• Right Place Photo Caption Contest Hall of Glory Top 25

    meister.jpeg About Me
    BlogmeisterUSA's Guidelines for Commenting
    My Blog at Newsbusters
    My Writings at Family Security Matters
    My Writings at The American Thinker
    I Also Blog at Lifelike Pundits
    National Summary Interviews Me
    Read "The Americans" by Gordon Sinclair
    PELOSI_DEMOCRAT_TREASON-1.jpg More About the Fighting 101st Keyboardists
    fighting101s.jpg
ChamberlainPelosi.bmp

October 02, 2009

But it's Edgy!

Rush Limbaugh told the audience of his radio show that he had sexual relationships with female members of his staff, adding that he'd forked over a bogus $2 million check as part of an extortion plot on the matter.

Oh, my bad, how could we have put in the wrong name?

I meant David Letterman. And you see, this was edgy - that's why the audience laughed along. Especially the Roman Polanski joke - so nuanced!

Way to go Dave, you should have stayed stuck on velcro - not your staffers.

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 12:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

June 11, 2008

Idiot Celebrity "Crucifies" Himself

Not himself, really...it's a statue of himself being crucified. Pete Doherty of the group Babyshambles is having "the 'disturbing artwork'...carved in marble and show[ing] Doherty being tortured, surrounded by strips of newspapers — symbolising his crucifixion by the media."

First of all, who the hell is this guy? The only reason I know anything about him is because he is the on again-off again boyfriend of model Kate Moss (and both have extensively documented drug problems), making him popular tabloid fodder. I've never heard his band's music either, but with a name like Babyshambles, I'm not too sorry about it.

But really, wasting perfectly good marble on a statue of his crucifiction by the press? That speaks more to his own ego than hurt pride.

Frankly, I would be more impressed if he commissioned a statue of himself as Mohammed. Mocking Christianity? That's so 20th century!

On a tip from Kitty.

DOHERTY3_180x250_505121a.jpeg

Another celebrity overestimates his own importance


Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 02:33 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

August 02, 2007

Chavez Has New 'Penn' Pal

Sean Penn certainly lives up to his credentials as a blathering leftwing radical...he is now big time buddies with Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's dictator-in-waiting.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has praised Sean Penn for his critical stance against the war in Iraq, saying the two chatted by phone and soon plan to meet in person.

Chavez said Penn traveled to Venezuela this week wanting to learn more about the situation in the country and walked around some of Caracas' poor barrios on his own.

"Welcome to Venezuela, Mr. Penn. What drives him is consciousness, the search for new paths," Chavez said Wednesday in a televised speech. "He's one of the greatest opponents of the Iraq invasion."

Chavez read aloud from a recent open letter by Penn to President Bush in which the actor condemned the Iraq war and called for Bush to be impeached, saying the president along with Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice are "villainously and criminally obscene people."

Oh, and he also gushed over Penn's acting abilities. They plan to meet "in person" today. I hope they both have their autograph albums ready!

It's a natural relationship, I suppose. Penn calls President Bush and his advisors "villainously and criminally obscene people," while Chavez calls President Bush "the Devil" while visiting the United States. I'd normally caution Penn about Chavez's new policy of deporting anyone who has unflattering comments about him while visiting Venezuela, but considering Penn's credentials, he likely has little to worry about.

As Jeff Spicoli would say: "Duuude!"

On a tip from Jeanette!

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 09:59 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

July 10, 2007

Witchiepoo Lives

"If you wanna save the planet, let me see you jump!" Jump out the window, maybe, after seeing this performance. If you want to see Madonna pace onstage while she plays two chords and screams like Witchiepoo from H.R. Pufnstuf, then knock yourself out. The shriek in question is at the 3:50 mark.

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 05:17 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

June 25, 2007

Clooney: My Being Here Makes It Popular

It seems George Clooney's ego knows no bounds. He attributes an increase in tourism, along with a plan to build parking lots and a promenade on the beach in Laglio, Italy (off Lake Como), to his owning a villa there.

"My concern is that this village that has stood for hundreds of years would be destroyed simply because I happened to have lived there for the last six years. I told my neighbors that I would do what they wanted. And it seemed that they didn't want to demolish the harbor where all the local fishermen keep their boats," Clooney said.

He's participating in a protest against the project. If he really thinks his presence is contributing to the unpopular development, why doesn't he sell the villa and stop spending time in Laglio?

But then, that would require sacrifice on Clooney's part...something many pampered celebs aren't particularly good at.

clooney
Mr. Popularity!

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 09:55 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

June 14, 2007

Angelina Jolie Not a Fan of a Free Press

Angelina Jolie must take her cues from the Democrats.

How else to explain her attempt to ban FOX News channel and all FOX affiliates from covering the premiere of her upcoming flick "A Mighty Heart"? Or her insistence of making interviewers sign an agreement to avoid certain questions (like those about her relationships) and that if violated, she would be free to terminate the interview and confiscate the tape?

Quoting an AP reporter who canceled a scheduled interview,

"I wouldn't sign it. Who does she think she is?"

Who indeed? Perhaps she equates herself with wannabe royalty. While she was in Namibia last year with Brad Pitt, they wouldn't allow any journalists other than those from Namibia to be present at their reception with Sam Nujoma, who has been Namibia's "president" for the last 25 years. Oh, I forgot to mention he's also the minister of information and broadcasting. He must have given them a few good tips on dealing with the media.

How ironic that in the upcoming movie, Jolie is portraying the wife of Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter who was kidnapped and brutally beheaded by Islamist terrorist thugs as he investigated the case of shoe bomber Richard Reid and ties between al-Qaeda and Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence.

But actors and actresses don't need to learn life lessons from the parts they play. Collecting a nice fat paycheck and looking down on the unwashed masses who fork over money to see them on the silver screen is good enough.

UPDATE: Newsbusters blogger Warner Todd Huston wonders (typos in original corrected):

Do none of these Hollyweird people have even the tiniest ability at introspection? Or are they so absolutely sure of own god-like status that the fallibility of ordinary man is beyond their ken in their minds? Are they so focused on their ultimate goals that the path to them is immaterial? Is integrity such an unknown concept out on the left coast?

No. Yes. Yes. Yes.

angelina_jolie_.jpg
Better than the rest of us...and then some

h/t: Cookiewrangler

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 08:34 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

May 26, 2007

RadarOnline Interviews Gene Simmons

Gene Simmons isn't afraid to say what's on his mind. RadarOnline talks to him about Iraq, Hollywood's (and America's) attitude toward the military, and much more:

In terms of this Republican administration, some views about stem cell research, gay rights, separation of church and state, and on and on—I don't agree with any of them. But you can worry about the trees and the environment and gas emissions later. Right now there's a bigger problem, and it's a guy who doesn't care if you're a Republican or a Democrat; he wants to blow himself up and take you out. That's the problem. I think racially profiling anybody from the Middle East ... the Swiss have been good this year, and as an Israeli, I want you to look at me first. I want you to search my anal cavity and look at my tax records. I want you to look at me first, and then at every guy named Muhammad.

You mean global warming isn't the biggest threat to humanity at the moment? Now that's refreshing! I suppose he won't be invited to any of Al Gore's soirees any time soon.

On a tip from Kitty!

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 09:42 AM | Comments (112) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

May 09, 2007

Jon Voight On Democrats, Pelosi and Bush-Bashers

Following up remarks he made in a RadarOnline interview and on Bill O'Reilly's show, Jon Voight made a powerful statement on MSNBC's Scarborough Country. Head on over to Newsbusters for all the juicy details.

One has to wonder if Voigt is just fed up to his ears with all the nonsense going on in our country, or if he's planning on retiring soon and realizes he can now say what he wants without the fear of being blacklisted in Hollywood. But for whatever reason he's speaking out about what concerns him, I say more power to him!

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 12:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

April 27, 2007

Must-See: Jon Voight on O'Reilly Factor

Jon Voight joined Bill O'Reilly last night, and he had a lot of interesting things to say, including:

We have a real enemy. We're facing people who want to destroy America, who want to destroy all democracy. And in this country, I'm really quite frightened, Bill, at what has happened to our great nation.

Watch the video on Hot Air to find out what Voight's concerns are. To update what I've said before, it's nice to know that not everyone in Tinseltown wears a tin-foil hat.

Related: Jon Voight on President Bush, Iraq, and Agenda-Driven Journalism

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 11:14 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

April 19, 2007

Jon Voight on President Bush, Iraq, and Agenda-Driven Journalism

Well, it seems that not everyone in Hollywood is brain dead. This is a fascinating interview with Jon Voight on RadarOnline who, unlike other Tinseltown folks who might agree with him, is not afraid to speak his mind. Here's a preview:

Yes, I'm a supporter of the Patriot Act. I support protecting us and investigating anyone who indicates they're going to be dangerous to our country. It's one of those things; it depends on which side you're on politically. If we had these things in place we could have anticipated 9/11. We're not interested in investigating someone who's doing something appropriate. We don't have time for that. That's nonsense.

Fascinating stuff. Read it all. But don't expect him to be invited on Larry King or Real Time with Bill Maher to discuss his views anytime soon.

h/t: Michelle Malkin

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 02:59 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

March 02, 2007

Angelina Jolie Looking to Adopt Another Foreign Baby

Via Newsmax:

HANOI, Vietnam -- Angelina Jolie has filed papers to adopt a Vietnamese child, the country's top adoption official said Friday.

A U.S. adoption agency representing the 31-year-old actress filed the papers at Vietnam's International Adoption Agency, said Vu Duc Long, the agency's director.

As is well known, she already has adopted children from Cambodia and Ethiopia.

The slew of adoptions by Jolie, which has been emulated by aging pop tart Madonna in her adoption of a Malawian toddler, makes me think of the Beanie Baby craze a few years back...true fanatics just couldn't stop until they had one of each kind.

While I generally have no problem with Americans adopting children from overseas (I know several people personally who have done so), Jolie's actions to the untrained eye seem to border on obsession. Is it for publicity reasons? Is she trying to fill a void in her life? I hate being cynical when needy children are involved, but the whole thing is beginning to creep me out.

kids.jpg
Be the first on your block to collect the whole set!

Wyatt Earp has a few thoughts on Jolie as well.

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 04:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

AP's Weeklong Paris Hilton Blackout

Did you even notice Paris's absence from the news? I didn't. It just goes to show how important this faux celebrity really is.

On a tip from Jeanette.

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 10:54 AM | Comments (20) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

January 15, 2007

Trump to Condi: You're "Fired"

You know, Donald Trump is a brilliant businessman, and many of us find his public feud with Rosie O'Donnell to be amusing. But now he's passing judgment on Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and that's just ridiculous.

Donald Trump says in an interview set to air tonight that Rice seems like a nice person, but when it comes to her role as the nation's chief negotiator, he'd like to use his trademark line on her: "You're fired."

Americans "want someone that knows how to negotiate, that knows the art of the deal," he said in an interview on FOX News Channel's "Hannity's America."

"In all fairness, I see Condoleezza Rice - she goes on a plane, she gets off a plane, she waves, she goes there to meet some dictator. ... They talk, she leaves, she waves, the plane takes off. Nothing happens, it's a joke, nothing ever happens. I think she's a very nice woman, but I don't want a nice woman. I want someone that's not necessarily nice."

In all fairness, The Donald is not in on the meetings with Dr. Rice, so how does he know what's going on? And I dare say negotiating with "dictators" is different than negotiating with fellow businessmen.

Unless he's looking to fill the position himself, Trump should stick to baiting other loudmouthed celebrities.

On a tip from Cookiewrangler.

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 10:47 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

January 06, 2007

Wow, She Should, Like, Write a Book or Something

Dr. Phil, watch out: Drew Barrymore has a future in the advice business:

"You know, it's all just humor," the 31-year-old actress says in an interview in the February issue of Harper's Bazaar magazine, on newsstands Jan. 16. "Don't take life so seriously. Don't take fashion too seriously. Don't take the movie industry too seriously. Don't take love and your relationship so ... heavy all the time."

"Laugh, laugh, laugh," she continues. "Life is like high school and it's small and everybody talks about everybody, so just laugh ."

That's really...deep. So deep I need hipwaders.

drew-barrymore.jpg
Sure she can laugh...
all the way to the bank.

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 10:20 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

December 13, 2006

Take Oliver Stone, Please!

Talk about ghastly taste. From a Drudge flash:

Hollywood film-maker Oliver Stone shocked the audience at the British Comedy Awards with a bad-taste gag about the Suffolk serial killer.

The director was attending the ceremony to present the best comedy film prize.

Taking the stage, he quipped: "It's great to be back in England. I feel like Jack The Ripper days are back. Nothing ever changes here."

But his attempt at comedy was met with jeers and gasps of horror from the celebrity audience.

What an absolute a**. People like Stone constantly worry about America's world image, and then he drops this "little joke" about a terrible situation that's completely boorish and insensitive.

I wonder if Elizabeth Hurley, who finds it "exhausting" to hobnob with lowly non-celebrities, would care to have this idiot in her circle of famous friends?

stone.oliver.2-19-00
He's the only one laughing at his pathetic joke

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 10:22 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

December 04, 2006

America According to Gwyneth

Gwyneth Paltrow is at it again:

"I love the English lifestyle, it's not as capitalistic as America. People don't talk about work and money, they talk about interesting things at dinner," she told "NS," the weekend magazine supplement of daily Portuguese newspaper Diario de Noticias on Saturday.

"I like living here because I don't fit into the bad side of American psychology. The British are much more intelligent and civilized than the Americans," the 34-year-old added.

She doesn't fit into the bad side of American psychology? What side would that be? Obviously she's not talking about the side where people make boatloads of cash here in America, then take themselves overseas where they feel free to badmouth the suckers who helped them attain their current mega-wealth celebrity status.

As V the K notes in the comment section at Moonbattery:

Gwyneth Paltrow is a spoiled Hollywood brat who has spent her entire life surrounded by show-business types. If she ever bothered to get out of the Hollywood bubble and into real America, she would realize that not everybody is obsessed with money and status.

Those of you who count Gwyneth among your favorite movie stars might want to think twice about seeing her next film, since she doesn't think you're intelligent or civilized enough to appreciate it.

paltrow
This American college dropout
thinks Americans are unintelligent...

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 11:11 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

October 28, 2006

Goodbye Dixie Chicks; Hello Beccy Cole

Has anyone else had it with the Dixie Chicks and their incessant whining? Their apparent inability to distinguish between freedom of speech and freedom from criticism?

Blackfive has posted this great song by Australian singer Beccy Cole. It's Cole's answer to her fans who aren't happy with her support of the Australian soldiers (called Diggers) in the Middle East. Take a listen to Poster Girl and see if you don't prefer her brand of response to her critics to that of the whining Chicks.

Thanks to Blue Crab Boulevard for the tip. Also, check out his thoughts on how the Chicks have used their leftwing cheerleaders for their own gain.

BeccyCole.jpg
Beccy Cole: A real class act!

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 02:36 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

October 17, 2006

Madonna and her African Baby

Does anyone else find this somewhat disturbing?DavidBanda.jpg

The pop superstar broke her silence over the adoption hours after 13-month-old David Banda arrived at her multi-million pound home in London.

In an open letter she said it was her wish "to open up our home and help one child escape an extreme life of hardship, poverty, and in many cases death."

Madonna added that she has acted "according to the law like anyone else who adopts a child."

And she asked for room for her family to "experience the joy we feel to have David at home."

So much joy that she couldn't even carry him off the plane at Heathrow, but gave that task to one of her minions? Why do I get the feeling this is a major publicity stunt?

Does this remind anyone else of a Joan "Mommie Dearest" scenario?

CrawfordChildren.jpg
Is Madonna another "Mommie Dearest"
in the making?

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 06:47 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

September 15, 2006

Put Up or Shut Up

Last night on Larry King Live (Larry loves guys like this), Sean Penn said President Bush has "devastated democracy," Bush and Donald Rumsfeld have done "enormous damage" to "this country and mankind" and other rubbishy bits.

Newsbusters has details.

It's time for Sean Penn to either run for office or just shut the hell up and stick to mediocre acting.

2006-09-14-CNNLKLPenn2.jpg
A great man...in his own mind

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 08:54 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

August 22, 2006

Tony Bennett: America is a Cultural Void

According to Contact Music, Tony said:

"I have travelled around the world to Asia and Europe. They show you what they have contributed to the world. The British show you theatre, the Italians show you music and art, the French show you cooking and painting, and the Germans show you science. The only thing that the United States, which is still a young country, has contributed culturally to the world is jazz - elongated improvisation. It's tragic."

Do you think that Tony includes his own body of work in this terrible dearth of culture in America?

How about Hollywood? Television? Those are huge cultural contributions, even if you don't like them. Modern rock music is also considered to be an American innovation. Where has Bennett been living lately, under a rock?

My friend Jeanette bets that when people start to complain, Bennett's rep will claim he was taken out of context. I add that he will suddenly come up with several contributions to world culture that he "didn't think of at the time."

bennett_220pix.jpg
Laments a cultural void that includes his music

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 01:57 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

August 14, 2006

We Need More of This!

I love it when celebs are knocked off their pedestals once in a while for a good cause:

BGeorge.bmp

With a city-issued broom in his hand, Boy George started his court-ordered community service early Monday, sweeping leaves and trash off the sidewalks of New York.

It took less than an hour for the former Culture Club frontman to get into a spat with the media.

"You think you're better than me?" he yelled. "Go home. Let me do my community service."

Boy George took to the streets of Manhattan as a Department of Sanitation worker wearing an orange vest, dark capri pants, shoes without socks, and without the wild makeup and androgynous style that made him so recognizable as the '80s icon who sang "Karma Chameleon" and "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?"

"This is supposed to be making me humble. Let me do this," he said. "I just want to do my job."

The singer, born George O'Dowd, was ordered to spend five days working for the Department of Sanitation after pleading guilty in March to falsely reporting a burglary at his lower Manhattan apartment. The officers who responded found cocaine instead.

At 7 a.m. Monday, a sport utility vehicle pulled up at a Lower East Side sanitation depot. The agency planned to issue the singer a shovel, broom, plastic bags and gloves for the job of picking up trash on the city's streets.

In June, Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Anthony Ferrara issued a warrant for O'Dowd's arrest after he initially failed to complete the requirements of his plea deal. When O'Dowd appeared in court 10 days later, Ferrara called off the warrant but warned the singer he could not escape his community service commitment.

"It's up to you whether you make it an exercise in humiliation or in humility," Ferrara told O'Dowd.

O'Dowd, 45, initially envisioned a service project more in line with his status as an '80s icon.

He petitioned to spend the time helping teenagers make a public service announcement. Among his other proposals to the court: holding a fashion and makeup workshop, serving as a DJ at an HIV/AIDS benefit or doing telephone outreach.

Boy George's manager, Jeremy Pearce, told reporters shortly after the singer arrived for his first day on the job: "He doesn't show any kind of emotion about these things. He takes it in his stride."

"He doesn't need to be humiliated," Pearce said. "He's a humble person."

"Things outside in the street were a little chaotic," said Sanitation spokesman Keith Mellis. "We'll see if there's some cleaning that can be done inside."

The sweeping later resumed in a gated Sanitation parking lot.

"This is for everyone's safety," Deputy Sanitation Chief Albert Durrell said as photographers crowded outside the gate. He said the day's work also might include mopping inside the depot.

And he's only a minor celebrity these days! This should be the treatment du jour for celebs who get arrested for drug possession, drunk driving, etcetera.

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 10:02 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

July 05, 2006

Barbra Streisand: Ticket Sales Not Hopping

Poor Barbra...it seems her upcoming concert tour isn't garnering the ticket sales she was hoping for. (Will she have to start shopping at Costco?) From the NY Post's Page Six:

BARBRA Streisand may be starting to wish her last "farewell tour" six years ago truly was her swan song.

Sales for her upcoming gigs, which begin in October, have been disappointing, according to a top music industry source, who says fans are resisting ticket prices as high as $800, not including service fees. "Some cities [like] Detroit, where they wanted to do two days, are less than 3,000 sold," the source tells Page Six.

The slow ticket sales are said to be a concern for Michael Cohl and Live Nation, the promoters who paid nearly $80 million for Streisand's 20 shows with opening act Il Divo. The tour kicks off Oct. 4 in Philadelphia, continues in New York on Oct. 9, then rolls into Washington, Detroit, Boston, Ft. Lauderdale, Atlanta, Atlantic City, Chicago, San Jose, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. But with promoters facing the possibility of losing $15 million or more on the deal, they're now said to be mulling offers to book Streisand in Indian casinos.

Tour spokesman Ken Sunshine said of our source's claims, "That is bull[bleep]. Tickets are going through the moon."

Another issue is that Streisand has said she plans to "donate millions of dollars in proceeds to environmental, education and women's health organizations through her own Streisand Foundation." But she won't say exactly how much - which means ticket buyers can't write off part of the whopping ticket costs as tax deductions.

Babs also faces the wrath of fans who saw her on her last tour, which ended in September 2000 with two Madison Square Garden sellouts that grossed $14.4 million.

Since then, she sang live at a campaign fundraiser for John Kerry that took in $5 million, and made a surprise appearance last October at the Andre Agassi Grand Slam for Children benefit in Vegas.

Some fans who bought tickets to Streisand's 2000 tour are threatening to sue, claiming they believed those were her last live performances. And some are apparently hesitating to buy tickets for the new tour because they suspect it won't be her last either.

Streisand's p.r. machine points out she is the music industry's best-selling female artist with 50 gold, 30 platinum and 13 multi-platinum albums, and has outsold The Beatles and the Rolling Stones. But the Stones have never misled fans by telling them this will be their last time.

It would be nice if the Stones would retire...seeing those geriatrics hop about onstage like they did in their 20s is somewhat frightening. But it's true that they have never said anything about retirement, only to shake off the mothballs and ask fans to shell out mega bucks for yet another "farewell" tour.

Streisand, said to be a hypocrite on topics such as fair pay and environmentalism, seems to think that the chance to hear her golden pipes are enough justification for people to open their wallets and give generously.

It seems her fans are finally getting wise.

barbra_streisand_150.jpg
What? Me retire?

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 12:58 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

June 19, 2006

Dixie Chicks: Can't Stop Whining

Yes, it's another post about the Dixie Chicks...but these women just get under my skin.

With their careers here in the US in the proverbial toilet, the Chicks' popularity seems to be on the rise overseas. Why? Their famous "dissing" of President Bush three years ago. Anything anti-American, especially from entertainers who have the media as a mouthpiece, is a guarantee for some overseas fawning and admiring. This article from the Telegraph UK is a perfect example.

Sisters Emily Robison and Martie Maguire project a polished Fifth Avenue elegance, and vocalist Natalie Maines is a vision of sculpted cheekbones and smoky eye-shadow.

This paragraph is to assure the reader that, despite being the performers of hokey country and bluegrass music, these women are chic and sophisticated and not to be feared by other sophisticated European types. They're part of the accepted crowd!

A bit later comes the discussion of the "ashamed of George Bush" comment.

"The reaction was as if Natalie had said 'Death to the President' or something," says violinist and vocalist Maguire.

"It was the bullying and the scare factor," shudders banjo and guitar player Robison. "It was like the McCarthy days, and it was almost like the country was unrecognisable."

That's right, ladies, bring in the references to Joe McCarthy and "blacklisting," while you "shudder" for good measure. Ho hum. What they seem to forget is that, despite his hamfisted tactics, McCarthy was right about there being an active Communist party trying to worm its way into our government. No one called the Chicks Communists, but their comments during a time of war were derogatory and therefore highly unpopular -- not only with their usual audience, but with other Americans as well.

The level of debate can be gauged from the way Maines was compared to "Hanoi Jane" Fonda, who was photographed manning a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun at the height of the Vietnam war.

This is secret leftist code meaning "childish and without merit." After all, Jane Fonda is a leftwing icon. Who wouldn't be proud of her propaganda tactics for the North Vietnamese, those Communist slaughterers of innocents? She was speaking truth to power, baby, and the Chicks are her heirs apparent.

The Chicks can't hide their disgust at the lack of support they received from other country performers. "A lot of artists cashed in on being against what we said or what we stood for because that was promoting their career, which was a horrible thing to do," says Robison.

"A lot of pandering started going on, and you'd see soldiers and the American flag in every video. It became a sickening display of ultra-patriotism."

The horror! How dare other country artists display patriotism? They should hate their country too. After all, what is being a celebrity if it doesn't mean looking down one's nose at the hoi polloi?

"The entire country may disagree with me, but I don't understand the necessity for patriotism," Maines resumes, through gritted teeth. "Why do you have to be a patriot? About what? This land is our land? Why? You can like where you live and like your life, but as for loving the whole country… I don't see why people care about patriotism."

Ah, the magic words! And through gritted teeth! No wonder the Dixie Chicks are poised to achieve their first number one album in the UK. Despite the fact that Maines will never read these words (and if she did she would scoff at them), let me say a little something about the importance of patriotism:

You live in a country that opens its arms to millions. We are the only country who truly embraces those who want to come here to live a better life (illegals aside). Anyone can become an American who has the desire.

Our soldiers volunteer their services...in fact, their very lives, so that ingrates like Maines and her friends can thumb their noses at America without recrimination. Our laws also assure their freedom to do so. Our free market system allows anyone with talent and ambition to make money beyond their wildest dreams. Not everyone will become a millionaire, but if you have what it takes, no one is going to say, "You can't have all of that money!" (Unfortunately, there are people who are trying to change that.)

The Dixie Chicks achieved fame and fortune in a country that says it's okay to do so. They made their money by other people plunking down their hard-earned cash to buy their music and see them live in concert. What the Chicks don't seem to realize is that there are a lot of us out here who truly believe that America is a country to love and be proud of. It's more than just a place to live and make money. Even if we don't always agree with what our government says and does, we don't think that making inflammatory comments about our president overseas during a time of war is acceptable.

So the Dixie Chicks made their pile and felt that they were under no obligation to honor their roots (or at least keep their opinions private). Fine; that's their right.

That's another thing about a free market economy. If the public doesn't want a product or service, for any reason, they don't have to buy it. Period. The Chicks angered their highly patriotic audience, and now they're reaping the consequences. Free speech is an option for every American, but it can come with a price. For example: as I search for a new job, it's possible that a prospective employer might come upon this site and, not liking what I have to say, pass me over for someone else. That is the chance I take. Is it fair? No. I have free speech rights too, and I keep politics out of the workplace. But it's the way things work. The Dixie Chicks haven't figured that part out yet.

So as they go running to the anti-American press overseas to spin their tale of woe, I have this to say: grow up. Oh, and another great thing about America is that no one forces you to stay. Unlike citizens of Communist countries, Americans are free to come and go as they please. And for celebrities with lots of money, this is even easier! So I invite the Dixie Chicks to join celebs like Johnny Depp, Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna to leave America for countries who are more sensitive to their needs.

Please don't let door hit your a**es on the way out.

1506DIXIE_CHICKS_wideweb__470x273,0.jpg
Dear Dixie Chicks: Quitcher bitchin'

Update: Michelle Malkin was all over this during the weekend. Guess I'm a day late and a dollar short!

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 06:48 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

April 28, 2006

Celebrity Sighting!

You know, I hardly ever see celebs walking around in NYC, although I know they are everywhere. (I've seen Curtis Sliwa a couple of times, but only because my office is in the same building as WABC Radio).

However, today I saw Nathan Lane at the Tick Tock Diner on the corner of 34th and 8th. He was on his way out, script in hand, and walked by the table my friends and I were at.

Look at me, getting all excited. I'm such a cheeseball!

NathanLane.jpg

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 12:21 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

April 24, 2006

File This Under: What News?

This is news?

PRESIDENT George Bush can’t get no satisfaction — after Mick Jagger grabbed his hotel room.

The Rolling Stone splashed out ÂŁ3,600 a night for the suite days before the US leader tried to book it.

Now Mick, 62, who has been a fierce critic of the Bush-led war in Iraq, is refusing to give it up.

Oy! The newsworthiness factor of this story, on a scale of 1 to 10, barely makes it as a 1.

First come, first served. End of story.

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 01:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

April 10, 2006

Has-Been Affleck: Hang Bush!

Being a celebrity means never having to say anything that makes any kind of sense. Just ask second-stringer Ben Affleck, who said President Bush could be hanged for treason. From Newsbusters:

Reminiscent of Al Franken on the Late Show last October, on Friday's Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO, actor Ben Affleck charged that President Bush “probably also leaked” Valerie Plame's name and so “if he did, you can be hung for that! That's treason!” In full rant, an apoplectic Affleck asserted: “You could be killed. That's not a joking around Tom DeLay 'I'll do a year, I bribed the state officials with corporate money.' That's like they shoot you in the battlefield for doing that.”

Affleck appeared on Maher's panel with Senator Joe Biden and Bill Sammon of the Washington Examiner. A couple of minutes later, after Sammon suggested Tom DeLay's resignation means the loss of a “poster boy for the left” so they can't use him anymore to raise funds, Affleck besmirched DeLay as a “criminal” while simultaneously demonstrating his political naivete. Though the Texas redistricting orchestrated by DeLay made his district less Republican, Affleck contended: "Tom DeLay personally gerrymandered that district so severely that it looks like a map of Italy....There won't be a Democrat elected in that seat for a thousand years. You can't say he's the poster boy for the left. He happens to be an incredibly powerful Republican who is a criminal and now you blame Democrats for pointing it out!"

The actual transcript is at the bottom of Newsbusters' post.

Um, sorry Ben. President Bush did not leak Valerie Plame's name, and DeLay's redistricting did not result in Democrats losing all. But it just goes to show that the left is on the same page when it comes to propaganda: if we all keep repeating the same thing, people will eventually believe what we say to be true.

Hey Ben, stick to acting. When you can get a paying gig, that is...

Affleck.jpg
Ben Affleck: Waiting for the Mother Ship


Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 08:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

April 04, 2006

It's Hard to Be a Political Celebrity

I really feel sorry for celebrities who get vocal about politics. Really, I do. Oliver Stone is the latest one to feel slighted regarding criticism being lobbed at him and other politically correct Hollywooders who dare to criticize President Bush, Iraq, and pet conservative causes.

"We're Hollywood wackos and all that stuff, left-wing... (It's) an easy and facile dismissal. "I'm still a citizen, I've served my country as a veteran, I've had many jobs before the film business. I know something of life, having lived to this age. We have a right to speak and every time we speak: 'You're an actor, a showbusiness director,' we're making it up! This is not a way of dealing with people. This is slander."

Last time I checked, I'm a citizen too. And it's my right to criticize the so-called stars if I don't agree with what they do or say. See, Mr. Stone, that's all part and parcel of being an American citizen: as long as you aren't threatening to kill someone, you can pretty much say anything you'd like. And if others don't like it, they can fire back. Free speech is a two-way street.

I guess I feel sorry for these people because all day long they're used to hearing "Yes, Mr. Stone," "No, Mr. Stone," "Whatever you say, Mr. Stone" from toadies, lickspittles and other various and sundry yes men who depend on celebs like Stone for a paycheck. It must be a tremendous shock to the system when someone dares to disagree...

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 08:21 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

February 27, 2006

Clooney on Controversy: I'm Lovin' It

There are bloggers I know who can't be bothered with posting about celebrities, and frankly, they're better bloggers than I am. I just can't help how some of these people really get under my skin.

Take George Clooney, for instance. In a recent interview (overseas, of course), Clooney said he relished being branded as a traitor regarding his open disagreement in the Iraq war.

Clooney, who has weathered attacks since opposing the 2003 Iraq invasion, said at one point that it was "frustrating" to be listed as a "traitor" on a set of playing cards, but he also accepted people's right to free speech.

He later admitted he relished the attacks.

"I think it's important to be on the right side of history," Clooney said.

"I want to be on that deck of cards. And I want to be able to say that they boycotted my films... I want to be able to say I was on the cover of a magazine called a 'traitor,"' he said.

"I'm proud of those because those were badges of honour for me because that was when you did it when it was hard to do," the actor and director said.

The free publicity didn't hurt either. And really, how hard could it be trumpeting one's leftwing anti-war views to a leftwing anti-war press, while surrounded by one's leftwing anti-war friends? Does anyone feel that cold chill yet? How can you with all the hot air?

I have news for Clooney and others like him: While he may or may not be on the right side of history (who will know for another 50 years or so?), one thing is for certain: he will not be in the history books. Trivia books, perhaps, but not the history books. That honor (or dishonor) is saved for the real players. I guess it's hard to realize that you aren't going to be a part of history when popular culture lionizes you during your lifetime...or at least as long as your movies continue to make money.

/rant

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 07:58 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

February 17, 2006

From the Over-Inflated Sense of Self-Worth Files: Richard Dreyfuss

Who else but an actor would stand up in front of the National Press Club and say that the impeachment of George W. Bush is a "cause worth fighting" for?

Richard Dreyfuss said this (and much more):

"There are causes worth fighting for even if you know that you will lose...Unless you are willing to accept torture as part of a normal American political lexicon, unless you are willing to accept that leaving the Geneva Convention is fine and dandy, if you accept the expansion of wiretapping as business as usual, the only way to express this now is to embrace the difficult and perhaps embarrassing process of impeachment."

He also said that impeachment "is a statement that we refuse to endorse bad behavior."

Bad George, bad! Go stand in the corner for a time out. (I wonder what he thought of the "embarrassing process of impeachment" when it was Bill Clinton being impeached for lying under oath and obstructing justice? Was that a statement of the refusal to endorse bad behavior, or were the Republicans just being mean ol' meanies? I'll bet no one asked him that.)

"Watch me lose my sense of humor if people accuse me of treason," Dreyfuss said before mocking two of the Fox News Channel's most popular hosts. "'That's not very O'Reilly of you, Mister Smarty-Pants,' or 'What would Sean Hannity have to say about that, Mister Too-Complex-for-Your-Own-Good?'"

Gosh, I'll just bet that Hannity and O'Reilly are at home crying because Richard Dreyfuss made fun of them.

Dreyfuss did have a few harsh words for the press, blaming the 24-hour news cycle and sound bites for the way we react to world events. "Instantaneous knowledge leads to instantaneous reaction, which creates a demand for an instantaneous, reflexive response."

So does that mean that Dreyfuss himself is a victim of demanding an instantaneous, reflexive response? Does he stop to think that perhaps he doesn't know enough about the electronic surveillance (it's not wiretapping), the torture he describes, the Geneva Convention? Is he familiar with Part I, Article IV of the Geneva Convention, which covers the treatment of POWs?

I kind of doubt it.

Despite his self-proclaimed "libo-conservo-middle-of-the-roado" stance on life and politics, Dreyfuss seems to be afflicted with the very same "reflexive response" that he blames the press for. Perhaps he should follow his own advice and be a little more skeptical of what he hears in the MSM.

Treasonous? No. Questionable? Yes.

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 10:28 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

February 07, 2006

All Quiet on the Hollywood Front

With Muslims worldwide doing their best to stifle free speech with riots and death threats over a series of drawings of Muhammed, the question begs to be asked: Where are our beloved celebrities who are the first to complain if they think their free speech rights are being violated? The following are all celebrities who have talked about the importance of free speech (and some said they were "afraid" to speak their minds):

Martin Sheen
Susan Sarandon
Tim Robbins
Sheryl Crow
Michael Moore

As far as I know, some of these people may have been subject to a negative article and a boycott or two, but none had their homes burned down or received death threats.

Their silence is deafening. And telling. When the shoe is on the other foot, it doesn't seem to squeak as much. I guess this also means there isn't a movie about the riots and what sparked them in the works.

Oh, and a side note: no comment from the ACLU?

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 11:28 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

November 09, 2005

King of Pop Bids America Adieu

Via Breitbart:

Michael Jackson will come back to the United States, but it's unlikely the King of Pop would ever make it his home again, says his father.

"He'll come back to visit, but not to stay, not to live," Joseph Jackson told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

Jackson said his son, who was acquitted in June of child molestation, has received lots of threats in the United States. The superstar now lives in Bahrain and his lawyers have said that he no longer considers his Neverland Ranch in California as his home.

Let's see: Michael Jackson, Johnny Depp, Madonna, and Gwyneth Paltrow have all decided to make their homes in other countries. Who else would you like to see the back end of? Participate in my poll in the sidebar!

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 11:10 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

November 07, 2005

Seven Things I'd Rather Talk About Than...Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston, America's sweetheart, is quoted in Newsweek regarding the seven things she would rather talk about than the men in her life. Click here to read them, if you have the stomach for it. Frankly, there are seven things I'd rather talk about than Ms. Aniston:

1. Flossing my teeth: The debate of name brand vs. store brand floss and mint flavor vs. cinnamon rages on.
2. Which septic company to use. Hey, if they're going to stink up the place for an hour or so, you should only work with the best!
3. Paper or plastic?
4. One or two ply toilet tissue? In a related issue, should the roll be installed with the paper hanging over or under?
5. Now that the holidays are close at hand, which is better: jellied cranberry sauce or traditional?
6. Do people really prefer Stove Top Stuffing instead of potatoes?
7. Whatever happened to the Ty-D-Bowl Man?

Tagged:

Show Comments »

Posted by Pam Meister at 04:10 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (1) | Celebrity


    ENDORSEMENTS "Your stupid requirements for commenting, whatever they are, mean I'll not read you again." ~ "Duke Martin", Oraculations
    "One of the worst sites I've read." ~ Frank A. Niedospial