The End of the Affair in Hollywood
Can it be true? Is there a Hollywood break-up with international repercussions happening behind the scenes? It's not that I like to gossip about relationships, but I couldn't miss this one.
On Monday morning, my Los Angeles Times greeted me with a story headlined, "Angry Stars All a Twitter." The sub-hed was, "It's now the go-to site for celebs to rant about each other," and went on to give examples of big stars going public on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere with their complaints about other stars.
Guys, I know we're in a new media landscape, but that's a real no-no. That's why you have publicists and agents and managers and whomever all those other handlers are. We're not supposed to read your name in a story about stars acting up in the morning newspaper.
The Times, clearly one of the few remaining arbiters of celebrity etiquette, rightly noted: "Indeed, there's a wide gulf between what entertainers say on Twitter and in their carefully modulated public statements." Duh. That's why people collectively pay publicists millions of dollars a year.
Yet, Kirstie Alley, Spencer Pratt, Courtney Love, Mark Cuban, Miley Cyrus, Chris Brown and even celebrity veteran Demi Moore were cited in the story for their upper case, exclamation-pointed honesty, a real no-no.
I figured all the publicists emailed the story to their clients, and packaged civility would return.
But, now there's another fissure.
On today's front page of The Hollywood Reporter is a story, "Hey Showbiz Folks: Check Your Contract Before Your Next Tweet." It begins:
Hollywood is coming down with the Twitter jitters.
There's a growing number of studio deals with new language aimed specifically at curbing usage of social-media outlets by actors, execs and other creatives. The goal: plugging leaks of disparaging or confidential information about productions via the likes of Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Ooops. Now executives and creatives are being warned, too. They're supposed to be watching over the stars. Twitter, Facebook, even old MySpace are terrific promotional vehicles for Hollywood. All Hollywood needs to do is to keep human emotion in check, and the relationship can thrive.
I can imagine Louis B. Mayer or Lew Wasserman advising their stars: If you can't say something nice in 140 characters, maybe you shouldn't say it at all. Can you hear it, too?
Follow Candy Spelling on Twitter: www.twitter.com/cscandyland
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I still have yet to understand the fascination with Twitter. What could possibly be so life-changing or universally relevant that you must share it with everyone you know in 140 characters or less? If it's really important, facebook, a couple phone calls or word of mouth will suffice. If that's too much for you, then it probably doesn't need to be shared at all. Really, no one needs a play-by-play of how your stomach flu is progressing or what dress you just bought.
I don't recall Candy using Social Networking or the media to attack her daughter - I know she has used her own website to pen a letter to Tori, and that she has told an interviewer that despite their differences, Tori is her daughter and she will always love her, but I challenge anyone to find Candy "tweeting" about Tori's questionable professional choices, wardrobe choices, parenting skills, or taste in men. That is the type of behavior she is condoning with this post... Any why not? It's bad form to bash other people, especially in public. We were taught this lesson in elementary school, weren't we? And when it happened back then, parents, teachers, and principals intervened... The Hollywood machine is doing the same thing, and Candy is just calling attention to it. Thanks to her long history with Hollywood, she certainly has a few secrets to success and longevity to share!
If celebrities want to air their dirty laundry without the need of tabloids, then let them. At least they're being honest in their bitchiness.
this is fun!!
Well, my post missed the first cut..I'll see if I can get it posted this time. Candy Spelling has never hesitated to talk about her daughter, Tori. She will use any medium that she can find. Hypocritical? Yes.
"Bazinga!"
And spot on.
Yes - exactly. Hypocritical much, Candy?
There's a reason those people are only supposed to say what's written for them by professional writers. They can't comprehend half of what their agents and handlers are trying to do all day. These people think their contracted media specialists are just "extras" in their lives.
I say, let them sink by their own asshattedness, and the intelligent and talented stars will rise to the top. But that might require acknowledging that the most intelligent and talented stars are over 30 or even 40.
That is EXACTLY what I was thinking as I read this piece.
To be a young star, (with a few exceptions) you have to give up a few things. Well rounded awareness being one of them. There's simply no time for these things. While self awareness comes naturally to those wishing that kind of fame and attention, deep thinking is left to those more capable. If a younger star actually manages to stay in the spotlight into their 30's or 40's, then time to develop their comprehension skills have a chance... If the star is interested in that sort of thing... Again, with few exceptions, most 30ish and 40something year old stars still sound like dolts to me.
Wow this is incredible. Who would have thought that people who dress up and pretend they are other people to make a living would say nasty things about each other.
What an incredibly unimportant problem.
Save it for your next cocktail party, Candy.
Best ironic post ever!
Yes, indeed, I also get the irony. I guess family members are fair game.
That's exactly what I was thinking.
*LOL*
I kept flipping back to the header to make sure I hadn't misread the author name
Hellooooo kettle
(love your icon)
Ditto!
Sure Candy Hollywood should listen to you. Aren't you the one who has put a wedge between yourself and your daughter because of you going to the press so often? Isn't it you who airs your dirty laundry? I think you should take your own advise and stop critizing your daughter and give her unconditional love. You know the love a mother gives to her child.
I can see how the leakage would be bad for business. Maybe it's not so bad for the rest of us, though.
If celebrities have to pay publicists millions of dollars to "manage" their overweening egos and noxious personality traits, maybe the rest of us should drop our fixation with them.
We've already seen how Twitter and Facebook have gotten some politicos into hot water giving away Presidential locations, so no doubt it's bound to hit the rest of society.
I was trying to explain Twitter to my 86-year-old mother then other day and boy did my explanation sound lame. I couldn't convince her of any real value for it save in times of emergency. "But it's fun Ma," just did not cut it!
Thanks for sharing.
I kind of feel like you mom. We have phones and emails so Twitter?
I understand that we may need to share stuff but do we really need to know what somebody had for lunch?
Again, great post and thank you.
Yup I with mom's group. I still don't find any value in it. As for emergencies, sooo anyone remember what we did before you could call 911.
It seems some of the new "stars" are Jerry Springer wannabees. I miss the old days when we had actors and actors with real class and style. Well, at least we still have George Clooney, an actor and a gentleman.
Alas, it makes me think of prior love affairs with Sony's Betamax, the laserdisc and singing sitcoms. You'd think they could think of something nice to say in 140 letters or less, if they really wanted the relationship to last.
Social networking as the revolutionary force -- unless the celebrities use it wrong. It was inevitable that "Hollywood" would initiate some rules. Too much leakage.
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