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Roseanne Barr e-Mimics Rosie O'Donnell James Hirsen
THE LEFT COAST
REPORT
Headlines (Scroll down for complete stories):
1. Natalie Portman's Primate Priorities Natalie Portman is using her fame to draw attention to the tragedy that is taking place in Rwanda. No, she's not trying to sound the alarm about the 800,000 people who were massacred in the 1994 genocide or alert the public that the danger continues to this day.
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Rather, the "Revenge of the Sith" actress has teamed up with other celebs and is focusing her efforts on the plight of the Rwandan gorillas. Portman joined other international celebrities at a ceremony to provide names for 23 baby mountain gorillas living in the African nation. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature, there are only 720 mountain gorillas surviving in the wild in parks that spread out across Rwanda, Uganda and the Congo. Protecting the mountain gorillas is no doubt a noble cause, but in my opinion protecting humans still ranks #1. 2. Roseanne Barr e-Mimics Rosie O'Donnell's 'View' Views With the vacancy on ABC's "The View" still up for grabs, Roseanne Barr is doing her best Rosie imitation on her Web site. Barr, whose name has been mentioned as a possible replacement for O'Donnell, has this advice for Congress: "Impeach the president and the vice president, they are traitors to America, and so are all of their supporters. Impeach! Anyone in congress who refuses to save our union from these traitors by doing nothing needs to be recalled." The comedienne also puts out the following pleas: "Save our troops!!! Save our schools and hospitals and jobs. Feed our hungry and poor!" No lefty rescue roster would be complete without at least one mention of Katrina. "Save the drowning people in New Orleans!" Barr blogs. The national anthem decimating diva fails, however, to provide any ideas on how the saving should take place. Barr closes her post with a non-partisan wisecrack and smacks the media in the process: "Anyone who mentions Paris Hilton one more time must die!" 3. 'Sicko' Box-Office in ICU Many in the media are trying to spin the box-office numbers for Michael Moore's "Sicko" documentary, but the figures for Moore's latest movie pale in comparison to the opening take of his previous film. "Sicko" took in an unhealthy $4.5 million on its opening weekend, while "Fahrenheit 9/11" grossed just under $24 million on its debut weekend. Part of the reason for the dollar discrepancy is that people have caught on to Moore's failure to provide accurate information as he tries to entertain using a documentary format. "Sicko" sings the praises of the highly flawed, non-free-market health care systems of France, Canada and Cuba. Even media sources that normally give kudos to Moore have taken note. The Associated Press compared "Sicko" to "a trial for those who oversee health care in the United States." The A.P. described Moore as a "chief prosecutor," but also noted that "one aspect missing from the film is the defense." CNN checked Moore's facts and found them wanting. While Moore holds Cuba up as a model system, the communist dictatorship is ranked lower than the U.S. in the very same list that Moore touts. America's health care is ranked the highest in patient satisfaction as well, but facts such as this one never make it to the screen. Kurt Loder of MTV, in an article titled, "'Sicko,' Heavily Doctored," accurately described Moore's docu-deficiencies, writing, "Unfortunately, Moore is also a con man of a very brazen sort, and never more so than in this film." Loder added that "his cherry-picked facts, manipulative interviews (with lingering close-ups of distraught people breaking down in tears) and blithe assertions (how does he know 18 million people will die this year because they have no health insurance?) are so stacked that you can feel his whole argument sliding sideways as the picture unspools." With comments such as these from left-of center-sources, Moore is going to have a hard time blaming his below par box-office on a plot by the Right. 4. Antonio Banderas' Kids Won't Be Like Paris Hilton Antonio Banderas is not planning on becoming an enabling parent like so many of Hollywood's reigning moms and dads. The actor and spouse of Melanie Griffith has publicly expressed his resolve to keep his children from becoming self-absorbed, party hearty Paris Hilton clones.
Banderas wants his kids to have an attitude of gratitude so he instills work ethic values in ten-year-old Stella, seventeen-year-old Dakota, and even twenty-one-year-old Alexander. "I don't give them whatever they ask for — they have to earn it. I tell the kids the world is not Hollywood," Banderas told Closer magazine. "I've taken them to Mexico and Argentina when I've been making movies there so they could see how kids in different countries live," he added. "They've seen shanty towns. I don't want them to think that the world is just full of beautiful cars and houses and everything you want." Way to go, Zorro. 5. Joel Siegel, Generous Friend Joel Siegel, film critic and entertainment editor for ABC's "Good Morning America," lost his battle with colon cancer on June 29. He was 63-years-old. It was 26 years ago that Siegel first appeared on "G.M.A." It was four years ago that Siegel first appeared in my life. There he would remain as a friend. Joel agreed to an in-person interview for a book I was writing at the time and graciously shared his opinions about the entertainment media, journalism, morning shows and big-name celebrities. We met at the Apple Pan, a favorite spot from Joel's college days when he was at UCLA. The restaurant is part diner, part landmark, and is best known for its terrific burgers. After lunch, he and I walked to a nearby shopping mall and continued our conversation over coffee. Joel, of course, was recognized by fans galore and loved the interaction as much as the fans loved him. Every person received the trademark warm smile, enthusiastic handshake or great-to-see-you gesture. The guy had an irrepressible love of people, and of his work. He had the perfect combination of qualities that made for a good journalist — an insatiable curiosity combined with an open-mindedness and forward-looking spirit. His cultural and political ideas were well thought through and unclassifiable using traditional labels.
Joel loved to talk about the movies and would courageously take more difficult positions because of heartfelt beliefs. For example, the deep devotion he felt for his son made his views concerning parenting and media content for children somewhat old school, affecting the manner in which he reviewed certain crude and/or violent films. Since our first meeting, Joel and I stayed in touch, exchanging e-mails, phone calls and items of interest. He sent me a copy of his book, Lessons for Dylan, that he had written for his now nine-year-old boy and which, in a kind of marquee fashion, demonstrated his life's priorities. "Good Morning America" won't be the same without him. We'll miss you, Joel. 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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