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by Liz Smith FRIDAY Fry-Up — "George Clooney Vs. The Daily Mail ... Faye Dunaway's Lost "Master Class" ... Will Rosie Shake, Rattle and Roll "The View" Again? ... Mila Kunis — Careful of Those Movie Star Crushes, Girl! “RIGHT ACTIONS in the future are the best apologies for bad actions in the past,” said theologian Tryon Edwards. |
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| OPERATING ON that thought — avoiding the mistakes that caused an apology — can we really expect London’s Daily Mail to: A. Mend its loosey-goosey gossipy ways?
C. Keep on keeping on, writing whatever the hell they please. Come on, does anybody take their apology seriously? As you probably know, George wrote an op-ed piece in USA Today about the dangers of such irresponsible gossip: “The idea that someone would inflame any part of that world for the sole reason of selling papers should be criminal ... the irresponsibility in this day and age, to exploit religious difference where none exist is in the very least negligent and, more appropriately, dangerous.” (The piece included “joking” references to Amal being killed because of her marriage to Clooney.) George ended his piece with “They must be so very proud.” Unfortunately, and I’m sure George knows it — they are proud. They goaded one of the most famous movie stars in the world into a reaction. The Daily Mail is “trending” high right now. Even if Clooney should sue, it’s a win-win for the tabloid. They will indeed keep on keeping on. |
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| P.S. Closer magazine, which seems to be a more benign version of the hyper-sensational glossy newsstand magazines, says that Clooney has pushed up the date of his wedding, from September to August. It’s all “sources close to Clooney” who reveal this. If he has decided to change the date, it’s more likely he wants to jump from the frying pan into the fire and get it over with. What? Wanna bet the moment he and Amal wed, the first magazine story will be “The Honeymoon Disaster of George Clooney.” I hope the couple manages to marry secretly. It can be done. |
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WHEN HBO announced that Meryl Streep would play Maria Callas in Mike Nichols'production of the Terrence McNally play “Master Class,” some people, including me, wondered, “Where does this leave Faye Dunaway?”
There was even talk that she had optioned the rights to the play. (Doubtful, but Faye can be pretty determined.) More distressing for Faye — as of last year — she claimed the movie was “three-quarters” filmed. There was, to my knowledge, no release date and no studio attached. But she was vigorous in her desire to finish and release it. She even took writing classes, the better to cinematically adapt the play. There’s no law against making two movies about the same subject, at the same time, and unless Dunaway had some legal agreement as to “Master Class” HBO, Meryl and Mike will air their TV aria about Callas probably by the end of the year. But never underestimate a woman who put this phrase into history, via “Mommie Dearest”: “Don’t fuck with me fellas. This ain’t my first time at the rodeo!” |
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| I HOPE the rumors are true — that Rosie O’Donnell will return to “The View.” I’ve missed her on TV. She’s a real presence, smart, funny and unafraid. Also let’s face it, nobody drives Donald Trump crazier than Rosie. (He is always compelled to comment on Rosie when she is in high-profile mode.) Many people love to see Donald get all red-faced and lose it, while Rosie laughs and laughs. However, to keep things in proper crazy balance, does “The View” need to hire another blonde conservative a la Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Ann Coulter? |
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| KINDA“Yikes!” Mila Kunis, soon to be Mrs. Ashton Kutcher, tells W magazine: “We all get movie star crushes. I’m marrying mine.” Ummmm ... didn’t Katie Holmes go down that rabbit hole? |
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| ENDQUOTE:“IN this country, heterosexual Death Row prisoners can marry. The only thing gay people want are the same rights as heterosexual death row prisoners! That’s my friend and colleague Denis Ferrara, ruminating on aspects of the current state of the world. He spoke out during lunch at East 38th Street’s El Rio Grande. He’s so much fun after a couple of margaritas.
“Excuse me, I’m 61 years old. I left home at 15. I went to the Stonewall. I marched when it was a march, not a spectacle. And I’ve already learned the alphabet.” I laughed and said to Denis — “You don’t suffer fools gladly, eh?” He replied, “At this point I don’t suffer anyone gladly.” Is he a misanthrope? Denis: “No, Liz, just a grumpy pessimist. As John Adams said: ‘The whole drama of the world is such tragedy that I am weary of the spectacle.’” |
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Contact Liz Smith here. | Click here for NYSD contents. |