As the Republican National Convention continues in New York, we bring you a short list of pols who started out as entertainers: Ronald Reagan, Fred "Gopher" Grandy , Sonny Bono, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Joe Piscopo.
Huh? Joe Piscopo?
Yes, the former "Saturday Night Live" player -- known for his dead-on Frank Sinatra impression and, later, his devotion to body-building -- is a potential contender to replace outgoing New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey.
McGreevey, who is married, has resigned effective Nov. 15 after it was revealed he gave a state job to a man alleged to be his gay lover.
Piscopo, who performs at The Orleans Showroom from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3, told us in an e-mail message Tuesday that "some prominent businessmen" are trying to persuade him to run for the soon-to-be-open governor's seat.
Piscopo would not say who the businessmen are, but did say that the men have "suggested I run as an independent. They have the financing, but they've assured me I would not be beholden to them."
He went on to say, "I'm such a Jersey guy. We're so disrespected. It's time someone stepped in. So out of love, I might try it."
Roar
Well, we thought "Father of the Pride" was pretty funny.
The animated Siegfried & Roy TV show debuted Tuesday night. We were most impressed with the obvious sense of humor that the illusionist duo must have, as several of the jokes were on them, and about them.
"We never took ourselves seriously, but we took our work seriously," Siegfried Fischbacher told a recent interviewer.
As of this morning the national numbers were not yet in, but locally the show absolutely killed in the ratings. It earned a 15.0 rating and a 21 share in its 9 p.m. slot on KVBC Channel 3. That was more about seven times the ratings of ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," which scored a 1.9/3. "Big Brother: 5" on CBS garnered a 9.0/13.
Share refers to the percentage of television sets in use tuned to a specific program.
"Trading Spouses" on Fox (KVVU Channel 5) scored a 6.0/9 rating.
"The show ("Pride") delivered on its promise and we are all thrilled that we won the hour," the duo's manager Bernie Yuman told us this morning. "But it is not about the night, it is about the long term. We look forward to building on last night's success."
It's MAGIC
There has been lots of starry activity relating to the MAGIC (Men's Apparel Guild in California) fashion convention.
Tuesday night Boy George performed a DJ set in a lounge set up off the convention floor, and hip-hop mogul Damon Dash hosted a party featuring Roc-A-Fella recording artists Rell, Nicole Wray, Denim and Allen Anthony at Body English (Hard Rock Hotel).
And Mekhi Phifer ("ER") was one of the celebrity models at an Azzure Denim fashion show at the opening of the nightclub Krave on the Strip.
Today Anna Nicole Smith introduces her own line at a Hard Rock Hotel party, and Ron Isley and Steve Harvey have appearances scheduled on the convention floor.
Also on the floor today Polaroid is sponsoring a "Capture Your Reality" event, where you can get your photo taken with "Survivor" winners, including Jenna Morasca, Sandra Diaz-Twine and Rupert Boneham.
Thursday, one highlight will be Nelly announcing a new Apple Bottoms Girl search.
Hilton served
On page six of the Aug. 30 edition of the industry journal Ad Age, there is a marvelous story about Vegas celebutante fixture Paris Hilton.
Seems that Burger King was developing a big campaign around her. But it had to drop the campaign after word about it got out -- and many of their franchisees loudly complained about having Hilton as their pitchwoman.
Really
Another day, another Vegas reality show coming to TV.
According to the industry glossy Television Week, ABC Family has hired producer-director Stephen Hopkins, who directed the "Traffic" miniseries and such films as the feature version of "Lost in Space," to be the executive producer of a reality series set inside a Las Vegas wedding chapel.
VegasBits
Sign: Henderson resident Kevin Sorbo ("Hercules" and the upcoming "Andromeda") was at the private Maroon 5 concert Monday night at the Hard Rock Hotel. He said that he just inked a sitcom deal with ABC ...
Star: Pat Boone was at the Scintas show at The Rio on Monday night. ...
Rested: Actor Patrick Stewart and a female friend had breakfast Monday at the Grand Luxe Cafe (Venetian). Spies report that Stewart, who recently underwent surgery for a clogged artery (he did not have a heart attack, as some of the tabloids reported), was looking "fabulous ... extremely healthy and tan and fit" ...
Sign: Free speech advocate and porn publisher Larry Flynt signs copies of his new book, "Sex, Lies & Politics," at the Borders Books on South Decatur Boulevard at 7 p.m. today ...
Fan: Bad-boy rocker Tommy Lee behaved himself when he went to see "O" (Bellagio) on Sunday night ..
Wild child: Rock progeny Bijou Phillips was at Body English (Hard Rock) on Sunday night. Earlier she had dinner at the hotel's Simon Kitchen and Bar ...
He's back: "Beacher's Madhouse," the Hard Rock Hotel's headline comedy show, returns Oct. 2, show star Jeff Beacher tells us. The show took a summer hiatus as other shows, including "Pieces of A...," were held at The Joint. Beacher is now vacationing in Miami, where he attended the MTV Awards ...
Guest: Wayne Newton was on the farewell show of Craig Kilborn's late-night CBS talker on Friday evening. Newton was in Vegas and appeared on tape ...
Fans: Recent guests at the "Havana Nights" show (Stardust) have included Rita Rudner, Darren Romeo, the Sirens of Treasure Island and the cast of "Midnight Fantasy."
From Sun wires
Venice Film Festival opens: Hollywood's premier cash-and-award magnet Steven Spielberg was kicking off the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday -- just the man to inspire money-scooping moguls and prize-hungry artists alike during 11 days of glitz and film magic.
The opening night's gala screening is Spielberg's "The Terminal." Others expected to toddle along the red carpet include Robert De Niro, Angelina Jolie, Will Smith, John Travolta and Al Pacino.
Actor favors Bush: Actor Ron Silver was leaving a cocktail party at the Four Seasons restaurant on Monday evening, headed for Madison Square Garden, when he ran into Henry A. Kissinger, whom he once played in a made-for-television movie. They greeted each other warmly, but as they shook hands, Kissinger raised a quizzical eyebrow and said, in his distinctive, German-tinted rasp, "What are you doing being a Republican?"
It was the question of the night for Silver, who has long been known as a liberal Democrat, but who spoke from the podium Monday at the Republican National Convention.
"I'm a 9/11 Republican," he said. "If we don't get this right, all the other things don't matter worth a hill of beans."
archive