Tag Archives: Betty White

Sweets for the sweet

Posted on May 18, 2012 | 1 Comment

I had big dreams as a kid — live in New York City, be on TV, write a book.  Well, I have a new one to add to that list:

Be immortalized in cake.

Betty White was.

We’re talking a 5’2″ life-size vanilla cake with buttercream, covered in modeling chocolate.  It was created by Cake Boss star Buddy Valastro and his team.

And you thought Betty couldn’t get any sweeter.

The cake was served at Wednesday night at Betty’s roast at the Friars Club here in New York City…hence their motto at the base (where Betty’s feet should be).

Funny thing — being roasted?

Not on my list.

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Posted in Celebrities, Comedy, Cooking, Entertainment, Food, Foods, Humor, Life, Television, TV

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Deja news

Posted on December 20, 2010 | 1 Comment

The year end lists are coming out — best of, worst of, most, least.  I think I’ve read them all (and sadly, appear on none).

AOL has posted their “Most Searched” list for 2010.  l like this one a lot.  Being ‘most searched’ doesn’t place any judgments of good or bad — it just says that a whole lot of people wanted to gawk at photos of you and read about you online.

Awesomeness.

And here’s their list:

10.   Bed Intruder Antoine Dodson:  I missed this one
9.   Foursquare: I missed what’s fun about this one
8.  Jeggings:  Are they jeans?  Are they leggings?  They’re jeggings!
7.  Old Spice Guy:  I’m pretty sure folks just wanted to look at him
6.  Paul the Octopus:  May he rest in peace
5.  Silly Bandz:   Are they silly? Are they bandz?  They’re Silly Bandz!
4.  Vuvuzelas:  Shhhhhhhh
3.  Pants on the Ground:  The ultimate revenge of the old auditioner
2.  Chat-roulette: No gun, but just as deadly

And the number 1 search on AOL….

1.  Betty White:  There’s nothing left to be said

And there it is — 2010 in searches.  The funny thing is…it looks kinda familiar, doesn’t it?

I mean, jeggings are just the new leg warmers, right?  And we had that other hot Old Spice Guy (Matthew Perry’s father) back in the day.  The Taco Bell dog was hot a few years ago — may he rest in peace — and those braided friendship bracelets were just low-tech Silly Bandz.

Vuvuzelas are simply much larger, louder kazoos, and the ‘Pants on the Ground’ guy is just the ‘She-Bang’ dude way older (and a way better singer).

And Betty White?

Oh, she’s still Betty White.  This is just the second time that she’s trending.

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Posted in Celebrities, Comedy, Commentary, Entertainment, Holiday, Humor, Internet, Life, Movies, Music, News, Singing, Television, TV

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Judging Amy

Posted on September 8, 2010 | 1 Comment

I don’t think Amy Poehler should be the guest host for the season premiere of “Saturday Night Live.”

In the two years since she left the show, she’s been back numerous times to do stints on “Weekend Update,” imitate Hillary Clinton, and guest star on the Betty White special.  She still seems like a member of the cast.

Why bring her back now as a “guest host,” especially when the show is introducing four new cast members?

The two new girls — Vanessa Bayer from Second City and Taran Killiam from The Groundlings — will already have to fight tooth and nail for every moment on stage, since most female roles seem to go automatically to Kristen Wiig.

Now you’re adding Amy Poehler to the mix…so all they can hope for is the rudimentary waitress role or maybe the face-in-the crowd scene.  If they get lucky, they’ll be a reporter asking a question from the audience.

Wow — that rocks.

Don’t get me wrong.  When you consider all “Saturday Night Live” femmes — current and former — Amy is near the top of the list.  She’s not only an amazing improviser, character actor and comedienne, but in all interviews and conversations, she appears to be a down-to-earth, nice person.

That is a rare compliment indeed in that business.

But half the fun of “Saturday Night Live” is bringing in an A-list celebrity who’s not the first name in comedy and seeing what they can do.  Remember how unexpectedly great Peyton Manning was as a guest host?  Or Brian Williams from “NBC Nightly News”?  Even a great dramatic actor can quickly lose his footing on SNL — or be amazing like Christopher Walken.  And that’s what we want to see…not a very-very-recent cast member who seems like she never left.

So, while I’m sad Amy’s sitcom “Parks and Recreation” is on hiatus until mid-season — and she’s no doubt looking to fill her schedule — I think there are plenty of other celebs out there (not to mention the new cast members, hello) who are chomping at the bit for the opportunity to show what they can do in the comedy arena.

But Amy?  Girl, you’re good to go.  Give our best to Will and the boys.

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Posted in Blogging, Celebrities, Comedy, Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Internet, Life, News, Television, TV

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MacMarketing

Posted on May 21, 2010 | Leave a comment

The MacGruber movie opens today, and I think it’s going to be hilarious.

Perhaps I’ll be disappointed…but I don’t think so.  And here’s why.

Even as a sketch, “Saturday Night Live” found a way to heighten the funny in each MacGruber episode.  The last one this season, which featured the incomparable Betty White as MacGruber’s freaky grandmother, was off-the-charts.

For the movie, the writers and directors dropped MacGruber into an 80′s-style action film.  The plot sounds like one big ol’ cliche that our hero repeatedly blows up.  “His methods may be unorthodox. His crime scenes may get messy. But if you want the world saved right, you call in MacGruber.”

What’s not to love?

Reportedly the movie is so dirty, it almost got an NC-17 rating, so very little could be shown in the trailers.  (Another way to get butts in the seats.)   But my favorite bit of move marketing that MacGruber employed that is a first — at least that I’ve seen — is the use of television show-specific trailers.

For example, the MacGruber trailer that ran this Thursday in the NBC sitcom “Community” was a mock PSA that MacGruber and his sidekick, Vicki St. Elmo, did about community colleges.  They did similar PSAs in “Parks & Recreation,” “The Office,” and “30 Rock.”

These might have been necessary due to the lack of footage appropriate to the television audience.  But I think film marketers everywhere should take note.  Talk about movie marketing that grabs your audience’s attention.

Plus, each ad ends with a MacGruber explosion.

Genius!

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Posted in Humor, Movies, Television

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hope.com

Posted on March 9, 2010 | Leave a comment

After the recent late night debacle at NBC, you would expect television viewers to be jaded and cynical.

…to assume that quality programming, talented performers and good ideas would be summarily rejected by the muckety-mucks at the highest echelons of the networks.

But then…a glimmer of hope appears.

A grassroots effort on Facebook not only gains thousands of fans — 486,139 as of this writing –  but momentum and media and — awesome alliteration ahead — the motherlode!

Betty White is going to appear on “Saturday Night Live!”

Just when you thought that the powers-that-be in network TV had lost all sense of what was truly funny — versus what was mediocre and safe — the producers of SNL recognize the brilliance of the social media suggestion and get the grande dame of comedy herself to agree to the plan.

Only eating a Cheeto as I was typing this would make me happier (and my keyboard a mess).

Granted, the report didn’t confirm White would host the show, but I’m pretty sure we can push that through, too.

We are in charge now.  Resistance is futile.

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Posted in Humor, Internet, Television

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