Polanski Film Release Promotes Fugitive From Justice

The Left Coast Report: A Political Look at Hollywood

A Newsmax Report

Headlines (Scroll down for complete stories):
1. Polanski Film Release Promotes Fugitive From Justice
2. Transsexual Performer Throws Up on Susan Sarandon
3. Obama and Romney’s Hip-Hop Politics
4. FCC Opens an Inquiry for Fox Game Show
5. Obama Sets TV Trap for GOP
 

1. Polanski Film Release Promotes Fugitive From Justice

Roman Polanski's first film since his 2005 version of “Oliver Twist” recently made its debut at the Berlin Film Festival.

The movie’s director would normally be present at a high-profile world premiere.

It turns out that he actually won a festival award for best direction.

But Polanski was unavoidably detained having been confined to his house while he waits for the Swiss courts to decide whether to extradite him to the U.S. to face sentencing and possible further prosecution.

He lost an appeal to be freed early. And last month a Los Angeles judge ruled that he must be present in a California court to resolve his case. His lawyers have vowed to appeal that ruling as well.

Despite his guilty plea for contemptible behavior involving a 13-year-old girl and his having left the state with a criminal sentence pending, following his arrest some of his Hollywood friends circulated a petition that called for his release. It was signed by many big-named celebrities including Martin Scorsese and Woody Allen.

Now that Polanski’s film “The Ghost Writer” has been released, it is remarkable to watch pundits fretting about Tiger Woods’ vices while film critics extol the virtues of the “artist” Polanski.

Summit Entertainment knew full well what it was getting last year when it bought the North American distribution rights for “The Ghost Writer.”

I have some sympathy for the stars of this flick, Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan, who, as part of their job, must go out and promote the film and its disgraced director.

“It's sad for all concerned, but it's also heightened the movie,” Brosnan suggested, adding that “the movie's in the can; he's in the can.”

Brosnan isn’t completely accurate in his description. Polanski is actually in a luxurious Swiss Chalet.

But if there’s any justice, he’ll be in the can soon.

2. Transsexual Performer Throws Up on Susan Sarandon

Susan Sarandon has had a bad time of it lately.

The Oscar-winning actress recently separated from her long time partner, actor Tim Robbins.

Then, while attending the third anniversary of The Box in New York's Lower East Side, a transsexual cabaret performer named Rose Wood threw up with such force, that Sarandon was hit all the way from the stage.

Standing nearby were Scarlett Johansson and Liev Schreiber.

According to Wood, it was not intended as an affront to Sarandon, and the actress didn't take it that way.

“Apparently [Sarandon] got a big kick out of it. She squealed with surprise and loved it when several handsome gentlemen wiped it off of her. She had a ball! I saw her assistant downstairs afterward, and he was moved by it! She was in great spirits,” Wood told the New York Press.

Wood explains that vomiting on people makes sense for this establishment, saying, “[It was a] fitting time for an outrageous act: the third anniversary of The Box. Everybody wants to offer safe and ordinary, not The Box!”

It's not the first time the transsexual performer has engaged in this kind of thing.

Wood said, “I threw up on someone several weeks ago. They went to the manager and said, ‘That tranny just threw up on me.’ The manager said, ‘How cool is that!’ He said if that happened to me, I'd call my friends and we'd all be there tomorrow!’”

3. Obama and Romney’s Hip-Hop Politics

The anti-Establishment hip-hop world is having an impact on politics.

Rapper Jay-Z not only used Obama's name in his tunes, he disclosed that he and the president have had secret meetings.

In an interview with Jonathan Ross of the BBC, the rapper revealed that he has been invited to the White House “a couple of times” since the inauguration.

Jay-Z confirmed to MTV that “Barack loves hip-hop.”

"When I called him he was playing 'Blueprint' in the gym,” Jay-Z said.

Meanwhile another hip-hop recording artist, Sky Blu, had an unusual encounter with GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney.

Blu is one-half of the Grammy nominated hip-hop duo LMFAO.

He was escorted off a flight for an alleged “incident,” and he is blaming Romney’s strong grip for the altercation.

According to Blu, he was seated in front of Ann Romney on the plane and reclined before take-off. Mitt purportedly asked the hip-hopper to put his seat upright.

Romney’s spokesperson said, “The passenger became physically violent. Gov. Romney did not retaliate but instead allowed the airline crew to respond to the incident.”

However, the rapper claims that the former Massachusetts governor has a powerful grip that can only be described by invoking the character of Spock from “Star Trek.”

Blu said Romney grabbed his shoulder “like a Vulcan grip,”

“I’m not your prey. I’m not salmon, coming upstream,” he said.

He admits that he slapped Romney’s hand away, claiming it was in self-defense. After the slap from the rapper, though, Mrs. Romney cried out.

Blu was pulled from the flight but was not arrested.

He said that there are no hard feelings; in fact, he'd like to meet Romney for a drink.

Still, the hip hopper is a Democrat and said that he wouldn't vote for Mitt even after a beer summit.

4. FCC Opens an Inquiry for Fox Game Show

In 1994, Robert Redford directed the Oscar nominated movie, “Quiz Show,” which documented a fixed 1950s game show.

Now the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) may have found another game show scandal in the form of a Fox program called “Our Little Genius.”

In December 2009, a parent of a child recruited for the show wrote a letter to the FCC claiming that days before a taping of the program, a production staffer went over a list of potential topics with the child participant.

In addition, the letter claims that at least four answers to questions the child couldn't confidently respond to were given to the contestant by the staffer.

The New York Times obtained a copy of the letter via a Freedom of Information Act request.

Section 508 of the Communications Act of 1934 makes it illegal for anyone to give, with the intent to deceive the viewing or listening public, assistance that will affect the outcome of a “purportedly bona fide contest of intellectual knowledge or intellectual skill.”

This is exactly what occurred during the 1950s quiz show scandals portrayed in the aforementioned movie.

The FCC is investigating whether a Section 508 violation occurred with the Fox game show. “Our Little Genius” was pulled from the Fox television schedule on Jan. 7, only six days before its debut. The show would have featured children 6 to 12 years old answering questions about various subjects in order to win what the producers called “life-changing money.”

Creator and executive producer Mark Burnett issued a statement that disclosed that questions had arisen about “how some information was relayed to contestants during the preproduction.”

Burnett is the dean of reality programming. He has created “Survivor,” “The Apprentice,” “Shark Tank,” “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” and others.

According to the parent's letter, the child went to the studio on Dec. 8 for a taping. In a meeting with a Mark Burnett Productions lawyer, one of the child’s parents raised issues about some of the planned questions and the contest’s rules. After the meeting, the child’s appearance on the show was canceled.

For privacy reasons, the FCC redacted the names of the author of the letter and the child contestant.

5. Obama Sets TV Trap for GOP

Is it a soap opera?

Is it a playoff game?

Is it a reality TV show?

Well, yes — it's all of the above. But the main thing is, it’s a GOP trap.

In what he claims is a bipartisan move, President Obama is getting Republicans to attend a televised healthcare summit on Thursday.

Through it, he’ll try and pull off a takeover of the entire healthcare system — something that most Americans find sickening.

The staged set is Blair House, the presidential guest quarters across from the White House.

After the “show” airs, the White House will likely post an amply ambiguous healthcare plan on its Web site. Obama’s hope will be that, following the charade, the GOP’s image will be severely dented; this in a congressional election year in which the Dems thus far have lost a significant amount of momentum.

“I don't want to see this meeting turn into political theater, with each side simply reciting talking points and trying to score political points,” Obama said Saturday in his radio and Internet address.

Translation: Political theater is exactly what Obama is planning.

The main points the president wants to score are: (1) characterize his healthcare plan as positive, necessary and vital to the economy’s recovery; (2) paint the GOP as being the party of “no”; and (3) look like a moderate while winking to his left.

Make no mistake about it — Obama is in full campaign mode, just like always. He wants to be a hero to his liberal base. He wants to win back independent voters who were giddy over him in the 2008 election. And he wants to reassure his radical fans that he’s going full steam ahead with his agenda.

What should the Republicans do?

Stay home would be a good idea, but that probably won’t happen.

Barring being no-shows, they should prepare for the event by arming themselves with the truth — that the whole thing will have absolutely nothing to do with substance. On the contrary, it will have everything to do with stagecraft.

My advice to the GOP is to watch a video of a Reagan speech on Wednesday evening, take two Red Bulls in the morning, and at just the right time, pass the mike to Joe Wilson.