http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/howard_gensler RSS Feed for DN Col Howard Gensler en-us Thu, 24 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/howard_gensler/153335475.html Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King, R-N.Y., charged Wednesday that the CIA and Defense Department jeopardized national security by cooperating too closely with Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal on their movie about the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. King first raised questions about the bin Laden movie last summer. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/howard_gensler/20120523_Howard_Stern_isn_rsquo_t_ruining__ldquo_America_rsquo_s_Got_Talent__rdquo__but_something_is.html “America’s Got Talent” is off to a slow start this summer and reasons why abound. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/howard_gensler/20120522_Arab__lsquo_Transformers_rsquo__on_Chinese_marquees.html The whole world is going Hollywood. But is this a good thing? http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/howard_gensler/20120521_Cannes_protestors_want_more_sexual_parity.html Even in the world of entertainment, somebody’s always mad about something. At the Cannes Film festival, five women from French feminist group La Barbe took to protesting on the red carpet due to the lack of female directors at this year’s fest. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/howard_gensler/20120518_Taylor_Swift_teaches_country_about_giving.html Taylor Swiftis donating $4 million to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum to fund the Taylor Swift Education Center, an exhibit and classroom space scheduled to open in 2014 and offer music education to children and seniors. “In terms of what it will allow us to do, we do education very well now,” museum director Kyle Young said. “It will allow us to do what we do better, serve more people, develop new programs and I’m happy to say that as we talked through this opportunity with Taylor, she very much wants to be involved in an advisory capacity in what we do. Is there a better person out there who’s in touch with a young audience? I think not. I was joking we should be paying her to do that. I was only joking.” http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/howard_gensler/20120517_Jennifer_Lopez__She_rsquo_s_queen_of_the_world.html Jennifer Lopez has been named Forbes’ most powerful celebrity on the money magazine’s annual list. Without a daily TV show and with a failing TV network, Oprah Winfrey fell all the way to No. 2. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/howard_gensler/20120516_Ellen_makes_her_mark_on_Twain.html IT’S BEEN QUITE a week for gays: “The New Normal” was picked up by NBC; the “E! True Hollywood Story” for Joan and Melissa Rivers aired on Mother’s Day; the president came out in favor of gay marriage; and Ellen DeGeneres was named the winner of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Ellen is being honored for her stand-up work, daytime show, activism and books. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/howard_gensler/20120515_Living_large__Simpson_starts_maternity_line.html In a move predicted by Tattle and shocking no one, new mom Jessica Simpson is launching a maternity line. Jessica, 31, who gave birth to daughter Maxwell Drew Johnson on May 1, announced Monday a partnership between Camuto Group, the master licensee behind her label, and retailer Destination Maternity. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/howard_gensler/20120514_ABC_tries_daredevil_programming.html GET READY GHOULS, ABC is prepping a show for next month in which you’ll be able to wait breathlessly for three hours to see if a daredevil plunges to his death. The alphabet network is turning Nik Wallenda’s attempted tightrope walk through the mist and wind over Niagara Falls into a prime-time TV event on June 15. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/howard_gensler/20120511_Reese_Witherspoon_has_two_mommies.html Just as Reese Witherspoon has found some romantic stability in her own life, her parents situation — perfect for reality TV — may muck it all up. Reese’s mom, Mary Elizabeth Witherspoon has filed a petition of annulment to wipe out her husband’s recent second marriage.