NBC’s ObamaVision: Will Peacock’s News Division Expose the Alarmism?

“Why can’t we ignore [global warming]? Because it’s the biggest crisis we’ve ever faced.” — Al Gore, April 24, 2009, Testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Climate Change Legislation.

Next week NBC is entering their “Green Week” of programming, infusing environmental messages across many of their prime-time shows. But the campaign does not only include entertainment programs – the eco-messaging will also be spread through NBC News’ Nightly News, Meet the Press, and the Today Show.

My question for the NBC News organization is this – will you be discussing the biggest global warming story of the year?

Early this year a study from Oregon State University, entitled Reproduction and the carbon legacies of individuals, contained the single biggest decision that anyone could make to dramatically lower their carbon footprint. And that decision? Have fewer kids.

The results of the report are actually mind boggling for anyone somewhat informed on environmental policy. The study investigates how the reproductive choices of an individual affects their “carbon legacy”, or said differently, the CO2 emissions attributable to a person’s offspring. What they found was that a US citizen’s decision of having a child adds 5.7 times the expected CO2 emissions for that citizen. Yes, 5.7 times!! This is due to the domino effect of your kids having kids, which have kids, and so on.  (more…)

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Tags: Al Gore, GE, Green Week, Meet the Press, MSNBC
Posted Nov 16th 2009 at 6:44 am in Media Criticism, Politics, Television | 26227093 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/pcourrielche/2009/11/16/nbcs-obamavision-will-peacocks-news-division-expose-the-alarmism/NBC%27s+ObamaVision%3A+Will+Peacock%27s+News+Division+Expose+the+Alarmism%3F2009-11-16+14%3A44%3A55Patrick+Courrielche

NBC’s ObamaVision: GE Uses Network To Push Obama’s Green Agenda — And Rakes In the Dough

What do you call it when the federal government pays a private company some money so that the private company will stump for the federal government’s agenda?  Payola.  Under the FCC rules and regulations, “When a broadcast licensee has received or been promised payment for the airing of program material, then, at the time of the airing, the station must disclose that fact and identify who paid for or promised to pay for the material.” 

So what do you call it when the federal government steers money to a major broadcast network so that the major broadcast network will stump for the federal government’s agenda? 

That’s precisely what’s happening over at NBC this week.  According to the Associated Press: 

NBC gives new meaning to the phrase “green screen” next week, spreading a pro-environmental message across five of its prime-time entertainment programs.  “30 Rock,” where Al Gore takes a cameo role, leads the way. Environmental themes were also added to the scripts of “The Biggest Loser,” “The Office,” “Heroes” and “Community.”  NBC Universal’s three-year “green” campaign has largely focused on off-camera issues like making company facilities more eco-friendly. News and information programs have also been enlisted to do stories on environmental issues, but except for one “30 Rock” episode two years ago, the campaign hasn’t touched the prime-time lineup. 

Now, it’s clear that NBC has pushed this “green agenda” for years.  And that makes sense – General Electric owns NBC, and General Electric is at the forefront in terms of producing “green products” like energy efficient lightbulbs.  In May 2005, GE launched its $90 million “Ecomagination” advertising campaign, designed to demonstrate “GE’s commitment to address challenges such as the need for cleaner, more efficient sources of energy, reduced emissions and abundant sources of clean water,” according to GE CEO Jeff Immelt.  (more…)

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Tags: Al Gore, AP, GE, Green Week, Immelt
Posted Nov 16th 2009 at 2:59 am in Featured Story, Politics, Television | 26154245 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/bshapiro/2009/11/16/propaganda-ge-uses-nbc-to-push-obamas-green-agenda-and-rakes-in-the-dough/NBC%27s+ObamaVision%3A+GE+Uses+Network+To+Push+Obama%27s+Green+Agenda+--+And+Rakes+In+the+Dough2009-11-16+10%3A59%3A44Ben+Shapiro

ObamaVision: Brace Yourselves For the NBC-GE ‘Green Week’ Push

Just as political correctness is nothing more than left-wing fascism disguised as tolerance, global warming climate change is nothing more than socialism disguised as nonsense. The tactics change, the goals remain the same, and the arts are as effective a tool as ever.

The Left understands this, which is why the White House pushed to co-opt the National Endowment for the Arts (as though they needed co-opting) and the Entertainment Industry Foundation bent over backwards to push “volunteerism” — which is just another word for funneling the unsuspecting to Internet portals with pro-ObamaCare videos, Planned Parenthood ads and a nifty “glitch” where when you type in “Republican” you’re directed to left-wing groups.

Next week, and for the third year in a row, NBC will inject enviro-friendly messages into its primetime line-up, including a “30 Rock” appearance by former Vice President Al Gore. This push is not about ratings (Al Gore?) and it’s not about an Ed Begley Jr.-style of do-gooderism. And not only will this politically correct environmentalism infect the entertainment division, those left-wing ideological warriors disguised as the NBC News Division have also  jumped on board … and not just the Obama-ites at MSNBC.

Starting Monday, a number of Big Hollywood contributors will take an in-depth look at the insidious artistic, business and political maneuverings behind this push, which Bill O’Reilly discusses at length in this Talking Points Memo: (more…)

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Tags: EIF, GE, nbc, Obama, ObamaCare
Posted Nov 13th 2009 at 11:22 am in Art, Politics, Television | 26271083 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2009/11/13/obamavision-brace-yourselves-for-the-nbc-ge-green-week-push/ObamaVision%3A+Brace+Yourselves+For+the+NBC-GE+%27Green+Week%27+Push2009-11-13+19%3A22%3A19John+Nolte

‘Law and Order’ Tackles Abortion

NBC’s venerable crime procedural, “Law & Order,” has endured a fair amount of deserved criticism around here lately.  Big Hollywood’s thoughtful critiques of the show’s leftward slide and irksome predictability are, sadly, valid.  Like many L&O fans, I’ve been forced to admit that recent seasons have been quite disappointing.   The word “cancellation” has cropped up in my mind more than once.

That being said, this season has been refreshingly solid.  Aside from the atrocious “Let’s prosecute Cheney!” season premiere, each successive episode has been vintage “Law & Order.”  The most recent episode (”Dignity,” October 23) bordered on spectacular.  *Spoiler alert*

It did not begin auspiciously.  The opening sequence set the stage for yet another warmed-over episode wherein an abortionist is murdered, and the rest of the program consists of detectives trying to determine which anti-abortion nutter did the deed.  The show’s writers usually permit one character to utter a single token pro-life line (”Just because you might disagree with abortion doesn’t justify this violence!”), while the oh-so-reasonable pro-choice characters get the last word.  Having seen this template before, I almost flipped channels.  It seems as though at least one of the L&O spinoff series airs a “new” abortion-doctor-murder episode every year.  One wonders if more abortionists have been slain on this fictional television franchise over the past 20 years than in real life. (more…)

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Tags: abortion, cheney, law & order, nbc, Obama
Posted Oct 27th 2009 at 8:57 am in Politics, Television | 253318139 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/gbenson/2009/10/27/law-and-order-tackles-abortion/%27Law+and+Order%27+Tackles+Abortion2009-10-27+15%3A57%3A08Guy+Benson

EIF RESPONDS: Week of TV Promoting ‘Service’ Not Influenced By Obama

***Video of Glenn Beck’s response below***

From today’s L.A. Times:

An EIF memo to show runners explaining the project obtained by Big Hollywood describes the initiative as a response to Obama’s push for more community service. But Paulsen said that she and EIF board Chairwoman Sherry Lansing were inspired by hearing both Obama and Sen. John McCain speak about the need for more volunteerism at a service forum during the 2008 campaign. …

Entertainment executives first hit on the idea during a board retreat in summer 2008 when they were brainstorming how to follow the “Stand Up to Cancer” project, according to Mitch Metcalf, NBC’s executive vice president of program planning and scheduling and a member of the EIF board.

“We’re lucky that the Obama administration happened to think this is a worthy cause and the first lady in particular is behind this general effort,” he said. “But that just provides support and shines a spotlight on it. . . . We’re certainly not servicing the White House.” (more…)

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Tags: EIF, nbc, Obama, Sherry Lansing, volunteerism
Posted Oct 19th 2009 at 5:56 pm in Featured Story, Politics, Television | 24945075 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/bighollywood/2009/10/19/just-a-coincidence-week-of-tv-promoting-service-not-influenced-by-obama/EIF+RESPONDS%3A+Week+of+TV+Promoting+%27Service%27+Not+Influenced+By+Obama2009-10-20+00%3A56%3A37Big+Hollywood

Obama Spoofs: ‘SNL’ Chooses Unfunny Over Hurting Their Guy

Big Hollywood’s Alexander Marlow has written a spot-on assessment of “Saturday Night Live’s” skit about Obama. This video clip of Chevy Chase on CNN bolsters Marlow’s claim and reveals the truth behind “SNL’s” political parodies: 

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To paraphrase Groucho Marx, a child of five could improve on this immensely.  Anyone could make these parodies of Obama funnier.  Obama’s mannerisms, speech patterns, physical oddities (ears) etc. are ripe for satire. Add Michelle Obama and Joe Biden to the mix and it only gets better.  The audience would be rolling in the aisles. Obama presents a comedy writer with the potential for endless comedic situations.  Obama is a unique character who offers a buffet of satire, pregnant with possibilities. (more…)

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Tags: Chevy Chase, nbc, Obama, satire, snl
Posted Oct 12th 2009 at 10:14 am in Entertainment, Politics | 244974112 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/asking/2009/10/12/obama-spoofs-snl-chooses-unfunny-over-hurting-their-guy/Obama+Spoofs%3A+%27SNL%27+Chooses+Unfunny+Over+Hurting+Their+Guy2009-10-12+17%3A14%3A27Andrea+Shea+King

SNL’s Obligatory Obama Nobel Peace Prize Sketch

There has been a rumor floating around that Fred Armisen is intentionally, perhaps at the behest of the NBC powers-that-be, making his Obama impersonation as inaccurate and unfunny as possible. With that in mind, consider this phoned-in sketch exhibit number 47 in “The People vs. Saturday Night Live.” (NOTE: The only thing that makes the Big Hollywood editorial staff reluctant to investigate further is that the rest of the show isn’t much funnier.)

Also:
-Why doesn’t SNL ever direct Armisen to look back and forth at two teleprompters like Obama does every time he gives an address? Seems pretty obvious, no?

-Of course, “It looks like the CNN fact-checkers will be busy again this week.” (more…)

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Tags: CNN, Fred Armisen, nbc, Obama, Obama Nobel
Posted Oct 11th 2009 at 9:37 am in Media Criticism, News, Political Humor | 244706102 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/amarlow/2009/10/11/snl-mocks-obamas-peace-prize/SNL%27s+Obligatory+Obama+Nobel+Peace+Prize+Sketch2009-10-11+16%3A37%3A32Alexander+Marlow

Planting the Seeds: The Politicized Art Behind the ACORN Plan

Everything you needed to know about the unorthodox roll out of the now-notorious ACORN sting videos was hidden in plain sight in my Sept. 7 column, “Katie Couric, Look in the Mirror.” ACORN was not the only target of those videos; so were Katie, Brian, Charlie and every other mainstream media pooh-bah.

They were not going to report this blockbuster unless they were forced to. And they were. What’s more, it ain’t over yet. Not every hint I dropped in that piece about what was to come has played itself out yet.Stay tuned.

When filmmaker and provocateur James O’Keefe came to my office to show me the video of him and his friend, Hannah Giles, going to the Baltimore offices of ACORN – the nation’s foremost “community organizers” – dressed as a pimp and a prostitute and asking for – and getting – help for various illegal activities, he sought my advice. In the past, Mr. O’Keefe created brilliant social satire that rocked his college campus and even made its way on to the talk-radio and cable-news shows, but the magnitude of his latest adventure had the potential to rock the political establishment.

I was awed by Mr. O’Keefe’s guts and amazed by the footage, but explained that the mainstream media would try to kill this important and illuminating expose about a corrupt and criminal political racket, and that the well-funded political left would go into “war room” mode, with 25-year-old Mr. O’Keefe and 20-year-old cohort Miss Giles in the cross hairs. I felt I had a moral obligation to protect these young muckrakers from the left and from the media, and to devise a strategy that would force the media’s hand.  (more…)

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Tags: abc, ACORN, acorn scandal, Bertha Lewis, Brian Williams
Posted Sep 20th 2009 at 6:40 pm in Featured Story, Media Criticism, News, Politics | 230558No Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/abreitbart/2009/09/20/planting-the-seeds-the-politicized-art-behind-the-acorn-plan/Planting+the+Seeds%3A+The+Politicized+Art+Behind+the+ACORN+Plan2009-09-21+01%3A40%3A55Andrew+Breitbart

If Jay Leno Wants Better Reviews He Can Start By Removing the Lapel Flag

Critics love David Letterman. They love him because he’s mean and liberal and does everything they demand: further the leftist agenda through the brutal use of humiliation to target any public figure (or their child) who might derail Leftist causes.

And contrary to conventional wisdom, Letterman’s not edgy. In fact, he’s just the opposite. Doing exactly what those who can criticize you want you to do is not edgy. Kissing the big Manhattan/Los Angeles bi-coastal ass of the elite is not edgy. He’s their jester; their puppet; their bitch. Worse, he’s about as funny as watching your old, half-deaf Uncle intimidate, humiliate and demean your Aunt and then smile at the rest of the family as though he’s just reaffirmed his manhood. Letterman reminds me of the Jason Robards character in “Parenthood” in more ways than you can imagine. In other words, he’s a jerk, but in a sad end-of-his-life kind of way.

Oh, and how the elite critics resented nice ole’ Jay Leno for cleaning Letterman’s ratings’ clock all those years. And now that Jay’s back eating up primetime, they couldn’t wait to jump all over him with sniffing disapproval fed through a filter of wrist-flicking dismissal.

After exactly one show the knives came out: (more…)

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Tags: David Letterman, jay leno, L.A. Times, nbc, New York Times
Posted Sep 15th 2009 at 4:57 pm in Entertainment, Featured Story, Politics | 225946168 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2009/09/15/if-jay-leno-wants-better-reviews-he-can-start-by-removing-the-lapel-flag/If+Jay+Leno+Wants+Better+Reviews+He+Can+Start+By+Removing+the+Lapel+Flag2009-09-15+23%3A57%3A24John+Nolte

It’s Gut Check Time, Ms. Couric

This week’s Washington Times column:

Now that White House “Green Jobs Czar” Van Jones has resigned, what’s next?

Inevitably, the American mainstream media – ABC, NBC, CBS, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Time, Newsweek, et al – must be held to account for sitting on the sidelines as this major story kept building without them, went viral on YouTube, and then became so large that a key appointee of President Obama was forced to step down.

But with their decision to ignore the Jones story, they may have actually done Mr. Obama far more harm than good: Who vetted this guy? How did he get past the FBI? What did he say, and how did he answer the infamous seven-page questionnaire that all Obama appointees were required to fill out? Inquiring Freedom of Information Act minds want to know.

For most people in this country, the resignation was the first they had heard of Van Jones. For this sin of journalistic omission, there’s institutional media blame. Bias is too tame a word for the utter shamelessness on display: Only Republican scandals – real and imagined – matter. (more…)

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Tags: 9/11 Truthers, abc, cbs, community organizers, Czars
Posted Sep 6th 2009 at 6:08 pm in Featured Story, Media Criticism, News, Politics | 218914236 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/abreitbart/2009/09/06/couric-should-look-in-mirror/It%27s+Gut+Check+Time%2C+Ms.+Couric2009-09-07+01%3A08%3A36Andrew+Breitbart

The Cult of Iconography

You know, the one thing that I learned from this last election is that if you have a young, hip, likable, historic candidate, and you promote him through CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, MSNBC and all the rest, not to mention stand-up and late night comedy, the entire music industry, university, high school and even elementary school teachers, just about every major movie and television star… and run against the oldest candidate in the history of the Republic, despised by the base of his own party, a man unwilling to take the fight to the only fields in which he can win, and representing the incumbent party responsible for two unpopular wars, a two-term President with historic disapproval ratings, in the middle of the “worst economy since the Depression…”

[click image to play]

…Well, you put all of those forces in harness and you, sir, will attain 53% of the vote!

Just think about that for a second. Think about how many things have to go perfectly for Liberals to eke out a bare majority.

This leads me to think that their entire edifice doesn’t need a whole lot of demolition to swing the tide. One or two planks ought to do nicely and then the rest of it will collapse under its own weight.  (more…)

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Tags: abc, cbs, CNN, gop, Iconography
Posted Aug 20th 2009 at 5:05 am in Culture, Featured Story, Politics | 20782682 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/bwhittle/2009/08/20/the-cult-of-iconography/The+Cult+of+Iconography2009-08-20+12%3A05%3A16Bill+Whittle

NBC’s ‘Philanthropist’: Evil Corporations, Condescending Racial Attitudes, Worse Melodrama

The Philanthropist (NBC, Wednesdays, 10 p.m. EDT) is a bad idea for a television series, but in the execution it manages to be even worse. In fact, in making extravagant claims about the value of philanthropy, the show actually undermines the very things that make such giving possible.

Telling the story of an emotionally troubled American billionaire who travels the world in order to help desperately poor strangers in need, the show manages to condescend to the philanthropist himself, the society that allowed him to become rich, and the poor people he helps.

It condescends to the philanthropist, Teddy Rist (Phillip Purefoy) by positing that his quest was caused by an emotional reaction to a devastating personal loss–the death of his young son and subsequent breakup of his marriage. Near the beginning of the pilot episode, Rist establishes this theme strongly by saying that few people are happy these days, even people with money.

That will strike many viewers as a quite offensive notion, as it posits that happiness is based on an accumulation of material things and creature comforts. Even worse, it is false in all of its particulars: people in the United States are wealthier than ever, despite the current recession, and if material things and creature comforts made for happiness, we’d be happier than ever. (more…)

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Tags: business, nbc, needy, Philathropist, poor
Posted Jul 11th 2009 at 6:55 am in Entertainment, Featured Story, Politics, Reviews | 18048663 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/stkarnick/2009/07/11/nbcs-philanthropist-offers-bad-economics-worse-melodrama/NBC%27s+%27Philanthropist%27%3A+Evil+Corporations%2C+Condescending+Racial+Attitudes%2C+Worse+Melodrama2009-07-11+13%3A55%3A11S.T.+Karnick

The Ghost of Johnny Carson

David Letterman was just rising – earlier than you might think for a guy who’s show is on late enough for college partiers and “freelancers” to enjoy without fear of feeling tired the next day. You’d think that only if you didn’t know the show is taped earlier in the day – and what was taped this week certainly stirred the pot.

“You think maybe you would have edited that, David?” Mr. Carson asked, standing in the lavish bathroom.

“I mean your producer had the time. They could have cut it, right?”

Carson looked very young. Circa ‘66 young.

Letterman was incredulous.  “Johnny… what the heck are you doing here, how can this be possible?” the aging late night host queried. (more…)

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Tags: David Letterman, johnny carson, Late Night, mccain, nbc
Posted Jun 12th 2009 at 6:04 pm in Entertainment, Media Criticism, News, Political Humor, Politics | 158830136 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/emannix/2009/06/12/the-ghost-of-johnny-carson/The+Ghost+of+Johnny+Carson2009-06-13+01%3A04%3A59Ernie+Mannix

Pop Culture vs. America: This Round Goes to Sarah Palin

He may have further burnished his left-wing bona fides, but when it comes to winning elections David Letterman did his side no favors this week ‘joking’ about the statutory rape of Governor Palin’s 14-year old daughter. From the looks of this interview, She Who Strikes Terror In Leftist Hearts wants to turn the unsavory affair around into a push back against all of pop culture, which is certain to resonate, especially if we keep pushing back. Just compare the bitter, sour, twilight-of-his-increasingly-pathetic-career Letterman to this intelligent, poised, cheerful, vibrant woman with her horizons still open to everything. It’s kind of a no contest.

Most heartening is that unlike some on our side, the Governor seems to get it. If this unfortunate episode proves anything, it’s that Sarah Palin understands that a Republican is up against more than just their Democrat opponent and the mainstream media; pop culture is also waging ideological war on all things conservative and traditional. This is a reality we ignore at our own peril, and this week Governor Palin (and Carrie Prejean, for that matter) fought back and won wielding truth, good humor and dignity.   (more…)

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Tags: Air America, Brian Williams, David Letterman, MSNBC, nbc
Posted Jun 12th 2009 at 9:26 am in Entertainment, Politics | 158858291 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2009/06/12/pop-culture-vs-america-this-round-goes-to-sarah-palin/Pop+Culture+vs.+America%3A+This+Round+Goes+to+Sarah+Palin2009-06-12+16%3A26%3A12John+Nolte

Everyday Normal Republicans (With Special Guest: Zo!)

Andrew Breitbart hit the nail on the head when he said that, “Conservatives have allowed Liberals to portray us in the media for far too long,” (Or something to that effect. I can’t remember because I was on a pop-tart bender).  Sadly, it’s very true.  For a long time now, the people over at CNN and MSNBC have molded “Conservatives” into a way that suits their personal agenda.  The problem is that this “molding” occurs in plain sight and is forced on an unsuspecting public.  Damn your dashing good looks, Anderson Cooper!

–

(more…)

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Tags: Alfonzo, CNN, Crowder, MSNBC, nbc
Posted Jun 11th 2009 at 5:39 pm in Political Humor, Video | 15815490 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/scrowder/2009/06/11/everyday-normal-republicans-a-crowder-and-zo-special/Everyday+Normal+Republicans+%28With+Special+Guest%3A+Zo%21%292009-06-12+00%3A39%3A49Steven+Crowder

Letterman ‘Jokes’ About the Statutory Rape of 14-Year Old Willow Palin **Updated** Sarah and Todd Palin Respond **2nd UPDATE** Letterman Responds

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To be amazed at how low David Letterman will stoop in order to humiliate Sarah Palin means we still think of him as an entertainer, instead of what he is: a leftist ideologue willing to do whatever it takes to destroy a perceived threat to the Democrat majority. Letterman’s nothing special or unique. He’s merely joined the whole of the entertainment industry in sacrificing his place as an entertainer and legacy as an artist to wage ideological war.

Maybe our first step in fighting back is to wake up to this fact and stop being amazed. (more…)

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Tags: cbs, David Letterman, jay leno, johnny carson, Late Night
Posted Jun 9th 2009 at 11:09 pm in Celebrity News, Politics | 156338486 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2009/06/09/letterman-jokes-about-the-statutory-rape-of-14-year-old-willow-palin-funny/Letterman+%27Jokes%27+About+the+Statutory+Rape+of+14-Year+Old+Willow+Palin+%2A%2AUpdated%2A%2A+Sarah+and+Todd+Palin+Respond+%2A%2A2nd+UPDATE%2A%2A+Letterman+Responds2009-06-10+06%3A09%3A29John+Nolte

When Reality TV Stars Go Bad, Who’s to Blame?

Apparently, reality TV couple Spencer and Heidi Pratt – who got their start on MTV’s The Hills and are now a part of this summer’s I’m a Celebrity – Get Me Out of Here – have run afoul of one of NBC’s reality programming head honchos with their latest attention-getting antics.

“They are everything that’s wrong with America,” executive vice president of alternative programming for NBC and Universal Media Studios, Paul Telegdy, said in a statement to Access Hollywood. “They are insincere, lazy, entitled and they claim the devil has possessed them.”

Apparently the couple not only demanded the royal treatment, but threatened to quit more than once and basically acted like a couple of spoiled brats.

I’d like to ask Mr. Telegdy: what did he expect? Reality shows take everyday people and turn them into minor celebrities overnight. It’s not like they had to work for years honing their craft while they waited tables and went on endless auditions, hoping and praying for their big break. (Of course, if one or both of your parents is Hollywood royalty, you skip that part and move right on to the big time.) The only “work” involved in reality stardom is standing in line to audition, hoping to get picked; although sometimes people with unusual life circumstances are approached by producers who hope to exploit their lives for ratings that translate into dollar signs (think Nadya Suleman, lovingly referred to by society as the “Octomom”). (more…)

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Tags: "Britain's Got Talent", Britney Spears, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Entertainment Tonight, Good Morning America
Posted Jun 8th 2009 at 10:54 am in Celebrity News, Entertainment, Featured Story | 15246670 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/pmeister/2009/06/08/when-reality-tv-stars-go-bad/When+Reality+TV+Stars+Go+Bad%2C+Who%27s+to+Blame%3F2009-06-08+17%3A54%3A03Pam+Meister

The Captivating Glare of ‘Friday Night Lights’

In the pilot episode of NBC’s “Friday Night Lights,” after a star football player suffers an injury on the field, the new coach in town, Coach Taylor, narrates the end of the episode while members of the football community visit the hospital where that player has been moved. In a voiceover, he states, “Life is so very fragile…We must carry this in our hearts: that what we have is special–that it can be taken from us. And that when it is taken from us, we will be tested. We will be tested to our very souls.” Several weeks ago, the third season of “FNL” was released on DVD and if you have not seen this program, this summer is a great time to catch up on this phenomenal show which showcases the daily tests that the characters in the community of Dillon, Texas face on and off the football field.

I only started watching the critically acclaimed program last year and since then I have purchased all three seasons on DVD. Readers and viewers might be familiar with the overall idea of the show because before there was a television show, there was a popular book and a feature film (with Billy Bob Thornton as the coach) with the same name. Even if you have not read the book or watched the film (and even if you do not like football), the show is well worth seeing. (more…)

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Tags: Connie Britton, DirecTV, Friday night lights, Iraq, Kyle Chandler
Posted Jun 3rd 2009 at 4:04 pm in Reviews | 14943830 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jhanlon/2009/06/03/the-captivating-glare-of-%e2%80%9cfriday-night-lights%e2%80%9d/The+Captivating+Glare+of+%27Friday+Night+Lights%272009-06-03+23%3A04%3A49John+P.+Hanlon

‘American Idol’: Pre-packaged For Maximum Profit

I have never really watched “American Idol” until this season. My wife is a huge fan and every year I would watch the first few “audition” weeks with her for the same reason people slow down near a car accident. I want to see the blood and ugliness! I love the people who didn’t have any friends to tell them they couldn’t sing and the other train wrecks that show up with the delusion that they might be the next Kelly Clarkson.

My major problem with these talent shows is they try to give the impression that all of the contestants are just diamonds in the rough that took an hour off from the Burger King to come down and give it a shot. The people at “American Idol” want you to believe they have discovered some guy with a day gig and a dream and they helped polish up their act and transformed them into stars. Adam Lambert and Kris Allen did not go stand in line with the rest of the mob. They were somehow pre-screened and told when and where to report. Is there anyone in American who thinks that Adam Lambert wasn’t a professional singer before he was on “American Idol?” (more…)

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Tags: Adam Lambert, American Idol, fox, Kris Allen, Last Comic Standing
Posted May 20th 2009 at 3:42 pm in Celebrity News, Media Criticism | 13808651 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjena/2009/05/20/american-idol/%27American+Idol%27%3A+Pre-packaged+For+Maximum+Profit2009-05-20+22%3A42%3A38Jeffrey+Jena