The Lycos 50 Blog: News from the Pop Culture Fast Lane
Wednesday, 25 June 2008
The Addams Family Hits Broadway
The New York Post reports a musical adaptation of the Addams Family is due to hit Broadway with what is shaping up to be an all-star cast. The roles of Morticia and Gomez have been offered to Tony winners Bebe Neuwirth and Nathan Lane. The remake is being written by Adam Lippa, who wrote The Wild Party in 2000, along with Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch, who created Shockheaded Peter, designing and directing. The $10 million dollar ordeal is scheduled to hit the stage in 2009.
Tainted Tomatoes
Tomatoes have been on the do-not-eat list since the FDA told consumers to stay away from the tomatoes grown in Florida after a salmonella outbreak hit 16 states, sickened 145 people and killed a Texas man. Six new illnesses have been connected to the tainted toms in NYC. The New York Health Department claims seven people have been affected by the salmonella since the outbreak was reported earlier this month. The U.S. government counts 228 illnesses in 23 states and is urging consumers nationwide to avoid raw red plum, red roma or red round tomatoes unless they were grown in specific states or countries the FDA has approved. The source of the outbreak is still unclear, the FDA reports central and southern Florida are suspect, along with parts of Mexico.
Rumors of NBC’s The Officespin-off have been making their way around Hollywood, especially now that Aziz Ansari, of MTV’s sketch comedy Human Giant is the first hired cast member according to Variety. Producers Greg Daniels and Michael Schur are keeping a low profile on Ansari’s role, but the studio confirmed he did sign a one-year contract with Universal Media Studios as a part of his deal. Producers, keeping details under tight security, will not comment on any specifics of the show. Recently, Daniels and Schur have been spotted working diligently on plans for the new show, which is scheduled to premiere on Thursday nights at 9:30 P.M. immediately following The Office. “We're focusing on making the best show we can make as a companion to The Office,” said Schur. “We're trying to come up with the best concept and hire the funniest writers. In the next couple of weeks, we'll be making the final move to one specific idea.”
Girl Swallows Magnets
Haley Lents, an 8-year-old from Indiana, swallowed 30 magnets and steel balls from a toy called Magnetix, made by Mega Brands, in late May. Haley underwent emergency surgery in order to remove the magnets that left 8 gunshot-like wounds in her intestines. Jason Lents says he and his wife were in the room when Haley consumed the parts and doesn’t know why his daughter would do such a thing, saying she “gets A's and B's, and we taught her not to do stuff like this.” Haley Lents told Early Show co-anchor, Maggie Rodriguez, she ingested the ten magnets and 20 steel balls because they “looked like candy.” Haley now wants to tell other kids not to do the same thing; she and her father will be spreading awareness. Mega Brands has issued the following statement: “Mega Brands was saddened to learn that a child sustained injury from ingesting a large number of toy parts, some of which apparently contained magnets. While we have not been able to confirm whether the toy involved was a Mega Brands product, it is clear this was a highly unusual and isolated situation and is not indicative of any problem with Mega Brands' magnetic construction toys currently on the market. In general, if a child swallows 30 pieces of any toy, it is likely that it will result in harm regardless of the toy in question.”
Rachael Ray’s latest Dunkin’ Donuts commercial has caused quite a controversy, as the popular chef sported a scarf that resembles a ‘keffiyeh.’ Fox News reporter Michelle Malkin says “The keffiyeh, for the clueless, is a traditional scarf of Arab men that has come to symbolize murderous Palestinian jihad. Popularized by Yasser Arafat and a regular adornment of Muslim terrorists appearing in beheading and hostage-taking videos, the apparel has been mainstreamed by both ignorant and not-so-ignorant fashion designers, celebrities, and left-wing icons.”
Dunkin’ Donuts first ignored the complaints, claiming the scarf Ray was wearing was fashion and not a ‘keffiyeh,’ but finally pulled the commercial after getting harassed by the media. The company states, “In a recent online ad, Rachael Ray is wearing a black-and-white silk scarf with a paisley design. It was selected by her stylist for the advertising shoot. Absolutely no symbolism was intended. However, given the possibility of misperception, we are no longer using the commercial.”
Tragedy struck the family home of Christian singer Curtis Chapman on May 22 when his 5-year-old daughter was struck by car and died. According to police reports, Maria Sue was playing in the driveway of the family’s home on when she was hit by a Toyota Land Cruiser driven by her older brother. Maria Sue was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville Tennessee where she passed away. Maria Sue was the youngest of three daughters Chapman and his wife adopted from China. The Chapman’s adopted Shaohannah in 2000, Stevey Joy in 2003, and Maria in 2004.
A large number of adoption groups gathered and prayed for Chapman and his family. The singer and his wife promote international adoption, but also have three biological children. The two founded “Shaohannah's Hope,” which is a foundation and ministry to financially assist thousands of couples in adoption. A memorial service for Maria Sue is set for May 24. The family released a statement requesting donations to The Shaohannah Hope Ministry in lieu of flowers.
On May 17 Senator Ted Kennedy, 76, was rushed to the emergency room due to stroke-like symptoms. The Senator was first admitted to Cape Cod Hospital, but was quickly transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital. On May 20 Kennedy was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor, which had mimicked symptoms of a stroke but was in fact a seizure caused by the malignant growth in his brain.
“The Kennedy family has faced adversity more times in more instances with more courage and more determination and more grace than most families have to," said Senator John Kerry. “Every one of us knows what a big heart this fellow has. He's helped millions and millions of people — from the biggest of legislation on the floor to the most personal.”
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, starring Harrison Ford, world premiers on Sunday, May 18 at the Cannes Film Festival in France. Indiana Jones, who has not been seen in a screen adventure since 1989, is inspiring Jones-fever all over the world. The fourth generation Indiana Jones movie has been said to have started many years ago, starting on Oscar night in 1994, when Ford presented Steven Spielberg a statuette for Schindler’s List, he then, as they were walking to the press room, surprised him by telling him he wanted to revisit the character of Jones. It took until two years ago to sort it out and moving the story back 20 years in order to get the film finished and fans are thrilled. Check it out for yourself, in theaters May 22, 2008!
Michelle Duggar, 41, is due to give birth to her 18th child on New Year’s Day 2009. All the Duggar children’s name start with the letter J, the oldest child, Josh is 20 and the youngest, Jennifer is just 9 months. This fast growing family lives in Tontitown Arkansas in a 7,000-square-foot home where all the children are home schooled. Michelle Duggar has been pregnant for more than 11 years of her life and is now six weeks along with her latest bundle of joy. She and her husband Jim Bob Duggar says they will keep having children as long as God wills it.
The large family is currently in the process of filming another series for Discovery Health. The new show looks at life inside the Duggar home, where chores are assigned to each child. One episode of the new show involves a "jurisdiction swap," where the boys do chores traditionally assigned to the girls, and vice versa, Duggar said.The other Duggar children, in between Joshua and Jennifer, are Jana, 18; John-David, 18; Jill, 16; Jessa, 15; Jinger, 14; Joseph, 13; Josiah, 11; Joy-Anna, 10; Jeremiah, 9; Jedidiah, 9; Jason, 7; James, 6; Justin, 5; Jackson, 3; and Johannah, 2. There are seven sisters, 10 brothers and two sets of twins.
Pictured Below: Duggar Family in front of thier 7,000 Sq Ft Home
Magician David Blaine appeared live on The Oprah Winfrey Show April 30 to set a new world record, holding his breath for 17 minutes and 4 seconds! Before Blaine entered the water-filled sphere, he inhaled pure oxygen through a mask to saturate his blood with oxygen and flush out carbon dioxide. The Guinness Book of World Records states 30 minutes of ‘oxygen hyperventilation’ are allowed under the guidelines. During the suspense Oprah was very nervous as she fidgeted in her chair, “I'll be glad when it's over. I don't like suspense,” Oprah told the audience during a commercial break. The previous record for holding one’s breath was 16 minutes and 32 seconds, set on Feb. 10 by Peter Colat in Switzerland. Blaine appeared relaxed after the feat and said the record was “a life long dream.”
