Monday, July 27, 2009

Candy Spelling Slams Tori for Making Her Children "Reality Show Props" - Talk about a HOT MESS!

David Livingston/Getty Images; Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage.com

The finale of Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywoodcaptured all the drama - and Candy isn't happy.

Addressed to "MIDDLE-AGED REALITY SHOW STARS (LIKE MY DAUGHTER)," the letter reads: "A big party wasn't how I envisioned meeting my granddaughter for the first time; but, hey, this is Hollywood, and my grandchildren have become reality show props, too.

"At the time I emailed 'yes,' I didn't realize I was being set up for a two-[part episode], even though it was clear I was being invited to be part of a segment for my daughter's reality show," she writes. "I decided my first meeting with my granddaughter should be on home video, not primetime cable; so I e-mailed that I would not be attending."

Candy goes on to relay lessons she's learned from late husband, legendary producer Aaron Spelling, as advice to other reality stars.

"My husband taught me that the plots have to be fresh and updated. The same old whining gets tired after a while," Candy writes. "Enough complaining about what may or may not have happened during first grade or YMCA camp, or what vegetable you were forced to endure, especially when you are privileged enough to be on TV and get paid for it... Life isn't just a show. Make your own season finale without creating conflicts you will regret later."  

What these two need is an intervention by Dr. Phil and Madea (from Tyler Perry's shows)!  LOL




Kelly Clarkson: It "Sucks" People Think I "Ripped Off" Beyonce

Brad Barket/Getty Images; Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

Kelly Clarkson is singing the blues over her latest single "Almost Gone" because it sounds too similar toBeyonce's hit "Halo."

In a weekend interview with Canada's CBC radio network, Clarkson reveals that she had been battling behind the scenes to keep the song -- which she co-wrote with songwriter Ryan Tedder -- from being released after she realized it resembled Beyonce's "Halo," another Tedder tune.

Only when her new album All I Ever Wanted was ready to be shipped did she hear "Halo" and know that the same backing track was used, she claims.

Outraged, Clarkson says she confronted her co-writer on the phone, "I don't understand. Why would you do that?

"No one's gonna be sittin' at home, thinking 'Man, Ryan Tedder gave Beyonce and Kelly the same track to write to,'" she recalls saying. "No, they're just gonna be saying I ripped someone off."

"I fought and fought" to stop it, she says, but "in the end, they're releasing it without my consent."


TV Family Acting Dynasties

The Cyrus Family

Creepy and slightly inappropriate Vanity Fair photos aside, country star Billy Ray Cyrus seems to have passed on a strong work ethic and (we hate to even say it) a little bit of talent to his daughter Miley. But they have an interesting dynamic. Usually, even the most successful Hollywood legacies have to struggle for years to step out of a famous parent's shadow. Miley, on the other hand, seems to have totally surpassed her dad at the tender age of 16. At least she throws the old dog a bone and lets him play her father on her runaway hit series, "Hannah Montana."

The Spelling Family

Aaron Spelling clearly built an unparalleled TV legacy. During his five decades in the business he produced over 200 series, including some of the most iconic (albeit cheesy) shows of all time: "The Mod Squad," "The Rookies," "S.W.A.T.," "Vega$," "Starsky and Hutch," "Charlie's Angels," "Hart to Hart," "Fantasy Island," "T.J. Hooker," "The Love Boat," "Hotel," "Dynasty," "Models Inc.," "Melrose Place," "7th Heaven," and "Charmed." He also produced a famous daughter, Tori, who would star in one of Aaron's other big hits, "Beverly Hills, 90210." And now, whether they like it or not, Tori's dragging her own kids into the family business. They appear every week on the reality series "Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood," starring Tori and her husband, actor Dean McDermott. "Love you, babe. Love you, babe."

The Reiner Family

Carl Reiner and his son Rob have had two of the most enviable careers in Hollywood, both on- and off-camera. Acting-wise, Carl is probably best known as Alan Brady on the classic '60s sitcom "The Dick Van Dyke Show," which he also wrote and produced. Rob followed closely in dad's footsteps, finding fame as Mike "Meathead" Stivic on the legendary '70s series "All in the Family." And while he only scripted a couple of episodes for Archie and the gang, he went on to write, produce, and direct some of the finest contemporary film comedies, including our favorite John Cusack movie, "The Sure Thing," and the greatest mockumentary of all time, "This Is Spinal Tap."

The Sutherland Family

Donald Sutherland is one in a long list of actors who have made the switch from film to television, thus, as some believe, legitimizing the smaller screen for the first time in its history (we beg to differ, but we're happy these movie actors have joined the party). Most people missed Sutherland's performance on the short-lived "Commander in Chief" (you know, the one where Geena Davis played the first female President?), but his portrayal of mega-billionaire Tripp Darling on "Dirty Sexy Money" left us wanting more. And we got it. Next year he'll be back on "The Eastmans," a medical drama co-starring Jacqueline Bisset. Let's hope it's as dirty and sexy as his last show.

And speaking of sexy, Donald's son Kiefer has glowered his way through seven smokin' seasons of "24." We don't really even like crime dramas — too much violence — but somehow we don't seem to mind when Jack Bauer bites off someone's ear or breaks a neck with his bare hands. Despite a once-turbulent off-screen relationship, Donald and Kiefer have been in two movies together ("Max Dugan Returns" and "A Time to Kill"), but the two have yet to meet in TV land. Still, a girl can dream, right?

The Ball/Arnaz Family

The first family of TV dynasties has got to be the one started by Lucille Ball. She created the first TV monarchy with "I Love Lucy," starring opposite real-life husband Desi Arnaz. And although their TV son, Little Ricky, was not played by Desi, Jr., as is sometimes mistakenly reported, he did appear on-camera in mommy's tummy, as she became the first pregnant woman shown on network TV.

After Lucy's off-screen split with Desi, she went on to a few more successful sitcoms that featured both of her children, Lucie and Desi, Jr. Although neither enjoyed the same television acclaim as their legendary mother, Lucie starred in '85's "The Lucie Arnaz Show" and found fame on the stage, including recent runs in London's West End production of "The Witches of Eastwick" and Broadway's "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels." Desi, Jr., did an '80s series, "Automan," and made a few films, most notably as his father in 1992's "The Mambo Kings," but he hasn't pursued much acting work since. He recently turned his sights back to the band he formed at the age of 12 with the late Dean Paul Martin, Dino, Desi & Billy. With Dean Paul's death in 1987, Arnaz recruited Dino's younger brother, Ricci.

The Lamas Family

Perhaps they're too D-List for some to be included in this esteemed company, but you can't deny that the Lamas family has legs, beginning with Argentinian-born patriarch Fernando Lamas (famously parodied by Billy "You Look Mahvelous" Crystal on "Saturday Night Live"), who was a suave silver-screen star in his early career but is remembered by younger generations through his guest appearances on such stupendous '70s schlock as "Charlie's Angels" and "The Love Boat." Next came son Lorenzo, who won over female fans as corrupt but sexy playboy Lance Cumson on "Falcon Crest" and gained male followers as falsely accused bounty hunter Reno Raines on "Renegade."

Still, we were totally shocked when Season 12 of "The Bachelor" introduced us to Lorenzo's daughter, Shayne Lamas. The perky blonde actress might have done the show for some career heat of her own, but she went on to win the season and — temporarily, at least — the heart of "Bachelor" Matt Grant. And while she ultimately proved unlucky in love, she's become very lucky in TV. Her new reality series, "The Lamas Family," co-starring Lorenzo and her brother, A.J. (most famous for allegedly dating Lindsay Lohan back when she was interested in that kind of thing), premieres this fall on E! We can't wait to see them live out the adage "It's better to look good than to feel good."

The Nelson Family

Everyone's so surprised that the Cassidys are working together as a family, but they certainly aren't the first to team up and put on a show. The originators can be seen on the oh-so-wholesome family sitcom, "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet." During the series' 14-year run, the Nelson clan — Ozzie, Harriet, and sons David and Ricky — strove for authenticity, going so far as to film exterior shots outside their actual home and re-creating its interiors on a soundstage. And when David and Ricky grew up and got married in real life, their new brides joined the show. Inevitably, a third generation of Nelsons went into the family biz: Ricky's daughter, Tracy, became an actress (most notably on "Father Dowling Mysteries"), and his twin sons, Matthew and Gunnar, formed an '80s hair band named, appropriately enough, Nelson.

The Osbourne Family

In 2002 another famous Ozzy brought his family into our homes. On the surface the Osbournes seemed nothing like the Nelsons. But in reality the close-knit clan did work together, stand by each other through tough times, and share a genuinely caring bond, values Ozzie and Harriet would have been proud to see. But Ozzy and Sharon also seemed to pass on such rock 'n' roll afflictions as the love for drug and drink. Thankfully, son Jack and daughter Kelly seem to be clean and sober these days, and only time will tell if they'll carry on the entertainment bloodline themselves.

The Sheen Family

Martin Sheen began his almost 50-year career on television, even though many think of him as a movie actor, thanks to such roles as Captain Willard in "Apocalypse Now" and Kit in "Badlands." He's spent the better part of his career doing TV, everything from "As the World Turns" to "Columbo" to "Flipper." But it's his portrayal of President Josiah Bartlet on "The West Wing" that has solidified his place in small-screen history.

For a while it seemed like Martin's son Emilio Estevez was the Sheen dynasty heir, with parts in "The Outsiders" and "Repo Man," but then brother Charlie came from out of nowhere to take the reins. Charlie made a lot of movies in the '80s, but it was his breakout performance as Charlie Crawford (replacing Michael J. Fox) on "Spin City" that made him a TV fan favorite. A year after that show ended Charlie found even greater success on the seven-season-and-counting hit "Two and a Half Men." The show has become another TV family affair with Martin's guest spot as Harvey, father to Rose, the stalker neighbor; brother Emilio's turn as an old friend of Charlie's; pre-split ex-wife Denise Richards as one of Charlie's girlfriends; and Charlie and Denise's real life daughter, Sam, as Lisa's TV kid. Yes, it's all a bit complicated.

The Ritter Family

With the tragic death of John Ritter in 2003, we lost one of TV's best. From "Three's Company" to "8 Simple Rules…for Dating My Teenage Daughter," he always kept us laughing. The son of famed country singer and Western movie star Tex Ritter, John was no stranger to the spotlight. He passed his comic genius to his son, Jason, who first came into our consciousness in the best Friday night cry-fest ever, "Joan of Arcadia," followed by the short-lived but well-received "The Class." Jason's turned more to film in the last few years in movies like "W." and "The Education of Charlie Banks," but we're wondering if someone could use the magic of television to unite father and son onscreen a la Natalie Cole and her late father, Nat "King" Cole. Surely it would be a magical event.

Sheriff probing Jackson coroner's employees

Los Angeles County sheriff's investigators have begun an inquiry into whether coroner's employees illegally leaked or sold private information related to the investigation of Michael Jackson's death.

On Wednesday the coroner's office said Jackson's death certificate was improperly viewed by at least a half-dozen employees who had no role in investigating the cause of his death.
Improper views of the certificate, which is stored in a state-supervised computer system, is a violation of internal rules.Employees were warned and no further investigation was needed.
Within two weeks of the entertainer's June 25 death, the certificate had been viewed more than 300 times, according to Harvey. The electronic death registration system can be accessed by anyone with a state-issued password, including employees at coroner's offices, funeral homes, hospitals and county and state registrar's offices.

Summer Freebies





McDonald’s is offering one free 7-ounce iced mocha or 8-ounce hot mocha every Monday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. until August 3. No coupon needed, but the offer is at "participating locations" only. Here’s hoping your nearest McDonald’s is one of them! 

Every Friday from now through September, Mars is giving the first 250,000 people a coupon for free chocolate. You can choose from M&Ms, Snickers, 3 Musketeers, Twix, Dove, and Milky Way. To get your coupon, visit Mars’ Real Chocolate Relief Act site at 9 a.m.-- be on time or you’ll be out of luck! 

Established in 1973, “TKTS” sells unsold tickets on the day of the performance for all Broadway shows (and many off-Broadway shows) for 25-50% off the box office price. You can often get two tickets for the price of one! 

Whether you’re starting a new small business or running an existing one, we found a great place to get free business cards.www.freeprintablebusinesscards.net has a dizzying array of all types of business cards designs, from corporate business to animal business to nature business to kids’ business card designs. All free. 

Apple computer stores are offering a free camp for kids ages 8-12 who are interested in computers and software. Starting July 13, Apple stores around America are offering a series of FOUR different three-hour workshops during which kids will be introduced to MACS and Apple software and learn how to make a movie, create a slide show, write and record a sing or craft a presentation. It’s free, but space is limited and each child is limited to two workshops this summer. For more information and an Apple workshop location near you, go to www.apple.com/retail/camp

The National Park Service will offer fee-free weekends this summer to encourage cash-strapped families to visit national parks -- and to help boost local economies. All 147 National Park Service sites that charge entry fees will waive them on August 15 and 16. The fees at these parks normally cost from $3 to $25, so it’s a nice savings. 

TD Bank is offering a summer reading program to encourage kids to read and develop the habit of saving money.  There is no age limit for kids for this reading promotion. Each time a child reads a book on their own or with a parent, they simply have to write it down on a form that can be printed out at www.tdbank.com/summerreading. A child can earn $10 for reading 10 books this summer. The $10 credit will be deposited in a new, or existing, Young Savers Account when they take the completed form (with the list of 10 books read) to a TD Bank branch. 

Pfizer, the world's biggest research-based drug maker is offering 70 different drugs -- including big sellers such as Lipitor and Viagra -- for free for up to one year for those Americans who have lost their jobs and health insurance. The program applies to anyone regardless of prior family income who has lost their job since January 1 and has been prescribed one of the company’s drugs for at least three months. You can enroll until 12/31/09 by calling 866.706.2400 to sign up. You can also apply online atwww.PfizerHelpfulAnswers.com


Michael Jackson 'Thriller' Figure by Hot Toys

 
 



There are many Michael Jacksons you can choose to remember, but we think the favorite for most people was the "Thriller" Michael Jackson. Now you commemorate the late, great King of Pop with this figure of him as he was in his famous "Thriller" music video. Made by Hot Toys, it's 12 inches tall, 1/6-scale and fully poseable (so you can easily make him do the zombie dance). He also comes with an alternate zombified head, various hands and a torn red jacket. This figure will be released in December and costs around $250 plus shipping, but we think that's worth every penny.


Britney Spears in New Candie's Commercial

An early commercial clip from the Fall campaign starring Spears and a mysterious polo player!

The commercial was filmed together with the video for Britney's new single "Radar" and features the blond pop star eying the dapper athlete. Guess who eventually gets caught in her clutches? 

Dressed in head-to-toe Candie's, Spears models a bohemian purple peasant blouse and a faux shearling vest with jeans, before changing into a lace black minidress (Britney's favorite), and eventually to slim black capris, gray cap-sleeve button down, black studded heels and black gloves.  If you want to shop Britney's looks, pieces from the collection will hit Kohl's stores this Fall. With affordable prices from $28-$58 for clothes and $10-$70 for shoes and other accessories, plan for a rush!