testing captions

(CNN) - Actress June Havoc, whose career began on a vaudeville stage as Baby June 95 years ago, died Sunday at 97, according to her manager.

Havoc's adult career included success on Broadway, television and film, but she was often overshadowed by her sister, the stripper Gypsy Rose Lee.

The story of how her headstrong mother traveled the vaudeville circuit with her young daughters became the basis for the classic musical "Gypsy."

Havoc's last TV acting job was in 1990 on the soap opera "General Hospital."

testing captions

Ricky Martin has released the following statement on his website:

A few months ago I decided to write my memoirs, a project I knew was going to bring me closer to an amazing turning point in my life. From the moment I wrote the first phrase I was sure the book was the tool that was going to help me free myself from things I was carrying within me for a long time. Things that were too heavy for me to keep inside. Writing this account of my life, I got very close to my truth. And this is something worth celebrating. FULL POST

He caught our attention as the boyfriend of then vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter Bristol in 2008. He kept it when he and Bristol broke up, then fought over the care of their child. He semi-shocked us when he posed topless with his son in GQ magazine. Then did it again when he announced he'd be posing for Playgirl.

Now Levi Johnston's people are pitching a docu-series to the major cable networks, according to Stuart Krasnow, executive producer of the untitled project. Krasnow released this statement to CNN:

"Our goal is to sell a show that shows off Levi Johnston in his world, both in Alaska and outside of Alaska. Where does a 19 year old with his kind of fame go from here? And of course, being that there’s another show, that’s also set in Alaska, we would love to premiere opposite that show so we can show that we are the real deal! We’re not about beauty shots and mountains; this is about a real kid living a real life in an amazing place. He lives his life like no other teenager, and that’s what the show is about."

Johnston's news comes on the heels of Palin's announcement that she'll be hosting a reality TV show for the Discovery Channel called "Sarah Palin's Alaska."

testing captions

So J.D. Shapiro, the screenwriter of “Battlefield Earth,” has apologized.

That’s nice of him to do, but it doesn’t do anything for the thousands of people who ponied up - in good conscience - their share of the film’s $30 million worldwide gross,  hoping to see an entertaining film. Instead, they got what the Razzie Awards named the worst film of the decade.

But it could be worse. (Couldn’t it?) After all, movies are made for all kinds of reasons – Carrie Fisher once told CNN.com that she made “Appointment with Death” (1988) because she wanted to visit Israel.  Maybe it’s true that nobody intends to make a bad movie, but sometimes they do intend to make a tax write-off, or a showcase for a romantic partner.

FULL POST

testing captions

Mashable is reporting that Idol Fanatic has come up with a way to allow the show’s fans to vote via Facebook.

Using  a special programmable communications network, participants would have five votes to use each week with the ability to earn more for each Facebook friend they invite.

FULL POST

testing captions

The writer of the screenplay for the film “Battlefield Earth” took to the pages of the New York Post to apologize for the movie recently presented with the Razzie Award for "Worst Movie of the Decade.”

“It wasn't as I intended – promise,” Shapiro said in an open letter. “No one sets out to make a train wreck. Actually, comparing it to a train wreck isn't really fair to train wrecks, because people actually want to watch those.”

FULL POST

A few months back, I wrote about how the major television networks appeared to be giving up on Friday nights.  Fridays were becoming the night where networks would send long-running series to die, or premiere new shows with no chance of success.

At the end of the piece, I asked if Friday night network TV could be saved.  Over the last few weeks, we have seen signs that a revival could happen - provided the networks show commitment to the night.

Leading the revival is "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution" on ABC.  The show debuted in its Friday night time slot with a 2.6 rating among adults aged 18 to 49 - the audience that advertisers crave.  According to ABC, "Revolution" produced the network's highest 18-49 number for that Friday night slot since December 2006. FULL POST

testing captions

The crumply Cockney teddy bear is not here to South Beach, Atkins, Master Cleanse or Michael Pollan your Cheez Doodle dimpled butt into starvation or Whole Foods-based bankruptcy. He just wants you and your kids to know what a fresh tomato looks like. And maybe eat one once in a while. Or he'll cry.

In his native England, Jamie Oliver - dyslexic, erstwhile Naked Chef, husband of Jools, father of Daisy, Poppy, Petal and another to be named upon his (fingers crossed for "Stamen") or her September arrival, and self-proclaimed "professional s**t-stirrer" - has made a cottage industry of calling foul on vile school cafeteria fare and teaching plain ol' British folks not to murder their families with processed food. In the course of this, he's set up community cooking centers and classes, exhorted Parliament to address national obesity issues, campaigned to ban junk food in schools and garnered Prime Minister Tony Blair's approval for £280m in financial support for improved school kitchens and "dinner lady" education. FULL POST

I didn’t realize Darryl Strawberry was a wimp until I watched the latest episode of “Celebrity Apprentice.”

Norton and Lifelock challenged the teams to create a four-page advertorial about protecting consumers online. Strawberry whined as exhaustion gripped him as he executed his tasks this week. Then, when his team lost, he announced he wanted to be fired. Only two others have ever quit. He expressed fatigue. Trump fired him.

How selfish! The contestants on this show play for charities. Strawberry was playing for an autism organization. He never mentioned that. Maybe he’ll redeem himself by donating some of his own money. Want to take bets? FULL POST