Posted on November 12, 2008 at 7:00 am
Please join me today at 1pm Pacific Time, 4 pm Eastern on the “Amazing Women” Radio program with Marlene Siersema. You can call in with questions at 888-346-9141. I’d love to hear from you!
Posted on November 12, 2008 at 6:00 am
I had a lot of fun writing a review of the best biographies of the year for Strategy + Business.
Posted on November 11, 2008 at 10:00 pm
USA Today has a story about smoking in movies:
A new study by the American Medical Association Alliance, the volunteer branch of the AMA, finds that over the past six years more than half of the movies geared toward children feature characters smoking. In more than a quarter of the movies, actors light up cigars.
The study’s own figures show that while the majority of PG and PG-13 films show characters smoking, it has decreased since 2007, when a stricter rating policy from the MPAA went into effect.
MPAA spokesman Seth Oster takes issue with the study. He says his organization’s own four-year analysis of 3,400 films found that of the 1,938 movies that featured smoking, 75% were rated R. In addition, he notes, the MPAA has added phrases such as “glamorizes smoking” and “pervasive smoking” in its ratings. “We have incorporated smoking as a factor on par with other issues like language, violence and sexual situations,” Oster says. “The motion picture industry takes very seriously the issue of smoking in films.”
The AMAA and American Lung Association would like an R rating for any film with smoking unless it is a biographical film or a movie addressing the dangers of tobacco.
Posted on November 11, 2008 at 7:00 am
A salute to three of Hollywood’s distinguished vets:
1. James Doohan of Star Trek
2. George C. Scott of Patton
3. James Stewart of “Strategic Air Command” entered the Army Air Force as a private and became a highly decorated Colonel. As a member of the reserves, he retired as a Brigadier General. He also appears in WWII: A Filmed History
Thanks to Free Republic for the service record information. We honor all veterans for their sacrifice and commitment to protecting our freedom.
Posted on November 11, 2008 at 7:00 am
One of my all-time favorite television moms was Phylicia Rashad as the ever-capable, ever-glamorous, ever-wise, and ever-beautiful Clair Huxtable, lawyer, mother of five, and wife of the ever-bemused Cliff Huxtable. It was a joy to speak with her about this week’s 25th Anniversary Commemorative Edition
What inspires you?
Oh, I have a well of inspiration to pull from. My mother, my father, my sister, all the teachers I have ever known, and my friends, all of these inspire me. And the practices in which I engage every day, the practice of meditation in which I engage every day. I look in nature in wonder at what nature is and what she does and how she does it, and realize that myself and all people are a part of it and that is very inspiring to me.
How did you come to be cast as Clair?
I had a series of auditions, and at the time it was thought that she would be bi-lingual. When I was 13 my mother took us to live in Mexico City for a semester and I learned my capacity to learn a foreign language and later studied Spanish, and it helped me in the audition. Later I asked Mr. Cosby, “Why did you cast me?” He was twirling his cigar, and said, “By the look in your eye when you told Theo to shut up, that was the eye of a mother.”
What’s next for you?
I am in Halle Berry’s next film, a drama.
Do you have a favorite episode?
Love them all. I loved the one when all members of the family assumed different characters to teach Theo a lesson about money, Theo’s prom, the girls with their hair blown all over creation, that was funny as all get-out. I loved the episode with Christopher Plummer and Roscoe Lee Browne delivering Shakespeare in the living room. The opening credits were a production in themselves, something we looked forward to doing each year.
What makes you laugh?
My nieces and nephews. I take great joy in them. Time with my friends. I have a wonderful group of women friends and I love it when we get together.
I have one Cosby Show DVD set to give away to the first person who sends me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with “Cosby” in the subject line — for those who have not previously won anything only, please!
