Farrah Fawcett, Angel in Waiting

Farrah Fawcett, Angel in Waiting

By: James Hirsen

It’s not a typical celebrity passing. In American pop culture terms, Farrah Fawcett was an icon. She burst onto the Hollywood scene with her sparkling smile, sweet nature and blonde windblown tresses that set hairstyle trends for a decade. Farrah’s image adorned magazine covers galore, but more importantly her poster was tacked onto teen lockers, shop halls and office walls. All-American places. All-American dream girl. She was cheerleader, prom queen, sorority sweetheart and pageant winner all rolled into one. And she graced her way right on up to full-fledged movie star. Farrah’s career, from “Charley’s Angels” to the reality genre, was a shining example of an actress who lithely coped with a changing media landscape. Amazingly, the role that defined her fame, that of glamorous detective Jill Monroe who took assignments from the mysterious Charley, only lasted a year. The TV show was such a hit Farrah became part of that unusual celebrity club of those stars known by their first names only. If you said Farrah, folks knew exactly who you were talking about. Like Betty Grable in an earlier era, Farrah became the pin-up girl of her generation. The photo of Farrah in a red bathing suit quickly became the biggest selling poster of all time with an unprecedented 12 million copies sold. Farrah proved she was more than just a pretty face when she took a part in an Off-Broadway play called “Extremities,” and she received critical acclaim. She then tackled a difficult subject in “The Burning Bed,” a TV-movie about an abused woman. It earned her an Emmy nomination. She starred in another complex made for TV film, “Nazi Hunter: The Beate Klarsfeld Story.” And she garnered a second Emmy nomination for a miniseries “Small Sacrifices.” More critical praise for her acting came from her portrayal of a wayward wife to Robert Duvall’s character in “The Apostle.” When she appeared as herself in the 2005 reality show, “Chasing Farrah,” the public had a glimpse of the deep love she and Ryan O’Neil shared. The tender relationship supplied a sort of tonic to the public, which offset the disappointing failure of marriages that is so widespread from Hollywood to D.C. Looks like the Angel got her wings.

Lindsay Lohan: ‘I’ve Been a Target’

In what appears to be a pity ploy, Lindsay Lohan recently tried to explain why she’s having trouble finding work.

It’s not the ailing economy or any mistake she herself may have made.

No, according to Lindsay, she’s a victim of a media conspiracy.

In a recent appearance on the “Ellen” show, the “Mean Girls” star spoke of a specific gig she had lost.

“I had a really good opportunity with an amazing actor and it’s been put on hold because of this coverage that’s been coming out,” Lohan contended.

Somewhat disgusted, she added, “I didn’t get into this to be a celebrity on the cover of tabloids and I’ve been a target and I’m not that interesting but it’s distracting; it distracts people, studio heads, everyone – they get nervous.”

Someone should tell Lindsay that when execs read reports of eating disorders, drug abuse and unstable relationships, it’s their job to get nervous.

Still trying to make her case, Lohan had a message for her prospective Tinseltown employers.

“I’m ready to work and I’m responsible,” she said.

Tweeting with the Stars

Lately Twitter has been getting a terrabyte’s worth of celebrity buzz.

After a tweeting addiction got pinned with the blame for John Mayer’s breakup with Jennifer Anniston, Mayer opined that posting on the micro blogging social network is “inherently silly and inherently dumb.”

He proceeded to put up a non-silly and fairly astute post on the subject of self-esteem.

“Living by the power of other people’s suggestion will slowly kill you. Genuine self esteem isn’t a roller coaster. It comes from within,” Mayer texted.

Look for esteem or something like it to end up in a new Mayer song.

Meanwhile Demi Moore’s Twitter wits may have helped save a life.

A distressed woman had sent the “Charlie’s Angels” star an ominous Twitter message that read: “Getting a knife, a big one that is sharp. Going to cut my arm down the whole arm so it doesn’t waste time.”

The alert actress and Ashton Kutcher spouse forwarded the terrible tweet to her 350,000 Twitter followers, adding this supplemental message: “Hope you are joking. Everyone I was very torn about responding or retweeting that woman’s post but felt uncomfortable just letting it go.”

Demi’s followers sprang into action and contacted the police who were able to find the woman and prevent the potential suicide.

“Thanks everyone for reaching out to the San Jose PD,” Moore later tweeted. “I am told they are aware and no need to call anymore. I do not know this woman…”

“It is my understanding that the situation was not a joke and that through the collective efforts here action was taken to provide help!” Moore added.

It just goes to show that social networks can be used for more than mere amusement.

They can be twitterly important and at times tweetastic.

BTY, I’m a twitterer, too, and if you’re so inclined please forward me your choicest news twips and H-tweets.

Twanks.

James Hirsen is a media analyst, teacher of mass media and entertainment law at Biola University and professor at Trinity Law School.

Brad Pitt Too Good Looking to Play D.C. Reporter?

Director Kevin MacDonald says he’ s relieved that Brad Pitt pulled out of the upcoming movie “State of Play.”

Washington, D.C. journalists aren’t likely to be too happy about it, though.

MacDonald says he’s glad Pitt’s not in the flick because the dude is just too handsome to play a D.C. reporter.

The flick’s storyline is based on a BBC mini-series in which an investigative reporter works with a police detective to solve a murder involving a congressman’s mistress.

MacDonald says the journalist is supposed to be a bit of a schlump, and Pitt can’t play a schlump so he’s hired Russell Crowe.

Luckily for the director, the congressman is played by Ben Affleck who happens to be quite adept at playing schlumps.

Barack Obama Raises the Dead

The remaining members of legendary jam band “The Grateful Dead” were not getting along very well.

Fans of the group, who are known as “Deadheads,” were concerned that they would never again be able to sit cross-legged on a concert floor as their favorite San Fran group let loose with one of their trademark hour-long tunes.

But now, no doubt to the Deadheads’ delight, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir and Bill Kreutzman, the original members of the Grateful Dead, have announced that they will do a tour in April 2009.

These days the group is simply known as “The Dead.” Interestingly, members haven’t toured together for four years.

Why the reconciliation? Barack Obama, of course.

The four rockers got together in October 2008 to perform at Penn State for an Obama fundraiser.

Three of the band members played an earlier Obama money generator in February 2008.

Hart told Rolling Stone that the Obama fest “broke the ice” and added, “We were able to let some of these skeletons in our closet just fall away.”

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Natalie Portman Stymied by Celibacy

Why would actress Natalie Portman turn down the chance to be in a film with Oscar winning Meryl Streep?

The answer lies in Portman’s attitude toward Roman Catholic vocations.

“Doubt,” a film adaptation of the successful play by John Patrick Shanley (who, incidentally, directs the movie), tells the story of two nuns (Meryl Streep and Amy Adams) that confront a priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) whom they suspect of abusing an altar boy. Themes of religion, morality and authority punctuate the dialogue.

Portman reportedly wanted to co-star in the movie but turned down the part for what seems like a fairly flimsy reason, considering that she’s supposed to be a professional.

“We asked Natalie Portman, and Natalie was very interested but kept saying she had a problem. And we finally nailed down as to what the problem was: she basically said she didn’t understand celibacy,” Shanley told the GossipSauce Web site.

If it took so much brainpower to understand celibacy, Portman probably could have benefited from a class in abstinence.

Instead she’s likely to find out that she made a bad career move by ultimately denying herself what actors lust after most, and that is prestige, which in Hollywood comes in the form of a little gold statue.

“Doubt” opens in limited release on December 12, just in time to qualify for Oscar’s attention.

James Hirsen, J.D., M.A. in Media Psychology, is a media analyst, teacher of mass media and entertainment law at Biola University and professor at Trinity Law School.

Rosie O’Donnell and Barbara Walters Duke It Out

The rumors were true after all.

Rosie O’Donnell will be the executive producer and host of a variety-special pilot for NBC called “Rosie Live.”

Could it be that O’Donnell is craftily promoting her show by picking a fight with former “View” boss Barbara Walters?

If so, Walters has played right into O’Donnell’s hands.

Through her Rosie.com Web site, press statements and appearances, O’Donnell has been pushing her new project hard.

She recently told the press, “I didn’t want to be paid to fight. When I started and took that job it was with the idea of speaking for the millions of mothers whose voices weren’t heard on television.”

She added that after leaving “The View” in 2007, Walters “wanted everyone to believe and think and act” as if everyone on the show got along with one another and were “really good friends. And you know, that’s just not the reality.”

In an apparent attempt to counter Rosie, shortly after the O’Donnell comment Walters took co-hosts Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg to a highly visible dinner at Le Cirque. She also used the opening of “The View” to grumble about “some people who have done this show” and then have disparaged it after they leave.

“I resent it,” Walters said, referring to O’Donnell’s comments. “So if the shoe fits, lady, get on with your life.”

Rosie responded to Barbara with a new video on her blog titled “Lady,” which opens with a photo of O’Donnell posing with Walters. “I do not know what Star Jones and Debbie Matenopoulos did, but oooooh, lady… she is pissed off!” Rosie says in the video post.

O’Donnell went on to appear on “Late Night” with Conan O’Brien where she said that she experienced “post-traumatic stress disorder” from her time co-hosting on “The View.”

The end result of all the fuss has been gobs of free publicity for O’Donnell and her new TV program.

Coincidentally, the debut of her new variety show just happens to be right around the corner.

James Hirsen, J.D., M.A. in Media Psychology, is a media analyst, teacher of mass media and entertainment law at Biola University and professor at Trinity Law School.

Disney Actress’ Broadway Puppet Sex

Christy Carlson Romano is best known for her Disney Channel roles as Shia LaBeouf’s older sister on “Even Stevens” and the voice of the animated “Kim Possible.”

Now the 24-year-old is gaining fame for her “Kate Monster” and “Lucy the Slut” parts in “Avenue Q,” a Broadway play that involves puppets in compromising positions.

“Avenue Q” is Romano’s first Broadway role since starring four years ago in “Beauty and the Beast.”

“I was like, ‘That’s it. I never want to do that again. I feel so dirty.’ … And I would watch it every night and I’d go, ‘I can’t do that. I can’t do that.’ And then, basically, you just start laughing. … You just get sucked into the world that is ‘Avenue Q,”’ the actress told the Associated Press.

About the requirement that she use puppets to express herself, Romano said, “Once you actually feel yourself integrated with the puppet’s movements, it’s like, ‘Omigod, that’s what that’s about? I can do that again.’ And then you continue to do it and then it’s like you don’t even think about it.”

James Hirsen is a media analyst

Media Mixed on ‘W.’ Box-Office Expectations

Even with a big budget, name director and well-known cast, in its opening weekend Oliver Stone’s “W.” Bush bash only placed fourth at the box-office.

Giving Stone a bit of a dig, the Associated Press ribbed that “movie-goers elected a ‘W,’ but it was Mark Wahlberg, (star of “Max Payne.”) not George W. Bush.” The action movie “Max Payne” opened with $18 million to take the first place spot.

Stone’s flick took in $10.6 million from 2,030 cinemas, resulting in $5,197 a theater, a figure the A.P. called “unremarkable.” With a reported $25 million dollar production budget and another $25 million spent on promotion and advertising, “W.” still has a long way to go to be in the black.

In a previous review of the film, I explained that this was a movie made by Bush-haters for Bush-haters.

Since Stone’s last movie, “World Trade Center,” opened with $18.7 million and “W.” was released during a presidential election, box-office expectations were high.

Evidently, media reports were conflicted.

Variety claimed the $10.6 in revenue for Stone’s movie “performed on the upper end of expectations.”

The USA Today dubbed the same amount as having “met expectations.”

Entertainment Weekly semi-apologetically opined that the Stone flick “did well given all that it had going against it…”

The magazine claimed that the $10.6 million number was “not bad for a movie opening during tough economic times about a man whom many Americans blame for said financial strains.”

James Hirsen, J.D., M.A. in Media Psychology, is a media analyst, teacher of mass media and entertainment law at Biola University and professor at Trinity Law School.

Jessica Alba Sports Muzzle to Score Votes

In trying to get out the vote, some Hollywood celebs tend to be overly dramatic.

In the last election, Cameron Diaz claimed that failure to vote would result in the legalization of rape.

P. Diddy, of course, has his running “Vote or Die!” program.

Now Jessica Alba is getting into the election act with an ad that has her wearing a Hannibal Lecter-type mask.

With tears running down her cheeks the actress appears muzzled, accompanied by this message: “Only you can silence yourself. Make them hear you. Register to vote now.”

Why a muzzle?

“If you don’t register and vote and make a difference, and hopefully change the bad things that are happening in our country, you are essentially just binding and muzzling yourself,” Alba explains to People magazine.

The Democrats are always seeking new ways to motivate younger voters who overwhelmingly vote the Dem way.

“I think it is important for young people to be aware of the need we have in this country to get them more active politically,” Alba says.

She adds, “People respond to things that are shocking.”

A staged muzzling—I’m shocked, shocked I tell you!

James Hirsen, J.D., M.A. in Media Psychology, is a media analyst, teacher of mass media and entertainment law at Biola University and professor at Trinity Law School.