Congratulations, Max Robins!

"Tabloid Baby is a compelling, vodka-laced chronicle that pulls back the curtain on the helter-skelter world of tabloid TV. Celebrities’ bad behavior—illicit sex, substance abuse, betrayal and revenge— are commonplace in the weird world of Tabloid Baby… Some of the incidents in Tabloid Baby are laugh-out-loud funny… I can corroborate how accurately he captures the era… Kearns does his subjective best to show how the tabloid genre stripped away pretensions from the news.

"He demonstrates how a bare-knuckle style of reporting often produced exclusives, while occasionally even bringing insight to the most sensational stories of the decade..."

That early rave review in TV Guide was the first step on Tabloid Baby's rise to legendary status as one of the most acclaimed journalism tomes of all time. The review appeared in the magazine's influential column, The Robins Report, written by former Variety reporter, heavyweight media writer and Tabloid Baby pal, J. Max Robins. Max went on to become editor and chief of Broadcasting & Cable. This week, it's announced he's been appointed vice president and executive director of The Paley Center’s Media Council and International Council effective April 7th.

EXCLUSIVE!!!! 'THE SEVENTH PYTHON' TRAILER TO PREMIERE TONIGHT AT RUTLES REUNION & SCREENING IN HOLLYWOOD! MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT TO FOLLOW!

Impresario Martin Lewis has promised many a surprise at tonight's screenings of the classic Rutles TV special, All You Need Is Cash at Hollywood's Egyptian Theatre, and we've found out that one of the biggest will be world premiere of the first trailer for The Seventh Python, the musical documentary film about the Rutles' musical mastermind Neil Innes.

There will also be a major announcement regarding The Seventh Python (produced by our pals at Frozen Pictures), but it's embargoed until tonight-- so we'll have it for you a little later.

Innes will be reunited for the very first time with all three fellow Rutles, Ricky Fataar, John Halsey, and of course, the architect of two Rutlemania phenomena three decades apart (not to mention the best Paul McCartney parodist since Noel Gallagher), Eric Idle.


Tonight's 7:30 show is sold out, but there are probably seats left for the 10:30. Click here for information.

And stay tuned here for first Internet posting of the trailer for The Seventh Python.

Macca divorce settled: All she needs is cash

A judge has awarded Heather Mills a settlement of £24.3 million in her divorce from old Paul McCartney (the LA Times estimates the total at $48.6 million). She said this morning she was happy with the dough (even though she wanted £125 million), but then raged on the courthouse steps that the settlement was made public only to make old Paul look "generous." She added that old Paul had offered her £15.8 million, then attacked the legal establishment, claiming "these people are in a club" and don't want people who show up in court without lawyers, like her, to succeed.

The end to Mills' public career comes on the same day that in a parallel universe, The Rutles are reuniting for a 30th anniversary screening of the TV special and DVD favorite, All You Need Is Cash, at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, the timing of which causes us to wonder why the media has not made more out of the incredible coincidences linking the Beatles and their satiric counterparts, not the least of which is the fact that both the Rutles' manager Leggy Mountbatten and former porn model and alleged prostitute Heather each get around on one leg.

(And for old times' sake, find Heather Mills' NSFW --not safe for work or public viewing-- nude photos here.)

Now Michael Lohan wants to sue Ashton Kutcher

Lindsay Lohan's father Michael has more than one new television "reality" show to be mad about. While he’s screaming about his ex-wife Dina stealing his ideas and title for her new Living Lohan series on E!, we hear he’s also ready to climb into the legal ring against television production heavyweight (and Demi Moore husband) Ashton Kutcher.

Kutcher’s latest show, Pop Fiction, premiered on E! last week, and appears to be a twist on his series Punk’d-- instead of “punking” celebrities, the celebs are punking the people.

But as viewers of this site would know, Pop Fiction is very similar to Deeds, Lohan’s show pilot that was featured in The Michael Lohan Reality Project salestape that was a huge hit on YouTube (the one in which he dressed up as a homeless person).

As seen in the clip above, Lohan stands before a "Punk’d" logo and says:

“Deeds is a lot like the show, Punk’d.
It’s about celebrities going into the streets, in disguise.
And getting people to do good deeds.”

We reported on Friday reported that Michael Lohan is up in arms over his ex-wife Dina’s alleged appropriation of his reality show concept and title with the new “Living Lohan” show on the E! network. And Michael has a point, since his original concept, “Living with The Lohans,” was pitched and publicized a few years ago-- with the twist of Michael and Dina giving it another shot for the sake of the kids.

And remember that the Bible-thumping parolee’s own reality show was nixed largely because of Dina’s ties to the Hollywood machine -– not to mention, insiders say, because of the Christian angle (the networks do not want to tread on sacred turf).

In any case, the rejection was short-sighted in light of Michael’s activities in the months since he made the rounds of pitch meetings (and then, in a boneheaded moment of panic, denied the show even existed!)-- reconciling with Lindsay, reuniting his family, and getting in the papers on a weekly basis.

What about the producers of The Michael Lohan Reality Project? We spoke this morning to Brett Hudson one of our pals at Frozen Pictures.

“We have no argument or issues with E! or Ashton or Dina," Brett said. "I understand Michael’s frustration, but there are lots of reasons our series hasn’t been picked up yet. And his legal status (note: Lohan is on parole) is top of the list. And if you want to know the truth, I've got bigger issues with Michael. This show isn't going anywhere until he pays back the money he owes us."

Whoa. Sounds like an update is in the offing. Stay tuned.

Rutlemania!

Thirty years on, Rutlemania is real. We got to sit in last night on a well-attended dress rehearsal of the multimedia concert/stage show that takes the audience through the story of the Prefab Four, as written and directed by comedy and Monty Python legend Eric Idle, set to a truly timeless soundtrack by The Seventh Python, Neil Innes.

Rutlemania! provides real laughs and nonstop entertainment, with the Rutles music performed live by Beatles tribute act The Fab Four (play around with that concept if you will), in and around filmed highlights of Idle’s two Rutles mockumentaries, All You Need Is Cash (the one that premiered on NBC thirty years ago this month) and Can’t Buy Me Lunch. It's a fun rush for millions of Rutles fans and a good primer for the uninitiated (even if they don't have the cultural education to know the Beatles story it parodies, let alone its place in music and comedy history).

The comedy bits and surprise (filmed) celebrity cameos generated real laughs, and the music, real cheers. Rutles Ron Nasty and Barry Wom were in the audience and they approved, enthusiastically. (And why not? Of all the Pythons, Idle has worked hardest to keep the brand alive, current and relevant.)


The show begins a five-show run tonight at the Ricardo Montalban Theatre in Hollywood and moves to the Blender Theatre in NYC March 26-29. We’d say Vegas beckons (as does “Rutles on Ice”), with or without the acrobats and clowns.

Rutlemania! is dark Monday night, and for good reason: that's when All You Need Is Cash gets a 30th anniversary showing (two shows, actually, the first is sold out)—and film’s four Rutles will reunite for the very first time-- at the Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard as part of impresario and tastemaker Martin Lewis’ Mods & Rockers American Cinematheque film series. Martin has been a busy man this week, a combination of Derek Taylor, Eric Manchester and Leggy Mountbatten rolled into one, and it’s all paying off as the Rutles leaping into the forefront of pop culture (as a look at the front page of today’s LA Times Calendar section will attest).

And stay tuned here for exclusive news about what else will be featured that night at the Egyptian…

EXCLUSIVE!!!! MICHAEL LOHAN GOES BALLISTIC OVER EX-WIFE'S REALITY SHOW! CLAIMS THEFT OF IDEAS, CONCEPT & TITLE!

Lindsay Lohan’s father Michael has given his blessing in the past to his ex-wife’s rival “reality” series, but now that Dina’s show has been picked officially by E!, he's fighting mad, and charging larceny of the concept... and title!

Michael emails us about “this ‘Living Lohan’ thing”:

“Dina took our entire concept and used it....Including the name. Ours was ‘Living with the Lohans’....hers is "Living Lohan". How creative!!!!

"I spoke to Dominic (Barbara), Ben (Petrofsky), Barry Gross and John Di Mascio, all attornies, and every one confirms that I pitched the exact same show to Dina back in 2004. It was even in the press when Dina and her bodyguard (Ty Dux) leaked it out and even said, what a stupid idea it was. IT IS OUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY! I believe that you even said that you pitched it to Bunim and Murray. You should do a whole piece on this…"

Our pals at Frozen Pictures are the ones behind The Michael Lohan Reality Project, the brilliant but so-far too-controversial-for-television reality series staring Daddy L and the colorful characters—from Rev. Jimmy Jack to Lindsay—in his new life. The concept—Lohan out of prison, out to reunite his family, save his famous daughter and, as a minister with an evangelical outreach program, save others—all the while dancing on the razor edge of parole and coming up with his own television show ideas—was captured in a wild sales tape that became an Internet hit after Perez Hilton went with it (see it on the right hand side of this site).

The hipsters at Defamer called it:

“the mind-fuck Michael Lohan reality show… watching Mikey sending former Baywatch babes into the arms of perverts, traipsing around cities in a Tyra-like attempt to see what it feels like to be homeless, and beginning the video pitch while standing in front of a glamour shots cloud background…”

Alex Blagg of VH1’s Best Week Ever wrote:

“Look at this clip reel, and for the love of God, give Michael Lohan the reality show he so desperately wants. Who needs Jim & Pam & The Office?... The most talented comedy genius on the planet couldn’t come up with this stuff.”

Michael did indeed pitch to Dina a show called "Living with The Lohans" as an alternative to his big-money divorce demands before he went off to prison three years ago. And the big, powerful Hollywood publicists linked to Dina and once-golden goose Lindsay did much to keep Michael's reality project off the air. But why a network honcho wouldn’t take his show and pair it with Dina’s, creating

The Living La Vida Lohan Loco Hour

is beyond us. Those Lohans are a hell of a lot more interesting than the Kardashians. Or Paris Hilton. Or those housewives in Orange County. Or Manhattan. Or those little people.

"Touching, hilarious & inventive!" Sneak screening yields pix & first review of The Seventh Python

We've telling you for months about The Seventh Python, the new musical documentary from our pals at Frozen Pictures. But leave it to us, so wary of potential conflicts of interest, to give up the exclusive on the first screening of the film, which took place Wednesday night on the Sunset Strip.

The journos at Fishbowl LA are on the spot, reporting on the exclusive event at the Sunset Screening Room, attended by the man himself, Mr. Neil Innes:

"At a discreet screening room on Sunset, a select group gathered to watch The Seventh Python, the new documentary from Frozen Pictures. The film, a portrait of rock legend Neil Innes, of Bonzo Dog Band and The Rutles fame, is the work of Burt Kearns, Brett Hudson, animator Bonnie Rose, editor Dan Brown, and producer Sean Connors. Crowd reaction was strongly approving of the film, which is touching, hilarious and inventive.

"Hanging out were Weird Al Yankovic, Emo Phillips, Martin Lewis, Alison Holloway, TV producers Peter Brennan and Lisa Lew. Chelsea Lately writer Steve Rosenfield assured us that Chelsea Handler herself is really funny.

"We're so relieved.

"Innes, here with a fan, will be at the Monday screening of All You Need is Cash as part of the Mods and Rockers film fest of the American Cinematheque."

Fishbowl posted the photos above, so below we have our own exclusive photo of the only food served at the event: cheese & onions.


(And a tip of the Tabloid Baby hat to PR legend Jeff Abraham, for coming up with the cheese & onions idea).

Zum, zum, zum! Israel baseball's player exodus

Add another Israel Baseball League standout to the list of IBL athletes who won’t be coming back for another season of Holyland hardball.

Josh Zumbrun, pitcher last season with the Ra’anana Express, is among eight players signed for spring training with the Chico Outlaws of the independent, unaffiliated California Golden League.

"Zum" is 26 and living in Playa Vista, California. He pitched for the U.S. Air Force Academy from 2000 to 2003, and at 26 has a Masters Degree in Business Administration and is working on his Ph.D.

Zum's also got a MySpace page on which he writes about his experience with the IBL:

“I opted to leave the Air Force in 2006 to play in the in the Israel Baseball League’s inaugural 2007 season – hands down the best summer of my life. Everything about the experience left me overwhelmed with gratitude.”

Bergstrom is Israel baseball's boy of summer

They may not be playing baseball in Israel this summer, but one world-weary veteran of the Israel Baseball League will be playing in beautiful downtown Bridgeport.

Right-handed pitcher Rafael Bergstrom of the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox got out while the going was good, signing with the Bridgeport, Connecticut Bluefish after the IBL season ended in shambles last August. And now the Bluefish say they’ve made a deal for Bergstrom to pitch in 2008.

Bergstrom was the first player from the Israel Baseball League to sign a pro contract in the United States and joined the minor league Bluefish in time for their 2007 season. In six appearances (four starts), he struck out 18 batters in 29 innings while only walking six.

Bergstrom’s a true journeyman. After playing in college in San Diego, he played two seasons in Munich, Germany and another season in in Brisbane, Australia before winding up with the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox of the IBL. The 6’5, 225-pounder had a career season with the Blue Sox on their way to a league championship. In 56 and 2/3 innings, he whiffed 51 batters and posted a 2.44 ERA to accompany his 7-2 record. He finished off the regular season with a complete game shutout and eight strikeouts in the championship game.

The Bridgeport Bluefish Professional Baseball Club, a charter team in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, plays its home games at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard. They made world headlines when two of their players were injured when Jose Offerman of the visiting Long Island Ducks went nuts with a bat. Offerman got off with probation.

The Israel Baseball League made world headlines with its post season collapse and scandals following the exclusive exposé by Our Man Elli in Israel.

Never mind the denials. SNL hearts Hillary.

Lorne Michaels and his top writer at Saturday Night Live hit the media trail to deny the show is in in Hillary Clinton's pocket, despite three straight weeks of front-loaded sketches (including an overt endorsement by guest host and former writer Tina Fey-- and a cute appearance by Hillary herself) that not only placed the candidate in a sympathetic light but apparently helped her reverse her freefall.

Michaels and Jim Downey claim they're equal-opportunity satirists, but one admission in The New York Times throws all denials out the window:

Both men suggested that Mrs. Clinton benefited from being portrayed by Amy Poehler, whom Mr. Downey called our charm machine.' But Ms. Poehler resisted one aspect of the portrayal in the first sketch on Feb. 23. Mr. Downey had written a moment when a tear was supposed to come to Mrs. Clinton’s eye, and the debate hosts were going to hammer her for "turning on the water works again.”

Mr. Downey acknowledged, “Amy wasn’t crazy about that. She said that was not fair.” The tear was cut from the live show.

Not fair? Hillary's weeping tactics have been debated and satirized for months. Sounds like the show's stars have more power than the writers, which is no surprise but also not promising for the show, which has dropped in quality exponentially from its surprisingly consistent return from strike hiatus.

An urgent message from Dr. Franklin Ruehl, Ph.D.

"It is probably too late
to mention this,
but this is the
International Year
of the Potato."

BOYCOTT ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE UNTIL THE HUDSON BROTHERS ARE INDUCTED INTO THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME!

Let the movement begin now.

Let the movement begin here.

Boycott Rolling Stone magazine…

Until The Hudson Brothers
are inducted into
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

And let the inspiration come from the picture above: former Mickey Mouse and Lou Perlman ward Justin Timberlake on his knees before disco pop queen Madonna, not at a Bravo, Nickelodeon or VH1 awards show-- but at last night’s Rock Hall induction ceremony.

As of last night, Madonna is in. Tina Turner is not.

Leonard Cohen is in. Lou Reed is not.

John Mellencamp is in. The MC5 are not. Neither are The Faces, The Stooges, or The Monkees.

Or The Hudson Brothers.

The weakening of the Hall is the work of Jann Wenner, the Rolling Stone magazine publisher who has inserted enough of his minions onto the Hall’s board to control the voting and keep out the greats out while putting cronies and personal favorites in (see Fox.com's Roger Friedman's story on the "Rock Hall of Shame".

And high on the list of the neglected, forgotten greats are Bill, Mark and Brett Hudson, the brothers who were the kings of youth and pop culture in the Seventies, who worked and palled with the group including Keith Moon, Harry Nilsson and John Lennon, whose work was influenced and equally by The Beatles, Rolling Stones and The Beach Boys, and who continue to be relevant and influential thirty years on, working with the likes of Ringo Starr, Ozzy Osbourne and Neil Innes.


The Hudson Brothers were an American rock ‘n’ roll band from Portland,Oregon that rose to international fame in the Seventies with hits like "So You are a Star" (1974; Billboard #21), "Rendezvous" (1975; Billboard #26), "Lonely School Year" (1975; Billboard #57), and "Help Wanted" (1976; Billboard #70).

The group was formed in the 1960s by young Beatles-influenced school kids Bill, Mark and Brett Hudson, and first named The New Yorkers (after the Chrysler), after winning a "battle of the bands" contest. In spring 1967 they released "When I'm Gone" (SCE-12190) on Scepter Records, following that in August 1967 with the Indian-influenced "Mr. Kirby" (SCE-12199) and "Show Me The Way To Love" (SCE-12207) in the falloff that year. By October 1968, The New Yorkers had switched to Jerry Dennon's Pacific Northwest label Jerden Records and issued "Adrianne" (#906), and, in March 1969, "Land of Ur" (#908) in March 1969. Also in 1969, The New Yorkers recorded "Lonely" (#7318) for Warner Bros. Records and "I Guess The Lord Must Be In New York City" (#32569) for Decca Records.

They changed their name to Everyday Hudson in early 1970, releasing "Love Is The Word" (Decca #32634).

For the spring 1971 release of "Love Nobody" on Lionel Records (L-3211), their name was shortened to Hudson. This name was also used in 1972 after switching to the newly re-activated Playboy Records, with the release of "Leavin' It's Over" (P-50001), Billboard Bubbling Under Chart #110. In 1973 Hudson signed with Elton John's Rocket Records and released "If You Really Need Me" (MCA-40141), which was recorded in France and produced by Bernie Taupin. It was followed by "Sunday Driver" (MCA-40317).

Their first record release as The Hudson Brothers came in September 1974 with their chart record "So You Are A Star" on Casablanca Records (NES 0108; Billboard #21), followed by "Coochie Choochie Coo" (NES 816) in 1975, Billboard Bubbling Under Chart #108. They returned to Rocket Records for more 45 RPM charted songs in 1975 with producer Bernie Taupin, later switching to Arista Records in 1976. Yet another name change back to Hudson came in 1980 on Elektra Records, and then to The Hudsons in 1983 on Columbia Records.

The Hudson Brothers albums include "Totally Out of Control" on Rocket Records, Billboard 179 in 1974; "Hollywood Situation" on Casablanca Records, Billboard 176 in 1974; "Ba-Fa" on Rocket Records, Billboard 165 in 1975; "The Truth About Us" on Arista Records in 1978; and "TV's Hudson Brothers" on First American Records, also in 1978. "Those Damn Kids" on Elektra Records in 1980 was released under the name Hudson.

They also starred in The Hudson Brothers Show, a TV variety hour Wednesday nights on CBS in the summer of 1974, followed by The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show on CBS Saturday mornings, from September 7, 1974 to August 30, 1975, in a half-hour format, and Bonkers!, a half-hour syndicated comedy show in 1978, produced in Britain by ATV and distributed by ITC. The three brothers also starred in Hysterical, a horror-comedy film released in 1983.

All three remain active today in the music and movie fields. More on their influence to come. Meanwhile...

No Hudson Brothers?

No Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!

Straw-in-potato makes Dr. Ruehl's Bizarre News

The Realm Of Bizarre News, Episode XII

The latest installment from Tabloid Baby pal and contributor Dr. Franklin Ruehl features his legendary straw-in-the-potato demonstration, a hexapus, secrets of the sudoku puzzle, and an entry from "The Vault of Strange Deaths." Guy-yee!

The real George Fox speaks!

New York governor Eliott Spitzer (above, topless) allegedly used the alias "George Fox" when he ordered up high-priced prostitutes over the past year or so (maybe the past decade) and, according to an affidavit in the case, asked the hookers "to do things you might not think were safe.” It turns out the name's not a sly pun on his craftiness-- but the name of a pal and donor! Was the real George Fox an accomplice? Or is Eliott Spitzer just a total egomaniacal self-destructive douchebag?

Today, George Fox's spokesman spit back:

"Published reports indicate that Governor Eliot Spitzer allegedly used the name 'George Fox' as an alias in the activity currently under investigation. Mr. Fox has known Governor Spitzer for more than 20 years and has been a supporter during the Governor's various political campaigns.

"The news that his name may have been used as an alias comes as a great surprise and disappointment. Mr. Fox only became aware of Mr. Spitzer's alleged activity when informed of it Monday morning by the media. There is absolutely no connection between Mr. Fox and the Governor's alleged activity beyond the unauthorized use of his name. "Mr. Fox considers Governor Spitzer a close friend and is distressed by the news that has emerged. While he is disappointed that his name was involved, he appreciates the apology the Governor has personally communicated and he wishes the Governor and his family strength as they endure this difficult period."

$165G to cook the OJ Simpson case? How much do you think Harvey Levin and TMZ paid to a corrupt LA Sheriff's insider for the Mel Gibson story?

We've been talking for years now about the fishy dealings of the corporate porn-pushing gossip site TMZ.com on its sleazy, sordid, palm-greasing, source-lubing astroglide to success, not the least of which was the way Harvey Levin and his street urchins perverted justice in the latest OJ Simpson case. We'd reported back in September that they'd paid for the audiotape of his hotel room confrontation, and today The Smoking Gun reports it was $165,000 to help get its inconsequential whitewashed syndicated television version off the ground.

Which leads us to ask how much they paid and who they paid in the LA County Sheriff's Department for all that inside dirt on Mel Gibson's drink driving arrest. We were saying "follow the money" in August 2006. Hey, we watch The Wire.

We have the new poster for The Seventh Python

Our pals at Frozen Pictures today unveiled the poster (click it to enlarge it) for their new musical film about satirist, songwriter, performer and genius Neil Innes of The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, Monty Python and Rutles fame. Word is the film's trailer will debut next Monday at Martin Lewis' 30th anniversary screenings of The Rutles' TV special, All You Need is Cash, at the Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard (the first screening's sold out; a second's been added), at which all four Rutles will be reunited for the first time in years.

Bloggers beat and embarrass "mainstream media" on coverage of Israel baseball's juicy scandals

Baseball in Israel, one learned journo wag in Jerusalem tells us today, is "a failure, was only followed by Anglos living here with Israelis across the board having no idea it was even happening at all-- which of course, was one of the big failures-- was not important on any scale; and was just diversionary entertainment for a few hundred American Jews." But when it comes to that failed experiment, we must say that it is the "bloggers"-- led by us and Our Man Elli in Israel in particular-- who continue to wipe home plate with the so-called mainstream media-- in Jerusalem, in Tel Aviv, in New York, in Miami and in Boston-- when it comes to coverage of an issue that's more important and a bigger, grander and more scandalous story than their lack of attention would bely.

The latest with his ear to the mound is Moshe Mandel (right), "a 23 year old Yankees fan from Long Island who currently resides in Jerusalem with my wife Elizabeth.

"I am a Yankees season ticket holder, and I look forward to blogging about the Bombers as they chase championship #27 in 2008."

Moshe blogs on The Bronx Block on the MVN (Most Valuable Network) Internet and podcast site, "an independent sports media company relying on the volunteered time of people to “blog,” or write on the internet, about their favorite sports team or any derivation thereof."

And though he answers questions about his favorite team in his Bronx Block Mailbag, today, he addresses life on Elli's turf:

Do you get much coverage of baseball/American topics in Israel? Is there a league over there that you follow and is it similar to the minor leagues here?

The coverage of American sports here is pretty decent. If you have a television (I do not), you may be able to catch Sportscenter, and ESPN International carries the entire MLB postseason. Of course, due to the Internet, I can catch all the games on MLB.tv, although they do occur in middle of the night. There is an Israeli baseball league that opened last year. However, the league is struggling financially, and has not caught on among native Israelis, who stick to soccer and basketball. The Yankees actually recently signed two players from the league, outfielder Jason Rees and catcher Eladia Rodriguez.

It's "Eladio," but close enough. This kind of word-of-mouth and blog-to-blog coverage, from Jerusalem to Los Angeles to New York to Dublin, is how stories like this take hold and get deeper.

Israel baseball hopefuls chase dreams of field

Yes, sometimes we think we ought to rename this site Tabloid Baseball, but hey, we're sixteen days from Opening Day for the Major Leagues and over in Israel, that rival, renegade, rebel, upstart Israel Professional Baseball League, formed amid the rubble in the debt-ridden aftermath of the Israel Baseball League's inaugural (and, most likely, final) season, is scrambling to get something going by summer.

Sources tell Our Man Elli in Israel that the IPBL's billionaire frontman Jeff Rosen is negotiating to use a soccer field in Bat Yam, a coastal city just south of Tel Aviv, for IPBL play in the summer of 2008. Word is that Rosen's group has decided that the Baptist Village Field in Petach Tikva (former home to the IBL's Ra'anana Express and the Petach Tikva Pioneers) is too expensive.

Last week, Our Man Elli broke the incredible news that reports of the death of baseball in Israel are, if not greatly exaggerated, at least premature, with the report that Rosen and the IPBL are also negotiating with Israel's baseball governing body (which still carries an IBL logo and link on its website) to play ball without having to first cover the IBL's million dollar debt.

Is Rosen's rush good enough? Skeptics tell us there's not enough time to turn the field into a pro-level ballpark, and others wonder why Rosen hasn't put up any of his own vast fortune to cover some of the IBL debt (or made any good faith public gesture) to get his own league into first gear.

Watch this space for the latest. And while you're at it, check out our one-stop Baseball in Israel archive site here.

MacBook hard drive failures are no surprise

All of us in the Tabloid Baby office live by our Macs. The latest is the MacBook, which we've been using for about half a year or so and has served us well until Friday morning, when it suddenly shut down and came back up with the dreaded "flashing question mark" symbol. No, we didn't have the material backed up. We made an appointment at the Apple Store Genius Bar, where the Dwight Shrutish expert told us matter-of-factly that we'd experienced a "hard drive failure" and that since the computer was under warranty, he'd gladly replace the drive for free, on the spot, if we had half an hour to hang around. He had the MacBook in both hands and had pivoted toward the back room when we mentioned, "And we'll get all the information back, right?" "Oh, no. That's gone. You've lost everything," he replied with with what seemed to be a practiced blankness. "We are not authorized to do data retrieval. You'll have to go elsewhere for that and it's very expensive." "But we need the material. We can take the old drive, right?" "No. Because this is under warranty, we must take the original drive." We stopped him from taking the drive away for autopsy, and we left with the broken MacBook and business cards for three data retrieval companies, one of which was authorized by Apple and could replace the failed drive under the warranty-- after we pay potentially thousands to get our data back.

It was only later that Tabloid Baby's Mac Guy told us he'd done some research and found that MacBooks are known for an unusually high number of hard drive failures. And this forum on one of the Apple sites reveals a problem that the Apple folks apparently have known about at least since last May.

Topic for discussion: If Apple knows there's a problem, shouldn't they offer free data retrieval in this case? Or should Apple at least let customers keep the damaged drives in order to have the data retrieved on their own?

No, we didn't have the data backed up. Yes, we lost everything.

We pause in our coverage of baseball in Israel

Our Man Elli in Israel writes from Jerusalem:

"I went to that Yeshiva '71-'72, and I pass by the entrance every Monday and Wednesday at 4:45 PM. It's three minutes from my IBA office.

"I'll have to get back to you later. Dealing with a lot of sh-t here, and then I have to go to Tel Aviv for Shabbos."

Baseball's Israel tragic leads us to Irish magic

Don’t let the naysayers fool ya. Our coverage of the rise and fall— and, we hope, resurrection of baseball in Israel has led us to all kinds of interesting and friendly people and places. The latest is John Fitzgerald, baseball fan, baseball documentary director and baseball reality series producer who picked up our latest exclusive story on Israel baseball on his Playing for Peanuts blog, and, unlike some people who will go unnamed (like Uncle Murray “Do You Mr.” Chass and That Putz Greenberg), actually credited the source of the story—us!

“I commend the league's complete stubbornness and reckless behavior in the face of a impending financial meltdown. It reminds me of me. Nice job and good luck, guys.”

And thanks, Johnny! Good on ya!

It turns out that Mr. Fitzgerald directed and wrote The Emerald Diamond, the acclaimed (“Terrific!” The NY Post; “Charming!” The NY Times) 2006 documentary about Irish baseball (now available in a deluxe DVD edition).

And the site isn’t called “Playing for Peanuts” because he’s worked for Larry Baras. Fitzgerald and crew are taping a reality TV series by that very name, following a season in the life of the South Georgia Peanuts minor league baseball team.

Anyway, check out the Playing for Peanuts site. It’ll tell you where you can watch John Fitzgerald’s killer reality series. And The Emerald Diamond will be airing on St. Patrick’s Day on Sportsnet Chicago—the real St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, not March 15th as the Catholic Church arbitrarily moved it this year (so it won’t confliuct with their “Holy Monday”, just like they banned Danny Boy from funerals (when will they learn?). It’s also airing on the America One Network, mostly in the South, so we’ll ask our pal Lewis to check up on that.

James Frey returns with perfect timing

The day after that Valley Girl Margie Seltzer got caught "pulling a James Frey" and faking a memoir about life in the 'hood, we got this email from James Frey himself.

Or at least folks at his Big (Fat Liar) Jim Industries company know to strike while the lyin's hot:

Hello. You are receiving this message because you signed up to the mailing list on the James Frey website.

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Did he say "novel"? Well, he sure learned his lesson! Though we still think he folded too quickly and should have stonewalled: "Yeah, Oprah. It's my life. It's true. Prove otherwise!"

Dr. Ruehl's Bizarre News goes Hollywood

The Realm Of Bizarre News, Episode XI

Dr. Ruehl tells us: "Since I had some heavy black make-up on for a role and since I had coincidentally planned to make mention of "Ghost Whisperer," I kept the makeup on and noted that my face had previously been blackened to portray the ghost of a church congregant who had been burned to death on GW. However, this make-up is mild compared to the heavy dose I had on for GW."

Why the media should have given a sh*t about TMZ's "Sambo-Obama" slur (and why it didn't)

Over the weekend, we pointed out that the corporate porn-pushing gossip site TMZ.com ran a post headline that was even more disgusting than the usual fare like the coprophiliac ones squeezed out in recent hours (including You Too Can Buy Lou Pearlman’s Crap… Promoter Up Sh*t Creek Without Kelly Contract… and Zac Efron? Sounds Like Toilet Cleaner To Me):

"SNL" Creating Sambo-Obama?

The “Sambo-Obama” slur was a deliberate, irresponsible, dangerous move that minced far past the deviant celebutardcentric silly zone of the Time Warner-AOL cell. Though cloaked in a show business thong (the story, already a week old when it was slipped onto the TMZ site three days before the Texas and Ohio primaries, was ostensibly about a Saturday Night Live casting decision), moved slyly into the political arena and very well could have been planted with the approval of TMZ frontman Harvey Levin and his corporate overlords, just to keep the “Sambo-Obama” connection in the minds of voters.

We pointed it out over the weekend. Our staff sent out some alerts. And, to paraphrase TMZ:

Nobody gave a sh*t.

There were no links to our story; no follow-ups; no outrage over the powerful corporate porn-pushing gossips. What could it matter that a silly operation filled with pretty young boys and home video, out to embarrass whatever semicelebrity who ventures to the local Starbucks, used a racist term to describe an African American Presidential candidate—and used it in the wrong context?

Here’s why. Lazy entertainment bloggers (we’re looking at you, formerly-influential Defamer) link to TMZ videos and stories. And even lazier, fatter mainstream journalists-- the same ones who “got heavy” with Obama this week after they were lampooned on that very same Saturday Night Live show—use TMZ as a legitimate news source. Harvey Levin makes regular appearances on morning television in Los Angeles and elsewhere. Jon Klein at CNN even lets him sit in for Larry King. And when TMZ buys or hypes a story, the “mainstream news media” will often pick it up. And thanks to the powerful stewardship of AOL and Time Warner, TMZ stories are spread all over the Internet, picked up and copied automatically by hundreds of websites, blogs, slurpsites and search engines around the globe.

Proof? Google “Sambo-Obama”. Go ahead. Google it!

Notice there are “about 3,470” results.

Now remove the dash. Google "Sambo Obama":

About 273,000 results.

And it’s no credit to Harvey Levin and the crew. It's thanks to the power of the megamonolith behind them that “Sambo-Obama,” a crude, crass, demeaning, unclever headline from the lewd weekend crew, becomes part of the lexicon.

Don’t say you haven’t been warned.

ISRAEL BASEBALL EXCLUSIVE: IT AIN'T OVER! (At least not 'til it's over. IPBL quietly negotiates, IAB backs down and summer dream stays alive.)

As a great (honorary) Jewish ballplayer (and a great half-Jewish rock star) once said: It ain’t over ‘til it’s Passover. Er, "over."

And though time’s run out on self-imposed, common sense deadlines and there’s little chance anyone can get a baseball league together in Israel in time for summer, we must recall that in the days before he wrote off the 2008 season for us, Our Man Elli in Israel had told us something very intriguing:

“… One source told me, and I quote, ‘We've heard that Jeff Rosen's group (The Israel Professional Baseball League) remains interested in proceeding for 2008 and is hoping the IAB’—that’s the Israel Association of Baseball—‘relents in not requiring that 2007 obligations be settled as part of a licensing arrangement. I don't believe any final decisions have been made.’ I do know that the IPBL has been working on the ground in Israel. They’ve found playing fields and housing for the players.”

The Israel Professional Baseball League, the rebel would-be replacement for the crumbled IBL that was first announced in November by a group that included IBL players Andrew Wilson and Alan Gardner, Bet Shemesh Blue Sox general manager and IBL investor Michael Rollhaus and aforementioned billionaire investor Jeffrey Rosen, may have canceled the February 24th (coed!) tryouts on Miami, but as Our Man Elli reported, they’ve rescheduled them back for April 6th and is quietly pushing ahead to mark baselines on Israel fields before the end of summer.

What’s more, the IAB’s president has backtracked on his demand that they must pay their predecessor’s debts if they want a licence to play.

Elli, who will soon be heading Stateside on another lecture tour, is packing shirts and working the phones and email at the same time. He’s gotten in touch with the reticent billionaire Rosen and IAB president Haim Katz to find out what’s going on behind the scenes. First, he asked the who, what, when and where questions (which add up to “how”— and we already know why) of the IPBL honcho:

“Jeff, has the IPBL been certified by the IAB? Is there going to be a baseball season this summer? On which fields will it be played? How many teams will there be?”

“Eli, we are trying--"

"It's Elli. And you know it!"

"--We hope to. We have many issues we are working through everyday. Peter Kurz (The IAB’s secretary-general) is here in the USA and our negotiation for the contract have started. Will advise when we can...”

Elli also tried to pull a few more teeth and get some answers from IAB president Katz (he’s the guy who gave us that nice plug when he said, “Tabloid Baby will not determine when the process will be finished!”):

“I have nothing to add to our last conversation,” Katz began. “When I do, I will put out statement. When I’m ready.

“When everything’s closed (Translation: When deals are finalized), I will put out a statement.”

“But it’s already Match 4th!” Elli exclaimed.

“There won’t be baseball till the end of June the earliest,” said Katz, “As of today, there could be baseball.”

“Well, have you sanctioned anyone as of today?”

“We have not sanctioned anything as of today.”

“What about the IBL debts?”

Katz: “The IBL were the ones who promised the money. They didn’t pay them. They have the major responsibility (to pay it back).

“Didn’t you say you would not sanction a new league unless the debt was paid?”

“I don’t remember.” (Whoa!)

“Will the debts hold up a new league?”

--NO ANSWER--

“Will the issues be resolved?”

“I’m not a forecaster.”

When that Katz-and-mouse game was over, Elli spoke to another source who confirms that Rosen and Katz are still negotiating.

Stay tuned!

Dina Lohan gets her reality show

The following news release showed up in the Tabloid Baby mailbox this morning. Lindsay Lohan's mother is getting her reality show on the E! network. This was the reality show originally called "Momager" that she was hawking and filming while her golden gosling Lindsay was in rehab-- the one in which she pimps out her two youngest kids onto the Hollywood tray the way she served up Lindsay. This is is a big reason the inspirational reality show featuring her ex-husband Michael Lohan (see the trailer at the right of this page) never got any traction. A few years ago, people would have called Child Services to take a good look at a woman like this.  Nowadays, they just give her a reality show so we can all look and feel superior while a couple of more Lohan kids hop onto the sled to Hell.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
E! ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION ANNOUNCES NEW NONSCRIPTED SERIES
STARRING CELEBRITY MOM DINA LOHAN AND DAUGHTER ALI LOHAN

Bunim-Murray Productions and Maloof Television Present "Living Lohan" (Working Title), Debuting Summer 2008 on E!

Los Angeles, CA, March 4, 2008 – E! Entertainment Television will debut a new nonscripted series starring celebrity mom extraordinaire Dina Lohan and her youngest daughter, up-and-coming teen star Ali Lohan (14). Viewers will go inside the Lohan's Long Island home for the first time to follow Dina as she works double duty as mom and manager to help Ali try to follow in her big sister's famous footsteps and pursue her own shot at stardom. Co-produced by Bunim-Murray Productions and Maloof Television, "Living Lohan" (Working Title) will debut summer 2008 on E!

Dina has faced intense scrutiny over the past year due to daughter Lindsay's (21) highly publicized mishaps and her long-simmering divorce from her ex-husband. But the Lohan family has demonstrated great resiliency and, with Dina at the helm, they are moving on with their lives. Dina is determined to help each of her four kids fulfill their dreams and refuses to live in fear of what others may think, despite being under the paparazzi microscope.

E!'s cameras will follow the single mom every step of the way as she manages Lindsay's hectic schedule, while helping Ali jump start her music and acting career. This takes the family to the Palms Casino in Las Vegas, where Ali will record tracks for the Maloof's Interscope-based record label. Having grown up in the shadow of her sister's stardom and much publicized lifestyle, Ali is determined to achieve her own brand of success. But Dina is more experienced this time around and will do everything she can to protect Ali from the pressures and temptations of young Hollywood.

The series will also feature Dina keeping track of her son Cody (11) whose sports teams, homework and endless energy are enough to keep any soccer mom busy, as well as her older son, on-the-go college student Michael (20). Viewers will get to know the Lohan's close-knit extended family as well.

"The Lohans are one of the most intriguing families in the entertainment industry today," said Lisa Berger, Executive Vice President, Original Programming and Series Development for E! "This is a family that knows how to roll with the punches and come out on top. Dina is an incredibly hard-working, passionate mom that I think our viewers will find both relatable and highly entertaining."

"We are excited to be in business with the Lohan family and E! and look forward to a memorable series," said Phil Maloof, Chairman and CEO, Maloof Productions. "This series will provide an entertaining and unprecedented look at one of the most recognized families in America."

"We've been given unprecedented access to Dina Lohan and her kids lives; as a result, our series will deliver a powerful story that will both surprise and delight E!'s viewers," said Jonathan Murray, President, Bunim-Murray Productions.

We remember James Bogdanoff

The original generation of tabloid babies, some of them grown up and working for "mainstream" network news operations, others still churning away on the celebutarded tabloid TV wheel two decades later, came together in Manhattan over the weekend for the funeral of one of James Bogdanoff. He died of cancer last week, too young at 47. We knew and worked with James back in the early days of tabloid television when he was a top producer at A Current Affair and later its competitors. Always cheerful, always getting with the story, he most recently was helping set the national media agenda as a producer for ABC's Good Morning America. GMA personality Robin Roberts wept on the air when she announced his passing. Diane Sawyer and Deborah Norville spoke at his funeral. The ABC News site says: "His entire life was a testament to what is best in men. At work with us, he loved television, loved bringing the cares, hopes, passions and thoughts of his friends, neighbors and real people to what we produced each day for America. Nobody had a better eye for a picture that would glue people to a television set. He was a total joy to be with at work. Friendly, caring, a guy without a mean bone in his body." that sounds about right. James was a good guy; he had a wife and daughter and raised his nephews after their parents died.

Stevie D is like the new Dane Cook. Only funny.

The latest comedy star from the Great American South is heading to Hollywood in a 1978 Trans Am called The Kentucky Porsche and heading to a television set near you. In the tradition of Jeff Foxworthy, Larry The Cable Guy and Lynyrd Skynyrd, the rock’n’roll comic who calls himself Stevie D has been working hard on and around the Sunset Strip the past couple of years and quietly starring in an Internet entertainment magazine show that’s made enough waves and attracted enough repeat customers that it's getting ready to roll out on a network.

As the Stevie D Show pilot makes the rounds, our pal Keith Walker is riding that Kentucky Porsche as associate producer and turns us on to Stevie D as headliner of the Rockstars of Comedy motion picture that’s heading for theatres in the summer.

Rutles reunion brings Neil Innes to Hollywood!

Neil Innes, subject and star of the new musical documentary feature The Seventh Python from our pals at Frozen Pictures, is coming to Los Angeles! Neil will be joining legendary Eric Idle, erstwhile Beach Boy Ricky Fataar and the dour-faced John Halsey-- AKA Dirk, Nasty, Stig & Barry-- to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash, at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood on March 17.


The event is presented by American Cinematheque's Mods & Rockers Film Festival, and will feature a screening of the film, which was written and co-directed by Python and Spamalot genius Idle-- as well as clips from the sequel and other rarities.

All You Need Is Cash premiered on NBC March 22, 1978 to low ratings and instant acclaim.


Click here for updates on The Seventh Python.