William and Kate Finally Wed, Len Goodman Gets A National Table Dance

It appears to this boomer, that the British have progressively taken over the airwaves and television stations throughout this nation, and this past two weeks simply highlighted the degree to which Americans are now served up British political commentary and also even entertainment fare.

The highlight of this week, of course, was the fourth month long commercial for the "Royal Wedding" of Prince William and his chosen commoner bride, Catherine Middleton. And U.S. gossip shows abounded both hosted by primarily British commentators, and also those in the U.S. media who mostly work for British television in this country. Fox in particular, with the Fox of course being the national animal of those Brits. Of course, this couple has been in the news for well over nine years now, so I guess this dramatic finish to almost a decade of courting was no surprise, and it was reported that over a million British pounds were spent simply on the flowers alone.

Of course, much also was made that the royal family would be picking up much of the tab, which was also carried by that Brit owned "Sky TV" who provided all those big screen televisions throughout London, I would guess, so that no one on that island could miss a moment of the drama.

Although what was left out is that all that wealth has been accumulated for centuries from the British public in the form of taxes, so actually no new taxes were inflicted for the wedding, simply the interest used on all those levied by this and prior monarchs.

Interesting, although poignant mention was made of the groom's mother, her side of the family sat with the family of the bride and little coverage was even given to any of the guests from that quarter, but given that marriage did not begin or end well, I suppose again the British are counting on the public's short memory to take care of that oversight.

I wish them both happiness, that hopefully their union will not end up another casualty of "the firm," as it appears some of those Brits refer to the demands of all those tours, public appearances,vacations, social events and, well, you know.

The second event was the celebration of "Devilish Delights" or "Delectable Delights" or some such theme week on that BBC Worldwide production, "Dancing with the Stars." Which has progressively also degenerated into a show that attempts to actually portray true ballroom dancing, rather than this flashy knockoff version, and with lots and lots of skin in order to up those ratings and titillate the audience.

Or Len Goodman.

Celebrating his birthday this week, that all American reality show star and female contender, Kendra something or other, and her partner truly knocked the socks (and hormones) of the oldest judge on the panel, Britain's Len Goodman, by doing a table dance identified as a samba. Her scores were never higher, and her enthusiasm and hip shaking got her the highest score yet.

But on the repeat performance, it appears Kendra is not the dumb blonde she appears to be, and seems the light was beginning to sink in that she just may have been had in the choreography and British sense of "all good fun," for their global profit.

Seems maybe Princess Kate and Kendra the reality star may have more in common than it would appear.

Maybe Joan Rivers ought to do a show on that.

Prince William To Wed, Bristol Palin Gets BBC Props

Although a rare watcher of the television since it went cable (pay per view), which means I'm now forced to pay for the propaganda spewed on most of the major networks and cable programs just to get the local news and weather, unless you live in a cave today's top stories were hard to avoid.

First, Prince William is to marry finally the woman he has been stringing along for over eight years.

And proposed with the ring his mother, the late Princess Diana (or former Princess Charles of Wales, to be politically correct) received upon her ill-fated betrothal back in 1986.

A marriage that did not end very happily, nor whose life's end has not had its share of detractors also with respect to the "official" stories on that crash in Paris all those years ago.

Of course, the Queen and PM were reported "delighted," as they were with Prince Charles' selection of a bride. And this one, from all appearances, even has a more sense of herself from the outset than Princes Di.

One can only cross fingers, but it is clear the Brits rule once again the U.S. media on the extensive coverage given this really non-event considering, as Glenn Beck (that other Brit worshiper in drag due to his FOX/Rupert Murdoch connections, who wears his polo shirts with "Britain" emblazoned on them during his recent book tours) so aptly put it on one of his recent rants during an entire program devoted to George Soros and his political influence in this country, our media has "bigger fish to fry," than another royal wedding on the domestic front.

I mean, who really cares who Prince William marries unless it was one of Camilla's offspring? Perish the thought.

The second news bit seems to coincide with the first.

And that is that the finalists on that BBC Worldwide produced show for the high rated "Dancing with the Stars" import from the British Isle is to include Bristol Palin, who's mother also now has a cable news "reality" program on their life in Alaska (a state which has bucket loads of oil that those Brits also wish to control).

Brandy, a far better dancer (and I do have some expertise in that field also, since I did spend many, many hours in dance studios as the mother of daughters, and also trained myself in my younger years) and who was a leader from the outset from all reports was booted in favor of Ms. Palin's progeny.

Bruno was oh, so politically correct after the announcement and shock, and admonished the viewers that their "votes count." As was Brandy's partner, a Russian immigrant who extolled the virtues of this country and its "voting" process.

Right. Although left out just who was doing the counting.

I just wonder, since Brandy did score a repeat performance next week after this travesty, just what other perks she might have received for publicly showing that "stiff upper lip" those Brits are famous for?

I'm sure that isn't a question Jimmy Kimmel will ask tonight during his post-mortem.

The other day I was really shocked when turning on the television. Not only do we now have those Spanish language programs throughout the country which you cannot "unsubscribe" for unless you also buy another device or have a degree in programming, but there was a "new" Asian station in either Japanese or Korean included in the "package" sold by a local cable company in the Western United States.

And remember, America, you ARE paying for this.

In one way or another.

Saturday Night Live Needs An Extreme Makeover

As a boomer who remembers the New York based "Saturday Night Live" from the beginning and watched the very first show, it has amazed me on the very, very few times I have tuned in since those first few seasons the "changes" which have occurred.

Known for its outrageous skits and occasional timely political commentary, it has taken a rather dark turn it appears as of late, and not in a good way.

Always, always liberal in its political focuses, that liberalism also has become simply irrelevance at this point in America's history, and its formerly "gross" humor not even very funny to a large segement of the population, it seems.

And some of the musical entertainment clearly even more far out and just as wacky and politically off the wall for any residing apparently outside New York (or L.A., its sister city).

Cases in point in just the few that I have watched for partial programs the last year (and this IS a show that starts at 10:30 or 11:30 in most of the country, but appears directed more so at a "youth" and younger audience with each decade who mostly are at home up late during the weekend - since as those young comics age also they routinely disappear into either spin offs of their characters in movies or eventual oblivion):

1. A skit in which Tina Fey as a teacher fantasizes over a pre-teenish "student" Justin Bieber(?), a Canadian pop star being marketed in the U.S. to pre-teen girls as "wholesome entertainment."

2. A skit in which a "loving family" mouth kissed mere strangers and extended family members (and their pets) to demonstrate their love for one another at the funeral of a relative, in which one of the family members licked and mouth kissed eventually the deceased laying in a coffin.

3. An entire segment on the Weekend Update segment this past week with Amy Poehler and Seth Myers addressing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policies of gay men and women in the military in the name of "equality." I wouldn't hesitate to guess that the comics and writers on the program support unlimited abortion rights for women under the guise of "privacy," but believe that the "privacy" of gay individuals now serving in the military doesn't also come under those same Constitutional provisions of such a personal and private issue as an individual's sexual preferences?

I mean, just how many in the military who are gay truly want "big brother" to have such intimate and personal information documented in their enlistment papers on government databases?

The rest of the segment was dominated by the blind Governor of New York, inside jokes on the New Yorker-Jerseyite relationship, and the Governor's past term of office and irrelevance at this point in time during the upcoming elections, and his disability with the Governor, of course, then making an appearance alongside the "imposter." None of which I'm sure the other 49 (48 outside Jersey) states would have any interest in as "inside jokes."

4. And also on this particular program, a pop tart star ala another Madonna dressed to Bob Mackie rhinestone excess in glittery teenage cheerleader style mini-dress with backup football players singing a song devoted to having a back seat teenage sex session and while singing the chorus then rubbing her legs suggestively promoting her "skin tight jeans?"

I mean the Bees and Blues Brothers have a place in the history and television archives for this 70's ground breaking comedy, but I just wonder what new drug they are smoking during those writing sessions?

The only segment that appeared even remotely funny was the impersonator of Will Smith ala Eddie Murphy.

Maybe "Home Improvement" needs to do an extreme makeover," from the ground up with new writers. Or better still...

"Live from (take your pick outside New York) it's Saturday Night!" just might clue them in as to what is politically relevant and comic, and just what is just so, so New York, and not "out there" but "in there" in truly messed up New York Gomorrah-land.

Definitely not for that ever-growing Tea Party crowd, or former Republicans and Democrats who are now independent of any political party affiliation.

Those Indians clearly came out with the better deal on this one.

Michael Moore and Larry King Spin on Chilean Rescue, Deepwater

Although I personally watch little television and haven't for quite a number of years with the exception of the weather channel, I was visiting one of those all night markets for a few items and while walking through the electronics department caught about five minutes of an interview Michael Moore had on Larry King last evening.

The short segment I viewed had them discussing the recent rescue of the Chilean miners after 69 days, and all the celebrating that is going on throughout the world on the rescue and positive outcome, and efforts of all those involved.

A monumental moment, that's for sure, given the number of days in which they were trapped.

But then Mr. Moore went on to somehow compare the rescue to the efforts taken during the Deepwater Horizon disaster in Louisiana, and how long it took "us" to plug a seven inch hole, far longer than it took the Chilean government to rescue these trapped workers.

I had to laugh, really, about the comparison and also the "blame" which was levied leaving out much again of just what did occur post-Deepwater.

After all, it didn't take "us" longer to plug that hole, it took the British that long.

Since the entire cleanup and resulting ramifications were transferred by the Obama Administration to that huge global British corporation, with the Coast Guard merely acting mostly as backup and liason on the repair and cleanup efforts. And yes, it certainly did take longer since there really wasn't much of an incentive for the British to plug that hole very rapidly.

Instead, they got permission to drill two MORE wells under those lease agreements with the U.S. government renegotiating the terms in the process of their "take" of America's offshore mineral reserves (while we continue to fight the major battles in the Mideast for the British and European's future oil needs most of all, in addition to continuing to search for bin Laden?).

This is the country whose National Health Care plan Mr. Moore couldn't lavish enough praise and attention to in one of his most recent political docudramas, and how much superior it is to the U.S. in its coverage and affordability.

In a country that has one of the highest tax burdens, and for which many of their citizens have sought citizenship in this country in order to escape. Or Greenland even.

Including my own grandparents back in the 1920's.

With, of course, Larry nodding in agreement at what a mess "we" made of Deepwater.

Which was, after all, the second "accident" by this British global corporation involving the loss of American lives.

While, of course, downplaying in his political docudrama the enormous waits that most of the Canadians also have for non-emergency procedures in their own country under their "better" taxpayer funded plans, who have also been immigrating to the U.S. by the score in the last few decades, at least in the Sunbelt states owning second homes there while being almost full time residents (except those ghastly months of June, July and August when they are on holiday elsewhere somewhat cooler or more temperate, due to their higher currency).

I applaud the Chilean government on a job well done, although do wonder if such were the case in this country, since Canadian and South African companies own the majority of the gold mines in the U.S. (with the U.S. the third country in production after Australia and South Africa - so first our oil, now our gold mineral rights have been outsourced!)...

Just how many more days in such an event would it take for either of those British or formerly British countries global corporations to rescue any trapped American miners?

If Deepwater is any indication of British know-how or priorities?

But then again, I did only watch a very small segment of the program so maybe they got to that later on...

This is not to say also the U.S. health care system is not a mess, but then as what was evident in what recently occurred also in that respect, it doesn't appear the "stakeholders" that were consulted by the Obama Administration for this health care reform had really reform in mind, other than reforming the amount of their "stake" with those new health care mandates and taxes through the backdoor - with absolutely no regulation over those health care costs, or some of these huge megacorporate health care systems and practices in any manner whatsoever.

And although the increasingly bankrupted American people and "market" have been and are continuing to speak out over both their now "British" tax bites, and health care costs, it doesn't seem the Washington "stakeholders" are listening.

I mean, the entire HMO and "corporatized" health care legislation ala Richard Nixon has simply increased costs, not decreased them, so I just wonder also about the much ballyhooed Internet markets and "new" co-op "cheaper" plans which were thrown around in order to placate the masses with this "deform" and just how effective those will be, rather than simply just another "jobs creation" bill at the general public's ultimate expense for the financial sector and medical conglomerates once again.

The Politics of the American Idol Finale

As has everything lately in the United States become, now has the finale of the latest crowning of the new American Idol.

It appears that the brouhaha surrounding the loss of Adam Lambert to Kris Allen on national television this past week is being blamed on religion, of all things, by many in the liberal mass media press.

Mr. Lambert has been represented as the poor maligned Jewish, questionably gay, loser due to the voting of the Christian religious right.

At first, this writer was actually too astounded to believe that such a ludicrous claim could be made for the upset.

But search the net and you will find article after article mainly from East and West coast writers laying the blame again on religion or "discrimination."

If any watched the last installment, it was fairly clear who came out on top. And also which performer had been consistently better able to vocally connect with the audience the past few weeks of the contest.

Also, which performer over-all was more talented and with more likelihood of having a far longer career in the music business.

While Adam Lambert has an incredible stage personae and vocal range, he is at best a novelty act unless and until he decides to mature and dump the theatrics.

Looking back in musical history, it is clear that Kiss, Alice Cooper, Queen and the rest of the shock rockers had their time in rock history, but their longevity was fairly limited insofar as drawing the crowds for performances.

Whereas Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Santana and others with broader range and additional song writing and musical talents have remained a force in the music industry today.

So based on that criteria, who do YOU think actually won?

I rest my case.

But fear not liberals. The controversy that is now surrounding the decision will guarantee Mr. Lambert's career and quite a bit of revenue for at least the next several years.

Where he can then retire to the golf course before 40, as was the case with Alice Cooper, a resident of my former home state of Arizona, and then eventually go on the nostalgia tours.

There is a lesson in there somewhere, Mr. Lambert, and now your career is in your hands.

And congratulations to Kris Allen, since I think we will be seeing you for years to come if your final last four weeks in that competition from all reports were any clue to your potential and future more broad range audience appeal.

And find a new argument, liberals, because the religion card is getting way too old for your sour grapes and political arguments.