taste of Home recipe for spaghetti with bacon:

Ingredients
8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1/2 pound bacon strips, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
Minced fresh parsley, optional


Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Cook spaghetti according to package directions for al dente.
In a large skillet, cook bacon and onion over medium heat until bacon is crisp, stirring occasionally; drain. Stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce; bring to a boil.
Drain spaghetti; transfer to a greased 11x7-in. baking dish. Spread sauce over top. Bake, covered, until bubbly, 40-45 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with parsley.

Maya likes that recipe because "I usually have everything for an easy pasta -- except meat.  Since finding this recipe that uses bacon, we have pasta a lot more.  It's a quick and easy last minute recipe when needed."

And let's pair that with a pasta recipe from Matteo Lane.

This is from Philip Guelpa (WSWS):

Following the initial discovery in July of an infected individual in Rockland County, evidence that polio is continuing to spread in New York state has now come to light. In addition to previous detection of the virus via wastewater testing in New York City and two suburban counties—Orange and Rockland—it has now been found farther away in Sullivan County, in samples taken in July and August. 

A pattern of geographic spread is indicated. Rockland County lies immediately northwest of New York City, across the Hudson River. Orange County is adjacent to Rockland to the northwest and Sullivan to the northwest of Orange. Given the highly interconnected economy of the New York metropolitan region, which encompasses portions of the adjacent states of Connecticut and New Jersey, there is no reason to believe that the virus would not already be in those areas as well. However, wastewater testing so far has been extremely limited, making it impossible to comprehensively trace the spread of the polio virus. 

Dr. Mary T. Bassett, New York State Health Commissioner, exemplified the official response to these developments in a guest essay published in the New York Times. She exclaimed that, “The case of a young adult paralyzed by polio in New York is not simply unexpected. It’s shocking.” No public health expert could be genuinely shocked.

It has long been recognized by those who have seriously considered the matter that, although it came close to achieving its goal, the underfunded and incompletely executed world campaign to eradicate polio, led by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, would not only fail in its stated mission but would open the door to the resurgence of this dread disease. This failure provides an object lesson regarding the necessary approach to combating all infectious diseases. A brief review will make this evident. 

There are two basic types of polio vaccine—the inactivated (“killed”) virus vaccine, the Salk vaccine, first deployed in 1955, and the attenuated virus vaccine, the Sabin vaccine, released in 1961, which contains live virus that has been weakened so that, although still infectious, it does not normally cause disease. Both are highly effective in preventing disease in vaccinated individuals. However, each has advantages and disadvantages, which affected how and where they were employed. 

Check back in four months when Joe Biden's finally aware of the problem.

This is C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot" for Tuesday:

Tweet of the week

Ajamu Baraka Tweeted:

 

 The people in the U.S. are catching hell while the Biden admin just asked Congress for another 11 billion for the undeclared war between the U.S. & NATO & Russia. Who voted for war with Ukraine in the U.S. & why should working class pay the cost?

 

 8:14 AM · Sep 3, 2022

 

 

This edition's playlist

 

 

 

 1) Harry Styles' HARRY'S HOUSE.

 

2)  Diana Ross' THANK YOU.

 

3) The Pretenders' THE SINGLES.

 

4) The Pretenders' PACKED.

 

5) Harry Style's FINE LINE.

6) George Ezra's GOLD RUSH KID.

 

7) Chrissie Hynde's STOCKHOLM.   

 

8) Adele's 30. 

 

9) Chase Rice's THE ALBUM.

 

 

10)  Janet Jackson's UNBREAKABLE.

TV: TCM's Ben problem

TCM.  TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES.  It's been having a struggle for a few months now and being owned by WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY isn't helping anyone's confidence.  DISCOVERY is pulling the plug on everything and, don't forget, TCM was behind FILMSTRUCK -- the streaming service that collapsed even with Martin Scorsese, Barbra Streisand, Steven Spielberg and others rallying  to save the streamer.  "Will they even bother to try to save us?" wondered an exec.

 

Better question: Should they?

 

 

 

If you'd ask at the start of the year, we'd be unsure.  What the hell happened -- that was our question.  What the hell?

 

Month after month, what was wrong with that programming?  It was as though TCM was trying to commit suicide.  And, no, that wasn't because they were finally working 80s and 90s films.  It was because of their hideous programming.

 

For example?  TCM viewers may watch a western or two but, no, Friday night is not the place for them.  Moves like that saw ratings -- which were up in the '00s -- dip.  And dip some more as we suffered through dull films of various genres with 'stars' that no one remembered for good reason.  It got to the point that it felt like TCM thought the biggest star of the 20th century was Mitzi Gaynor.  

 

As we watched the non-entities take up prime space on the schedule, we had to note that politics were still at play.  Where are Abbott and Costello?  How does Bob Hope barely pop up on the schedule?  He wasn't just popular while he was alive, he's still popular but you don't really get that if you watch TCM. Why is that?

 

If you want our opinion on Bob Hope the person?  He was an ass.  But we're not sitting down with him for coffee, we're watching his films and he delivers frequently in film.  

 

Know who else is an ass?   Ben Mankiewicz.  And he never delivers.  

TCM has gotten back on track in recent months.  But there's always Ben to derail it.  This morning (Sunday, in case this post later) a long struggling TCM staffer (non-on air) called us to complain.  Ben was back to his nonsense.  No matter how many times TCM corrects and guides him, it never takes.

At first, we just listened and nodded and wished we had caught in.  But wait.  SOME LIKE IT HOT?  We always record that.  So we actually were able to catch the stunt he pulled.

SOME LIKE IT HOT is one of the classic films of the 20th century and it is actually our favorite film of the 20th century.  It stars Marilyn Monroe and is directed by Billy Wilder who wrote the screenplay with I.A.L. Diamond.  It's a great screenplay and we love the way, for example, "Goodbye, Charlie" pops up and how a line used by someone will be stolen later by co-stars Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis' characters for a story they tell.  The script is the finest.  Billy Wilder directed a classic and Marilyn Monroe, a great actress, delivered and then some.  

The comedy was part of a Marilyn Monroe block on Saturday that also included GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, MONKEY BUSINESS, LADIES OF THE CHORUS, THE ASPHALT JUNGLE, THE PRINCE & THE SHOWGIRL, THE MISFITS, THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS, HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE, THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH, CLASH BY NIGHT and BUS STOP.  

Take a moment to notice how many of those films are classics.  Take a moment to register that she also has small but key parts in Bette Davis' classic ALL ABOUT EVE and the Marx Brothers' LOVE HAPPY and that she also delivers in DON'T BOTHER TO KNOCK and the film noir NIAGARA. 

 

Marilyn never settled and that's why she went from model, to bit player, to featured actress, to star (she kind of skipped lead and went straight to star).  She studied constantly -- the Actors' Laboratory Theatre, Natasha Lytess, Michael Chekhov and Lotte Goslar.   Even once she was the most famous star of her era, she didn't settle.  She knew she could be more.  So she goes to New York and studies with yet another drama coach, this one Lee Strasberg. Marilyn was an artist.

If you doubt it, she was nominated for two Golden Globes (for BUS STOP and for SOME LIKE IT HOT -- she won for the latter) (she also won three more Best Young Box Office, Personality, and World Film Favorite Female in 1952 and 1962) and for two BAFTAs (THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH and THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL). She won the David di Donatello Award and the Crystal Star Award (Italy and France's highest film honors) for THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL.  

So this block celebrating Marilyn Monroe kicked off well.  Alicia Malone provided solid commentary before and after Marilyn's films airing earlier in the day -- the kind of commentary that Alicia has come to excel at.  And along came schmutzy.  

Ben Mankiewicz, the TCM disaster.  He's not Robert Osborne and he never will be.  He is a case against nepotism.  He's not famous, not even well known, but he does trade on the family name (his family included famous screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz and legendary director-writer Joe Mankiewicz).  We guess it's an alternative to doing actual work.  

Ben's biggest problem used to be how he dressed on air.  We addressed that here and, thankfully, shortly after TCM addressed it as well and it was goodbye to the tacky and too large suits he'd been sporting.  Then we tackled his other problem.  TCM is not the Democratic Party.  It is a film channel and his constant need to work praise of Barack Obama into commentary on film classics from the last century were both irritating and unneeded.  Fortunately, TCM again agreed with us and he was told to drop the partisanship.  

TCM now has Alicia and Dave Karger and Jacqueline Stewart and they're great.  We've noted Alicia's series where she spoke with designers and costumers -- a very important part of the film industry and one that especially needs to be highlighted after this year's awful Academy Awards presentation that suddenly wanted to ignore makeup and hairstyling, original score, production design, sound, documentary short subject, animated short, live-action short, and film editing.  Alicia's efforts should be mirrored across TCM.  The industry needs some support.  (Yes, new Academy Awards CEO Bill Kramer states he wants to bring these categories back to the live broadcast; however, he is saying he wants to -- not that they will be brought back.)

We try to ignore Ben.

But there he was Saturday, during a block celebrating Marilyn Monroe and his mouth was as appalling as always. When we watched what we'd been informed of this morning, we were outraged and shouting "F**k you!" at him on the TV.  We understood why the TCM exec called us.

He used his time to lament what Billy Wilder had to go through.  Remember that.  

Marilyn Monroe couldn't remember he lines and poor Billy, poor Billy.

 

Really?  At this late date, we're going to get that garbage?  After the last 20 years have finally had it dawning on a number of people that Marilyn messed the lines up when she didn't like the direction.  She makes Sugar Kane a person.  She does that in spite of Billy Wilder, not because of him.  She had to wear him down to get her interpretation up on screen.  

 And she wasn't the diva on that set.

 

Yes, there's Tony Curtis.  He was a diva.  He was also "a damn liar" (to quote his first wife Janet Leigh) and he lied about everything throughout his life -- including that he never had sex with men.  Including some of the women he claimed to have had sex with.  Including that he got Marilyn Monroe pregnant, including that kissing her was like kissing Hitler, including that she couldn't remember her lines.

 Lines were easy for Marilyn when she was allowed to bring the motivation.  She worked extensively with Paula Strasberg on the set of SOME LIKE IT HOT.  The problems occurred when Billy wanted Sugar to just be the typical dumb blond.  That's not how Marilyn saw Sugar and she had to fight every day to keep Sugar real.  

 

To his credit, when he watched the completed film, Billy Wilder realized that Marilyn had been correct.

 

After the fact.  While filming, Billy was being the diva.  Not a new role for him, one he'd taken on over and over.  And we don't hold it against him or hold it against the films he directed.

 

But we don't also don't lie.

 

Billy suffered?

 

Help us out, Ben, how many months pregnant was Billy on the set of SOME LIKE IT HOT?

 

And when did he have his miscarriage?

 

Marilyn was a victim of sexism in her lifetime.  That shouldn't be the case all these years later.

 

We're not surprised by Ben's sexism -- it's always there.  But it's never been more pronounced than on Saturday night when he felt the need to 'take down' a woman on a night that was supposed to celebrate her.  

 

There was no point to his remarks.  They were attacks on Marilyn.  Does no one have the guts to tell him enough?  Someone sure as hell needs to.  It is one problem after another with him.  SOME LIKE IT HOT is Marilyn's triumph and to fail to mention that she won a Golden Globe for the film that you're talking about is bad enough.  To go on to offered a gender trashing of her?  

 

There's no place for that.  It wasn't news.  It wasn't anything that needed to be shared.   If this is what he thinks qualifies as 'commentary' to the films being shown, he needs to go -- at least to some form of sensitivity training -- if not from the network itself.

As for the network, we like TCM but Ben's actions make it so hard to fight for -- and to even care -- about its future.

 

Media: Chicken Littles and The Original Henny Penny

The sky is falling, the sky is falling!  That seems to be a cry from many currently.  

POYTNER is convinced the sky is falling because:

A sign that broadcast television is struggling in the age of streaming?

NBC is considering something once thought unthinkable — giving up what has traditionally been one of the prime pieces of real estate on TV. According to The Wall Street Journal’s Joe Flint, NBC is considering giving the 10 to 11 p.m. prime-time hour back to local affiliates.

Now, to be clear, this is nowhere close to a done deal. It’s just something the network is thinking about, and they haven’t discussed it yet with the affiliate board. The earliest it would happen, if it happened at all, would be the fall of 2023. That’s because the 2022-23 prime-time lineup is already set. And if there was a change, it would not include special live events, such as “Sunday Night Football” and awards shows.

But this could be a big deal.

It could be.  NBC is cheap and getting cheaper.  You don't do three hours of  Chicago unless you're very intimate with tacky.  What NBC is proposing currently is that they become like FOX and THE CW.  Those two do not program three hours of of prime time Mondays through Friday.  They were going to, FOX once long ago insisted.  Never arrived at that point.  They're called "net-lettes'' as a result.  

NBC doesn't know what it is and is willing to give up five hours to save money.  This isn't new.  They tried going cheap in the final hour of prime time Monday through Friday with Jay Leno.  They were going to take THE TONIGHT SHOW and move it on up.  That was not to give Jay Leno a reward, that was to be cheap.  

The Leno move only resulted in hard feelings all around.  That may end up being the case this time as well.  It has nothing to do with streaming, it has to do with being cheap and with NBC's inability to connect with viewers.  If they make this move, it could influence others.  Could.  CBS knows it needs three hours of programming to keep their viewers.  While NBC long ago gave up on Saturday nights and now serve up ancient, edited episodes of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE -- some nearly fifty years old.  CBS knows they need to mix it up with something more current on their Saturdays.  Equally true, CBS has better ratings than NBC.  ABC might go for reducing to two hours.  They haven't found another Shonda Rhimes all this time later.  

But most likely, even if NBC tested it out, it's unlikely ABC and CBS would follow suit.  Those watching broadcast TV regularly are creatures of habit -- something CBS understands better than any of the big three.  And, should this happen, NBC will no longer be part of "the big three."  It will begin it's tumble out of that exclusive circle.

Again, there are a lot of reasons not to do it.  Maybe NBC will do it, maybe it won't.

The other sky is falling moment of late?  Hillary and Chelsea Clinton are coming to TV.  Well, to APPLE+.  It still can't scare up enough subscribers and they thought the thing to do was GUTSY starring Hillary as an overworked Mother Superior and Chelsea as a flibbertigibbet  new to the convent.  Think Roz Russell and Hayley Mills in THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELS.  

Each week, Hill and Chelse will tackle a crime -- often one that will lead to arresting whomever last cut Hillary's hair.

No, we joke, we kid.

It's much more pathetic than that.

They think they're influencers and that the world is waiting on them. 

 

The world needs to hear from a professional doormat and her spoiled daughter?

For what?

 

GUTSY should be called PATSY.  You're the pasty if you waste your time on their nonsense.

 

But there will probably be very few patsies.  No one will be watching.

 

 

That's the big problem, by the way.  Watching.  YOU AND ME BOTH.  Remember that?

The bulk of Americans elected to ignore that podcast by Hillary.  Adding Chelsea does not make Hillary more appealing. There was no need for this.  But streamers keep giving the crooked Clintons money.  

Hillary isn't likeable.  Don't believe Barack Obama who once, in a 2008 debate, sneered at her and said flatly, "You're likeable enough."

She isn't.  And she's not aged well.  Nor is Chelsea easy on the eyes.  Chelasa can't even pass for more 'well groomed' these days.  She was an ugly child.  If you doubt it, think back to Rush Limbaugh's extremely short lived TV show.  He compared Chelsea to a dog.  

People objected and rushed to defend her.  

There was no "Rush Limbaugh is blind."  No, on the left we rushed to defend Chelsea with "how dare he!" remarks.  Which went to the fact that he hadn't said anything false, he'd just said the wrong thing.  You don't pick on someone when they're a child.  Now Chelsea can bring her homely face to this show and, with any luck, she can drag her trashy in-laws along with her.  

 

In-laws, yes.  Chelsea's married to Marc Mezvinsky.  She didn't take his last name.  She didn't take his religion.  But we're sure it's a very deep and abiding love.  Otherwise, why may Marc whose father went to prison after being convicted of 31 charges of felony fraud?  To find out what may be waiting around the corner for Clinton Foundation board member Chelsea?

 

 

Meanwhile, Hillary's so desperate to be on TV that she's saying things about how the previous betrayal of Bill cheating on her nearly destroyed her.

Yeah, it's that kind of show.

It's an embarrassment and will fade quickly.  There's no use getting upset by some attention seeker's desperate bid to be relevant.  

The sky is not falling.  We're just experiencing a few technical problems and the desperation of an unfulfilled woman who has finally, at the age of 74, grasped that her dreams will never, ever come true.  APPLE+ calls that "gusty."  We call it sad.