Borat More Influential Than Bush?

THE LEFT COAST REPORT
A Political Look at Hollywood

1. Borat More Influential Than Bush?

Americans are hooked on lists.

Media outlets are constantly publishing lists of people who are the most beautiful, rich, talented, fascinating, smart, thin, sexy, etc., etc.

Time magazine recently joined in on the list craze by releasing a roster of The 100 Most Influential People in the World. In the process, it managed to generate publicity by giving President George W. Bush a major snub — he's not on the list at all.

Adding to the list's absurdity, Time included Borat, a made-up character played by Britain's Sacha Baron Cohen. Cohen makes Don Imus look like Don Knotts.

Time's list has 29 women and 71 men from 27 different nations including the queen of England, Oprah Winfrey, Kate Moss, Michael J. Fox, George Clooney and Brad Pitt.

Maybe Time's next list could be The 100 Most Expendable Magazines.

2. Slammer Time for Paris Hilton

It looked like a red carpet event.

Outside the courthouse, cameras flashed and fans swooned.

Paris Hilton showed up 20 minutes late for her probation violation hearing, dabbing on makeup prior to waltzing in.

Evidently, Paris thought she could use the Debra LaFave defense in court; that her prominent presence in the courtroom would make the judge realize that she was far too beautiful to go to prison.

It may have worked for LaFave, but not for Hilton. Los Angeles Judge Michael Sauer, apparently unimpressed with Hilton's celebrity status, sentenced her to 45 days in the slammer. She was ordered to report to her new accommodations on June 5.

Hilton's home for a potential month and a half will be a cell in a Lynwood, Calif. detention center for women. Like her fellow inmates, she'll wear an orange jumpsuit and be confined to a 12-by-8 foot space. If she wants to primp, she'll have to use the polished metal plate that's provided to see her reflection.

She won't be eating any gourmet meals either. The incarcerated heiress will get only one hot meal per day, with two other cold fowl-based ones.

TV execs are already buzzing about the potential for a "Paris in Prison" show. But the possibility still exists that she'll escape punishment.

After an appeal is filed, Paris may be allowed to remain free on bail. Or she may follow the pattern of another celebrity.

In 2006, then "Lost" actress Michelle Rodriguez started a 60-day jail sentence for violating probation after a driving-under-the-influence arrest in Hawaii. She was released in mere hours due to an overcrowded prison situation.

Hilton's mouthpiece, renowned celeb counsel Howard Weitzman, has indicated that he will file an appeal. His defense is his client's fame and the two-tiered justice system it purportedly produces.

"She's been selectively targeted in my opinion to be prosecuted because of who she is," Weitzman said.

After hearing her fate in court, Hilton told photographers gathered outside her home, "I feel that I was treated unfairly and that the sentence is both cruel and unwanted and I don't deserve this."

Still, in terms of public behavior, Paris has been pushing the envelope for a long time.

The fact of the matter is she presented a real danger to the public when she was driving in an intoxicated state and was put on probation instead of jail. The court gave her conditional mercy.

When Hilton ignored the conditions of her probation, she chose jail for herself. She's not being punished for being Paris. She's being punished for committing a crime.

3. Liberal Agenda 'Never Sleeps'

Execs at 20th Century Fox have secured the rights to a sequel of the 1987 Oliver Stone film, "Wall Street."

In the film, Michael Douglas portrays the Hollywood clichéd "evil businessman." Douglas' character, Gordon Gecko, enunciates in the movie his life's maxim: "Greed is good."

Producer Edward R. Pressman will produce the sequel to "Wall Street" as well. It's titled "Money Never Sleeps."

A far more mature Douglas will pick up where he left off, victimizing others this time through the use of 21st century technology and derivative investment vehicles.

Stone will not direct the sequel, but the image of business will likely get another Tinseltown kick in the teeth.

Ironically, while Fox News Channel's new business cable network is being launched, Rupert Murdoch, chairman and CEO of parent company News Corp., is attempting a takeover bid for Dow Jones, parent company of The Wall Street Journal.

Sounds to me like Murdoch "never sleeps."

4. Don Imus vs. CBS Radio — $120-Million at Stake

First Amendment lawyer Martin Garbus, Don Imus's attorney, must be mighty pleased.

Imus is expected to file a lawsuit against CBS asking for $120 million in damages. He has what looks like a very strong case.

Here's what CBS's lawyers have to contend with:

Imus gave the network what they had bargained for. The contract between Imus and CBS contains a clause that describes the talk host's services as "unique, extraordinary, irreverent, intellectual, topical, controversial and personal character and these components are desired by company and are consistent with company rules and policies," according to a copy of the complaint obtained by ABC News.

After the remarks were made, CBS waited two weeks before firing Imus. If the remarks were bad enough to jeopardize his contract, why did CBS wait so long to take action?

Imus' show was on a five-second delay that allowed the network to censor anything that would pose a problem. How is it that the Rutgers remarks ever made it to the air?

Imus's agreement requires that before a firing can occur, CBS must provide a warning. According to his lawyer, Imus never received one.

CBS is likely to argue that the termination was allowed because the remarks in question would be those that the network believed "would not be in the public interest or may jeopardize [the network's] Federal license to operate . . ."

Still, Imus's statements, although offensive, weren't even the kind of legally profane material that would allow the FCC to levy a fine.

5. Harry Potter's Girlfriend Gets Enhanced Photo Treatment

Maybe it was force of habit.

In a poster promoting the Imax 3D version of Warner Bros' "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," 17-year-old Emma Watson who plays 15-year-old Hermione Granger looks markedly different.

The actress appears in the poster with a digitally enhanced bust line. But that's not all. Her waist appears smaller and her hair blonder.

Young fans of the "Potter" books and films have responded by posting angry missives on the Internet and sending messages to Warner Bros.

The flack coming at the studio has been severe enough for some wizard-like damage control to be implemented. Warner Bros. issued a press release suggesting it was all an accident.

"This is not an official poster. Unfortunately this image was accidentally posted on the Imax website. The mistake was promptly rectified and the image taken down," according to the release.

The Left Coast Report is put together by James L. Hirsen and the staff of NewsMax — The Left Coast Report Archives

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