AND THEN ALONG CAME JONES

1. . . . Paula Jones, that is. Down in Arkansas where they had those terrible tornadoes. Standing in the crowd listening, while Clinton was talking to the folks about storm damage. (Lurking?) She said she wanted "to see what they're doing to help."
2. . . . She could help out a bit. She just got a check for $850,000. Spread the wealth.
3. Bryant Gumbel's got a good head shot picture of himself. USA TODAY used it in a listing for his HBO Real Sports show on tonight.
4. Monica's Lewinsky's jacket sleeves seemed too long when she was trotting down the lobby of DC's Mayflower Hotel, Too far over the wrists. They'd get in the way if she does the dishes.
5. Isn't it redundant to say, "It's deja vu all over again?"
6. Howie Mandel's Canadian. Who isn't?
7. . . . Are Americans up there all over the place in broadcasting like they are down here?
8. ADS WITHIN ADS. Commercials plugging skiing and tourism for the state of Vermont are brought to you by Cabot Cheddar Cheese and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. Dual message I guess. Let's get all there is to get in, in.
9. . . . It's all about selling something.
10. UH OH. Another one of those combed down, short, little boy haircuts with the shiny gel on it for TV Guide's Jack Curry. Doesn't fit the age.
11. The movie, She's All That, ain't all that. Very young-appealing, high school prom-ish.
12. WHOOPI SAYS: "Be there or be square" in a current Hollywood Squares commercial.
13. They say not to be in the hospital or on a plane when the year 2000 kicks in. A friend of mine's planning to be in a hammock in Bali. Sounds good. Need company?
14. SHUT UP! To Miramax's Harvey Weinstein at the Golden Globes, accepting the producer award for Shakespeare In Love. He went on for five minutes, it seemed. And he got away with it. Didn't get the hook. Too big in the industry to insult?
15. . . . Show needs to be tightened up a bit. The looseness it's been known for is starting to drag.
16. They're barging garbage in Virginia. Say that three times.
17. Monica Lewinsky needs a Pope mobile.
18. . . . And Pamela Anderson got mobbed and grabbed at by "wolfpacks of leering young men" down in Uruguay, yelling and shouting questions at her about her famous X-rated video with former husband Tommy Lee.
19. . . . That was a big seller. Think I'll buy it.
20. SPANISH DOCUMENTARY. Latin actress Salma Hayek's gonna produce a series on the lives of saints. "A sort of Mexican baroque with very fast-paced editing" – MTV-ish? – "and stories full of dramatic tension" – that sounds Dateline-ish. Can't we just make things plain anymore and not always overadd the bells and whistles?
21. Linda Hamilton said former husband James Cameron was a very miserable, unhappy man.
22. . . . How embarrassing was his "I'm king of the world" outburst at last year's Oscars?
23. WANT TO SEE ... October Sky. Looks like it might be good. Sentimental. Boy has dream. From the producer of Field of Dreams. Out February 19.
24. Washington's News7 has a religious reporter – Greta Cruez. That's a niche. (She also anchors their weekend morning news shows.)
25. The music for Central Station sounded good last night on the Globes. (Just from hearing a snippet.)
26. SHOOT 'EM UP MOVIE: Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, from British writer/director Guy Ritchie. Gangster gambling guys from London's East End trash things up a bit for bags of money and guns. Mobster-like violence and fast-talking accents from blokes on the go. Hip and cool. Good direction. Uses stop-action. Interesting soundtrack too. (Full-page picture and article in February Vogue.)
27. TABLOID ATTRIBUTE: Fox News Channel, during their Clinton On Trial coverage last week, put this on the screen as one of its Fox Flashes (instant updates): Is Clinton A Sex Addict? Coming Up On Beyond The News, 7:30. Is that fair and balanced?
28. NBC's calling The 60s, "the movie event of a generation." It might be good. And the music of the period's all over the place. Three Dog Night's Easy To Be Hard (from Hair) sounds good.
29. The IOC: Shamed.
30. Are those Seinfeld/American Express commercials funny with the bike? The one I saw wasn't.
31. No more Good Morning America/Sunday. Last show, February 28. The energies are being spent on the Monday through Friday show.
32. Now they're branding over at Biography: Biography For Kids. A recent one was on Amelia Earhart.
33. NOTICED: Movie critic Michael Medved was talking-heading about ... Social Security, the other day on MSNBC with that blonde shouter host John somebody. He was identified as a Syndicated Radio Host. Nothing about movies.
34. NEW THING. Nicorette gum comes in mint flavor now. Will that make more people quit?
35. Sharon Stone's got big hair in her Gloria flick. (I think that one was sitting on the shelf awhile.)
36. COTTAGE INDUSTRY: Fixing the escalators in Washington, DC's metro. Try walking up or down Dupont Circle once or twice.
37. James Brolin has a bouncy walk in those AAMCO commercials.
38. Can I eat less fiber now?
39. Is Dr. Ross leaving the hospital?
40. GONE CABLE. Paula Zahn to Fox News Channel.
41. . . . And Harry Smith's leaving CBS too, for A&E's Biography. I'll miss his Travels With Harry pieces. He's a good writer and he's good with average, regular people.
42. . . . And once upon a time, Charlie Gibson was gonna go to Biography. My, how things change.
43. UH ... Once Upon A Time--Rochell & The Candles, from 1961, on Swingin' Records.

rocci@roccifisch.com

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