Academy Rejects Public’s Fave ‘Juno’

The Oscar trend continues with members of the Academy seemingly living in a different universe than the film-going public.

Mostly shunned at the 80th Annual Academy Awards was the uplifting, light-hearted surprise hit “Juno” (won Best Original Screenplay), but honored with major awards were two dark and violent offerings; this despite the fact that “Juno” had a significantly greater box-office take than any of its competitors.

“No Country for Old Men,” a story about an insane murderer, took Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture trophies, while “There Will Be Blood,” the tale of a brutally sadistic oil tycoon, was the recipient of Best Cinematography and Best Actor gold statues.

Hollywood ignored the box-office and turned a blind’s eye to a recent Reuters/E-Poll survey as well, one in which “Juno” beat the competition again. In a poll of 1,100 adults, 29% of respondents chose “Juno” for best picture, 25% picked “No Country For Old Men” and 20% “Atonement.”

More significantly, the survey confirmed the growing gap between fans and Academy voters. About 72% said the Academy’s best film choices were influenced by critics and Hollywood insiders.

James Hirsen is a media analyst, Trinity Law School professor and teacher of mass media law at Biola University.

Britney Spears Files a Civil Rights Lawsuit

Attorney Jon Eardley, who purports to represent Britney Spears, has filed documents in an L.A. U.S. District Court to move Britney’s conservatorship case from the Los Angeles County Superior Court to federal court. Eardley maintains offices in Washington, D.C., Jericho, NewYork, and Whittier, California.

Eardley claims in court papers that, without due process, Spears “is being confined by the conservator to the private prison of her own home,” and he contends that this is a violation of her civil rights.

After Britney twice spent time in a psychiatric ward, Superior Court Commissioner Reva Goetz placed her in a temporary conservatorship under her father Jamie and his attorney Andrew Wallet. The order will continue until a scheduled hearing on March 10.

“I see the case as a civil rights case,” Eardley told People magazine. “These are issues of confinement. Very serious confinement. Not allowed to contact her friends. Not allowed to use the phone. Not allowed to come and go as you please. Bodyguards controlling you and so forth.”

Under the terms of the conservatorship, Spears lacks the capacity to hire her own lawyer without the approval of her conservators.

Spears’ civil rights case is unlikely to be heard by the federal court.

When an individual is determined by a court to be unable to handle his or her own affairs, a conservatorship is established. By definition, anyone who is placed in a conservatorship could claim that his or her civil rights have been violated.

This area of the law, though, is handled exclusively by state courts, and therefore a federal judge would be extremely reluctant to get involved.

Interestingly, a copy of Eardley’s filing was delivered to the L.A. Superior Court by Spears’ former manager Sam Lufti’s publicist, Michael Sands.

Sands also handled publicity matters for Mark Vincent Kaplan, the lawyer who represents Spears’ ex-husband Kevin Federline.

With this cast of characters the only question is: When will the “Six Degrees of Britney” game come out?

In other celebrity-related legal news, Paris Hilton is being investigated by the L.A. Department of Animal Services

It turns out that during a recent appearance on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show,” Hilton made mention of the number of dogs that she owns.

“I have 17 dogs — lots … They all sleep in my bed – well, not all of them, but I let some of them,” the heiress divulged.

Paris explained that she has so many dogs because “they keep having babies, and I feel bad about giving them away.”

Officials from the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services apparently watch the “Ellen” show, because after the revelation they showed up at Hilton’s home to inspect.

The city of L.A. has an ordinance that allows three pets per home unless the pet owner happens to be a commercial breeder.

Since Hilton wasn’t at home at the time of the officials’ visit, they left a “notice to comply” [with the law] form for her perusal.

While contending with her pet violations, Hilton has also had to deal with some stinky reviews of her new movie, “’The Hottie and The Nottie.”

Users of the Internet Movie Database voted the flick the worst movie ever made.

On a scale of 1-10, film fans gave it a 1.2—not a hottie, but a really big nottie.

James Hirsen is a media analyst, Trinity Law School professor and teacher of mass media law at Biola University.

Suspension Coming for Keith Olbermann?

Howard Wolfson, communications director for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, called it “disgusting” and “beneath contempt.”

He characterized it as something that “should never be said on a national news network.”

He also brought up the Chris Matthews apology, the one in which the “Hardball” host said he was sorry for suggesting that Hillary’s political success was due to her spouse having had an affair with an intern.

“At some point,” Wolfson said, “you have to question whether there is a pattern at this particular network.”

What’s the “it” that has Wolfson so exercised?

Well, Wolfson’s remarks were about David Shuster and the comments the fill-in host made about Chelsea Clinton’s campaign role. Shuster used the words “pimped out” in reference to the campaign’s use of Chelsea to recruit Democratic Party super delegates in support of her mother.

Most would agree that the remarks were regrettable, but what about the “pattern” to which Wolfson referred?

The subject network here is none other than MSNBC. But the unnamed perpetrator of the “pattern” is one of its most outspoken and opinionated hosts, Keith Olbermann.

Olbermann is billed on NBC and MSNBC as a journalist. He has called one of his favorite targets, Fox News’ “Factor” host Bill O’Reilly, a “passive-aggressive racist.”

This is the same Olbermann who in narrating an NFL play described a punt return by Roscoe Parrish, a wide receiver who happens to be African-American, as “Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles at its finest.”

Olbermann also described a supposed conversation between Bill Clinton and Bill Richardson, the New Mexico governor of Hispanic descent, in which Clinton was “asking Richardson for an endorsement and then, ‘would you please pass the guacamole?’”

The “Countdown” host also said that the Bush administration was an example of facism, claiming that it was similar to The Third Reich, and compared Fox News to the Nazis as well.

Meanwhile Shuster profusely apologized to the Clintons and in return was given a suspension.

The suspension was apparently not enough for Hillary. The senator and presidential candidate wrote a letter to president of NBC Steve Capus, which stated that “no temporary suspension or half-hearted apology is sufficient” for the language that Shuster used.

Hillary also asked Capus to “look at the pattern of behavior on your network that seems to repeatedly lead to this sort of degrading language.”

As long as Capus is looking, maybe he ought to take a glance in Olbermann’s direction.

James Hirsen is a media analyst, Trinity Law School professor and teacher of mass media law at Biola University.

More Hollywood Bucks Go Barack Obama’s Way

Just before the Super Duper Tuesday showdown, Hollywood’s coffers opened up and the Obama campaign reaped the benefit.

Obama continues to generate enthusiasm and excitement from the Hollywood community, which identifies with the Illinois senator’s charisma and star power.

Tinseltown’s love affair with Obama has translated into additional campaign cash for the presidential hopeful.

Contributions have come in from A-listers that include George Clooney and Eddie Murphy.

Barbra Streisand continues to play both sides, endorsing and introducing Hillary Clinton at an L.A. fundraiser and giving money to Obama as well, according to the Associated Press.

One recent night in Beverly Hills garnered $1.3 million for Obama’s campaign. Donations came from Hollywood hotshots that included Paramount Pictures studio chief Brad Grey, Walt Disney Studios chairman Richard Cook and Universal Studios honcho Ron Meyer.

The event itself had been arranged by DreamWorks studio founders Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen.

Attendees of the event included Spielberg, Murphy, Jennifer Anniston and Jackson Browne. Gatherers listened attentively to Obama as he told them that they [actors and filmmakers] have “enormous power” that comes with “enormous responsibility.”

“Don’t sell yourselves short,” Barack said. “You are the storytellers of our age.”

The cost of a ticket to the event was the maximum individual donation allowed for a federal campaign: $2,300.

Even though Spielberg was one of the hosts of the event, he had previously endorsed Hillary (in 2007), saying, “I’ve taken the time to familiarize myself with the impressive field of Democratic candidates and am convinced that Hillary Clinton is the most qualified candidate to lead us from her first day in the White House.”

In other Obama news, in an apparent effort to cut into Barack’s support within the African-American community, Hillary’s other half, former President Bill Clinton, took to the L.A. pulpits.

In turn, the Obama campaign unleashed its own not-so-secret weapon—Oprah Winfrey.

The daytime queen was joined by Obama’s wife Michelle and legendary singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder at a “Get Out The Vote Rally” at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion.

Showing that she doesn’t necessarily share the politics of her governor husband Arnold Schwarzenegger, California’s First Lady Maria Shriver made a surprise appearance.

Tens of thousands of exuberant Obama supporters were in attendance as Oprah restarted her personal endorsement tour.

Oprah’s reemergence could help Obama with women voters, a group that has in the past displayed affection for Hillary Clinton.

Oprah moved the crowd to resounding cheer when she said, “I’m not voting for Barack Obama because he’s black. I’m voting for Barack Obama because he’s brilliant!”

James Hirsen is a media analyst, Trinity Law School professor and teacher of mass media law at Biola University.