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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Sep 20, 2013
September 20, 2013
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Political Racket /Dirty Tricks:
Former First Daughter CAROLINE KENNEDY received a warm reception at a hearing Thursday on her nomination to be ambassador to Japan. There wasno vocal opposition from the Senate Foreign Committee to her nomination, as she handled a range of questions on regional issues affecting the U.S. and Japan.
She also said, "I can think of no greater honor than to represent my country abroad ... I can think of no country in which I would rather serve than Japan." (Pacelli)Trash talk and satellite dish:
There's a very good reason LIAM HEMSWORTH called off his engagement to MILEY CYRUS --he apparently has a new girlfriend! Photographers for E! caught the "Hunger Games" hottie smooching it up with ELIZA GONZALEZ outside her Beverly Hills apartment last Tuesday. Word is they look very happy together and did some intimate chatting before he had to dash off. (Lee)
It's good to be BEYONCÉ and JAY Z. They've just been named this year's highest-paid celebrity couple byForbes magazine. It's the second year in a row for the couple, who pulled down $95 million dollars together, thanks to their singing careers and his record label and other interests, like endorsement deals. The rest of the top five couples:
5. Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, $30 million
4. Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, $35 million
3. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, $50 million
2. Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady, $80 million
1. Beyonce and Jay Z, $95 millionDesigner Update:
NICKI MINAJ has finally unveiled her clothing line forKmart. And it's... well, not so much "blue light special" as it is "red light district." She released the collection on Instagram Wednesday. It includes lots of Lycra and Nicki cleavage as far as the eye can see.
People magazine says Nicki's sexed-up stylings for Kmart also looked like they were inspired by a grab-bag of pop culture references, including: Rainbow Brite , the '90s video game "Street Fighter" and the "Fresh Prince of Bel Air." Even 1970s supergroup ABBA gets a shout-out with a spangled midriff-baring two piece outfit. (Bartha)Lowering expectations:
As you know, yesterday, September 19th, wasInternational Talk Like a Pirate Day, the one day of the year that Chicago's WGN News lets one of its own dress up and talk like a pirate, making the same tired "booty" jokes they made the year before.
Except this time the station's resident "Long John Johnny Johnson" went rogue --though it wasn't entirely his fault.
It seems that the Teleprompter (or TelepromptARR) broke halfway through the bit, forcing the "pirate" to improvise, which was probably funnier than whatever was on the Teleprompter. (Watch)
Props to Long John for staying in character, though the language does get a bit salty towards the end. (Maiman)Movies opening this weekend:
It probably won't make the top-10 this weekend, butthe brand-new, 3D and IMAX version of "The Wizard of Oz" is out in theatres. The original movie opened on August 23 --75 years ago! The studio has kept all the original footage, but updated it for 3D --however, the opening is still in sepia and black-and-white tones and then, when they get to Oz, everything is in color.
Personal note: I saw the movie last weekend at a press screening and it was fun to see how Hollywood's special effects and makeup has changed over the years. In one scene --the one where Margaret Hamilton (playing the wicked witch) disappears into a cloud of smoke, you can see the trap-door after the smoke clears. You'd never see that today. Margaret got a nice burn in that scene. The makeup on Burt Lahr's Cowardly Lion, Ray Bolger's scarecrow and all the rest are cool to see on the big screen --where we never see this movie anymore... and it's fun to hear Judy Garland sing "Over the Rainbow" in the big, movie theatre speakers, and does such a nice job, considering producers wanted to cut the song from the movie and left it in at the last minute. (RB) -
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