The Return of Jay Leno by Gregory Hilton

Tonight ends the first week of Jay Leno’s return on NBC-TV. The critics have not been kind but audience clearly loves him. His comments on ACORN and prostitutes have already become a classic. Leno is averaging 18 million viewers to CBS’ David Letterman’s 4 million. Leno should keep wearing that flag lapel pin, and his political balance is admirable. It is a pleasant change from Letterman who can not stop bashing George W. Bush, and obviously has a loony left agenda. I always look forward to Jay’s monologue, Headlines and Jaywalking.
I used to think Letterman was fun and quirky, but stopped watching him a long time ago when he turned so mean-spirited. CBS’ Craig Ferguson comes on after Letterman. He is also a liberal but he does not have Letterman’s mean-spirited outlook. CBS would be wise to move Ferguson into the 11:30 pm time slot where he would be a tough competitor for The Tonight Show’s Conan O’Brien.
This is not related to his ability as a talk show host but I also admire Leno for being married to the same woman for 30 years. They were married when he was not a big shot. Long term marriages are rare in Hollywood.
Too many times money and prestige have led to divorce. Leno has also done considerable charitable activity such as the free shows earlier this year for the unemployed. Car buff’s really enjoy his many videos at: www.jaylenosgarage.com

A Final Message from DJ AM? by Gregory Hilton

For the first time in the history of Myspace all members have been contacted and asked to write tributes to a deceased celebrity. No, its not for Ted Kennedy or Eunice Shriver. They are honoring Adam Goldstein, 37, who was known as DJ AM. I never heard of him but he received $25,000 to spin records at parties, and was romantically linked to many desirable women.
DJ AM’s girlfriends included the most well known names in young Hollywood — Michelle Trachtenberg, Kristen Cavalleri, Lauren Hastings and Mandy Moore. He was engaged to Nicole Ritchie. He certainly had a lot to live for. DJ AM was sober for over nine years and was involved in the AA community. He attended meetings where he mentored and sponsored recovering addicts. Dr. Drew believes the painkillers prescribed to him after his plane crash last year, led to his fatal relapse.
I am sorry he lost his battle with crack cocaine, and lets hope his passing sends a powerful message about the dangers of illegal narcotics. Many people who tolerate drug use are familiar with his career. They are the ones this anti-drug message should reach. To honor DJ AM, blink-182 canceled tonight’s concert, and numerous recording industry stars will be attending his funeral which will be covered by MTV.

Michael Moore’s Revisionist History by Gregory Hilton

Left wing film maker Michael Moore continues to lie and the media lets him get away with it. In an interview today he now claims his 1989 movie “Roger & Me” was about the pending collapse of GM. It was the complete opposite. Moore said GM was the “richest company in the world” and the only reason they wanted to reduce their 845,000 work force was “greed.” Moore says he agrees with liberal pundit Bill Maher that “America is stupid” and “too dumb to be governed.”
Moore says “Eight years ago I wrote a book called “Stupid White Men.” In that book, I wrote a chapter entitled “Idiot Nation.” I think that says it all. Sad, sad, sad. . . I’m still in a stupor of stunned ecstasy that Obama won. And I approve of most everything he’s done, from apologizing to the Iranians for America overthrowing their … democratically elected president in 1953 to appointing the actor from “Harold and Kumar” to a White House position. . .
“As for the congressional Democrats, what a bunch of losers — weak, scared, stupid.” My guess is that he is referring to the Senate Democrats who are stopping union card check, single payer and cap and trade.”
P.S. The United States never overthrew the government of Iran in 1953.

A Presidential Visit to NYC’s Belasco Theater: Remembering the History of Lafayette Square by Gregory Hilton

Actress Bette Davis serves cake at the Stage Door Canteen in 1943. The Canteen was located in the Belasco Theater on Lafayette Square, across from the White House.

A Presidential Visit to NYC’s Belasco Theater: Remembering the History of Lafayette Square by Gregory Hilton–
Last night the President and Mrs. Obama had another “Date Night.” This time they visited New York City’s Belasco Theater, and because of the cost, the Republican National Committee criticized the outing. The Obama’s traveled in a small Gulfstream V jet rather than a Boeing 747. I am not joining the critics and the strong marital bond between the Obama’s is refreshing after some of the scandals of the past.
The Obama’s may not realize that for 70 years another Belasco Theater and its predecessor could be clearly seen from the front door of the White House. I first learned about the building in David Brinkley’s book “Washington Goes to War.” The six story structure was demolished in 1964 but it had an important role in DC history since its construction in 1895 as the Lafayette Square Opera House. Over the next fifty years, performers including Sarah Bernhardt, Al Jolsen, Will Rogers, Enrico Caruso, Ethel Barrymore, Katherine Hepburn and Helen Hays would grace its stage. It was the main venue for opera, plays, and ballet at the turn of the 20th century in Washington. In 1906, the Opera House became the Belasco Theater, one of the only venues in Washington to present African American acts to desegregated audiences.
The building had a soaring facade, with Ionic columns framing the main entrance on Madison Place. The auditorium could seat about 1800, and it included three balconies and thirty boxes. Live performances ended in the early years of the Depression, and by 1935 it was converted to a movie house specializing in foreign films. After America’s entry into WW II, the Belasco was reopened as the Stage Door Canteen for the entertainment of servicemen. Admission was limited to enlisted men and non-commissioned officers. The canteen offered servicemen nights of dancing, entertainment, food and nonalcoholic drinks, and even opportunities to hobnob with celebrities and lawmakers. Though the canteen served food to the servicemen free of charge, someone had to pay for it.
DC residents responded generously to appeals for aid. Bette Davis said volunteering at the canteen was one of the “few accomplishments in my life that I am sincerely proud of.” One of the many praiseworthy qualities of the canteen was its egalitarian credo. They were open to all servicemen of Allied nations, and segregation had no place in them.
By November 1945, Stage Door Canteens were operating in eight US cities and London and Paris. Together, they entertained and fed 11 million Allied servicemen. With the war over it was closed at the start of 1946, but it would re-open during the Korean War, when it was known as the Lafayette Square Club, again as a venue for entertaining servicemen.

The Belasco Theater was torn down in 1964 and the site is now the U.S. Court of Claims building

In the early 60s, with the reconstruction of Lafayette Square, many of the Belasco’s neighbors were razed, until finally, in 1964, the Belasco itself was torn down to make way for the new US Court of Claims Building.
Before it was a theater: the Rodgers House
The theater was built in 1896 on the site of the 1830s Rodgers House, which was one of Washington’s more famous 19th century residences before its demolition in 1894. The land was owned by Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky who ran for President three times. He traded it to Commodore John Rodgers who constructed a 30 room house in 1831. It was rented by Attorney General Roger Taney, who later served for 28 years as the Chief Justice of the United States. President James Polk was a resident while the White House was being restored.
The building was later a fashionable boarding house and was known as the Washington Club. It was also famously the site of the 1859 shooting of Phillip Barton Kelly, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. He was the son of Francis Scott Key, and he was killed by Congressman Daniel Sickles. Sickles shot Key, who had been having an affair with his wife, in full view of pedestrians and the White House. The case and subsequent trial of Sickles drew national media attention, further cementing the Square’s image as a neighborhood unlike any other in the country. One of Sickles’ attorneys was Edwin Stanton who would later serve as Secretary of War in the Lincoln Administration.
In a landmark decision, Sickles was acquitted of murder, based on his plea of temporary insanity, which was the first successful use of this defense. Sickles became a general during the Civil War, fought at the battle of Gettysburg and had his right leg blown off by a cannon ball. He had the presence of mind to tell the medical corpsmen to preserve the leg which they did and it can be seen at the Walter Reed Medical Museum in Washington.
After the fateful day in 1859 the Washington Club closed and the next occupant was Secretary of State William Seward of the incoming Lincoln Administration. A former governor of New York, Seward had campaigned for the Republican nomination in 1860 but lost out to Lincoln who promptly offered him the State position. Lincoln constantly visited Seward in his house to seek his advice on the progress of the war. On April 14, 1865 the Rodger’s House again witnessed violence as the site of the attempted assassination of Seward by Lewis Payne, a conspirator with John Wilkes Booth in the Lincoln assassination plot. Payne was hung in the courtyard of Fort McNair in July 1865. Seward survived and in 1867 in the parlor of his home he completed the negotiations for the purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million.
The last person to occupy the house before it became a theater was Secretary of State James Blaine in the Benjamin Harrison administration. He leased the house in 1889 but tragedy struck again when first his son and then his daughter died in the house within a year. Blaine soon after became ill, resigned and then died in the house in January 1893.

What Appeals to Young Women? – The CW Network May Have the Answers by Gregory Hilton

What Appeals to Young Women? – The CW Network May Have the Answers by Gregory Hilton–
I recently witnessed a large group of young women bolt out of my class just before 9 p.m. Our group discussion that evening was forced to an early conclusion because these girls would not miss an episode of the TV series “90210.” The program is a remake of “Beverly Hills 90210,” and it has just been renewed for a second season on the CW Network. CW was formed in 2006 and is the nation’s fifth largest broadcast network.
CW is unique in that its target audience is women between the ages of 18 and 34. They are considered the most desirable market for advertisers, and many 30 second spots for luxury brands are now on CW.
To keep its female-only focus, CW has jettisoned shows such as “Reaper,” which was canceled on May 19th, and “Friday Night Smackdown!,” a wrestling program which was doing well in the ratings. The audience numbers for “Reaper” were fine by CW standards, and the program was about a man who works for the Devil by retrieving souls that have escaped from Hell. The main reason it was canceled was because it tended to attract male viewers. Every other network concentrates on ratings, but CW’s focus is on “the right demographic.”
Young women are a tough market because they often fast forward through commercials and similar to their male counterparts, they have short attention spans. CW has responded with short commercials.
The CW niche can not be ignored because they are currently producing as many scripted hours of television as NBC. According to every survey, the number of people watching television and the amount of time they spend doing it continues to rise to historic levels. However, at the same time, the three major networks are continuing to lose significant audience share. The major networks are similar to CW in that they are narrowing their audiences to specific demographic groups. They have cut back on programs appealing to a multitude of demographics.
My female students told me in advance about the importance of “90210” and I agreed to let them leave early. My next surprise came when the girls ran out of the class. I expected the boys to follow rapidly but they were in no hurry to exit. None of these young men expressed an interest in seeing “90210”.
Television became our discussion topic, and this time I was the one taking notes. I had not seen or even heard about any of the programs they mentioned, but I was fascinated by their observations and the loud message about the state of our popular culture. I have now done some research on these CW dramas, and the young women portrayed favorably are overwhelmingly pretty, affluent, white, sexually aggressive, smokers who engage in a variety of risky behaviors. There are few admirable role models on the CW programs I reviewed.
The boys praised CW for having an hour long format and great music, but they said the shows were clearly aimed at girls with a focus on fashion, romance and few of the action scenes they enjoy. A drama with weekly installments also did not appeal to them. My students are obviously not a scientific sample but according to these young men it is impossible to schedule anything on campus at 8 pm on a Monday. That is the air time of the most popular CW program, “Gossip Girl,” which won practically everything at last year’s “Teen Choice Awards.”
CW describes the program as “steamy, fashionable and trendy”, and its motto is “You’re nobody until you are talked about.” According to “People” magazine, “The cast members have become a mainstay in young celebrity Hollywood which has made the CW even more entrenched as the breeding ground of the young and beautiful of the showbiz industry.”
The “Boston Herald” calls it “every parent’s nightmare,” while “Access Hollywood” says “The fun of ‘Gossip Girl’ is the scandal. Viewers are introduced to privileged lives that other teenagers covet, with characters drowning in money and misbehaving at an early age. Audiences can’t get enough of the naughtiness, and the show’s network, the CW, is eating up the attention.” It is now being seen in 147 global markets, and a spin-off series set in the 1980’s is now being planned.
“Gossip Girl” is about a select group of students attending an elite private high school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. They are in the top echelon of society and have formed a fashionable social clique. The program tells us about their “breakups, hookups, freakouts and breakdowns.”
“90210” is set around the fictional West Beverly Hills High School. The mother of one teen is a TV star and another girl is a drug addicted starlet. The girl who is a virgin is not very popular with other students. There is rivalry among both mothers and daughters regarding desirable men and boys.
“Melrose Place” is another CW remake and it features a group of young adults living in a trendy West Hollywood apartment complex. One of the main characters is a bad boy with smoldering good looks who grew up as a rich kid but has been cut off from his family’s money. Another character is a medical student at UCLA who is living a double life as a high-end call girl. Singer David Cassidy’s 22 year old daughter plays a bisexual public relations agent who dates both men and women.
The long running “America’s Next Top Model” is a reality show where young women compete to be a top model. It is hosted by former supermodel Tyra Banks and is CW’s most popular program. Viewers see the girls coached in runway walking, acting and applying make-up. I would have thought the ratings would be higher among boys because the girls are seen participating in lingerie and swimwear photo shoots.
Most of the girls are heavy smokers. Karl Lagerfeld of Chanel reviewed the program for “Harper’s Bazaar” by slamming it as “trash that is funny for five minutes if you’re with other people. If you’re alone, it’s not funny. Those girls will never be top models. There is no justice in the fashion business.”
“The Beautiful Life” will debut on CW this fall and it is about young models living and working together in New York City. The star is Mischa Barton, 23, who was previously on the Fox Network’s “The OC,” which has a plot similar to “90210.” Another new show is “Parental Discretion Advised”, about a young girl seeking out her birth parents because she wants to become an emancipated minor.
CW has cancelled the show “Privileged” which was popular with critics but had low ratings. The show was set in Palm Beach and it was based on the book “How To Teach Filthy Rich Girls” by Zoey Dean.
The CW business model may be a success, but the jury is still out. The great decline of NBC began with the ending of the sitcom “Friends,” and the network is still struggling to recapture this market. CBS is trying to appeal to the same audience with “How I Met Your Mother,” and NBC will try to reclaim it with the upcoming romantic comedy “100 Questions.” The show is about a young woman who joins an online dating site and, in answering 100 questions posed by her dating counselor she recounts 100 different anecdotes that involve her interactions with friends.
One of my next assignments will be reviewing the programs appealing to young men.

Intolerance and the Gay Marriage Debate by Gregory Hilton

Miss California 2009 Carrie Prejean Won First Runner Up in the Miss USA Contest

“What I find so remarkable is that these politically-motivated attacks fail to show that what Carrie (Miss California) and I believe is also what President Obama and Secretary Clinton believe — marriage is between a man and a woman.” — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Yes, but when Obama believes it, it’s not bigotry. Carrie’s position is shared by every 2008 Democratic presidential candidate, except Kucinich.

Carrie Prejean was the First Runner Up in the Miss USA contest s well as being Miss California. She received an avalanche of publicity because of her opposition to gay marriage. I posted a poll on this topic and I asked students “Do you think she is right or wrong?” People have strong views on both sides and I have received 95 comments. Here is the quote I used: “I’m a Christian. I do believe that tradition, and my religious beliefs say that marriage is something sanctified between a man and a woman.”
What I did not tell them is that the quote was not from Miss California, it was President Obama’s statement. It was fascinating to me that no student objected to the President, while Miss California was accused of being a homophobe.
In a TV interview Perez Hilton said “She is a dumb bitch . . . she has half a brain.” He went on to say it was his intention to storm the stage and rip off her tiara if Miss California had won. He gave her a zero based on her answer, and his action cost her the title. The following Facebook groups were created immediately after the Miss USA contest.
1) “Carrie Prejean is a sad, pitiful homophobe. Poor thing.”
2) “I Cannot Condone the Views of Miss California, Carrie Prejean”
3) “Carrie Prejean why aren’t your 15 minutes up yet!!”
4) “Carrie Prejean is wrong — real beauty is more than just skin deep.” They have photos of her with an X over her face the word “UGLY” is superimposed.
This experience is further evidence of the left reacting with vitriolic anger and hatred. They, who are compassionate and encourage peaceful understanding, are the first to attack when their beliefs are questioned. Examples are Jeanine Garafalo and Keith Olberman who claim Tea Party participants are racist rednecks.
The Defense of Marriage Act states: “No state (or other political subdivision within the United States) needs to treat a relationship between persons of the same sex as a marriage, even if the relationship is considered a marriage in another state.”
The bill was passed by Congress by a vote of 85-14 in the Senate, and a vote of 342-67 in the House of Representatives. It was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on September 21, 1996 just a few weeks prior to his re-election. George W. Bush had nothing to do with it.
I have not heard any lawmaker advocating discrimination or the denial of civil rights to homosexuals. In fact, they say just the opposite in supporting civil unions with legal protections. Presidents Obama, Clinton and Carter do not support gay marriage but they are not against civil rights. The Congress has said we should not completely redefine what the institution of marriage is and has been for all of mankind just to appease the gay community.
America did have slavery and women were denied the right to vote but there is nothing stopping homosexuals from living together in a committed relationship. Advocates of gay marriage claim gay couples need marriage in order to have hospital visitation and inheritance rights, but they can easily obtain these rights by writing a living will and having each partner designate the other as trustee and heir. There is nothing stopping gay couples from signing a joint lease or owning a house jointly, as many single straight people do with roommates.

Bush, Obama and a Media Double Standard by Gregory Hilton

Austria’s official language is German. There are some minority languages (Turkish, Serbian, etc) but there is no language called Austrian. President Obama did not know that. At his press conference in Strasbourg he said “I don’t know what the term is in Austrian for wheeling and dealing.” This was a minor error, but the media would have had a field day if the mistake had been made by George W. Bush.
President Obama is intelligent and articulate. His communications skills are outstanding, and everyone makes minor errors. My criticism is not directed at Obama but at the media double standard.
George W. Bush was discussing the NATO alliance 15 months before he entered the Oval Office. On October 23, 1999 he should have used the word “Greeks.” He instead said “We need to keep good relations with the Grecians.” We heard about it for the next 9 years. It was a staple on the Jon Stewart Daily Show and The Colbert Report. I doubt they will ever mention the Austrian language.
Bush is a graduate of Yale where he had a higher GPA than John Kerry. Bush also has an MBA from Harvard, and he is the only President to receive that distinction.
The comedians and cartoonists really miss Bush. A number of newspapers reprinted a story with the headline “Lovenstein Institute Reports George W. Bush has Lowest IQ of all Presidents.” The story appeared despite the fact that there is no Lovenstein Institute, and we do not have IQ data on all the Presidents.

What is Special About the President’s Desk? by Gregory Hilton

President Obama uses the HMS Resolute desk in the Oval Office. It was a present from Queen Victoria to President Rutherford Hayes in 1880. Every president since Hayes, except Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon & Gerald Ford, has used the desk. It was on display in the Smithsonian from 1964 to 1977. For 13 years Nixon thought he was using the desk of Woodrow Wilson, but it was actually used by Vice President Henry Wilson. Nixon frequently referred to Woodrow Wilson as our most educated President. Ironically Henry Wilson only spent 12 months in school.
The Resolute desk, it was first used in the Oval Office by John Kennedy, and replicas can now be found in the JFK, Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton presidential libraries. Vice President Henry Wilson died on a sofa in the U.S. Capitol on November 22, 1875. The same sofa is still being used in the Vice President’s office in the Capitol.

Do Beauty Pageants Degrade Women by Gregory Hilton

Contestants in the Miss America Pageant

Miss America always refers to itself as a “Scholarship Pageant,” not a “Beauty Pageant,” and I can understand why. Miss America is the world’s largest provider of scholarship assistance to young women. This assistance is not just for the handful of young women who are finalists but is available to the over 12,000 young women who compete in the state and local competitions as well.
Some of the most famous women in the world began their careers as winners of pageants: Halle Berry, Diane Sawyer, Sharon Stone, Kathie Lee Gifford, Mary Hart, Phyllis George, Michelle Yeoh, Anita Bryant, Mary Ann Mobley, Paula Zahn, Susan Anton, Deborah Norville and Venessa Williams.
Pageants usually require contestants to have a platform, which is basically a critical issue, such as cancer awareness or the benefits of mentoring, that she wishes to promote and inform others about. Community service is also a major aspect of today’s pageants. Scholarships are awarded specifically to those women who show an exemplary effort in volunteering.
Phyllis George, the former First Lady of Kentucky, was Miss America 1971. She has heard a lot of criticism of pageants, but she praises them for building self confidence. She says there is “positive self-esteem in being able to walk on a stage in front of millions of TV viewers in a swimsuit and evening gown. You can’t be shy and you have to think on your feet at numerous public events. Miss America is great training for so many careers.”
The most controversial activity is the swimsuit competition, which is supposed to be about “fitness, poise and confidence.” If you have the ability to stay poised in a swimsuit in front of America, you have the confidence to do anything! Pageants are criticized because they are not considered politically correct. However, that does not repeal the law of supply and demand. If there is a supply of attractive, intelligent, talented young women willing to participate in such events and a public demand for such events to be seen, then they will continue. Naysayers may tune them out.
As we all know, life is not fair. Our society is visual and beautiful people do have a significant advantage. They receive more attention and opportunities. They also have more self confidence and better social skills.
This has been scientifically proven numerous times, even in studies involving babies. They were shown photos of “traditionally” attractive and average individuals. The beautiful people won every time.The same photos were then shown to adults who were asked to rate several factors about the person such as politeness, intelligence, motivation, etc. The attractive people received far better scores.
Other studies have revealed that attractive children tend to get better grades in school because they receive more attention from their teachers. In the job market, many sales oriented positions are given to beautiful people. Supermodel Tyra Banks tried to demonstrate this double standard when she dressed up in fat suit.
This article demonstrates the admirable work of these women: “Miss America: Making a difference since 1921: After 88 years, the pageant for beauty, brains and drive is still evolving” http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28817770/

CPAC Keynote: Rush Limbaugh Was Wrong by Gregory Hilton

This photo was taken yesterday at CPAC (the Conservative Political Action Conference). That is pundit Michelle Malkin on the right, exactly where she should be!

The news reports about CPAC emphasized the absence of DC’s power elite. CPAC events in the past always included the President, Vice President, Speaker of the House and various cabinet members. That will obviously not happen again for quite some time, but even without any stars they still managed to register over 9,000 people which is a considerable achievement. After being in the doldrums for so many years, there is real enthusiasm on the right. The Obama honeymoon will continue for quite some time, but I do see elements of a GOP comeback. This will not happen if social conservatives are in the forefront, and I was amazed to hear continued opposition to the Brady Bill which passed in 1993. (It requires a computerized criminal background check for all gun purchases). Rush Limbaugh’s speech was televised live on Fox, and he could not have had a more enthusiastic audience. To be frank, I was underwhelmed. The liberals who said they wanted us to lose in Iraq were awful, but Rush is also wrong in saying he wants Obama to fail. I do not want our country to fail.
On the other hand, I was impressed with Michelle Malkin’s presentation which was factual rather than an anti-Obama harangue. She really had my attention in talking about the impact of the new tax plan on non-profits. It would raise an estimated $318 billion over 10 years by, among other things, reducing the value of charitable contributions for people in the highest tax brackets. All of my charitable activities are geared toward major donors, and I believe this will be a direct threat to many major institutions. I was pleased to see the same concerns expressed by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD).
I was not the only person turned off by Rush Limbaugh’s angry tone, and his opposition to bipartisanship. This morning Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), the House GOP Whip, was on “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos. Cantor was asked: “So the Rush Limbaugh approach of hoping the president fails is not your approach?”
“Absolutely not, I don’t think anyone wants failure right now. We have such challenges. What we need to do is put forth solutions to the problems real families are facing today. . . There is no question the Republican Party has to return to be one of inclusion, not exclusion. We are a party with many ideas, and a commitment to promoting positive alternatives, if we don’t agree with this administration,” Cantor said.
“Let’s come up with solutions that actually produce results for a change, instead of making matters worse, which Washington is famous for.”