Dr. Ruehl stars as skateboarding movie premieres

Skateboarding movies, which usually premiere in board shops to crowds that number in the dozens, have jumped to a whole new level with Nike’s Jackass-meets-Lords of Dogtown motion picture Nothing But The Truth, which is opening with a series of high-profile, big-time premieres around the world, including one this week at Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre and on Tuesday, in London.

And guess which performer is getting top billing in the publicity blitz?

You got it! As the headline already gave away, it's Tabloid Baby contributor, pal and nuclear physicist-turned-public access cult figure-turned mainstream actor Dr. Franklin Ruehl, who has a major role!

“I portrayed a movie producer in the film and I was only one of two actors selected for the London trip,” the doctor tells us of his first trip to Blighty. “I will be departing Sunday for arrival Monday and the premiere on Tuesday.

"And I want to take in as much as possible without getting lost!”

See Dr. Ruehl in the trailer above. And stay tuned here for the latest on Dr. Ruehl’s ascent to movie stardom.

TMZ TV needs to push some porn

The syndicated television series based on the corporate porn-pushing gossip site TMZ.com has finally shown up in the national television ratings chart in its third week on the air-- and now we know why the suits sent the first two weeks' worth of numbers back to be "reprocessed."

TMZ debuted with a 1.7 (1.7 Harveys shown above), which means the show came in last place among the infotainment magazine shows and that its formula of creepy old man + pretty young boys + plain women works a little less than half as well as The Insider's mix of creepy old man + pretty young men & women + Cojo.

Entertainment Tonight stayed at #1 with a 4.8, Inside Edition, the show nobody watches, managed a giant 3.3; The Insider and Access Hollywood tied at 2.3; while Extra!, the "sistership" of TMZ at Warner Brothers, managed a 1.8, just a hair more than TMZ.

(Note to MH: No, we don't have any comment on reports of any TB-on-TMZ book deal...)

Why Jenna Bush and her sister aren't in Iraq

We pass along this photo and sentiment from Rox Populi:

Jenna Bush, daughter of the president, is asked in Time magazine:

If the war in Iraq is so noble, why aren't you and your sister serving our country there?

She replies:

"I understand that point, but there are many ways to serve our country, and I think my skills are better suited for teaching and representing the U.S. in Latin America through UNICEF. I respect the men and women of our country who are over there fighting. It is an unbelievably selfless thing to do. But if people really thought about it, they would know it's not even a practical question."


One Sunday a month or so, we take the kids to the Santa Monica pier.

...and a tip of the Tabloid Baby hat to Roxanne at Rox Populi...

PETITION: KEEP BONADUCE ON L.A. RADIO!

We reported last month that Los Angeles radio personality Danny Bonaduce might be leaving his role on the execrable Adam Carolla Radio Show for an afternoon gig at WLUP radio in Chicago. Though reports last week state he’ll be staying with the Carolla show in LA, insiders tell us his future here is still up in the air (he could host the Chicago show from an LA studio, just as Jonathon Brandmeier once hosted KLSX's show from Chicago)-- and fans on the Carolla message board note that Carolla and his battered radio wife Teresa Strasser have openly marginalized Bonaduce even further lately.

At their request, we’ve started the following petition:

Dear CBS Radio bosses:

Please do not allow Danny Bonaduce to leave the Adam Carolla Radio Show and Los Angeles and take a job in Chicago!

Danny is the sole ray of light in an extended dark morning, and the one brighting shining hope for talk radio since Howard Stern left the business almost two years ago.

Danny's personal history and experience in Hollywood have only added to his character and personality. His ability to cut through radio artifice and speak straight from the heart about his personal troubles, from his addictions to failed marriage, not only inspire thousands of listeners but make for compelling, appointment radio (much more so than Carolla’s latest regurgitated “rant” about traffic signal lights).

Danny Bonaduce is a great radio personality who follows in the tradition— and combines the best-- of Jean Shepherd, Garrison Keillor, Michael Savage and Howard Stern himself. And, as his on-air treatment by Carolla indicates, he is more than ready to take over your KLSX morning radio slot on his own.

If the competition in Chicago is really so hard-up to fill a hosting slot, please offer Adam Carolla instead (and give Danny the KLSX morning slot). They can save transportation costs by letting Carolla do the show from a studio or his home in LA, as Jonathon Brandmeier used to do.

Also, please give Danny the Frosty Heidi and Frank slot. Now.

Sincerely,


______________
A KLSX Listener

Print this post, cut out the petition and mail it to

DAN MASON
President and CEO
CBS Radio
1515 Broadway
New York, NY 10036

Or cut and paste it to the CBS Radio comments page here.

Or post your comments here and we’ll pass them on.

Exclusive! Spend 2008 with Mark Hudson

Colorful songwriter and producer Mark Hudson, who's produced and written hits for stars like Ozzy Osbourne, Aerosmith, Ringo Starr and Celine Dion, has now produced a calendar. Twelve months of Mark are available for unveiling for each month in 2008.

The calendar is being released in conjunction with the launch of his historic one-man show on October 28th at the Puck in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and comes in two sizes-- the standard 8.5" x 11" and a whopping 13.5" x 19" Exclusive Limited Premium Edition. All full-colour, all candid, some featuring Mark with celebrities he's worked with, and none, as far as we can tell, nude.

Mark has just finished remixing the music for The Seventh Python, the Neil Innes musical biopic produced by our friends at Frozen pictures-- including Mark's kid, and fellow former Hudson, brother, Brett. Mark's work with the Python music, says director Burt Kearns, "is facking awesome."

So until the soundtrack CD arrives, click here.

...and another tip of the Tabloid Baby hat to Stephie...

The Seventh Python poster in production

Our pals at Frozen Pictures are playing around with a new promotional poster for their Neil Innes musical biopic feature, The Seventh Python. Above is a rough version. If you ask us, it looks like the cover of All Things Must Pass.


What do you think? We'll pass it on.

(FUN FACT: The influential Innes and Beatle George were close friends, who shared among other things, a love of the ukulele.)

Strasser's lies about Tabloid Baby reverberate

"...Read the "Cover-up! What was TMZ's role in the Indy 4 Theft" entry that was posted Thursday night. At first I found the idea that she was carrying out a hit a little far fetched, but what am I supposed to believe-- that she broke down over a throwaway line of backhanded praise written on September 13th, or that she responded on air to something unfavorable about TMZ written the night before?"
--posting on
The Adam Carolla Show's
Official Message Board

What a time for the Tabloid Baby staff to set off on an office-class teambuilding-spiritual retreat in the mountains high above San Bernardino, which is where we were when reaction began slamming in to our report that Teresa Strasser, who plays a journalist on the execrable Adam Carolla radio show as well as on the TV series based on the corporate porn-pushing gossip site TMZ.com, had gone on the radio with an inaccuracy-filled attack on us--the day after our report that questioned TMZ's activities in the Indiana Jones theft case.

There's been reaction from colleagues on the TMZ staff, from media professionals and critics-- but first and foremost, among hardcore fans of the Carolla show (as heard on the show's official message board) who do not seem to be fans of the woman they call "T with the V":

"WOW! Someone finally calls Teresa out on her perpetual lies (Brandon the ex-bf, Brusca, what's written about her on the message board, not reading the message board, etc.) I gotta be honest - after hearing her on-air version of the story I wasn't convinced that it was tabloidbaby.com she was talking about because what she was complaining about was so ridiculously different from what was written. I even went to try and figure out who wrote tabloidbaby.com, but it wasn't readily apparent to me that it was the author of the book 'Tabloid Baby', who fit Teresa's description. He's totally on the mark that she distorted and outright lied about what was written to garner yet another pity party."

And:

"...Once again proves Brusca's point how T is "soooooo sensitive" about herself, yet loves to tear into other people.

"She said I woke up this morning and I woke up Batman... and said am I ugly like Rachel Dratch- am I too ugly?' Calling Rachel Dratch ugly? Real nice T. Saying this about anyone is rude but especially a NICE female guest that was just in studio recently. I noticed Adam had a slight pause after she said that- like he wanted to say something... yet he just let it go.

"T is exactly the 'society' Adam was ranting about in America the other day... how snarky and snippy we are loving to point the finger at others. In our little clicks... T goes down as Creep of the Century."

To be fair, the Carolla fans are no fans of Tabloid Baby.

And even our pal, the esteemed Luke Ford, has taken us to task for our criticism of Teresa:

*I’m a longtime Teresa Strasser fan. I think she’s hot and I think her writing rocks...

*Teresa says she cried about Tabloid Baby calling her ugly and saying she has a crooked nose and other such low blows. It’s ridiculous to argue that she was carrying water for anybody when she was just crying from her heart. There was no hit from her on Tabloid Baby. There was no personal attack on its primary author...

*It’s not fair or accurate to describe Teresa’s role on Adam’s show as "a sexual punching bag for Carolla and crew." She reads the news and she mixes it up...

*Teresa is clearly reading nobody’s copy. That’s preposterous. There are no scripted speeches on the Adam Carolla show.* It’s a low blow to keep taking these shots at the looks of women. For my money, Teresa and Sarah Silverman are smoking hot.

We emailed Luke to thank him for taking the time to add his voice to the debate-- and to explain, in part:

"We've no real problems with Teresa. We think she was typecast for TMZ TV because she fits the ethnic/brunette/not too pretty mold so the egomad managing editor/executive producer Harvey Levin-- who made himself the host-- would not look old, waxy, Dillerish in comparison... We don't enjoy Carolla's brand of fratboy anti-immigrant, woman-hating radio humour-- the type of humour that emanates from nerdy sports fan (not sports player) losers who hate beautiful women and blame the downtrodden for their own lost chances. Howard Stern played it masterfully when he was alive. Kimmel and Carolla are lunkhead buffoons and Teri S plays into their game.

But bottom line, she did not have to lie about Tabloid Baby. It was obvious she was firing a volley on behalf of TMZ after my report the previous day..."

Meanwhile, media webhub Fishbowl LA remarks that her "bit about how Tabloid Baby (not that she named the site) was mean about her... is pretty rich, coming from a woman who works for TMZ TV... Even sadder, the fans on the Adam Carolla message boards think she's an idiot as well. Strasser used to have a career. Why did she take either of these jobs?"

But what has Teresa said since? Fill us in. We've been in the mountains, and have returned, more focused, serene, forgiving...

TMZ'd! Teresa Strasser lies about us on the radio

Teresa Strasser, if we made you cry, we apologize!

But come on. Did we really make you cry? Really? From a listen to the evidence, it seems more likely you made up the story to carry out a hit on behalf of your bosses!

And the hit was on us, a puny-- though qualified-- voice in cyberspace.

We got word yesterday that Teresa, who does double duty at the execrable Adam Carolla radio show and the syndicated TV series based on the corporate porn-pushing gossip site TMZ.com, talked about us on the radio. And thanks to fans at the Adam Carolla message board, we were able to hear what she said about us.

Teresa, Teresa, Teresa… The poor gal, who for months has been a sexual punching bag for Carolla and crew, whose radio persona is based on whining about her unlucky-at-love status, and who is now aligned with a heartless tabloid series, actually claimed that one of our reports made her cry.

Teresa didn’t mention us by name, but gave enough hints that within minutes, our Tabloid Baby items were already posted on Carolla message boards and fan sites. And though she sounded to be speaking extemporaneously during the segment, anaysis shows that it's more likely she was referring to, and reading from notes (whenever she was interrupted mid-sentence by Carolla, she returned to the same point, verbatim)-- notes that were inaccurate.

To be blunt, she lied. In fact, Teresa’s complaint, which forms the basis of a 23 minute and 25 second Carolla show segment, appears to be the first diversionary counterattack from TMZ in wake of the every serious questions raised in our recent reports about the site.

You can hear the Carolla radio segment here, under the “Too Hot for Radio” link.

Our transcript follows, with footnotes:

ADAM CAROLLA: Teresa was a little dejected this morning due to an Internet blogger making nasty comments about her this week, but we all know she's the hottest thing in radio and now that she's on TMZ, the hottest on TV for that matter.

TERESA STRASSER: Maybe I had to put in a little extra effort because I had a rough day yesterday. I was just telling Brian, there’s this, um, media blogger, for some reason he just hates me (1), and um he never writes about the contents of anything I do or my writing, he just writes about how ugly I am (2)?

(Recorded gag effect: “What is it with this Jew?”)

AC: This is a media blogger. What is a “media blogger,” exactly?

TS: This guy has a site. I don’t want to say the name of it. (3)

AC: All right.

TS: But he writes about media. He covers— that’s his beat. He writes about our show here, the Adam Carolla Show, and he writes about TMZ. (4)

AC: Does he cover it from his mom’s basement—

TS: “Heee-- Yes--

AC: Or is it a real gig?

TS: Yes. He’s written a book in the past and I think he used to work on Hard Copy. But he can’t work in television any more. (5)

(Recorded gag soundbite: “I’m explosive!”)

TS (cont’d): And he, uh, I never look at those things, cause as you know I can’t handle it? But yesterday I was at TMZ and I was like, ‘Aaah, I’m kinda bored, let me just—let me just google myself’ and I got about eight pages in and there was nothing but great-- people just writing the most kindhearted things, (6) and I just kept looking until I got to the thing—and this guy was so cruel, and it was just basically about how I’m hideous, and uh, and he said that I’m gonna be replaced on TMZ because, um I’m like Rachel Dratch on 30 Rock and I’m too ugly for television and they’re gonna have to replace me with Jane Krakowski. And he was like that bent nosed, pancake makeup-- uhh!!

AC: …Rachel Dratch, too ugly to do comedy?

TS: That’s what he said. (7) And by the way, I mean--

AC: That’s like being too ugly to detail cars…

TS: Well I got really, you know, in my mind-- had a conversation with this guy in my mind for about four hours, where I thought like, what do you want me to be a Barbie doll? I do the news and um, you know he’s-- I don’t think he’s ever googled me or has any idea that I, um, you know, have had a career in journalism. (8) I’m not trying to be a Maxim model.

AC: Yeah, I—I—I-- I totally concur…

TS: Oh, it said one of the reasons I was ugly was because you are wearing me out. It said "after months of Adam Carolla, she’s worse for wear." (9)

At this point, co-host Danny Bonaduce goes into a funny riff on comments on the TMZ website about his own appearance.

TS: I-- I try. I try to put – I, I try to put it out of my mind because I thought this is just one guy and I’ve, I’ve been really lucky I’ve had nothing but mostly nice things written about me. But I woke up this morning and the first thing, about three seconds into consciousness, I just thought. “I’m so ugly, I’m too ugly for television.” I started crying. I had to wake up Batman. I’m like, “Batman, am I ugly?! Do I look like Rachel Dratch? I’m too ugly!”

AC: Well, okay, cup-- couple of things.

TC: I can’t move on and I can’t let go.

AC: I understand…

TS: Can’t let go.

AC: People-- People are, people are cruel. People are cruel. Um--

TS: Ouch! Ouch!

AC: Now the Internet has become what used to be the car window at sixty miles an hour…

TS: Yeah, like, “Hey, fat ass!”

At this point, Carolla launches into a braying, droning three minute and 32 second “rant” about the Internet, automobiles, Suge Knight, writing emails and the appearance of TV commentators and comedians, before taking a phone call from a listener who tells Teresa, “You’re much too pretty for radio” and suggests that the media blogger must “be on crack.”

AC: First thing I hate is the inaccuracy…

Carolla now launches into a braying, droning one minute and 22 second rant about reviews of The Man Show before Bonaduce gets a word in edgewise.

"To be honest, I got this job
basically because you, Adam,
flipped a coin between me
and some girl with better boobs.”

TS: Well, it was weird, when I first started working here at the Adam Carolla Show, this same site wrote a very lengthy piece, all of which was inaccurate, And I was shocked that he never fact checked-- it wasn’t mean to me so it didn’t hurt but he wrote, his thesis was-- and he, and he wrote it as fact, he said “CBS radio got together and all the suits got together’ and I think the headline was “Girl saves drowning show.” And it said they needed a liberal to save the show (10)and it was this whole cra—I’m-- first of all—I, I’m not that liberal, I’m fiscally conservative, I’m, I don’t believe in affirmative action, I don’t support a lot of welfare programs-- I’m not that liberal! And secondly—

DB: Not a huge fan of comedy—

TS: And secondly, there was, there was a hu—there was never a huge meeting with any suits in New York, I never met anyone in New York and to be honest I got this job basically because you Adam flipped a coin between me and some girl with better boobs.

AC: Mmmmmmm…

TS: I mean was there ever a powwow about hiring a liberal?

AC: Hahahaha…

TS: And this was completely, completely fabricated.(11)

AC: Yeah, yeah. That’s how it works.

At this point, Bonaduce speaks about Carolla’s cult of admiring fans.

Carolla launches into a braying, droning one minute and 26 second about laughing at his own farts and other people’s farts before Bonaduce gets another word in.

The segment ends with Carolla and Bonaduce assuring Teresa Strasser that she isn’t ugly. Carolla goes into a braying, droning two minute and 13 second rant about the “cut off point” of ugliness.

FOOTNOTES:

(1) We don’t hate Teresa. We, in fact, have watched out for her and called attention to the disrespect shown her on the Carolla show. And Tabloid Baby is not a "media blogger." We're a news team comprised of experienced, respected news and tabloid pros who share our knowledge and wisdom for free.

(2) That is demonstrably untrue. We have written about Teresa’s credentials and work from the beginning.

(3) Next time, say the name. Tabloid. Baby. Dot. Com. At least John & Ken were honest enough to do that.

(4) True.

(5) False. The journalists and producers who are part of the Tabloid Baby team, from its editor to its contributing reporters in far-reaching parts of the globe, are all influential and employed. As a currently-employed TV talent, Teresa should know better than to spread that kind of factoid.

(6) The first unkind mention of “Teresa Strasser” actually comes on the sixth page of Google search, not from Tabloid Baby, but in an item entitled “Someone is doing Teresa Strasser doggie style.”

(7) We never said that Rachel Dratch is too ugly to be on television. We merely reported that she was replaced on NBC's 30 Rock for that reason.

(8) Our first story on Teresa did in fact infer that we had “googled” her: “A check of the net shows Strasser to be a part of the Carolla-Jimmy Kimmel ‘family’ already-- an actress and TV host who worked as a writer on Win Ben Stein’s Money, the game show that featured Kimmel in a supporting role. She’s got a website that shows her to feel pretty good about herself, but that’s bound to change as Carolla will systematically grind her into powder on the air, trampling on any jokes she might throw out, and trumping her witty asides with his long-winded, monotonous stream-of-consciousness ‘comedy’ monologues.” In fact, most all of our mentions of Teresa cite her past, and as a result, bemoan her future.

(9) Actual line: "A dour Teresa Strasser, looking the worse for wear after months of battering by the execrable Adam Carolla on morning radio, literally got about three seconds of airtime near the end.”

(10) Inaccurate. False and strangely wrong. Our item, “Radio After Stern: Drowning Carolla grabs a woman” made no mention of CBS, CBS suits in New York or Teresa’s political leanings. It mentions Carolla’s (hanging up on) Ann Coulter stunt as a potential way to boost his own liberal credentials. But Teresa’s politics have not been mentioned on the site, ever.

(11) There was never a mention of powwows, executives, or “hiring a liberal” in the post. It appears some other suits led you into a trap, Teresa. Whose copy were you reading there?

Frozen Pictures' Cloud 9 reigns o'er India!

Our pals at Frozen Pictures, deep into the world of Bonzos, Rutles and Flying Circuses as they wrap production on their upcoming feature film musical, The Seventh Python, have surfaced with some exotic news about their first feature film project: Cloud 9, Frozen’s wild and wildly influential sports comedy starring Burt Reynolds, DL Hughley and Gary Busey, has become a big hit in India!

Bollywood giants Shemaroo Entertainment released deluxe DVD and VCD versions of the hilarious beach volleyball comedy a few weeks ago. The launch was accompanied by high-profile giveaways, contests and other promotions, and the movie was praised as a sexy, funny and insightful comedy that stands up for women.

It’s also been compared favorably to a recent Bollywood hit starring one of the biggest stars in Indian cinema, Shahrukh Khan (also known as “King Khan”), as a disgraced captain of the Indian hockey team who decides to coach a female hockey team:

"The story is much akin to our Bollywood ‘Chak De’. A washed out former star, who is in need of money and an ambition to be fulfilled works towards a get rich plan and starts a volleyball team whose players consist of a group of beautiful athletic strippers. Burt Reynolds efforts in forming the world’s sexiest beach volleyball team with the strippers, is seen as a rib tickling comedy. Eventually though as the girls’ popularity swells, they want to win the crowds with their abilities, and not their bodies where these girls team up and play a match against actual volley ball players."

Cloud 9, of course, was written and produced by Frozen Pictures' Brett Hudson and Burt Kearns, along with Albert S. Ruddy, Oscar®-winning producer of The Godfather and Million Dollar Baby.

"We were talking about doing a sequel in Australia called 'Cloud 9 Down Under,'" says producer-writer Kearns. "Maybe we'll take the team to India and do 'Bolly-ball'!"

“I love Indian food,” adds Hudson, trying to curry favor with the new audience.

Sez Shemaroo:

"Shemaroo Entertainment has had a superb experience with their first English title release. The wonderful packaging of Cloud 9 drew a lot of attention from the retail shops. Further, Cloud 9 went ahead with exciting activities that were conducted for the first time in Shemaroo. The movie was released on the Friendship Day wherein Café Coffee Day had a special Cloud 9 Combo in their menu card. Anybody on the friendship day who would order a Cloud 9 Combo would get the exclusive movie Merchandise. On that special day all the Coffee Day outlets had a Cloud 9 Table Mat which contained a SMS contest with Phoney Tunes and the winner would stand a chance a win a Gift hamper.


"The movie Cloud 9 has Burt Reynolds as the lead cast and along with other stars like Ex-Miss USA, Kenya Moore and the internationally acclaimed volleyball star–turned-supermodel Gabrielle Reece and supermodel and the former Playboy Playmate, Angie Everhart, the movie Cloud 9 is worth keeping your eyes glued onto."

Exclusive! TMZ-Carolla-girl Teresa Strasser nude!

We read on the Adam Carolla radio show message boards that "on-air talent/news" gal Teresa Strasser mentioned Tabloid Baby on this morning's broadcast. Cool!

Apparently, Teresa reacted in some way to our musings on the debut of the television version of the corporate porn-pushing gossip site TMZ.com, on which she plays one of the supporting plug-uglies to "main on-air personality" Harvey Levin-- and not our advice and reactions to the execrable carolla radio show in which she plays the femme punching bag, referred to by the nasal host as a "Jewess," and forced to giggle at crude comments about her "V" and sex life.

Teresa, whom we salute as an actual writer, has unfortunately become wedged in the Carolla-Kimmel sexist lunkhead factory (as a print columnist, she also falls into the tired Fifties-stereotype as the hapless serial dater) as the prim counterpoint to Kimmel's gal Sarah Silverman (We watched nutty Sarah's ooh-how-shocking show last night and have to ask again: Is her head too small for her body or what?) and has seen her reputation erode further from her halcyon makeover-show hosting days with bad lighting and pancake makeup on the TMZ TV show.

Hey, we feel her pain.

So what did she say about us? Everyone in the Tabloid Baby office is very excited to know. Who'd think that the corporate monoliths would not only read-- but send out one of their hirees to respond to-- the comments of a small, independent operation?

Ha!

(Oh, when we wrote "nude," we meant stripped of all pretense. If you feel ripped off, go to this NSFW Tabloid Baby tribute site and ogle nudies to your heart's content. T's not there, but her predecessor at the Carolla show is).

SEE IT HERE! The REAL Anna Nicole death photo

AND THIS AIN'T IT:

Ha! Turns out we're getting thousands and thousands of visitors today, after folks across the globe googled ANNA NICOLE DEATH PHOTOS in reaction to reports that pix of Anna Nicole Smith on her Hard Rock hotel deathbed. Turns out that the story was infotainment show hype-- shows like The Insider bought up the shots only so they could debunk them as live-but-wasted Anna Nicole with tartar sauce, not death puke, across her chin and chest.

The real Anna Nicole death photo is here:

THIS IS ANNA NICOLE DEAD:

The shot of dead Anna Nicole in her body bag appeared in the National Enquirer shortly after her untimely death (and here on March 3rd) -- but billed as a "photo re-creation based on eyewitness accounts," because, as our pals at the New York Post's Page Six revealed, the Enquirer editors got feet as cold as Anna Nicole and mislabeled the photo because "we didn't want to get anyone fired" at the mortuary.

So. to clear up any confusion: the top "vomit" photo that's circulating is not a death photo (and it's not spew)-- it's Anna Nicole, whacked out and being a pig months before her demise. The lower photo shows dead Anna Nicole, wheeled out from the morgue refrigerator drawer.

And now you know... the rest of the story...

(See a NSFW photographic tribute to Anna Nicole Smith here.)

Cover-up! What was TMZ's role in Indy 4 theft?

"Another day, another half-ass version of the Indiana Jones IV sting in 'Mainstream Media.' What is the problem?

"…Traditional Media has backed off of TMZ, which published on their syndicated TV show material that clearly came directly from this theft. There is no mention of TMZ in 'wrap-up' coverage from the AP, The Hollywood Reporter or the Los Angeles Times… Keep in mind, the details of TMZ’s running of this material has not only been pointed to by this blog... but aired in syndication, making it easily tracked. And the original version of the story, by IESB... clearly pointed to TMZ… which has yet to run/keep a story on any of this on their website..."

Oh, Harvey! Oh, boy! Oh, boys! It looks like the corporate porn-pushing gossip site TMZ.com has good reason to conspicuously ignore the most important entertainment Hollywood story of the day-- because it’s part of the story-- once again tiptoeing the line of legality in its giddy enthusiasm to get any kind of scoop.

The Internet media, headed by IESB and David Poland at Movie City News (quoted above), is leading the quest for the story behind the story of the theft of thousands of production stills and other information related to Steven Spielberg’s upcoming Indiana Jones movie. And rightfully, the Internet media is angry that the “mainstream media” isn’t giving credit to the new media. But at the same time, for some reason, the “mainstream media” is omitting mention of the involvement of TMZ, which is financed by coporate giants AOL and Time Warner.

After the arrest of the alleged thief this week, the LA Times reports that “on Tuesday, someone e-mailed several entertainment gossip websites saying he or she had images from the upcoming movie and was willing to sell them.” The Times doesn’t mention that the only “entertainment gossip website” to bite (the photos were reportedly going for $2,000) was TMZ.

TMZ headlined the story for its flailing television show before yanking all mention and links from the website.

The Times also leaves out a part of the story that IESB reported exclusively: “...the thief was apprehended by LAPD and the FBI with the help of a member of the online press that had been offered the stolen property. Sources tell us that an undercover sting operation was set in motion late last night with the help of the unnamed member of the online press.”

Did TMZ, under threat of legal action and possible arrest for purchasing blatantly stolen property, agree to "wear a wire"? Is Harvey Levin, in wake of the very questionable purchase of evidence in the latest OJ Simpson, looking to be disbarred (if he indeed still holds a legal license)? We've sought comments from our contacts within the TMZ organization, but all the boys are keeping mum on this one-- so far. And so far, the "mainstream media" isn't asking.

So we'll ask: Why not?

After past examples cited in the book Tabloid Baby, we'd also ask why would any of the book’s students (the tabloid babies running these websites and entertainment shows) would traffic in material that’s not only illegal but which pose such a blatant conflict of interest?

For the story behind the story, see David Poland at the Movie City News’ Hot Blog and IESB.

Sex at Disneyland?! "Postcoital picture" on display in Minnie Mouse's powder room

We were wandering through Disneyland last night (where do you spend your Wednesday evenings?) when we decided to pay a visit to Minnie Mouse’s house on Neighborhood Drive in the dodgy Toontown, the park’s hip hop section, way in back, literally on the other side of the tracks from the rest of the place. We'd passed through Minnie’s living room and were standing in the powder room when a very interesting picture on the wall caught our collective eye and prompted us to give it a mention:


To our untrained and unbiased eye, it apparently shows a mythical centaur and Disney-created “centaurette” in a state of naked, post-coital bliss.



As in the human counterpart to the aftersex scene, he’s sleeping (Case closed! --Ed.). She, seemingly risen from the "sixty nine" position, covers her breasts modestly while accepting grapes...


...from a cherub who averts his eyes (having flown over the intimate scene...)

Now, Disneyland and Disney art both have their documented share of violence, scariness, descents into Hell and tragic loss of parents— butsex? Displayed in the center of the home where single gal Minnie lives right next door to Mickey?

The Family Vacations Getaways website notes that “…after you… proceed to tour the interior of her house… there are delightful little surprises ‘hidden’ throughout Minnie's house that may bring a grin to your face…” This one triggered a quizzical expression. We’re sure we're offbase, that it’s simply an innocent cel from the controversial Pastoral Symphony section of Fantasia (controversial for its depiction of centaurette nudity and outrageous racist caricature), which depicts a mythical ancient Grecian world, yet in this contextless circumstance, the picture seems to point to nothing but some good wine after satisfying semibeastial sex.


Hey, what do you think? We await word from LA Dodger Jon at Hollywood Thoughts, the authority. And if you happen to stop by Toontown, let us know if they take the picture down...

Israel Baseball League fields new foul calls

Now there’s physical detritus in wake of the controversial first season of the Israel Baseball League that Our Man Elli wrote about so effectively and shockingly in its final week. While various fans and factions continue to debate the blunders, potential and future of the league, what was a field of dreams is a new Israel battleground—and again the spinmeisters are jostling for credit and avoidance of blame.

At issue is the baseball field at Sportek in Tel Aviv's Hayarkon Park, which was renovated earlier this year with funds donated by North American Jews for use by the Israel Baseball League in its inaugural season. In a deal with the city, the IBL made improvements, built an extensive fence to deliniate the outfield and made it the home field for the Tel Aviv Lightning and Netanya Tigers.

But the deal with the city mandated that the upgrades be revered at the end of the season. Now the city wants the fence removed and the grounds returned to its crappy condition.

Israel Baseball League founder Larry Baras (left) told the Jerusalem Post: "We spent the money necessary to improve the baseball field so that the growing community baseball program in Tel Aviv, which is mostly comprised of children, can have a good, safe field on which to play,"

And that’s where the new PR trouble kicks in for the Boston-based Baras.

Sources tell us that “the field sucked beyond belief” all season: “Metal was coming up from the ground! And he should say the field is so pristine it should be left as is? Baloney!” (NOTE: Elli wrote about the "potentially dangerous field conditions," and quoted Bet Shemesh Blue Sox catcher Scott Jarmakowicz saying, “There are rocks, glass, and pieces of rusty metal we pulled out of the ground. You can slide on a rock anywhere, but most fields aren’t gong to have three bars sticking out of it. And these are hard fences, you can really get hurt.”)

The IBL is taking another hit because despite squawks from Baras, the IBl is considered a nonentity-- anonplayer-- in Israel. The fight to keep the baseball field is being led not by the IBL, but the non-profit Israel Association for Baseball. The IAB brought baseball to Israel 20 years ago, and has launched the last-ditch, international campaign to save the field, encouraging people in Israel and abroad to write to Tel Aviv mayor Ron Huldai in an effort to convince him to change course.

The IBL? They’re walking away. Boston-based Baras says “We plan on playing elsewhere.” The IBL will find a new place to play, content to leave Israeli kids in Tel Aviv without their own field of dreams. The decision, and attitude is only adding to the claims that Baras and his league don’t give a hoot about native Israelis.

Elli?

Mark Hudson wrestles The Seventh Python

Tabloid Baby was there at the legendary Whatinthewhatthe studios in Los Angeles as writer-producer Mark Hudson worked on the musical soundtrack for the Neil Innes biopic that our pals at Frozen Pictures are getting ready for the movie circuit.

Along with ace engineer Sami Diament, Mark produced, tweaked, mixed and added some of his trademark background vocals to the landmark concert material featured in The Seventh Python.



Best known as writer and producer for Ringo Starr Aerosmith and Ozzy Osbourne (he wrote 'Smith's "Living On The Edge"), Mark's laid down tracks in the tiny studio with musicians and legends like Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Brian Wilson, Tom Petty, Sarah Hudson and many others.


The colorful Mark (see photos) first had legions of fans as a member of The Hudson Brothers and is now a favorite in homes across the UK for his rolw on the popular X Factor TV series. He and Neil Innes go "way back," both being intimates of various Beatles, and having performed together at various Beatlefests. "I love Neil. He's a great parodist. You can name any band, any style of music and Neil will come up with a song that's as good as any of them. And funny, too! He's also simply a great songwriter and performer. Neil is the best."


Python's director Burt Kearns had similar words for Mark Hudson's work. "Mark gave us all a lesson in the inner sanctum of rock 'n'roll. He listened to these raw tracks with a smile on his face then jumped right in and spun the raw material into gold-- and all the while, he was spinning stories, taking calls and playing host. He's a wizard, like a Todd Rundgren with a great personality. And hey, he had some great Neil stories. Now we want him in the picture, too!"


(See more photos here...)

Johnny Angel's rebel yell

No sooner had we sent out an inquiring email asking for the whereabouts and wherefores of our old pal Johnny Angel (the Boston punk rock guitarist turned LA rock 'n'roll writer turned lefty talk radio host Johnny Wendell, body builder and dad), than we get a link to his latest essay, this one in a magazine we haven't heard of called New Angeles Monthly (apparently launched this summer, by the folks behind LA CityBeat), which starts out as a story about bringing his kid to the first day of school and quickly skids off into a manifesto:

...So, here I stand before the world: A walking, talking variation or version of Lenny Bruce’s worst nightmare, who once opined that “there’s nothing sadder than an aging hipster.”

And the great comic was right. What on earth is more pathetic than some graybeard holding forth on the merits of Arcade Fire versus the Silversun Pickups, or reciting the profundities of Lil Wayne? To dress like a member of the Strokes when you’re more likely to have one than be one? That’s posey bullshit, an effort to coattail onto someone else’s youth because yours is long gone.

But to never opt in to the idea that there is a certain cutoff point to pursuing your dream, that isn’t a pose or an act, that’s a principle. You can be a middle-aged boho if you like. Who’s stopping you?

I’m hoping to become an old-aged one, too.

Who says you can’t make art and get paid for it? ...A home studio and Pro Tools rig are affordable for anyone... We used to claim back in the indie Eighties, in the wake of punk rock, that anyone can do it. Now, it’s a reality!

Where better than L.A. to put these practices into principle and not just in what’s left of the wretched music business?

We won't print the entire article. Click here to read "Johnny Angel's Perpetual Bohemia," see where he's at and where he's headed and give the New Angeles Monthly some hits while we wait for those idiots at 97.1 to give Johnny W. Adam Carolla's radio slot (or for someone to team him with weightlifting buddy Bonaduce).

(UPDATE: Johnny Wendell can heard nationally this week, filling in for manic-lefty Mike Malloy on Mike's syndicated NOVA M Radio Show. The show can also be heard for money on XM and Sirius.)

This has got to be the most disgusting commercial and most unappetizing product we have ever seen

Who do we boycott first?

Somebody tell Merle that Howard's gone

Musical genius Merle Haggard has a new album that includes a song in which he bemoans the lost way of American life, and namechecks the greatest TV series of all time, one of the greatest comic actors-- and one of the greatest radio hosts:

It used to be Andy and Barney Fife
Now it's Howard Stern and the brothel life ...

A great line... and nice sentiment... but who'll tell Merle that Howard Stern, too, is a part of America's past? As our readers know, Howard has been as good as dead since he left the national scene and ceased to be a cultural force when he quit his radio show for a private money-making venture in 2005...

Rutles reissue is revelatory

A new, apparently limited edition, CD version of the landmark LP The Rutles has been out for a few weeks now, and we've got to say that it's worth picking up even if you've already got the original Warners LP and Rhino CD. The remix on this first UK CD release immediately rings with a new presence and a listen to it is comparable only to the first time hearing The Beatles UK catalogue released on audiophile master disc LPs. We first heard the new Rutles CD blasting through the Virgin megastore on Oxford Street in London two weeks ago, and the difference was clear. Neil Innes himself handled the remastering. No bonus tracks (beyond the original CD), but this new one contains a booklet replicating the one in the original album, there are other nice graphics-- and, happily, Neil doesn't share songwriting credit with Lennon, McCartney or Michael Jackson.

A listen will reveal why the Rutles music has lasted thirty years and stands on its own alongside the Beatles music it parodied. And it's a great precursor to the Neil Innes biopic from our pals at Frozen Pictures.

Movie "will be dedicated to David Hans Schmidt"

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