Filed under: Birthdays, Celebrate, Celebration, Friends, Fuel My Blog, Fuelmyblog, Life, Monday Melee, Personal, Wishes
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Fracas’ The Monday Melee for September 17, 2007
A little bird told me it was John C’s birthday, and so I’m going to wish him a Happy Birthday by Melee’ing about him.
1. The Misanthtropic: Name something (about JohnC) you absolutely hate.
I really hate that John hasn’t reviewed me for fuelmyblog. (Way to use your birthday post to get in a plug for myself, right John?)
2. The Meretricious: Expose something or someone that’s phony, fraudulent or bogus.
The whole idea that John is 21. Honestly Kevin… some of us know he’s 29, so did you really think that would work?
3. The Malcontent: Name something you’re unhappy with.
I’m unhappy that John ever had to be there.
4. The Meritorious: Give someone credit for something and name it if you can.
Well obviously I’m going to give credit to John. He’s come through what most of us never will have to, is doing well and is one of the most enterprising and hard-working people I’ve met online. The header of his site reads this:
- “A site originally created by a homeless family while living on the streets in Jacksonville, Florida, and their path out and up into stability. No longer homeless, removed from at risk areas, and beginning to heal from the trauma of 2.6 years of homelessness.”
5. The Mirror: See something good about yourself and name it
I’m pretty sure John calls me a friend.
6. The Make-Believe: Name something you wish for.
I wish for John to have a HAPPY BIRTHDAY, prosperity, health and happiness (not necessarily in that order though) and never to be homeless again!
Now it’s your turn.
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Filed under: Amusement, Announcements, Barry Manilow, Celebrities, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Elizabeth Hasselbeck, Funny, Health, Humor, Media, Music, News, Notables, Rosie O'Donnell, Stupid, Stupidity, Television, Who Cares
Earlier today, fracas wondered (but not too seriously) whether or not Barry Manilow was suffering memory loss regarding his refusal to appear on The View with Elisabeth Hasselbeck. I concluded it was all a publicity stunt of the smarmiest nature, to promote his new cd.
It seems there is more to this story, and in fact, the problem isn’t memory loss, but missing testicles. You know… cojones.
Over at Hot Air, I read that Manilow has been chumming with none other than Rosie O’Donnell, and because the Copacabana singing smarm-onster had appeared on The View twice previously while Hasselbeck was a host, this pathetic story about her conservative views offending him appears to be no more than a juvenile I-won’t-be-your-friend-if-you-don’t-help-me-get-even-with-Elisabeth kind of thing we advise our 14 year old children not to get involved in.
I’d like to say I’m surprised at all this, but here at the fracas blog, I’ve been pretty clear about what I think of Rosie. No, really. You’re still not sure what I think of Rosie? How about now?
From Hot Air:
- “Access Hollywood calls them “longtime friends” but speculates that this is less a matter of Rosie leaning on him to take revenge on Hasselbeck than him trying to kick up some buzz for the new album. Exit question: It’s Rosie’s fault, right? Sure it is. “
So I wasn’t all that wrong. It is a health problem for poor Manilow.
No balls.
Photo credit: endignorance.com
Filed under: Announcements, Celebrities, Death, Jack Klugman, Life, Media, Television, Women
The thing that makes a person finally realize they’re getting older, is when icons from your youth pass away. Being a child of the 70’s means you watched shows like Bewitched, I Dream of Jeanie, The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction.
It means the game shows you remember an are vastly different from the game shows of today, and the celebrities that were famous sometimes are names not recognized today by anyone other than we who were there with our Swanson’s dinners set up on a tv table, watching stars like Richard Dawson, Gene Rayburn, Charles Nelson Reilly, Betty White, Fannie Flagg and Brett Somers on games like The Match Game.
3 hours ago, reports of the death of Brett Somers were released. Her official website announced the death having taken place on Saturday.
This, from the Associated Press report:
- “WESTPORT, Conn. (AP) — Actress and comedian Brett Somers, who amused game show fans with her quips on the “Match Game” in the 1970s, has died, her son said. She was 83.Somers died Saturday at her home in Westport of stomach and colon cancer, Adam Klugman said Monday.Hosted by Gene Rayburn, “Match Game” was the top game show during much of the 1970s. Contestants would try to match answers to nonsense questions with a panel of celebrities; much of the humor came from the racy quips and putdowns.Shows from the 1973-79 run, featuring regulars like Somers, Richard Dawson and Charles Nelson Reilly, are still seen on cable TV’s GSN (formerly Game Show Network.)Somers married actor Jack Klugman, the future star of the television shows “Quincy” and “The Odd Couple,” in 1953. The two separated in 1974, but never divorced.They made many television appearances as a couple. Somers appeared on several episodes of “The Odd Couple,” playing the ex-wife of Klugman’s character.
In the summer of 2003, she appeared in a one-woman cabaret show, “An Evening with Brett Somers,” which she wrote and co-produced. She continued to perform after being diagnosed with cancer.
She was born Audrey Johnston in New Brunswick, Canada, and grew up in Portland, Maine. She ran away from home at age 17 and headed for New York City, where she settled in Greenwich Village. She changed her first name to Brett after the lead female character in the Ernest Hemingway novel “The Sun Also Rises.” Somers was her mother’s maiden name.
Her son said she was caustic, irreverent and a self-declared bohemian.
“She maintained her independence till the end, and her irreverence,” Adam Klugman said. “She died very much at peace.”
In addition to Adam Klugman, Somers is survived by another son, David, and a daughter, Leslie. “
View the Official Brett Somers Website.
More Photos available at this site.
The Brett Somers Wikipedia Page.
Brett Somers at the imdb site.
Brett Somers at TVparty!
The Match Game at the imdb site.
The Match Game Wikipedia Page.
Filed under: Barry Manilow, Celebrities, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Elizabeth Hasselbeck, Entertainment, Media, Opinions, Rant, Rod Stewart, Rosie O'Donnell, Stupidity, Television, Thoughts, USA, United States
I’ll admit to having been a stupid teenager. It’s odd that after blogging for nearly a year, suddenly I find not one but two opportunities to do that in the same week.
The first reason was obvious. This one… not so much, but I’m happy to explain.
I admit to having listened to Barry Manilow.
I’m sorry. I know you’re going to think ill of me now, but I beg you not to. Mandy was a hit at the time, and my friends were listening to it and well, I was only a new teenager at the time and you know it’s hard to pass up a slow dance with that boy you’ve been gaga over and watching from three rows over at your desk all year.
The really sad part of this story though, is what’s become of Manilow.
Recently, I learned he pulled out of a scheduled appearance on the show “The View” because he felt he needed to “take a stand” about being so opposed to Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s conservative views. Said Manilow,
- “I strongly disagree with her views. I think she’s dangerous and offensive. I will not be on the same stage as her.”
Um. Barry. At one point, you agreed to be a guest on the show, knowing that in fact, she was one of the hosts. Did you just happen to forget that? Is this all because you’re suffering some age-related memory loss thing… perhaps a health problem you’re keeping hush hush, or miiiiiight it be because you have a new album to promote and you’re hoping for some Donald Trump vs Rosie O’Donnell type publicity to pump sales?
It won’t work Barry.
People will indeed, search the internet using the terms “Barry Manilow” and “Elisabeth Hasselbeck” and you might even end up on that Lycos page for top internet searches, but won’t won’t happen is that you’ll suddenly sell enough albums to warrant acting like a doorknob and refusing to honor an appearance you agreed to when it was clear that she was part of the cast.
Why?
Because frankly, although I may have slow danced to Mandy as a 13 year old, the 43 year old me isn’t going to buy your album and the 43 year old me is smart enough to know this is a stunt. Don’t get me wrong, I’m in favour of stunts, publicity stunts, and marketing genious that will help sell products, raise awareness (or funds) for something important. Well, providing said stunt is one of intelligence or humor that doesn’t involve smearing or hurting someone else (like Hasselbeck).
Your stunt, Mr. Manilow, is just plain smarmy, as was and is the whole thing between Rosie O’Donnell and Donald Trump. You, like everyone else in the western world, knew Elisabeth was a host, and that she would be on the stage with you when you originally agreed to be on the show. I don’t believe you have a health problem, memory loss or any of those things, I think you think you’re going to get big time airtime like Donald and Rosie did. Smarmy, Manilow. Real smarmy. Was that the look you were going for to go with those “classics” you’re peddling? Did you mean “Classics” in that old snake oil salesman kind of way?
Regardless Mr. Manilow, just like in the lyrics of your Mandy song,
“But I sent you away…”
Indeed, you’ve sent me away. Me, and probably others who see through this very amateurish scheme to sell cd’s.
Oh, there’s just one more reason this might not help sell cd’s for you.
It also might be the fact that your music is considered punishment to some.
- “A Colorado judge has sentenced people busted for noise pollution to one hour of listening to unpopular or unusual music.Mostly young adult offenders were kept in a room and made to listen to Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You, Karen Carpenter and Barry Manilow with the volume up loud, CBS4Denver.com reported.Most offenders, who were not allowed to eat, drink, read or sleep, found the punishment funny at first. But then the boredom set in.”At about 20 minutes into it, I was trying not to fall a sleep,” offender Luis Cano said.Judge Paul Sacco, who carries out the punishment about four times per year, said the sentenced fit the crime.”When you have a person playing rap at extreme volumes all over the city, and they have to sit down and listen for an hour to Barry Manilow, its horrible punishment,” he said. “
If I want to hear the standards (your chosen method of trying to maintain a career these days) I can buy Rod Stewart. He’s doing it too. I’ve always liked Stewart better anyway.
You know what else Mr. Manilow?
That boy?
He sucked at slow dancing.
Photo Credits: Getty Images
