Today we heard on the news the awful events in Kentucky where a commuter plane crashed, killing 49 people on board a Comair flight. The plane apparently took off from the wrong runway - finding it to be too short causing a crash into a field Sunday and burst into flames, killing 49 people and leaving the lone survivor - a co-pilot - in critical condition, federal investigators said.

Fast forward to this evening - The Emmy Awards broadcast on NBC.

Host, Conan O’Brian spoofs and episode of Lost - The annual TV awards show opened with shots of host Conan O’Brien bouncing inside a plane before it crashed on an island in a spoof of ABC’s hit show Lost.

“It was a live telecast — we were completely helpless,” Gilbert said of the Emmys. “By the time we began to react, it was over. At the station, we were as horrified as they were at home.”

Gilbert said he’ll complain to NBC, but he said an apology won’t make up for insensitivity.

“They could have killed the opening and it wouldn’t have hurt the show at all,” Gilbert of WLEX News in Lexington Kentucky said. “We wish somebody had thought this through. It’s somewhere between ignorance and incompetence.”

Mary Katharine Ham makes a good point:

The Kentucky plane crash happened at 6 a.m. There was plenty of time to alter the intro of the Emmys to something more respectful. It wouldn’t have been polished and post-produced, but it would have been polite.

Michelle Malkin of Hot Air has the video

“I’m sure they have divided loyalties and want to support their own network…Maybe I will entice them with free cupcakes.”
- On inviting her old Today Show pals to her CBS Evening News debut - Katie Couric

Katie Couric lands the Evening News.. it’s like Night and (To)day. Best opening line I’ve heard proposed? “Finally, I get to sleep in!“.

America’s legendary anchorman, Walter Cronkite, will introduce Katie Couric on the new CBS Evening News according to exclusive reports by Matt Drudge of the Drudge report.

Drudge reports that Cronkite is just one of many stars and broadcast legends that will splash Couric onto the nightly news scene.

“It’s going to be a who’s who of Americana,” a top CBS source said on Sunday.

Cronkite will do the introduction of Couric on opening night only, the source said.

CBS brass dismiss the suggestion that adding Cronkite is an attention-grabbing stunt.

“This is a bold statement of continuity and ‘trust,’ a commitment to the quality of the CBS EVENING NEWS,” a top insider explained.

Peter Bart, Variety’s editor, in a column warned: “I realize media companies need to overhype everything, whether it’s a new ‘Pirates’ movie or another faux ‘American Idol’… but all this may be doing a disservice both to Couric’s credibility and to network news… Will Couric actually tell us what’s happening in the world or will she preside over a sort of mini-’Today’ show, complete with its well-worn couch?”

Kurt Andersen in NEW YORK will applaud the coming Era Of Katie Couric:

“Making Couric the anchor and de facto face of CBS NEWS is a very smart, potentially even visionary choice… the real brilliance is that she’s the first network anchor to have a quick, smart, mischievous sense of humor as a major part of her personal persona,” Andersen explains. “If it’s possible to rejuvenate TV news, Couric is among the last best hopes.” Reported by Matt Drudge.

Michael Douglas died at 5:30 a.m. in a Palm Beach Gardens hospital, said his wife, Genevieve Douglas. She wasn’t sure of the cause, but said he had been admitted Thursday.

Douglas became dehydrated on the golf course a few weeks ago and had been treated on and off since. “He was coming along fine, we thought. It was really a shock,” she said. “We never anticipated this to happen.”

Douglas’ afternoon show, which aired from 1961 to 1982, featured his ballad and big-band singing style, other musicians, comedians, sports figures and political personalities, including seven former, sitting or future presidents.

“People still believe ‘The Mike Douglas Show’ was a talk show, and I never correct them, but I don’t think so,” Douglas said in his 1999 memoir, “I’ll Be Right Back: Memories of TV’s Greatest Talk Show.”

“It was really a music show, with a whole lot of talk and laughter in between numbers.”

Source

RIP Michael Douglas

Thought we would join in the Thursday Thirteen fun this week - with a Diva Twist. Instead of 13 things directly about Me - I have thirteen celebrity facts I’ve run across this week and found to be interesting:

1. Paris Hilton parks in spaces reserved for the handicapped. Either there is something we don’t know about Miss Hilton and her handicap, or she’s an ass. I put my vote in for ‘ass’.
2. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are denying wedding rumors. They’re planning on leaving Nambia in a few days… hmm, so Brad can start filming Oceans 13?
3. American Idol loser (why do we say runner-up? She’s not the winner.. therefore..?), Katharine McPhee, has signed a record deal with music mogul Clive Davis in conjunction with 19 Recordings Unlimited. (the label is managed by Simon).
4. How many of you could win the trivia question “Who was the Fifth Beatle?” Anyone? Well his name was Billy Preston and he died today at the age of 59. RIP. (of course, the fifth Beatle” has been used, accurately, to describe their bassist, Stuart Sutcliffe, who left the band in 1962, and died of a brain hemorrhage shortly thereafter. Similarly, their drummer Pete Best (replaced by Ringo Starr when the band got a record contract) is often cited as the “fifth Beatle.” - - so it’s all very confusing)
5. Questions arise about the new The Omen remake of why they are messing with the original? Good damned question!
6. Lawsuits are boiling over in regards to Shiloh Nouvel Joilie-Pitt’s (aka Brangelina spawn) mug shots (aka baby pictures) being published on several websites - - apparently Hello! Magazine (UK) and People Magazine (US) obtained exclusive rights to the pictures and are suing any website who publishes the pictures (aka scoops the aforementioned magazines).
7. Katie Holmes is set to cash in on her wedding to Tom Cruise. “Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes fans may be hearing wedding bells — or maybe the sound of a cash register. The couple reportedly have hammered out a prenuptial agreement that will give Holmes as much as $33 million and that will pave the way for the two to get hitched.

   The happy couple and their lawyers have come up with a contract that will give Holmes $3 million a year up to $33 million for each year that she is married to Cruise, as well as a palatial home in Montecito, California, according to Life & Style Weekly. If the marriage lasts longer than eleven years, the contract becomes void and California’s community property law kicks in — giving Holmes half of Cruise’s rather sizeable fortune.

   She’s getting rich hitched! (ummm… has anyone actually SEEN the baby yet??)

8. Much speculation about Britney Spear’s new man… er.. Manny, as they call him. He’s a nanny. He’s a body guard. He’s cute. He’s built. And.. he already has a girlfriend.. So, he’s not KFed’s replacement - - but we’re still hopefull that Britney will dump KFed and move on with her life - - because any life without KFed is a better life, indeed.
9. Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are hoping for a press-free wedding. Yea. Right.
10. Almost a year ago, Olivia Newton-John’s boyfriend Patrick Kim McDermott vanished while on an overnight fishing trip, leaving Newton-John, his family and authorities in the dark as to what happened to him, but fearful that he may have fallen overboard to his death. Shortly after, investigations revealed he was having strained relations with his ex wife over outstanding child support payments. Speculation about his own faked death ensued. Drama. Drama. Drama. Now - four separate witnesses claim to have seen him in Mexico since his dissapearance last year. Is Patrick McDermott the new Elvis?
11. Seems American Idol’s Chris Daugherty will not be filling Fuel’s shortage - he’s declined the offer to be the frontman for popular band, Fuel. He must have other plans, eh?
12. Lindsay Lohan has turned into a proper Hollywood Diva now that she quit her new movie called Bill. Reason: The director of the movie is not well enough known.. First time directors are not good enough for the 19 year old upstart. Bitch.
13. Happy Birthday to: Comedian Jerry Stiller is 79, Comedian-talk show host Joan Rivers is 73, Singer Nancy Sinatra is 66, Singer Boz Scaggs is 62, Singer Bonnie Tyler is 53, Actor-director Keenan Ivory Wayans is 48, Keyboardist Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran is 44, Rapper Kanye West is 28.

Seems we all know who WON’T be on Simon’s Christmas card list this year! Nor should we be expecting any repeat performances of the artist formerly known as Prince on any American Idol show, or future affiliate shows, any time in the near (if EVER) future:

AMERICAN IDOL judge SIMON COWELL has turned his famous barbed comments on PRINCE after being appalled by the pop superstar’s surprise performance at the show’s finale last week (24MAY06). The PURPLE RAIN hitmaker took to the stage at the Kodak Theatre for a quick run through two new songs before dashing off, refusing to meet the Idol contestants or greet the audience. Idol host RYAN SEACREST has since reported that he feared Prince would be a no-show - because he appeared just minutes before he was due to hit the stage. And Cowell insists Prince’s attitude isn’t one he’d like Idol winners to display at any time in their career. He says, “It just tells you how selfish he is. He comes on, not a word - ‘I’m not gonna sing with anybody else, I’m not gonna say goodbye.’ Thank you for your generosity, Prince.”

[Source]

Thought we would join in the Thursday Thirteen fun this week - with a Diva Twist. Instead of 13 things directly about Me - I have thirteen celebrity facts I’ve run across this week and found to be interesting:

1. Here is a funny as hell video of Paris Hilton’s friend, Brandon Davis, TOTALLY dissing Lindsey Lohan, and Paris is smirking and laughing right along with him. He says things like: Lindsay’s movie bombed because “she is a firecrotch”, saying that “she’s orange, she’s not black or white — she’s orange.” He goes on to say that “she tastes like [Brandon’s] Turkish father’s asshole”. Hmm.. why does Brandon know what his father’s turkish asshole tastes like??? Oy!
2. Pictures of Katie Holme’s stretchmarks have been circulating around. She apparently let the paparazzi close enough to snap a picture of her stomach, rife with strech marks. The picture was taken at a baseball park when she was out and about with husband, Tom Cruise. Yet - - STILL no appearance of baby Suri. BUT! She has the stretchmarks to prove she was pregnant, just in case you were still wondering
3. Early reviews of The Da Vinci Code don’t sound very good. But, the reviews came out of Cannes - so it’s entirely possible if they hated it, I’ll probably LOVE it!
4. Janice Dickerson, the self-proclaimed “Worlds First SuperModel” (coughsputter) is counselling Britney Spears to DUMP KFED! Good advice, sister! She says, “I never found him hot at all. But she’s a hick anyway. She needs to get hot again. Stop clomping around in those Malibu flip-flops. … I would tar and feather her first of all, tell her to dump that [bleeping] hick husband of hers. She needs solid advice, and not from Hicksville“
5. Tori Spelling had a quickie shotgun wedding - some say she’s preggers. Et tu, Tori?
6. Pamela Anderson offers up orgasm tits tips - - just in case you needed ‘em.
7. Following on the heels of the RED American Express credit card, rock star Bono launched a new red mobile phone in the UK on Monday, sales of which are expected to raise hundreds of millions of dollars to fight AIDS in Africa
8. Here’s a few pics of Tori Spelling’s wedding ceremony to Dean McDermott. What do ya give ‘em? A year..more?
9. For the second year in a row, Desperate Housewives list of the most successful women in film, TV, music, sports and fashion. Jessica Alba is No. 2, followed by Lindsay Lohan, Angelina Jolie, Stacy Keibler (“Dancing With the Stars”), Scarlett Johansson, Cameron Diaz, Kate Bosworth, Keira Knightley and singer-actress Christina Milian.
10. Esquire Magazine reveals their sexiest woman of all time - in parts. Six of them. Who is it?
11. All the fuss about Denise Richards and Richie Sambora - - he came out last week and said he didn’t cheat on Heather Locklear with Denise while the two were together, and reports stated he dumped Denise in an effort to make this whole sordid mess go away. And yet, Denise Richards is joining Sambora on tour. Gee, just last week Sambora told his fans, “I am single and ready to party” . . . he doesn’t sound very on the market to me!
12. US Magazine reports that Britney Spears FINALLY gave KFED the ultimatum - - SHAPE UP OR GET OUT!! That’s one step closer to divorce.
13. Usually a meticulously stylish star, Jennifer Lopez spawned a fresh round of baby rumors when she showed up on the red carpet sporting gray roots (hair dye may be dangerous for women during their first trimester). But a source tells Us that the failure to cover up wasn’t because Gray.Lo is pregnant: “It was all down to scheduling a time to see her colorist.”
    “Jennifer has been gray for a long time,” adds another source. “This is nothing recent.” Click for the Grey.Lo picture

“American Idol” sent rocker Chris Daughtry home Wednesday night, but Daughtry’s fans aren’t quite ready to let him go. At least one online petition, with more than 16,000 names attached, is calling for a recount of the “American Idol” votes.

MSNBC.com has received numerous e-mails and bulletin board posts claiming that voters who dialed the first of Daughtry’s two phone numbers were greeted by a recorded message from “Idol” singer Katharine McPhee, thanking the caller for voting for her. According to Wednesday night’s show, McPhee received the second-lowest number of votes, after Daughtry. The Associated Press cited Tracey Adams, a family friend of Daughtry’s, saying that fans from his North Carolina hometown were among those who heard another contestant’s voice when calling for Daughtry.

One fan who wrote to MSNBC.com said: “They had another voting mess-up. When I called to vote for Chris, Katharine says Thanks for voting for me. I thought I dialed the wrong number, so I tried again to hear Katharine, again. People were trying to vote for Chris…not Katharine! That’s why Chris went home……GRRRR…REDO please!”

Thought we would join in the Thursday Thirteen fun this week - with a Diva Twist. Instead of 13 things directly about Me - I have thirteen celebrity facts I’ve run across this week and found to be interesting:

1. Here’s on for the ladies - it seems that Kevin Costner is a bit of an exhibitionist. That news alone is enough to make my day. Allegedly, while getting a massage at a posh spa, Costner grabbed the spa worker while she was giving him a massage, then dropped his towel and masturbated. The worker complained and she GOT FIRED! Now that is wrong, wrong, wrong!
2. Keira Knightley has taken the place of Kate Moss as the new face for French fashionhouse Coco Chanel perfume. Kate Moss lost the deal last year when tabloids printed pictures of the lovely lady with her nose full of cocaine. That’ll do it - - Just Say NO!
3. Angelina Jolie announced that she is not quite 8 months preggers - contradicting tabloid reports that she is about to ‘pop any day now’. You needed that tid bit to complete your day, right?
4. Michelle Rodriguezlands in jail after being convicted of a DUI. When faced with the choice of 100 hours of community service or 5 days in jail, Rodriguez chose jail. Her blood alcohol was 0.17–more than twice the legal limit. This is not her first arrest - A hit and run in 2004, while driving with a suspended license. Three seperate speeding violations in 2005. At some point, you just should hire a driver. I’m just sayin’!
5. Michael Jackson is looking to hook up with rapper 50 Cent on a collaborative effort. I don’t know, I’m going to assume the effort is to remind the world that once upon a time he, too, was black.
6. Maury Povich is being sued for sexual harassement. No woman should have to endure harassement of the sexual kind - - but coming from Maury Povich? It should be a FELONY!
7. Covered on this blog already earlier this week - but it’s worth saying again: Britney is pregnant again. I don’t know why this upsets me so much - - I’d really love to see her drop KFed completely… and here she is having his second spawn. Birth control, people. Birth Control!
8. How do YOU make a quick million in Hollywood? Get famous. Get pregnant. Sell your baby pictures. That, folks, is a one million dollar return on investment in 9 months! You CANNOT do that well on Wall Street!
9. Paris Hilton has won an UGLY award. It’s about damn time, I say! Poor Paris
10. Al Pacino joins the cast of Oceans 13. This is a great move for the Oceans folks. Returning actors include: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, as well as new leading lady Ellin Barkin. Julia Roberts is not returning to Oceans
11. Michael Jackson look-alike, Terri Hatcher got injured on the set of Desperate Housewives - right eye was injured when a light bulb exploded. Hope she’s ok!
12. John Lennon speaks from the grave in a Pay-Per-View seance that claims contact with Lennon. Seriously, if they are going to televise a seance - - I want to hear from Elvis to debunk all those lads in Vegas claiming to be him!
13. Celebrity birthdays today: Actor Jack Klugman is 84, Announcer Casey Kasem is 74, Guitarist Ace Frehley (Kiss) is 55, Singer Sheena Easton is 47

Banned by Comedy Central from showing an image of the Islamic prophet Mohammed, the creators of “South Park” skewered their own network for hypocrisy in the cartoon’s most recent episode.

Creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, were so upset when they were told by Comedy Central that they could not run an image of Mohammed on the comedy show - they instead, during this Christian Holy Week, showed an image of Jesus Christ defecating on President Bush and the American flag.

Comedy Central also pulled a March rerun of an episode of “South Park” that mocked the religion of Scientology. (South Park creaters have a petition here)

So.

Mohammed = Bad.

Mocking Scientology = Bad.

Jesus defacating on the US President and the US Flag = Good.

I’m not a religious person by any stretch of the imagination - - but this kind of smacks of hypocrisy doesn’t it? All or nothing, folks - all or nothing.

Source

This is JUST the news I was waiting for - and I wasn’t dissapointed! Kiefer Sutherland signed on to star in Fox’s “24″ through the 2008-09 season. I’ve read reports where this role and show is hard on Kiefer’s life - but I’m selfishly looking forward to another season of 24!

In addition, 20th Century Fox Television, the News Corp. division that produces “24″ for the News Corp.-owned Fox broadcast network, will pay the overhead of Sutherland’s brand-new TV production company as part of a two-year “development deal.” Source

In its fifth season, the audience for “24″ is up noticeably, to more than 14 million from last year’s season-to-date average of 12.3 million.