Few Are So Fervent As A Born-Again Believer
Oprah Winfrey has met the enemy, and it is … no, not her, but some of those other sleazy talkshow hosts out there.
Winfrey says in a commentary in the new TV Guide that she did some channel surfing in wake of the recent uproar over trash on the tube and was simply appalled at what she saw.
“I wonder, is this a sign that my time in TV has come and gone?” Winfrey writes. “Should I just get out of the business and let the ‘Kissing Contest,’ ‘Men Who Are Dogs’ and ‘Big Butt Contest’ rule?”
Winfrey acknowledges that some of her early shows were far from high-minded, but says she’s “embarrassed by how far over the line the topics have gone.
“It’s only when viewers decide that they’ve had enough of violence, sensationalism and trash that it will end,” she says.
Loose Talk
Talk host/would-be country crooner Jerry Springer, on his career path (on “America After Hours”): “I’ve been everything you can’t respect - a lawyer, a mayor, a news anchor and a talkshow host. If I sell used cars, I’ve done the whole cycle.”
Funny, he doesn’t look a minute over 60
Morley Safer turns 64 today.
Another black mark for American race relations
Speaking of trash, A Current Affair on Monday aired the controversial Paula Barbieri video that supposedly caused O.J. Simpson to break up with her. In the 8-year-old tape, Barbieri freely uses the “N-word” and describes a method of torturing blacks in her native Florida involving hanging, a hatchet and alligators.
Won’t someone please find a way to silence her?
And speaking of Florida, a judge has thrown out criminal chargers against Courtney Love for allegedly slugging fans before an Orlando concert, saying they weren’t exposed to any more violence than could be reasonably expected at an alternative rock show. Quoth the Widow Cobain: “Even the state of Florida is shaped like a gun.”
And Madonna has even stopped French kissing
Johnny Depp, Kate Moss, Paul McCartney, Cindy Crawford and Duran Duran’s Simon LeBon are among the celebrities calling for a boycott of all goods from France - wines, food, clothing, etc. - because of French nuclear testing in the South Pacific.
Guess he’s just sampling the different flavors
Former plain white rapper Vanilla Ice (aka Rob Van Winkle) says his fling with Madonna didn’t work out because “she would change personalities a lot,” but his spiritual quest continues. Informs Ice: “I’ve been checking out churches - Catholic, Baptist. I haven’t decided on any religion yet. But definitely, God is in my life.”
Their guests got to drink muskrat, er, muscat
Finally, on a heart-warming note, Toni Tennille and “Captain” Daryl Dragon renewed their wedding vows after 20 years together. She celebrated with store-bought cake and champagne; he opted for sugar-free, whole-wheat cake and a glass of natural fruit punch.
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 color photos
The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Compiled by staff writer Rick Bonino