General Motors Corporation has ended its sponsorship of the hit series Survivor and will no longer be buying advertising for the show. The world's largest automaker has been a sponsor of Survivor since it premiered in May 2000 and said that the decision had nothing to do with the reality show's plan to divide its contestants by race and ethnicity. They went on to state that the company made the decision in the normal course of making its media buys months ago, before the show made its announcement.
I find it odd that GM would announce their change of advertising strategy months after is was decided and I find it even odder that CBS would create the teams based on race and ethnicity.
Here's my take: CBS needs to do something shocking to try and boost the ratings of a show which has been steadily declining over the past few years and GM is very uncomfortable with the new format and wants nothing to do with it. Everything else is just marketing spin [no offence to the marketers of the world].
For sale: 1964 37-foot mahogany Wheeler Express Cruiser Owner: Scotty Taylor Location: Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada Name: S.S. Minnow
Yup the one from Gilligan's Island - well actually there were four S.S. Minnows used on the show. The first Minnow was purchased and towed out to Kauai and used in the beach scenes. The second one was a rental they used in the opening credits at the Honolulu Harbor. It showed the crew boarding and then showed it sailing out to sea. The third was filmed in the opening credits of the second season at Marina Del Rey in Los Angeles. The fourth one was built for CBS Studios and is shown at the Lagoon in the second season opening credits.
The one for sale is the 3rd boat used and only one left in the water after all these years. The name "S.S. Minnow" was actually named after Newton Minow and was chairman on the FCC in 1961. He made a speech and called television "America's vast wasteland." The boat was named after the man who, Sherwood insists, "ruined television." Minow gave networks authority and placed the power of programming in the hands of the networks. He did this after Gilligan's Island was started. For 99,000 Canadian dollars (89,500 US), a new owner may buy a piece of television nostalgia and take it out for a "three-hour tour" -- or more.
The Chicago Marathon have finally placed the 2006 course map online [the course has not changed from 2005] and have included a new interactive map as well. I like the ability to add elements to the interactive map [especially the neighborhoods]. I think I'll print one for my office wall today.
Conan gets lost in the office with Jack and is not a predator
This is the opening skit to the 58th annual Emmy Award show broadcast last night and while NBC took some heat for a plane crash skit the day after a real plane crash in Kentucky, the skit is quite clever and has some great lines [1. Hugo "Hurley" Reyes "Well we weren’t exactly invited, 2. Jim Halpert "No, I did not have Conan O'Brien fall through the ceiling" and 3. Chris Hansen "This guy, screen name conebone69, was by the far the creepiest".
PS: His monolog was good too. NBC even let him poke fun at the network.
On Saturday I ran 20 miles [and rested for a couple of hours in the afternoon] and Sunday it rained most of the afternoon, so what do I do to pass the time - watch movies of course. I watched some or part of the following films [with some of my own random thoughts about each]:
Stargate - I love the premise and the film, but was this really good enough to spawn 2 sci-fi shows? The Quick and The Dead - I never really knew why I liked this movie so much until I saw who the director was - Sam Raimi - and then it occurred to me that I just enjoy his films [i.e. Spiderman/Spiderman 2] Can't But Me Love - I know, bad 80's movie where the guy gets the girl/loses the girl/and get's her back but check out Pre-Grey's Anatomy heartthrob Patrick Dempsey playing the geek [who gets the girl]. The Mummy - Mummies+Treasure+Gun Play+Brendan Fraser+Rachel Weisz=Winner She's All That - Ok Ok, enough with the bad guy gets girl/loses girl/ends up with girl movies but Lisa pointed out that the actor who plays Mitch [the art house "genius"] also is George Stitzer [background vocalist for the band, who also sings lead on Do You Really Want to Hurt Me] from The Wedding Singer. Now who is this outstanding actor? Enter one Alexis Arquette, brother of Patricia, Rosanna and David Arquette. Good catch honey, I honestly didn't think it was the same actor.
John Mayer's 3rd studio album, Continuum, hits the stores on September 12th but you can get a sneak peak [or listen] on Clear Channel Music's website. The album has a soul and funk-like feel with a sprinkle of classic rock riffs. The album contains several up tempo pop tracks such as Waiting On The World To Change, Belief and In Repair as well a few signature "power" ballads such as I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You) , Gravity and Stop This Train. Heart Of Life sounds like a stripped down version of Lionel Richie's All Night Long. Maybe it's just the inflection is his voice but it's all I can hear behind the lyrics - not that I mind, I mean if you want to borrow a song riff, All Night Long is a great song and it is one of Richie's most famous tracks. Overall, this will be another easy to consume album that can be enjoyed across all tracks.
The British are following the pinch in relation to recent bombings and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." Londoners have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940, when tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to a "Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was during the great fire of 1666.
Also, the French Government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levels in France are "Surrender" and "Collaborate." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.
It's not only the English and French that are on a heightened level of alert. Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."
The Germans also increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbor" and "Lose."
Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday, as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.
Thanks to Ian, former boss and often BOTB reader, for this submission.
Tom Cruise's production company Cruise/Wagner Productions, owned with partner Paula Wagner, is no longer going to be financed by Paramount Pictures. Chairman Summer Redstone of Viacom, Inc., which company owns Paramount Pictures, stated that they would sever its relationship with Cruise/Wagner Productions, because of Cruise's "recent conduct has not been acceptable to Paramount." Note: Cruise/Wagner Productions has been based on the Paramount lot since 1992 and Wagner said the collaboration has produced $2.5 billion worth of business. In the aftermath of Redstone's public statements of the end of the relationship, Wagner has since they stopped negotiating with Paramount more than a week ago, and the company has since secured independent financing. So were they fired or was it you-can't-fire-me-because-I-quit?
It seems that both sides want to appear as the one who walked away from a 14-year/2.5 billion dollar relationship and maybe Redstone doesn't like Cruise's personal behavior but it may come down more to money than anything.
Mission: Impossible III grossed $133 million dollars which is nearly $100 million less that MI 2 and $50 million less than the original MI. Since the release of MI 2, Tom has starred in 6 movies and only 1, War of the Worlds, was able to generate more money than MI 2 - $234 million. Also since 1992, there have been a couple movies, such as Magnolia and Eyes Wide Shut, which have been critically acclaimed but did not generate much revenue.
So in the end, it will be a he said-she said thing but maybe, just maybe, Viacom does not believe Tom's big money making days are ahead of him and has perhaps jumped on the couch once too often.
Ok, I admit it, I am hooked on Lost. Almost finished with the second season now and I am eagerly awaiting the beginning of the third season. In the meantime, USA Today asked it's readers to pose questions to the cast of the show and they have published some of the top questions and answers. Much like the show, not enough answers but I'll take what I can get until October 4th.
Inside Man is a film, based on Russell Gewirtz's novel of the same name, which follows the power struggled between a criminal mastermind (Owen), a determined detective (Washington), and a power broker with a hidden agenda (Foster).
The movie has all the right players [Academy Award® winner Denzel Washington, Academy Award® nominee Clive Owen and Academy Award® winner Jodie Foster - not to mention Tony®-nominated Christopher Plummer and Academy Award® nominee Willem Dafoe, Emmy®- and Oscar®-nominated director Spike Lee and Academy Award®-winning producer Brian Grazer] playing all the right parts but something is missing, and I am not referring to the items from the bank.
The acting was fine [I especially liked Clive Owen being a real foul mouthed thief and Jodie Foster as a somewhat sexy, take-no-shit person with "certain skills"] and the cinematography was pretty good [with some high and wide shots that make the movie seem larger than just the inside of a bank while other scenes were shot very close up to create the claustrophobic feel and added intensity] but the overall film was missing that real twist at the end to really drive home the whole story.
Sure "how" the bank was robbed was clever but the "why" is still partially a mystery . Plus a few of the storylines [or sub plots] are never revealed which makes the viewer wonder why they were present in the first place - just as a red herring or did they simply rush the film and cut out parts that would complete the story? I guess that's a mystery that will never be solved.
Yesterday I ran 18.2 as part of my training for the Chicago Marathon and it was not easy but I am very happy that I finished the distance. Someone just told me that "Anything worth doing, doesn't come easy", so I'll take that as a compliment. Anyway, 2 hours and 50 minutes later I was back home feeling a bit tired. Today I'm feeling better even though I seem hungry all the time. Check out my 18-mile route around Hopkinton, Milford and Hopedale. 18 down, many, many more to go.
The Red Sox play the dreaded Yankees 5 times in the next 4 days and this series may determine if either team are playing in October this year - should be an excited time around Fenway. To get you in the mood and swing of things, check out Who's Your Papi [dot com, as expedia would say]. The Home Run Derby is a fun little game with intentionally simple graphics. Give it a try and see if you can hit one out of the park. My best distance so far is 573 feet! Go Big Papi!
Don't want to get your shoes dirty? Prefer the treadmill to the uneven pavement, ground and grass? Can't let go of your bike? Well now, these are no longer obstacles for you runners out there. Introducing the Treadmill BikeTM:
On December 26, 1996 JonBenet Ramsey was found beaten and strangled in the basement of the family's home in Boulder, Colorado. After nearly 10 years, an arrest has been made in a case that gripped nation headlines, was in the tabloids for years with speculation on the murderer, and lead to the divorce of JonBenet's parents. 41 year old John Mark Karr, a former American school teacher said he was with JonBenet Ramsey when she was killed and called the 6-year-old's death "an accident".
Unfortunately Patsy Ramsey, JonBenets mother, passed away in June of ovarian cancer however it has been reported that the Ramsey’s learned that police were investigating Karr at least a month before her death. I think she would have been happy to see justice [or at least the beginning stages] for her daughter’s murder.
Maybe now JonBenet and Patsy Ramsey may rest in peace...
James Brady Lutherans Black Hole at Center of Galaxy Michael Adams Grizzly Bears Mort Zuckerman Journal of Paleolimnology The British Empire Todd Rundgren Barbra Streisand Israeli Newspapers The Toronto Raptors
If you wish to create your own On Notice List, check out this online "On Notice Board" Generator [used to create image above]. Have fun, share it with your friends, hang one in your cubical or just vent online.
My latest online addition: R.S.V.P. The game is simple [and complex], just arrange the "guests" [cards] around the game-board table. Partygoers are happy when they the colors on the cards match the colors on either side of them. See if you can complete all 8 tables. My current high score is 1150.
For those who know me, you know how I love to quote movies and that I'm kinda a big deal. So what movie do you think people are looking to quote the most? Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, of course. Check out Yahoo's Buzz log and see the top 20 movies that are being searched for. Some may surprise you while others are expected and that is in no way depressing.
Some of my favorite quotable movies not in the current "buzz":
Christina Aguilera's new album Back to Basics, which will be released next Tuesday - August 15, 2006, has been "leaked" into MTV.com. The site has a player which has all of the tracks from disc one and disc two of the soon to be released double disc.
You got soul, you got class/You got style, you're badass are the leading lyrics in the chorus of Xtina's first single Ain't No Other Man, written for her husband, but maybe more reflective of how she see's herself [total artist with a writing credit on every track and executive producing the record].
This album crackles with jazz, blues, and soul inspired tracks with overlaid urban beats and club style scratches. Beyond ANOM, I especially like Makes Me Wanna Pray [featuring Steve Winwood], Slow Down Baby, Oh Mother, On Our Way, Thank You, Hurt, and Mercy On Me. I think MMWP will be her next single and this sounds like it will be a very popular and good selling record for Mrs. Aguilera. Good work and thank you for a much needed original recording.
Welcome back to the 58th Annual Primetime Emmy® Awards and the nominees for Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie are:
Kelly Macdonald as Gina [The Girl In The Café • HBO] Shirley Jones as Aunt Batty [Hidden Places • Hallmark] Ellen Burstyn as Former Tarnower “Steady” [Mrs. Harris • HBO] Cloris Leachman as Tarnower’s Sister [Mrs. Harris • HBO] Alfre Woodard as Mrs. Brown [The Water Is Wide • CBS]
These words will be spoken from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and broadcast live on NBC on August 27 . What won't be said about the above nominations is how long each of them appeared in the miniseries or movie for which they were an "outstanding supporting actress".
I, like most people, would assume that the term supporting actress is a person who appears in the majority of the film/series but is not the main female character. One nominee, Ellen Burstyn, appeared for only 14 seconds in her movie and had a total of two lines of dialog, consisting of 38 words. Would you consider this to be a "supporting actress"? I'd call it more like a bit-part or cameo than a supporting cast member. Given the fact that all it takes is $200 for an actor/actress to be considered by the "Academy of Television Arts & Sciences" this nomination appears to be more like a popularity contest than a true evaluation of the acting.
No offense to Ms. Burstyn, who didn't nominate herself and was excellent in The Exorist, this nomination lowers the already low standards of the Emmy. Maybe the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences should take a look at how The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences produce their nominations to understand why an Oscar is so coveted and respected in the industry and the Emmy is considered a lesser award.
Check out this Snakes on a Plane promotion, which lets you customize a message and send it via e-mail or phone. Lisa really freaked when she heard Samuel L. Jackson saying her name and comments about her personal life. The company Varitalk also has a cool customizable Matrix email that you can send which creates a message from Morpheus and Agent Smith. Additionally, you can create customizable ringtones and voicemail messages from George Bush, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Movie Trailer Guy and the Game Show Host. This is really cool and I can't wait to get a new phone so I can have The Govenator answer my cell for me.
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is the brain child of Will Ferrell and Adam McKay - those who also brought you the wildly quotable Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. The movie chronicles the rise and fall [and yes rise again] of Ricky Bobby, NASCAR's top driver. Will Ferrell superbly plays the loveable, yet dim witted, title character and he is surrounded by a good cast of characters [John C. Reilly as his long time friend Cal, Michael Clarke Duncan as Lucius the Crew Chief, and Leslie Bibb as the "Red-Hot Smokin' Wife, Carley"]. The film starts fast but drops back to first gear for a few long stretches of the film however it does end in victory lane. "With all due respect", I think this will also be one of those movies that has a ton of quotable lines, you may just have to see it a few times to commit them to memory [or maybe just see the movie twice in one day, like a plane ride across the county]. The fake PSAs/commercials/outtakes that show above the cast credits at the end are really funny and I'm "harder than a diamond in an ice storm" to see the outtakes of this film, given Mr. Ferrell's love from improvisation. On a side note, this movie might contain the most product placement of any film ever made. Wonder Bread, Old Spice, Perrier, Target, and POWERade just to name a few. Marketing genius I say.
A very loud, unattractive, mean-acting woman walks into Wal-Mart with her two kids in tow, screaming obscenities at them all the way through the entrance. The Wal-Mart Greeter says, "Good morning and welcome to Wal-Mart". Nice children you've got there. Are they twins?" The woman stops screaming long enough to say, "Hell no they ain't. The oldest one, he's 9 and the younger one, she's 7. Why the hell would you think they're twins? Do you really think they look alike? Are you some kind of idiot?" "No", replies the greeter, "I just couldn't believe you got laid twice!"
Which reminded me of one of my wife's favorites:
A girl walks up to the checkout of the grocery store and places 1 steak, 1 potato, 1 can of soup, 1 toothbrush, 1 frozen dinner and 1 quart of milk on the counter. As she is paying for her groceries the clerk ask "Are you single?" and with a disgusted look she sarcastically replies "Yeah, what gave it away?" and the clerk says "Because your fucking ugly."
NBC has taken some non-traditional steps to this fall's new line up by making the pilot episode of 3 out of their 4 major new shows available to be seen before they are aired.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and Kidnapped pilots will be available from NetFlix starting tomorrow on a single DVD. I was able to view the entire pilot for Studio 60 online, however it appears to have been removed from YouTube only 2 days after it was first posted. [On a side note, the pilot was very good and this could be a good show this fall.] The Heroes pilot will be available on iTunes starting September 1st.
This is, I believe, the first time a network has intestinally "leaked" their new shows before they hit the airwaves and I think this is an excellent move for NBC [consistently fourth in the ratings last year] and the mark of a new marketing strategy for years to come. NBC, I applaud your out-of-the-box thinking.
Hollywood/Music types have had their own websites for a while now and some have gone beyond just the standard site and have used other "parts" of the net for themselves and their brand - namely MySpace.com. My Space was invented to create an online community that allows you to meet your friends' friends. Also it let's you see who knows who, or how you are connected or in this case, see how celebrities are connected. Zach Braff, star of the TV show Scrubs and has appeared in the movies Garden State and Chicken Little [voice] and will appear in the soon to be released The Last Kiss, has his own website which is much like a blog but he also has a site on My Space. He currently has nearly 2,500 "friends" there and in this list are the following people who also have a My Space space:
Zach is a music guy so it is not surprising that his connections are to the music community rather than the Hollywooders. Or maybe the music industry has been quicker to embrace the idea of community faster than actors/movies/tv shows.
In the future, maybe we will be able to truly measure if all people are "six degrees" from Kevin Bacon but for now it seems that we are all still just loosely connected.
It is predicted that the temperature will reach 102 in Boston today with a heat index of 110. So what better to do on a hot and steamy Wednesday then to create your own "works of art" online from your own air conditioned office. Check out these sites:
Mr. Picassohead .com mashes Picasso art elements in a Mr. Potatohead style of grouping of elements. Don't forget to check out the gallery of art, some are pretty good.
The Simpsomaker lets you create your own Simpsons character and place them in and around Springfield. Fun to play with but would be better if you could save your work. Although a print out is cool if you wish to hang your new artwork in your cubical.
Ever wanted your very own designer shoes [sneakers], well then check out NikeID or Converse Design. Here you can design your very own shoes and they will ship them to your directly, for a small fee of course.
after the man who, Sherwood insists, "ruined television." Minow gave networks authority and placed the power of programming in the hands of the networks. He did this after Gilligan's Island was started. For 99,000 Canadian dollars (89,500 US), a new owner may buy a piece of television nostalgia and take it out for a "three-hour tour" -- or more.
Christina Aguilera's new album Back to Basics, which will be released next Tuesday - August 15, 2006, has been "leaked" into MTV.com. The site has a player which has all of the tracks from 
