In case you missed last night’s episode, here’s what looks to be a very well-written scene from this Emmy award-winning show. And, even better, a very simple statement of fact: “Breitbart owned the Weiner scandal.” No snide asides, no shots at Breitbart or, uhm, the Tea Party.

Hollywood did good. You have to wonder if they even comprehend how much 50% of their audience appreciates this mature approach to our side of the aisle. 

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TV Week:

It may surprise some to realize that Sheen’s alleged behavior won’t even come close to the negative fall-out Woods has already received in the past month. “How can that be?” they’ll exclaim.

It’s got to do with expectations. Sheen is a notorious bad-boy who’s been in lots of trouble before. That means in the eyes of the media–and yes, much of the public–he’s much more comparable to Bobby Brown than Chris Brown. That’s also why if Bobby Brown got in more trouble tomorrow the public would basically shrug, and why we were so shocked when Chris Brown–who, like Woods, had a clean image–hit Rhianna. (more…)

David Letterman inspired my broadcasting career.  Twenty years ago, he was an awkward, self-deprecating guy who wore tennis shoes with his blazer and tie. He was edgy, silly, and unconventional compared to the traditions of variety television at that time.  He resonated with an awkward high school kid watching at home in Missouri.  Carson was still the king of late night, and some guy named Leno filled in for him a lot.  But Dave was cool because he didn’t seem to fit in.  Yet, when Carson announced his retirement, Letterman was said to be the heir apparent to the Tonight Show. 

As a fan, I didn’t want Letterman to move into Carson’s chair.   Not because Letterman couldn’t handle it.  It just seemed too refined for someone as eccentric and edgy as Letterman.  Turned out NBC saw it that way too when they awarded “Tonight” to Leno.  It pained Letterman.  But it helped to foster that continued edgy, underdog status that led fans like me to follow him to CBS. (more…)

By happenstance, I was in Hugh Hewitt’s studio yesterday when the news about the one-time Prince of Pop (that’s all I’ll give him, sorry) broke.  We spent much of the next three hours talking about his death and what it meant.  You can scan through and hear me jousting – all in good fun – with Hugh, James Lileks and others.

I focused on his creative output and what it meant to musicians and culture as best I could in our impromptu conversation.  In other words, we didn’t dwell on the fact that it SURE seemed like he was a serial molester of male children.  His music will stand alone.  HUGE talent, obsessive artist, stratospheric career from childhood into his thirties.  Iconic images and motion pictures of him, dancing and performing unforgettably at his peak, will probably always be tainted for our generation by what he became, by what many of us now know he was for a long time.  His strange celebrity outran his music, but maybe now it will stop running… all this will be said better over the next few days and probably weeks by others. (more…)