Sunday 21 March 2010

Hollywood Babble On & On #474: More Media Musings...

Welcome to the show folks...

ROSIE WANTS BACK ON TV

Rosie O'Donnell, who went from "Queen of
Nice," to "Fire Doesn't Melt Steel" 9-11 Truther, and one night variety show star, has expressed an interest in getting back on syndicated daytime TV, and has recruited some people to put the show together. The cherry on top is that it's going to be more about politics than the celebrity ass-kissing she made her name with.

Okay kids, can you say: "
Multi-million dollar boondoggle?"

Because that's what I think is going to happen if she tries the syndicated market. One of the smaller cable channels, maybe, but she's too polarizing, too obnoxious, and too grating to make it in the more mainstream syndicated market.

That's not going to stop her from trying, or even some stations from buying the show. This is because since the end of her talk show, Rosie is what I call a "media appealer." Her biggest fans are the people in Hollywood's incestuous little family. The folks who green-light shows, and the people who cover those shows in the press fawn over her, partially out of fear of her considerable public wrath, but mostly because she's one of them. She floats in the right circles, knows the right people, and says what they think they have to agree with.

Now having Hollywood fans doesn't always translate into substantial numbers of fans in Flyover Country. Especially when she's pledging to make the show all about the things the average viewer really don't like about her. They couldn't even buy her "nice" act anymore if you recall the Thanksgiving turkey she dropped at NBC, which was canceled about halfway through the episode.

So I'm expecting the show to get on the air, it'll be praised to high heaven by all the critics, but its core audience will end up being conservative pundits looking for material to make fun of her with. I just don't see her becoming the next Oprah. Even Oprah isn't being Oprah as well anymore.

DEADLINES AREN'T SO DEAD

MGM's creditors are bumping back the deadline for the company's auction to Monday. Why? Because the sale looks like it's turning out to be a dud.

So I'm putting in my own bid.

$10 Canadian.

Take it or leave it.

ICAHN BETS ALL OR NOTHING!

Corporate raider/shareholder activist has declared open war on the board of directors and management of Lionsgate, and is making moves for a complete hostile takeover of the mini-major studio.

He had offered to buy up to 30% of the company at $6 a share, but that was rejected out of hand by the management and board of directors. Now he's saying that those very same people are not living up to their obligations to shareholders, and wants to buy up the whole kit, kaboodle, and kitchen sink, then clean house with his new broom.

This could get ugly, because Icahn's stance is now absolute. There is no negotiating, or forming some sort of working relationship, or even an understanding of their status as rivals between him and management. This is an all or nothing, winner take all, duel to the death, contest between the two forces.

Let the best man win.

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