Controversy: September 2007 Archives

This is a great clip of Kathy Griffin talk to Larry King last night. She is a hoot and enjoying all the controversy around her since her Emmy speech 10 days ago when she told Jesus to "suck it" and added that her Emmy was "my God now."
The Catholic League, which I would think would have many more things to worry about that what is said at a non-televised award show, has denounced Kathy - much to her delight.
"Of course I planned it all," she tells King. "Bill O'Reilly called me a pinhead. That's a badge of honor!"
Apparently, it's also been a career boost: "I now have my olwn 'E! True Hollywood Story." Before the scandal, it was only going to be a half-hour, now it's gonna be an hour."

On Sally Field's getting bleeped by FOX: "When Gidget is so shocking where you have to cut to black screen - that's ridiculous."

Barry Manilow, who said he did not want to appear on "The View" with Elisabeth Hasselbeck on the stage because of her conservative views, is explaining his feelings a bit more on his website: "I wanted to let you know that I will no longer be on The View tomorrow as scheduled." he wrote to fans. "I had made a request that I be interviewed by Joy, Barbara or Whoopi, but not Elisabeth Hasselback. Unfortunately, the show was not willing to accommodate this simple request so I bowed out. It’s really too bad because I've always been a big supporter of the show, but I cannot compromise my beliefs. The good news is that I will be on a whole slew of other shows promoting the new album so I hope you can catch me on those."
This doesn't exactly square with what was said yesterday by Barbara Walters and "View" producer Bill Geddie who said they cancelled the gig rather than letting any guest dictate such things. Geddie said: "You sit with one of us, you sit with all of us."
OK, so is Barry trying to drum up some extra publicity for his new album "Greatest Songs of the Seventies"? Maybe. But his previous albums of 50s and 60s tunes were huge sellers so I'm thinking he really just can't stand the thought of being on the stage with Rosie O'Donnell foe Hasselbeck.

Manilow is friends with Rosie and recorded "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" with her for the album but it did not make the final cut.
"It was the most fun I’ve had in a long time," Manilow told Access Hollywood. "She is just inspiring because you know she’s not a singer. She knows that, but she just got behind the microphone and ripped away. She was great and in tune too. The problem was, as I put the album together, it became a very romantic album. And having this thing come crashing in out of nowhere, the tone just didn’t feel right. It’ll probably wind up being a bonus cut somewhere."

Did Barbara Walters slip Barry Manilow a $20 bill or something to get him to create a big stink about not appearing on "The View" if Elisabeth Hasselbeck was in the segment? I ask because ithe controversy made great fodder for her and "The View" producer Bill Geddie for the launch on Monday of "Barbara Live," Walters’ exclusive weekly live call-in show on SIRIUS.
Manilow did not want to appear with the ultra-conservative Hasselbeck because "I strongly disagree with her views. I think she's dangerous and offensive," according to a statement the singer made to TMZ.com

Obviously, Walters and Geddie aren't going to have any guest dictate things like this and they talked about it on the show. Here are some excerpts:

WALTERS: Mr. Manilow…whom I like a lot.
GEDDIE: I like him too, and he’s always been great on the show, and he’s always supported The View for the past 11 years. I wouldn’t even be talking about this except that he called up TMZ. So, now, what are we going to do? Last Friday we got the word that he’s very close to Rosie, and he doesn’t want to appear…I [had] told his representatives that he would be on with all of you.
WALTERS: That’s Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Joy Behar, Whoopi, Sherri and me.
GEDDIE: Yes. And he’s said he’ll appear with everybody but Elizabeth. Well, we don’t do that. It’s just not the way it works here, we support everybody. He said I’ll do Barbara and Whoopi, or I’ll do Whoopi and Sherri, or somecombination, but I won’t sit with Elisabeth. And I said ‘Well, then you won’t be on the show, it’s that simple.’ And that was the end of it. I would have thought, OK, fine. I don’t know what it is, ten years getting to this stage. He’s been on with us every year for the past ten years…and I figured OK fine, let him go to what he needs to do, it’s not that big a deal, he seems like a nice enough guy, he’s got an issue with Elisabeth but so be it. He’s not going to call the shots. You’re not going to tell me how to produce the show.
WALTERS: And if you disagree with somebody’s political point of view you don’t come on? We’re called The View because we have different points of view.
GEDDIE It got me thinking. You know, I’ve never heard Jane Fonda say ‘I won’t sit with Elisabeth Hasselbeck.’ I’ve never heard Susan Sarandon say that. If someone was conservative and said ‘I won’t sit with Joy Behar’ I’d react the exact same way. I don’t understand this when this became an issue for him, and why would you go off and then call TMZ and make a big column item. Is it all about publicity? Is this all it is?
WALTERS: Well also, Elisabeth Hasselbeck is not an enemy of Rosie’s. None of us are. If Elisabeth disagrees with Rosie, and Rosie disagrees with Elisabeth….nobody is to my knowledge is taking sides. All I can think of is that wonderful song (Walters breaks into rendition of ‘I Write the Songs That Make the Whole Sing’…adding her own lyrics) Provided They Happen to Be Liberals.’
WALTERS: (Laughing) That was awful, he should be mad at me for that.
WALTERS: Too bad it happened. Because we could have sung all of his songs, he’s been on with us for ten years.
GEDDIE: He’s always seemed like a nice guy, but I don’t get him on this. We’re The View, we have people with different opinions.
GEDDIE: You sit with one of us, you sit with all of us.

On having Whoopi and Sherri as new co-hosts on The View:
WALTERS: We adore having Whoopi on and our ratings are higher than they were last year at the same time. Rosie O’Donnell, she was great…
GEDDIE: But this Whoopi/Sherri thing seems to be working out.
WALTERS: We kept hearing that if it weren’t for Rosie this show wouldn’t have made it, and Rosie was terrific. The fact that our ratings are higher now than they were last year, starting with Whoopi, then with Sherri Shepherd…. and its fun, we can disagree and we can have different opinions. It’s just terrific.

Keep reading...there's more after the jump!

Part of Sally Field's Emmy acceptance speech was completely cut from the telecast by FOX. The line the network felt people just should not hear was this: "If mothers ruled the world, there would be no God-damned wars in the first place."

FOX was not content to simply bleep "God-damned" which apparently is acceptable according to FCC rules, but by taking out the entire anti-war line, they censored the actress. I think they are bringing far more attention to what Field said by pulling this stunt.
I wonder if they would have bleeped if Sally had said: "I'm very supportive of this goddamed war!"
Doubt it.

Meant to blog about this yesterday but I took off to the newsroom and left my notes at home. Was watching "The View" to see if there would be any mention of Rosie's suggestion that Barbara Walters retire. But, no dice.
Then something even better happened: Elisabeth Hasselbeck was essentially told she was off-point by Whoopi Goldberg and to shut up by Walters.
The NY Post printed a blow-by-blow which I'm lifting from because it's got all the good details: The outburst began when Hasselbeck mentioned Monica Lewinsky in a discussion about presidential candidate Mitt Romney's Mormon religion and how a small sect of Mormons still practice polygamy. The Monica reference triggered an avalanche of reaction from Whoopi Goldberg - and then Barbara.
"This is a good woman who has gotten a masters degree at the London School of Economics!" raged Walters, poking her finger at Hasselbeck's face. She pulled her hand back suddenly, took a flustered breath, and continued in a calmer tone. "She's doing her best to have a life. Enough with Monica, everybody can move on."
Goldberg requested that Hasselbeck - a conservative who famously clashed with Rosie O'Donnell last season - not bring Lewinsky up again.
"I'm asking you to do me a favor because there's no reason for it today," Goldberg said. "This has nothing to do with Bill Clinton."
Hasselbeck justified mentioning Lewinsky because the women were joking about Romney one day announcing he had a second wife.
"You're worried if some other woman would come out of the closet as the 'other woman,' " Hasselbeck sputtered. "It's not that much of a jump" to Monica. We've seen that before where another woman popped up" in the White House."
Walters, almost shouting, then said, "DO YOU THINK..." Then she took a breath and started again asking Hasselbeck if there would EVER be a Democratic candidate that you would NOT be against?

My take: I wonder if Hasselbeck is becoming a liability in the way that Star Jones did. I'd love to see ABC's polls on this. I don't sense that the studio audience connects with her anymore or respects her. Her upcoming maternity leave could come at a bad time for her because with Whoopi and Sherri Shepherd (not exactly a bleeding heart liberal) on board, the show might clearly be better without her.
There is precedent for this: When Deborah Norville went on maternity leave from "The Today Show" back in 1991, Katie Couric was the substitute co-host. Katie was so popular that Norville, unfairly tainted because she had replaced the beloved Jane Pauley, never returned to the show.

Now, you didn't expect Kathy Griffin to win and Emmy and not do something outrageous did you?
Some people are up in arms over what she said in her speech: "A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus...Suck it, Jesus. This award is my God now."
Wow. Tell us what ya really think Kathy!
Well, the TV Academy and E! announced today that they would not air Kathy's remarks, made after winning the Emmy for Best Reality Program. Catholic League President Bill Donohue called on the TV academy to "denounce Griffin's obscene and blasphemous comment" and is still demanding that Griffin apologize.
Hmmmm. Ever heard of free speech Donohue? I think the Catholic church has bigger problems right now.
Anyway, the controversy was among the hot topics discussed today on "The View" with Elisabeth Hasslebeck, predictably, incensed by Griffin's remarks with Sherri Shepherd also taken aback: "I was trying to text her to say, 'Girl, you know you shouldn't be saying that.'"
But Whoopi and Joy Behar think it's much ado about nothing.
Said Woopi: "[God] knew she was gonna make the joke and said, 'You kill me' and kissed her on the head."

Good grief, when I became friends with Kenneth Walsh last week, I had no idea he'd become so controversial!
But his posting of nude photos of Thomas Roberts on his Kennethinthe212 blog a few days ago has caused quite a debate between those who are enjoying the photos and those who are upset with Kenneth for posting them in the first place.
Here is a video post from Japhy Grant of The Modern Romantic who I met at the NLGJA conference and has some interesting points to make. Take a look...

p.s. I know this has nothing to do with anything but doesn't Japhy have the prettiest blue eyes???

Meanwhile, over at Popnography.com, one of new favorite bloggers, Shana Naomi Krachmal weighs in with some thoughtful comments and people are posting some interesting comments. Check them out...

Also, over at AfterElton.com, the topic is also on people's minds...In its coverage of the Roberts photos, the site Sitting In A Tree takes the NY Post to task for refering to a gay man as "a toe tapper" which, I agree, is quite offensive as does Gawker...

I guess the moral of this story would be this: if you have a job on television, don't post nude photos of yourself on a gay cruising site because they will get out!
I'm not going to post them, sorry, but I'm sure the more resourceful of you can find Thomas Roberts in the buff for yourselves on the Kennethinthe212 site.
Kenneth, who is a new friend of mine, is like my evil twin. He can say or post things on his blog that I would never consider but I admire his guts and witty way with words. Anyway, Kenneth posted this little blind item a few days ago posing this question: "Which TV insider has been known to make his own headline news with these superhot nude pics of himself on the gay cruising site Manhunt.net?"
Roberts, a former CNN Headline News anchor and openly gay, started his job on "The Insider" just this week. On Thursday night, he handled the show's "Rumor Report" segment but did not mention himself! He was very charming in his segment with Judith Light (he helped her pick out a gown for the Emmys) and he also interviewed Laila Ali.
Anywho, Kenneth's blind item has quickly gathered steam with New York Magazine and the New York Post's Page Six quickly pouncing on it. The Post said "The Insider" would not confirm or deny that the man in the photos is their new anchor and a spokesperson for the show would not put them in touch with Roberts.
When we asked about the risqué online profile, the rep told Page Six, "We have hired Thomas Roberts from CNN for his journalistic strengths and integrity. It is unfortunate that after four days on the job at 'The Insider,' he has become a victim of this malicious personal attack."
On his blog today, Kenneth wonders: Since when is pointing out that someone has a hot naked body a "malicious personal attack"? You know what they say: don't shoot the messenger.

I''ve seen the pics. Wow. Amazing body. This should only help the show's ratings!

What is it with this dude?
First Idaho Sen. Larry Craig pleads guilty following an arrest in a public restroom and now is trying to take back his plea. Then he announces his resignation from the senate under heavy pressure from his eager-to-distance itself Republican party but now he is reconsidering THAT if he manages to be cleared of all charges.
Should a U.S. Senator really be so indecisive?
I'm happy to see him out since he has supported an anti-gay agenda and clearly has some issues to deal with personally. He needs therapy and a marriage counselor and should be spending time on himself rather than in the U.S. Senate where, clearly, no one cares about him.
Craig's spokesman, Dan Whiting, told CNN that the senator "is fighting these charges and should he be cleared before then, he may - I emphasise may - not resign."

I wonder what has Larry Birkhead more ticked off. Rita Cosby's scandalous new book alleging that he was having an affair with a man, or that the man was Howard K. Stern! Birkhead, who was proved in April to be the biological father of former Playboy playmate Anna Nicole Smith's daughter, told Larry King Tuesday night that he will sue the author and publisher of the new book, "Blonde Ambition."
"I've instructed my attorney to sue Rita Cosby, the publisher and any source that spits out some of that false, defamatory information that's in there," Birkhead said on CNN's "Larry King Live." "If I were Rita Cosby, I'd be very concerned."
Cosby's book claims that not only was their an affair between the two men, but that an intimate moment between the two was caught on videotape.
Said Birkhead: "That's totally false and it's defamatory. I've heard the sources from that, and those sources are people that don't -- that haven't been in Anna's life and haven't even met me."
Birkhead said Cosby's comments are "crazy ... she says she's never seen the video that she reports in her book that exists, and now she's backpedaling, saying, 'How else could you explain two guys that are enemies now get along?' and trying to make sense out of something that she never verified in the first place."
Birkhead told CNN Cosby never called him to verify the allegations or told him she was writing a book.

Note: the US Magazine includes photos of Burke, Stern and Smith at The Abbey following the 2005 Gay Pride Parade where Anna Nicole was grand marshall.

A new book is alleging that the late trainwreck, Anna Nicole Smith, had a coupla switch hitters in her life. In "Blonde Ambition," author Rita Crosbyalleges that Larry Birkhead and Howard K. Stern were lovers. Sounds crazy but so has this entire sordid mess.
Crosby, formerly of MSNBC, uses as her source someone named Jackie Hatten who is decribed as an actress/singer. Birkhead is furious and in news reports, described Hatten as not a credible source: "Hatten tried to come to the Bahamas to see Anna last year and Anna wouldn't let her. And Jackie's brother went to jail for stalking Anna. This book is coming from the losers club because they all have axes to grind."
Stern is sure to be even more furious with Crosby's book alleging that he was some kind of pharmacy for Smith who was more of an opportunist than a man who loved her.
I dunno, this is all beyond me. I hate this story as much as all that Lindsay/Britney/Paris crap but with the alleged gay angle, I felt the duty to post.

Maybe octegenarian Jerry Lewis should step aside and allow Ryan Seacrest (is there anybody else?) to host his annual Labor Day telethon for muscular dystrophy.
In the 18th hour of the MDA Telethon, a visibly weary Lewis wandered about the stage trying to dodge the cameraman while making comments on various people. At one point, he stopped and referenced the cameraman and his family: "Your family has come to see you...you remember Bart, your oldest son...Jesse, the illiterate f**."
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) President Neil G. Giuliano was critical of Lewis today and called on him to apologize: "Jerry Lewis’ on-air use of this kind of anti-gay slur is simply unacceptable. It also feeds a climate of hatred and intolerance that contributes to putting our community in harm's way. Our nation’s media have done an admirable job this year holding public figures accountable for their use of anti-gay slurs, and I hope they continue to do so with Mr. Lewis."
GLAAD wants to meet with Lewis.
"We want to sit down with him, help him understand why these words are so hurtful, and give him an opportunity to raise public awareness about the destructive impact of these kinds of anti-gay slurs, even more so in attempted humor.”
UPDATE: Tuesday afternoon, Lewis issued the following apology via CNN: "During the 21-1/2-hour live broadcast of my Telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association this weekend, I made a joking comment to a member of my production team. I apologize to anyone who was offended. I obviously made a bad choice of words. Everyone who knows me understands that I hold no prejudices in this regard. In the family atmosphere of the Telethon, I forget that not everyone knows me that well. That something like this would distract from the true purpose of the Telethon pains me deeply. The success of the show and all the good that will come from it shouldn't be lost because of one unfortunate word. I accept responsibility for what I said. There are no excuses. I am sorry."