Category Archives: Icons

All the brilliant, shiny people.

Charlene Tilton Week: Day 3

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Grainy, black and white… porny?

charlene tilton bikini

“Oh, I forgot to tie my bikini top. And now my hands have gone limp. See how I can’t even lift them? They are just hanging here, all useless!”

Charlene Fun Fact O’ The Day: Charlene appeared in Battle of The Network Stars in 1980. If you’re not familiar with the Battle, the three major networks would pit their stars against each other in “sport” events like paddling a raft in a pool, running or playing football while keeping an ongoing tally of points. It was co-hosted, in 1980s, by Howard Cosell and Joyce DeWitt (Three’s Company). Other stars who joined in the action included: Scott Baio (ABC, Happy Days), Sherman Hemsley (CBS, The Jeffersons) and Sarah Purcell (NBC, Real People).

The Holy Trinity

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LL Cool J RadioJust as many actors long to direct, many rappers long to act. A successful career for some rappers includes the cross over to acting, often starting out playing pimps and drug dealers and then moving on to play detectives, cops and cooks on research ships. Fortunately or unfortunately, the acting bug usually greatly diminishes the anger and/or drive needed to keep producing songs like “Home Of The Body Bag,” and “Why We Thugs.” Although it’s clearly not for everyone – thankfully no acting careers for Snoop, Dre or Chuck D yet – here is a look at the Holy Trinity of Rappers Turned Actors – T, Cube & LL – and a look at the points when their dual careers reached their zeniths.

ICE-T
Birth Name: Tracy Marrow
Grew Up In: Was born in New Jersey and spent his early years there, despite being closely identified with the West Coast rap scene. He moved to LA when he was about 11 or 12, after both of his parents died of heart attacks within 4 years of each other, and was raised by an aunt.
Surprising Fact: Served in the U.S. Army for 4 years
Not-So-Surprising Fact: He claims to have had extensive “pimping experience” prior to getting into rap and acting. He discusses this in his song “Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy.” It’s certainly not the stroll in the park that being a prostitute is! Those gals have it soooo easy.
Early Gig: In 1984, he wrote the raps for Mr. T’s motivational video called Be Somebody… or Be Somebody’s Fool!

This clip doesn’t include any of Ice-T’s raps:

Continue reading The Holy Trinity →

Here’s To You, D.V.

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Welcome to 2011!

We now live in the future.

Vreeland blogI spent the last days of 2010 reading D.V. by Diana Vreeland (well, dictated by Diana Vreeland and recorded by George Plimpton and Christopher Hemphill). Diana was a fashion editor at Harper’s Bazaar and then went on to be Editor in Chief of Vogue. The book portends to be an autobiography but really it is a collection of thoughts on a wide variety of subjects which manages to morph by the end into a very distinct worldview.

It’s not a worldview many of us subscribe to today, which is too bad. In some ways she seems like a silly, rich woman but, the more you read about her, the more you start to catch her wave. Here are some Vreelandisms:

I loathe nostalgia.
I’m big on larders.
Pink is the navy blue of India.
I was simply mad about Queen Mary.
How I miss fringe! Where is fringe today?
Unshined shoes are the end of civilization.
Asparagus should be sexy and almost liquid.
I’m terrible on facts. But I always have an idea. If you have an idea you’re well ahead.
Never fear being vulgar. Just boring.
Continue reading Here’s To You, D.V. →

Oh The Drama! Hecker Wedding Denied

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Hecker Resized For BlogMy favorite Minnesota wacko is up to some new shenanigans – apparently Denny Hecker (Timeline Part I and Part II if you’re not familiar) tried to get married this week while out of jail for a meeting with his attorneys at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. When he was leaving the jail, he demanded to take a Bible with him (but was denied). Yes, Denny, you are a “man of faith.” I suspect that Bible’s spine has never been cracked.

Then, he’s at the meeting with his lawyers and who shows up but Christi Rowan (girlfriend/thief), a pastor and her attorney.

Suddenly, the U.S. Marshalls’ said, “Woah, wait a minute, do we have a wedding on our hands here?”

Here’s my favorite line from the article I read:

“When Rowan, her attorney and a pastor showed up, agents realized a wedding could break out at any minute, and sent the holy man away.“

Too Much Of A Good Thing Is Wonderful

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Liberace

On October 18, the Liberace Museum in Las Vegas is slated to close its doors. Apparently, interest in Liberace is down these days. According to the museum’s president, in the good old days the museum would host about 450,000 visitors per year. Now they are struggling to reach 50,000 per year. However, there are no plans to auction off any of Liberace’s belongings – beautiful costumes, his collection of pianos (some encrusted with sequins and mirrors) and his car collection, with every car in pairs -  and there is some hope that the museum will reopen at some point.

Liberace was known as “Mr. Showmanship” and was also known for his eccentricities. A penchant for gold, sequins, candelabra, etc. But he had enormous talent as well and could play anything – from Beethoven to polka to, probably, “Mustang Sally” with panache.

Now we have Lady Gaga. I wish I could say that Lady Gaga is Liberace reincarnated. Alas, she was born in 1986 and he died in 1987.

Facts about Liberace:

Continue reading Too Much Of A Good Thing Is Wonderful →

Zsa Zsa Gabor: Hail the Queen of Outer Space

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Zsa Zsa GaborWith Zsa Zsa Gabor heading home this past Monday to spend her final days in comfort, rather than in a hospital, I think it’s only appropriate that we take a look at the life and times of the Hungarian beauty. Here are some Zsa Zsa Facts & Figures:

Zsa Zsa is the second of the three Gabor sisters: Magda, Sari (Zsa Zsa) and Eva. The sisters were born in Budapest. Zsa Zsa is now 93 years old.

Zsa Zsa attended a Swiss boarding school called Madame Subilia’s.

After finishing school, she was discovered in Vienna in 1936 by “the famous tenor Richard Tauber,” (oh, yes, Richard Tauber!) and invited to sing in a new operetta he was staging.

Zsa Zsa eventually became known more for her many marriages than for her acting abilities. She has been married nine times and has had seven divorces, one annulment and is still married to ninth husband, Frederic Prinz von Anhalt.

Continue reading Zsa Zsa Gabor: Hail the Queen of Outer Space →

Oh The Drama! Hecker Part II:

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Hecker Resized For BlogWhen last I visited the Denny Hecker saga (see The Hecker Timeline), he was facing down 18 new charges of wire and bankruptcy fraud. He and Steve Leach, one of his former execs, were looking at 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 20 years on each count of wire fraud. Pile on top of that another 10 for Hecker for money laundering and five for each… well, let’s just say that he would surely die in prison.

Since then there have been many more twists, tears and admissions of guilt. Let’s catch up, shall we?

After the new felony charges came down, Hecker had to appear in family court regarding the missing support payments to second wife Sandra. He was behind something like $8,000 to her. On March 30th, the judge ordered Hecker to jail after he was found in contempt of court for hiding assets and lying about what he still owns.

Continue reading Oh The Drama! Hecker Part II: →