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Howard Stern's 'American Idol' Conniving James Hirsen
THE LEFT COAST
REPORT
Headlines (Scroll down for complete stories): 1. Dakota Fanning Wins Kids' Choice Award Despite 'Hounddog' The 20th Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards was, as usual, a festive, energetic affair that had some well-deserved winners like Favorite Movie Actor Adam Sandler and Wannabe Award winner Ben Stiller, who was honored for being the person kids most want to emulate. There was an undercurrent of discomfort, though, as Dakota Fanning won the award for Favorite Movie Actress. "I can't believe this, oh my goodness," Fanning said between giggles. "I want to thank all of you out there, and at home, who voted for me. I consider all of you my friends!"
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Fanning's award served to underscore the horrible choice that her mother and agent made in having the then-12-year-old Dakota film a violent rape scene for a movie (which premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival) called "Hounddog." 2. Rosie O'Donnell Goes Over the Top Continuing in her bid to destroy Barbara Walters' credibility and ABC's program "The View," Rosie O'Donnell's factually deficient and irresponsible comments are rising in frequency and outrageousness. Rosie recently gave viewers a pseudo-science lecture on the events of 9/11. "I do believe that it's the first time in history that fire has ever melted steel," O'Donnell confidently affirmed. "I do believe that it defies physics that World Trade Center tower 7 — building 7, which collapsed in on itself — it is impossible for a building to fall the way it fell without explosives being involved. World Trade Center 7. World Trade [Center] 1 and 2 got hit by planes — 7, miraculously, the first time in history, steel was melted by fire. It is physically impossible." Rosie's "scientific" statements prompted a response along the following lines from Popular Mechanics magazine:
Lack of evidence never seems to stop Rosie. She also spoke out on the British sailors who are being held hostage by Iran. "There were 15 British sailors and Marines who apparently went into Iranian waters and they were seized by the Iranians. And I have one thing to say: Gulf of Tonkin, Google it," Rosie sneered. Her blog claimed that "the British did it on purpose" to provide an excuse for war. Memo to Rosie: You've become "The View"'s resident crackpot. Google it. 3. Howard Stern's 'American Idol' Conniving Fox's "American Idol" is in Howard Stern's crosshairs. The show with the most dominant ratings in broadcast television history is in danger of being "ruined," according to the satellite shock jock. Stern has been working with Web site votefortheworst.com and using his radio platform to try to persuade his listening audience to follow the dictates of the site, which advocates that "Idol" viewers vote for the poorest performer on the show. The designated contestant of the current season is an atonal, arrhythmic, androgynous singer named Sanjaya Malakar. Malakar has inspired tears, endless Internet chatter, late-night comedy ribbing, and a direct threat from curmudgeonly judge Simon Cowell. Cowell has signaled his intentions to quit "Idol" if Malakar wins. "I won't be back if he does," Cowell recently declared to "Extra." Stern is gleeful over the possibility of the show's demise. "We're corrupting the entire thing. All of us are routing 'American Idol,'" the Sirius bigwig boasted during a recent show. "It's so great. The No. 1 show in television and it's getting ruined." Stern routinely uses Malakar as fodder to debate Eric Lynch, a habitual caller. Lynch is firmly against the idea of harming the integrity of "Idol." In jousting with Lynch, Stern launches verbal missiles at the show while he promotes the idea of Malakar becoming the next "American Idol." Fans of Stern have demonstrated cult-like tendencies in the past, as listeners appear to follow the dictates of their leader. He has even thrown his weight around in statewide elections in New York. Malakar was in the bottom two or three of "Idol" contestants during the initial episodes of the show. But he was noticeably absent from the lower vote-getter categories in those telecasts that took place after Stern started to focus on his get-out-the-vote effort in March. With over 30 million people tuning in each week, other networks are likely pleased with Stern's campaign and heartened by the fact that this year's "Idol" ratings are down 10 percent. Since the actual vote tallies are not released to the public, exactly how many voters Stern has managed to corral is unknown. Malakar does have his own fan base and is also being covered extensively by Indian media. Fox has issued a statement on the matter, expressing its skepticism of Stern's actual impact on the plurality of the vote. "With 30 million votes every week, and hundreds of millions of votes over the season," the Fox statement reads, "the power of true fans of 'American Idol' dwarfs any attempt of people trying to gain notoriety. Despite the press coverage, these campaigns don't affect who moves forward in the competition."
In private, though, Fox execs must have their fingers crossed that Malakar is booted sooner rather than later. 4. Mia Farrow Waves 'Leni Riefenstahl' Label at Steven Spielberg Mia Farrow recently launched some verbal volleys at director Steven Spielberg.
The actress is unhappy with the filmmaker because of his involvement with China in the production of the 2008 Olympic Games. According to Farrow, Spielberg is in danger of becoming "the Leni Riefenstahl of the Beijing Games." Farrow has been trying to bring attention to the crisis in Sudan. Because the government of China has overtly supported the government of Sudan, Farrow is less than enthusiastic about the Olympics being held in Beijing. In an editorial published in The Wall Street Journal, Farrow expressed disappointment that "artists like director Steven Spielberg, who quietly visited China this month as he prepares to help stage the Olympic ceremonies" would "sanitize Beijing's image."
Farrow questioned whether Spielberg, "Who in 1994 founded the Shoah Foundation to record the testimony of survivors of the Holocaust, is aware that "China is bankrolling Darfur's genocide?" Still, Farrow saved her most derogatory comparison for last. She invoked the name of Nazi propagandist Riefenstahl, who is known for making a film on the 1936 Berlin Olympics. "Does Mr. Spielberg really want to go down in history as the Leni Riefenstahl of the Beijing Games?" Farrow asked. "Do the various television sponsors around the world want to share in that shame? Because they will. Unless, of course, all of them add their singularly well-positioned voices to the growing calls for Chinese action to end the slaughter in Darfur." 5. John Travolta's Global Warming Wobble John Travolta recently lectured the Brits, asking them to "do their bit" to reduce global warming. While he was at it, he admitted, "I fly jets," according to the London Evening Standard. Travolta preached about the need to use "alternative methods of fuel" to help the environment. Vinnie Barbarino's alter ego just happens to own five jets and his own private runway. During the last year, the "Battlefield Earth" star has flown 30,000 miles and produced an estimated 800 tons of carbon emissions. "It's a shame when someone of his standing is so outspoken about green issues, yet fails to practice what he preaches," John Buckley of CarbonFootprint.com complained to the Evening Standard. Maybe Travolta was drawing on his Scientology background when he said that the solution to global warming could be found in outer space. Editor's Notes:
The Left Coast Report is put together by James L. Hirsen and the staff of NewsMax — The Left Coast Report Archives Get your FREE copy of James Hirsen's new book 'Hollywood Nation' — Click Here Now.
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