Let's Play "Foodie, A-hole, Racist or Jerk!"

Eat This, Y'all

Wow. The Food Network continues to prove that their talent bookers have issues with vetting their stars. Their first scandal involved British chef Robert Irvine and his claims that he cooked for the Queen. That turned out to be a lie and Irvine was fired (though hired back again after he proved to be a fan favorite). Then 'Barefoot Contessa' star Ina Garten refused to cook with a cancer-stricken child whose Make-A-Wish wish was to do just that. Soon after, douchebag extraordinaire, Guy Fieri, was outed as a sexist, anti-Semitic, homophobic creep who can't look a woman in the eyes. And last week, photos of sexy British chef Nigella Lawson hit the web, being choked in public by her husband.

Today it was revealed that the network's most beloved star, butter-loving diabetic Paula Deen (pictured above) is a racist. Yup! During testimony in a civil trial, Deen admitted that she not only regularly uses the "N" word, but had actually hoped to plan a wedding using African-American wait staff pretending to be slaves! 

Holy crap! What the hell is wrong with the talent bookers at Food Network? They certainly don't seem to be doing a good job making sure their stars are worthy of stardom. If I were a Food Network exec, I'd be loosing my mind right about now. 

Can you imagine Julia Child embroiled in such a scandal? I know I can't. 

I have always had an issue with many of the people Americans venerate as "stars," especially in the age of so-called 'Reality TV.'  When chefs like Child; Friedman 'Chef Tell' Erhardt and Grahame Kerr made their marks on TV in the 70's, the world was a different place and any scandals in which they may have been involved (though I doubt there were any), weren't fodder for the Internet and anyone with a PC to see. They were about the food, and their quirky and delightful presentations.

Wanna be famous? Want adoring fans and tons of money for hosting a show or making public appearances? Then you better make sure you have nothing to hide. In the Information Age, everything is public and you'd better be prepared to face the consequences of your unsavory past. Or at least make sure that either your past isn't unsavory or be willing to embrace your unsavory past with grace and aplomb. 

Here's to your heart attack, y'all!

Let's not get into Deen's son Bobby and all the rumors about his sexuality (I'm no Perez Hilton) for now. I'm just asking that you be aware that the 'celebrity' you love, may not be the perfect person you might like to think he or she is.

More, anon.

Prospero

You have read this article Bigotry / Cooking / Food / Food Network / Homophobia / Hypocrites / Nonsense / Paula Deen / Racism / Reality TV / Scandal / TV with the title Scandal. You can bookmark this page URL https://tammycross.blogspot.com/2013/06/let-play-hole-racist-or-jerk.html. Thanks!

The Bitchiest Nonsense You'll See This Week or: When Local Goes National

Carol Erickson and Her Dogs

While I've lived here and there from time to time, I've spent the majority of my life as a suburbanite in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. My local news has always been one of the major three Philadelphia affiliates, though for longest time I've been partial to our local NBC news. Because it is two hours of repetition between 4 and 6 PM, I know I can drop in at almost any time for half an hour and see everything I need to. It's news for the Information Age. 

When I was a kid, the local ABC affiliate was the news to watch. The stalwart channel loves it's stars and ancient anchor Jim Gardner (whose been at it since the 70's) is still chugging away at a dusty old station which somehow seems to have lost touch with the 21st Century. Most of the reporters on Action News have been there for at least 25 years and only seem to be replaced when they retire or die. The "Murder She Wrote" and "Matlock" crowd watch this broadcast.

Then there's the local CBS station. A decent station with

Nicole Brewer

a combination of both older, more experienced staffers and younger up-and-comings. It's my second choice. 

Before I go on, I have to tell you that sometime in the late 90's, the Philadelphia NBC and CBS channels switched affiliations. I don't know if that's ever happened in any other market, but it happened here and it resulted in some confusion for the first few months. What didn't change at the time, were the news teams. Now, for those of you who weren't alive, there was an up and coming newswoman in the 70's named Jessica Savitch. Savitch worked for the (then) local NBC affiliate in the 70's and went on to be the NBC Network weekend anchor. Many thought she was on track to become a major star; possibly the first Female Network anchor, even. Sadly, Savitch died after the car she was riding in crashed into the Delaware Canal near New Hope, PA in 1983. The story went national. It was even the basis for the film Up Close and Personal, with Michelle Pfieffer and Robert Redford.

Flash-forward to 2008. The station is now a CBS affiliate. Anchor Larry Mendte is accused of hacking into former co-anchor Alycia Lane's email account 537 times! The resulting scandal costs Mendte his job. He pleaded guilty to felony hacking charges and admitted to having an "improper relationship" with Lane. The story went national.

This time, it's a mere 5 years between viral stories for this beleaguered news team. Veteran meteorologist Carol Erickson (who's been with this station since the 80's) and morning anchor (and former pageant queen) Nicole Brewer are the subject of speculation that they despise one another and have been openly displaying their venomous relationship on air (via):

Okay - the tragic death of an up-and-comer? Yes, that's ceratinly worthy of national attention. A sex scandal involving email hacking? A little tabloid-y, but yes. Worth noting for the tech element, I guess. A verbal bitch slapping contest between an established Queen Bee and a pert-breasted pretender to the throne? Bitch, please. Is this what TMZ and 'The Jersey Shore' have reduced us to? If I believed in a god, I wouldn't blame him for smiting us.

Nonetheless, I am all over Carol in this. Give up, Nicole. You aren't worthy of attempting awful banter and terrible puns with a woman who has been in the business since before you were a snot-nosed toddler, crying for your Mommy. Learn your place, gurl. In 25 years, if you're lucky, the shoe will be on the other foot and all the plastic surgery in the world won't hide the vain, empty shell beyond those pretty little eyes!

And Now For Something Completely Different:

The new fridge is here (it's a Frigidaire) and working! The food and condiments I managed to save are all in it, though it is slightly (.2 CF) larger than the Fridge of Despair and looks very empty. The freezer has already managed two batches of cubes since 2 PM and all is right with the world once again.

More, anon.
Prospero

You have read this article Local News / Local TV Hosts / News / Nonsense / Philadelphia / Scandal / Viral Video with the title Scandal. You can bookmark this page URL https://tammycross.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-bitchiest-nonsense-you-see-this.html. Thanks!

Does My Broken Toe Trump the New Pee-Wee?

Wha' Happened?

A gentle summer rain is falling as I write this post. I can't think of anything more antithetical to what I am about to share tonight.

While I won't admit to actually being lazy, I will say that on occasion, I am wont to leave things where they don't necessarily belong. Especially shoes. My shoes often end up staying wherever it is that I take them off. That's mostly because I hate wearing shoes. I would rather be barefoot (despite the ugliness that is - are? - my feet). So when I took off my shoes last night. I left them in the living room, at the end of the coffee table where I usually sit to watch TV. This morning, after giving Skye his daily fresh water, I stubbed my left pinkie toe against one of those shoes, cursing and nearly crying from the pain. 

Uncle P - we've all stubbed our toes. It hurts. WTF?

Nothing ever hurt like this. Mind you, I have had  dislocated fingers; broken collar bones; splinters which required surgery and dental surgery from hell.* None of them have come close to this kind of pain. It actually radiates up into my ankle. And while I know there is very little that can be done for such an injury, the very angry dark purple bruise that has developed at the base of my toe is just another indicator of the self-inflicted injury for which I have no excuse but my own laziness. I'd posat a picture of the bruised and swollen digit, but would rather spare you the (literally) ugly details.

Of course, that pain in no way measures up to the humiliation recently suffered by one of my personal hero actors, Fred Willard (pictured above). What a segue.

I've been a fan of Willard's since the days of the bizarro soap opera, "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman." Willard went on to co-host the spin-off "Fernwood Tonight" as well as appearing in most of Christopher Guest's improvised comedies (Waiting for Guffman; Best in Show and A Mighty Wind) along with appearances on "Roseanne;" "Raising Hope;" "Modern Family: and countless other films and TV shows.

Yesterday, Willard was arrested at a Hollywood "adult movie theater" for doing what most men do at "adult movie theaters." Really? This is how the LAPD spends their time, looking for 70 + year-old guys whacking off in porno theaters? Let's forget about all the gang violence and heavy drug trafficking that goes on in L.A. No, we're going  to arrest guys who have their peens out in a darkened porn theater.  Truth be told though, if any comedic actor from this era was going to arrested for this kind of thing, I would have placed money on Martin Mull. Still, Willard now has something in common with Paul Reubens, though I doubt it will have the same effect on his career.

*Which instilled my dentaphobia (?) and requires a post of its own, someday.

More, anon.
Prospero

You have read this article Christopher Guest / Fred Willard / Movies / Nonsense / Pain / Porn / Prospero / Scandal / TV with the title Scandal. You can bookmark this page URL https://tammycross.blogspot.com/2012/07/does-my-broken-toe-trump-new-pee-wee.html. Thanks!

Old Hollywood Hotties

"Because I just went gay all of a sudden!"

That's the incredibly handsome Cary Grant wearing lingerie in Uncle P's all time favorite movie Bringing Up Baby. It's been rumored forever that Grant had a long-term relationship with equally handsome Western star, Randolph Scott. The two lived together in a 'bachelor pad' for years, and even after Grant married his first wife, Scott continued to live with the couple; much like Noel Coward, Alfred Lunt and Lynne Fontanne (as depicted in Coward's play Design for Living) supposedly did.

There's a new book coming out called "Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Lives of the Stars" by Scotty Bowers (with Lionel Friedberg). The book is Bowers' memoir of his days as a sex-broker to the stars. Bowers claims he arranged for thousands of same sex assignations for major Hollywood stars in the 40's, 50's and 60's, starting with his own encounter at a Hollywood gas station with Walter Pidgeon. You can read all about it in a New York Times article here (via).

Now I know a lot of my under 40 readers are asking "Randolph who?" and "Walter what?" All I can say is, today's hot male actors have got nothing on those who came before. You owe it to yourself to visit some classic movies that were made long before you (and probably your parents) were born. I've posted pics of some of my favs, below.

Blogger seems to be acting like a d*ck tonight, so I'll sign off now. Expect more Old Holly Hotties, soon.

More, anon.

Prospero

Valentino

Randolph Scott

Paul Newman

Gary Cooper

Tyrone Power

Montgomery Clift

Troy Donahue

Gene Kelly

Rock Hudson

You have read this article Gay Celebrities / Hot / Old Hollywood / Rumors / Scandal / Sexy with the title Scandal. You can bookmark this page URL https://tammycross.blogspot.com/2012/01/old-hollywood-hotties.html. Thanks!

Schadenfreude, O Schadenfreude!

Our endlessly ha-hahing buddy Nelson Muntz there knows what I'm talking about. In fact Nelson, in many ways, is probably a schadenfreude vampire of some kind. I know I'm a bit of a schadenfreude junkie, myself. But  I only  get off on the pain of the pompous, the pious, the rich and the powerful, especially when it means exposing hypocrisy and the often ugly truth.

My favorites are the religious folk caught up in gay sex scandals. After that, it's loud-mouthed, privileged asshats being taken down by a crowd of fans who suddenly came to their senses and realized what an idiot crackhead said asshat really is. That was a bit specific, wasn't it? And I suppose I must make an exception to my self-declared moratorium on this particularly over-paid, idiotic celebrity and ask that you share in the Schadenfreude Fest that is this colossally rewarding Charlie Sheen Fail:

I think this may well be the dose of reality the poor fellow needs before he realizes he is committing career suicide.Or will Charlie "Tiger's Blood" Sheen never learn not to sh*t where he eats? Sheen grew up wanting for nothing, and now expects more. Personally, I have no idea why his show was #1. It stopped being funny after the second season and started to rely on vulgar double and triple entendres; puberty jokes; pot jokes and the exploitation of women. I've never been a huge fan of Chuck Lorre shows, and this one ranks as one of his most exploitative and offensive. Given Sheen's history of 'bad boy' antics, is it any wonder he would eventually fall hard? I just hope he's now fallen hard enough to seek professional help.

More, anon.

Prospero

Okay - Moratorium back in place. 

You have read this article Celebrity / Fail / Scandal / Schadenfreude / TV with the title Scandal. You can bookmark this page URL https://tammycross.blogspot.com/2011/04/schadenfreude-o-schadenfreude.html. Thanks!

A Monday Night Quickie

Okay - so maybe it's already been done to death by a thousand gay bloggers, but I just had to weigh in on the whole George Rekers scandal.

Honestly, it just makes me sad. While I am always happy to see a hypocrite brought down, I still have to wonder about the emotional pain that goes along with such an event.

Rekers certainly caused emotional pain in the gay men he supposedly councils to become "straight." And I imagine his family must be experiencing some pain at the revelation that the man they thought they knew is not the man Rekers apparently is. And Rekers certainly has his own pain in dealing with his own repressed homosexuality.

If you live in a cave and haven't heard about this scandal, here's a report from Newsy.com:



I'm currently directing a production of Del Shore's hilarious play Sordid Lives for the annual JTMF AIDS fundraiser. In it, one scene involves a therapist who believes she can 'de-homosexualize' gay men through therapy. Of course, the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from their list of recognized psychological disorders over 40 years ago. Still, folks like Mr. Rekers believe that therapy and prayer can turn gay people straight.

I'm happy (and sad for those who believe otherwise) to report that one CANNOT "Pray the Gay Away." Such so-called 'therapies' have proven again and again to do far more harm than good. And as evidenced by these recent events, lying to the world about yourself while publicly denouncing the very activities in which one engages, can only lead to more pain. As soon as the so-called "Religious Right" realizes that we (the LGBT community) are not only here to say, but aren't going to put up with their lies, the better. Of course, those who live by blind faith are doomed to live blindly. How many more George Rekers or Ted Haggards will it take before they realize the error of their ways? Sadly, I think they never will.

And here's Rachel Maddow's take on the whole thing:



I hope every person involved in the "ex-gay" movement takes a step back and re-analyzes their take on this subject. Unfortunately, I don't think they will.

More, anon.
Pospero

You have read this article Gay / Hypocrites / News / Ramblings / Scandal with the title Scandal. You can bookmark this page URL https://tammycross.blogspot.com/2010/05/a-monday-night-quickie.html. Thanks!