At Home in Hespeler

Saturday Fluffernutter – all the fluffy news about those nutty celebrities.

The Black Eyed Pea’s manager,  Liborio Molina,  laid a minor beating on blogger, and complete fuckwad Perez Hilton in Toronto last weekend. Sadly, the beating was only minor.

Oh, I know, I know: violence never solved anything; it’s never the answer. I agree, I accept those arguments. I just can’t help feel that if I was there, I wouldn’t have been able to resist putting a boot to the weasel while he was down.

Jon and Kate Gosselin, of Jon and Kate Plus 8 fame, announced on their show that after ten years, eight kids and little if any dignity, they are separating.

I can’t help but feel when I watch these two these days, that they are two people who had no idea what they were signing on for when they took the TV show, and are caught in the celebrity trap way over their heads.

Ed McMahon (1923-2009)

Known mostly as Johnny Carson’s sidekick, Ed McMahon was a known entertainment entity for over 50 years.  His work includes, outside of the Tonight Show, Star Search, The Jerry Lewis Telethon, TV Bloopers and Practical Jokes and numerous commercials and promotions.

McMahon had been suffering various medical problems the past few years, and past away Tuesday at the age of 86 in the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Michael Jackson (1958-2009).

Michael Jackson’s death comes as both a complete surprise and really not very surprising at the same time. While it was sudden and unexpected, by the same token did any one expect him to live a long life? He always seemed destined to be a tragic character. Once the sudden shock has worn off, his death doesn’t seem shocking in the same way the Heath Ledger or John Lennon’s was.

As for Michael Jackson himself, I have nothing to say that is charitable and will leave it at that.

Farrah Fawcett  (1947-2009)

A far more tragic death of a far more worthy celebrity, Farrah Fawcett was a beautiful woman to the end, and one known for a good deal of smarts as well. Other than a brief period when she seemed to go off the rails a number of years ago, including a sad appearance on Letterman in which she appeared drugged, Fawcett was rarely controversial. Her red bikinied poster is the greatest selling poster of all time, and she will be remembered as a classic beauty for many years.

In her final illness, she displayed courage and class, allowing the cameras in to film a biopic called Farrah’s Story, which documented Fawcett cancer and she  talked about her life.

RIP Farrah Fawcett.

Fluffernutter * little Gosselin's, Black Eyed Peas, divorce, Farrah Fawcett, Jon and Kate Plus 8, Jon Gosselin, Kate Gosselin, Liborio Molino, Marriage, Michael Jackson, Perez Hilton, Prince of Pop, Ryan O'Neil, seperating, wedding, will-i-am

Saturday Fluffernutter – all the fluffy news about those nutty celebrities.

Indy and Ally sitting in a tree… Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart  are tying the knot as the anthropologist with ‘tude is finally making an honest woman of the lawyer which broods. The 66 year old Ford and the 44 year Flockhart old  have been an item for seven-and-a-half years.

This is one of those stories which drives me nuts.  For forever and a day bands, and artists, would put out a couple of albums, then shift gears.  After a few albums, it’s time to give your fans something else, a new voice: show them you aren’t a one trick pony.

This week Amy Winehouse took demos for her 3rd album to her bosses at Island records. Instead of more of the same, the songs, it is reported, had more of a reggae feel. “Her bosses don’t think it’s a wise move to change her style so sharply and have told her that.” What utter nonsense. Either trust your artist and get out of their way, or drop them. But to suggest change is bad is stupidity on a symphonic scale. I have often in my weekend pieces complained about the lack of quality that emerges from the music industry these days. This is a prime example of why that is.

The former Mrs. Eddie Van Halen, Valerie Bertinelli  is looking fabulous at 48 and proving it on the cover of People (right).

The folks at Jenny Craig must be doing cartwheels this week.

Another girl next door who recently showed she still had some stuff at 40, Jennifer Aniston released boyfriend John Mayer recently. The reason, apparently he is too busy to call, email, or text her, but has a twitter account full of messages. Seems the former F–R–I–E–N–D was feeling neglected while Mayer was tweeting to strangers.

Think I’d give up my twitter account. Mayer didn’t, and his tweets can be got here.

Robin Williams is in full recovery mode after a heart attack three weeks ago. He has since had surgery to “replace his aortic valve, repair his mitral valve, and correct his irregular heartbeat,” and is on the mend. Doctors expect Williams to make a full recovery within eight weeks.

Dan Seals (1948-2009) – Back in the 70’s, there were folk groups who had a successful run with pretty acoustic music: Seals and Croft, Dan Fogelberg and England Dan and John Ford Coley among them. Dan Seals was England Dan, and younger brother of Jimmy Seals of Seals and Croft. Their songs were wonderfully melodic, their success great.

It was the eighties though, in the opinion of this blog, that Dan Seals provided his penultimate moment. Bop is one of those songs that reminds  how good a simple pop song can be. Three minutes of feel good, fall in love happiness compressed into half-a-dozen chords, two verses, three choruses and a bridge: perfect.

This week of England Dan Seals lost a two year battle with lymphoma at age 61.  He is survived by his wife and four children, and At Home in Hespeler expresses their deepest condolences to them.

Fluffernutter Ally McBeal, Amy Winehouse, aortic valve, Bop, Calista Flockhart, Dan Fogelberg, Dan Seals, engagement, England Dan and John Ford Coley, Harrison Ford, Heart, Indiana Jones, irregular heartbeat, island records, Jennifer Aniston, Jenny Craig, Jimmy Seals, John Mayer, mitral valve, New Songs, People, People Magazine, Robin Williams, Seals and Croft, third disc, tweet, Twitter, Valerie Bertinelli, wedding