Leave Britney Alone! SERIOUSLY. LEAVE HER ALONE.

by Therese Odell, posted in Uncategorized

How I will be spending my retirement:

#MeToo

The Britney Spears conservatorship story came roaring back this past week with two huge stories: The New York Times uncovered documents that showed she has been asking for years for the conservatorship to be altered, and on Wednesday, when she spoke in a public court hearing, asserting that the conservatorship is “abusive.” And boy howdy, does it seem abusive.

According to her prepared statement, Spears claims she was forced to take mood-altering drugs, forced to go to rehab, had an IUD implanted in her that she is not allowed to remove even though she would like to have a third child, and forced to work and perform so as to support other people, including her father who runs the conservatorship, and lawyers that represent both her and her father. Look, if she’s well enough to go on worldwide tours, perform in Vegas, and record albums, by my estimation she’s well enough to make decisions ABOUT HER OWN DAMN BODY. This whole situation is infuriating and disgusting and infantilizing and profoundly misogynistic. Free Britney, indeed.

Jamie Lynn Spears and Kevin Federline have also made statements, and Amber Tamblyn wrote a piece identifying with Britney’s role as “everyone’s ATM.”

This story fills me with blind rage. Here’s to hoping Britney finds some freedom soon.

Speaking of Britney, on a recent panel at the Tribeca Film Festival, Tina Fey discussed Girls5Eva and cancel culture, especially in terms of looking back on our past and reevaluating things that are now culturally unacceptable:

“We’re culturally looking back at stuff that we all took as totally normal, fun and just cool in the ’90s, whether it’s the way David Letterman dismantled Lindsey Lohan or an underage Britney Spears singing ‘Slave 4 U,’” Fey said. “We’re all looking back at those things now and being like, ‘Oh, we all cosigned that? Oh, that’s terrible.’”

Seth Rogen makes another interesting point about cancel culture. Speaking of: Busy Philipps has a theory on why Rogen has distanced himself from James Franco and it checks out: “I mean, I’m going to say something now, whatever—Seth is married to a very f**king smart woman.”

Meanwhile, Kevin Hart hasn’t really learned anything.

Hours after making a second apology to Courtney Stodden for being a bully, Chrissy Teigen was accused by former Project Runway contestant Michael Costello, of bullying him, too and trying to end his career, driving him to consider suicide. Except … maybe the evidence he produced was all faked? In any event, her team is not standing for it at all:

Fox News has been fined $1 million for “human rights violations,” tied to sexual misconduct and discrimination.

Harvey Weinstein will finally be extradited to California to face 11 sexual assault charges.

The upcoming The Music Man Broadway show has replaced Scott Rudin with Kate Horton. Bye.

Jeffrey Toobin has been allowed to return to his job at CNN.

Gross men being gross:

Drake Bell has pleaded guilty to child endangerment.

Former Disney star Kyle Massey has been charged with sending pornographic material to a 13-year-old girl.

A drunk Stephen Amell was removed from a flight after a screaming fight with his wife.

Marilyn Manson will turn himself in for that assault case in New Hampshire.

Grease actor Eddie Deezen is being accused of harassing a waitress:

Sheryl Crow is claiming that Michael Jackson’s manager, Frank DiLeo, sexually harassed her during the 1987 Bad tour.

Former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson is saying that he has been the victim of revenge porn.

Thelma and Louise turns 30 this year, and it’s well worth remembering the male FREAKOUT about the movie when it came out.

Being shocked that Kid Rock used a homophobic slur is like being shocked that water is wet.

The WGA West’s LGBTQ+ Writers Committee has urged Hollywood to employ more LGBTQ writers as a means to combat discrimination and add more representation.

Las Vegas Raiders Carl Nassib became the first NFL player to come out as gay last week, and guess whose jersey is currently the top-selling one on the market right now?

There has been some (mild) pushback on Nassib coming out from gay men who are irritated by the praise he’s received for doing so, pointing out that effeminate men who came out — in much more dangerous times — paved the way for men like Nassib. And that’s true! And it should be acknowledged! But I’m happy when any man is willing to upend the status quo of what it means to be “masculine” and to challenge people in more traditional communities on what they believe it means to be gay or straight, or pockets of culture that they believe strictly belongs to heterosexuality, like the military, sports or religion.

Which is why it is equally great that American Idol alum David Archuleta, who is a practicing  Mormon, came out as being queer, and urged people of faith to try to understand LGBTQ community members who are, like him, also wrestling with their religious beliefs.

And be sure to check out the comments for all the support and love he’s getting.

Meanwhile, Anthony Mackie wants it to be very clear that Sam and Bucky’s relationship in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is not like that. I understand the point he’s trying to make: that it’s important to show that straight men can also have deep friendships and be sensitive without it being sexual, but it kinda comes off a little defensive, especially in the same interview where he discusses the importance of representation.

And on a lighter note, while I was gone there was a whole story about how Justin Halpern, the co-creator of Harley Quinn, revealed that the DC honchos would not allow them to depict Batman going down on Catwoman because, and I quote, “Heroes don’t do that.” The internet, predictably, went wild.

All Other TV News

Emilia Clarke understands why you’re so angry about the Game of Thrones finale (and she agrees with you even if she can’t say it out loud).’

Stranger Things is going to start wrapping things up with this season, but it remains to be seen how many seasons will be after that.

Some Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants applied for and were awarded $20,000+ PPP loans, which is fucking infuriating.

David Cross very nearly didn’t take the Arrested Development job.

The Emmys won’t be doing away with gendered categories, but they will change the wording on the statues to read “performer” rather than “actor” or “actress.”

I thought we already established that it was up in the air whether Pete Davidson was returning to SNL? So, he’s still not sure? How is this a story?

Congratulations to Cady McClain, who made Daytime Emmy history this weekend.

TV writers are fighting for their assistants to get a living wage under the new contracts being currently negotiated.

Recover quickly, Christiane Amanpour.

Renewals

  • Good Omens has been renewed for a second season on Amazon.
  • The Talk has been renewed for a 12th season on CBS.
  • Growing Belushi has been renewed for a second season on Discovery.

In Development

Casting News

Mark Your Calendars

  • The Many Saints of Newark will debut in theaters and on HBO Max on October 1.
  • Dr. Death will debut on Peacock on July 15.
  • I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson will return on Netflix on July 6.
  • Fantasy Island will premiere on Fox on August 10.
  • Dexter will return on Showtime this fall.

  • Ghost Adventures will return on Discovery+ on July 22.

  • grown-ish will return on Freeform on July 8.
  • Annette will open in theaters on July 6 and on Amazon on July 20.
  • Karen will debut on BET soon.
  • Small Town News: KPVM Pahrump will debut on HBO on August 2.
  • Blood Red Sky will premiere on Netflix on July 23.
  • Smother will premiere on Peacock on July 1.
  • Luxe Listings Sydney will premiere on Amazon on July 9.
  • Agua Donkeys will premiere on Roku on June 25.
  • This Way Up will premiere on Hulu on July 9.
  • Beastars will debut on Netflix on July 15.
  • Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans will debut on July 21.
  • Brat Loves Judy will premiere on WE tv on August 5.
  • Entre Nos Presents: Frankie Quinones: Superhomies will debut on HBO Max on July 9.

R.I.P.

Ray MacDonnell, Actor who played Dr. Joe Martin on All My Children for more than 40 years

Norman S. Powell, Producer, director, and television executive who worked on everything from The New Dick Van Dyke Show to 24

Joanne Linville, Actress who played a Romulan commander on the original Star Trek

Cynthia Hargrave, Movie producer who made Wes Anderson’s first film, Bottle Rocket, happen

Menelik Shabazz, British filmmaker

Lisa Banes, Actress in film and Broadway

Karla Burns, Broadway actress

WATCH THIS

TMZ Investigates: UFOs: The Pentagon Proof: The Pentagon released its report on UFOs — all 9 pages of it. And now TMZ tries to stretch that out into an hour-long program. Good luck! 7 p.m., FOX

Vicious Fun: A film critic finds himself at a meeting of serial killers and has to try to fit in to survive in this horror-comedy. Shudder

America’s Top Dog: All dogs are America’s top dog, Brent. Season premiere. 7 p.m., A&E

The Legend of the Underground: This documentary follows the LGBTQ activists in Nigeria and their courageous defiance in the face of a violently hostile society. Premiere. 8 p.m., HBO

Frontline: Germany’s Neo-Nazis & the Far Right: What could go wrong? 9 p.m., PBS

Late Night:

  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Vin Diesel, Helen Mirren, Ludacris, John Cena, Tyrese Gibson, Justin Lin, Jordana Brewster, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd
  • The Late Late Show with James Corden: Steve Buscemi, Ed Sheeran
  • Watch What Happens Live: Sonja Morgan, Leah McSweeney

TUES. 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30
ABC The Goldbergs

(repeat)		 Home Economics

(repeat)		 The Conners

(repeat)		 black-ish

(repeat)		 To Tell The Truth
(repeat)
CBS NCIS
(repeat)		 FBI
(repeat)		 FBI: Most Wanted
(repeat)
CW The Flash
(new)		 Superman & Lois
(repeat)		 Local
FOX TMZ Investigates: UFOs: The Pentagon Proof
(new)		 Mental Samurai
(new)		 News/Local
NBC America’s Got Talent
(new)		 Capital One College Bowl
(new)

Leave a Reply