Showing posts with label Celebrity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Celebrity. Show all posts

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Exercise Guru to the Stars Looks to the Past for New Workout


When fitness expert Michael Carson first started out, he worked with the current celebrities of the day like Carmen Electra and Paula Abdul. Now he takes his exercise cue from the past. He has developed a workout routine that uses the survival mechanism of our long gone ancestors as its basis and says it will have us all Fit in Seconds.

In a recent one on one interview Michael explained the origins of the theory, "When you're hungry, you think of food… That is a survival mechanism that turns on in our body… When we're hungry, we are focused physically and mentally on food. In pre-Civilization that meant it was time to hunt or gather for food. We couldn't go to a supermarket. We couldn't have it brought to us. It wasn't something that was fun. It was about survival…"

He continues, "When your body was in hunger state and you would mobilize during your hunger state… That window is our survival window. And if you hunt and gather while you're in a survival state and immediately ingest the food within 15 minutes of doing that mobilization, your body does not store the calories because it only uses it for building energy and lean muscle mass to survive."

The workout is quite simple. Once you sign up for the plan, you receive one 90-second video routine each week. You do this 90-second routine for 15 minutes before every meal or snack. He states that if you do the movements three times a day for 30 days, you'll lose on average 1-3 ounces of fat at every meal. You get a new routine very week, so when you get used to the movement pattern of the first workout, you switch it up so the body maximizes the effect of the routine.

Michael developed the series while working with his current business clientele who do a lot of travel for work and found they didn't have time for exercise. He wanted to give them consistent energy in the form of a quick workout. This 90-second routine moves every muscle group, enhances circulation, strengthen bones and increases blood flow to every part of the body.

After over 20 years in the fitness business Michael has seen the industry change drastically. In the early days he created some of the best selling and most iconic pop culture workouts around including the Carmen Electra Aerobic Striptease DVD series, the Paula Abdul Cardio Cheer workout and the Envy series (Arms of Envy, Legs of… and Buns of…). The latter starred the Women of the Year from Playboy, FHM and Maxim. In addition he has trained celebrities like Cindy Crawford, Brooke Shields and Constance Marie.

But Michael has noticed a big shift lately that he finds disturbing. He points out, "The biggest trend is that intensity is key for people… but they're not really getting fit."

He is bothered by the push for everyone to train like ultra endurance athletes. He notices, "It's become more extreme… They're doing activities that are great if you're 20 and you're preparing your body for something that you need to be completely super hero strength for. But it's breaking people's bodies down more… People are really doing major damage to their spines and their knees and their backs because they're lifting enormous amounts of weights."

According to Michael rather than beating up your body and spending hours in a gym every day, you can burn calories much more efficiently if you exercise for a much shorter time period during the survival window. He states, "The 90-seconds simulates the instinctual hunt that is hard wired into our body for survival… With my movements and with this small burst of activity I am able to take off seven pounds on average, every 30 days, in four minutes a day."

Now, he's not saying all the other exercise has to go by the way side. If you are already in an exercise routine, this regime will enhance it, not replace it. He explains, "This maximizes your meal's absorption of the nutrients which will help build your body better and recuperate from the other exercises that you do. And it burns additional fat so you don't have to work quiet as hard on the other days that you work out. It's like an exercise supplement that maximizes your caloric absorption and your body's ability to minimize the fat that goes onto it."

Michael also says that with the Fit in Seconds workout people have lost great deals of weight without changing their diet. He adds, "You also ingest less food naturally, because you're body has an additional response, wanting to keep it safe and be able to flea from predators, if need be, at any moment. So you won't eat as much when you have that mobilization before a meal."

And unlike many other exercise programs, Fit in Seconds does not require any special equipment or a particular environment. Michael says, "You need gravity and you need enough space to spin your arms around like you're Wonder Woman… you use your own body weight… anywhere you're at, this works."

And with the holidays coming up, Fit in Seconds can come in really handy as you have less time for workouts. "With this workout, you're one meal away from always burning fat. If you have five meals a day, you can do five 90-second routines before each one and you will not gain weight from anyone of those meals."

Interested in hearing more? You can find details at the FitInSeconds.com website.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Kimberly Cole Let’s Keith Apicary Fly His Freak Flag in Her New Video




Step aside Chris Crocker and lonelygirl15, there’s a new Internet sensation in town. His name is Keith Apicary and he has some pretty sweet moves. Okay, his name is actually Nathan Barnatt and he’s an actor-comedian but his dancing is what’s making him a star. If you’ve never seen him in action, just watch Kimberly Cole’s new video “U Make Me Wanna” (above). In a recent exclusive interview the pop singer talked about Keith’s audition, changing the concept for the project and the friendship that’s blossomed between the like-minded artists.

Kimberly explained that it all started like all of her other videos had, “I have a large Twitter following so we were looking for a couple of dancers for the video and decided to do auditions. And I posted on my Twitter and my Facebook because I respond to everybody. So I do get people who ask me things about auditions or whatnot. So I put it on there.”

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Kimberly Cole from Competitive Roller Skater to Pop Star



Kimberly Cole has been on the fast track to stardom over the last few years. First came her 2010 album Bad Girls Club. Then the track “Smack You” was used to promote The Bad Girls Club and hit #4 on the Billboard Dance Chart. She’s been on the road with acts like Katy Perry, LMFAO, Cobra Starship and Shiny Toy Guns. And she’s dedicated her time to entertaining the troops – headlining a U.S. tour with a group of high profile comedians to give back to the Marines.

On top of all that, Cole’s latest video for “U Make Me Wanna” has become a viral sensation thanks in part to an appearance by comedian-actor-dancer Keith Apicary (aka Nathan Barnatt). But that’s another story, for another blog (check back next week for that one).

Getting to the top in the cutthroat music industry takes dedication. And Kimberly’s willingness to keep her eyes on the prize can be traced back to her childhood. In a recent exclusive interview she told us about a very unique talent that has helped her keep on track.

Friday, May 11, 2012

This Week’s Inspiring Pop Culture Moment: President Obama


On Wednesday President Obama declared his support for gay marriage. And while the political pundits argue the pros and cons and election fallout from the move, we applaud his willingness to take a risk, make a stand and do what's right. And so we chose Obama's statement calling for equality in our nation as this week's most inspiring moment.

He stated, "At a certain point I concluded that, for me, personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married."

And we are not the only ones proud of the President's statement this week. All of Hollywood is buzzing with approval for the POTUS' announcement that he has shifted his perspective on the topic. Here are some reactions we've seen rallying behind Obama's position.

On her Thursday show Ellen DeGeneres called Obama "brave" and said it was "an amazing day for our country." She and her audience gave the President a standing ovation.

On her blog, Kim Kardashian wrote, "This is such a huge step forward in our country’s fight for civil rights and I hope that today this will give hope to so many young people across the country... Today I am proud to be an American!! I’m so happy that our country is making history and moving forward. No more living in the past!"

And many more stars took to Twitter to show their support for Obama's statement. Here are our favorites:

Justin Timberlake: "@barackobama inspires me once again. True leadership is when you are willing to risk your power and voice so that ALL of ours can be heard.

Jane Lynch: "Obama: Marriage? Gay is okay!" She then followed that up saying, "Pretty darn happy today. Thanks Mr President, for supporting the dignity of my family and so many others!"

Neil Patrick Harris: "@BarackObama: President Obama announces his support for same-sex marriage: http://OFA.BO/CLBAi9” Bravo, Mr. President, and thank you."

Friday, July 15, 2011

This Week's Inspirational Pop Culture Moments


A star changes her schedule to dance with a Marine, a famous teen tells kids to Delete Digital Drama and Broadway Barks for four-legged friends. Here's this week's most inspirational moments in pop culture.

Stars Go Dancing for the Country

This week when Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake were at Fox News on a press junket promoting their film "Friends with Benefits," the actress was stunned to learn about a YouTube video creating quite a stir on the Internet. Sergeant Scott Moore of the 3rd Battalion 2nd Marines in Musa Qala, Afghanistan, posted a plea to the star, asking her to attend the Marine Corps Ball with him on November 18.

Timberlake encouraged her, "Do it for your country," and promised Moore he would "work on this for you." Kunis agreed then and there to go with Moore and proclaimed, "We're going to make this happen." Then after a few days of will she or won't she and questions about scheduling conflicts, Kunis' reps confirmed she will make any adjustments necessary to accompany the Marine to the ball.

But Timberlake was not off the hook. Just days after Kunis' invite, Corporal Kelsey De Santis, the only female at the Martial Arts Center for Excellence (MACE) at Marine Corps Base Quantico, posted her own video, asking the singer-turned-actor to escort her to another function. This Marine Corp Ball is on November 12. No world yet if JT has accepted.

For more inspiring pop Culture moments visit Beliefnet.com.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Mary McCormack and Frederick Weller Are In Plain Sight



Photo by Robert Ascroft/USA Network 


On Sunday, May 1 the USA network series In Plain Sight returns for its fourth season, with a twist. Series’ star Mary McCormack is pregnant and, as a result, her edgy character is also going to be with child. In a recent conference call interview, McCormack and her co-star Frederick Weller talked about the new storyline and what keeps the series interesting.

Mary remarked that her off-screen pregnancy is adding to the excitement this season. “The impromptu nature of some of the shifts, just makes it more interesting. We're excited.”

So are fans that continue to come back for more of Mary and Marshall’s unfulfilled love connection. Weller commented on the reason he thinks fans keep tuning in, “It's a great drama with a sense of humor. And I don't think that's a very common combination on television.”

McCormack added, “Something USA does really well is character stuff. And I think our show, even if you weren't interested in the procedural side of it, or the witness protection side of it, I think the character relationships are really rich and fresh and funny… I love reading the scenes between me and Fred or I love Paul Ben-Victor's character so much. And so I think that's a big part of it.”

And she acknowledged that the overriding concept of the series is gripping. “Witness protection just makes for exciting stories and it's a really rich place to grab stories from. People starting over completely, saying goodbye to their lives… it never ends in terms of story opportunities.”

Plus fans have developed quite a connection to the U.S. Marshals of In Plain Sight. The stars seem to still love them too. McCormack divulged that even four seasons in to In Plain Sight she still enjoys playing Mary Shannon. “I just love the character. David Maples, who created the show, just wrote a really great part. Fred's part is great too, and so is Paul Ben-Victor's. He just really wrote some three-dimensional characters. I love them. I love that Mary Shannon's really good at her job and not so good at her personal life. I like that she's cynical and sarcastic. It's just fun to play someone so grouchy. It's sort of refreshing. I can be a little bit grouchy myself so it's a comfortable fit.”

Weller admitted that he hasn’t noticed much of a difference in his now pregnant co-star. “It's funny but I haven't noticed any substantial change. I don't know if that's just more about her when she's not pregnant than it does in how she's able to handle the hormonal shift. But no apparent shift so far.”

Mary jokingly chimed in, “I started out pretty cranky.” Fred retorted, “Yes, she might have been maxed out on crankiness already.”

Watch both Marys’ pregnancies unfold on the fourth season of In Plain Sight on Sunday nights at 10 p.m. EST/9 p.m. Central on the USA network.

For more pop culture stories read:



Follow us on FacebookTwitter and YouTube.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Math Nerds Track Dating Habits of the Stars




We have unearthed the latest case of math nerds meeting pop culture. The good people at Revolution Analytics have taken OK Cupids' list of the hottest 100 Celebrity Couples and designed a scatter plot to see who falls in the socially acceptable rule of dating — "half your age plus seven."

Don't know the adage? It's an age-old urban legend that justifies old dudes going after young girls (or vice versa). It basically states that if the object of your affection is at least half your age plus seven years, the age spread falls within the realm of social decency. So in this era of May-December romances from Sean Penn and Scarlett Johansson to Hugh Hefner and Crystal Harris, Revolution Analytics wanted to test the theory to see how it applied to these couples.

What they found is all but two couples broke the rule. Our Playboy pal Hugh is way outside the "Safe Area" of the chart with a 60-year age difference (he's actually surpassed three times your age plus seven). And Madonna clocked in at 28 years older than her most recent boy toy Brahim Zaibat. For those who were playing along at home and trying to guess who didn't follow the rules, you were wrong if you picked Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones, Mick Jagger and L'Wren Scott or Bruce Willis and Emma Heming. They were all right on the border of indecency but fell within the legal limit.

And while we personally think each couple is unique and every circumstance is different, a quarter century age spread is probably not right for everyone. So we wonder, does this test reveal that most people are playing by the rules, or does it  instead, point out that the rules of the game might need changing? Just saying.

For related stories check out:
Famous Objects from Classic Movies
The Whoopie Pie Smackdown


Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Friday, March 25, 2011

This Week's Inspirational Pop Culture Moments




A great humanitarian passes away, a journalist searches for hope and faith and an anchorwoman turns the spotlight on global health. Here are this week's most inspirational pop culture moments.

Liz Taylor's Humanitarian Legacy


The world of pop culture lost one of its biggest legends this week with the passing of Elizabeth Taylor. And while she was known for her Oscar-winning film performances and troubled personal life, Liz was also an inspiring humanitarian.

The actress was often recognized for her work with HIV/AIDS research and awareness. She got involved with the issue after her good friend and movie co-star Rock Hudson was diagnosed with the disease. In 1991 she started the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, personally underwriting the organization's expenses, so 100% of all fundraising could be used directly to help those afflicted with HIV/AIDS.

Elton John, a longtime friend and fan of Taylor's, released a statement saying, "She earned our enduring love and respect for her compassion and her courage in standing up and speaking out about AIDS when others preferred to bury their heads in the sand."

In 1992 Taylor was given the the Jean Herscholt Humanitarian Academy Award for her tireless work for AIDS education and awareness. In 2000 the actress was named Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II to honor her AIDS fundraising efforts.

Craig E. Thompson, Executive Director of the AIDS Project Los Angeles, also released a statement this week about Taylor which read, "It's impossible to underestimate Elizabeth Taylor's impact on the fight against AIDS from the very beginning. We're simply devastated by her loss."


For more inspiring moments visit Beliefnet.com.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

The Top 10 Celebrity Scandals of 2010




We like to stay out of the gutter here at Pop Culture Passionistas, but no year end wrap-up would be complete without mentioning the, shall we say, missteps of some of Hollywood's biggest and brightest. And so without further adieu, and just once a year, the top 10 celebrity scandals from 2010.

10. Jesse James Cheats on Sandra Bullock 
All seemed right with the world for Sandra Bullock early this year. She was getting all sorts of praise and awards for her role in The Blind Side and she seemed happy with her home life with reality TV star Jesse James. Then just a few days after winning the Oscar her world came crashing down when rumors of Jesse's affair with Bombshell McGee began surfacing. Fortunately for Sandy a new baby and a few months alone helped her realize she's better off without him.

9. Lindsay Lohan Goes to Rehab (Again)
To be honest we've sort of lost track of Lindsay. In and out of court, jail and/or rehab so often we can't keep count. The latest news has something to do with allegations of assault on a worker at the Betty Ford Center where she currently resides. We didn't care enough to read the details and are pretty sure you don't want them either.

8. Paris Hilton and the Borrowed Purse
It ranks up there with "the dog ate my homework" for the lamest excuse for getting out of jail. When Paris Hilton was arrested in August for possession of cocaine her defense was "It wasn't my purse." Then the story switched to it was her purse, but it wasn't her drugs. Ultimately she admitted to possession and was put on probation for a year. But she better be sure of what's in her purse from now on because another slip up and she'll be sent to jail for 12 months.

7. The Jeremey London Kidnapping Case
This summer Party of Five star Jeremy London claimed he was kidnapped in Palm Springs, held at gunpoint, driven around for 12 hours and forced to do drugs. No one, including his own family, believed him and the case became a version of he said/he said with his accused kidnapper maintaining is innocence. During this season of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, London still claimed the violent crime took place and he will some day be vindicated. The case is still pending in the Palm Springs courts.

6. Brett Farve
One word of advice to all the famous people out there with an inclination to cheat on your spouse. Voicemail, texts and emails can be saved and used against you. Never leave a paper trail (or in this case a e-trail). Farve admitted to sexting Jets' host Jenn Sterger but claimed the photos of his private parts were not his. That should make his wife, kids and new grandchild feel much better.

For numbers one through five on our countdown visit Yahoo.com.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.


Thursday, December 16, 2010

Jane Fonda Is Back in the Exercise Game



Jane Fonda is back and hotter than ever. For the first time in over 15 years, at the age of 72 (though you'd never know it by looking at her), she is releasing a two DVD set for the senior crowd called Prime Time. In a recent Facebook chat with viral video producer Lisa Nova and a handful of bloggers, Jane talked about why doing an exercise series for people of her generation is important and how exercise has changed since the '80s.

Like thousands of other aerobic-crazed women in the '80s and '90s we used to "drive the big truck" with Jane on her original workout tapes. The actress-turned-political-activist pretty much invented the genre. She pointed out, "I didn't create the workout, but I put it on video and I popularized it and that changed everything. It created a fitness industry... It also opened up a whole new profession or broadened a profession for aerobics teachers and fitness teachers."

Jane recalled that before the '80s fitness craze, women were not really welcome in gyms. She said, "Women were not supposed to have muscles... We weren't supposed to sweat... That's all changed now and if I contributed in some small way to that I feel good about it. Now we just have to broaden the base of people who do it."

She became inspired to do the new series after writing a new book called Prime Time: Creating a Great Third Act. She described the book saying, "It's about how you go through life and reach the last third of your life with peace and calm and poise and happiness and a sense of well being.

She explained that, "When you get older it is critical that you keep physically active... because all kinds of things can wrong if you don't, including your brain... So it was because of the book that I said, 'Who better to do exercise programs for this demographic?'"

She claimed that most of today's young fitness instructors don't want to do work-outs for older people. "So older people get ignored. So I said, 'Well, I started the video industry, so I might as well do it.'"

She added, "My ultimate goal is to encourage people who are older, and maybe who have never worked out, who don't consider themselves necessarily fit to begin to move, on a regular basis, their whole body."

She explained that the essential difference between exercise now and back when the video industry started is the attention paid to the core. She explained, "Your trunk, your stomach, your back and your hips are all being recruited into action and it's a fantastic workout. "

As far as the difference with the videos now from her original series, she said, "They're slower. They're easier. They work all the body, but they're safe for people over 50 or for people who maybe have never worked out before."

But if you're not quite ready for the slowed down exercise routines yet, have no fear. Jane is also re-launching the original Jane Fonda Workout brand with four emerging female fitness trainers who she calls "internet stars" — Jeanette Jenkins, Karena Dawn, Katrina Hodgson and Tara Stiles. She explained, "They have their own following, but I want to give them a boost... so they're doing DVDs under my workout brand." They will be in stores and online on December 26.

As a reminder to all of us, Jane cautioned, "Just because you can't do what you used to do, is no excuse to stop doing anything... You have to keep doing it even if it's less than what you used to do... Just move."

For other fitness stories check out:
A Big Week for The Biggest Loser
Jillian Michaels Transforms America One Family at a Time


Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Alyssa Milano Stars in Sundays at Tiffany’s


Photo courtesy of Lifetime

Television veteran Alyssa Milano returns to the small screen again tonight for the Lifetime Original Movie Sundays at Tiffany’s. Based on the bestselling novel by James Patterson, the telepic tells the story of a hard-edged businesswoman who is preparing for her wedding — only to be visited by her childhood imaginary friend.

In a recent conference call interview, we spoke with the former Who’s the Boss star about what drew her to the project. She explained, “I think the best thing about it is actually how romantic it is. And it’s what I was first attracted to when I read the script. It’s really a modern day fairy tale and it’s such an original concept which I don’t think we see quite often any more.”

Milano was also happy to be reunited with two actors she had worked with on past projects. Ivan Sergei plays her fiancé in Tiffany’s and had worked with her on Charmed and she had filmed a TV pilot with Eric Winter, who plays her imaginary friend in the Lifetime movie.

She told us how much she enjoyed working with them again saying, “To have both of those guys there was awesome — so much fun. We filmed in Toronto so we went to Second City on our days off and saw improv and laughed. Anytime that you are reconnected with people that you’ve worked with before, people that you admire and respect, it’s always a great feeling… It’s a very small world anyway so when you add on top of it this industry which is a very small industry you hope that the people that you really care for come back around.”

And when asked about her legendary co-star Stockard Channing, Milano seemed almost at a loss for words. She finally told us, “She is exactly what you would hope working with Stockard Channing would be like… I was always a huge fan of hers but I’m even more so a fan after working with her. She is lovely and smart. Her instincts are always dead on.”

But what really drew Alyssa to the project was the complexity of her character, Jane Claremont. “I think what I was attracted to when I read the script was that she was hurt in her past and she, out of a protection mechanism… suppressed the romantic that she was. And I really liked that aspect of it because I find the most interesting characters to play are the ones that are sort of flawed that you have to go through this journey. And for me the character was really about her arc… was really about that she was hardened off to love and then through magical circumstances she learns to love wholly again and she softens.”

But Alyssa, who married CAA Agent David Bugliari in 2009, couldn’t really relate to Jane’s attitude about love. “I was never not a romantic in real life.”
  
For more pop culture stories read:




Follow us on FacebookTwitter and YouTube.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Anderson Cooper Dresses up for the Bonobos


We’ve loved Anderson Cooper ever since he hosted the reality series The Mole. Before he became the face of news for the modern world (alongside Jon Stewart), he was the perfectly smarmy star of the most underrated competition show of all time. But as his work at CNN amped up, the producers of The Mole asked Cooper to make a choice — either commit to them full-time or choose news.

We all know how that worked out, but we’re happy to see the anchor hasn’t lost his sense of humor. In fact he’s willing to go to extremes for a story that we’re sure Barbara Walters and Mike Wallace would never consider.

On a recent assignment for AC360, Anderson visited Dr. Sue Savage-Rumbaugh and her primate pals Kanzi, Panbanisha, Nyota and baby Teco. The good doctor is a scientist at the Great Ape Trust and has been working with the bonobos’ language research program for years. Her goal is to prove that the apes are able to communicate just like humans, in this case by pointing to pictogram images that indicate their needs and emotions.

While conversing with Kanzi, Cooper found himself faced with an unusual request. Check it out as Anderson takes one for the AC360 team.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

This Week's Inspirational Pop Culture Moments


A group of celebrities work to end hunger, some furry friends teach healthy living and The Biggest Loser has a huge week. Here are this week's most inspirational pop culture moments.

Celebrities Work to End Hunger

This week we gather with family and friends to give thanks for everything we have. As we celebrate some of the most fortunate stars are helping Feeding America remind us that there are many families struggling in these tough economic times.

The new "Hunger is a Real Story" campaign features big names like Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Taye Diggs. These stars are acting out the stories of those Americans who are going hungry.

Affleck kicked off the campaign with a background PSA stating that "49 million Americans struggle with hunger. That's one our of every six Americans."

Taye Diggs takes on the role of Reggie, a father of four who also lives with his sister's kids but has no way to feed them all. Anna Ortiz acts out the part of Fernanda, whose husband is a teacher affected by state budget cuts and is is unsure where her family's next meal is coming from. And Matt Damon plays Steve who finds himself needing the services of a local food bank. He gets over his fear about what his neighbors might think, when he sees them there as well.

Each story opens our eyes to the suffering in our own neighborhoods. These celebrities are inspiring us to donate to Feeding America or find a local food bank and drop off donations or volunteer to help.

For more of this week's inspirational pop culture moments visit Beliefnet's Idol Chatter.

For past inspirational pop culture moments check out:
This Week's Inspirational Pop Culture Moments — November 19
This Week's Inspirational Pop Culture Moments — November 11


Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Steve Martin Gives Us Another Object of Beauty




Somewhere during the course of the last couple of decades Steve Martin very quietly became our generation’s Renaissance man. Hard to believe we’re saying that about a guy who first found fame with a fake arrow through his head, but it’s true.

Once considered merely a writer and stand-up comedian, Martin has transformed into a master of many trades. Consider his list of accomplishments:

• 1967 — Steve lands a gig as writer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and a comedic genius is born. He even wins an Emmy with the rest of the writing staff in 1969. Stints on The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour and The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour follow.

• October 23, 1976 — Steve Martin hosts Saturday Night Live for the first time. As of now, he’s been the special guest star more than anyone else, although Alec Baldwin is constantly nipping at his heals.

• 1977 — Steve releases the comedy album Let’s Get Small, which peaks at #10 on the Billboard Pop Album Chart. It will be the first of four brilliant comedy albums.

• 1978 — Steve publishes Cruel Shoes, a collection of equally funny short stories. He’ll repeat the feat in 1998 with a similar work called Pure Drivel.

• 1978 — Martin’s novelty-song single “King Tut” soars to #17 on the U.S. charts. Sadly he did not win a Grammy buried in his jammies.

• December 14, 1979 — He takes his humor to the big screen in his first leading role when The Jerk opens. He also happened to co-write the flick, which was directed by Carl Reiner.

• 1982 — Martin receives his first Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture Actor — Comedy/Musical for Pennies from Heaven. He’d get four more such nods for All of Me, Roxanne, Parenthood and Father of the Bride.

• February 12, 1988 — He wins a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium for Roxanne.

• October 13, 1993 — He opens the first play he’s penned, Picasso at the Lapin Agile at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois. Successful runs in Los Angeles and New York follow.

• April 22, 1996 — He contributes his first piece in The New Yorker entitled “Yes, in My Own Backyard.”

• 2000 — He publishes his first novella Shopgirl, which will later become an underrated film starring Martin and Claire Danes. His second novella, The Pleasure of My Company is equally good and under appreciated.

• March 25, 2001 — He hosts the Oscars for the first time. He’ll repeat again solo in 2003 and with Alec Baldwin at his side in 2010.

• November 20, 2007 — Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life — He gives fans all a peak at his inner workings in his thoroughly engaging autobiography.

• May 19, 2009 — He finally releases his first album of banjo-fueled Americana music called The Crow: New Songs for the Five String Banjo. He embarks on a tour. The album would win the Grammy for Best Bluesgrass Album in 2010. It wasn’t Steve’s first for music, he was part of the Grammy-winning Earl Scruggs’ “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” in 2002. And of course, already had two for comedy albums.

• September 8, 2010 — He puts out a kids’ book called Late for School, which is illustrated by C.F. Payne and accompanied by a CD featuring original Martin performed banjo tunes.

And along the way he collected a ton of art, won a bunch of other awards, starred in and wrote a whole lot of movies and made the occasional guest appearances on shows like 30 Rock. Heck, he’s even been funny on Twitter. We have no idea if Steve can cook a gourmet meal or make his own clothes, but nothing would surprise us.

So, it’s with great anticipation that we hit the local bookstore tomorrow to pick up a copy of his first full-length work of fiction — the 304-page An Object of Beauty: A Novel. Set in the art world, advance word is that it’s full with all of the biting wit we’ve come to expect from the Wild and Crazy Guy.  




For more pop culture stories read:




Follow us on FacebookTwitter and YouTube.


Thursday, November 11, 2010

Martin Mull’s “Split Infinitives” on Display





When we were little, and our oldest sister would come home for college vacations, we would sneak down into the living room after our parents went to bed. There, we would find our ultra-hip sib watching TV like we’d never seen it before—irreverent shows like Saturday Night Live and Mary Hartman, Mary Harman.

But our personal favorite was Fernwood Tonight. Even as kids we could tell that Martin Mull as Barth Gimble, the bumbling local cable access talk show host, was brilliant. And, that his even more bafoonish sidekick, Jerry Hubbard played by Fred Willard was a stroke of comic genius.

Mull has been a fixture on television ever since on shows like Roseanne and Two and a Half Men. But we’ve never seen even a spark of that lighting in a bottle that he had captured on Fernwood.

Still when we hear he’s got something new going on, it always catches our attention. We were especially surprised when we learned that the funnyman is an accomplished artist. His latest exhibit,
Split Infinitives, is on display at the Samuel Freeman Gallery through December 18.

You can visit their website for more information or stop by the gallery at 2525 Michigan Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90033.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

The Fashion Show Ultimate Competition Returns


Photo by: Mike Ruiz/Bravo 


Bravo’s design series The Fashion Show returns tonight in a revamped, practically unrecognizable form. Host and judge Kelly Rowland has been replaced by supermodel Iman. There will be 12 designers competing instead of 15. And, most importantly the competitors will be split into two fashion houses and will stage a complete runway extravaganza each week.

The one anchoring factor is the return of Isaac Mizrahi.

In a recent conference call interview, Isaac and Iman talked about the new format, the latest cast of characters, and how their larger than life personalities will factor into the show.

The Fashion Show Ultimate Collection premieres tonight at 10:00 PM PST / 9:00 PM Central on Bravo.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Is Due Date Just a Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Rip-off?




Steve Martin. John Candy. Planes. Trains. And, that’s right, Automobiles. One of the best buddy picture, fish out of water, road movie, comedy classics of all time.

And every time we see the commercial for Due Date, we think, “Is this really necessary?” Now, we love Robert Downey, Jr. and we are surprised at how often we find ourselves enjoying Zach Galifianakis. But it feels like director Todd Phillips of The Hangover fame is trying to squeeze RDJ into a Martin-sized hole and fill up the Candy gap in the comedy scene with Galifianakis. Good choices if ones need to be made. Just not right in our estimation.

As with the 1987 film, Downey, Jr. is an uptight guy in desperate need to fly home (this time for his wife’s delivery instead of the holidays) and Galifianakis is a scruffy but lovable actor (not shower curtain ring salesman) who needs to help him get where he needs to go.

All signs point to Due Date being a fun romp and to Robert and Zach delivering. But we’ll just dust off our Planes, Trains, and Automobiles and give it another spin.

Are we going the wrong way? 


For more pop culture stories read:






Follow us on FacebookTwitter and YouTube.