Chris Brown's Larry King Live "Apology" A Failure
So, Chris Brown appeared on Larry King Live, the go-to show for those looking to rehabilitate their image following scandal. Sadly for Brown, the visit came off as nothing more than a bid at fulfilling the requisite media appearance. While, yes, Brown did discuss his family's familiarity with domestic violence — his step-father hit his mother, Joyce — but he brought nothing else new to the table. Rather, the pop star skirted most of King's questions, particularly the specifics of his and former girlfriend Rihanna's relationship. When asked about alleged past blow-outs, Brown simply furrowed his brow, feigned ignorance and let his lawyer try to pin the blame on a probation officer, who was obviously mistaken and made a mistake in citing past incidents in the official report. Fine, okay. That's what lawyers do: they make their clients look better than they are. But Chris really didn't help, for he came off as, quite simply, a man who was doing what he thought needed to be done: appearing on national television in a bid to clear the air, but, in the end, not really clearing the air. The most Brown did to address his violent streak was to blame his youth: no one taught him and Rihanna how to love one another; relationships get heated; there's no class on controlling anger. Really? One would think that after watching his mother, who, for the record, we like, get beat up on, Brown would have more respect for women. Even the singer's dimwitted attempts at chivalry, like not discussing the specifics of the infamous night (out of "respect") came off as nothing more than an endeavor at saving face. When presented with the photo of a black, blue and bloodied Rihanna, Brown could simply mutter that he couldn't believe the showdown went down and expressed his luke-warm disappointment in himself. While surely he and his publicity team thought tonight's appearance would help rehabilitate his image, Brown's overall emotionless will likely only strengthen the image of him as a villain. Too bad, because we used to really like him. Now he just looks like a jerk. He would have been better off flying under the radar and then coming back with something so spectacular that the world forgot all about his violent temper and focused on his talent, which has now been tarnished forever by both his girlfriend-beating and terrible CNN appearance. MORE >>
Levi Johnston Is Actually Going to Strip Down for Playgirl
You know how in Vanity Fair's behind-the-scenes video burgeoning gay icon Levi Johnston jokes with his manager about posing for Playgirl? Well, Gawker's learned it's not a joke. We've confirmed it's actually going to happen. But don't get too excited. After reading on Gawker that Levi was game for posing nude, the guy who puts together Playgirl's photoshoots, Daniel Nardicio, emailed Johnston's manager Tank Jones about having his client pose nude for their website. (The print version of the magazine closed earlier this year). Tank referred the matter to Levi's lawyer Rex Butler (how many handlers does one Alaskan babydaddy need?) who emailed back: "There are people out there that want to see such a shoot of Levi and we are ready to do it if the proposal is right." The only hitch, Levi's not willing to do a nude shoot, only pose in his skivvies. And since a nearly nude Levi is better than no nude Levi at all, Playgirl's down and there's an agreement in place to do the shoot. They're in final negotiations to get the thing together right now. Funny thing is that Playgirl's biggest get in years doesn't have a clue about who reads the male flesh mag. As he and Tank joke in the Vanity Fair video, Levi says, "I'm assuming it's where a dude poses for women." Oh Levi, don't be ashamed to go down the gay icon route. Just wait until June, when you'll be introducing dance diva Amber at Cincinnati Pride! MORE >>
Diane Sawyer Will Take Over ABC's World News Tonight Anchor Chair
In moving Diane Sawyer from GMA to World News Tonight next year, ABC News is shifting a star resource from a hugely profitable morning show to a dying legacy newscast. All so she can sleep in a few hours later. Matt Drudge broke the story: Charlie Gibson will retire as anchor of World News Tonight in January, at which point Sawyer, who has been co-anchor of Good Morning America since 1999, will take over. Sawyer has long complained that she was tiring of the morning routine, and her tenure at GMA has been an open question for years. And Gibson, who was shabbily passed over in the wake of Peter Jennings' death from lung cancer and only got the gig because Bob Woodruff was injured in Iraq and Elizabeth Vargas got pregnant—a point he managed to make in his farewell memo, below—only hung around to gain the satisfaction of showing his bosses that the old horse still had some fight in him. So it's not terribly surprising that he would leave and Sawyer would take his slot. Still, it's a colossally stupid move. Or, as one TV insider put it to us: "It's the dumbest fucking idea in the long, hoary history of dumb fucking ideas in the news business." Morning news is a growth business, and second-place GMA has been keeping Today on its toes for years. Sawyer is an integral part of a profitable, growing show, and ABC News has decided to upset the apple cart—putting GMA's success at risk and providing and opening to CBS to finally get in the game—so it can put her to work on an evening broadcast that nobody watches anymore outside of retirement homes. It's like trading a successful ballplayer down to the minor leagues. Look how well it worked for Katie Couric: She gave up a successful morning franchise for the CBS Evening News, which has racked up little more than all-time audience lows since she took over. When CBS boss Les Moonves was engineering Couric's defection back in 2006, we asked him this question: If you could have Today's numbers at the CBS Early Show, or the NBC Nightly News' numbers at the CBS Evening News, which would you pick? He answered the only way a rational TV executive would: He'd pick the Early Show. Then why, we asked, are you devoting all your resources to resurrecting the Evening News? "Prestige," he answered. For some reason, these old people think a nightly newscast that grabs the biggest share of a dwindling and dying audience is something worth banging your dick on the table about. Sawyer is apparently thinking along the same lines—she wants the Big Chair, even if it's not what it used to be. It'll be nice to have ladies helming two out of the three newscasts, and maybe Sawyer will be able to keep up the heated race with Brian Williams for the top slot that Gibson started. But to what end? So ABC News can lose ground on GMA, the show that actually brings in significant profits? Here is David Westin's e-mail to ABC News staff, and below that is Gibson's note to World News Tonight staffers: Today,... MORE >>
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