Eye on Soaps' Pop Life

Popular culture, or pop culture: (literally: "the culture of the people") consists of widespread cultural elements in any given society. Such elements are perpetuated through that society's vernacular language or an established lingua franca. It comprises the daily interactions, needs and desires and cultural 'moments' that make up the everyday lives of the mainstream. It can include any number of practices, including those pertaining to cooking, clothing, consumption, mass media and the many facets of entertainment such as sports and literature. Popular culture often contrasts with a more exclusive, even elitist "high culture."

June 3, 2007

The world doesn't stop turning and these stars don't stop doing the things that garner our interest, so here's today's installment of the gossip that peppers the steak of our Popular Culture:

Carrie Fisher - Princess Leia

Ever wonder what the stars of "Star Wars" look like 30 years later? Click here to find out.

More from Paris and Britney:

First, word comes that Paris is so distraught over her upcoming jail time that the heiress has stopped eating and, according to her mother, Kathy Hilton, is praying a lot. Evidently, according to the source, she breaks down a lot and can't deal with the reality and the pressure of everything that is happening. Might want to consider all of that before repeatedly driving while shitfaced and expecting daddy to buy you out of the consequences. Evidently, however, Mary McClenden from Kansas City, Missouri is so distraught over the idea of poor Paris having to serve any time in a tiny old jail cell that she is offering to serve the 28 or so day sentence herself in Paris' stead. Altogether now, "Awwwwwwww." We should all bring such light and joy into the world that complete strangers want to do our time in jail for us after we decide that the laws don't apply to us and we can get drunk and put other people in danger by insisting on driving.

People Magazine reports that Paris is just HUGELY distressed over her impend jail time. A source close to Paris says, "She's been having such a tough time with it all despite her going out with friends and going shopping. She just does that to keep her mind of things and to try and stay as normal as possible right now. Her biggest support has been her family – her parents without a doubt. She talks to them a million times a day and they are doing everything they can to make sure that she comes out of this okay."

You know, I think she'll be OK. And I'll bet she's going to not learn an god-blessed thing from it except that judges are, like, you know, totally mean.

Paris' former "running around town with no drawers on" partner, Britney Spears, is on the "Send Paris to Jail" bandwagon with a fury. In a recent issue of OK!, Britney says that she is happy that Paris is going to jail and that they are no longer friends. She blames Paris for taking her down a wrong, wrong road after her deevorce from Kev Fed and says that Paris ruined her reputation (Brit's) before she shaved her head and went to rehab. She is, however, that the whole jail thing is taking some of the gossip focus off of her own misfortunes.

A source close to Britney (I have to wonder if it's the source that's also close to Paris) says, “Britney is relieved to have distanced herself from her ex-party buddy. Rest assured - you won’t see Britney speaking to Paris through the glass partition in the jail on visiting day. [Britney] blames Paris for a lot of her image problems that she had before rehab. Britney is happy to be living clean and sober, far away from Paris’ mess. She’s also glad that the attention of making mistakes is now on somebody else.”

Britney herself recently posted a note to fans on her website about the end of her marriage and her subsequent stint in rehab saying:

"Recently, I was sent to a very humbling place called rehab. I truly hit rock bottom. Till this day I don't think that it was alcohol or depression. I was like a bad kid running around with ADD (attention deficit disorder)."

"I think the whole problem was letting too many people into my life," she continues. "You never know another person's intentions or what another person wants. ... I have had to cut so many people out of my life."

Spears also says she is "having to face a lot of things" as she raises her two young sons. "A lot of insecurities from when I was little are coming up again," she writes. "It is like we are never good enough."

She downplays her recent behavior, saying, "I think it is actually normal for a young girl to go out after a huge divorce."

Honey, admitting you have a problem is the first step in solving the problem. If you're still blaming your behavior on other people and thinking it's normal for somebody's mama to go out on the town (four minutes after giving birth) flashing your hoo-hah to the world and shaving off all your hair just because you got a divorce, then you need to find a better counselor.

Every time I read that statement, it turns around in my head so that it says, "Recently, I went to this place and it's called something like ree-hap or reee-habe or something..."

Of course, *sigh* this is also somebody's mom running around town with a "Fuck" hat and a "Fuck" ring. How...precious.

It's like how Tom Arnold once described himself and his (then) wife, Roseanne, "America's worst nightmare—white trash with money.

Speaking of counseling, looks like America's foremost radio psychologist and all around "I am far holier than thou art and know how you should live" talk show host, Dr Laura Schlessinger might need to relax her hold on how the rest of us are doing and focus on her own family.

Deryk Schlessinger, 21-year-old son of Dr Laura, has come under investigation by the US Army for a MySpace page allegedly created by him including a whole hoop of exceptional content like rape, torture and child molestation.

He is currently serving a tour or duty in Afghanistan and the photos were not only cartoons depicting these acts, but also photographs, including a photo of a blindfolded prisoner of war with the caption "My Sweet Little Habib." Among the text included in the journal are comments like these:

"I LOVE MY JOB, it takes everything reckless and deviant and heathenistic and just overall bad about me and hyper focuses these traits into my job of running around this horrid place doing nasty things to people that deserve it ... and some that don't."

Deryk Schelssinger (left) in a photo from the MySpace profile said to be his
and (right) with his parents.

A representative from the US Army says that the investigation is ongoing and that Deryk is still listed on active duty. A representative for Dr Laura weakly suggests that the MySpace page "could be a fake." I tell ya, if it were me, I'd be SCREAMING it was a fake and spin-doctoring like mad. I'd be using every penny I had to make SURE it appeared to be fake, even if it wasn't and not just suggesting, "Well...you know...could be a frame up."

I've been giving little Paris a hard time about going to the pokey, but who are some other celebs who have done time?

Martha Stewart spent five months in the prison and was released on March 4, 2005, after which, she served an additional five months of house arrest for her 2004 conviction on insider trading charges.

"Rocky" and "Rambo" star, Sylvester Stallone has pleaded guilty to bringing vials of Jintropin, an illegal performance-enhancing drug, into Australia. He could get up to five years in prison and close to $90,000 in fines. His sentence should be announced any minute.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"'s darling, Ty Pennington was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in Los Angeles on May 5th. He goes back to court next month.

Rapper Lil' Kim was convicted of perjury and conspiracy for lying about her knowledge of and involvement in a 2001 shooting, but she used her 2005 prison sentence to her advantage. While she was in the slammer, she wrote more than 200 songs and even released an album called "The Naked Truth.''

Nick Nolte was arrested for drunk driving and possession of the drug GHB, but he avoided a prison sentence and instead spent three years under probation with a stint in rehab.

Mel Gibson was charged with a misdemeanor for driving under the influence of alcohol in 2006 and the actor/director could have been looking at six months in jail if convicted. Instead, Gibson got three years probation, some time in rehab, and was basically told not to do it again. He said he was sorry for saying bad things about Jewish people while he was drunk and ranting. (Asshole)

Poor Richard Gere planted a hot kiss on Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty and quickly regretted it. An Indian court ordered the immediate arrest of Gere and Shetty on April 26, saying it was an obscene act committed in public. Gere's kiss sparked protests in some parts of India, mostly by Hindu vigilante groups who said it insulted Shetty's modesty and was an affront to Indian culture. Shetty appealed to the Supreme Court in an attempt to fight the arrest and the warrant was suspended on Tuesday, May 15.

Phil Spector, the reclusive 1960s musical producer who created the "Spector Wall of Sound," was accused of shooting 40-year-old Lana Clarkson in 2003, just hours after meeting her at a Hollywood nightclub. The trial is ongoing and Spector remains free on a million dollar bail. He could get life in prison.

Sweet (haha) Naomi Campbell was convicted for throwing a cell phone at her housekeeper last year and subsequently, performed a week of community service in New York. (Bitch)

Winona Ryder was busted shoplifting nearly $5,500 worth of merchandise from a Beverly Hills Saks Fifth Avenue store in 2001. She got off with three years probation and some heavy fines. During the trial, it came out that she had filled up to 37 prescriptions written by 20 doctors, using six different aliases, in a three-year period.

Tim Allen ("Home Improvement") served 2 ½ years in prison for cocaine possession in 1978. In 1997 Allen was arrested again, this time for drunk driving and that time got a year of probation.

Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee served six months in prison in 1998 for spousal abuse after his divorce from Pamela Anderson. Lee spent his prison time writing the music that would eventually become a solo album called "Methods of Mayhem."

"Charmed" actress Shannen Doherty was arrested on drunken driving charges and was given a choice: 10 days in jail or 20 days of community service. Doherty served her five days, paid $1,500 in fines, and served three years probation.

If it's mug shots you're seeking, TMZ.com can hook you up right here.

I loved what People Magazine reported from my faaaa-vorite male star, Bruce Willis, who talked about giving his daughters, Rumer, Scout and Tallulah, more specifically their dates, a hard time. The "Die Hard" star says he LOVES intimidating the little guys. He tells the girls, "Just tell [the boys] I want to meet them -- that's the only thing I ask for," then he says, "I just give them that look, that little look." He goes on to say, "If they bring a little group of guys over to the house to have a pool party or whatever, I just say, 'Dude, what's your name?' and he says, 'Uh, Cinjun.' I say, 'Cinjun, you're in charge. If anything happens to one of my daughters, I'm coming to you first, and then I'm going to kill all your friends right in front of you, and you'll be last.'" Heh heh heh

Big talk in the gossip circuit is Rosie's parting of ways with "The View," a show I don't enjoy anyway but having viewed (below), the actual fight itself, I surely won't be watching again. Most people, by now, know that Rosie and co-host, Elisabeth Hasselbeck had an intense onscreen argument regarding the war which resulted in Rosie parting ways with "The View," asking for and receiving an early out on her contract, which she was not going to renew due to failed negotiations prior to the blow up.

Immediately, fans of the show factionalized and started their usual rustle of petitions and long-winded message board fights about who was right and who was wrong. If you're interested, here's the discussion:

If you have seen it, I think it's pretty much obvious to anyone that Elisabeth was the one who was being completely obnoxious, interrupting at every turn and being totally evasive. I have to tell you, I don't really have an opinion about Rosie O'Donnell in either direction, so I came at watching this with a completely open and objective mind (really, I did). I was blown away that EH could be considered by anyone to be professional with behavior such as this. Joy Behar was actually the one who initiated the segment, reading off a list of reasons as to why George W. Bush should no longer by in office and why America should be furious about the place in which we find ourselves by his hand.

EH's anger was directed solely at RO, excluding JB from the conversation rather quickly. She would not stop talking for a moment, would not listen for a second and had absolutely no room for or respect for the views of anyone else. In a format such as the show uses, this seems to be inappropriate.

Competitors from the current season of "Dancing With the Stars" were in the green room at the time waiting to go on stage and were extremely uncomfortable with what was going on. Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who was partnered with Laila Ali on DWTS, told People Magazine, "All four of us [He, Laila, Joey Fatone and Joey's dance partner, Kym Johnson] were at a loss. It was a straight-up brawl."

He said the guests for that day were warned by staff of "The View that the show could get "intense" He goes on to say, "At first everyone was sort of laughing, [like,] 'See, I told you it gets intense.' Then it was like, Okay maybe it's one of those very intense ones. But people were still giggling. But then it became a fight between Rosie and Elisabeth. It was like a domestic dispute, like relatives fighting. We came to their house and we were witnessing something a little embarrassing. It was really uncomfortable."

Actress Alicia Silverstone was especially uncomfortable as her segment immediately followed the fight and was saying, "I don't want to go on now."

Whew. Almost done.

Fans of Rosie and people who just don't like EH (I just become one of those watching the clip) have collected nearly 22,500 signatures on an online petition to fire Elisabeth Hasselbeck from "The View."

Creator of the show and co-host Barbara Walters has said that she has been sending e-mails to O'Donnell and they remain "close friends." Walters also said O'Donnell is welcome back to "The View" as a panelist at anytime.

In a video blog posted Saturday on her Web site, O'Donnell said she didn't think she and Hasselbeck would ever speak again. "I haven't spoken to her, and I probably won't, and I think it's just as well," O'Donnell said. "I wrote her an e-mail, and she wrote me back, and there you have it."

O'Donnell likened herself to "the foster kid in a family" referring to her connection with the other panelists of "The View." She says that "It's time for the foster kid to go home."

Hasselbeck said on a later airing of "The View" that she and O'Donnell were "in communication a lot." I wonder if that means they are both talking.

Universal Studios and the Harry Potter People have announced a joint effort to create a theme park based on the JK Rowling series to be housed at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. The park is due to open in 2010. In a press release from Stuart Craig, production designer, we're told, "This new theme park will include facets such as a Hogsmeade section, the Forbidden Forest, and even Hogwarts Castle where you will actually be able to walk inside a replication of the beloved castle."

The author herself is said to be 'very involved' with the park's design and there will be rides, some 'intense,' shopping and more. A "British" environment is being cultivated through the menu and the staff behavior. All of the books will be addressed in the theme of the park all the way through the seventh, and presumably last, volume.

LOST fans are a little (?!) pissed that the 3rd season will not be released on DVD until December 11th. They are already contending with an 8 month break between the end of season 3 and the beginning of season 4 in February 2008, but it is common for box sets to actually go on the market weeks before their expected release date.

Listaholic.com compiled a list of the worst celebrity boob jobs if you're interested. There is a touch of nipplage, so beware and bewarned.

The very proper David Hyde Pierce (best known as "Niles" on Fraiser) has been shoved out of the closet by Michael Musto, a contributing writer to "Out" magazine. Showing the class for which he is famous, Pierce follows the protocol of not discussing his personal life, however a representative for the actor did confirm to AfterElton.com that Brian Hargrove, who was cited in the Musto article as being Pierce's life partner, is, indeed, just that.

I really hope that Mr Musto feels enormously better knowing that Mr Pierce's sexual preferences are now public knowledge. We didn't have a single clue before...

And that brings us on to...

Pictures of the Week

click to enlarge

Aggghhh!!! Mommy, don't let it get meeee!
Someone put Nicole Ritchie in a hospital and feed her...please.

Betcha don't know who this guy is.
(click the pic to find out)

Tammy Faye Bakker Messner is down to less than 70 pounds.
She was first diagnosed with colon cancer in 1996 and it went
into remission. In 2004, she was diagnosed with inoperable lung
cancer, which went into remission, only to return in 2005. Last
month, she announced she had discontinued all treatments.
She is, however, a behemoth compared to Nicole Ritchie.