The Grammys bad press streak continues. The Recording Academy asked Tiffany Haddish to host a pre-telecast party and not only refused to pay her, but declined to pay for her glam. Now some people might read “glam” and think it’s demanding but it is not. It’s standard and it’s actually the bare minimum! She will be photographed, she will be bringing them press, she will be generating positive headlines for them and they wanted it for free. In fact, this would cost her money (hair, makeup, nails, clothing, transportation). They wanted to compensate Tiffany Haddish, one of the biggest comedians in the world, in “exposure.” The interim president of the Recording Academy, Harvey Mason Jr., took to Instagram to explain that it was a mistake on the talent booker’s part and it was a disrespectful to Tiffany, who he also spoke to directly. As a new(ish) leader, he is taking responsibility. But here’s what I wonder: they would not have put an inexperienced talent booker in charge of securing Tiffany. This makes me think the talent booker was doing things how they’ve always been done for the Academy. And if it changes, it’s because Tiffany spoke publicly about it because she is in a position to do so. If she just turned it down and stayed quiet, no one would know this is how they work. 

 

Sing is a children’s movie that is not just watchable, but rewatchable (key in this genre) because of the music. I expect the same from Sing 2. My only request is no original songs. Just play the hits.

Jessica Simpson has signed a content deal with Amazon for a TV show based on her life, a documentary featuring footage from her 20s and two new essays. A lot of celebrities write memoirs but not a lot are able to spin off this many projects from their books. And it’s so well deserved because she didn’t gloss over the first marriage, her substance abuse issues, her relationship with her parents – it was all in there. Her candidness has paid off many times over.

 

Quibi went private on Twitter. That’s cold. It’s like being ghosted by someone you didn’t even like.

In an interview with The New York Times, Cameo president Steve Galanis said Kevin from The Office (Brian Baumgartner) is on track to make about a million dollars from the platform this year. Galanis said part of what makes Brian the top earner is that his videos are personalized and very funny and that, combined with how popular The Office is on Netflix, means he’s in demand. He also turns his work around quickly, which is key for digital content. I completely respect Brian’s hustle and now I kind of want to book him for a Cameo – I’d request he read out Kevin’s chili recipe. Probably not very original of me.

 

When Courteney Cox put the turkey on her head for Thanksgiving, I was wondering if she covered her face. She did! This behind-the-scenes video put my mind at ease. Still gross, but at least she used protection. 

Yes this trend got tired fast but I had to include this one for Lainey.

Can you spare two minutes to stare off into the distance? If so, I would recommend this video.