April 2009 Archives

 

It's a debate being waged all over the Internet today. Theories range from the producers putting him there on purpose for shock value, viewers thinking he was safe so they didn't vote, middle America being prejudice because of Adam's sexuality and tween viewers are the only ones who really vote and they just don't get Adam. Personally, I think its a combination of all of those things, with the exception of the first one. I'd like to think "American Idol" has more credibility than to mess with the results. 

 

For the first time since my two-week trip to Spain in 2005, I left all my technology behind while on vacation. It wasn't really by choice though, I have to admit. All my other vacations in the last four years have been within the good ole' U.S of A. So, dragging along a laptop and my blackberry and finding Wi-Fi was never an issue. Last week though, my cousin and I were off to Aruba, which is by no means cut off from technology. It was just a little bit more difficult to obtain service.

 

So, I figured, 'Let me see how it feels to "go dark" for a week...' you know, like Jack Bauer on "24." I mean it's not guns and national security here, but no blackberry, no cell phone, no texting, no Twitter, no Facebook, no Yahoo News, No AccessHollywood.com, no omg! and no celebrity news whatsoever - it could be a threat to my mental security. After all, it's what I know best. However, I was going to cut myself off from everyone and everything. Could I quit cold turkey? No status updates? No Tweets? No e-mails? No problem? We would see. 

I've been working for Access Hollywood for almost 9 years. In that time, I've interviewed a lot of celebrities, and I learned very early on not to get star-struck. That would have been the kiss of death to my career as a producer and, later, as a film critic.

But then there was the new "Star Trek." And with that came Leonard Nimoy, who has been one of my lifelong heroes after playing Spock for 43 years. When I knew I was going to interview him, I got really excited. Then I got nervous, which is -- dare I say it -- logical, given how much "Star Trek" has meant to me for, well, all my life. (Without giving my age away, let's just say it rhymes with "shmorty!")

When I sat down for the interview, I showed Nimoy that I was wearing a "Star Trek" tee shirt, and I explained that I cannot remember a time in my life when I wasn't a huge "Star Trek" fan. I also explained that "Star Trek" changed my life, and if it wasn't for "Star Trek," I wouldn't be where I am now -- living in LA and reviewing movies for Access Hollywood. He then proceeded to call security, and I was dragged kicking and screaming from the Four Seasons.

Seriously, I told him that although I was really excited, I was also really nervous to see new actors playing the characters that I've loved all my life. But then I saw the movie, and I loved it -- it's a "Star Trek" movie for everyone. He's very happy that the new movie is appealing to so many people outside the fan base, but "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" (which he directed, as I pointed out!) also appealed to non-Trekkers. I explained how important it was for "Star Trek" to appeal to everyone, and when I started to quote "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan" by saying, "The needs of the many outweigh..." he finished the quote with "...the needs of the few or the one!" We had a moment.

I want to go full humor right now, but I am aware that there is an underlying serious issue at hand and that some people are nervous about how contagious I am... me and my mono.

First off, my daughter had mono last month. I must have gotten it from her. I've never had it before so immunity to it was down. Mono stems from the Epstein-Barr Virus and people who have had mono, have an insignificant level of the EBV living in their bloodstream, like a vaccine.  

My doctor told me that about 80 to 85% of people get mono before the age of 30 - although not everyone gets it (like chicken pox). I am in that 15% who never did.  

Mono is transferred through saliva... kissing, sharing drinks and if you blast out a giant wet sneeze on someone, perhaps then too. Before finding out my 'feeling pretty crappy' was in fact mono, I had kissed my wife. She has had mono... she's doing pretty well right now.

I have been in contact (on phone) with the NBC Universal Medical Director as well as others in her department about the mono... they are fine with my doctor's advice. Go about your life, take it as slow as you can, don't make out with people, share drinks, or sneeze like a hephalump on folks. I can follow that.

The hardest part for me is my radio producer's last day is tomorrow. TV sweeps begins today. I'm needed, especially on radio where the show bears my name.  

One final amazing thing is this began with a Tweet. Hello new world.

For more information on mono, see www.mayoclinic.com/

She walked out on stage... she was wearing a frumpy frock, her hair wasn't done, she seemed out of place on stage competing against much younger wannabes on "Britain's Got Talent." After a goofy flirtation with Simon, we braced ourselves for what would feel like more ridicule. "I Dreamed A Dream"... I'll say. What a voice.

I watched with my kids online and cried for her. For all the times she was made fun of in life, the boys who teased her... I created multi-layered scenarios of how lonely and overlooked she has been in life and how this moment was ultimate vindication and emancipation.

This is classic 'never judge a book by it's cover' material. My kids, who are already kind and clique-free in school (thanks mostly to their awesome attentive mom) drank this moment in too.

It's everything you want to say to your children... and both are spared the lecture - just hit play.

I just got my hands on a screener of TV Land's new dating reality series "The Cougar," premiering on April 15th.
 
Now you know I love a good, juicy dating show, so I was eager to check out this "Bachelor" knock-off where a 40-year-old woman chooses from 20 twenty-something men.
 
Considering the show comes from "The Bachelor" creator Mike Fleiss, I won't be expecting a fairy tale wedding out of the show down the line - but if you are a reality junkie like me and are looking for painfully uncomfortable yet deliciously ridiculous train wreck TV, it's worth a look.
 
Scottsdale, Ariz. real estate agent Stacey Anderson is the cougar of the title. She fails to tell her patch of young cubs she has four children in the opening episode. 

If you ever meet "American Idol's" Scott MacIntyre I promise you it's something you won't forget. He's by the far the nicest, most genuine contestant I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Despite his visual impairment, he remains the most positive, most upbeat person to ever come out of the show. He wanted to go to college. He did. He wanted to get his master's degree. He did. He even was about to pursue another master's degree at Cambridge University but that's when he found out he was in kidney failure.

 

"That's why I actually came back to the U.S. and had to start emergency dialysis for ten months. It's a very draining process," Scott told me in our interview this morning.

 

Finally in August of 2007 his piano teacher's wife stepped up to donate her kidney.

 

"She found out that you know there was a need and she was one of the first people to have no reservations whatsoever," Scott revealed. "She literally saved my life. It's just a miracle everyday that I'm alive now."

By Matt Smith, Access staffer

 

This has absolutely nothing to do with entertainment news whatsoever.

It has nothing to do with Lindsay Lohan. It's not about Britney Spears. Nor is it the latest on Chris Brown & Rihanna. Instead, it's a little something about life and death and love.

There are a lot of heavy hearts out there today. Particularly in the world of baseball, where a 22-year-old kid lost his life.

Last night, Los Angeles Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart and two other people were killed early Thursday morning in a hit and run accident when a minivan ran a red light, striking the car they were traveling in. According to the police, the driver of the minivan was driving on a suspended license, under the influence of alcohol, and had a prior drunk driving conviction. Senseless and tragic; words so often used that I wonder if they begin to lose meaning. 

It was a catfight waiting to happen as all three season of Bravo's "The Real Housewives" collided on the red carpet at Bravo's second annual A-List Awards, which taped on Sunday.
 

 

The ladies from "The Real Housewives of Orange County," "The Real Housewives of New York" and "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" were all on their best behavior and no fur went flying. However, the domestic divas did all mingle together at a private party over the weekend.
 

"Housewife overload" is what "Orange County" housewife Tamra Barney and Vicki Gunvalson called it. 

I have to say last night I think I had the most fun at an "American Idol" taping ever. We got a call that FOX had two tickets for the taping and so, for once, I got to bring along a pal. I grabbed my producer pal Felidette, who is as Idol psycho as me and produces many of our segments on it.

 

This is a girl who actually bought tickets to the Idol tour. She's the ultimate super fan and she hadn't been to a taping in several years. So, she was the perfect partner in crime! We were like two 16-year-old girls last night. You should have seen how giddy we got when the group number turned out to be "Don't Stop Believin'"! We are both slightly obsessed with that song because of how FOX uses it in their new show "Glee." It gives us goose bumps. We are already obsessed over a show that doesn't even premiere until Fall. Although they are premiering the pilot after the "American Idol" finale May 19. Check out a preview clip here, and my set visit here.

http://www.accesshollywood.com/dish-of-salt-glee-set-visit_video_1079033

http://www.accesshollywood.com/first-look-glee_video_1077884

At the end of the interview after I said thanks, there was a pause...then both Beyonce and I said it at the same time: "Happy Anniversary."

 

Sure enough, she & Jay-Z and me & Syd-B got married on April 4th -- they in '08, us in '98...sweet coincidence but it didn't move her to open the floodgates and gush about her marriage. She doesn't do it, neither does he. And I get it.

 

I did go there in a respectful and intelligent way.

 

Loosely: "You grew up well to do. Your father was a top salesman for Xerox, mom did well too and church was important.  Your husband grew up hustlin' in the streets of Bed-Stuy...how much of falling for the kid from the other side of the tracks involved you having to throw caution to the wind?"