See more posts like this on Tumblr
#entertainment #Stephen Colbert #Late Night #David Letterman #newsMore you might like
Bachmann Makes Palin Seem Like Old News Now, by Taylor Marsh
PELLA, Iowa — Sarah Palin stared a bit uncomfortably at a movie screen Tuesday night watching a montage of Matt Damon, David Letterman, Madonna, Howard Stern, Bill Maher, Louis C.K. and other celebrities malign her, then asked The Hollywood Reporter: “What would make someone be so full of hate?” – The Hollywood Reporter
Nothing will keep the press from following Sarah Palin around like lap dogs.
“I’m very grateful that someone would bother to go to these efforts to make a documentary about the record of my team in Alaska that worked so hard for energy security and ethics reform and privatizing businesses that should never be in government’s hands,” Palin said. “This film really is a great illustration of what it is that you can accomplish as a team, a bipartisan approach, just common-sense solutions to some tough issues. We tackled it, we succeeded, and someone went to the trouble of documenting what it was that we accomplished. I appreciate that, so that brings me to Iowa.” – Real Clear Politics
I’m more amused than anything with the hoopla following the infomercial masquerading as a film that reinvents Sarah Palin through her Alaskan political career, which she chose to quit for greener pastures via her never ending publicity tour. Her political relevancy at this point is at the lowest ebb we’ve seen since she blasted on to the scene as McCain’s vice presidential nominee. The credibility she built up before the 2010 midterms a distant memory.
Sarah Palin faces an uncomfortable reality, even as she teases about 2012 saying, “We’re still thinking about that.” She’s allowed Michele Bachmann to take over where she left off, with Bachmann appearing infinitely more articulate, professional and determined to be a political force inside the Republican Party, which is becoming a reality as she moves up into the cat bird seat in the GOP primary contest, though there’s a long way to go and fading is always a possibility.
Why would Tea Party activists and other conservatives looking for an alternative to Romney and the establishment pols choose Palin over Bachmann at this point? There’s no logical reason, though partisan politics is driven by emotion, which is the only thing that could make the difference.
Still, Bachmann has the same political platform as Palin only she’s stayed in the arena. Bachmann isn’t a media coward, no matter how she trips over her own tongue, something both women have in common, unfortunately. Palin’s scared of unfriendly media, unlike Bachmann, who shows the maturity needed for national politics, with Palin’s policy prowess now reduced to Twitter and Facebook belches. Additionally, with Bachmann at 65% or so approval in Iowa, as a home state girl, why would notoriously conservative Iowans switch to Palin?
Shrouded in the aura of 2008 and the disaster gaffes everyone can recite by heart, Palin looks far less interesting, though her fans continue to flock around her. This is the real dilemma she faces in the charade she’s concocting surrounding whether she’ll run for president. How can she stiff her fans? What will happen to her career if she doesn’t run, which seems the most likely choice, because the obstacles loom large. Fox talking head is all she’s got.
Where would Sarah get the money to run? Bachmann has proven a formidable financing foe, with there no evidence Palin has the backers to pull off a presidential run at this point. She’ll need a political sugar daddy to manage it, which isn’t out of the question, especially with her adoring fans holding their breath for her pending announcement.
Sarah Palin simply looks like old news today, a wannabe political star who decided to choose celebrity, fan cultivation and media gamesmanship to become the most popular Fox News babe who amazingly isn’t blonde.
Source: taylormarsh.com
Anderson Cooper Officially Comes Out, with Hints Recently on Kathy Griffin’s Show, by Taylor Marsh
The fact is, I’m gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud. – Anderson Cooper
ANDERSON COOPER is making headlines today for an email reply to Andrew Sullivan, after the recentEntertainment Weekly “coming out” issue. This isn’t exactly news, with Michael Musto screaming for years about it, but now it’s official.
The CNN anchor and international journalist seemed to openly signal as much two Thursdays ago on Kathy Griffin’s BRAVO show “Kathy,” which has gone from a funky, boutique TV “D-list” vibe to absolutely fascinating in one season.
So, let me digress for a moment.
“Kathy” is a talk show like no otheranywhere on cable. It got even more captivating once Griffin started having top flight entertainment guests and femmes on, which began with comediennes Whitney Cummings, star of NBC’s “Whitney,” and Chelsea Handler, who made Time magazine’s “Top 100″ in 2012 and is the star of “Chelsea Lately” on E!. Last week was Jane Fonda and Sharon Osbourne, with Lisa Ling and when the conversation turned to sex it got raunchy, with Fonda’s reaction priceless.
WARNING: The video below is explicit dialogue about sex.
Fonda couldn’t believe the topic of conversation could possibly be aired on TV, which Griffin shared after a commercial break.
The low brow, low key start of “Kathy” has morphed into a delicious romp and is now one of my favorite guilty pleasures. It’s driven through the ease and spectacular talk show talent of Griffin, whose dialogue is laced with foul-mouthed, yet hilariously delivered, sentences that include some of the most explicit topics on cable, while Griffin sits perfectly coiffed and made up, as if she were ready for the runway. Her theme song is her pitch: “I know what’s on your mind, but if you’re inclined not to say it, well don’t you worry, cause I’ll say it. I’ll say it for you.”Written by Adam Schlesinger, who wrote “That Thing You Do,” it’s signature Griffin, who also sings it.
Cooper and Griffin are pals, so when he appeared on the show it was not only huge for “Kathy,” but great for him, as when he’s casual he’s at his best. Cooper even brought out one of his favorite lines about his mom Gloria Vanderbilt writing about a boyfriend who was the “Nijinsky of cunnilingus.” Sitting on the couch with Griffin’s “civilians,” as she calls one of her segments, “Michele,” billed as a comedienne and producer of the show, teased, “…We really bonded in the makeup room, when I was too afraid to look at him and I’m pretty sure we’re dating.” Cooper’s reply, but also his demeanor, seemed ripe with innuendo at the time to me. “Hate to break it to you, not gonna happen,” was Cooper’s reply, delivered with a dead pan take.
Anderson Cooper’s decision to email Sullivan and allow his comments to be posted is the latest in the opening of America to the facts of life, the celebrity edition. Even “Days of Our Lives” has a gay character storyline, which I wrote about here, complete with the template on how to and not to react to your son or family member coming out.
Television is a personal medium, as Ann Curry recently discovered, to her “Today” demise, with talk shows also requiring some showmanship, as Cooper proves with his signature giggle and his daytime talk show. If you can’t relate to people in a way that reveals who you are on some level other than face, there’s no relationship being set up, so less investment by the viewer. People watch Cooper and other hosts in the comfort of their living rooms; as it turns to late night, it’s even more casual, shifting to bedrooms, nighttime activities and an added aura of intimacy, even if it’s fake and in the eye of the beholder of the programming being viewed.
You never know, but something as simple as openly sharing an intimate detail, like Cooper has finally done, can change people’s views, their emotions about him. It can also make the connection to the host of the program you’re watching feel closer, whether it is or not. It’s one of those intangible elements of TV that’s hard to quantify, but over time can manifest in more loyal viewers, with trust rising, because people sense more authenticity to the host they’re spending time with regularly.
As for timing, it couldn’t be better for CNN, a network that could use the publicity, no matter how it comes, even if it’s a momentary distraction.
There’s something about Anderson Cooper officially coming out that fits with America coming out, too.
Barack Obama as SEAL Team 6 Action Figure, by Taylor Marsh
Hello “Rambama.”
This is a fitting accompaniment to Sen. John McCain’s rebuttal on the Bushies torture rehabilitation tour.
Sometimes it comes down to a president making a risky decision that even his aides were against.
Source: Taylor Marsh and MSNBC