The Jane Report 11-20-09
Oprah Winfrey is pulling the plug on her syndicated TV show. Harpo Inc. confirmed yesterday that 2011 will be Oprah’s last season on the air, with the last show airing in September. She is expected to hit her audience with the news today. Winfrey, 55, informed her staff of the decision yesterday. Today is the last taping day of the show for the rest of the year. …
The second movie in the “Twilight” series, New Moon, opened last night to huge crowds and the cast has been all over TV, plugging the film. Regis asked Robert Pattinson why women suddenly love vampires so much. He said he’s still trying to figure it out himself.
If you listen to the critics, “New Moon” pales in comparison to “Twilight”. Roger Ebert says, “The characters in this movie should be arrested for loitering with intent to moan. Never have teenagers been in greater need of a jump-start.” “Sorry, girls: The thrill is gone,” writes the Boston Globe’s Ty Burr. Variety reports that ladies hoping to gaze at Robert Pattinson on the big screen “may be disappointed by Pattinson’s reduced presence” in the sequel, “as his Edward appears predominantly in mumbling visions until a cliffhanger that brazenly sets up the next episode.”
Will Ferrell tops Forbes‘ list of Hollywood’s most overpaid stars. The magazine compared stars’ salaries with the revenue each of their films generated over the past five years. Ferrell’s films earned an average of $3.29 for every dollar he was paid. It also didn’t help that “Land of the Lost” grossed only $65 million worldwide on a $100 million budget. Coming in second place was Ewan McGregor. While he has never commanded a big salary, his post-Star Wars flicks have made little box office impact, averaging a return of $3.75. Billy Bob Thornton came in third place ($4), while Eddie Murphy, who would have easily topped the list had it not been for 2007’s Norbit, which made $160 million, comes in fourth. Ice Cube, Tom Cruise, Drew Barrymore, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, and Jim Carrey round out the top 10.
An Arkansas 10-year-old named Will Phillips won’t recite the Pledge of Allegiance because he says the “with liberty and justice for all” part doesn’t apply to gay people. So Stephen Colbert wrote a new version for America’s youth. And he recited it on last night’s show
Senator John Kerry’s daughter was busted for DUI in L.A. early yesterday. She was pulled over for having expired tags and then failed a field sobriety test.
TLC’s “Jon & Kate Plus 8″ will mercifully come to an end Monday night.
The LAPD is taking those noise complaints against Paris Hilton and her boyfriend Wednesday as a sort of bench mark. Cops have been called to the house over out-of-control parties and fighting so many times in the last 5 months that they say the next call will result in arrests.
BIRTHDAYS
Journalist Judy Woodruff: 63
Joe Walsh: 62
Beastie Boy Mike D: 44
Actress Sean Young: 50
Actress Veronica Hamel: 66
Bo Derek: 53
Actress Marisa Ryan: 35
Country’s Dierks Bentley: 34
Country’s Josh Turner: 32
The ink is barely dry on this week’s album chart, but it look like there will be a new No. 1 next week. John Mayer’s “Battle Studies” is on track to sell between 275,000 and 300,000 copies, which would easily put him in the top spot.
Probation officials keeping tabs on Chris Brown have given him an “extremely favorable” report. This came out in a brief probation hearing in L.A. yesterday. He is due back in court for another progress report on February 18.
Paul McCartney joins Ringo Starr for a duet on Starr’s forthcoming solo album due out January 12. Joss Stone, Ben Harper and Richard Marx also lend vocals on the album.
Susan Boyle’s upcoming debut album has become the largest global CD pre-order in the history of amazon.com. “I Dreamed a Dream” will be released on November 24 by Sony.
The ninth Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival will be held June 10-13, 2010, on its usual site in Manchester, Tennessee. A lineup announcement is expected early next year. Tickets go on sale one week from today.
Neil Diamond will release a seasonal album called “A Cherry Cherry Christmas” on November 30.