The Google logo has been blacked out today. Wikipedia, reddit, Mozilla and Twitpic are all blocking access to content.  Even Star Trek icon George Takei has blocked his site.  The moves are displays of cyber-protest against the heavy-handed and ill-conceived Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).

From a political and public relations standpoint, this has already been a complete and utter failure for Hollywood and their formerly formidable lobbying arm, the Motion Picture Association of America. Former Sen. Chris Dodd became the new CEO of the MPAA after he realized he would never be re-elected in his home state of Connecticut due to his personal scandals with Countrywide Mortgage and his involvement in the mortgage collapse at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. So naturally, Hollywood hired the failed Senator as their man in Washington. Dodd has been the chief architect of SOPA, which was written with about as much subtlety and constitutional protocol as his equally disastrous Dodd-Frank banking law.

The merits of SOPA and the overall issue of online piracy is a worthy topic, and it can be argued that the federal government should have some hand in policing and enforcing piracy on behalf of private industries and artists who rely on royalties as a major part of their profit structure. These details can and should be debated here and in Washington DC. What is striking about today’s Internet blackout and the over-the-top reaction to it from Dodd is that this arrogant, befuddled and inept former Senator has finally figured out a way to unite the left and the right to focus their passion against a common enemy:  Hollywood.  (more…)

‘BURN NOTICE’ RETURNS — AND YOU SHOULD WATCH

Full disclosure, my brother is an editor on the show but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a terrific piece of escapism with a patriotic protagonist and the awesome Bruce Campbell being, well, awesome:

Just when Michael thought he was out, they pull him back in.

Or rather, he — bad dude Anson, the last member of “Management,” the guys who got Michael burned in the first place — pulls him back in.

Anson (guest star Jere Burns) revealed himself in the summer finale of the show. And in tonight’s episode, “Damned If You Do,” the first of six new episodes that will lead to the Dec. 15 season five finale, Anson continues to blackmail Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) and girlfriend Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar) into carrying out his dastardly deeds.

My pretty wife’s “Burn Notice” addiction is unprecedented and also kind of adorable.

WSJ: ‘J. EDGAR’ SUGGESTS THAT HOOVER WAS GAY

As does the trailer. So no surprise there. ‘Variety’ adds that the film contains a ‘homoerotic wrestling scene.‘ More from the WSJ…

Hearing about the direction the movie was headed from his Hollywood connections, Mr. Baker helped draft a letter to the filmmakers, citing “a monumental distortion.” The Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI also weighed in. “We objected to the inference that he was homosexual but didn’t want the letter to be inferring we were opposed to gay relationships,” says spokesman Craig L. Dotlo.

Mr. Dotlo says former members of Hoover’s security detail say they never saw any indication of a romance between Tolson and Hoover. “Is it possible that they could have had a closet relationship? Sure. Our point is that there’s no empirical evidence.”

You see, it doesn’t matter if there’s evidence or not. In Hollywood, all that matters is that there’s a rumor.

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A couple weeks ago I wondered aloud where Hollywood was in the health care debate. And almost on command, this video appeared.  It looks like the NEA’s call for artists to promote health care initiatives has been heard by some comedy artists.

Hollywood superstar Will Ferrell is surrounded by eight “celebrities” in a satirical defense of the health insurance companies.

And I use the term “celebrities” loosely. One is the only recognizable character from the cult series “Heroes,” another is a star of a popular cable series that was recognized at Sunday’s Emmy Awards, another is a star of a cable series that nobody ever watches, one is from Comedy Central’s Reno 911, another is his best friend, one is the star of the hit movie franchise “Scooby-Doo,” and to give the clip credibility, two of the “celebrities” actually play doctors on TV.  I will give a prize to anyone who can name all eight without using Google®. (more…)