Category: people

“Spanish officials have been accused of not doing enough to promote Cervantes, … [and] the criticism has taken on a distinctly political flavor. … Spanish officials insist that such criticism is misplaced, saying the government never sought to take full control over how Cervantes should be honored, nor foot the entire bill for the celebration.”

“A list of the top 50 music millionaires in the UK and Ireland puts the singer’s £85m fortune in 30th place – an increase of £35m compared to last year. The only female singer with a bigger fortune on the list – which also covers Ireland – is Irishwoman Enya on £91m.”

Thus spake the deity: “So as I was talking with Margaret about this show last week …, we started wondering, wouldn’t it be something if we could go back to New Jersey, back to that club with the same audience and try to make things right? Have a discussion where both sides – comedian and audience – could talk about what happened? And then both of us could do a show – a sort of redo for the audience?”

“There was a time when you could walk around London or New York and see these gaunt faces, marked with sarcomas, and everyone you hung out with was dying. The official culture was in denial. Sometimes it was easier to be.”

“No one in American culture enjoys the status that comedian Victoria Wood had in Britain. To find an equivalent, you have to combine Richard Pryor, Allan Sherman, and Joan Rivers – at least when it comes to the role she played in British society.”

“The list is not comprehensive, but it is a representative sample of the people in power on the commercial side of the art world.”

“In almost four hours of conversation in Los Angeles this winter, the artist and critic met and talked honestly about why the art world has been so hostile to Franco and other celebrities who try to enter it – and what drives Franco to continue, hostility be damned.”

“Hollywood is only as interesting as the rest of the country. Hollywood thinks, ‘We’re separate, we’re cool, we’re gorgeous, we’re glamorous, we walk on red carpets all day.’ Guess what? You’re all just as kookaburra as the rest of us.”