Project Runway continues to be shredded by lawsuits…
Faithful Popsquire followers remember that in September a New York judge ordered a preliminary injunction against The Weinstein Co., preventing it from moving the show from Bravo to Lifetime. Then, late last month, The Weinstein Co. sued Bravo for intentionally failing to properly promote the fifth season of the show.
Now, Lifetime is suing The Weinstein Co., Bravo and NBC Universal for the exclusive rights to the hit show and is asking a federal court to intervene. As a result, it looks like new episodes likely won’t air until summer 2009.
Popsquire has a hunch that Hayden Panettiere will be watching Animal Planet’s Whale Wars tonight at 10pm, and so should you! Whale Wars follows a radical environmental group made up of self-proclaimed eco-pirates who fight for marine conservation. Their mission is to confront and stop Japanese fishing vessels from killing whales in Antarctica.
Anthony Kiedis is developing a pop culture/law collision (hopefully) coming to your tv soon!
The Red Hot Chili Peppers lead singer is working on a series for HBO based on his dysfunctional, rock ‘n’ roll childhood. The show, which still needs a writer, will center on the singer’s relationship with his drug dealer father who mingled with rock stars and always wanted to get into showbiz. The show is tentatively titled “Scar Tissue.”
The collision between pop culture and politics just keeps poppin’!
Rahm Emanuel accepted Barack Obama’s invitation to be White House Chief of Staff today, according to the NY Times. In addition to being a Democratic congressman from Chicago, he is connected to the HBO hit, Entourage. Seriously.
His real-life brother, Ari Emanuel, is a founder of the Endeavor talent agency in Beverly Hills and was an inspiration for Jeremy Piven’s character, Ari Gold. The collision doesn’t stop there, though! Some people believe that Rahm inspired The West Wing’s Josh Lyman character.
For this morning’s collision between pop culture and politics, check out this PSA from the cast of Ugly Betty urging Californians to vote No on Prop. 8, which seeks to eliminate gay marriage rights.
The Weinstein brothers claim that Bravo is not a model network!
Despite Project Runway’s highest ratings ever for Season 5, The Weinstein Co. issuingBravo for intentionally failing to properly promote the fifth season of the show.
In a 23-page lawsuit filed filed in NYC on Friday, the Weinsten brothers claim that Bravo sabotaged the show by, among other things: (1) changing the show’s airtime; (2) spoiling future episodes; (3) not running enough ads; and (4) failing to update the show’s website. The Weinstein Co. seeks unspecified damages.
Popsquire’s perspective…
This lawsuit smells of strategy!
Popsquire followers likely remember that a NYC judge recently issued a preliminary injunction, preventing The Weinstein Co. from moving Project Runway from Bravo to Lifetime. By filing this new lawsuit, The Weinstein Co. may hope to gain some leverage and use this lawsuit as a bargaining chip to work out a deal for the future of Project Runway.
The newest star of Desperate Housewives — a show that presents numerous legal issues, including murder, kidnapping, theft, and drug use — is healthy. A rep for the show reports that Gale Harold, who plays Teri Hatcher’s love interest, “is out of intensive care and improving daily. A full recovery is expected. He thanks everyone for their good wishes.”
As a reminder, the actor broke his shoulder in a motorcycle accident last week and stayed in neurosurgical ICU for observation. Click here to learn more about the dangers of motorcycles.
Like a good lawyer, Popsquire is detail oriented…even while watching Project Runway!
Last night’s finale provided yet another collision between pop culture and law in the form of model Bianca Golden, the former ANTM contestant who recently was arrested after a Turks and Caicos airport brawl with Nikki Blonksy and her family.
Check out Bianca as she goes from catfight to catwalk as part of Corto’s collection…
Even Marcia Brady presents a pop culture/law collision!
In her new book, Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice, Maureen McCormick writes that for years was “hiding the reality of [her] life behind the unreal perfection of Marcia Brady.” Maureen reveals that unlike Marcia, she struggled with a cocaine addiction, had two abortions, and battled a long history of clinical depression in real life.
She’s all good now, though!
“I’ll always be struck by how much a part of people’s lives Marcia is and always will be,” Maureen writes. “But now I’m not bothered by the connection. It took most of my life, countless mistakes and decades of pain and suffering to reach this point of equanimity and acceptance.”
Popsquire can’t wait for the Tina Fey/Oprah Winfrey match up on 30 Rock, airing November 13! Until then, you can join the Pop in laughter while watching this preview…
Jennifer Aniston also will be making an appearance on 30 Rock this season. Below is an encore presentation of Popsquire talking about Jen’s role as a stalker on CNN’s “Showbiz Tonight.” Enjoy!
Representing both nostalgia and a pop culture/law collision, Katie Holmes — aka Joey Potter — will be returning to tv on October 21 with an appearance on ABC’s legal drama, Eli Stone. For a preview of Katie’s steamy performance, watch below…
Deliver Popsquire’s mail to a new zip code — 90210, please!
Last night’s 90210 clearly was dedicated to Popsquire. That’s the only explanation for so many collisions between pop culture and law! In case you missed the dramatic episode, here’s what you need to know:
A new girl transfers to West Beverly. Her name is Kimberly, and she’s an undercover cop. Holy 21 Jump Street!
Adrianna snorts cocaine, rocks an audition and lands a role, even though she auditions against Annie.
As Naomi confronts Adrianna about her drug problem, the police show up with search dogs and conduct a raid. Adrianna freaks out because she is holding her lipstick case, which doubles as drug paraphenalia.
Protecting her friend, Naomi grabs the lipstick case and heads for the bathroom. A police woman notices Naomi duck into the toilet and catches her dumping the coke in the toilet.
The cops escort Naomi out of the school in handcuffs!
Annie and Ethan confront Adrianna because Annie saw Naomi take the lipstick from Adrianna. They urge Adrianna to turn herself in. Adrianna later tells Naomi that she will.
Naomi waits and waits for Adrianna to bail her out of trouble, but Adrianna never shows up. As Naomi leaves Adrianna a nasty voicemail, saying “You are dead to me,” it looks like Adrianna actually might be dying from a drug overdose.
Popsquire’s perspective…
Everyone knows drugs are illegal and helping friends dump them is, too. It doesn’t take a lawyer to tell you that, but it takes a pop culture legal expert to link 90210 to real life drug busts! Peruse these prior Popsquire posts to learn which celebs recently have been in trouble with the law for drug-related crimes:
Popsquire will do anything for a blog post, including watching Lipstick Jungle! If you didn’t watch last night’s episode, shame on you, but here’s what you need to know…
Brooke Shields’ character, Wendy, heads up a movie studio. The star of one of her movies, Mason, is not showing up to meetings or fittings. Wendy confronts him and accuses him of turning back to his prior drug addiction.
Mason’s wife/girlfriend later tells Wendy that Mason actually has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. After learning that Mason’s dying wish is to be part of this movie, Wendy submits medical information to the film’s insurers and presumably does not disclose Mason’s medical condition.
Popsquire’s perspective…
This is a dangerous path! Providing false information may provide the insurance company asbasis for denying coverage if the movie star falls ill or dies. Moreover, Wendy is risking her job and, potentially, personal responsibility for any damages that the studio suffers from the actor’s inability to perform his job due to his illness.
Popsquire loves good courtroom drama! If you think you have a dispute that needs intervention, The Hollywood Judge — an upcoming tv show — is looking for litigants. If you live in Southern California and have a unique “Hollywood-esque” court case and/or have a personal dispute that needs settling now, the Hollywood Judge wants to hear from you.
Examples of disputes might include: (1) your neighbor’s palm tree fell into your pool; (2) someone injured your pooch while they were rollerblading down Sunset Blvd; (3) someone damaged your car at the gym; and (4) your hairstylist give you a bad bleach job.
For more information, emailjeremy@thehollywoodjudge.com with your name, contact info, a current photo, and a brief description of your claim. Make sure to say that Popsquire referred you!
Popsquire is mourning the loss of an ANTM pop culture/law collision…
If you didn’t watch last night’s episode of America’s Next Top Model, shame on you! Isis, the transgendered beauty, was eliminated. After another week of swimsuit shoots, she simply drowned in the pressure. Too worried about hiding her potentially protruding parts, Isis failed to smile with her eyes. In other words, her photo didn’t pop because she was worried something else might!
For a reminder about why this represents a pop culture/law collision, click here. And, while you read, enjoy this Shanice classic, “I Love Your Smile.”
No Comments » | 
TV Touched By The Law, entertainment litigation | 
Permalink
Posted by russell wetanson
