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Monday, January 22, 2007
Dancing with Billy Ray?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Don’t break his feet, his achy-breaky feet…..
Celeb gossip web site TMZ.com is all over the news of who’ll be dipping and twirling on the upcoming season of “Dancing with the Stars.” ABC refused to confirm or deny any of TMZ’s scoop, but from Mel Gibson’s drunken rant to Michael Richards’ racial slurs, TMZ is usually first with the vital news and is hardly ever wrong.
That being said….Billy Ray Cyrus?
Sigh. The mullet may be gone but the memory lingers of him warbling “Achy-Breaky Heart” till we all wanted to cut off our own ears a few years ago. Nonetheless the former “Doc” star and father of “Hannah Montana” cutie-pie Miley will be gracing the “Dancing” stage when it returns on March 19. So will washed-up “Beverly Hills 90210”-er Ian Ziering, TMZ claims, along with Laila Ali (The Champ’s daughter, and a boxer in her own right, meaning her footwork should be excellent). Oh yeah, and another old ‘NSYNC-er, Joey Fatone.
That’s all so far, although TMZ felt confident enough to tell us that ex-Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, had taken a pass on “Dancing.” So, apparently have Sharon and Kelly Osbourne.
We’re still holding out hope for Ozzie, though …
“24” On the Hot Seat?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When Islamic terrorists successfully detonated a nuclear bomb at the end of Episode 4 of “24” last week, the mushroom cloud rising over the Los Angeles area was one of the most powerful signoffs to an hour of television in recent memory.
But with Episode 5 set to air at 9 p.m. Monday on Fox, the reigning Emmy winner for best drama is experiencing some off-screen fallout as a result of its Season 6 plotline.
Two years after another “24” plotline about a nuclear missile attack on America focused heavily on a Muslim family, some people worry that TV is sending a dangerous message that all Muslims are to be feared.
“The raw emotional impact of fictional scenes that include widespread death and destruction in America may adversely affect the public’s attitude toward civil liberties, religious freedom and interfaith relations,” the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said in a statement released last week, after Fox launched the new “24” season with four episodes on Sunday and Monday. “The program’s repeated association of acts of terrorism with Islam will only serve to increase anti-Muslim prejudice in our society.”
Fox released its own statement describing “24” as “a heightened drama.” At the Television Critics Association meeting in Pasadena Saturday, Fox entertainment president Peter Liguori told the AJC’s Rodney Ho that over the past five seasons, “24” has had “Baltic bad guys, German bad guys, Russian bad guys and even an Anglo-American bad guy president. The writers don’t need to single out any specific group.”
Two years ago, CAIR met with Fox and the result was a public service announcement in which “24” star Kiefer Sutherland cautioned viewers against stereotyping Muslims. CAIR raised similar concerns during a conference call with Fox executives last week, spokeswoman Rabiah Ahmed said Friday.
The issue is not limited to “24.” Turn on television almost any week and you’re likely to find Islamic terrorists - real or imagined - figuring in the plotlines of shows, particularly military or procedural dramas. Is television reflecting legitimate fears, as some contend? Or merely enflaming them, as others suggest? Even Jack Bauer might not instantly know the answer to that one. [NOTE: For a story to run in the AJC this week, we’re interested in hearing what viewers think about the way TV handles this subject, particularly its depiction of Muslims. If you’d like to share your thoughts, e-mail jvejnoska@ajc.com. Please include a phone number or e-mail address.]
