Who, What, When, Where?!: Miscellaneous Celebrity News 2.0

[SusanM]

1 hour ago, DkNNy79 said:

I agree with others that the slap was probably a build up of the jokes that Will has taken ever since the entanglement situation.

I agree, also I can only imagine the level of anticipation and stress that someone must be experiencing waiting to see if they've won a major award and let's face it you don't get much more major than a best actor Academy Award.  Not excusing the slap - or for that matter the cursing and ridiculous over the top reaction - but I can see where someone might be on their last nerve by that point in what had been a long evening.

[Guest]

10 hours ago, Vermicious Knid said:

Will resigning from the Academy means he can't vote for the awards and can't attend any Academy member only functions. It doesn't impact his eligibility for any future nominations. So it's really an empty gesture.

If anything it’s a self-serving decision for him because he can avoid being only the sixth person to be kicked out. If he was kicked out he would have joined the ranks of Bill Cosby, Roman Polanski, Harvey Weinstein and Adam Kimmel (convicted of raping underage girls).  

[Danny Franks]

3 hours ago, roamyn said:

What a relief these two are compared to Conan, Letterman & Leno.

Conan and Letterman get on just fine (Conan seems to get on well with most people). It's just Leno that they can't stand (which, again seems to be common).

[RealHousewife]

25 minutes ago, Dani said:

If anything it’s a self-serving decision for him because he can avoid being only the sixth person to be kicked out. If he was kicked out he would have joined the ranks of Bill Cosby, Roman Polanski, Harvey Weinstein and Adam Kimmel (convicted of raping underage girls).  

Will fucked up, but he's not a monster like those men. 

https://thegrio.com/2022/03/31/the-academy-is-being-hypocritical-in-trying-to-make-an-example-of-will-smith/

[Guest]

32 minutes ago, RealHousewife said:

Will fucked up, but he's not a monster like those men. 

https://thegrio.com/2022/03/31/the-academy-is-being-hypocritical-in-trying-to-make-an-example-of-will-smith/

Of course not but that’s not a reason why being kicked out wouldn’t have been a valid punishment. He violated the exact same code of conduct those others did. Violence from one member of a group against another member of the group should always be a valid reason for expulsion. 

There is also a fifth person who was kicked out for sharing movie screeners. Also not a monster but still deserved to be kicked out for violating The Academy’s rules. 

Edited April 2, 2022 by Guest

[Pink ranger]

The academy is duty bound to protect the health and safety of its employees. On Sunday, one of their employees Chris Rock was assaulted on company grounds. My local McDonald’s has given life time bans to customers for less violent conduct than what Will Smith did.

Its disingenuous to compare the academy’s policy towards the likes of Cosby to this situation. This is not about the academy as an awards body making a  moral opinion about a certain persons character  and using that to influence  their decision to reward them on their work, this is about a company who just had an assault and battery committed on their site on an employee and deciding the best punishment.

[Blergh]

2 hours ago, DkNNy79 said:

I agree with others that the slap was probably a build up of the jokes that Will has taken ever since the entanglement situation.  I know they are “bad marriage for life” but they don’t need to share their personal business with the public.

Yeah, I know it was Ms. Pickett-Smith's choice to wash her and Mr. Smith's dirty laundry in public re their union but IMO it was ridiculous for her to have then taken umbrage when she wasn't universally praised for having done so!  

[SusanM]

8 minutes ago, Pink ranger said:

This is not about the academy as an awards body making a  moral opinion about a certain persons character  and using that to influence  their decision to reward them on their work, this is about a company who just had an assault and battery committed on their site on an employee and deciding the best punishment.

Absolutely.  This is why I think most (not all but most I would say) feel that taking away his Oscar would be over reach but banning him from the academy - as a member but also from attending future awards shows and putting his name in contention for future awards would be a reasonable reaction to him getting up on stage and hitting someone.  

Let's be realistic the odds of this happening again are small, but the odds of it happening again and it being someone who has won or is about to win an academy award that same night have got to be infintesimal.  Make the consequences something that would affect anyone doing this not a consequence that likely would never be utilized again.

If I'm wrong then I just give up on society as we know it...

[aghst]

7 minutes ago, Blergh said:

Yeah, I know it was Ms. Pickett-Smith's choice to wash her and Mr. Smith's dirty laundry in public re their union but IMO it was ridiculous for her to have then taken umbrage when she wasn't universally praised for having done so!  

They've always put their stuff out there haven't they?

Including cultivating public and social media personas for their children, starting from when they were very young.

They've probably benefitted from that, getting themselves a lot of media attention.

I remember when the whole Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie affair came to light, they were a regular feature on tabloids and all the celebrity media for years.  Someone once estimated that all that attention was worth tens or hundreds of millions to them, again confirming the notion that there was no such thing as bad publicity.

Have the Smiths tweeted or spoken publicly about their marital situation?  People certainly have made jokes about it.  So when Jada communicated about her hair, did she not expect jokes and reactions?

They don't deserve abuse but when they publicize their personal lives, there's a downside to doing so.

[Crs97]

1 hour ago, Danny Franks said:

Conan and Letterman get on just fine (Conan seems to get on well with most people). It's just Leno that they can't stand (which, again seems to be common).

Considering Letterman’s history of sexual favoritism and misogyny, I’ll happily sit at my Leno table for one.

[bluegirl147]

32 minutes ago, SusanM said:

Absolutely.  This is why I think most (not all but most I would say) feel that taking away his Oscar would be over reach but banning him from the academy - as a member but also from attending future awards shows and putting his name in contention for future awards would be a reasonable reaction to him getting up on stage and hitting someone.  

Let's be realistic the odds of this happening again are small, but the odds of it happening again and it being someone who has won or is about to win an academy award that same night have got to be infintesimal.  Make the consequences something that would affect anyone doing this not a consequence that likely would never be utilized again.

If I'm wrong then I just give up on society as we know it...

It's not just about another actor doing that at an award show.  It's about showing people it is not acceptable behavior for anyone so we don't see people thinking it's OK to do that at a high school graduation or a local comedy club or anywhere for that matter.  

[Ms Blue Jay]

27 minutes ago, Crs97 said:

Considering Letterman’s history of sexual favoritism and misogyny, I’ll happily sit at my Leno table for one.

Leno is like the known king of misogynistic humour

[aradia22]

Quote

Considering Letterman’s history of sexual favoritism and misogyny, I’ll happily sit at my Leno table for one.

Quote

Leno is like the known king of misogynistic humour

Two people can both be bad. Though Conan seems okay.

[Peace 47]

2 hours ago, Dani said:

If anything it’s a self-serving decision for him because he can avoid being only the sixth person to be kicked out.  

I agree that I think this was his motivation for resigning.  In my opinion, each action that he has taken since the moment of the slap has made the situation incrementally worse.  Maybe the slap is a moment of madness:  truly terrible, but perhaps not entirely unfixable with immediate damage control.

But then the president of the Academy asks him (or asks Will’s representative to ask him) to leave, and Will just plain refuses.  He instead stays and gives an entirely self-serving acceptance speech without apologizing to Chris, the “Summer of Love” team or the Williams family.  He goes out and parties all night instead of exhibiting a modicum of shame. He issued statements only through written PR, which, while well-crafted, come across as disingenuous when he is not seen speaking the actual words.  He resigns in an apparent attempt to preempt harsher consequences.  It just gets a little bit worse with each step.

Edited April 2, 2022 by Peace 47

[Danny Franks]

27 minutes ago, aradia22 said:

Two people can both be bad. Though Conan seems okay.

Conan still has staff working for him who were there during his time on The Tonight Show. You don't get that kind of loyalty as a boss if you don't treat people well.

And his assistant, Sona, asked him to be godfather to her twin sons.

Edited April 2, 2022 by Danny Franks

[SuprSuprElevated]

1 hour ago, Crs97 said:

Considering Letterman’s history of sexual favoritism and misogyny, I’ll happily sit at my Leno table for one.

Two

[aradia22]

The captions have a very weird energy but the celeb experience must be so strange if you are regularly around normal people.

https://www.instagram.com/camera_duels/?hl=en

[RealHousewife]

2 hours ago, Dani said:

Of course not but that’s not a reason why being kicked out wouldn’t have been a valid punishment. He violated the exact same code of conduct those others did. Violence from one member of a group against another member of the group should always be a valid reason for expulsion. 

There is also a fifth person who was kicked out for sharing movie screeners. Also not a monster but still deserved to be kicked out for violating The Academy’s rules. 

I don't know what I think his exact punishment should be, but I still think everything needs to be looked at case by case. I get that the backlash alone isn't enough and that we have to make sure all future hosts feel safe from assaults. But I definitely think he should keep his Oscar and not sure how I feel about a permanent suspension. 

1 hour ago, Crs97 said:

Considering Letterman’s history of sexual favoritism and misogyny, I’ll happily sit at my Leno table for one.

When I was young I just watched each show now and then depending on the guest. If you're a very sensitive person, you probably won't enjoy any of these guys. But I don't recall Leno ever coming across as intentionally mean to women. I remember Letterman pulling that crap with multiple guests though. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Leno is like the known king of misogynistic humour

He also loved Asian jokes. Personally, I’ll sit at the Craig Ferguson table if we’re talking about retired late night hosts. 

[RealHousewife]

1 minute ago, Dani said:

He also loved Asian jokes. Personally, I’ll sit at the Craig Ferguson table if we’re talking about retired late night hosts. 

Yikes! I didn't know this. I don't get how anyone ever thought that was okay. :(

In that case, I'll be at the Craig Ferguson table too. 

[Constant Viewer]

6 minutes ago, Dani said:

Personally, I’ll sit at the Craig Ferguson table if we’re talking about retired late night hosts. 

I loved his show.

[Blergh]

To each one's own but you all can have whatever tables you want with whatever former talk show hosts you want. 

I'd opt for a cozy booth with MY fave   talk show hosts Dinah Shore and Eva Gabor! Miss Shore was always warm, friendly,discreet and never meanspirited with her guests [who often wound up being more candid with her than those nosy and meanspirited hosts) while Miss Gabor (whenever she'd sub for her pal Merv Griffin's show) would hit it out of the ballpark with her Continental charm, wit and humor (think of an outwardly smarter and not-so-goofy Lisa Douglas)! 

BTW, I just found out that Miss Gabor hosted her own self-titled talk show back in 1953! 

Edited April 2, 2022 by Blergh

[Zella]

2 hours ago, Blergh said:

think of an outwardly smarter and not-so-goofy Lisa Douglas)! 

Now I want a TV show hosted by Green Acres characters so bad. Imagine the possibilities! I found the show funny as a child, but I didn't fully appreciate its absurd, chaotic energy until I was an adult. 😂

Edited April 2, 2022 by Zella

[Ms Blue Jay]

40 minutes ago, Dani said:

He also loved Asian jokes. Personally, I’ll sit at the Craig Ferguson table if we’re talking about retired late night hosts. 

Yup, definitely racist humour too.  Craig had a nice appearance in the recent Britney Spears documentary where every talk show host 'took her down' when she was dealing with mental health issues - except Craig.

[RealHousewife]

6 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Yup, definitely racist humour too.  Craig had a nice appearance in the recent Britney Spears documentary where every talk show host 'took her down' when she was dealing with mental health issues - except Craig.

Aw, he sounds like a sweet man. 

Question I'll throw out there to you all just generally speaking, what celebs, if any, do you think are both very funny but manage to remain kind and inoffensive? I know some people just don't enjoy comedy period because they find it all offensive. 

[BlackberryJam]

I don’t watch any late night shows unless it’s to see a specific guest, and then I just YouTube it later. I never watch a monologue. I gave up on SNL years ago. You can’t drag me to a stand up show. I have declined more free tickets to stand up that anyone wants to know about. I’m at the point where I am unwilling to even give comedians the chance. 

 

[Blergh]

46 minutes ago, Dani said:

He also loved Asian jokes.  

I haven't forgotten that during the whole O.J. Simpson trial, Mr. Leno  piously proclaimed that murder and domestic violence were SUCH serious topics that he would NEVER make any jokes about the events.

However, he DID have   five  male Asian performers dress in black robes and frantically dance onstage  on a regular basis- and called them 'The Dancing Itos'. Hence Mr. Leno   had no problems belittling  the presiding Judge Lance Ito (both whose parents had survived internment camps for Japanese-Americans in WWII)  who was doing his best to be legally fair as possible to all sides in spite of incredible pressures and odds!  Knowing what I know about him now, it wouldn't surprise me if a xenophobic bias may have been a contributing factor for Mr. Leno to have sanctioned this.  

 This, along with his veneer of being a corny nice guy evidently concealing a meanspirited and backbiting individual (no matter what  spin he and his team may claim as MOs),are among reasons why I will NEVER watch anything  I have any inkling in advance that he's on again (and was furious that they plopped this bad penny in the middle of tributes to The Carol Burnett Show and Betty White's career).

[Guest]

18 minutes ago, RealHousewife said:

Question I'll throw out there to you all just generally speaking, what celebs, if any, do you think are both very funny but manage to remain kind and inoffensive? I know some people just don't enjoy comedy period because they find it all offensive. 

Dan and Eugene Levy are the first that come to my mind. Schitt’s Creek is proof that comedy can be inclusive and still be funny. 

[SusanM]

26 minutes ago, RealHousewife said:

Question I'll throw out there to you all just generally speaking, what celebs, if any, do you think are both very funny but manage to remain kind and inoffensive?

I'm afraid to answer because I am not much into celebrity gossip and if I throw out a name of someone I really like there may be a tale or two about that person that I'd rather not know!

[Browniep]

I grew up in the 90's. I used to watch Leno in high school before going to sleep.
I'm Asian and after a while I did get tired of all the Asian jokes. The dog eating jokes, the bad driver jokes, the accent jokes, the small male penis jokes. The dancing Itos. I guess in the 90's, you were just expected to take it. I dealt with enough of that in school. I didn't need to have America's favorite comedian to make me feel like crap too. I did always wonder why he targeted Asians so much.

I'm ok with Letterman but his show was never very smooth. Sometimes he'd be really on and funny and other times not so much. I liked Conan but I was already sleepy by then. In the end, I just watched Midnight Love on BET and fell asleep to R&B and slow jams.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Conan always did the Asian jokes too, it's just that people don't expect them of him.  But I always noticed.  It was seen as an acceptable type of humour for ages, and still is, by some people.

[Prairie Rose]

3 hours ago, Crs97 said:

Considering Letterman’s history of sexual favoritism and misogyny, I’ll happily sit at my Leno table for one.

Make it a table for two. 🍻

2 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

Two

Three!!

[Peace 47]

1 hour ago, RealHousewife said:

Question I'll throw out there to you all just generally speaking, what celebs, if any, do you think are both very funny but manage to remain kind and inoffensive? I know some people just don't enjoy comedy period because they find it all offensive. 

John Campea made an astute comment on his YouTube channel this week:  every single joke told is going to offend someone.  Now, that may not literally be true (prop/ physical comedy or self-owns are two exceptions that come to mind), but I actually don’t think his point is that far off.  E.g., Someone makes a joke about the indignities of the cancer treatment they or a loved one endured; someone else says it’s a horrible ordeal that shouldn’t be joked about at all.

Comedy has many different flavors, of course, but parody, satire, incisive social observations and “roasts” of the powerful are all specific types that are always going to rub at least one person the wrong way.  We all have our different trigger points. 

Part of what provokes the laugh in general is often the “shock” of pushing boundaries, tweaking social mores, etc.  And those boundaries change over time, too. 

Rather than separating comedians into categories of offensive or inoffensive, I think it’s more that certain comedians don’t take the hint when they push up against a boundary, receive negative feedback and just continue to plow ahead, leading them to double down on racist, socially insensitive or bigoted humor.  Maybe it is a function of age, for some of them (Leno comes to mind as someone who just never updated his outlook and got left behind, comedy-wise, as a result), or taking obvious pleasure in angering people (Dave Chappelle being the most obvious, but Michael Che to a lesser extent).  I really enjoy comedy; I try to choose to support comedians who try to be sensitive and learn.  Marc Maron, while not exactly my cup of tea in terms of stand-up, at least expressly acknowledges that he tries to grow and learn with the times.  And I think Patton Oswalt and Sarah Silverman have said the same.  I’m okay with finding comedians that occasionally step in it funny, as long as their less glowing moments are not glorified.

Leno is an interesting case where he finally issued an apology last year for his most recent Asian jokes, but perhaps only because that was a condition laid out for him in order to proceed with his new game show.

Edited April 2, 2022 by Peace 47

[Crashcourse]

52 minutes ago, Browniep said:

In the end, I just watched Midnight Love on BET and fell asleep to R&B and slow jams.

Me too!

[Ms Blue Jay]

17 minutes ago, Peace 47 said:

Leno is an interesting case where he finally issued an apology last year for his most recent Asian jokes, but perhaps only because that was a condition laid out for him in order to proceed with his new game show.

He was also part of this, when Gabrielle Union brought up the shenanigans that were happening at America's Got Talent:

https://variety.com/2020/tv/features/gabrielle-union-americas-got-talent-workplace-hollywood-inclusion-1234616724/

[Guest]

28 minutes ago, Peace 47 said:

Rather than separating comedians into categories of offensive or inoffensive, I think it’s more that certain comedians don’t take the hint when they push up against a boundary, receive negative feedback and just continue to plow ahead, leading them to double down on racist, socially insensitive or bigoted humor.  Maybe it is a function of age, for some of them (Leno comes to mind as someone who just never updated his outlook and got left behind, comedy-wise, as a result), or taking obvious pleasure in angering people (Dave Chappelle being the most obvious, but Michael Che to a lesser extent).  I really enjoy comedy; I try to choose to support comedians who try to be sensitive and learn.  Marc Maron, while not exactly my cup of tea in terms of stand-up, at least expressly acknowledges that he tries to grow and learn with the times.  And I think Patton Oswalt and Sarah Silverman have said the same.  I’m okay with finding comedians that occasionally step in it funny, as long as their less glowing moments are not glorified.

This is how I generally feel. 

10 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

He was also part of this, when Gabrielle Union brought up the shenanigans that were happening at America's Got Talent:

https://variety.com/2020/tv/features/gabrielle-union-americas-got-talent-workplace-hollywood-inclusion-1234616724/

This is why I give him zero credit for his apology. I just can’t believe someone who made a joke about Koreans eating dogs in 2019 and who didn’t apologize when it became news was sincerely apologetic in 2021. I do believe he was sorry that his repeated bad behavior had come around to potentially bite him in the ass after the Atlanta shootings and Stop Asian Hate started. 

Edited April 2, 2022 by Guest

[DrSpaceman73]

Leno just never updates his act and does the same stuff for years.  

It's not him being resistant to evolving or racist necessarily. It seems him being more lazy about his act and his craft.

That's not my opinion either.  I've heard several professional comedians say it.  He rarely changes his stand up act.  They know the jokes coming before he says them. 

Plus he's just not that funny but that's a separate issue. 

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

It's not him being resistant to evolving or racist necessarily. It seems him being more lazy about his act and his craft.

Repeatedly saying racist jokes is racist. He may be a lazy racist but that doesn’t negate the racist part. 

[katie9918]

6 hours ago, Dani said:

If anything it’s a self-serving decision for him because he can avoid being only the sixth person to be kicked out. If he was kicked out he would have joined the ranks of Bill Cosby, Roman Polanski, Harvey Weinstein and Adam Kimmel (convicted of raping underage girls).  

Only after they have all received every tongue bath imaginable from the industry.

 

Fuck all of Hollywood and everyone who props their system, including everyone I actually enjoy watching and think may actually be a decent person if they weren’t dependent on Hollywood. Every single one of them are fame whores who would gladly work with anyone if it means either money or power or both. 

Edited April 2, 2022 by katie9918

[aradia22]

Quote

Rather than separating comedians into categories of offensive or inoffensive, I think it’s more that certain comedians don’t take the hint when they push up against a boundary, receive negative feedback and just continue to plow ahead, leading them to double down on racist, socially insensitive or bigoted humor.

I do find it easier to enjoy comedians whose politics (I'm using that broadly to include societal issues) align with mine more or less. I don't mean that in the Ricky Gervais way of picking up a particular ideology and making it central to their jokes but more like knowing what's punching up/down and what is just general silliness. Josh Johnson is a current favorite. I like most of Bo Burnham's stuff (haven't watched the most recent special yet) but he's definitely insulting people... John Mulaney used to be good at finding the line, as well as crafting jokes in general, but I don't know what his material will be like post-divorce. You'd be hard-pressed to argue that Hannah Gadsby shouldn't be insulting the people she insults. I'd name some more female comics but generally the ones I like the most only get half hour specials or sets you have to piece together from short youtube clips.

[Zella]

29 minutes ago, aradia22 said:

John Mulaney used to be good at finding the line, as well as crafting jokes in general, but I don't know what his material will be like post-divorce.

Same. I love comedy but am not a fan of standup comedy in general--like, I will watch a video of a specific moment from a set, but I am not going to sit through an entire set in person or as a viewer. But I used to find Mulaney clips pretty entertaining. I've even rewatched a few of them, which is pretty significant for me. I think it helps that he often told it as a story more than a joke and was pretty self-deprecating. But he shit all over his "authentic" persona the past year, and I just am not really interested in what he has to say anymore. He's certainly free to do whatever he wants, but I think he's alienated a lot of fans. 

Edited April 3, 2022 by Zella

[Crashcourse]

Speaking of comics, I wish they'd bring back Last Comic Standing.

[andromeda331]

6 hours ago, Dani said:

He also loved Asian jokes. Personally, I’ll sit at the Craig Ferguson table if we’re talking about retired late night hosts. 

I love Craig Ferguson! I'll watch him in anything. 

[GaT]

Will Smith Projects Reportedly Paused, Hit Back Burner Post-Oscars Slap

Quote

THR reports that at least a couple films of his (as an actor) that were supposed to be in the works are, for the time being, getting kicked to the back burner at both Netflix and Sony -- with the former quietly pivoting away from firing up production on "Fast and Loose," and the latter hitting pause on getting things going for "Bad Boys 4," per sources cited by the outlet.

Also, Denzel Washington Explains His 'Devil' Quote After Will Smith Slap

Quote

He adds, "Conversely, when the devil comes at you, maybe it's because you're trying to do something right. And for whatever reason, the devil got ahold of him that night."

Soooo, the devil made him do it?

[Blergh]

5 hours ago, GaT said:

Will Smith Projects Reportedly Paused, Hit Back Burner Post-Oscars Slap

Also, Denzel Washington Explains His 'Devil' Quote After Will Smith Slap

Soooo, the devil made him do it?

What would the late Flip Wilson have had to say about that?

Edited April 3, 2022 by Blergh

[Ms Blue Jay]

If I was Denzel I'd be pissed at Will immediately airing out my advice for the whole world to hear.  LOL.  Maybe Denzel was just trying to be nice.  We don't know.

[andromeda331]

23 minutes ago, GaT said:

Will Smith Projects Reportedly Paused, Hit Back Burner Post-Oscars Slap

Also, Denzel Washington Explains His 'Devil' Quote After Will Smith Slap

Soooo, the devil made him do it?

That's what it sounds like.

[roamyn]

8 hours ago, RealHousewife said:

In that case, I'll be at the Craig Ferguson table too. 

Count me in on Craig's table, too.  Along with Arsenio.

The only reason I wouldn't sit at a Conan table is I don't find him funny...at all.  And his laugh is cringe worthy.

The other two can go sit together at a kiddie table in the corner. 

Anyway, I just really appreciate how all the current nite comedians seem to be decent fun guys, who respect one another.

[aghst]

1 hour ago, GaT said:

Will Smith Projects Reportedly Paused, Hit Back Burner Post-Oscars Slap

Also, Denzel Washington Explains His 'Devil' Quote After Will Smith Slap

Soooo, the devil made him do it?

 

51 minutes ago, Blergh said:

What would the late Flip Wilson had had to say about that?

 

40 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

If I was Denzel I'd be pissed at Will immediately airing out my advice for the whole world to hear.  LOL.  Maybe Denzel was just trying to be nice.  We don't know.

Supposedly Denzel, Will and one other guy prayed together during the Oscars?

Don't know if it was before or after Will won his award.

They don't come across as especially religious.

[roamyn]

5 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

Plus he's just not that funny but that's a separate issue. 

I actually find him fairly funny. But you're right in that his jokes are somewhat outdated. Part of that isvI believe trying to please the older crowd that loved Johnny.