This Week's Inspirational Pop Culture Moment: Oprah's Lifeclass

Photo by Pop Culture Passionistas

Not only was our Excellent Oprah Adventure an amazing pop culture experience, we learned a few things along the way that truly touched us. Here are the top ten quotes from our two days in St. Louis, and our clear choice for this week's most inspiring moments.

Iyanla Vanzant on Being Self-full, Not Selfless
"It's self-full to put yourself first, to be as good as possible, to take care of you, to keep you whole and healthy. You want your cup to be full. 'My cup runneth over.' What comes out of the cup is for y'all. What's in the cup is mine."

Bishop T.D. Jakes on Finding Your Purpose
"It is your passion that empowers you to do that thing you were created to do."

Oprah Winfrey on Finding Your Purpose
"Your purpose doesn't have to be something that makes you famous. It's something that makes your life meaningful."

Bishop T.D. Jakes on Having More Than One Purpose
"People will define you by how they met you. They will put a period there. If you have the capacity to do more, change that period to a comma."

Oprah Winfrey on Letting Go of Anger
"The best way to let go of anger or resentment is to be grateful for what you have."

Wayne Dyer Talks About The Shift

Photo courtesy of OWN

This Sunday, Dr. Wayne Dyer is making his TV acting debut. Sure the "Father of Motivation" had been giving spiritual speeches over the airwaves since the 1970s, but this time he is in a dramatic feature film. The Shift, which airs on OWN's "Super Soul Sunday" block of programming, explores Dyer's teachings of moving away from our ego driven existence and towards a higher consciousness. It stars Portia de Rossi and Michael DeLuise as a housewife and a director yearning to find purpose in their own lives. Wayne plays himself in the film, helping to guide the lost souls through their journeys.

Wayne Dyer Tries His Hand at Acting and Filmmaking

In a recent exclusive interview we asked him why he chose to try his hand at acting. He stated, "For me, it was a life shifting thing myself, because I've been a speaker and a writer my whole life and I've always done things very spontaneously without notes. I just go before audiences and speak and I found out that you don't make movies that way. So I had to take a couple of acting lessons and really decide at the age of 68 that it's never too late to move in a new direction in your life."

Wayne discussed why they decided to make a dramatic film. "I've always believed that the best way to influence people is to use as many media approaches as possible. I heard a statistic that said that only 10% of the population buys 100% of the books. So that 90% of the population in the United States never buys a book at all. But they do go to the movies." So he saw this film as a way to "make an impact in the world, which has always been my goal, to create a shift in consciousness."

He continued, "I've always said that it's only through a shift in consciousness that the world will be transformed. And so we undertook this idea of creating a film."

Wayne decided he wanted to create a movie. He said, "I wanted it to be a drama. I wanted it to tell stories." So he enlisted director Michael Goorjian to help him with his vision. "We created these three stories around this whole idea of my being able to play myself... It became a personal project of mine and it's something that I'm very, very proud of."

Betty White and Her Senior Pals Are Off Their Rockers

Photo by Matthias Clamer/NBC 

Betty White’s new series, Betty White's Off Their Rockers, has come under fire from some journalists. Take for example, Mark Middleton from The Huffington Post, who declared that the show “it only serves to perpetuate nearly every negative stereotype of age.” In a recent conference call interview everyone’s favorite Nonagenarian addressed the claims.

Betty had a much more lighthearted take on the subject matter of her series, saying of viewers, “They can either laugh with us or at us, but we’re not curing cancer or stopping warfare. We’re just up there for fun and either laugh with us or at us or don’t watch us.”

If Betty isn’t the poster girl for living your fullest life, who is? And she clearly has no plans to slow down any time soon. And to top it all off, the seven-time Emmy-winner remains humble. When we told her it was an honor to speak with her she jokingly said, “Have I got you fooled.”

Working with Family on Welcome to Sweetie Pies

Photo courtesy of OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network

When most people find out we are sisters and we work together, the reply is typically, "I could NEVER work with my sister. We'd kill each other." But we are lucky. We have a great working relationship and agree on most things. But we are always curious how other family members get along who spend every day together in a business venture.

So we were pleased to get a chance to meet Miss Robbie Montgomery and her son Tim Norman, partners of Sweetie Pie's restaurant in St. Louis, Missouri, at a press event at the OWN offices. Viewers actually get to see their working relationship play out on camera in the reality show Welcome to Sweetie Pie's — and it is not always pretty.

In season one, we met Miss Robbie (former back-up singer with Ike and Tina Turner and current soul food genius) and her son Tim. We also got to know Tim's fiance Jenae and Miss Robbie's nephew Lil' Charles. When season two launches on March 31, there will be a new cast member, Tim and Jenae's baby T.J.

Miss Robbie confirmed that what we see is what we get on Welcome to Sweetie Pie's. "We're opening our lives and just do what we do. It's not scripted." She said there is one thing that changes slightly in editing, "I see they cut out a lot of my cursing. That's all right."

But Miss Robbie still uses her fair share of curse words. We watched the season two premiere with the mother and son with a roomful of other writers. It was the first time Miss Robbie and Tim had seen the cut. There is a scene when Tim goes behind his mother's back to do something and as she watched it unfold she admitted, "I'm pissed and I want to tell him a lot of things about that."

She went on to say, "Tim and I just fell back in love again a couple of days ago. We've been fighting for the last couple of weeks about things we disagree on. So he wasn't coming to the restaurant. I wasn't calling him. And so we weren't literally speaking."

Tim interjected, "I was on administrative leave." She confirmed, "That's right. I suspended him."

Austin Scarlett Brings Back Couture to Project Runway

 Photo Credit Barbara Nitke

If someone asked us which movie star we’d most like to interview, we’d pick Robert De Niro or Meryl Streep. When it comes to TV, we’ve been fortunate enough to speak with two of our idols — Bob Newhart and Dick Van Dyke. But in reality TV, there was one “get” we’ve been dreaming about for a while now — Austin Scarlett. This week we finally chatted with the Project Runway All Stars runner-up about his couture aesthetic.

Austin was our favorite designer from the debut season of Project Runway in 2004. He was so talented that sometimes we have to remind ourselves that not only didn’t he win, but he came in fourth. Jay McCarroll took home the prize and Austin took the rear behind Kara Saun and Wendy Pepper — two designers we had to Google because we just couldn’t remember who they were.

For his part, Austin spun his 15 minutes of fame. His follow up series with fellow Runway designer Santino Rice, was a bit of bust but we loved it nonetheless. And his gorgeous gowns have adorned a celebrity or two during red carpet events. But we were sure that Austin would finally score a crowning accomplishment and be named winner of Project Runway.

Oprah's Golden Glow

Photo by Pop Culture Passionistas

When we were in college we went to a U2 concert. That summer a friend worked security at all the big shows in Boston so we got into everything and even though we would listen to the band's songs on the radio, we weren't huge fans.

We ended up in the tenth row that night and had perfect seats to witness the phenomenon that we had heard so much about — Bono's magnetism live. He wasn't flashy and it was before he became a bit of a caricature of himself. And no one in the audience could take their eye off of him.

We'd never seen anything like it until yesterday when Oprah Winfrey took the stage at the Peabody Opera House and whipped the crowd into a feel good frenzy that has to be experienced to be truly understood.

We left Bono behind at Boston Garden and never really reconnected with U2's music after that night. But the Lifeclass energy is likely to linger.

This morning was the perfect indication that that would be the case. As we loaded into the shuttle at 5:15 a.m. to go to the airport and head home, not a single, sleepy person in the shuttle was saying a word. But when the driver asked if anyone had been to the Oprah show, the van lit up.

Suddenly six strangers became the best of friends. Everyone was sharing their personal accounts of what their experiences meant to them. And suddenly it felt like it was the middle of the day and we were meeting for lunch with pals.

We're fascinated to see how Oprah's golden glow will work it's magic in the same fashion in New York. All we can think as we wing our way home is that we're glad that Oprah is using her powers for good and not evil.

Check it all out on Oprah's Lifeclass: the Tour at 8 p.m. EST/7 p.m. Central on OWN.

Congratulations to the Oprahs Lifeclass Winner

Photo by George Burns/Harpo Inc. 

Congratulations to the winner of our Oprah Winfrey ticket giveaway. Brittney from Austin, Texas, has won a pair of tickets to see Oprah's Lifeclass: the Tour live at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 2. Thanks to everyone who entered. And Brittney and Luisa, we look forward to meeting you next weekend.

The Pop Culture Passionistas Excellent Oprah Adventure Begins

Photo by Pop Culture Passionistas.

We arrived in St. Louis Sunday afternoon where we went straight to the beautiful Peabody Opera House. While there we got a tour of the set for tomorrow's live show of Oprah's Lifeclass: the Tour. Then we met the executive producers Jon Sinclair and Jill Van Lokeren and got a behind the scenes glimpse of the inner workings of the production. Many more details tomorrow. Going to sleep to get rested for breakfast with Iyanla Vanzant in the morning.

Oprah’s Lifeclass: the Tour Is in Session

Did you hear that bell? It’s time to sharpen your pencils. Season two of Oprah’s Lifeclass: the Tour is about to begin. Monday, March 25, Ms. Winfrey and inspirational author Iyanla Vanzant will be focusing on the topic “Stopping the Pain.”

Each week, Oprah’s life-changing show will ask you to explore a probing query and even contemplate it with your friends. The season kicks off with the question:

How would you fill in this sentence? The pain I can’t get past is_____.

In addition to watching each episode on TV, fans can go to the Lifeclass website to continue their studies. Included in the “Stopping the Pain” life work exercises are these assignments:

• For each thing you listed, write an "anger rant" that describes how you really, truly feel. Don't hold back. Say whatever you really want to say.

• Now write another list called "I could Y" by substituting "I could" for "X should."  Examples: I could be more considerate of my needs. I could stop bickering mentally with politicians and try making people's lives better.

To get inspired, watch this new promo for the show. 

And don’t forget to check back in with us. We leave Sunday morning for our first behind-the-scenes look in St. Louis, Missouri.

And follow the Lifeclass conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #Lifeclass.

Rickles Killed It on Kimmel

Did you see Don Rickles on Jimmy Kimmel Live this week? He killed it. The legendary comic had the host in stitches with every line he uttered. And no one was spared from the women in the front row, to the band, to announcer Dicky Barrett (Rickles had a field day with his name, of course). Watch this clip of Jimmy demonstrating Don's new Mr. Warmth app.

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The Don Rickles Mr. Warmth App

Bob Newhart Celebrates 50 Years in Show Business

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Joe Capobianco Judges What Makes Best Ink

Photo by Harper Smith/Oxygen Media   

Oxygen’s about to launch a new show which makes all the other design competition show seem, frankly, a little bit wimpy. After all if you don’t like a Project Runway dress you can take it off. But the so-called skins who have signed up to be the subjects during a challenge on the tattoo show Best Ink will be permanently marked.

In a recent conference call interview, professional tattoo artist and series judge Joe Capobianco addressed some criticism the show has come under. “People have looked down on it and said, 'Well you guys are tattooing people. You’re doing free tattoos. You’re marking these people for the rest of their lives. What about that person?'

But he was pleased to report that even the skins who were inked by the losing competitors walked away happy. Joe acknowledged, “That’s a testament to the tattooer. That’s to show how talented these individuals are, that they’re doing tattoos that these people are taking a huge chance on these individuals just on the word that we say that they’re the tops. So for these individual skins to walk away and love every tattoo that comes out there, is a testament to the artists that are on the show.”

An Exclusive Interview with the Creator of Doc McStuffins

  

Every kid gets nervous going to the doctor’s office but hopefully the new Disney Junior show Doc McStuffins will take some of the sting out of it. The new animated series features a little girl who can help her toys cure their ailments. In a recent exclusive interview, we spoke with series’ creator/executive producer Chris Nee and medical consultant Sandra de Castro Buffington.

Doc McStuffins premieres on Friday, March 23 as part of the popular Disney Junior block on Disney Channel at 10 a.m. EST/9 a.m. Central and the new 24-hour Disney Junior channel at 4 p.m. EST/3 9 p.m. Central.

On Relating the Toys' Illnesses to Real Life Ones

  

For more exclusive "Doc McStuffins' videos visit our YouTube Channel.

Tune In: Wayne Dyer on Super Soul Sunday

Photo by Philkon Phil Konstantin via Wikimedia Commons

This Sunday on Super Soul Sunday, Oprah talks to spiritual author Wayne Dyer, about his battle with leukemia. During the two-hour special called Living with Grace, Wayne will discuss the controversial treatment that he believes cured him of cancer. The "Father of Motivation" claims to have had long distance surgery performed by Brazilian healer “John of God." See a sneak peak of the candid interview during which Oprah reacts to his statement.

Watch Oprah's interview with Wayne on Super Soul Sunday on March 25 at 11 a.m. EST/10 a.m. Central on OWN. And check back next week for our interview with Wayne about his film The Shift, which will air on Super Soul Sunday on April 1.

Chris Nee Says Doc McStuffins Is 'Cheers for the Preschool Set'

Photo courtesy of Disney Junior  

We are not children between the ages of three and seven. Nor do we have kids that age ourselves. Still we have set our DVRs to record Disney Junior's new series Doc McStuffins. The heartwarming animated tale tells the story of a six-year-old girl who runs a backyard clinic for her stuffed animals and toys.

When she puts on her magical stethoscope, her playthings come alive and she talks to them, allowing her to diagnose their conditions. In a recent exclusive interview series creator Chris Nee (Deadliest Catch, Little Bill) told us, "She is the kid who's getting to live out every kid's dream of talking to their toys, but she's also running a little ER for them."

But Doc doesn't treat plain ol' sicknesses like common colds and allergies. Instead the half-pint healer cures her patients of illnesses like the "Pricklethorns" (an inflatable toy poked by a rose bush), "No-vroom-vroom-a-tosis" (a race car that has lost his pep) or "Filthy-icky-sticky Disease" (a toy knight covered in pizza cheese and jelly). Chris stated, "Even though we're dealing with real issues, it's always got a sense of whimsy in it."

Doc has a team of friends that help her run the clinic — the cuddly Lambie, the hippo Hallie, the squeaky fish Squeakers, the clumsy dragon Stuffy and the hypochondriac snowman Chilly. They help kids become more comfortable around doctors. Chris said young viewers seem to relate to Chilly for one main reason, "It turned out kids loved that character because he's very much expressing their own fears."

Chris got the idea for the show after spending a lot of time at the doctor's office with her asthmatic son. She recalled, "It was scary for him and it was a bit of a bummer. I just wondered, 'Why hasn’t someone done the show to demystify this for kids?' It doesn’t have to be quite so scary and quite so unknown.'" And so Doc McStuffins was born. Chris pointed out, "It's not a really heavy show, but it deals with stuff that I think is going to really resonate with kids in the age group."

Stuart O'Keeffe Shares His Hearty but Healthy Culinary Perspective

Julia Child started the TV chef revolution almost 50 years ago as "The French Chef.” The “Two Hot Tamales,” Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, made Mexican accessible in the ‘90s. And Giada De Laurentiis helped people cook “Everyday Italian” food starting in 2006. But there’s a new star on the culinary scene, Stuart O’Keefe. And he’s teaching people how to make hearty but healthy creations as an expert chef on the OWN series Home Made Simple.

Stuart explained how he developed a passion for food at a young age. “I learned all this from my mother. She owned a clothing store… back home and she would get up add at like six o’clock in the morning and start making us lunches for that day before she would go to work at 9 a.m.”

His mother instilled in him a taste for unprocessed ingredients. He recalled, “She always believed in putting fresh food on the table that day… She always liked fresh protein or fresh vegetables and in Ireland we have all of that available to us. We have some great livestock there and some of the best meat in the world comes from Ireland.”

Besides food, Stuart also had an interest in American culture. He watched U.S. television shows and was aware of celebrities across the pond. He dreamed of moving to Los Angeles. He revealed, “I always wanted to do TV, whether it was TV hosting or we parlayed it into me being a chef on TV. I feel very fortunate. I feel very lucky.”

After a stint as one of the stars of the Food Network reality series Private Chefs of Beverly Hills, he landed his own show in Ireland called, Stuart’s Kitchen. But now he’s returned to the U.S. TV as an expert chef on the OWN series Home Made Simple. There he shares his philosophy of hearty but healthy cooking.

Mario Lopez Talks About GSN's Dance of a Lifetime Contest

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

It's a good time for Dancing with the Stars fans. Season 14 premiered last night and a few weeks ago GSN started re-airing season 12. And to top it off, GSN in holding a competition that many DWTS fans may want to hear about. The Dance of a Lifetime contest is a chance for one lucky winner to get a private dance lesson with a professional ballroom dancer and DWTS alum Mario Lopez. In addition, the prize package includes airfare for two to Los Angeles, California, three nights it a swanky LA hotel, meals at celeb hot-spots The Ivy and Mr. Chow and a full makeover including a new wardrobe provided by DWTS Emmy-winning costume designer Randall Christensen.

In a recent conference call interview Mario said he was "looking forward to meeting the person who wins." To enter submit a video on the GSN website by March 31 featuring your best dance moves. On April 1 public voting begins to choose the finalists. On Saturday, April 14 the winner will be announced on GSN’s Dancing with the Stars season 12 finale.

Mario explained what will give competitors a leg up. He said, "[The person] is just going to have to be clever and show how passionate they are about dancing and the show itself and what a fan they are of GSN. Be clever in their video and be authentic with their passion for dancing. And being able to move doesn’t hurt. They don’t have to be an expert by any means, but just to love to dance and make sure that loves comes across. That’s going to be key."

He offered these words of advice, "The most important thing is if you’re having fun out there, people are going to have fun with you, because it’s not worth it if it’s not fun. I try to always have fun just once I hit the dance floor. I think that’s what it’s all about. Dancing is a great form of exercise and also a great way to express yourself. It’s a great way to relive stress. So it’s all about having a good time."

The DWTS season two runner-up expressed that he loves being a part of the franchise's ever-growing family. He stated, "[I have] been a fan of GSN for a while and had a great experience on Dancing with the Stars. I love dancing and it’s my mom’s favorite show. So anytime I can keep dancing and keep doing stuff for her to keep her happy, I like to it. And I get to dance and promote a positive message at the same time, so why not? Win-win."

Mario also commented on what he finds to be the best part of the contest personally. "Getting to dance and getting to dance with this person who’s obviously been looking forward to it and having fun, getting choreographed. And just to create something and have it come together is always a good time."

To get more details about entering visit the GSN website. And watch season 12 of Dancing with the Stars on GSN on Saturday nights at 6 p.m. EST/ 5 p.m. Central. Tune into season 14 of Dancing with the Stars on ABC beginning Mondays at 8 p.m. EST/ 7 p.m. Central.

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Chaz Bono Talks About Dancing with the Stars

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Billy Gardell and Reno Wilson: The Real Power Couple on Mike & Molly

Courtesy of CBS

True, the show is called Mike & Molly, and Melissa McCarthy has become Hollywood’s latest “It Girl” thanks to her Academy Award-nominated turn in the smash-hit comedy Bridesmaids. But there’s another relationship on the Chicago-based sitcom that is the underrated gem of the series. Some of the funniest scenes on the show each week occur between Billy Gardell, who plays Officer Mike Biggs, and Reno Wilson, who portrays his partner Carl McMillan.

The two actors are enjoying their stint on a hit sitcom, but there’s a reason that it means more to them than usual. The two have been friends for years and worked together on less successful projects.

Reno talked about what they’d been through together on those short-lived shows of the past before Mike & Molly. “We’ve been on this boat together. We just got the word we got canceled and I’ve got the black plastic garbage bag, putting stuff in it [he pretends to get cry], ‘What are you doing man? I’m gonna call my agent. I think there’s an audition tomorrow. Alright, alright. I love you.’ We’ve been on that boat together.”

The Don Rickles Mr. Warmth App

Photo courtesy of MediaMine

We admit it. We get to meet a lot of pretty cool people in this crazy world we have carved out for ourselves as the Pop Culture Passionistas. But one of the highlights so far has to be the opportunity we were recently given to help create an App for Don Rickles. The 85-year-old comedian is still working, still touring and still making people laugh and we were thrilled to be able to sit in a recording studio and watch his genius at work.

The idea was simple. Don was provided with a list of topics, celebrities, ethnicities and more and he would rattle off whatever brilliant quips came to his mind. There was no script, there was no pre-planned agenda. Just 90 minutes of pure unadulterated comedic mastery.

It was all off-the-cuff, new one-liners unheard by anyone. In a recent exclusive interview Mr. Rickles told us that is how he always works. "I don't call it material. It's all just Don Rickles being sarcastic. Everything I've ever done in my whole career, people might not know, I've never written anything down on paper. Everything has just happened to me on stage to this very day."

He continued, "And so when I do these Apps and Tweets and stuff, it's just whatever comes to me. And if I think it's funny I write it down. So it's not a planned approach to each subject."

Here's a sampling of a few of our favorites from the Don Rickles Mr. Warmth App:

"Donald Trump can't be here tonight. His comb broke."

"Ryan Gosling. A handsome kid. Takes a shower and the water runs up."

"Show business is my life. When I was a kid I sold insurance, but nobody laughed."

"The Tea Party's great but I don't like lemons."

"Smartphones. Who cares? Smartphones. I only have dummy phones. 'Kiss my hockey puck.' Dummy phones."

It's all classic Rickles. While many stand-ups have copped his approach to comedy, no one does it better than Don. After all, he invented the art form. He stated, "To my knowledge, I was the first guy really to do what I do. And then later on different comedians started trying doing it. It's not something you rehearse or try. In my belief, it's in your personality. I was always, even as a kid, in the service, I was always being the so-called 'wise guy' in fun. I always had that attitude and so that became my performance."

And while he was influenced early on by some of the great comedians, he found his own style. "When I first started out, Milton Berle was my hero. As I grew to be a man and started to work on my own, I realized that his work was what he did, I respect that, but it was not something that I wound up doing. But his timing I was always impressed with... But I never picked up anybody's style except my own."

Don’t miss his inimitable style. Download the Don Rickles Mr. Warmth App for iPhone and Android. It's just $2.99 and worth every penny. Oaky, maybe we're a little biased, but we wouldn’t steer you wrong. And be sure to tune in to see Don demonstrate the App on The Jimmy Kimmel Show on March 21.

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This Week's Inspirational Pop Culture Moment with R.J. Mitte

Photo by Pop Culture Passionistas

Breaking Bad is quite possibly the darkest show on television these days. And it is most definitely one of the best. Having won six Emmy Awards and garnering another ten nominations, the series is both critically acclaimed and loved by rabid fans. Despite the fact that the lead actors, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, play drug dealing criminals, viewers can't get enough of Walter White and his sidekick Jesse Pinkman.

The character of Walt started the series as a chemistry teacher just diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. He turns to the dark side to provide stability for his family — his wife Sklyer and son Walt Jr., who has Cerebral Palsy. The actor who plays Walt Jr., R.J. Mitte, also has the condition in real life.

We spoke with R.J. on the red carpet on behalf of the Archive of American Television at the Television Academy of Arts and Sciences recent Breaking Bad event. R.J. said he has heard from many fans who are inspired by his character. He stated, "I work with several organizations [for people] with disabilities because I actually have Cerebral Palsy as well. And they love it. They love to see that someone is actually portraying their disability on television. It's really cool."

For more of our red carpet interview with R.J. and the rest of the cast of "Breaking Bad" visit the Archive's YouTube Channel.

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On the Red Carpet with the Cast of Breaking Bad
An Evening with Carl Reiner (and Dick van Dyke)


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CELEBRITY SIBLINGS: On the Red Carpet with the Livingston Brothers

Photo by Pop Culture Passionistas

The Archive of American Television asked us to be on the red carpet for the TV Academy Hall of Fame inductees ceremony. We were excited to talk to Two and a Half Men and Big Bang Theory creator, Chuck Lorre, and the man who practically invented reality TV, Jonathan Murray. But we were beside ourselves when we realized the Livingston brothers would be presenting the posthumous award to William Frawley and Vivian Vance from I Love Lucy.

Just the mention of the names conjurs up images of that animated toe, tapping out the beat to the opening theme of My Three Sons. Real life brothers Barry and Stanley Livingston, played TV brothers Ernie and Chip Douglas on the 1960s sitcom. They were honoring their co-star, who was not only Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy but also played Bub O'Casey, their maternal grandfather on My Three Sons. Stanley quipped, "He was a like a surrogate grandfather to me and taught me every four letter word I know."

The two brothers reminisced about their time with Frawley. They both recalled going to Hollywood watering hole the Nickodell Restaurant with the actor, where he would hold court daily. Barry stated, "He owned the place. He had his breakfast there. He had his lunch there. He had his after work drinks there. He had his during work drinks there, as a matter of fact." He also recalled that every day Bill ate "a half a cantaloupe with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream in the hole... No matter anything else he had, that was his big dessert."

Stanley told us he ate lunch at Nickodells every day with Frawley and it became his job to be sure the elder actor got back to the set on time. The restaurant is closed now but Stanley recounted going to the eatery long after the My Three Sons days. He remembered, "If you sat in the back of the restaurant on the very back seat, it as big booth there. And if you sat in one area of it, right at the back, you sunk in... It was an impression of Bill from all those years of eating there."

Watch our complete interviews with Barry and Stanley at the Archive's YouTube channel.


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On the Red Carpet with the Cast of Breaking Bad

On the Red Carpet at The TV Academy Hall of Fame Inductions



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Jordis Unga on Her Rocky Battle Round Showing on The Voice

  Photo by Lewis Jacobs/NBC 

Jordis Unga is no stranger to reality TV singing competition shows, having finished fifth on Rock Star: INXS. So when she took the stage for her Battle Round performance on The Voice, it seemed like she’d sail smoothly through to victory. In a recent conference call interview Jordis talked about what really happened on show night.

Jordis was the first to admit that she’s happy to have the Battle Rounds behind her. “I'm like a sigh of relief that it's over. I'm so happy. It's nerve-racking. The battles, they're really scary.”

She acknowledged the initial bond that competitors feel over making one of the four teams that are hand picked by Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green and Adam Levine. She remarked, “The entire Voice crew of contestants had been living and existing in this pressure cooker, but the battle’s looming over our heads. And knowing that, we'd all worked so hard to make a team and the next step of this thing, half of everybody that is so elated to be there is going home already.”

Win Tickets to Oprah's Lifeclass: the Tour at Radio City Music Hall

Photo by George Burns/Harpo Inc. 

We've been blabbing for weeks now about how we're going to go on the road with Oprah's Lifeclass: the Tour. Now you can join in on the fun. We have one pair of general admission tickets to see the live show at Radio City Music Hall on April 2. Oprah will be taping the second episode in this season's Lifeclass with special guest teacher Tony Robbins.

Tickets are for the evening show on Monday, April 2. If you win, you must check in at 6:30 p.m. for the live show from 8-10 p.m. Please note, this giveaway is for TICKETS ONLY. You and your guest will be entirely responsible for your own travel and accommodation arrangements and expenses.

To enter send an email with your name and the name of your guest along with email and mailing addresses for both of you to popculturepassionistas@gmail.com. All of this information must be provided to qualify to win. The subject of the email must read OPRAH'S LIFECLASS GIVEAWAY. Enter once a day between now and Wednesday, March 21 for a chance to win. Winners will be announced by Monday, March 26.

Get the details on our giveaway below. Hope to see you in New York!