MindyM's Comments (40)

“First of all, let me say that it was ridiculous the way the lyrics to Eminem's song had to be bleeped every thirty seconds. I mean, why bother? If it's that obscene, then forget about it for primetime TV.

As for Adam, I have been a huge fan, but I was extremely disapppointed with this performance. However, I do have to agree with those who have pointed out that female singers have done this stuff all the time. So why is it not okay for Adam? My issue is that Adam doesn't need all these gimmicks. The choreography was a mess, he even tripped for heaven's sake, but covered it well. Adam's vocals were not good, off pitch and so unlike him. Maybe if he wasn't doing all that stuff with the crotch grabbing and the leash thing and whatever, he might have been able to concentrate on his singing.

This guy has a voice like no other. He could have come out and just stood there alone with the mic and let that voice soar and blown the roof off the place. That's the shame of it. He has the talent, unlike so many others these days. Why Adam?”

“I am so not a fan of soap operas, but I feel compelled to watch just to see what James Franco will do here. I watched the first episode, but there wasn't much of him to see until the end. He is gorgeous, charming, charismatic and incredibly talented, so I will watch him in anything.

It was the movie Milk that introduced me to James Franco. I thought his performance was simply brilliant. He was the true supporting role in that movie. Now I see that he has been around for a while. This young man is a gifted actor and the sky's the limit for him. I am sure he has his reasons for doing this. It's his career, so good for him.”

“As a survivor of domestic violence, let me state unequivocally that you cannot make someone hit you, nor are you in any way responsible for someone else's violent act. I am concerned by some attempts to justify or rationalize Chris Brown's actions. This is dangerous. No one deserves to be hit or physically abused in any way, ever!

This has brought back painful memories for me. I was lucky, because I got out alive. Not all women are so fortunate. It took a long time for me to recover and a lot of help and support. I was concerned about Rihanna wanting to go back to Chris Brown. This is so typical. But if a man hits you once, he will do it again. There will always be a next time and ultimately, you may end up dead. Abusers have serious emotional problems that cannot successfully be treated. It's not like you get anger management and you are okay. There are deep- seated problems that result in people acting out violently. But society must take a stand and never make excuses for physical abuse. I am happy that Rihanna has seen the light and realized what she had to do to save herself from any more abuse.

I am here as a living testament that you can survive domestic abuse. I try to pass on the lesson of my own experience to help other women.”

“Slarabee,

Thank you for a reasoned explanation of the legal shenanigans in this case. There is real reason for concern over the manner in which Polanski's original plea deal was handled. A valid argument can be made for a denial of due process in this case. The victim has rights and so does the defendant in our legal system. There was shameless manipulation on the part of the judge. When he reneged on the plea deal already agreed upon by both the prosecutors and the defense, then all bets were off.

I don't excuse what Polanski did in any way, shape or form. But I do understand why he fled when he realized that the plea deal would not be honored. He had no faith or belief in the justice system. I happen to think that he should probably not fight extradition and go back to L.A. and resolve this once and for all. The judge who has been handling his case indicated that he was receptive to some of Polanski's arguments. But he also said that it cannot be addressed until Polanski comes back to the U.S. He should show some courage and go back and fight.

Maybe reason will finally prevail, instead of rampant emotion.”

“I think January Jones carried off that interesting white gown very well. I also think Olivia Wilde managed to pull off that slightly risque white gown with the cutouts and low back. Only she could get away with it, though. I liked Drew Barrymore's, but it did look like a ripoff of Penelope Cruz's Oscar gown from a year or so ago. I didn't love the soft pink because I thought it washed her out, but the design was lovely and she wore it well.

As far as Heidi Klum, well, she went for it with that tight strapless gown. I think she would have rocked it if she was her usual slim self. I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, it's nice to see a woman celebrate her pregnant body, but on the other hand, it really looked strange.

I didn't even see Jennifer Carpenter when I watched the arrivals show, so this was a pleasant surprise. I am not generally a fan of the short dresses for this type of event. I didn't like Kristen Chenowith's shiny white number. I thought it was a little tacky for the Emmys. The same thing with Mary Louise Parker's purple number. Not classy at all. Debra Messing played it kind of safe with her red Michael Kors gown.”

“Foot faults don't happen all that often, but it's just like a double fault and must be called by the linesperson if they see it. The replay wasn't conclusive, but it seemed as though Serena did have her foot on the line.

The issue here was the timing of the call. Serena was trying to stay in the match. She was already down on her serve 0-30 when the foot fault was called. That gave her 0-40 and it was match point for her opponent. That was when she went after the linesperson in a full on meltdown the likes of which I don't ever recall seeing in a tennis match. It was beyond ugly, just inexcusable.

She kept after the linesperson, even after the chair umpire called her over to find out what Serena said. Once she heard what was said, that's when she called the tournament officials. Serena had already been given a warning for throwing her racket when she lost the first set. So this second infraction meant the loss of a point and, since it was match point against her, she lost the match because of it.

I felt really sorry for Kim Clisters, who had to stand on the opposite side of the court watching this whole debacle. She didn't even know what was happening. But no one wants to win a match that way, The poor woman couldn't even celebrate and enjoy it with all of the chaos around her.”

“I am really fed up with any comments suggesting that Rafa's humility is in any way fake. This young man is from a small town on the island of Mallorca. He still lives with his parents. He hangs out with friends he has known since childhood. Rafa's coach, his Uncle Toni, insists he carry his own luggage and fly commercial. He also let Rafa know when he was very young that he would not tolerate any tantrums on the tennis court. He made Rafa clean up after his tennis practices.

Rafa has had a stricty upbringing from a family determined that he stay grounded with family values, respect for others, good manners and sportsmanship. He has never changed. He is as real as real can be. So just accept him for who he is - a gorgeous hunk of a man who is also genuinely caring.”

“Now I am back here today and it's all too real. Teddy is gone forever. I woke up realizing that our greatest warrior has gone to his rest. Now it's up to the rest of us to finish Teddy's fight. This is his legacy to the people of this country. We must get the job done and get healthcare for everyone. The tragedy is that Teddy will not be here to see it happen. Even in his last day, his only thought was to fill his senate seat in the event of his death. It meant that much to him, even as he was living his last days on earth.

We are mourning his loss, but I think of Teddy finally being reunited with his brothers. Joe Jr., John and Bobby are all there to welcome him to the kingdom of Heaven. Now they are together for all eternity. That gives me some comfort. Teddy's work is now done and he has earned his eternal rest.

It's interesting that Teddy's death has silenced the right wing lunatics who have been shouting down people at town halls and intimidating everyone by toting guns and rifles to these meetings. For at least a brief moment, the haters have been overcome by the death of a good and decent man. That is as it should be. Love will always triumph over hate. We are remembering how much we loved Teddy.

Farewell, Teddy. You will never be forgotten.”

“I am trying to write this as the tears stream down my face. For me it's the end of an era which began in 1960, when I was only ten years old. John Kennedy inspired me as a young girl. He made me think that I could climb the highest mountain, realize any dream, achieve any goal. He brought out the best in me. I campaigned for Bobby in 1968 when he ran for president. I don't think I ever really got over his death.

So now the last Kennedy has gone to his rest. I feel like I have lost a beloved friend. I am filled with grief and sadness, but also with purpose. Teddy would want us to pick up his fallen flag and fight with every breath in our body to get real healthcare reform. It was the cause of his life, and now it must be ours. If we can do this, then Teddy will not have died for nothing. We owe it to this man who carried the burdens of the average working people of this country for so many years.

In the name of Teddy Kennedy, let us dedicate ourselve to this greatest and worthiest of all fights. If we can do this, then I am sure he will be watching up in heaven and smiling down on us all.

God bless you, my dearest Teddy. You were my inspiration and my hero.”

“I see that some people here have decided to rewrite history in order to make Obama look better in his battle to get real healthcare reform. FDR didn't just pass nothing, folks! He got social security, a system controlled by government, run by government, the ultimate "single payer" reform. So don't start this stupid nonsense of trying to water down this monumental accomplishment.

My Mom lived through it all growing up. She remembers all too well the hell that Republicans put FDR through as he tried to push the New Deal. But, unlike Obama, he was a strong enough leader to get the job done. I voted for Obama and one of my most important reasons was his stated commitment to universal healthcare. The problem was that Obama started off weakly by refusing to even try to float the idea of a single payer system. If he started out with the strongest reform position, then he could have retreated to a public option, if necessary. But he started with the public option and now he seems to be wavering on that one.

There is no excuse for Obama not to push with all the force of the bully pulpit to get a public option included. Without it, any healthcare bill will be meaningless. He needs to get tough, start pushing back and not give in the to intimidation tactics of the right wing lunatics.

Get the job done, Mr. President! I voted for you and now you need to deliver.”

“All I can say is it's about time they got Bill Clinton out there to start telling it like it is! I don't know why they didn't do it a lot sooner, before all this nonsense about "death panels" and the paid hooligans terrorizing town hall meetings, got all the media attention.

This really is the last gasp for the Republican party. They have to stop this, or else they will be dead as a party. Bill Clinton is right on the money! Once we get this bill passed and people's lives start changing for better, finally everyone will realize how much precious time we wasted all these years. We let the right wing conservatives and the health insurance companies defeat universal healthcare insurance for decades!

This is the moment! It is the moral issue of our time! We cannot let the scoundrels and diehard domestic terrorists from the right stop us this time.

You tell 'em, Bill!!”

“Way to go, Keith! I have been waiting for someone to get outraged over our disgraceful elected officials who have been bought and paid for by the health insurance industry. However, I think Keith could have gone even further in his commentary. How about some righteous indignation for the failure to include a single payer health plan? Now that would be real health care reform. We simply have to get the private insurance companies who are making a killing (literally), out of business. Let's have some real free market! Let's see the private insurance companies try to compete with a real public health plan for Americans.

What, may I ask, is so good about private insurance? What about those godawful HMO's? I would love to see them out of business for good. They are destroying people's lives by denying them the care they need. We have nowhere to go but up. I have no idea what some Americans are so afraid of these days. This for profit monstrous healthcare system should go the way of the dinosaurs and become extinct! Now is the time to act! We cannot afford to blow this opportunity.”

“I am really shocked at some of the comments here. Nobody is perfect, people make mistakes and do things that are wrong. But this man did not deserve to die for having an affair. If every mistress killed their married lover and then committed suicide, there would be a lot of people dying every day. Like it or not, cheating happens. It's not right, but it exists. To act holier than thou and even to say that McNair deserved to die for it, is absolutely ridiculous.

We should stop being so judgemental of others and take a good look in the mirror every morning. Keep an eye on your own life and stop judging others.”

“Are you serious with this comment? Are you equating our country with North Korea? At least in this country people can express their disagreement with the government without fear of being imprisoned or tortured. You are talking about one of the most repressive regimes in the world.

Additionally, are you equating terrorists possibly plotting an attack against innocent civilians with these two young women who were journalists doing their job? We don't even have any proof that they ever crossed over into North Korea. It's more than likely that they were snatched by the North Koreans who wanted to find pawns to use against the U.S. There is no evidence that they ever crossed over the border into North Korea.

Why people have to use the plight of these two innocent women to try to make an analogy to detainees at Gitmo, I have no idea. We are not talking about the same thing. At least this president is trying to remedy the situation at Gitmo and try to figure out an appropriate and responsible way to deal with these suspected terrorists. No one is even attempting to accuse these two women of being terrorists, even the North Koreans.

Our government needs to do everything possible to get them out of there quickly. I would fear for their well being under such a despotic, inhumane regime. I am hoping that Secretary Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore are working behind the scenes diligently to secure their release.”

“I really don't know whether to laugh or cry as I read some of these comments. Adam has been putting in hard work and effort in theater, honing his voice and learning great technical skill. What he does with his vocals is nothing short of astounding. Try it yourself and see if you can come close to what he does. He isn't "screaming", it's high power falsetto notes and believe me, it takes a lot of discipline and control to do that.

Just look at what is happening to Allison. Yes, she is quite talented for a 17 year old, but if you know anything about voices, you can hear the hoarseness and strain. That's because she hasn't learned enough vocal technical skills. They are going to ruin her voice on this show. She isn't ready yet. She needs time to develop and learn who she is as an artist.

Adam has been working toward this goal for years. His voice is a thing of beauty. I wish our culture wasn't so dumbed down that many don't recognize and appreciate good singing when they hear it. Not to mention the obscene and revolting comments about his personal life. We need to grow up in this country.

Adam deserves to win, but knowing America, I don't think it will happen. They will end up making the safe, bland choice and probably go with Danny or maybe Kris. We used to celebrate great voices, now we trash them. What a shame!”

“I am really disgusted that the media is willing to play enabler to Blago as he embarks on his this latest pr gimmick to try to convince the people that he is really not a bad guy. The problem is that every time he opens his big mouth, he puts his foot in it. He is his own worst enemy.

Beware, he is scheduled to appear on Larry King Live tonight. The show goes on, the circus continues and the citizens of the state of Illinois aren't being well served at all. If Blago really cared about the people of his state the way he pretends he does, then he would have already stepped down and let the Lieutenant Governor take over.

What I detest the most is how Blago is misinforming the public about the legal system. He is confusing a criminal trial, in which the defendant is entitled to due process and can confront his accusers, with the impeachment process currently underway in the Illinois state legislature. I hope they hurry up and convict this maniac. Then let him go out and plead his case on all the media outlets he wants to, at least the business of government can resume in Illinois.”

“I think it is a bit ridiculous to credit Michelle Obama for the trend on the red carpet last night. These stars do not wait until the last minute to choose their gowns. I am sure that they made their decisions based on advice from their stylists and what felt right and comfortable for them.

Can we please stop this aggrandisement of Michelle Obama as a fashion icon? I thought her gown was pretty, but not particularly flattering to her figure. I loved Jill Biden's red strapless Reem Acra gown much more. Now that lady rocked it!

I think that Angelina Jolie should stop dressing like a frump at these awards shows and try to look like a star. What a waste! I loved Evan Rachel Woods beautiful teal one shouldered gown. That was my personal favorite. Others that I liked were Laura Linney, Taraji Henson,and the beautiful Indian actress from Slumdog Millionaire in her lavender gown.”

“I am concerned that the media keeps giving this guy a platform from which he can continue to spout his lunatic comments. I thought I had heard it all in his last so-called press conference, when he used that lame cowboy metaphor. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time.

But this really isn't funny. It's serious business and this crooked nut job needs to be impeached and convicted. Get him out of office! Unfortunately, the media will keep enabling him in his campaign to embarrass, intimidate and pester the life out of the Illinois state legislature. I can only hope that they will keep focused on the task at hand - conducting a speedy trial and conviction and letting the Lieutenant Governor take over.

While many are enjoying the theatre of Blago's histrionics, the simple fact is that the people of the state of Illinois are not being well served. Nothing will get done as long as this egomanica is still in office. Let's get rid of him and move on the serious issues that confront our nation.”

“I completely agree with your kick in the rear to the stupid Academy for not nominating Dark Knight. Pretentious snobs, the lot of them! They just wouldn't give it to a comic book movie. I have traditionally despised this genre of movie, but Dark Knight was in a class by itself. It had a vision and managed to even make the audience actually think for once. I loved its dark themes of good versus evil, the true nature of morality, how far law enforcement should go in breaking the rules of society to stop crime. All of these are difficult and serious issues. Christopher Nolan did a masterful job of showing us his vision of Gotham. Heath's Joker took the movie to a very special place. He was like the icing on the cake.

I suppose I should just be grateful that Heath was recognized for his brilliant work. I am only sorry that he is not here to enjoy the rewards of his efforts. Shame on the Academy!”

“alice -

It's too bad that you didn't experience what I did watching Dark Knight. The idea that the movie is getting a sympathy vote because of Heath Ledger's death is pretty pathetic. Maybe, just maybe, the people really, really liked it. Maybe they liked a film that didn't insult the intelligence of its audience.

Jack Nicholson's Joker was good for the type of Batman movie back then. I personally hated those old Batman movies. That was one reason that I initially didn't want to see Dark Knight. Once I realized that this was a much more realistic take on Batman, I couldn't wait. Finally a comic book movie that wasn't a joke!

Heath Ledger portrayed a very different Joker than Jack Nicholson. He took the Joker to a totally different place.

You sound awfully cynical. How does this awards show promote the financial backers of these performers? It's not like the cast of Dark Knight needs any more publicity. The film was a critical and commerical success. Maybe you just didn't get it. Too bad.”

“zeke -

Why don't YOU get over it? If you read what I wrote, you would realize that I have no problem with "blue" comedians. I do think that there is a time and a place for this type of language.

As far as the other comment that parents curse in front of their children - so then your point is why not listen to Kathy Griffin's vulgarity anyway? By the way, it's not just children that are offended by this kind of talk.

There is funny and then there is tasteless. Just because you use obscene or foul language, does not necessarily make you funny. I don't get outraged by someone like Kathy Griffin, I just get annoyed. Saying slimy things just for the sake of it is not funny to me. If that's your thing, so be it.”

“Your comments reveal your own ignorance and bias. If we use your argument, then FDR would never have been elected president. Talk about rich and elite, a true member of the aristocracy and a political dynasty in the bargain. How come the American people didn't trust FDR to understand their problems? Maybe, just maybe, they saw something in him that made them think he would be a great leader. They were right. They weren't blinded by their own irrational hatred of the wealthy, the way you are. You are against Caroline Kennedy merely BECAUSE of her name. That's wrong.

Thank God those people elected FDR. He proved that he was much more than a rich, privileged man who inherited his political career. He led this country through the Great Depression and WWII.

Sometimes you have to look beyond the obvious to see the real person. I am disturbed by this reverse snobbery here. I am also unsettled by the intensity of the Kennedy haters. I had to live through the assassinations of John and Bobby Kennedy. It was hate that killed them. I think it's time to let go of this kind of unreasoning hostility. It's destructive and like a cancer that kills your insides.

I think Caroline deserves a chance to show what she can do.”

“I can only take Kathy Griffin in small doses, so I couldn't watch their entire New Year's Eve coverage. I guess what bothers me is her inability to tone down her act when the venue in which she is performing dictates. You can still be pretty darn funny without being offensive, vulgar and tasteless. She is smart enough to know the difference. If she is doing a concert, fine, all bets are off. Those people are paying to see her and know what they are getting. But the people who watch CNN are families with children. I think it would be smart for her to just dial it back and still be funny and interesting to watch. It can be done, it's not hard.

I guess I am surprised that Anderson Cooper really seems to like her. They appear to be friends. He seems so straitlaced and kind of uptight. I must admit that his embarrassed reactions to some of her comments are hilarious. I thought that she was worse last year.”

“All these obnoxious references to "Princess" Caroline really are silly. Of course she's not a princess and everyone here knows it. It's just another way of taking a cheap shot at her expense. The last time I checked we didn't have royalty in this country, no kings or queens or lords. So let's dispense with these nonsensical comments.

If you have a rational argument founded in reality, then make it. Otherwise, lay off!”

“Badfickle,

You're joking, right? I hope so because that's a pretty tall order. Someone better than FDR? Yeah, right! The greatest president of the 20th century and one of the greatest presidents of all time, a man who steered this country through BOTH the Great Depression and WWII. Do you honestly think men like him come along all the time? He was the right man, in the right job, in the right place at the right time. Thank God!

As far as the Bushes, it just shows that some rich families couldn't care less about working people or the country or its laws. The Bushes got elected, so we can't blame it on wealth or dynasty or aristocracy. We can just blame it on the people.

My basic argument is that people should be judged on their merits, not who their forefathers were or were not. I have no problem whatsoever judging Caroline Kennedy on her considerable merits. She is not running as the reincarnation of her father. She is running as a woman who cares about the social issues that affect the working people of this country. I think she deserves a shot. If she isn't up to the job, the voters will have their say in 2010. That's why we are not like England. We don't have a House of Lords.”