Grrrrr

I am irritated and don't know where to begin.  First of all, the New York Post and the general media stalking Mark Zuckerberg and his bride on their honeymoon.  Really?  Yesterday, big photo of them eating McDonald's and being ripped to shreds for being cheap.  Even on the Today Show, "Today's Professionals" took on this topic.  Really?  What if they just went through touring the Colosseum and they were hungry and just wanted to grab some quick food?  It's such a waste of newspaper space and airwaves space.  Today's Post had a photo of a receipt from a restaurant that showed no tip left.  Okay, really?  In all of my travels to Europe, gratuities are usually included.  America is the exception so they are trying to make a story out of nothing.  And in truth, Mark Zuckerberg may be cheap.  He wouldn't be the first billionaire/entrepreneur to be cheap.  Enough, please.

Speaking of the Today Show, Ann Curry has got to go.  I am sorry, really.  She seems like a nice person but she is so clearly out of her comfort zone, which makes us (viewers) uncomfortable.  Yesterday, she had Star Jones and a media image consultant, Steve Adubato, on to talk about Justin Bieber's altercation with a paparazzo.  Star Jones was speaking about the legal ramifications.  The media image consultant started to speak about the people that Justin Bieber is hanging out with like Mike Tyson, Floyd Meriweather, 50 Cent.  Ann Curry couldn't have shut him down faster.  It was the oddest thing.  Did the producers scream in her ear to get off that topic?  It is the topic.  Adubato may be correct:  "Take a look at Justin Bieber's image for a long time," said Adubato. "Right now what he is portraying is ... an impressive, sharp image. ... He's hanging around with some folks that I would argue from an image and branding point of view -- he's looking to shift. He's hanging around with Floyd Mayweather, he's getting boxing lessons from Mike Tyson, he's with 50 Cent, and that's all well and good, but he's clearly making a shift in terms of how he wants to present himself to the public." Ann Curry didn't want to go down that path.  Were they concerned that they'd piss someone off and they wouldn't come on the show?  It was weird and Ann Curry didn't handle it with aplomb.  Why have a media image consultant on if you don't want his input?  

Sidebars:  Anybody hating the "evolved" annoying bottom of the television screen ads?  I can't stand it.  This week on NBC (which means it must be a Universal film) every show has a bump on the screen promoting in theatres June 1 for Snow White and the Huntsman.  It is invasive and more annoying than the last annoying incarnation of ads on the screen.  House ended its series last week.  When I wrote last week, I hadn't watched the first hour, which was a retrospective of the 8 seasons.  It was much more than that.  Hugh Laurie paid homage to everyone involved in the show.  Craft services, AD, casting directors, set builders, everyone.  It was the most gracious finale that I have ever seen.  It was the only time that a star of any series did anything like that.  Left an incredibly good taste in my mouth, so to speak.  America's Got Talent is wearing on me already.  I have been on the bandwagon since the first season. I love this throwback to yesteryear, but NBC is doing its best to grind it into the ground.  It's on all the time. They are repeating hours that you have already seen.  Howard Stern is fine, but hasn't so far been controversial or disrespectful, which was the fear of all those right wing parent groups.  The NBA semi-finals have started: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics.  As long as the Heat don't win, I'm good.  

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