Entertainment.
- Thread starter yudansha
- Start date
yudansha
TheGreatOne
Rodney Dangerfield resting after undergoing heart valve surgery
"I'm pleased to announce that Rodney Dangerfield made it through his surgery and is currently resting comfortably in intensive care over at UCLA," said the spokesman, Kevin Sasaki. Dangerfield is expected to be hospitalized about a week and should be able to return to work in about two months, Sasaki said. Dangerfield, 82, underwent brain surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center, last year to reduce his chances of having a stroke during Wednesday's procedure.
The comic, best known for the self-mocking line, "I don't get no respect," recently released his autobiography, It's Not Easy Being Me: A Lifetime of No Respect but Plenty of Sex and Drugs.
Before the surgery he was busy promoting his book, taping a forthcoming appearance for the TV sitcom Still Standing and working on the animated comedy Family Guy.
"He's had a pretty busy schedule up until this last week," Sasaki said.
© The Canadian Press, 2004
"I'm pleased to announce that Rodney Dangerfield made it through his surgery and is currently resting comfortably in intensive care over at UCLA," said the spokesman, Kevin Sasaki. Dangerfield is expected to be hospitalized about a week and should be able to return to work in about two months, Sasaki said. Dangerfield, 82, underwent brain surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center, last year to reduce his chances of having a stroke during Wednesday's procedure.
Jan. 1997 photo of Rodney Dangerfield. (AP/Chris Pizzello)LOS ANGELES (AP) - Comedian Rodney Dangerfield underwent a seven-hour operation Wednesday to replace a heart valve, his spokesman said.
The comic, best known for the self-mocking line, "I don't get no respect," recently released his autobiography, It's Not Easy Being Me: A Lifetime of No Respect but Plenty of Sex and Drugs.
Before the surgery he was busy promoting his book, taping a forthcoming appearance for the TV sitcom Still Standing and working on the animated comedy Family Guy.
"He's had a pretty busy schedule up until this last week," Sasaki said.
© The Canadian Press, 2004
yudansha
TheGreatOne
Hollywood family Wayans will produce film version of 60s sitcom, The Munsters
NEW YORK (AP) - The Wayans have long been a family of Hollywood. Now, they will be a family of monsters.
Keenan Ivory, Marlon and Shawn Wayans will write and produce a new film based on the 1960s sitcom, The Munsters, Universal Pictures confirmed Wednesday. The brothers are making a contemporary adaptation of the story of a monster family that never quite realizes that their ghoulish ways are different. No casting has yet been made official, but in the last Wayans written-produced film, White Chicks, Marlon and Shawn starred as well.
The trio has also collaborated on the multiple Scary Movie comedies and Don't be a Menace to South Central while Drinking Your Juice in the Hood.
The original Munsters TV show ran from 1964 to 1966. Since then, Herman, Grandpa, Eddie and the rest of the family have appeared in numerous made-for-TV films and the late 80s sitcom, The Munsters Today.
© The Canadian Press, 2004
NEW YORK (AP) - The Wayans have long been a family of Hollywood. Now, they will be a family of monsters.
Keenan Ivory, Marlon and Shawn Wayans will write and produce a new film based on the 1960s sitcom, The Munsters, Universal Pictures confirmed Wednesday. The brothers are making a contemporary adaptation of the story of a monster family that never quite realizes that their ghoulish ways are different. No casting has yet been made official, but in the last Wayans written-produced film, White Chicks, Marlon and Shawn starred as well.
The trio has also collaborated on the multiple Scary Movie comedies and Don't be a Menace to South Central while Drinking Your Juice in the Hood.
The original Munsters TV show ran from 1964 to 1966. Since then, Herman, Grandpa, Eddie and the rest of the family have appeared in numerous made-for-TV films and the late 80s sitcom, The Munsters Today.
© The Canadian Press, 2004
Littledragon
Above The Law
Bon Jovi, Patti La Belle, Bete Milder Attend Prince Concert!!
I just want to post this one here because I belive more peopel will see this here than my Prince thread.
Date: August 26, 2004
Source: http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews.../9498533.htm?1c
________________________________________________________________
Prince picks his LaBelle
Dan Gross
He pulled a few folks on stage to dance during his Tuesday night show at the Wachovia Center.
But when he announced "I'm looking for a blonde," he walked straight to Section 101. A few rows up he pointed to a woman in a camel-colored suit with a matching hat, and nodded to security that she was the one.
As Patti LaBelle began to walk toward the stage, the crowd began to recognize her.
LaBelle was introduced by the Artist Currently Known as Prince and sang and danced with him for a tune, then returned to her seat.
Yesterday, we mentioned that Bette Midler caught only an hour of Prince's Monday show.
We've since learned she saw the whole show, but from different seats.
First, Midler was seated down front, but the diva, we're told, was too visible for her liking.
Her party moved to Section 112, where she must have had the same fear, as they moved again, into a handicapped seating area.
Jon Bon Jovi was also in the house that night, in one of the Center's luxury suites.
I just want to post this one here because I belive more peopel will see this here than my Prince thread.
Date: August 26, 2004
Source: http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews.../9498533.htm?1c
________________________________________________________________
Prince picks his LaBelle
Dan Gross
He pulled a few folks on stage to dance during his Tuesday night show at the Wachovia Center.
But when he announced "I'm looking for a blonde," he walked straight to Section 101. A few rows up he pointed to a woman in a camel-colored suit with a matching hat, and nodded to security that she was the one.
As Patti LaBelle began to walk toward the stage, the crowd began to recognize her.
LaBelle was introduced by the Artist Currently Known as Prince and sang and danced with him for a tune, then returned to her seat.
Yesterday, we mentioned that Bette Midler caught only an hour of Prince's Monday show.
We've since learned she saw the whole show, but from different seats.
First, Midler was seated down front, but the diva, we're told, was too visible for her liking.
Her party moved to Section 112, where she must have had the same fear, as they moved again, into a handicapped seating area.
Jon Bon Jovi was also in the house that night, in one of the Center's luxury suites.
yudansha
TheGreatOne
Charlize Theron to be new face of Christian Dior's fragrance J'adore
NEW YORK (AP) - Add Christian Dior to the list of Charlize Theron fans. The company announced Thursday that the Oscar winner will be the new face of J'adore, the designer's fragrance that debuted in 2000.
Theron will start appearing in print ads and TV commercials next month -about the same time that ads for Chanel No. 5, featuring another Oscar winner, Nicole Kidman, debut.
"Ms. Theron was chosen because she represents modern femininity and embodies the spirit and energy of Dior. She is a classic beauty," said Pamela Baxter, president and CEO of LVMH Perfumes and Cosmetics, Dior's parent company.
The advertising deal with Theron is the first one between the beauty brand and a celebrity. Dior's artistic director John Galliano oversaw all aspects of the ad campaign.
NEW YORK (AP) - Add Christian Dior to the list of Charlize Theron fans. The company announced Thursday that the Oscar winner will be the new face of J'adore, the designer's fragrance that debuted in 2000.
Charlize Theron waves as she arrives at the Festival Palace to attend the screening of her film "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers," being shown at the 57th International Film Festival in Cannes, May 2004. (CP/AP/Laurent Rebours)
Theron will start appearing in print ads and TV commercials next month -about the same time that ads for Chanel No. 5, featuring another Oscar winner, Nicole Kidman, debut.
"Ms. Theron was chosen because she represents modern femininity and embodies the spirit and energy of Dior. She is a classic beauty," said Pamela Baxter, president and CEO of LVMH Perfumes and Cosmetics, Dior's parent company.
The advertising deal with Theron is the first one between the beauty brand and a celebrity. Dior's artistic director John Galliano oversaw all aspects of the ad campaign.
Littledragon
Above The Law
tora said:Jon is a social lion-that's for sure
But I also have articles of him looking up to Prince as a musician.
Littledragon
Above The Law
Black Eyed Peas make 'Urbz' game deal.
LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- The band that brought the infectious grooves of "Hey Mama" and "Let's Get It Started" to nightclubs across America has signed up to do the same for a video game where success is measured by how cool players are.
Electronic Arts Inc., the world's largest video game publisher, Thursday said the Black Eyed Peas will produce the soundtrack to the upcoming game "The Urbz: Sims in the City."
Console versions of the game will also include nine tracks from the upcoming Peas album "Monkey Business" recorded in Simlish, the babbling language of the games in EA's blockbuster "Sims" video franchise.
Building off "The Sims," which lets players control the life of a character in mostly bucolic settings, "The Urbz" puts people in the heart of the city. Their goal is to build up street credibility and become a "player" with access to all the fashionable hotspots of the city.
Along the way, virtual versions of band members Will.I.Am, Fergie, Taboo and apl.de.ap appear as musicians and teach dance moves to players.
As the tastes of music fans and video-game players converged in recent years, game publishers have made it routine to seek out top musicians for in-game appearances, soundtrack contributions and producing duties.
Just this month, EA said former "Devo" member Mark Mothersbaugh would compose the music for "The Sims 2," while noted DJ Paul Oakenfold would score the new "James Bond" game, "GoldenEye: Rogue Agent."
LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- The band that brought the infectious grooves of "Hey Mama" and "Let's Get It Started" to nightclubs across America has signed up to do the same for a video game where success is measured by how cool players are.
Electronic Arts Inc., the world's largest video game publisher, Thursday said the Black Eyed Peas will produce the soundtrack to the upcoming game "The Urbz: Sims in the City."
Console versions of the game will also include nine tracks from the upcoming Peas album "Monkey Business" recorded in Simlish, the babbling language of the games in EA's blockbuster "Sims" video franchise.
Building off "The Sims," which lets players control the life of a character in mostly bucolic settings, "The Urbz" puts people in the heart of the city. Their goal is to build up street credibility and become a "player" with access to all the fashionable hotspots of the city.
Along the way, virtual versions of band members Will.I.Am, Fergie, Taboo and apl.de.ap appear as musicians and teach dance moves to players.
As the tastes of music fans and video-game players converged in recent years, game publishers have made it routine to seek out top musicians for in-game appearances, soundtrack contributions and producing duties.
Just this month, EA said former "Devo" member Mark Mothersbaugh would compose the music for "The Sims 2," while noted DJ Paul Oakenfold would score the new "James Bond" game, "GoldenEye: Rogue Agent."
Littledragon
Above The Law
We're doing laundry today? Yea!" he says.
After weeks on the road as one of the headlining acts of the hugely successful Vans Warped Tour, it's the simple things -- laundry, beds and hot food -- Key and his fellow band members enthusiastically look forward to.
"Sorry about that. That was important to know," Key apologizes. "You don't know when you're going to get a chance to do laundry again."
Those chances have been infrequent for Yellowcard, the Los Angeles-based pop-punk rock band that's experiencing multiplatinum success with their major-label debut "Ocean Avenue." Now that the Warped Tour has wrapped up, they're heading to Miami to play at Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards. Then they strike out on their own national tour.
"It just keeps getting crazier and cooler," Key says in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.
Days earlier, Key and his bandmates sat on a bench within earshot of the Warped Tour's stop in New York.
"We're in a great mood," said violinist Sean Mackin, 25. "We're having a great time right now. What more can you ask?"
Not much. The band's first single, "Way Away," can be heard on Fox's "The O.C." and last year's Madden NFL video game. Their follow-up single "Ocean Avenue" broke Billboard's Top 10 and earned them a VMA best new artist nomination.
"We never expected to this well. We never expected to have a song that hit the Top 40. That's super high for a little band like us," Key said.
Unlikely combination
There's little that's little about Yellowcard, a band that took its name from a soccer penalty call that has become slang for "party foul." From their big, punk-inspired sound to the infusion of a violin as a rhythm instrument in a genre that is anything but soothing to the ear. Blender magazine described their major label debut album as "Stratocaster meets Stradivarius."
Yellowcard formed in 1997 in Jacksonville, Florida, at a performing arts high school with Mackin, guitarist Ben Harper and drummer Longineu Parsons.
Key, who was not an original band member, dropped out of college after about a year and moved to California but returned a short time later. Harper saw one of Key's band practices in 1998 and asked to jam with the band, which was looking for a new singer at the time. They were later joined by bassist Pete Mosely.
They're an unlikely combination -- Key was influenced by '80s glam rock and early '90s punk rock while violinist Mackin studied classical music; Parsons was raised on jazz and Harper went through a hip-hop phase. Moseley had played with pop-punk's Inspection 12.
With a handful of songs in hand, Yellowcard headed to California's San Fernando Valley in early 2001, releasing "One For The Kids" on Lobster Records, an independent label. They followed it up a year later with "The Underdog EP" on Fueled by Ramen Records.
Building a local following, the band soon caught the interest of Capitol Records.
"Initially, when I saw them play in a club in front of 250 people with no record out, they had many of the things you look for when you are make a record with a band -- good songs, good players," Capitol Records President Andrew Slater tells the AP.
"Ocean Avenue" was released in July 2003 but gained steam in January when it broke into the Top 40.
'We are not the rock star band'
Although the band walks the pop-punk walk -- from their clothing to their language -- the album is a departure from punk music typified with angry lyrics.
"We are not the rock star band," Key says. "There is not a whole lot of glitz and glam when it comes to Yellowcard."
In fact, there seems to be an unusual amount of thought when it comes to the band and its approach to music.
"They are all kind of positive and affirmative songs," Key said.
During their recent performance at Randall's Island, a woman whose husband was killed in Iraq joined the band on stage during their performance of "Believe," a song written in honor of the life and death decisions made by police and firefighters on September 11.
Thousands sang along with the lyrics: "Think about the love inside the strength of the heart / Think about the heroes saving life in the dark / Climbing higher through the fire / Time was running out / Never knowing you weren't going to be coming down alive / But you still came back for me / You were strong and you believed."
To commemorate the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Yellowcard is distributing singles of "Believe" to the New York fire and police departments. It will be accompanied by a letter that Key wrote while sitting on an airplane.
"I was thinking about how often we put our lives in the hands of people we trust and we don't know," Key said.
In the letter, he wrote that he wondered what it must be like to be the person who's forced to make the decision of giving up their life to save another.
"We wanted them to know we're out telling story," Key said. The song "is like a giant thank-you card from us."
After weeks on the road as one of the headlining acts of the hugely successful Vans Warped Tour, it's the simple things -- laundry, beds and hot food -- Key and his fellow band members enthusiastically look forward to.
"Sorry about that. That was important to know," Key apologizes. "You don't know when you're going to get a chance to do laundry again."
Those chances have been infrequent for Yellowcard, the Los Angeles-based pop-punk rock band that's experiencing multiplatinum success with their major-label debut "Ocean Avenue." Now that the Warped Tour has wrapped up, they're heading to Miami to play at Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards. Then they strike out on their own national tour.
"It just keeps getting crazier and cooler," Key says in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.
Days earlier, Key and his bandmates sat on a bench within earshot of the Warped Tour's stop in New York.
"We're in a great mood," said violinist Sean Mackin, 25. "We're having a great time right now. What more can you ask?"
Not much. The band's first single, "Way Away," can be heard on Fox's "The O.C." and last year's Madden NFL video game. Their follow-up single "Ocean Avenue" broke Billboard's Top 10 and earned them a VMA best new artist nomination.
"We never expected to this well. We never expected to have a song that hit the Top 40. That's super high for a little band like us," Key said.
Unlikely combination
There's little that's little about Yellowcard, a band that took its name from a soccer penalty call that has become slang for "party foul." From their big, punk-inspired sound to the infusion of a violin as a rhythm instrument in a genre that is anything but soothing to the ear. Blender magazine described their major label debut album as "Stratocaster meets Stradivarius."
Yellowcard formed in 1997 in Jacksonville, Florida, at a performing arts high school with Mackin, guitarist Ben Harper and drummer Longineu Parsons.
Key, who was not an original band member, dropped out of college after about a year and moved to California but returned a short time later. Harper saw one of Key's band practices in 1998 and asked to jam with the band, which was looking for a new singer at the time. They were later joined by bassist Pete Mosely.
They're an unlikely combination -- Key was influenced by '80s glam rock and early '90s punk rock while violinist Mackin studied classical music; Parsons was raised on jazz and Harper went through a hip-hop phase. Moseley had played with pop-punk's Inspection 12.
With a handful of songs in hand, Yellowcard headed to California's San Fernando Valley in early 2001, releasing "One For The Kids" on Lobster Records, an independent label. They followed it up a year later with "The Underdog EP" on Fueled by Ramen Records.
Building a local following, the band soon caught the interest of Capitol Records.
"Initially, when I saw them play in a club in front of 250 people with no record out, they had many of the things you look for when you are make a record with a band -- good songs, good players," Capitol Records President Andrew Slater tells the AP.
"Ocean Avenue" was released in July 2003 but gained steam in January when it broke into the Top 40.
'We are not the rock star band'
Although the band walks the pop-punk walk -- from their clothing to their language -- the album is a departure from punk music typified with angry lyrics.
"We are not the rock star band," Key says. "There is not a whole lot of glitz and glam when it comes to Yellowcard."
In fact, there seems to be an unusual amount of thought when it comes to the band and its approach to music.
"They are all kind of positive and affirmative songs," Key said.
During their recent performance at Randall's Island, a woman whose husband was killed in Iraq joined the band on stage during their performance of "Believe," a song written in honor of the life and death decisions made by police and firefighters on September 11.
Thousands sang along with the lyrics: "Think about the love inside the strength of the heart / Think about the heroes saving life in the dark / Climbing higher through the fire / Time was running out / Never knowing you weren't going to be coming down alive / But you still came back for me / You were strong and you believed."
To commemorate the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Yellowcard is distributing singles of "Believe" to the New York fire and police departments. It will be accompanied by a letter that Key wrote while sitting on an airplane.
"I was thinking about how often we put our lives in the hands of people we trust and we don't know," Key said.
In the letter, he wrote that he wondered what it must be like to be the person who's forced to make the decision of giving up their life to save another.
"We wanted them to know we're out telling story," Key said. The song "is like a giant thank-you card from us."
Littledragon
Above The Law
Spike Lee wins case against porn site.
GENEVA, Switzerland (Reuters) -- Movie director Spike Lee has won his cybersquatting case against a Philippines-based operator who misused the domain name, spikelee.com, to redirect surfers to a pornographic Web site, arbitrators ruled Friday.
Lee filed the complaint against Mercedita Kyamko of the Philippines who registered the domain name in 1999, the World Intellectual Property Organization said.
It forwards users to a pornographic Web site located at clubhongkong.com, and was registered in "bad faith," according to Canadian lawyer Edward Chiasson, the neutral arbitrator named by WIPO to rule on the dispute.
Lee joins other entertainers, including Madonna, Celine Dion and Eminem who have won cases at the Geneva-based U.N. agency. The domain name is automatically transferred within 10 days unless the loser launches a court case challenging the decision.
GENEVA, Switzerland (Reuters) -- Movie director Spike Lee has won his cybersquatting case against a Philippines-based operator who misused the domain name, spikelee.com, to redirect surfers to a pornographic Web site, arbitrators ruled Friday.
Lee filed the complaint against Mercedita Kyamko of the Philippines who registered the domain name in 1999, the World Intellectual Property Organization said.
It forwards users to a pornographic Web site located at clubhongkong.com, and was registered in "bad faith," according to Canadian lawyer Edward Chiasson, the neutral arbitrator named by WIPO to rule on the dispute.
Lee joins other entertainers, including Madonna, Celine Dion and Eminem who have won cases at the Geneva-based U.N. agency. The domain name is automatically transferred within 10 days unless the loser launches a court case challenging the decision.
yudansha
TheGreatOne
Tabloid glitter, opinionated reporting are troubling trends: Robert MacNeil
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Ask Robert MacNeil to assess the current state of journalism and he offers a modest disclaimer.
"I'm sort of a retired newsman. I'm not following it with the intensity I was when I was working," says the former co-anchor of PBS's The MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour. But, when pressed, he cites what he considers among the most troubling trends, including news coverage decorated with tabloid glitter and opinion-shaded reporting.
"I think it's only beginning," he said of the latter.
MacNeil blames Fox News Channel for "cynically and deliberately" choosing to build its audience with "aggressive and competitive patriotism and waving the flag."
But it's not all Fox's fault, he said.
Audience expectations are being shaped by the growing drum beat of partisanship, he suggested.
"As this society, or at least the political animals in it, have become so polarized and so intolerant of other views, Democrats want to see more blood flow from the arrows of journalists and Republicans want more red meat out there going after Democrats," MacNeil said.
When he hears a claim that the now-solo anchor of the The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer failed to go on the attack in an interview, MacNeil thinks he know the impetus behind the complaint: allowing guests to air their views through skilful questioning isn't enough anymore.
"It's as though the viewer wants a little window - you know how they have signing for the deaf - saying, 'This is full of bull,' " MacNeil says.
If anyone deserves a place in the debate about news, it's surely MacNeil. His insights represent both experience and the long view: he wrote a 1968 book assessing how the nascent TV medium, in just one generation, was remaking society.
The People Machine: The Influence of Television on American Politics - overshadowed at the time by Joe McGinniss' sexier The Selling of the President - is a thoughtful volume that remains pertinent.
While McGinniss focused on TV's role in revamping candidate Richard Nixon's image, MacNeil took on the broader issues of how networks, politicians and government were responding to the growing power of the electronic eye.
When he wrote The People Machine, television had been a part of U.S. elections since 1948 (albeit with a limited reach) and MacNeil was already an experienced broadcast journalist. The Montreal native started with the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. in the 1950s then moved to NBC News as a foreign and domestic correspondent. Stints at the BBC and PBS followed.
His claims of being a retired newsman aside, the 73-year-old is still hard at work. MacNeil's books include the 2003 memoir Looking for My Country: Finding Myself in America, and he's working on a PBS documentary and companion book Do You Speak American? - a followup to his 1986 documentary The Story of English.
Relying on research as well as his catbird's-seat vantage point, MacNeil's 1968 book astutely dissected the potential and shortfalls of the young medium - and was prescient in how it could go further astray.
Among his observations and conclusions:
-That the television industry "for its own commercial purposes and in unwarranted fear for the safety of its licences to operate" will force its news departments to adopt a "craven and accommodating attitude" toward government.
-That since 1952 the television industry has "engulfed" national political conventions, moulding them into happenings more appropriate to the medium. This is ironic, given that networks have severely minimized their convention coverage based on the claim the gatherings are merely dog-and-pony shows - an approach MacNeil considers misguided: Although conventions are "full of all sorts of contrived symbolism and manipulated imagery, they do nevertheless give the country a sense of how that party wants to be thought of," he said.
-He noted that political candidates can seem to be completely different people at the end of a campaign than they were at the beginning, and that television has much to do with the transformation.
-MacNeil said none of the new media were particularly dangerous in themselves as long as they respected certain journalistic standards and values, but warned that new technologies "should not be exploited simply for commercial gain or political persuasion."
The ultimate power of advances such as cable and satellite could not be fully grasped in the 1960s. Now, MacNeil said, they have the potential to affect all news reporting.
American journalism was biased at birth, gaining objectivity after the advent of radio and TV prompted the government to require balance in newscasts, he said.
It was unregulated cable that allowed, what MacNeil deems, the slanted Fox venture to flourish, although he notes its audience averages a relatively small 1.5 million or so.
Could journalism's partisan past be our future?
"Is broadcasting, as a result of the Fox experiment, leading us back?" he said, adding, "It's still an experiment."
LYNN ELBER; © The Canadian Press, 2004
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Ask Robert MacNeil to assess the current state of journalism and he offers a modest disclaimer.
Television journalist Robert MacNeil. (AP)
"I'm sort of a retired newsman. I'm not following it with the intensity I was when I was working," says the former co-anchor of PBS's The MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour. But, when pressed, he cites what he considers among the most troubling trends, including news coverage decorated with tabloid glitter and opinion-shaded reporting.
"I think it's only beginning," he said of the latter.
MacNeil blames Fox News Channel for "cynically and deliberately" choosing to build its audience with "aggressive and competitive patriotism and waving the flag."
But it's not all Fox's fault, he said.
Audience expectations are being shaped by the growing drum beat of partisanship, he suggested.
"As this society, or at least the political animals in it, have become so polarized and so intolerant of other views, Democrats want to see more blood flow from the arrows of journalists and Republicans want more red meat out there going after Democrats," MacNeil said.
When he hears a claim that the now-solo anchor of the The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer failed to go on the attack in an interview, MacNeil thinks he know the impetus behind the complaint: allowing guests to air their views through skilful questioning isn't enough anymore.
"It's as though the viewer wants a little window - you know how they have signing for the deaf - saying, 'This is full of bull,' " MacNeil says.
If anyone deserves a place in the debate about news, it's surely MacNeil. His insights represent both experience and the long view: he wrote a 1968 book assessing how the nascent TV medium, in just one generation, was remaking society.
The People Machine: The Influence of Television on American Politics - overshadowed at the time by Joe McGinniss' sexier The Selling of the President - is a thoughtful volume that remains pertinent.
While McGinniss focused on TV's role in revamping candidate Richard Nixon's image, MacNeil took on the broader issues of how networks, politicians and government were responding to the growing power of the electronic eye.
When he wrote The People Machine, television had been a part of U.S. elections since 1948 (albeit with a limited reach) and MacNeil was already an experienced broadcast journalist. The Montreal native started with the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. in the 1950s then moved to NBC News as a foreign and domestic correspondent. Stints at the BBC and PBS followed.
His claims of being a retired newsman aside, the 73-year-old is still hard at work. MacNeil's books include the 2003 memoir Looking for My Country: Finding Myself in America, and he's working on a PBS documentary and companion book Do You Speak American? - a followup to his 1986 documentary The Story of English.
Relying on research as well as his catbird's-seat vantage point, MacNeil's 1968 book astutely dissected the potential and shortfalls of the young medium - and was prescient in how it could go further astray.
Among his observations and conclusions:
-That the television industry "for its own commercial purposes and in unwarranted fear for the safety of its licences to operate" will force its news departments to adopt a "craven and accommodating attitude" toward government.
-That since 1952 the television industry has "engulfed" national political conventions, moulding them into happenings more appropriate to the medium. This is ironic, given that networks have severely minimized their convention coverage based on the claim the gatherings are merely dog-and-pony shows - an approach MacNeil considers misguided: Although conventions are "full of all sorts of contrived symbolism and manipulated imagery, they do nevertheless give the country a sense of how that party wants to be thought of," he said.
-He noted that political candidates can seem to be completely different people at the end of a campaign than they were at the beginning, and that television has much to do with the transformation.
-MacNeil said none of the new media were particularly dangerous in themselves as long as they respected certain journalistic standards and values, but warned that new technologies "should not be exploited simply for commercial gain or political persuasion."
The ultimate power of advances such as cable and satellite could not be fully grasped in the 1960s. Now, MacNeil said, they have the potential to affect all news reporting.
American journalism was biased at birth, gaining objectivity after the advent of radio and TV prompted the government to require balance in newscasts, he said.
It was unregulated cable that allowed, what MacNeil deems, the slanted Fox venture to flourish, although he notes its audience averages a relatively small 1.5 million or so.
Could journalism's partisan past be our future?
"Is broadcasting, as a result of the Fox experiment, leading us back?" he said, adding, "It's still an experiment."
LYNN ELBER; © The Canadian Press, 2004
yudansha
TheGreatOne
Oprah Winfrey doesn't ever want to serve as a juror again
CHICAGO (AP) - Oprah Winfrey said she would not want to serve as a juror in a murder trial again, but she enjoyed getting to know her fellow jurors -and invited them to her show to talk about the experience.
"You're not allowed to discuss anything to do with the trial until the whole thing is over, and so you get to know people really, really well because you're trying to talk about everything else," Winfrey said during a show taped Tuesday and broadcast Thursday. Winfrey was one of 12 jurors who convicted a Chicago man of murder Aug. 18.
The billionaire's presence drew massive amounts of media attention to what would normally have been a low-profile case.
Winfrey briefly discussed the experience with other jurors who sat in the audience of her show before she interviewed actors Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law.
One said Winfrey asked the other jurors to sing whenever she went to the bathroom attached to the jury room to drown out the noise. Winfrey, looking embarrassed, verified the story and said one of the songs the jurors chose to sing was "Kumbaya."
The talk show host asked the jurors how they felt after the trial.
Several said the decision to convict 27-year-old Dion Coleman was a difficult one. They deliberated for more than two hours before convicting Coleman of first-degree murder in the February 2002 shooting death of 23-year-old Walter Holley.
"I didn't feel like 'Oh gee, I put somebody away.' . . . In the end it just felt sad," said Winfrey.
Winfrey invited the jurors to stay after the show for a lunch prepared by her personal chef.
CHICAGO (AP) - Oprah Winfrey said she would not want to serve as a juror in a murder trial again, but she enjoyed getting to know her fellow jurors -and invited them to her show to talk about the experience.
"You're not allowed to discuss anything to do with the trial until the whole thing is over, and so you get to know people really, really well because you're trying to talk about everything else," Winfrey said during a show taped Tuesday and broadcast Thursday. Winfrey was one of 12 jurors who convicted a Chicago man of murder Aug. 18.
The billionaire's presence drew massive amounts of media attention to what would normally have been a low-profile case.
Winfrey briefly discussed the experience with other jurors who sat in the audience of her show before she interviewed actors Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law.
One said Winfrey asked the other jurors to sing whenever she went to the bathroom attached to the jury room to drown out the noise. Winfrey, looking embarrassed, verified the story and said one of the songs the jurors chose to sing was "Kumbaya."
The talk show host asked the jurors how they felt after the trial.
Several said the decision to convict 27-year-old Dion Coleman was a difficult one. They deliberated for more than two hours before convicting Coleman of first-degree murder in the February 2002 shooting death of 23-year-old Walter Holley.
"I didn't feel like 'Oh gee, I put somebody away.' . . . In the end it just felt sad," said Winfrey.
Winfrey invited the jurors to stay after the show for a lunch prepared by her personal chef.
yudansha
TheGreatOne
Paris Hilton chronicles her life as an heiress in latest project: a memoir
What's next? A Jessica Simpson Buffalo wings franchise?
NEW YORK (AP) - Paris Hilton is trying on a new outfit: a hard cover.
The model-reality TV star has written a 198-page memoir, Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose. Though the missing Chihuahua saga was too recent to make the book, Hilton writes about her youth as an heiress in a "really close" family. Excerpts of the book (to hit shelves Sept. 7) are in the People magazine that comes out Friday. "It's traditional for an heiress to be raised in a sheltered way," she writes. "No one thinks that's true of me, but it actually was."
Still, Hilton insists she was not coddled: "The rumour is that I got a credit card at age 9, which is ridiculous. It was more like 19, and I had to get one myself without my parents."
The book reveals a girl not as confident as the runway model frequently seen in the tabloids. "It was so that I wore padded bras till I was 17. Now, I'm happy to be small. It looks better in clothes. But back then I was really insecure."
The notorious party-girl also feels a change coming: "I don't always want the glamorous, jet-set life. Let's face it, I've done it. Someday soon, I want to have children and a big house with a lot of animals -like my parents had."
Hilton's memoirs are not without fashion tips, either. "Trust me, people act differently to you when you've got jewelry on your head."
What's next? A Jessica Simpson Buffalo wings franchise?
NEW YORK (AP) - Paris Hilton is trying on a new outfit: a hard cover.
The model-reality TV star has written a 198-page memoir, Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose. Though the missing Chihuahua saga was too recent to make the book, Hilton writes about her youth as an heiress in a "really close" family. Excerpts of the book (to hit shelves Sept. 7) are in the People magazine that comes out Friday. "It's traditional for an heiress to be raised in a sheltered way," she writes. "No one thinks that's true of me, but it actually was."
Still, Hilton insists she was not coddled: "The rumour is that I got a credit card at age 9, which is ridiculous. It was more like 19, and I had to get one myself without my parents."
The book reveals a girl not as confident as the runway model frequently seen in the tabloids. "It was so that I wore padded bras till I was 17. Now, I'm happy to be small. It looks better in clothes. But back then I was really insecure."
The notorious party-girl also feels a change coming: "I don't always want the glamorous, jet-set life. Let's face it, I've done it. Someday soon, I want to have children and a big house with a lot of animals -like my parents had."
Hilton's memoirs are not without fashion tips, either. "Trust me, people act differently to you when you've got jewelry on your head."
Littledragon
Above The Law
A calmer, more modest MTV Awards?
NEW YORK (AP) -- In the 21-year history of MTV's Video Music Awards, viewers have been treated to some eye-popping moments -- Prince's bare buttocks, Lil' Kim's sequined pasty, Britney and Madonna's steamy kiss last year.
But after the firestorm over the MTV-produced Super Bowl halftime show, in which Justin Timberlake ripped off part of Janet Jackson's costume to reveal her bare breast, might we see tamer VMAs when they air Sunday?
MTV President Van Toffler isn't promising any flesh-baring moments. But he's also not promising a Nickelodeon-friendly affair.
"You never know what they're going to do or say," Toffler said of the various artists who will converge at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, where the awards will be held for the first time. "Our audience has come to expect of MTV, and this event, very unpredictable, compelling television. That is not going to change, regardless of the Super Bowl or the kiss."
Still, there's talk of using a video delay for the first time on the live broadcast (it's had an audio delay for years).
"It simply happens when you put musicians and artists together: They don't always do want you want them to do," Toffler told The Associated Press in an interview.
'A time to relax and let loose'
That's usually the best part of the show, however. Few watch because of the awards -- who can even remember last year's top winner for video of the year? (In case you forgot, it was Missy Elliott's surreal "Work It.") Instead, people watch to see Eminem threaten a puppet, Diana Ross fondle Lil' Kim's breast or Michael Jackson kiss then-wife Lisa Marie Presley.
"It's always a fun time, a time to relax and let loose," said Jessica Simpson, one of the performers slated for Sunday night.
Other presenters and performers include Usher, Jennifer Lopez, P. Diddy, Nelly, Christina Aguilera, Dave Chapelle, Will Smith, Hilary Duff and the Miami Heat's newest member -- Shaquille O'Neal.
There will be awards to dole out -- Jay-Z's gritty "99 Problems," which depicts his own killing as a metaphor for his supposed retirement, received the most nominations: six.
Jessica Simpson plans to make a "pretty cool entrance," but don't expect any Britney Spears-Madonna moments.
Other multiple nominees include his girlfriend, Beyonce, for her videos "Me Myself and I" and "Naughty Girl"; OutKast for "Hey Ya!"; and No Doubt's "It's My Life."
Usher is up for five awards. He's never won a moonman trophy, so he told the AP that a win "would mean the world. You don't win one every day, and it's very hard to get one."
But for those not nominated, it's a big party.
Traditionally, the show has been held in New York; occasionally, in Los Angeles. But for the first time, it's being held outside those two cities, in Miami. The network plans to take advantage of the beach town -- celebrities will ferried to the red carpet on luxury yachts.
"Everybody's on a vacation mindset. It's going to be more of a party this time," Simpson said. "It will be nice to lay out at the pool before I perform."
Hostless
There will be other changes too. There's no host, and it will be held on a Sunday, instead of the traditional Thursday night.
"There's just so much going on this summer with the conventions and the Olympics," Toffler explained. "Sunday night's a festive night over the summer."
There's usually a surprise element to the awards, in the form of a special performer or presenter. Toffler teased: "I would not be late to the show, especially in light of what happened last year," referring to the Madonna, Spears and Aguilera performance that kicked off the show and led to same-sex kissing.
Simpson says her performance will include a "pretty cool entrance." But don't expect anything shocking from her.
"I'm not good at shocking people unless I'm letting some 'Chicken of the Sea' comment fly out my mouth," she said, joking about her infamous bubbleheaded comment. "I think leaving more to the imagination is better, and that's sexier to me."
Although Toffler says MTV hasn't issued any edicts to performers to be on their best behavior, he doesn't expect any Jackson-Timberlake moments at the show.
"At the end of the day, what Janet Jackson did at the Super Bowl didn't work for her, and the artists that we work with are professionals," he said.
NEW YORK (AP) -- In the 21-year history of MTV's Video Music Awards, viewers have been treated to some eye-popping moments -- Prince's bare buttocks, Lil' Kim's sequined pasty, Britney and Madonna's steamy kiss last year.
But after the firestorm over the MTV-produced Super Bowl halftime show, in which Justin Timberlake ripped off part of Janet Jackson's costume to reveal her bare breast, might we see tamer VMAs when they air Sunday?
MTV President Van Toffler isn't promising any flesh-baring moments. But he's also not promising a Nickelodeon-friendly affair.
"You never know what they're going to do or say," Toffler said of the various artists who will converge at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, where the awards will be held for the first time. "Our audience has come to expect of MTV, and this event, very unpredictable, compelling television. That is not going to change, regardless of the Super Bowl or the kiss."
Still, there's talk of using a video delay for the first time on the live broadcast (it's had an audio delay for years).
"It simply happens when you put musicians and artists together: They don't always do want you want them to do," Toffler told The Associated Press in an interview.
'A time to relax and let loose'
That's usually the best part of the show, however. Few watch because of the awards -- who can even remember last year's top winner for video of the year? (In case you forgot, it was Missy Elliott's surreal "Work It.") Instead, people watch to see Eminem threaten a puppet, Diana Ross fondle Lil' Kim's breast or Michael Jackson kiss then-wife Lisa Marie Presley.
"It's always a fun time, a time to relax and let loose," said Jessica Simpson, one of the performers slated for Sunday night.
Other presenters and performers include Usher, Jennifer Lopez, P. Diddy, Nelly, Christina Aguilera, Dave Chapelle, Will Smith, Hilary Duff and the Miami Heat's newest member -- Shaquille O'Neal.
There will be awards to dole out -- Jay-Z's gritty "99 Problems," which depicts his own killing as a metaphor for his supposed retirement, received the most nominations: six.
Jessica Simpson plans to make a "pretty cool entrance," but don't expect any Britney Spears-Madonna moments.
Other multiple nominees include his girlfriend, Beyonce, for her videos "Me Myself and I" and "Naughty Girl"; OutKast for "Hey Ya!"; and No Doubt's "It's My Life."
Usher is up for five awards. He's never won a moonman trophy, so he told the AP that a win "would mean the world. You don't win one every day, and it's very hard to get one."
But for those not nominated, it's a big party.
Traditionally, the show has been held in New York; occasionally, in Los Angeles. But for the first time, it's being held outside those two cities, in Miami. The network plans to take advantage of the beach town -- celebrities will ferried to the red carpet on luxury yachts.
"Everybody's on a vacation mindset. It's going to be more of a party this time," Simpson said. "It will be nice to lay out at the pool before I perform."
Hostless
There will be other changes too. There's no host, and it will be held on a Sunday, instead of the traditional Thursday night.
"There's just so much going on this summer with the conventions and the Olympics," Toffler explained. "Sunday night's a festive night over the summer."
There's usually a surprise element to the awards, in the form of a special performer or presenter. Toffler teased: "I would not be late to the show, especially in light of what happened last year," referring to the Madonna, Spears and Aguilera performance that kicked off the show and led to same-sex kissing.
Simpson says her performance will include a "pretty cool entrance." But don't expect anything shocking from her.
"I'm not good at shocking people unless I'm letting some 'Chicken of the Sea' comment fly out my mouth," she said, joking about her infamous bubbleheaded comment. "I think leaving more to the imagination is better, and that's sexier to me."
Although Toffler says MTV hasn't issued any edicts to performers to be on their best behavior, he doesn't expect any Jackson-Timberlake moments at the show.
"At the end of the day, what Janet Jackson did at the Super Bowl didn't work for her, and the artists that we work with are professionals," he said.
Littledragon
Above The Law
Review: 'Hero' a winner!
AP) -- If "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" opened mainstream Americans' eyes to the martial arts epic, director Zhang Yimou may be about to grab their hearts and minds.
Zhang this year delivers a two-fisted dose of grand and rousing cinema, first with the belated U.S. release of "Hero," his Academy Award-nominated saga of nobility and sacrifice for the greater good that stars Jet Li.
At year's end comes Zhang's second historical adventure set in ancient China, "House of Flying Daggers," which premiered to an enthusiastic reception at last spring's Cannes Film Festival.
"Hero," a runner-up to "Nowhere in Africa" for the 2002 foreign-language Oscar, presents a briskly paced, cleverly plotted tale that unfolds through a circuitous series of flashbacks.
The movie opens with a deceptively simple setup by Zhang, who co-wrote the screenplay. Some 2,000 years ago, China is divided into seven warring kingdoms battling for dominance. The strongest, Qin, is ruled by a ruthless king (Chen Dao Ming), determined to unify the land and become supreme ruler through bloodshed.
Three enemy assassins -- Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung), her lover Broken Sword (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai), and Sky (Donnie Yen) -- have vowed to slay the king of Qin. For 10 years, the king has lived as a recluse behind fortified walls and legions of bodyguards, offering royal bounties to whoever can eliminate his would-be killers.
"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" co-star Zhang Ziyi, who also stars in "House of Flying Daggers," plays Broken Sword's devoted acolyte, Moon.
One day a man called Nameless (Li) shows up bearing the weapons of the three assassins. Brought before the king, Nameless spins the story of how he overcame Flying Snow, Broken Sword and Sky, through deception and lightning-fast skill with a blade.
After initially welcoming this unassuming hero, the king turns suspicious and responds with his own hypothetical chronicle of Nameless' encounters with the assassins.
What follows is a fiery exchange of imaginings and reimaginings as the stories hurtle through wild variations toward the ultimate truth. Each version of events is an engrossing film within the film, allowing Zhang and his team to showcase glorious swordplay and the gifted cast to take on a range of roles all within the confines of the same characters.
In one tale, jealousy reigns. In the next, selfless love. In another, characters face death with valorous resignation.
The action is sumptuously shot by cinematographer Christopher Doyle and beautifully enriched by Tan Dun's plaintive score and sound editing that viscerally captures the sizzle of flying arrows, the twang of steel and the whisper or roar of the wind.
The balletic fight scenes are at least as graceful as those in "Crouching Tiger." A duel between Flying Snow and Moon -- artfully shot amid a swirl of fallen leaves and fought with carnal ferocity by Zhang and stoic fatalism by Cheung -- is especially memorable.
Through a crescendo of climaxes, the film arrives at a place of primal heroism, the point in history where reality blurs to myth. As different as the renditions of Nameless' adventures are, they all share common threads, the film's structure offering insights into how legends are born out of transfigured truth.
"Hero," a Miramax release, is rated PG-13 for stylized martial arts violence and a scene of sensuality.
Great news for Jet!
AP) -- If "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" opened mainstream Americans' eyes to the martial arts epic, director Zhang Yimou may be about to grab their hearts and minds.
Zhang this year delivers a two-fisted dose of grand and rousing cinema, first with the belated U.S. release of "Hero," his Academy Award-nominated saga of nobility and sacrifice for the greater good that stars Jet Li.
At year's end comes Zhang's second historical adventure set in ancient China, "House of Flying Daggers," which premiered to an enthusiastic reception at last spring's Cannes Film Festival.
"Hero," a runner-up to "Nowhere in Africa" for the 2002 foreign-language Oscar, presents a briskly paced, cleverly plotted tale that unfolds through a circuitous series of flashbacks.
The movie opens with a deceptively simple setup by Zhang, who co-wrote the screenplay. Some 2,000 years ago, China is divided into seven warring kingdoms battling for dominance. The strongest, Qin, is ruled by a ruthless king (Chen Dao Ming), determined to unify the land and become supreme ruler through bloodshed.
Three enemy assassins -- Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung), her lover Broken Sword (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai), and Sky (Donnie Yen) -- have vowed to slay the king of Qin. For 10 years, the king has lived as a recluse behind fortified walls and legions of bodyguards, offering royal bounties to whoever can eliminate his would-be killers.
"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" co-star Zhang Ziyi, who also stars in "House of Flying Daggers," plays Broken Sword's devoted acolyte, Moon.
One day a man called Nameless (Li) shows up bearing the weapons of the three assassins. Brought before the king, Nameless spins the story of how he overcame Flying Snow, Broken Sword and Sky, through deception and lightning-fast skill with a blade.
After initially welcoming this unassuming hero, the king turns suspicious and responds with his own hypothetical chronicle of Nameless' encounters with the assassins.
What follows is a fiery exchange of imaginings and reimaginings as the stories hurtle through wild variations toward the ultimate truth. Each version of events is an engrossing film within the film, allowing Zhang and his team to showcase glorious swordplay and the gifted cast to take on a range of roles all within the confines of the same characters.
In one tale, jealousy reigns. In the next, selfless love. In another, characters face death with valorous resignation.
The action is sumptuously shot by cinematographer Christopher Doyle and beautifully enriched by Tan Dun's plaintive score and sound editing that viscerally captures the sizzle of flying arrows, the twang of steel and the whisper or roar of the wind.
The balletic fight scenes are at least as graceful as those in "Crouching Tiger." A duel between Flying Snow and Moon -- artfully shot amid a swirl of fallen leaves and fought with carnal ferocity by Zhang and stoic fatalism by Cheung -- is especially memorable.
Through a crescendo of climaxes, the film arrives at a place of primal heroism, the point in history where reality blurs to myth. As different as the renditions of Nameless' adventures are, they all share common threads, the film's structure offering insights into how legends are born out of transfigured truth.
"Hero," a Miramax release, is rated PG-13 for stylized martial arts violence and a scene of sensuality.
Great news for Jet!
yudansha
TheGreatOne
Paris Hilton is perhaps even less intelligent than Jessica Simpson...
Oops doggy dog
There's never a dull moment where Paris Hilton is concerned.
The New York Post has solved the mystery of what happened to her beloved Chihuahua during last week's 'lost and found' saga.
Apparently, the airhead-heiress didn't lose Tinkerbell after all -- she left the pampered pooch at her grandparents' house.
It was only when Tinkerbell's disappearance gained nationwide coverage that her grandparents called up their ditzy granddaughter and told her to call off the, ahem, dogs.
Although Paris' rep denies the story, we're all inclined to believe it anyway.
Going once, going twice…
For fans want to get a piece of the Paris Hilton action (but thought her home video was too racy), all you need to do is log into eBay.
Bidding on a reputedly authentic Tinkerbell reward poster has already reached over $100 on the auction site.
The lost pooch was returned to Paris a few days ago after the heiress posted signs for the pampered pet all over West Hollywood. The poster promised a $5,000 reward, and asked anyone with information to call her assistant Wendy. "Please help this dog is like a child to me," the poster urged.
To assuage any concerns about the poster's authenticity the Dish even found photos of the heiress plastering her neighbourhood with the fluorescent notices.
Tinkerbell -- often decked out in puppy-sized outfits -- makes regular appearances on the Simple Life and now the highest bidder can enjoy Paris and her pooch from the comfort of home.
Oops doggy dog
There's never a dull moment where Paris Hilton is concerned.
The New York Post has solved the mystery of what happened to her beloved Chihuahua during last week's 'lost and found' saga.
Apparently, the airhead-heiress didn't lose Tinkerbell after all -- she left the pampered pooch at her grandparents' house.
It was only when Tinkerbell's disappearance gained nationwide coverage that her grandparents called up their ditzy granddaughter and told her to call off the, ahem, dogs.
Although Paris' rep denies the story, we're all inclined to believe it anyway.
Going once, going twice…
For fans want to get a piece of the Paris Hilton action (but thought her home video was too racy), all you need to do is log into eBay.
Bidding on a reputedly authentic Tinkerbell reward poster has already reached over $100 on the auction site.
The lost pooch was returned to Paris a few days ago after the heiress posted signs for the pampered pet all over West Hollywood. The poster promised a $5,000 reward, and asked anyone with information to call her assistant Wendy. "Please help this dog is like a child to me," the poster urged.
To assuage any concerns about the poster's authenticity the Dish even found photos of the heiress plastering her neighbourhood with the fluorescent notices.
Tinkerbell -- often decked out in puppy-sized outfits -- makes regular appearances on the Simple Life and now the highest bidder can enjoy Paris and her pooch from the comfort of home.
Littledragon
Above The Law
yudansha said:
LOL, this should go in the blonde thread lol
yudansha
TheGreatOne
Baby talk...
Rumours about Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt's plans to adopt a baby have been confirmed by Brad's younger brother Doug.
Doug made the revelation to the magazine Closer: "I'm really pleased. We're delighted that Brad and Jen are adopting. It will be a great addition for the family."
Aniston, 35, has openly wanted to have children with Brad, 40, since they married four years ago, but was putting things on hold until Friends had shot its last episode. The actress explained in April that "We're absolutely in the process of having a baby. It's where we're headed."
Pitt is equally enthusiastic, especially over the prospect of "little versions of Jennifer. It's my dream."
Aniston isn't the only former Friends star with babies on the brain, Courteney Cox Arquette is already planning baby number two -- just months after giving birth to Coco.
The 40-year-old is determined to give birth to a second child with husband David Arquette and is allegedly in talks with the same fertility experts she consulted for her daughter.
Rumours about Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt's plans to adopt a baby have been confirmed by Brad's younger brother Doug.
Doug made the revelation to the magazine Closer: "I'm really pleased. We're delighted that Brad and Jen are adopting. It will be a great addition for the family."
Aniston, 35, has openly wanted to have children with Brad, 40, since they married four years ago, but was putting things on hold until Friends had shot its last episode. The actress explained in April that "We're absolutely in the process of having a baby. It's where we're headed."
Pitt is equally enthusiastic, especially over the prospect of "little versions of Jennifer. It's my dream."
Aniston isn't the only former Friends star with babies on the brain, Courteney Cox Arquette is already planning baby number two -- just months after giving birth to Coco.
The 40-year-old is determined to give birth to a second child with husband David Arquette and is allegedly in talks with the same fertility experts she consulted for her daughter.
yudansha
TheGreatOne
New lawsuit filed in dispute over paintings at New Brunswick art gallery
FREDERICTON (CP) - Another lawsuit has been added to the pile of litigation stemming from the fight over who really owns millions of dollars worth of paintings at a small New Brunswick art gallery.
The Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation has filed a statement of claim listing 78 paintings at Fredericton's Beaverbrook Art Gallery.
Filed Aug. 20, the document argues that the foundation owns the works of art, which it says were only loaned to the gallery. And the foundation wants them back.
Rod Gillis, a lawyer for the foundation, said the case is straight forward.
"You leave out all the individuals, all the personalities, all the vague statements and innuendo .n.n. and it's focused just on a very simple issue: who owns these paintings?"
The dispute arose when the heirs of the late Lord Beaverbrook, a Canadian-born newspaper magnate who served in Winston Churchill's war cabinet, tried to reclaim the works of art housed at the gallery.
The gallery originally sued both foundations, claiming about 200 paintings were either gifts of the original Lord Beaverbrook, or donations of the foundations.
The Beaverbrook family has foundations in Canada and Britain and both claim the gallery must return the artworks.
The gallery has since agreed to deal with the British foundation through binding arbitration.
Meanwhile, the case against the Canadian foundation has been inching its way through the courts.
The Canadian foundation also has a $15-million lawsuit filed in Saint John against the gallery to recoup donations and punitive damages.
The works in question include paintings by Botticelli, William Hogarth, John Singer Sargent, Graham Sutherland, Cornelius Kreighoff, Lucian Freud and J. M. W. Turner.
The gallery has estimated the value of the paintings under dispute at about $200 million.
The chairman of the gallery's board of directors said the latest lawsuit is in response to the gallery's original lawsuit.
"It's really a counter-claim," said Daniel O'Brien.
News of the latest lawsuit surfaced Friday when lawyers for the foundation and the gallery appeared in court on another matter.
The Canadian foundation was seeking clarification of the gallery's statement of claim.
Justice David Russell denied the request because the gallery's lawyer, David Young, had filed an amended statement of claim earlier in the week.
Meanwhile, the Canadian foundation is concerned the gallery isn't providing adequate security for the paintings.
Gillis, speaking outside the Fredericton courthouse, said he is considering a motion to have the paintings moved to a secure location.
No court dates have been set to begin the cases in the province's Court of Queen's Bench.
KEVIN BISSETT; © The Canadian Press, 2004
FREDERICTON (CP) - Another lawsuit has been added to the pile of litigation stemming from the fight over who really owns millions of dollars worth of paintings at a small New Brunswick art gallery.
The Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation has filed a statement of claim listing 78 paintings at Fredericton's Beaverbrook Art Gallery.
Filed Aug. 20, the document argues that the foundation owns the works of art, which it says were only loaned to the gallery. And the foundation wants them back.
Rod Gillis, a lawyer for the foundation, said the case is straight forward.
"You leave out all the individuals, all the personalities, all the vague statements and innuendo .n.n. and it's focused just on a very simple issue: who owns these paintings?"
The dispute arose when the heirs of the late Lord Beaverbrook, a Canadian-born newspaper magnate who served in Winston Churchill's war cabinet, tried to reclaim the works of art housed at the gallery.
The gallery originally sued both foundations, claiming about 200 paintings were either gifts of the original Lord Beaverbrook, or donations of the foundations.
The Beaverbrook family has foundations in Canada and Britain and both claim the gallery must return the artworks.
The gallery has since agreed to deal with the British foundation through binding arbitration.
Meanwhile, the case against the Canadian foundation has been inching its way through the courts.
The Canadian foundation also has a $15-million lawsuit filed in Saint John against the gallery to recoup donations and punitive damages.
The works in question include paintings by Botticelli, William Hogarth, John Singer Sargent, Graham Sutherland, Cornelius Kreighoff, Lucian Freud and J. M. W. Turner.
The gallery has estimated the value of the paintings under dispute at about $200 million.
The chairman of the gallery's board of directors said the latest lawsuit is in response to the gallery's original lawsuit.
"It's really a counter-claim," said Daniel O'Brien.
News of the latest lawsuit surfaced Friday when lawyers for the foundation and the gallery appeared in court on another matter.
The Canadian foundation was seeking clarification of the gallery's statement of claim.
Justice David Russell denied the request because the gallery's lawyer, David Young, had filed an amended statement of claim earlier in the week.
Meanwhile, the Canadian foundation is concerned the gallery isn't providing adequate security for the paintings.
Gillis, speaking outside the Fredericton courthouse, said he is considering a motion to have the paintings moved to a secure location.
No court dates have been set to begin the cases in the province's Court of Queen's Bench.
KEVIN BISSETT; © The Canadian Press, 2004