Grumpy Editor

CAR CHASE SHOOTINGS GRAB ATTENTION ON TV

 

Car chase shootings often lead off local TV news programs.  Somehow they grab attention of news editors who feel they’ll grab attention of viewers, notes Grumpy Editor.

 

Thus, it’s not unexpected seeing a report of road-rage shootings killing or injuring an average of 44 people a month (yes, a month) last year, double the average of like incidents in 2019, before the pandemic.

 

“Driving gets heated in plenty of other countries, but only in the U.S. is someone shot and injured or killed every 17 hours in a road-rage incident, says Sarah Burd-Sharps, director of research at Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund.

 

From 2016 to 2019, the study found one-third of road-rage incidents involving a gun resulted in injury or death.

 

Grumpy Editor feels inspiring some of that road rage are car chases depicted in movies and television.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...

IJN

SURPRISE.  A study suggests people who live with handgun owners are shot to death at a higher rate than those without such weapons on premises.

 

NORTH KOREA THREATENS…AGAIN.  Two times in three days the sister of North Korea’s leader warns her country’s nuclear forces would annihilate South Korea’s conventional forces if provoked.

 

SIX DAYS A WEEK MAIL CONTINUES.  Six days a week of mail delivery is assured after President Joe Biden signs into law a sweeping overhaul of the U.S. Postal Service.  The bill signing occurs on the same day the Postal Service announces it plans to raise rates effective July 10.

 

D.C. FOX BITES PEOPLE.  A fox roaming near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. that tested positive bites California congressman Ami Bera near a Senate office building and at least eight other people.

 

DODGERS PRODUCE NAME PRONOUNCIATION GUIDE.  With many tough-to-pronounce baseball players’ names on the Los Angeles Dodgers roster, a guide is produced on how the players would like those names pronounced.

 

CLEARING THE AIR.  Barcelona beachgoers no longer will have to contend with cigarette butts or passive smoke starting in July when Spain's second largest city bans smoking on all its beaches.

 

NEW YORK CITY ADDS SKYSCRAPER.  Steinway Tower, the world's “most slender skyscraper" — at 1,428 feet — is completed, adding a new landmark to Manhattan's skyline.  It compares to the Empire State Building that stands 1,250 feet or 1,454 feet to the top of its antenna.

 

HELIUM SUPPLY CURBED.   The National Weather Service is reducing the frequency of weather balloon launches due to a "global supply chain disruption of helium" and a "temporary issue with the contract" of a hydrogen supplier. However, most NWS weather balloons now use hydrogen rather than helium.

Dark disrespect cloud drifts over United States

Disrespect and anti-American are the words coming into play in the past week linked to two shameful events --- both with limited media coverage, noted Grumpy Editor.  

A Gold Star family from California, on their way by plane to meet the remains of their Army son, Sgt. John Perry, killed by a suicide bomber inside Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, were greeted by boos from some first-class passengers when the American Airlines pilot of their delayed jet allowed a "special military family" to deplane first so they could make a connection in Phoenix.

The father, Stewart Perry, a retired Marine, said, “It was really disgusting on the passengers’ part.” 

Sgt. Perry, who will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, was among four American's killed and 14 injured on Nov. 12.

Meanwhile, following a performance of the Broadway show "Hamilton," and with the cast lined up on stage for a curtain call at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, cast member Brandon Victor Dixon took to the microphone to address Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who was departing, with the message:  “We, sir, we are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights."

President-elect Donald Trump later demanded an apology to Pence from Dixon and the show's producers.

Meanwhile, the theater's PR person is probably having fits while bracing for a drop-off in ticket sales for the show.

 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

Post-election media notes. The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and CNN continued to take post-election jabs at Trump and his actions.  Example from a N.Y. Times lead: "With Donald Trump set to become the 45th president of the United States, the spirit of openness that has permeated everything from our increasingly global economy to how we travel may be poised to change.”…A majority (59 percent) of U.S. adults reject the idea of adding interpretation in news stories, saying media should present the facts alone, found a Pew Research Center survey..."One of the biggest disappointments of this election season has to be the final unraveling of the mainstream media," declared Mario Diaz, writing at CNSNews.com. "I hesitate to say it, but for practical purposes, the mainstream media are dead." He added, "They're dead because they cannot be trusted.” Díaz serves as Concerned Women for America's (CWA) legal counsel and leads CWA's Legal Studies Department…A Texas television reporter is out of a job after she criticized President Obama and praised President-elect Trump on her personal Facebook page --- claiming the country went “downhill” under the outgoing commander-in-chief.

Fort Motor Co. decided to reverse course on a plan to relocate Lincoln sport-utility production from Kentucky to a factory south of the U.S. border...And the slow legal action continues: Trial for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, accused of walking off his post in Afghanistan in 2009, is now slated for May 15, 2017...Projectiles fired from the Navy's biggest and most advanced destroyer cost too much.  So the USS Zumwalt is likely to be firing blanks...California quake chatter pops up again: Scientists discovered two fault lines link north of San Francisco, creating a risk for those living in the Bay Area…Three Trump Place apartment buildings along New York’s Hudson River were being renamed solely with their street addresses --- 140, 160 and 180 Riverside Blvd. --- after a group of residents started a petition before the election to take the name down. While built by the Trump organization, new owners took over in 2005…Fashion designer Sophie Theallet, who dressed first lady Michelle Obama, said she refuses to dress incoming first lady Melania Trump because of the “rhetoric of racism, sexism, and xenophobia unleashed by her husband’s presidential campaign,” reported the Huffington Post.

 

Look for major changes at Bloomberg Businessweek. The action will include layoffs, desk shuffling and new top leadership.

Gina Lollobrigida still grabs space...in Wall Street Journal

Actress Gina Lollobrigida probably was the most surprised person in Italy yesterday when The Wall Street Journal selected a vintage Associated Press shot of her reading Variety to illustrate a story on the sale of the Hollywood trade paper, observes Grumpy Editor. 

The two-column photo of Lollobrigida, now 85, was snapped 42 years ago. 

So some editor, going through the art files, remains impressed by the Italian actress who was labeled “The Most Beautiful Woman in the World” after the sex symbol appeared in a U.S. movie with that title in 1955. 

Penske Media Corp. finalized a deal with Reed Business Information, part of Reed Elsevier Group plc, to acquire 107-year-old Variety, a daily must-read for people in the entertainment business, for about $25 million.  The deal also includes weekly Variety. 

PMC, founded in 2004, is a key player in digital entertainment media. 

It owns Deadline.com, TVLine.com, HollywoodLife.com and Movieline.com. 

“We plan to rapidly build upon Variety’s foundation while extending this invaluable brand’s presence across the Web, broadcast, mobile and international markets," says PMC chief executive Jay Penske.

First lady's Monday L.A. fundraiser gets scant coverage

While there was much coverage of Michelle Obama’s visit to the Los Angeles area for two Sunday fundraising events plus a Monday appearance on NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, news reports were scant from a third fundraiser which yielded about half a million dollars at a Monday luncheon in a quiet residential area, notes Grumpy Editor.

Sunday’s show business-linked fundraisers were at rock star Gwen Stefani’s home in Beverly Hills, followed by another at the Brentwood residence of Barry Meyer, chairman and chief executive of Warner Bros., a Time Warner Co.

The Monday afternoon gathering at a home in little-known Ladera Heights, an unincorporated area in Los Angeles County about three miles northwest of Inglewood, was noteworthy because about 150 guests paid at least $3,500 each.

African-Americans represent about three fourths of the upscale community’s 6,500 residents.

Olu Alemoru, a reporter for the Southwest Wave, a community newspaper, mentioned the first lady’s 20-minute speech focused on “the vision and values she and her husband had for the nation and implored the audience to transmit that to at least just one person in their circle.”

The three fundraisers benefited the Obama Victory Fund.

 

Ashanti paid $20,000 for non-singing daytime gig in N.J.

Newspaper and trade publications’ show business reporters somehow missed a new venue for entertainers that brings easy daytime money without the hassle of going to places like Las Vegas for a one nighter, notes Grumpy Editor. 

Singer Ashanti was paid $20,000 in taxpayers’ money earlier this month for a day-long appearance at Atlantic City High School in New Jersey. 

As explained by WNYW, Fox 5 in New York City: 

“The 2003 Grammy winner led assemblies, met privately with a group of middle school students and did an interview with the high school’s radio station.” 

The TV station said funds from a district budget account designated for the improvement of instructional services were used to pay Ashanti who was in town for a multi-cultural festival. 

The performer (full name:  Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas), also a record producer, model and actress, was named after the Ashanti Empire in Ghana.

 

PR route to grabbing editors’ attention: bosom insurance

One certain method for entertainers’ public relations representatives to grab editorial space and broadcast mentions is to trumpet their clients’ key body parts are being insured for $1 million, notes Grumpy Editor. 

It has worked for more than half a century. 

Latest to stir up editors’ interest via that route was Holly Madison. 

The star of “Peepshow,” a Las Vegas production, recently insured her breasts for $1 million with Lloyd’s of London.  “I thought I’d cover my assets,” explained the former “Girls Next Door” star and a Hugh Hefner ex. 

But Madison wasn’t the first to insure the bosom. 

Way back in 1955, burlesque performer Tempest Storm, still active in show business today, did the same thing. 

Calling her breasts “moneymakers,” that part of her anatomy also was insured for $1 million. 

To assure accuracy with the Lloyds of London policy, the stripper’s PR people at a news conference invited media in attendance to confirm her size with a tape measure. 

Editors were delighted with the reporting --- and photos. 

Over the years, Lloyd’s of London has insured other past and present show business folks’ body parts. 

Among them:  Jimmy Durante’s nose, Celine Dion’s vocal cords and Tina Turner’s legs.

 

Editors spotlight Disney CEO Iger’s departure --- in 2016

It was interesting to note Friday’s heavy press play that emphasized Robert Iger will step down as chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Co. --- even though the event doesn’t happen until four years from now, observes Grumpy Editor. 

That action in The Wall Street Journal, for example, took up almost half a page under the headline, “Disney’s Iger Plans Exit.” 

Actually, the first paragraph of the Oct. 6 news release from the Burbank-based media conglomerate --- that includes ABC, ESPN and amusement parks in its family --- read, “The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) Board of Directors announced today it has agreed to extend Robert A. Iger's contract through June 2016 as part of the company's ongoing succession planning.” 

The Los Angeles Times version was more in line as to the development with the headline, “Disney CEO Bob Iger signs new five-year contract.” 

Under the agreement, effective 10 days ago, Iger will assume the role of chairman in addition to chief executive officer following Chairman John E. Pepper's retirement at Disney's annual shareholder meeting next March. Until then, Iger will remain president and chief executive officer.

Iger will hold the positions of chairman and chief executive officer through March 31, 2015, at which time a new chief executive will be named.

Then Iger will continue as executive chairman until June, 2016, when he is expected to retire from the company at age 65. 

The use of terms such as “will step down” and “exit” connote a right-away happening --- misleading to some readers and investors. 

Nevertheless, some editors got excited and gave it much print space.

Joan Rivers uses F-bomb in citing early campaigning

While much was made of Donald Trump’s use of F-bombs to emphasize points in a Las Vegas speech last week, most media overlooked a similar expression from veteran comedian Joan Rivers during a video interview at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, notes Grumpy Editor. 

Trump, real estate mogul considering a run for the White House and host of NBC’s The Celebrity Apprentice, focused mostly on foreign policy Thursday night in addressing about 1,000 people.

Rivers was asked in a CNSNews.com interview two days later if President Barack Obama had lived up to her expectations.

“No," she responded.  "I think President Obama should stop campaigning and take care of the country. I think it’s disgusting that everyone two years out is campaigning already. Take care of the f***ing country.” 

Then she went on to say, “It’s not him. It’s all of them. It’s all of them. We’re bankrupting this country over three wars…it’s just ridiculous and you know it and I know it. I don’t want to get into it. I’m an actor. I’m not a politician.”

Rivers also mentioned actors should stay out of politics. 

“Actors should act,” she emphasized. “Politicians should do politics.”