The Angel Ball
In
New York, this week, Denise Rich threw the best charitable party in town.
She amassed the Who's Who in entertainment to celebrate the
4th annual biennial gala of The Angel Ball at the Marriott Marquis. The
Grammy-nominated songwriter raised $3.3 million for the Foundation’s
Cancer Research. It was a ritzy event, a perfect social setting to
recognize four honorees for their philanthropic and charitable
contributions: Glamour Magazine
editor-in-chief Cindi Leive, Patti
LaBelle, Kimora Lee Simmons and
Russell Simmons. Rita Cosby, Joan Collins, Montel Williams, Shawn King,
Kelly Ripa, Natalie Cole, and
Aisha Morris, Ashley Lauren Fischer Stevie Wonder, Bryant Hillary Gumbel,
etc.
Conan O'Brien popularity is increasing
Conan O'Brien said he was looking forward to "being on at a time when people can see me" when he replaces Jay Leno as host of the Tonight show in five years. NBC announced last week that O'Brien, whose show airs at 12:35 a.m. Eastern, will move up an hour earlier when he takes over for Leno in 2009. The move by NBC - and endorsed by Leno - was to keep O'Brien from jumping to another network when his contract expired. "My parents have no idea what I do for a living," O'Brien joked Saturday night about his late, late gig. "They think I'm still in law school." O'Brien, who spoke at the New Yorker Festival, said he would likely leave New York, where his Late Night show is based, to Los Angeles, home of Tonight. "We have time to figure it out," he said. O'Brien, 41, was twice the editor of the Harvard Lampoon, worked as a writer on Saturday Night Live for three and a half years and was the supervising producer of The Simpsons. He debuted on Late Night in September 1993 after David Letterman moved to CBS for an earlier time slot when he was passed up for the Tonight show job. After some initial struggling, O'Brien's show attained success and came to dominate his time slot. Among its well-known features are Triumph the Comic Dog and In the Year 2000. It reaches 2.5 million viewers a night. O'Brien will become the fifth host of the 50-year-old Tonight show, following Leno, Johnny Carson, Jack Paar and Steve Allen. Leno has been the show's host since 1992.
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HOW YOUNG, HOW RICH, AND HOW OLD IS MISS AMERICA, TODAY!?
"I remember definitely dressing up," said Hanson, 62, who now lives in Pratt, Kan. "I'd have a towel sash pinned to my shoulder and there was my crown, probably made from a colander or a strainer."
Photos from L to R: #1.Margaret Gorman, District of Columbia, first Miss America, 1921. Upon her return to Atlantic City the following year, Margaret was expected to defend her positions. However, with the Washington Herald having selected a new "Miss Washington, D.C.1922," Atlantic City Pageant officials didn't know what new title to award Margaret. Since both titles she won in 1921 were a little awkward ("Inter-City Beauty, Amateur" and "The Most Beautiful Bathing Girl in America"), it was decided to call her "Miss America". She is the only Miss America to receive a crown at the conclusion of her year. Margaret did compete in succeeding years unsuccessfully, but she always remained a favorite of Atlantic City crowds. In the mid-twenties, she married Victor Cahill, who was a real estate man. She enjoyed a happy marriage until his passing in 1957. She remained a life-long resident of Washington D.C. but enjoyed traveling as a favorite hobby. Near the end of her life, she said, "I've lived a charmed life. I've been very lucky. God has been very kind to me." Leaving behind several nieces and nephews who have fond and loving memories of Margaret, she passed away in early October 1995 at age 90.
#2. Mary Katherine
Campbell Columbus, Ohio, Miss America 1922. At the time of her
selection as Miss America 1922, Mary Katherine listed her birth date
as May 1906. However, Mary later admitted to being only fifteen at the
time. She became "Miss Columbus" over a field of 170 other women, and
proceeded to Atlantic City where the Inter-City competition had grown
to include a staggering number of 57 women from around the country.
The selection of Miss America had truly become a national event. It
would be the last time in Miss America history where "professional"
(model, Dorothy Knapp) and "amateur" (West Philadelphia's Gladys
Grenemeyer) winners would be judged as finalists against the
"Inter-City" champion (Mary Katherine Campbell) and place as
runners-up to the Miss America title. Mary Katherine was the first
high school graduate to win the title, having received her diploma
from East High School in February 1922, and entered Ohio State
University as an Art Major immediately after her selection as Miss
America. She would also attended Ohio Wesleyan.
She may be Miss America, but for 50 years she's been married to television. The tube was the contest's link from its Atlantic City, N.J., home to millions of heartland living rooms, and it turned the winners into stars. But lately, the relationship has gotten bumpy as ratings dipped and TV executives took more control. "If Miss America ever finds itself unable to be on television, I think it will probably go out of existence," said Leonard Horn, a former Miss America Organization CEO. "I don't think it can survive without television." As the pageant celebrates its golden anniversary on the small screen Saturday at 9 p.m. EDT on ABC, the show is getting its biggest makeover ever in hopes of reclaiming relevance in a world of multiplying entertainment options. The master of ceremonies will be Chris Harrison, normally seen hosting The Bachelor and its sister show, The Bachelorette.
Photos from L to R: #1.Vannessa Williams Miss America 1984. #2. Suzette Charles, Miss America 1984. July 23: Vanessa Williams resigned the 1984 title before questionable photos of her appeared in print. She was replaced by New Jersey's Suzette Charles (the first runner up) who became the second African-American woman to wear the crown. Sharlene Wells, Miss Utah, won the 1985 title in September. Born in Paraguay, she was the first Miss America not born on American soil. Local, state, and national scholarship funds reached the $4 million dollar mark. The District of Columbia sent a representative for the first time since 1963.
The swimsuits will be provided by Speedo - and skimpier than ever. The program has been trimmed from three hours to two, but "off-the-cuff" backstage scenes have been added. And instead of seeing the talent performances of all five finalists, viewers will see only the final two. Acting Miss America CEO Art McMaster disputes the notion that ABC has forced the competition to change, but says that the television show is the essence of Miss America. "We've never shied away from the fact that television is the catalyst that promotes the whole Miss America system," McMaster said. "It shows America what we're all about." Alas, Miss America is no longer what it once was. In the 1950s and early 60s - before cable, satellite dishes and DVDs - the televised pageant was the Super Bowl of its day. Television's money enabled Miss America, first held in 1921, to withstand the feminist backlash of the 1960s. Horn said that's because the pageant's scholarships kept women competing, sometimes despite their political objections.
Photo: Deidre Downs from Birmingham, Alabama, is crowned by Miss America 2004 Ericka Dunlap. BACKGROUND & ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Rhodes Scholar Finalist; Magna cum laude graduate; University of Virginia Echols Scholar and Intermediate Honors.
Marie Hanson can testify to the power of those early broadcasts. A former longtime chaperone for Miss Kansas, Hanson met Miss America through TV, while growing up on her family's farm near a little town called Medicine Lodge. "I remember definitely dressing up," said Hanson, 62, who now lives in Pratt, Kan. "I'd have a towel sash pinned to my shoulder and there was my crown, probably made from a colander or a strainer." One of the most famous Miss Americas was the first to be crowned on television: Lee Meriwether, who in 1956 became one of the first women on NBC's Today show and played Catwoman in the 1966 Batman movie. Would she have gotten those breaks without her pageant being on television? "Probably not," she said, "because what it offered was more recognition." Today, the program is not reaching as many young girls - or anyone else - as it once did. Some 27 million viewers saw the first televised Miss America coronation, making it one of the highest-rated moments in the history of television to that date. By 1960, the viewing audience had grown to 85 million. But last year, 10.3 million viewers saw a scholarship competition won by Miss Florida, Ericka Dunlap. Pageant officials and TV experts say the general shrinkage of the network television audience is partly responsible for Miss America's long ratings slide. But the event isn't doing well compared with other programming. For example, prime-time coverage of the summer Olympics on NBC attracted at least 18 million viewers each night - and sometimes more than 30 million. Episodes of CSI competing with the Olympics drew bigger audiences than last year's Miss America. Robert Thompson, a professor of pop culture at Syracuse University, said it's remarkable that the show has lasted as long as it has. He said he watches because it's part of his job, not because he enjoys it. "What Miss America used to do, there were not a lot of opportunities to see that kind of thing that Miss America afforded: women parading across the stage in bathing suits and evening gowns," Thompson said.
Then
came 1970s shows such as Charlie's Angles and Fantasy Island, full of
scantily clad women, followed by plenty of cable programs that left
even less to the imagination. On the other hand, Miss America has all
the elements of some of today's most-watched reality television shows,
from American Idol to Survivor, Thompson said: "It's a contest that
eliminates people and features beautiful young women. Those are hardly
the kinds of things that are the kiss of death of a television show."
The competition has been trying mightily to tap that reality appeal.
The organization has tried giving viewers a vote, but has now nixed
the idea. A pop quiz was added in 2002 to dispel the myth that the
beauties lack brains. Last year, the contestants for the first time
competed in a casual-wear competition along with swimsuits and evening
gowns, and there was live commentary from The Bachelorette couple
Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter as they watched on TV. While Miss America
may be losing traction among the population as a whole, it's still the
big time for the small universe of people who host major television
events. "For me," said Harrison, the host, "it's a chance to play in
Yankee Stadium, so to speak." -
Geff Mulvihill
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The Year Internet Overall Top Searches
2005 was a wild year in Search. Mariah Carey returned with a vengeance, while Britney Spears remained as popular as ever thanks to her new baby with future "Surreal Life" contestant Kevin Federline. Looking past the pop culture hubbub, Hurricane Katrina and the Asian tsunami dominated news searches, while Apple's iPod drew big Buzz as well.
WEB IMAGE VIDEO
The Year Celebrities Top Searches
When will we stop caring about Britney, Paris, Lindsay, and Jessica? We didn't this past year, that's for sure. However, that said, some interesting stories did emerge in 2005. Michael Jackson made a comeback (of a sort), and searches surged on Howard Stern, thanks to the hype surrounding his move to satellite radio
OVERALL FEMALES MALES
Products Top Searches
When it comes to popular products searched across the Web, it's hard to top the iPod. Apple's omnipresent MP3 player trailed only digital cameras and flowers. Other gadgets worth noting include the xBox 360 and PSP - both consoles scored well and are poised for huge searches (and sales) in the coming year. Sorry, Mom, looks like we won't be getting off the couch any time soon.
OVERALL CARS ELECTRONICS
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The Year Celebrities Top Searches
Search is a mixture of the expected and the unexpected. The Grammys, March Madness, Johnny Carson, and Pope John Paul II were top Search movers this year.
TOP MOVERS
| Jan | Johnny Carson | Jul | Mindy McCready |
| Feb | 2005 Grammys | Aug | Matthew McGrory |
| Mar | NCAA Brackets | Sep | NFL Odds |
| Apr | Pope John Paul II | Oct | Daniel Craig |
| May | French Open | Nov | Carolina Panthers Cheerleaders |
| Jun | U.S. Open Golf | Dec | Cynthia Watros |
Julia Roberts tops list of highest-paid actresses
Julia Roberts, who didn't star in a film this year, is again at the top of Hollywood's highest-paid actresses - at $20 million US per movie - according to an annual power list. The 38-year-old star tops The Hollywood Reporter's annual list of the highest-paid actresses for the second straight year.Nicole Kidman is second, with a $16 million to $17 million per-film price tag, followed by Walk the Line star Reese Witherspoon and actress-producer Drew Barrymore, who each command $15 million per project. Renee Zellweger, Angelina Jolie and Cameron Diaz each have a $10 million to $15 million asking price, followed by Jodie Foster ($10 million to $12 million), Charlize Theron ($10 million) and Jennifer Aniston ($9 million). "These are bankable women," said Bob Dowling, editor and publisher of The Hollywood Reporter, which has compiled the highest-paid actresses list for four years. "They represent something quite positive and they're being paid for it." Even actresses who dropped off this year's list - including Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock and Jennifer Lopez - earn salaries comparable to male actors, Dowling said. The "biggest surprise" is Roberts, who retained the top spot after taking time off following the birth of her twins, Hazel and Phinnaeus, last year, he said. The list, which was released Wednesday on The Hollywood Reporter's website, will appear in its Women in Entertainment Power 100 issue on Dec.
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Ashlee
Simpson hospitalized. Singer collapses following TV performance in
Tokyo
Photo: Ashlee Simpson (pictured here in Toronto last June) was rushed to a Tokyo hospital after collapsing following a TV appearance.
Singer Ashlee Simpson has been hospitalized in Tokyo after collapsing during an appearance on MTV Japan. The singer, who is in Asia to promote her new album, I Am Me, was performing her single Boyfriend when she told the audience that she felt sick. Simpson, 21, later collapsed in an elevator and was rushed by ambulance to a nearby hospital. MTV is reporting that her father/manager confirmed Friday that Simpson remains in hospital. “She's on an I.V.” said Joe Simpson. The nature of her illness has not be revealed. The singer has cancelled her appearance on Monday’s Radio Music Awards in Las Vegas.
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Tom Cruise indoctrinated in Scientology at secret desert compound: report
Photo:
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes ride down
the red carpet on a motorcycle in this June 27, 2005 file photo
taken in Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES, California- Tom Cruise's faith in Scientology was nurtured at a secretive southern California desert compound that catered to his needs around the clock, it was reported Saturday. Long before Cruise sprang onto Oprah's couch or blasted Brooke Shields for taking antidepressants, the Hollywood superstar participated in intensive study and counselling at the compound in the late 1980s and early 1990s, current and former Scientologists told the Los Angeles Times newspaper. Cruise also trained at the church's better-known facilities, including those in Hollywood, Calif., and Clearwater, Fla. But much of his time was spent at the compound 145 kilometres east of Los Angeles, the Times reported on its website. Behind the guarded gates of the 200-hectare compound near Hemet, Cruise had a personal supervisor to oversee his studies in a private course room, ex-members said. "I was there for eight years and nobody stayed long at all, except for Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman during that period," said Bruce Hines, who left Scientology in 2001 after three decades in the church. Cruise stayed at the resort for weeks at a time, arriving by car or helicopter, the Times said, citing ex-Scientologists who claimed they saw him there. Ex-church members contend while staying in a bungalow near a golf course, Cruise had a special staff to prepare his meals, do his laundry and handle other tasks around the clock. Fifteen years ago, two-dozen members worked through dawn to plant a meadow of wildflowers in which Cruise and Kidman could romp, alleged Maureen Bolstad, a former Scientologist who said she was at the base for 17 years. Cruise declined a request for an interview, the newspaper said. Mike Rinder, head of Scientology International's Office of Special Affairs, said such accounts were fabricated by "apostates." The wildflower planting might be a confused version of repairs done after a 1990 mudslide, he said. Cruise has made no extended visits to the complex since the early 1990s and has performed virtually all of his religious training elsewhere, Rinder said. Public records show since 1998, Scientology has poured at least $45 million into expanding the facility, which is on the site of a dilapidated Gilman Hot Springs resort the church purchased nearly 30 years ago. It has quietly grown to include video and recording studios, elaborate offices and an empty, multimillion-dollar mansion former members contend was built for the eventual return of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, who died in 1986. However, Rinder said it is simply a museum containing Hubbard's belongings. The property is largely concealed from outsiders by tall hedges and high walls. Security includes, a barbed-wired perimeter, video cameras and motion sensors, ex-members said. Founded in 1954, Scientology teaches "spiritual release and freedom" from life's problems can be achieved through one-on-one counselling called auditing, during which members' responses are monitored on an "e-meter," similar to a polygraph.
Newton-John: 'The Pain is There'
Photo:
Australian veteran pop star Olivia Newton-John .
Singer weeps as she tells of life after disappearance of boyfriend.
We learned that Australian singer Olivia Newton-John wept as she told of coming to terms with the mysterious disappearance of her longtime boyfriend Patrick McDermott. In an interview aired Monday on Australian television's Nine network, Newton-John said her singing is helping her cope with the grief of losing McDermott, who failed to return from a June 30 overnight fishing trip off the California coast. "I didn't feel like singing and I didn't think I would ever sing again. The thought of it was terrifying to me," she said. "Singing is a part of me and it's my soul. It's how I can express myself and move through it. Music is a very healing thing." The Coast Guard in California has been investigating 48-year-old McDermott's disappearance as a missing person case, including the possibility that McDermott staged his disappearance. McDermott had filed for bankruptcy in 2000 and was embroiled in a legal dispute in April over late child support payments to his ex-wife, actress Yvette Nipar, with whom he has a 13-year-old son. Newton-John, who is scheduled to tour New Zealand and Australia in March next year, said she still feels the pain of her loss. "Things like this come in waves. Anyone who has gone through loss or a painful experience knows that," she said. "You think you're coping, then you hit a wall or a wave and you go down and come up again. The pain is there and you feel it ... and there is no escape."
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PEOPLE AND EVENTS: WHAT'S HAPPENING
TV AND RADIO WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE
Last Thursday night, in New York, at the Museum of Television & Radio, a reception was held to release the names of the year's honorees who will be on the roster “She Made It: Women Creating Television and Radio,” celebrating the accomplishments and recognizing the achievements of women in television and radio industries. The Honorees are:
Among the celebrities who attended the event were Christiane Amanpour and Sheila Nevins, seen left, and Dr. Ruth, Christie Hefner and Barbara Walters, seen below.
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Tyra's
Final Spin on the Runway
Photos:
Paris Hilton
Kate
Moss is subject of four paintings by Stella Vine at London
exhibit 
Photo:
Award-winning French filmmaker, Mathieu Kassovitz.
Photo:
Dr. Benjamin R. Barber