Entertainment on Parade

Bette Midler has received a gift from Las Vegas. No, no, I don’t mean her Caesar’s Palace show “Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On,” I am speaking of her wedding photos.

It was 24 years ago that Bette tied the knot with artist Martin von Haselberg in the Starlight Chapel. The two were married in a quickie ceremony conducted by an Elvis impersonator. But, Bette never got any wedding pictures.

That is until now. Earlier this month, after the Starlight Chapel shutdown, the owner came apparently came across the photos and sent them to Bette. “We were shocked,” the Divine Miss M said after receiving the photos.

To receive the pictures after all these years is nice, but I think it is nice to see a celebrity still married 24 years later – talk about a shock!

If you have ever seen the movie, you remember the scene in Top Gun where Maverick and Goose take to a piano bar to sing “Great Balls of Fire.”  That bar really did exist.  Kansas City Barbecue was the name and it was in San Diego as much of Top Gun was filmed at NAS Miramar. If you look at the picture, you will notice a sign outside that states the “sleazy bar scene” from Top Gun was filmed there.  Notice I say “was” as the famous bar/eatery from the movie was destroyed this week by fire.  Last Thursday, a fire started in the open cooking pit and quickly spread to the rest of the restaurant. 

It is estimated that a quarter of a million dollars damage was done to the structure of the bar.  There was another $150,000 damage done to the contents, which included not only Top Gun memorabilia and props, but also other military memorabilia.  When I lived in San Diego, we visited the bar and there was just military stuff everywhere. 

San Diego firefighters said that the fire must have been very intense as they found two Navy flight helmets in the dining area that were melted.  Fortunately, no one was hurt in the fire.

There is nothing like hearing your baby daddy say that he does not plan to marry you. That is the story Joel Madden has told People magazine. He said, “We don’t have any plans for that right now. We’re just happy, and we’re being a family, and that’s where we’re at right now. But marriage means something different to everyone.” Joel went on to say he and Nicole were concentrating on their family (little Harlow), which making them happy right now, and they are moving at their own pace. Of baby Harlow, Joel said, “Just watching her grow, it melts me.”

Forgive me, but I am sick of celebs that think marriage is such a big deal, but have kids left and right. IMHO, having children and marriage go hand in hand, no matter in what order you do it. Why does he not want to be legally bound to the mother of this child the he obviously adores? Does he not feel committed to Nicole? If not, why have a baby with her? Oh sure, “things” happen, but really, to all these celebs that seem to be marriagaphobic? Grow up Joel and marry your baby mama!  The whole “we’re just happy the way we are” is a weak excuse.

Oh that Kanye, such a sensitive rapper. He is upset about criticism over his performance at Bonnaroo, the Tennessee music festival held this month. Kanye was supposed to perform at 2:45 am on June 15, but because his stage set was so elaborate (including an interplanetary landscape – wait, is this Kanye West or George Clinton?), he didn’t appear on stage until 4:25 am. Well, naturally, after an almost two-hour delay (and that early in the morning!), the crowd was visibly upset. They threw glow sticks and beer on the stage and began chanting, “Kanye sucks!”

Of the incident, Kanye said, “This Bonnaroo thing is the worst insult I’ve ever had in my life. This is the most offended I’ve ever been … this is the maddest I ever will be.” Kanye criticized the festival for not coming to his defense, but they bailed him out once. He was due to perform at 8:15 pm on June 14th, but they moved his slot on his requested time of 2:45 am so his stage could glow-in-the-dark.

Hum…Kanye, does that mean you are more offended than when “Touch the Sky” didn’t win Best Video at the 2006 MTV Europe Music Awards and you acted like a prima donna? Or, maybe more offended than when you said your skin was not right when Britney was chosen to open the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards and not you? And I thought the maddest you had ever been was when MTV dissed you again at the 2007 Video Awards when you missed out on Best Male Artist and Video of the Year.

Come on Kanye – you are good, but get over yourself already.

Okay, I should write about the sad and tragic loss of George Carlin (truly a comedic genius), but I am sure everyone else will be writing about it, so I chose another story. RIP George!

Hip-Hop producer extraordinaire Timbaland has tied the knot. He wed his publicist, Monique Idlett, last Sunday in a lavish ceremony in Aruba. Who were some of the guests that received the feather-filled clear invitations the couple sent out? It was virtually a who’s who of the rap/hip-hop music world with Missy Elliott, Kerri Hilson, Omarion, Ginuwine, and Magoo being among the three hundred guests attending. The couple had previously married in a private ceremony in Virginia earlier this month, which was conducted by a family pastor.

Timbaland and Monique dated for 2 ½ years before tying the knot. The couple welcomed their first baby together, daughter Reign, last November. Monique has two children from a previous relationship.

Wow, the latest from Amy’s father Mitch Winehouse is that she is still in the hospital with damaged lungs and an irregular heartbeat. Mitch told The Sunday Mirror that Amy, having harmed her lungs from smoking cigarettes and crack, is in the early stages of emphysema and has only 70% lung capacity right now. She is also suffering from an irregular heartbeat, brought about by her drug usage.

Mitch has said the doctors have told her that unless she stops smoking drugs, she will have to wear an oxygen mask. They have also said that smoking drugs won’t just ruin her voice, but it will kill her. Mitch went on to say there were dark marks and nodules around her chest.

Amy collapsed earlier this week at her home while signing autographs for fans and she has remained in the hospital since. However, she is scheduled to sing at a London concert Friday to celebrate the 90th birthday of Nobel Prize winner Nelson Mandela. Mitch thinks that performing will be good for Amy and the doctors have said there is no medical reason why she could not sing at the concert.

I would like to say that I hope this is enough to give Amy the wake up call she needs, but I just don’t know. I have never known anyone who suffered from an addiction to drugs, but I have had family members who were addicted to alcohol and I know how powerful that can be. Most of you reading this would go “Dang, if she can’t breathe, surely she will stop,” but right now, all we can do is hope.

If you have ever seen a reality show which features acclaimed chef Gordon Ramsay, you know that his language is very colorful. He often tells his contestants to “*&$# off” as they leave him. He also curses while slamming inadequately prepared dishes to the floor. The foul language he uses is just part of his appeal.

Now the Australian Senate has carried out an inquiry into his swearing on television, urging Nine Network to develop better the way to warn viewer’s of the language that will be used in the show. The Senate also said Nine Network should upgrade the way they deal with viewer complaints to his shows “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares.”

I guess to fully understand the concern of the Senate, you need to know that in many of the country’s in which “Hell’s Kitchen” or “Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares” air, the show is uncensored. While the U.S. bleeps Gordon’s colorful language, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, Ireland, Mexico, the U.K., and Brazil all air the profanities. What seems to have prompted the Senate’s concern was a recent episode in which Chef Ramsay used a four-letter word more than 80 times within the forty-minute show.

Chef Ramsay has said that despite the Australia Senate’s concern, he has no plans to change his outspoken style. He said, “I want to run a proper kitchen with a pair of bollocks, not stand there and wish everybody a merry Christmas and pat them on the back every time they do a good job. It’s high pressure, high energy and more importantly, real. That’s how we keep it each and every day.”

By the way, in case you are wondering, both of Chef Ramsay’s shows are highly rated in Australia, so someone must be loving it!

First, Katherine Heigl pulled herself out of the Emmy race, stating, “I did not feel that I was given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination.” Now another actress has also told Emmy “Thanks, but no thanks.” Lindsay Lohan, who has certainly seen her movie career go down in flames the last couple of years, turned to television this year when she did a guest spot on “Ugly Betty.”

But, she didn’t think her appearance in the season finale warranted an Emmy, so she took herself out of the running. Her publicist, Leslie Sloane Zelnick, released a statement that read, “We felt that the appearance wasn’t enough and look forward to the next five episodes.”

Is Lindsay hoping she can really shine in the next five episodes and revive her career with an Emmy win in 2009? Only time will tell, but Lindsay is the second pop tart in bad need of a career overhaul to turn to television for salvation. Earlier this year, Britney Spears guest starred on “How I Met Your Mother” to rave reviews.

I love Amy Winehouse as a singer, but she is just a train wreck looking for a place to happen! Amy has had her share of troubles this year – her hubby is incarcerated, she has postponed a tour, she was been arrested in Norway for drug possession, and she has appeared intoxicated on stage. She went to rehab but that seemed to fail and even her own in-laws have pleaded for people to stop buying her music until she can get clean.

She fainted at her home in London on Monday and almost fell down a flight of steps. Her father Mitch drove her to the hospital, where she still remains. Although tests have been conducted, they are inconclusive. Her representative has said, “Doctors want to get to the bottom of it before releasing her. There will be further tests and they will keep her under observation. She seems to be fine … but they are taking their time to be sure.”

Could the fainting spell have anything to do with drugs? Mitch told Closer magazine that her rehab stint in January was a failure, but now she is expressing interest in getting clean. He also said Amy wanted kids, but she will wait on hubby Blake, no matter how long he is in prison. Mitch went on to say “She wants kids and knows she can’t be taking drugs, or the baby would be addicted – she wouldn’t do that.”

I just hope she can clean herself up. It would certainly be a talent wasted if she can’t get and stay clean.

Actor/director Warren Beatty was honored with the American Film Institute’s lifetime achievement award this week. It was a virtual who’s who of Hollywood as those there to honor him on this occasion included film industry greats Jane Fonda, Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman, Diane Keaton, Halle Berry, and director Quentin Tarantino. Taped tributes by Barbara Streisand, Gene Hackman, Goldie Hawn and presidential candidate John McCain were also shown.

Beatty started out his career in television, appearing on such shows as “Studio One”, “Playhouse 90″, and “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.” He starred with Natalie Wood in 1961’s Splendor in the Grass and achieved critical acclaim when he both produced and starred in 1967’s Bonnie and Clyde. During the 70s, Beatty continued to act, appearing in Shampoo and Heaven Can Wait. But, it wasn’t until 1981 that Oscar would come calling. As the writer, director, and star of Reds, Beatty became one of the few men in history to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Writing for one film. He took home the Best Director statue. Over the span of his 47 year career, Beatty has been nominated for 14 Academy Awards.

Close friend Jack Nicholson said it all when he said, “You get all these honors because of your passion and your dedication to excellence.” Indeed, to make it almost 50 years in a town like Hollywood, you have to be both passionate and dedicated. Bonnie and Clyde is one of the first films I remember seeing as a child and to this day, I love Warren Beatty. (Image courtesy WireImage.com)