DRW50

The GOP and their media allies were going on and on about how Democrats were being "anti-Catholic" and bigoted by not supporting her. They ended up having to dance around their new senator, Roy Moore, pushing to impose litmus tests based on religion (wanting to bar Keith Ellison from serving Congress). Typical hypocrisy.

Caleb Landry Jones http://www.vulture.com/2017/10/caleb-landry-jones-is-becoming-hollywoods-go-to-oddball.html The most immersed Jones has been in a recent role was during the revival of Twin Peaks, when he played a shivering lowlife who comes to an ambiguous bad end. “It meant a lot of strange walks and anxiety and dealing with emotions I was already going through,” says Jones. “Maybe somehow, based on the audition, they knew that I was dealing with them.” What kinds of emotions? “Suicide. Self-destruction … I think there’s an aspect of that I can use, and then in other ways, it’s hurt me or made it harder. But I’m always trying to build a larger hole to get out of, and I don’t know why.” In life or in the roles? “In life,” he says, “and therefore, in the roles.”

Alec Baldwin claims he had no idea about James Toback, tries to make us pity Toback, and then suggests people are going after Toback and Weinstein because they can't get Trump. Stuff like this is why I dislike that he's gotten so much hype and fame this past year for his lousy impression. He doesn't deserve it. http://www.vulture.com/2017/10/alec-baldwin-breaks-silence-on-james-toback-i-had-no-idea.html

There isn't much point in talking about it as it's going to happen no matter what, but some of the judges who are getting through are so foolish and have such extreme views - it just makes me depressed even reading about it. This is why elections matter.

John Bowe's been such a ham in all the years I've seen him - this stuff is at least entertaining in a bizarre way, which I can't say for most of his time as Lawrence. The only time I ever enjoyed anything he did was the story with Ronnie, and Bowe always seemed hesitant about playing any of that. He always seemed reluctant about seeing Lawrence as gay.

I have to admit I really did think she was doing it as a Halloween prank until she said it was real. It's very soap opera-ish. I hope she's OK.

Thanks for finding the Madchen interview. It's heartwarming that she and Dana wanted Bobby and Shelly to still be together and asked David about it. I'm glad to know they were that fond of the relationship. I guess that's also why she posted so much social media stuff with them through the season. It means a lot to know she cared so much.

Two weeks.

My actual reaction when I got the dossier today...

I'd say the current regime is somewhat less Dingle-oriented than some of the previous few. For instance, Kate Oates never would have had a mystery (Emma's murder) where only one Dingle had any major involvement, and they have also been used less as moral authorities of the village.

Yes, many have said this, not quite as succinctly as you have, unfortunately. This one I think gets it right too as it's right to the point. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/oct/30/kevin-spacey-vicious-lie-gay-men-accusation-attempted-sexual-assault

I'm surprised he's basing his pessimism in part on Republicans keeping the House. There's no way they're losing the House no matter what happens. This isn't 2006 - the maps were not as gerrymandered then. I do agree with him, overall, but he and the people tweeting under him are basically saying there's no point in anything, it's all done, we're over, the world will never trust us again (they really didn't that much before anyway...). He's probably right, but if he's that sure then I'd say the only real solution people would have is if they have the money or resources to leave for another country. If they do, then good luck to them - many of us don't.

And so it begins... Today has been one of those days I wouldn't have believed a year ago. And we are likely just at the crux of whatever is ahead.

I haven't seen Night in a long time (House as well, although a bit more recently), but my main feeling was that the movie was so jumbled it was difficult to react. I do think that David Selby was a great lead (Kate Jackson, not so much...). I keep hoping they will do something with all that deleted footage while most of the cast is still alive. I know all of you here already read about this but I wish they'd filmed that pre-credits shot of Bruno/Michael Stroka breaking into and enjoying himself in an empty Collinwood before he's horribly killed. That sounded fantastic. House is a genuinely terrifying film, but for me Dark Shadows at its best was more emotional/romantic/melodramatic than horrifying, so I always struggle a bit with that concept being put onto those characters. It shows you how Dan Curtis really was always trying new effects - it's not so bad for 1970. That is my least favorite Angelique as she's just too one-dimensional, as is Alexis, but it was good to see Lara Parker getting leading lady status at this time. I always figured this was one of the reasons she got a larger role in the last year, and got to play a heroine in 1841 PT. I thought she was pretty good as a heroine (Catherine), and never made her too weak. I really should go back and watch some of that again. 1970 PT has some real misfires yet has some of my all time favorite Dark Shadows moments (Liz dreaming of Sabrina's corpse on the table in the lab - genuinely terrifying; Liz locking the doors to keep John Yaeger out; the Pinter-esque bitterness of Carolyn and Will; Carolyn's drunken downward spiral and her "and Collinwood's got a lotta closets!!!" speech).

Sorry, I'm not sure why this font is so large. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/news/kevin-spacey-allegations-sexual-harassment-apology-anthony-rapp-london-director-a8026986.html As part of a discussion on sexual misconduct on Radio 4's Today, Victoria Featherstone, artistic director of the Royal Court Theatre, was asked whether she was aware of any stories about Spacey when he was working in London, as artistic director of the Old Vic. "I think that many people in the theatre and in the creative industries have been aware of many stories of many people over a lot of years, and Kevin Spacey would be one of the people that people have had concerns about, yes," she said.

Thanks to you and to @ltm1997. Wonderful gifts. I had just about given up on seeing any of early Leanna, and Andy's goodbye being in the episode too - even better. I love the "psycho" music that plays when Leanna is talking to Jack, and that moment where she bluntly asks if he's turned on, to which he says yes. So late '80s. And a moment that Peter Bergman could never have played. Eileen's beehive - wow. The Traci stuff is decent enough, even if she's dressed like Natalie from Facts of Life. The conversation between Brad and Lauren is a real corker. I laughed when he said she was sincere...to a point. And her bluntly asking him if he actually cared about Traci or her just the company he married into, and pointed out her not being attractive enough for him. Lauren was such an interesting character in these days - not all good or all bad. How long was this to the story with his ex, Lisa? Was that a year later? The material with Andy and Faren and her daughter feels much more old-fashioned, like something from the '70s Y&R. I wonder if this is what Bell wanted to write compared to what he felt he had to write (the corporate games). I can't help feeling sorry for Andy as you get the impression he doesn't want to do any of this and is just trying his best to support Faren - either that or Steven Ford was playing the scenes that way because he didn't want to go. It's a shame he didn't even get a real goodbye with Paul. It feels like a waste to me that he just left and didn't have any involvement in stories which weren't far off, like the Cassandra saga. The scene with sugary Faren and her very somber daughter is a bit of a clash - you have to wonder what their relationship would have been like in later years. That girl reminds me so much of Camryn Grimes. Is that Kay Alden's daughter? At first I thought Paul was going to ask Amy to be his partner, but I guess that ended up being Nathan.

You can tell he's been in Hollywood a long time. That was a classic statement of evasion and distraction. Not a beat lost, no sloppiness, as an outright denial would have likely gone against him. It makes me sick to my stomach to see someone come out just as they've been accused of making advances on a 14-year old. I think this will either blow up or it will never be mentioned again - no real in-between.

I don't think she means any harm either, I just find it, and choosing to base criticisms of Anderson Cooper on his being gay (or using feminine pronouns in an attempt to criticize him) to be dehumanizing.

That's a pretty good Diane.

I don't like Andy Cohen very much, and I've always found Anderson Cooper to be phony and pompous, but it's difficult to watch what's happened with her. She's gone from being apologetic to putting on a brave face, but it feels hollow. She made a stupid choice, and her career has suffered for it, but ultimately that decision was on her. She's never been universally beloved in the industry, she made a meal for many years out of her feuds with people and dislike for people. I get the feeling that as time passed she mistook what was obviously fake friendship for business purposes with some type of real bonds, and she got too comfortable with her niche in the industry. It doesn't matter if other people did this or that and didn't suffer - what matters is that her relationships with the people in showbiz were obviously not strong enough to survive, and I have a hard time imagining that was just from the photo shoot. It means they were already fragile to begin with. I also thought her calling Anderson Cooper an "heiress" was offputting and yet another example of her treating gay men as objects and accessories ("my gays"), not friends. A lot of women do this, especially in her generation, likely with the idea that they are so honored and grateful to be acknowledged at all that they are 100% loyal. Clearly that wasn't the case, so that means she's comfortable making comments that allegedly liberal people would not say. Of course she's happy to use "her gays" when it's time to read out homophobic slurs they send her about Cooper: http://www.washingtonblade.com/2017/10/11/kathy-griffin-spills-gay-tea-ex-friend-anderson-cooper/ I have no real pity for him, and certainly not for Andy Cohen, but neither of them have ever hidden much about who they really are (including this "misogyny" which I don't remember Griffin ever having a problem with in her career). She just didn't see the full force of it until she got on the wrong side. At her age and with her career she should have known better. She didn't, and now she's just going to keep talking about how hard done by she is and wait for "yas queen" in response. I guess if it gets her gigs, it gets her gigs, but I'll just be glad when the whole thing is over. I used to really enjoy her comedy and maybe she can turn it all around for herself, but the current PR exercise or "tea-spilling" or whatever she wants to call it feels like circling the drain.

I was reading an article last week about how many insects are dying off and how it's likely even worse than we know. (this was in Germany or France so who knows what it's like here). This will just make that continue (not even getting into effects on humans). This is the third or fourth pretty good piece I've read from Kristof lately. I remember him being somewhat unbearable under W and Obama...

I don't think the Lechowicks understood Abby's character (as I think Donna Mills suggested as well) - there was something very mechanical about her last season, up to her last episode, which was much better thanks to the "Abby scale" scene and her finally cutting the cord with ungrateful Olivia. I think they also had a really hard time covering up that they loved Paige and likely vastly preferred her to Abby. I think Abby was too complicated a character for them, as she always did plenty of scheming, but had a great deal of vulnerability to her. They didn't seem to understand that. The only other woman on Knots who was more complicated was Laura, and they ditched her too. The closest they got to capturing that type of complexity was Anne, who was much more of a supporting character.

I read that article on Hannah and Sciorra - truly stomach-churning, especially the part about him showing up at her hotel room door years later half-dressed, waiting to get in. And her saying she came forward for the sake of the other women who have been shamed for their rapes by people saying they weren't actually raped or that they're playing victim. I've already seen people saying the same about her, as per usual. I hope coming forward helps her find some peace, unlikely as that is.

Wow. I had no idea the Weinstein issue would cause such reaction internationally. I know there's been some stuff in the UK as well, with Parliament. I guess it was like a dam breaking. You can tell how popular Halperin was in the Beltway based on the reactions. I saw a bit of Tucker Carlson, who has gone on about Weinstein for weeks, and now he was saying that it wasn't fair that Halperin's accusers have remained anonymous and he was obviously trying to put the onus on them. Yet even he wasn't going full-throated in defense, which makes me wonder if some of Halperin's behavior was an open secret that people accepted because that's how it goes and also because they liked him.