Amber Nasrulla's Blog
Posted by Amber Nasrulla
Somewhere in L.A. Paris is burning. (And no, I’m not suggesting her supporters started the horrific fire in Griffith Park.)
Hilton’s defense team has launched an appeal after an L.A. traffic court judge sentenced her to 45 days in county jail for repeatedly driving while her license was suspended. And why was her license suspended in the first place? Because she’d been drinking and driving.
Not only has the socialite’s team filed a notice of appeal, Hilton herself has also appealed to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger asking for a pardon. As I wrote in an earlier blog, she’s supposed to report to a women’s correctional facility by June 5.
As far as I can tell, Hilton is just getting doing what she does best – generate buzz, get into the tabloids and bask in the publicity.
There are a couple of opposing petitions on web sites – some say Free Paris Hilton, while others say Jail Her.
Still other websites are joking that the Paris Liberation Front (PLF) will stop at nothing to make sure its spoiled rich brat queen never learns her lesson, I thought it important to point out a few obvious things.
Ignoring multiple parking tickets is one thing. Drinking and driving and then snubbing your nose at the law is another and it’s time Paris acknowledged that she’s not above the law.
I was hit by a drunk driver over the Christmas holidays in 2003. Yeah it was in Toronto and it had been snowing but the moron who ran a red light and hit my car didn’t stick around to see if I was OK. Luckily I got his license plate and the OPP arrested him at around 3 a.m. His license was suspended and he was given six months of community service.
I couldn’t stop thinking – what if he’d slammed into a minivan filled with a mom and dad and their kids. What then? It wouldn’t have just been me with minor whiplash. He could have destroyed lives.
Even before that incident I could think of few things as foolish as imbibing and then getting behind the wheel of a car.
In Hilton’s case it’s doubly stupid because she can afford to hire drivers, limos, whatever, round the clock. What business was she up to that was so important that, somehow, she didn’t bother to read the letters from the court or obey the most well-known traffic laws.
It’s said that ignorance is no defense of the law. In Hilton’s case, the ignorant should absolutely not be above it either.
I think the judge should have sent her to jail immediately. Do not pass Go. Do not start a petition. Do not appeal to the governor. Be an adult, acknowledge what you did and learn from it.
Posted by Amber Nasrulla
Raise your hand if, like me, you never thought Paris Hilton would see the cold hard concrete of a jail cell.
Well, apparently pigs have grown wings and hell has frozen over because the hotel heiress was sentenced to 45 days in jail by an L.A. judge today for violating her probation. (That’s for a DUI reckless driving case dating back to July 2006. A CHP officer testified that Hilton didn’t have a valid driving license and was driving under the influence. Her license was suspended for 90 days. In February she was stopped going 70 mph in a 20 mph zone with no headlights. There’s so much more but you get the idea).
Ah, the U.S. justice system. Sometimes it really does surprise. I'm watching KTLA News with my jaw in the basement!
Hilton, who is famous for absolutely nothing – unless you consider relentless partying, reckless driving in $100,000 cars, and broken engagements cause for notoriety, and so many do – must go to jail on June 5.
The judge ruled that she will not be allowed to swap her jail time for a work release program or any electronic monitoring. He also said that she knew she was driving illegally and that her argument that she needed the car for work was not a valid excuse.
Where is she really going to serve her sentence? A county detention center.
According to AP, Hilton told the judge just before he sentenced her: “I’m very sorry and from now on I’m going to pay complete attention to everything. I’m sorry and I did not do it on purpose.”
The thing is, Hilton will be able to turn this downturn of her fortunes into money. Mark my words, she’ll write a book, crochet ponchos (oh wait, that was Martha Stewart), start a letter writing campaign to save the planet and, possibly, emulate adoption addict Angelina Jolie, and bring a convict home with her. And it’ll make her so much more interesting.
In other news, as of the end of next week, I’ll be going on maternity leave until October. Wish me luck with my first baby!
Posted by Amber Nasrulla
I love Oprah. She’s a high priestess of pop culture, philanthropy, and psychology. She takes the banal details of our lives and turns it into a scintillating talk show. But lately, I’m getting too much Oprah.
I just got the May issue of O magazine. And there she was, the glorious billionaire, with perfectly shaped eyebrows, lovely makeup, jewels and various baubles. And just a few tastefully positioned wrinkles. (Thank you Photoshop.)
Sigh. The thing is, as much as I love and admire her magazine, and her daily show, and the numerous charitable acts, the schools, the speeches, and now Oprah on XM Radio, I’m fatigued. Call me crazy but she’s taken celebrity branding into the stratosphere. And I’m feeling Oprah Overload.
For instance, would it be the end of the world to put another person’s face on the cover of her magazine? Would newsstand sales and subscriptions slide? Would we not believe the content of the articles if it was say, a headshot of, um, Richard Gere or Alec Baldwin or Mother Theresa or my Aunt Bessie.
OK, you got me. I don’t have an Aunt Bessie. But if I did I know she’d be a suitable cover subject. In my imagination she’s 89 years old and has been running nine public schools for street urchins in Karachi since the 1950s. She pays for textbooks and the children’s healthcare out of her own pocket. In the summer months she has to raise funds. The government doesn’t help.
Doesn’t she deserve a round of applause? (As you can tell Aunt Bessie is modeled after an elderly relative.)
I think Oprah has reached media overexposure. Maybe she did years ago and I’m just cottoning on to it now.
I’m sure I’ve committed some kind of unforgivable offence in the Oprah Universe and I know, I know she’s a self-help guru extraordinaire. But I think it would be nice if she went on hiatus and reminded us why we all fell in love with her in the first place. And if she stopped talking about herself so much. I think it's time for Oprah to make herself over.
Because right now, man of her shows feature conversations with stars like Diana Ross, Sidney Poitier, and Jamie Foxx and they detract from what made her so accessible in the first place. She was like a regular gal. Now she talks about her dream home in Hawai’i, her condo in Chicago, her private jet, the diamond-encrusted watch that Madonna gave her and so on.
And somehow I don’t want to listen to her anymore. Call it a case of Double Os.
Posted by Amber Nasrulla
Watching American Idol last night it became clear that the smash-hit show has jumped the shark. I suspected it a few weeks back but didn’t want to believe it.
There was Haley Scarnato dressed like a high-end hooker; Blake Lewis sliding around on stage in a red tuxedo shirt; and most disturbing of all, Sanjaya Malakar sporting peach fuzz on his upper lip. Ugh. The performances were, for the most part disastrous. And the cheers from the studio audience were deafening.
And then it hit me. This isn’t about singing anymore. Some would argue it never was. But this season, more than any other, has been about the personalities. And in that way Sanjaya and Jordin Sparks are at the front of the pack. My disclaimer: I think Jordin should win because she’s young, hip, lively, and has a solid voice. The judge favourite, Melinda Doolittle is too old-school and I don’t see her having broad appeal.
But I digress. American Idol is no longer about nurturing talent and tossing people into the pop world. It’s become about the cult of celebrity. And like I said, Sanjaya is playing the game very well. Talking back to the judges – last week he scowled at Simon and chirped “Welcome to the Sanjaya universe.” Hubris? This guy has it in spades. And last night, judge Randy Jackson could only laugh and tell Sanjaya that he thinks he’s the smartest contestant ever. He didn’t elaborate but I took it to mean the kid is about 20% talent and 80% street smarts and that’s why he’s gotten this far.
You’ll find endless discussions about Sanjaya’s hairstyles on the web – from his fake Mohawk, more of a ponyhawk really, to the slicked back look, to the fem curls. It’s the US magazine mystique – analyze his every trait, build him up, take pictures of him pumping gas (Stars, they’re just like us) and then, tear him down.
We’re not at the tear him down part yet because Sanjaya’s still, miraculously a contestant on the show. But eventually he’ll be voted off.
And when he is – I’ll be the first in line cheering that this wannabe celeb is on his way out. And then maybe American Idol can return to its role of showcasing real, raw talent.
Posted by Amber Nasrulla
I just got an invite to a party. Well an ongoing weekly party. And it’s brought on a monstrous depression. Here’s why. The party is titled, “Virgin ’80s” and will happen every Monday night at a Hollywood club called Shag.
There are Rubik’s cube contests, arcade games (remember the mind-bender that was PacMan?) and celebrity appearances. Correction – appearances by has-been celebs. This week’s rumoured host is Debbie “Deborah” Gibson of Electric Youth fame and fortune. I’m guessing she’s long in the tooth, possibly in her ’40s (hey, I’m just past the mid-’30s myself sooo…) and perhaps the sight of her will make you cry into your beer while you rock out to the sound of Purple Rain and Funky Cold Medina. So now you know where stars go when their light stops burning brightly. Reality TV or novelty clubs.
I guess it could be worse. I could be a washed-up celebrity seeking fame and fortune on, say, Dancing with the Stars. Instead I’m rapidly approaching middle age, living in Southern California 20 miles from the ocean in a townhouse that has a lovely view of the mountains. I’ve got me a good man and a baby on the way.
I get to interview film stars and television actors and directors… it’s a good gig.
And that invite to Shag? Despite it’s promise of no cover charges, no lines and ’80s tunes all night – it’s already in the deleted bin!
Posted by Amber Nasrulla
Without a doubt, Sanjaya Malakar’s butchering of Ain’t No Mountain High Enough last night on was the worst performance in the history of the American Idol finals. But I don’t think he’ll get voted off tonight.
Why is that? Because he’s got that hidden sparkle that makes a celebrity special, that makes 20 million viewers call in and to vote for one of the least talented of the bunch.
During the auditions, the wheatsheaf thin Sanjaya was inspired and interesting. His performances since have been weak and wimpy.
Yeah, the judges were horrified at how bad his performance was. Diana Ross called him “pure love”, and Paula Abdul agreed with that assessment. But notice how neither singer talked about his singing? And everyone loved his curly mop. The boy does have good hair and a weirdly wide smile. Kind of passive aggressive if you ask me.
In another aside, Sanjaya’s smile reminds me of a character from Nacho Libre – that was the film in which Jack Black played a Mexican Catholic priest turned wrestler aka luchador in order to raise money for the kids at the orphanage. It was very wacky and funny – think heaps of fart jokes and fat men in tight lycra stretchy pants.
Black is Ignacio and his sidekick is a slender street thief, Steven Esqueleto played in filthy, matted-hair glory by Héctor Jiménez. The two pair up to form an, ahem, unbeatable, wrestling team.
Sanjaya looks so much like the character of Steven that I’ve been googling the pair of them and checking out IMDB.com all morning for a familial connection. There is none. But Sanjaya’s smile lives on.
Posted by Amber Nasrulla
Britney Spears. I promised myself and many friends, my husband, and readers, that I wouldn't venture into Spears territory for awhile. I lied. I just punched her name into Google and there were pages and pages about the singer entering rehab, leaving rehab, re-entering rehab, shaving her head, going clubbing in New York, wandering around without her undies, custody battles and so on.
I have to say I never thought I would feel sorry for the girl but I do. She’s scarcely in her mid-20s, she’s been performing since she was a tot and never had much of a childhood. Forget the zillions she’s earned, what’s she worth or the Malibu mansion she calls home. The girl is having a serious meltdown. And nobody is stepping up to help her. She needs an intervention.
Whether she has post-partum depression, is overwhelmed in her own skin, depressed about the break-up of her marriage, or just plain sick and tired of being followed around by parasitic paparazzi, the girl needs help.
I remember interviewing a sitcom star about the terrors of fame. He told me that he’s struggled to keep the his childhood friends in his life. Those same three friends keep him grounded, telling him when he’s acting like a brat, and remind him that he shouldn’t feel any more entitled than the rest of the population. They also remind him that money doesn’t buy happiness – for megastar celebrities it often buys loneliness. It takes years for them – particularly the child stars – to figure out who they are. What they’re really worth and …the meaning of life. There I said it.
Anyway, getting back to Britney, I think it’s high time to leave her alone. I think she should get out of Hollywood and go to Tahiti or somewhere really remote with her family and no cameras, no cellphones, no celebutantes like Paris Hilton to distract her, far from the temptation of drugs and alcohol. Eat some fresh pineapple and mango, enjoy the surf and just find her inner calm.
Then come back to the world and do what her fans love. Sing and dance. And look after her babies. Minus the drama.
Posted by Amber Nasrulla
There are some stories that are too delicious to ignore and this is definitely one of them. The New York Observer is reporting that esteemed wire service, Associated Press, is declaring itself a No Paris Zone. The NPZ refers, of course, to Paris Hilton.
According to the NYO story, AP’s entertainment editor,Jesse Washington, told staffers by email that “the print team is planning an unconventional experiment: We are NOT going to cover Paris Hilton.
“Barring any major, major news, we are not going to put a single word about Paris on the wire,” the memo continued. “If something does come up, big or small, we encourage discussions on whether we should write about it.”
The results of the NPZ will be fodder for a future AP story. “Hopefully we will be able to discuss what ‘news’ we missed,” as well as “the repercussions of our blackout for AP both editorially and business-wise, and most importantly the force that cause the world to be fixated on this person who, despite her shallow frivolity, represents an epochal development in our culture.”
Excited note from Amber: Oh my God, that is my favourite part of the memo!
Washington told the NYO he was inspired by the fact that, in the past year, Ms. Hilton has appeared on the AP wire about twice a week.
“We got lucky,” he said. “Totally by accident, her birthday party was the day before we started the experiment. There really weren’t any major news stories involving Paris, so we didn’t have that many really tough decisions to make.”
Now let’s see how long AP sticks to this resolution. For instance, if Hilton shaves her head and covers her body with tattoos like a circus freak, would AP cover it? If Hilton jumped out of a limo and ran nude down Sunset Blvd., would AP cover it? If Hilton got engaged to a billionaire’s son from Greece, sported an engagement ring the size of a robin’s egg, would AP cover it? Oh wait, that’s old news. Who even knows what constitutes news anymore.
I wish they would do the same for the neverending saga of the Anna Nicole Smith story.
Posted by Amber Nasrulla
I'm sorry I missed Access Hollywood last night. Because nCourtenay Cox, previously of Friends fame and fortune, took pains to explain that Monica and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) would not be snogging on the Dirt finale. Must have been such an interesting interview.
"There is no tongue and it is really not a big deal to kiss," the 42-year-old actress told the Access Hollywood in last night's interview.
"I am not saying, `Don't tune in to watch Jennifer on the show,' because she is fantastic and you get to see us together again," Cox says. "But if you think it is just about a major make-out session, you will be disappointed."
As the whole world knows, Cox and Aniston co-starred on the long-running NBC sitcom "Friends," which ended in 2004.
In the March 27 season finale of "Dirt," Aniston, 38, guest stars as a lesbian magazine editor and rival to Cox's character, ruthless tabloid queen Lucy Spiller.
"When she first arrived, everyone was really quiet," Cox says. "It was like they were giving her respect, and I was like, `This is my bud, Jen. Come on people, let's have some fun.' And by day two, everyone was more loose, and by day three, we were having a ball."
Aniston has a "great sense of humor," Cox says. "That girl cuts up just as much as the rest of us. She is very fun and she's goofy, and she is just a doll."
And, apparently, open to making out with her best pal on the small screen.
Posted by Amber Nasrulla
Leonardo DiCaprio's been clapping quite enthusiastically at all the pre-Oscar awards shows recently. His hunky Blood Diamond costar, Djimon Hounsou, has had a couple of nominations (but no wins) for his role as a father desperately trying to rescue his son from rebel forces.
It's almost as if DiCaprio is genuinely excited for his buddy and not too pushed about winning awards himself. I guess I'll never know if it's true. What's almost interesting to me is how Leo chooses to portray characters who frequently perish at the end of the film.
Cases in point: Titanic - Jack freezes and drowns in the Atlantic while lovely Rose floats on a wooden door; The Departed - the undercover cop is shot coming out of an elevator; Blood Diamond - the diamond smuggler dies ensuring Hounsou's character (and his on-screen son) make a swift getaway. The evidence is pretty strong, huh?
Yeah, I know Leo lived to see the sunrise in many of his other films - What's Eating Gilbert Grape for instance.... and Gangs of New York, but it's intriguing that he's willing to take on roles that end in his demise. You don't see it too much. Often the bad guys die not the good ones.
So is he doing it for artistic integrity? Or is he doing it to prove that he doesn't care about his celebrity? That he believes his work is more important than his fame - so bugger it if he kicks the bucket at the end of 90 minutes? Judge me as a creative artist, he thinks, and not as a matinee idol.
I'll be watching on Oscar night to see if his strategy pays off with Academy voters....
Posted by Amber Nasrulla
It's been a strange week in the celebrity world.
TV stars got charged with vehicular manslaughter and film stars mourned the loss of parents.
Last Sunday, Angelina Jolie announced that her mom, former actor Marcheline Bertrand, had died of cancer.
Bertrand passed away Saturday afternoon at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, surrounded by Jolie, her brother, actor-filmmaker James Haven, and Brad Pitt.
Bertrand had reportedly battled the disease for the past seven years. According to reports, she was 56 years old.
Then on Monday night, The Insider had footage of Pitt leaving an L.A. building surrounded by press. Flashbulbs popping it's a miracle the man didn't go blind. "You people are unbelieveable" he muttered as security guards pushed photographers back. Then Brad dashed to his motorcycle and took off. Such is life for the rich and famous even in as they mourn a loved one.
Born in Chicago, Bertrand studied under famed acting coach Lee Strasberg, but she put her career on hold after marrying Jon Voight in 1971. The couple had two children, Haven and Jolie, before a bitter split in 1976. Voight reportedly had a girlfriend. The divorce was finalized two years later.
Bertrand raised the children herself, and Jolie and Voight were estranged for years. (After a brief reconciliation and co-starring in Tomb Raider, Jolie and Voight had a falling-out and haven't spoken since.)
Jolie indicated that a private funeral was being planned and asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Women's Cancer Research Institute at Cedars-Sinai.
Posted by Amber Nasrulla
You never know who you’re going to see at the bi-annual Critics’ Association (TCA) tour. The winter session came to an end on Saturday and the final session was hosted by FOX.
At the exceedingly swank Huntington Hotel & Spa in Pasadena, the lobby was gorgeously decorated with gleaming white tables, blue signage and staff dressed to the nines.
FOX laid a red carpet out for TV critics, had a concession stand offering popcorn and red vines (cheaper version of Twizzlers) while reality guru, Mark Burnett held court talking about his upcoming reality show On the Lot which is co-produced with Master Spielberg.
Speaking of Burnett, I I asked a staff member how Torontonian Lukas Rossi has fared since being named lead singer of Rock Star: Supernova. I was told that after living in Tommy Lee’s mansion while the latter was touring with Motley Crue, Rossi moved into in with his girlfriend into a tiny flat in Hollywood. Apparently he’s happy to use Lee’s manager as his own – a bad career move, according to the staffer. He’s not looking out for himself. He doesn’t have a plan. Rock Star: Supernova’s concerts were all sold out but the newly released CD is doing poorly.
“Lukas is buying himself $600 jackets and is arrogant as ever,” the staffer said. “He has no plan. I think he’s in trouble.” YEEOUCH!
Later that day Minnie Driver and Eddie Izzard were on-stage to talk about their new show The Riches, in which they play a family of cons. The trailer looked pretty good and Driver has come a long way since Good Will Hunting.
I particularly enjoyed the session with The Simpsons cast and crew. They wouldn’t reveal details of the film but did mention that Meg Ryan and Natalie Portman are among the stars who will guest on the series. It was priceless to see Dan Castellanata, who voices Homer (and about 90 per cent of the other characters) on the show, actually voice Homer in the ballroom. Very weird to see a grown man with a cartoon voice.
Finally there was a raucous panel with the American Idol judges… and I’ll tell you more about that later this week. Sufficeth to say Simon Cowell was charming and oddly protective of Paula Abdul. Ryan Seacrest was just milquetoast. Blech.
Posted by Amber Nasrulla
Tonight’s Golden Globes ceremony gives fans a wonderful opportunity to eyeball celebrities, perfectly toned bodies, their carefully coiffed hairs, their unspeakably expensive jewellery, their fake tans, their attitude and their arm candy.
But there are other ways to get close to megawatt stars. I’m talking about tycoons who actually hire the rapper 50 Cent or pop diva Christina Aguilera or comedian Robin Williams as entertainment for extremely private parties.
The L.A. Times recently reported that Grammy-winning superstars are available for any kind of party (personal or corporate) so long as the money is right. For instance, on New Year’s Eve, British pop star, George Michael was in Russia and earned about $3-million (USD) an hour for singing for the guests of a mining and lumber magnate. Who knew?
A couple of weeks ago, Aguilera and Williams were in Pittsburgh to entertain guests at the birthday part of Joe Hardy. If you’re wondering who Hardy is, you’re not alone – he’s the founder of 84 Lumber. They earned somewhere in the neighbourhood of $1-$1.5-million (USD) for the soirée. Not a bad haul for a night’s work.
It’s super-quick cash for artists and apparently they’re not considered lesser performers for doing it. It’s not like they’ve morphed into The Wedding Singer or something. (Although I did raise an eyebrow when I read that Herbalife hired Rod Stewart once upon a time. Picture it, the shaggy haired Scotsmen crooning Do Ya Think I’m Sexy to a bunch of starving delegates.)
Although you can rent them don’t expect the stars to be all buddy-buddy with you or that you’ll be able punch their phone number into your Treo at the end of the night. Rumour has it that Owen Wilson was hired to “appear” at a corporate party. He did but when workers approached him, he snapped “I’m not paid to talk to you” and stalked off.
My advice, start saving your pennies. With some luck and millions, you just might be able to afford Sting or Aerosmith to come and croon at your 30th birthday.
Posted by Amber Nasrulla
Star-studded Malibu has been taking on the chin the last few days. The hot Santa Ana winds have been whooshing through L.A. County and Orange County (where I live) making the weather dry and hot, perfect for wildfires.
So far, four ocean-side mansions, including one owned by Suzanne Somers, have been destroyed by wildfires. On the telly it looked like Somers’ place burnt to the sand. She says she’ll rebuild.
“My nature is to look at the glass half-full,” Somers, 60, told the Associated Press. “I truly believe we will learn something great from this experience."
Other footage taken by TV news helicopters showed large areas filled with flames blowing down seaside slopes toward shoreline homes, with lines of flashing lights from emergency vehicles. Winds appeared to be blowing the fire toward the ocean rather than up into steep, brushy coastal canyons.
The fire burned near the Malibu Colony, one of the area’s original beachfront neighborhoods, dating to the 1930s. The densely built stretch of luxury homes has been a favorite of celebrities over the years.
Mel Gibson, Pierce Brosnan, Pamela Anderson, Barbra Streisand, Ted Danson, David Geffen and Courteney Cox-Arquette are among the uber-famous residents of Malibu.
Posted by Amber Nasrulla
I haven’t used this phrase in so long so pardon me if it gives you whiplash as you hurtle back to the 1980s….but, like, gag me with a pitchfork.
The reason is simple – there’s a luscious Demi Moore posing on the cover of Vanity Fair gushing over her love for Ashton Kutcher and how it surprised her and came out of nowhere. Yeah May-December love, whatever, blabbedly blah!
The plastic surgery loving film star (G.I. Jane, St. Elmo’s Fire) who is 44 began dating Kutcher, 28, more than three years ago. They married in the fall of 2005.
“If somebody would have said, ‘OK, here is the prediction: You’re going to meet a man 25 years old and he’s going to see being with you and having your three kids as a bonus,’ I would have said, ‘Keep dreaming,’” Moore says in an interview in VF’s February issue, on newsstands January 9.
“I think it caught us both by surprise, and particularly him,” Moore says of Kutcher. “He was in this real rise of his career just as we met, which for a young man is prime opportunity for heavy-duty play.”
Instead of heavy-duty play though, Kutcher created Punk’d, messing around with superstars and mocking them on TV in a modern-day Candid Camera series. And of course what viewer can forget the classically awful film, Dude, Where’s My Car?
Moore also talked about the possibility of having kids with Kutcher. (Donated eggs with a few timed trips to Cedars Sinai anyone?)
“Most definitely,” she tells the magazine. “Once you hit three, when you’re outnumbered, it’s really, like, what’s the difference between (three or) four or five? For me, the most important thing that I’ve contributed is my children.” (Moore has three daughters from her marriage to Bruce Willis.)
I’m accepting bids on long the marriage will last… but don’t call me a cynic.