I Found Some Blog...by Cher Scholar

Cher Tour News and Beaches

Cher News and Cher World have posted pics of Cher's recent appearance at Los Angeles International airport (left).  

Cher News also posted some tour news:

http://chernews.blogspot.com/2012/03/news-round-up-chers-new-tour.html
http://chernews.blogspot.com/2012/02/cher-must-have-found-what-she-was.html
http://chernews.blogspot.com/2012/02/chers-concert-coming-to-kansas.html

No album news yet, but since the tour is officially starting in September, the album will probably be delayed until near then. Sad face. Cher says most likely the tour will start in Kansas (Cher Scholar Tyler must be very happy!)

I don't know what to feel about this tour business. Of course I love buying tour memorabilia. But my non-Cher-friends are more than mildly irritated about the KISS-like renegation of the plenitude of said farewells. My long-suffering husband will probably go again with me (even if it means traveling to Denver or Phoenix because Albuquerque only hosts has-beens and tribute bands) but I will hear plenty of shame-speech when all my peeps find out about this.

And I can't say it's undeserved. This is one of the hardships of being a Cher fan.

But who can shake a stick at another tour book? Not obsessed me!

I'm glad the opening song will change from "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" (hire a detective already) to "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me." That's somewhat of a bright spot. I hope the song list changes in other ways, too.

I never thought I'd be saying this, but a set of covers would be refreshing about now. I never thought I'd live to see the day of Cher doing one Greatest Hits tour, let alone three (Believe, Farewell, Caesars Palace). I used to pine for that.

But it would be swell if Cher sang some old catalogue tunes, as a nod to the events going on in this primary election (something like "It’s a Man’s World" or "Do Right Woman").

When I was 8, I adored Cher’s version of Aretha Franklin's "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" (if you want a do-right woman, you gotta be a do-right man). I found the song on the first S&C album I ever bought with my own money, The Beat Goes On (a compilation unbeknownst to me). It was 1978 and I was at Record Bar with my defacto bff Krissy and her older brother. I had five dollars and the album was $7.35. Krissy’s brother spotted me the extra dough to get the record. I made my parents listen to it. I remember the night well. It was in St. Louis, the piece of furniture that was our record player taking up a whole wall of our “nice” room, my parents sitting in our “nice chairs.” Mom and Dad were not completely won over but they begrudgingly said they liked "Do Right Woman."

I say defacto bff, because Krissy had another “official” bff, albeit a bff she never played with. I was the constant day-after-day dependable stand-in, a theatrical part I’ve played over and over again in my life with bffs in high school and college. No matter what frustrations my friends have with their “official” bffs, I always feel that someday they will return to them and I will be bff-less.

I’ve tried to believe over the years that this doesn’t bother me. But when I heard about how former Cher-Show-writer Iris Rainer Dart wrote the movie Beaches with Cher in mind, I had to face a painful truth. It did bother me that I was always a stand-in-bff which is why I never wanted to see the movie Beaches. I was jealous of bffs. My bffness made me sad and I avoided the movie and its insipid popularity for decades. In fact, my high school defacto bff, Lisa, even said the movie reminded her of her "official" bff Nellie (Nellie is also my good friend and a very talented showgirl). Nellie couldn’t come to Lisa’s wedding so I was the Maid of Stand-in Honor. Which I was happy to do because I loved my friend Lisa. I wasn’t bitter about it. Just jealous.

I finally forced myself to watch the movie last weekend. And it was awful. Honestly. The performances were awful. The dialogue was awful. My husband left the room it was so awful. I didn’t even find the bff relationship plausible and Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey had no chemistry. It was sort of a relief. Now I can move on. But yeah…Barbara Hershey’s lips plump up half way through the movie. Remember all the brouhaha about that? Those were the days of lip-plumping innocence.

And which part was supposed to be for Cher? I didn’t get Cher playing C.C. Bloom at all.

 

The Long Lost Blog Post

Geez...it's been since June 6!! Uhh....I took the summer off. :-)

Well, here's what really happened (very little of it keeping up with Cher): I was mired in some day-job woes, culminating in not having a work computer for a week. My husband and I been searching for a larger place to shack-up in here in Santa Fe. Now we're packing to move into the new place we found just down the street. I had my birthday weekend at the water park in Albuquerque. Been working with some friends on sample illustrations for a book of poems and I took a new ceramics class at Santa Fe Community College. OH...and my uterus has lost its mind. Many gynecology appointments and a (normal) biopsy later, I am finding a moment to write this blog.

But the good news is....during this time Cher zine 3 has gone through its layout and we’re in the final stage of checking and soon printing. Lots of great stuff in there!

But in the last two months, lots of current Cher news has passed me by. So to recap…

There was a special screening of Come Back to the 5 and Dine, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean in New  York City at the Walter Reade Theater on July 15 that was followed by a Q&A with the production designer David Gropman, production executive Peter Newman and the distributor Ira Deutchman. The screening was presented by UCLA Film & Television Archive's preservation project at their Biennial Festival of Preservation. The Film Society of Lincoln Center hosted.

http://www.filmlinc.com/press/entry/film-society-to-host-new-york-engagement-of-ucla-festival-of-preservation

A review of the screening: http://altscreen.com/07/14/2011/friday-editors-pick-come-back-to-the-five-and-dime-jimmy-dean-jimmy-dean-1982-2/

Zookeeper came out! (Cher at premiere above and below) I really enjoyed Zookeeper. Critics have been harsh but then critics always hate the feel-good love story. It’s been done so many times, you know. But they actually do the trick of making one feel good. So, there you go. Cher was way underrepresented in animal dialogue (but it was her character Janet’s idea for Kevin James to go on a date with his co-worker...which was a crucial plot point). To hear her sing Boston’s "More Than a Feeling" during the end credits with the other animal cast members more than made up for the price of the ticket. I was in Cher-singing-random-songs Heaven. My trip to the movie was not without drama though. I went alone and arrived early. A huge Caucasian family (grandma in tow) completely surrounded me, passing their popcorn and drinks over me without so much as an excuse us. And then kept giving me annoyed glances as if I were the rude one. Note to parents, if you’re going to a movie with 12 family members who insist on sitting together, get there on the early side. Don't expect everyone there to accommodate you.

The movie had lots of zoo jokes. Everyone enjoyed it. Kevin James’ brother Dave in the movie looks like ICANN's CEO Rod Beckstrom. I liked the crazy Asian character--geat break from stereotype. I enjoyed the sweet wedding scene the best…the leads had chemistry. The Bromance with Gorilla Nick Nolte was also fun. Ironically, the animal scenes could have been funnier.

News came out in Entertainment Weekly this summer that Jane Lynch took the Nun role in the Three Stooges movie. I can’t say I’m devastated by this news. Although it must be fun to make comedies, Cher’s true acting gift is doing dramatic roles and I wish we’d see more of those. The best parts of Burlesque were when Cher was in a bit of drama. Cher cries and we cry.

Becoming Chaz’s has earned an emmy nomination.
http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/07/chaz-bono-becoming-emmy-nominee

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/people/news/article_1651272.php/Chaz-Bono-good-for-OWN-delivers-first-Emmy-Nomination

Speaking of World of Wonder productions, Drag U season 2 has been keeping me GOING the past month with its feel-good female empowerment messages. I even bought RuPaul's book "Workin It." This season they've had some butch lesbians in want of some dragging, which further reinforces the idea that clothes serve more as a uniform than representation of un-evolving identity. All the women seem to get a confidence boost from a few days as a Drag Queen. There's power to mine in big hair and sequins, there really is. And pink is just a a color, not an identity statement.

Cher turned up on the Bullseye page of Entertainment Weekly this summer and not in the good part of the page…she was in the far-off-center part: “Cher plans on touring long into her retirement. See? Another Mermaid in a wheelchair” (referring to Bette Midler as the other mermaid in a wheelchair).  She won't escape crap for a fake-retirement tour.

A clip of Cher and her mother Georgia singing together has surfaced. I love, love, love this. Hope this clip is a hint of more country to come from a new Cher release. You gotta do these things while you can.

My cousin has tipped me off to Cher Sidewalk (part of the Heavy Metal Parkinglot series) although it turns out Cher fans are not as hilariously dopey as 1986 Judas Priest fans.

In the wayback files, Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour costume designer Ret Turner(all the costumes Bob Mackie didn't do) is interviewed.

That's all for now....I hear I have a lot of Cher tweets to catch up on.

  

A Cher's Eye View (Cher Tweets)

The pics in this post are from Cher's tweets. For instance, Cher takes a picture of her feet. Who hasn't done that??? That's my favorite one!

There are many cool developments in Cher-tweet-land...Cher's eye view pictures being the best. It's like...could you do a tweet an autobiography?

Some ask, "Is it really Cher tweeting?" It doesn't seem too foolish to believe that she is. The tweets are honest, peppery, emotional and even occasionally humanly mundane...and contain a quality of vagueness beyond what an assistant or publicist would contribute.

That said, when folks criticize her spelling and grammar--it's ludicrous. Seriously, Twitter is the land of C U Ltr. It seems these people are just poking Cher with a stick is what that is all about.

Which is why when Cher asks: "If people don't like me then why not just stay away & follow who They Love?" and "I must b very naïve cause I still don’t understand why people who don’t like me come here? Seems mean 4 no reason"  My opinion: they come to get a rise out of Cher…which they are more likely to get with something negative than something positive.

Cher in Nepal: Last night John made me watch a National Geographic show about Big Foot in Nepal.

So anyway, I’m behind with the Cher tweets…does that make me a bad fan? Make no mistake, I love the tweets. Cher is very generous with her tweet time.

"Ok let’s pick a topic & talk to each other! Something u think I won’t answer! Let’s stay away from XXX! We respect one another" Mar 23

I’m 35 text pages behind!!!  Cher has been a tweet'n fool too. And pouring over them feels like trying to uncover mysteries in biblical texts.

In any case, there is no need for Cher to defend her tweets with dyslexia. ("Dyslexia SORE spot 4 me! School was hell! Said I was lazy.” Mar 23) Even if she wasn't dyslexic, she can freakin tweet any way she wants.

Anyway, back to September of last year: Cher is loving on Lady Gaga’s VMA dress and she was just getting her tootsies squished into Grauman’s Chinese Theater ("the impossible dream of a tiny 4 yr old come True!" and "the first time ever someone got to throw glitter all over it." Nov 18). Again, Cher laments “I feel my Best Pictures are behind me” which boggles the mind. I feel like we’ve been hearing this since Believe and there have been amazing amazing pictures since then, The Vanity Fair pics are really beautiful. Stand right up there with anything from the 70s or 80s.

I "liked" Cher on Facebook (as I was told to do Sept 30)

I love this picture...an near-Cher-view of a fan getting his All I Ever Need Is You (1972) album signed in New York City (posted Nov 11). I love that album. I really do.

You haven’t seen the last of me is now in Cher's top 5 songs she's done. Oct 23...says Burlesque isn’t Shakespeare and is predictable but is beautiful and fun. Indeed.

Says Zimmerman is writing for teen Disney show, Shake it Up and Cher was sad when she lost half a years worth of texts between her and Rz...“I’m desolate! They were precious 2 me” (Mar 14) This reminds me of the heartache of losing creative and personal work from computer crashes. Technology has a sucky side. Which is why I'm wary of using document scanners for important docs. A fire seems less likely than a computer crash.

Cher thanked her fans for the last night in her three-year Vegas run: “packed audience on their feet for nearly the whole show! They screamed and yelled with excitement and delight" Feb 8

Cher now has a YouTube station: http://www.youtube.com/cher but there's not much on it yet

Cher often expresses concern for friends in surgery or sick. She expressed honest disappointment about the Oscars shunning for Best Song, “Would u like Some Cheese 2 go with that WHINE!” Jan 26  (her own "Snap out of it!")

She raises the interesting identity question: "Why would someone pretend to be me. It’s meaningless 4 them. Instead of making them feel more…it must make them feel less” Nov 6

She "Didn’t know caps were shouting! Sorry! I’m SO out of the loop. Probably out of the loop Is outa the loop" Feb 23

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two gorgeous pics of Lovely Cher backstage before Vegas Caesars shows.

"Who or What is Cher Lloyd" Mar 15 (Cher Lloyd is who clogs up my Cher google searches, that’s who!)…this comment causes drama to ensue from Cher Lloyd's minions: "I guess I live in a cave. No Disrespect meant !" The next day she apologizes for not knowing tweet etiquette (who does?) "give me a fn break here…There’s rm 4 both she has more followers cool! There truly is lots a rm! It’s a Big planet!"

Which is nice of Cher to say...but...honestly...can we be honest here in the 5th decade?...the planet does not have room for most celebrities, which is why they fade away predictably within months, years or a decade at most. Cher takes up a lot of planet room….nothing against thousands of other celebs who didn’t make it 5 decades…it’s just…you know...the odds are not good for Cher Lloyd. I could be wrong. Let’s touch base in 20 years. If I’m wrong. I’ll eat my hat.

People are asking questions (I'm so jealous!) but we only get to see the answer and I am forced to guess at the questions:

"long blk straight, But I try to make it wavy. Only works in Maui" Mar 15 (Is your hair straight or wavy?)

"true ! Broke it long ago ! Compound fract. but was in rehearsal 4 a show wore cast 2 wks Dr said 'you'll pay' " May 15 (Was it true you broke your toe?)

"Neon Pink on toes Metallic rose glitter on fingers Not deep or meaningful, it's just what I'm Doing right now" Mar 15 (What nail polish do you wear?)

Cher dishes about pets. Awww!

"My cat 'Mr Big' found him on tour undera truck, alone ! Tiny little thing! I took pic & did silly art work" mar 16 

"Love both ! Found puppy in dirt alone (my karma) Rome ! Fought Lily T. 4 him (kidding) name pipo ! My Sister G Took him" (Do you like dogs or cats?)

"loved my dog Kuma ! Akita ! It's cool people Love their pets ! He's Gone, but what a Prince he Was. Strange, writing this i got tears"
Mar 16

On Kathy Griffin: "Let’s talk Kathy! I love her. Took her to Maui with G & bunch a my best friends 4 years! Only KG and RZ make me laugh uncontrollably! She is very kind, dresses up when not working. Me, I live in Chrome’s sweatpants." Mar 16

"Love 2 play wii tennis! It’s so much fun & great cardio!" Mar 17

This reminds me. I just finished a Mark Twain biography, a 600-page opus by Ron Powers. Did you know Mark Twain wrote with a bunch of ampersands in his correspondence & he would probably tweet that way too.)

"NO In & OUT Couple times a yr 3 jack tacos & choc shake whipped cream No Cherry!" Mar 17

"In bed watching tcm! Not tired but gotta get up early’n work out. Been cleaning out my closet 4 what seems like half my adult life" Mar 17

"Hi Lovely's! Ran across my orig S&C Fur vest ! Will take pic tonite & post ! Am in closet will take pics !"

Look at all those shoes!

She solicits opinions about playing Mother superior to an orphanage on The Three Stooges movie (I’m agnostic) mar 18 "I want 2 do more films! …something 2 sink my teeth in! completely different! Unexpected! Cher put a sock in it."

Cher: explore your inner villain! Cher Scholar put a sock in it.

"Several mes! Calm impatient young old funny sad outgoing shy soft sharp laugh cry" Mar 18 (Who is the real you?)

"No Been Cher ALL MY LIFE! Only Cherilyn when in trouble!" Mar 24 (Were you ever called Cherilyn?)

"With Meryl saved girl from getting rapped by HUGE MAN between little Italy china town midnight" (No way!)

She almost had car accident after Chaz’s bday party on Mar 20: "yah but party was tonite ! Many people were away on 4th" (Why was Chaz's bday party on the 20th?)

Says she is "ipad/phone possessed. Artist I love So! Has song 4 me & maybe she & I duet! Oh happy Day lovelies" mar 21

"Wash every other nite! Unless needed don’t user dyer! Put is swirly big bun and let it dry that way" (How do you wash your hair?)

Finally we have questions included around March 26!

"I would have dinner with Jesus Buddha Shakespeare Billie Holiday Harry Hopkins" mar 26

"what’s your fave quotation that you truly live by? If it doesn’t matter in 5 years, it doesn’t matter! Mom" Mar 26

On Liz taylor: "I was once going through Hard time & She was So Kind 2 me" Mar 26

"Don’t sing my songs. Do wear my perfume. Fav song Winter Shade of Pale I’m hippy" Mar 26

Cher's pool with a Buddha statue.

Zimmerman turns out is a "big fan horror film I’m not! He put on Rene Zelweger scary ass film! I’m scared go down stairs 4 ice cream. Ok he’s going down 4 the ice cream, but I may never go Downstairs in the Dark AGAIN! Hate horror! I’m big sissy! What kind of ice cream? Chocolate??? If it’s not choc. It’s not Desert." Mar 28

"Oh! Arg! Monday! I became a singer so I could work Nites! Not really! Son said “Sing Cher” So I Did! But thank God it was Nites" Mar 28

Like all of us, Cher is curious about the latest antics of Charlie Sheen’s personal tour. Apr 3

"was almost no ["You Haven't Seen the Last of Me"] director hated it & wanted it out of his film ..said it would ruin it !" Apr 3

"would you ever duet with merle haggard? Seriously? Oh God yes ! Love him It might not b lovelies fav but great" apr 3 (This should happen.)

"I’m very dyslexic! Imagine what a success I might have made of my life if only my grammar was perfect…Might have been able to have true connection with people! Make them feel something! (sounds like Sonny liner notes from 1973) Oh well quel damage" mar 22

She’s kidding right!? Tell me she’s kidding.

"Nothing would be better than kicking the bucket on stage." Jan 27

Don’t say that! Cher freaks do NOT like to think of "Cher mortality." I can only imagine what Liz Taylor fans are going through right now. And if Entertainment Weekly puts Cher on the back and
Arnold Schwarzenegger's poopey face on the front when Cher “kicks it” I will lose my mind.

By the way, there are many Liz pics on the set of the movie Giant in EW's Taylor tribute this week, that set really being in Martha, Texas, the major plot setting forCome Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean.

Things Cher likes that you might want to check out:

• The 2007 movie Lars and The Real Girl http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0805564/
• Neon colors
• The film Shanghai Lil. Is that the right title? Couldn’t find it on IMDB
• Jesse Jo Stark, her goddaughter: "Hi lovelies just got back from the Troubadour! Jesse Jo my God daughter sang! She was GREAT! I’m SO PROUD!" http://www.jessejostark.com/;  music clip: http://www.jessejostark.com/music ;http://www.vans.com/microsites/girls/jessejo.php
  She’s so sassy!
• Tibetan Buddhism (Interesting. I'm a Zen-er)
• "Gregory’s new cd "Low Country Blues” he looks great! He has Beautiful Hair!!" Mar 17
• Ginger & Fred movie Follow the Fleet from 1936: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027630/
• The book A Place of Yes by Bethenny Frankel: http://www.amazon.com/Place-Yes-Rules-Getting-Everything/dp/1439186901
• The book A Peoples History of the United Statesby Howard Zinn: http://www.historyisaweapon.com/zinnapeopleshistory.html
• Perfumes: 24 Faubourg by Hermes and Diorissimo

"Mom dad ! M. suede pants squaw boots ! ponytail 2 waist" mar 22

"my mom & Dad ! Like movie Stars ! Can't c moms Long hair suede pants & moccasins" apr 1

"I’m tired. Nite lovelies! That includes lovelies that Don’t love Me!" Mar 20



Las Vegas Sahara RIP

From The Las Vegas Sun: 

"It was once the home of Jerry Lewis, Buddy Hackett, Johnny Carson and countless other comedy legends. It is where Louis Prima and Keely Smith turned lounge entertainment into an art form, and where Sonny & Cher packed the showroom at the height of their TV fame."

http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/kats-report/2011/mar/11/end-sahara-isnt-hint-what-it-once-was/

First the Stardust sign kicks it and now this. Oh well, no more $35 rooms on the strip, eh?

How is the Riviera still standing? I ask you.

Take out your Sonny & Cher Live Volume II album and contemplate our ongoing need for a time machine so we can all go back and hear overly loud Sonny & Cher concerts at the Sahara and then sue for hearing damage like that guy did back in the early 70s. Ah…good times.

No seriously. If I could go back in time I would risk deafness to see S&C live.

  

LA Visit

My blogs were recently interrupted by a job-related trip to Los Angeles, where I promptly met a bunch of sick, near-sick, were-sick-last-week people in the office and within 48 hours I too was sick. It was a hard week to get through due to the sniffles and all, but good food did keep me hanging in there. I stayed in Silver Lake with my friend Natalie for the weekend. We ate at my favorite LA mexican restaurant, Malo on Sunset Blvd. She also treated me to an awesome breakfast at The Village Bakery and Cafe on Los Feliz Blvd. In Redondo, my friend Julie and I tried the gastro-pub Chez Melange on Catalina Ave, which was great. I got my fix of sushi with a sushi boat in Santa Monica (Main Street) and had great drinks at The Arsenal (my friend Ken's sort of Cheers bar). Julie, her bf Dave, and I also had good Thai at Palms Thai in Hollywood before we snuck over to Grauman's Chinese to catch photos of Cher's footprints. Cher is right by the front door between Julie Andrews and Rhonda Fleming. It was dark. My pictures weren't that good. We were double parked. No time to be artistic about it.

While I was in LA, Cher did her last Vegas show on February 5. Robin Leach estimates she earned nearly $200 million in ticket sales.  Las Vegas host Robert "Bubbles" Ubriaco also died shortly after Cher's farewell party in Vegas:

Las Vegas lost one of its most colorful characters Thursday. Rao's host Robert "Bubbles" Ubriaco died at Desert Springs Hospital, surrounded by many of his friends. He was hospitalized on Wednesday, after what friends believe was a stroke.

A week ago Thursday, Ubriaco was in his glory while facilitating Cher's farewell party for her cast and crew at Rao's. With Cher running 90 minutes late, "Bubbles" chatted with Roman centurions who were waiting to carry Cher into Rao's, ala Cleopatra.

A friend came by and had "Bubbles" pose for a photo with the centurions. "Say Chucky Cheese," said Ubriaco, his signature line. It was one of the last photos of the legendary greeter.

http://www.lvrj.com/news/colorful-club-host-ubriaco-dies-at-65-115863864.html
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/feb/04/cher-sing-final-farewell-caesars-palace-residency-/

Cher also attended the premiere of the new play with Jane Fonda in it “33 Variations” at the Ahmanson Theatre. My friends and I were discussing this due to my odd need to now do Jane Fonda workouts. In fact, I visited Hollywood's Amobea Records last week and bought $50 worth of Cher stuff and Jane Fonda's Fit and Strong DVD (it looks like a good low-impact one for old gals like me). I also found a Nelly workout DVD for Julie and due to her buying Nelly's latest CD, I became obsessed with his recent "Just a Dream" single.

Anyway, Jane is getting good reviews for the play. LA Times called her riveting. The premiere audience was stuffed with celebs:

Also taking in the show was writer-director Richard LaGravenese (seated with Cher), Tony Award winner Ben Vereen, “Smallville’s” John Glover, Tony winner Adriane Lenox, Michael Emerson (the creepy Ben from “Lost”), Corey Stoll of “Law & Order: Los Angeles,” Joan Van Ark and Mary Hart.

http://www.cherworld.com/news/?p=1660

More Grauman's photos:

Obligatory fan's appendages (mine) in the celebrities hand print.

 
Julie's tootsies in Jack Nicholson's feet.

 
I don't know why that feels so necessary. But it does.

 

The Retirement Sucks Tour

Oh, thou temptress of ticket sales with your wizardry of wiley concert tours...

Randy Phillips, head of AEG Live, however, says that 2010 was a great year for his company, citing the success of Bon Jovi and others. Phillips expects another strong year in 2011 with stadium shows by Kenny Chesney and Taylor Swift and tours by Bon Jovi, Black Eyed Peas and Cher.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2011-01-12-touring12_ST_N.htm

So I guess this will be the Retirement Sucks Tour. That’s what Ozzy Osbourne titled his After-Farewell Tour anyway. Maybe Cher could seize on that. Honestly, I have mixed feelins about a new tour.

It will of course be perceived a big money grab. And I don’t look forward to all the sneering from cynicis and critics full of outrage about a a reneging of  one of the most dramatic of goodbye tours.

But of course I will go a purchase merchandise. Why? Because that's what I do.

Other recent Cher articles:

• http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/blogs/luxe-life/2011/jan/11/cher-begins-final-shows-three-year-run-caesars-pal/
• http://business.ezinemark.com/cher-tickets-cher-has-made-a-very-large-and-devoted-fan-base-31dee94daf1.html
• http://www.armenianweekly.com/2011/01/12/the-armenian-side-of-cher/

 

Too Much News for One Little Cher Scholar to Take!

There is so much Cher news these days, it’s enough to make a scholar feel overwhelmed. Let's try to run through them all pretty quickly.

Cher's boyfriend's comic book

I got my copies of The Rawhide Kid at The Comic Bug in Manhattan Beach, the closest comics store to my house. The dude there thanked me for supporting my local comic store vs. buying my comics on amazon. I bought the first collection,  Rawhide Kid, Slap Leather, and the first installment of the second series, The Sensational Seven. The lead character is a somewhat flaming cowboy hero and no one else, aside from all the women, can quite put their finger on it. I'm 100% hooked and LOL'd many times. There's plenty of pop culture references and visual gags. Study the faces of the cowboys behind the kid in the comic cover to the right for a giggle.

Seek them out at your local comic store.

California Diva

The site Californiality says Cher is "a megastar singer-songwriter, actress, director, record producer and native Californian.  She is the undisputed California Diva of all time."

And although the blogger states the pseudonym Bonnie Jo Mason is a name only suitable for country music, he calls Cher  “daring and provocative, she became the fashion trendsetter who popularized bellbottoms and the human navel."

Who popularized the other navels?

After Cher divorced Sonny Bono, I thought I finally had my big chance to marry her... 

Professionally, Cher is the ultimate California Diva but, personally, she's a cool individual who totally keeps it real.  She's part of what makes the California society the best on earth, and Californians love Cher more than anyone.

The Golden State, as the world's multi-ethnic capitol, has more Native Americans than any other state by far.  In 1973, Cher showed support for the America Indian Movement with a song that, still today, is deeply felt by millions of bi-racial and multi-ethnic Californians.  

Californiality recognizes and endorses Cher's fearless anthem as a definitive California theme.  Thank you, Cher.

 http://www.californiality.com/2010/06/cher-california-diva.html

Burlesque News is HOT

A few weeks ago, movie stills showed up on the Internet:

http://mediagallery.usatoday.com/%E2%80%98Burlesque%E2%80%99:-A-peek-a-boo-behind-the-scenes/G1645?loc=interstitialskip

http://www.filmofilia.com/2010/07/01/eight-new-burlesque-photos-cher-christina-aguilera/

http://www.hostguru.org/2010/07/first-images-of-christina-aguilera-and-cher-from-burlesque-hit-the-net-photos/

Along with interviews of Christina Aguilera ...

"I love no-bull-(expletive) women, and she's the best of the best," Aguilera says of Cher, who plays Tess, owner of The Burlesque Lounge. "An original trendsetter in her time and a legend in mine. I found her kind and warm. She had helpful advice and stories for days."

Aguilera's famous pipes get a workout, along with her legs ("I've never danced so much in my life"). She wrote four songs for the soundtrack and does an Etta James oldie.

 
and the director Steven Antin in USA Today 
 

"Her manager loved the script but said: 'You know how hard it is to get Cher to commit. She is very dubious.' " He sent it to her anyway, as did mega-mogul David Geffen, a mutual acquaintance of Antin and Cher's.

"We had a meeting at her house and I begged her to do it," Antin says. "She said, 'This character is me. I can do this with my eyes closed.' "

But then she said no. Twice. Even after seeing Antin's office walls plastered with storyboards and reference material, which led her to call him "the most prepared director I've even seen."

The third time proved the charm. "Once she was on board, she was fully committed," Antin says of Cher, whose songs include a new Diane Warren ballad titled You Haven't Seen the Last of Me. "She was there 16 hours a day in 4-inch heels. It was a dream come true to me, saying 'Action' and giving Cher direction. A dream and a little scary."

It is a dream that former actor Antin, 52, who was one of Jodie Foster's attackers in 1988's The Accused, had been thinking about for 15 years or so, ever since he worked with choreographer sister Robin's burlesque troupe that would later evolve into the singing group the Pussycat Dolls.

His wish was to revive the old meaning of burlesque that came out of Victorian-era England instead of what it turned into in 20th-century America. "People think burlesque shows are rooted in some overtly sexual striptease with G-strings and pasties," he says. "But originally it was parody entertainment meant for the middle classes that was provocative, funny and always based in comedy. That's not to say the movie isn't really sexy. But it's PG-13 sexy."

Antin, who also wrote the script with some input from Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich) and Diablo Cody (Juno), has no problem with comparing Burlesque with its racy costumes and bawdy humor to the likes of Cabaret, Moulin Rouge!, Gypsy, Flashdance and Chicago.

Just don't bring up the notorious 1995 Vegas trash-fest Showgirls.

"Burlesque really couldn't be further away from that," he says. "We are not objectifying women. We are empowering them. They hold all the cards."

And finally, The Lunchtime Poll by Michael Slezak

http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/07/02/burlesque-cher-charrr-xtina-christina-aguilera/

A gallery of seven stills from Burlesque hit the Internet this week, causing waves of excitement among diva aficionados, the Gays, fans of the small-town-girl-conquers-the-big-city film genre, and Bob Mackie (not that these categories are mutually exclusive, mind you). And while, personally, I’m curious to see whether Christina Aguilera the Actress is more Diana Ross in Lady Sings the Blues or Mariah Carey in Glitter, I’m even more stoked for the cinematic return of Cher!

Poll results from the first 13 days of polling, including my somewhat obvious vote:

• the return of Cher - 55.3%

• The big-screen debut of Xtina - 13.3%

• The combined hotness of Stanley Tucci, Kristen Bell, Julianne Hough, Eric Dane, and Cam Gigandet - 31.4%

Obscenity Rule Overturned

A federal court ruling overturned a policy of the Federal Communications Commission intended to crack down on unscripted curse words and wardrobe malfunctions.

Slip-ups from Bono and Cher were used as examples when the FCC policy fined television networks that did not censor indecency, however spontaneous.

Fox and ABC challenged the "fleeting expletive" rule. On July 13, 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled   that the agency's policy was "unconstitutionally vague" and a violation of the First Amendment.

The Parents Television Council and other conservative groups have also targeted Fox's American Dad and (my favorite show) Family Guy as indecent shows

Washington-based Concerned Women for America says,

"A federal broadcast license is a privilege held in the public trust," said Jan LaRue, the group's chief counsel. "Pumping sewage into American homes during the family hour violates that trust."

The court said the FCC policy did not specify what comprised offensive material, other than banning sexual and excretory organs.

The Daytime Emmys

See Cher's video tribute to Dick Clark: http://www.cherworld.com/news/?p=1159

TV Appearances

Access Hollywood: See video of Cher being interviewed before the AFI tribute to Mike Nichols. I think Billy Bush refers to him as Mike Nicholson. Bush talks to Cher about her hurt foot as she stands in front of the step and repeat wall.  I suddenly feel like watching TV Land for some unknown reason. Cher is wearing a ring that gives everyone the finger. She tells a story about how Nichols made her and Meryl Streep cry before the weeping swing scene in Silkwood

http://www.cherworld.com/news/?p=1124

Extra: Cher with "her best friend and choreographer, Doriana Sanchez."

http://www.cherworld.com/news/?p=1087

 The Vegas Show

For some reason, I am again not getting my Cherworld.com rss feed to work…so I missed this awesome pic of Cher in character as pimp/Mafioso, all-around-Un-Diva from her Bob Seger medley…this new number and performance is as awesome as her tour d’Elvis in the “Walking in Memphis” Video.

Sheley Fralic reviews the show for The Vancouver Sun in a piece called "Cher Grande Dame of Showgirls"

Is there anything as radiant, and yet comforting and predictable, as the sun rising every morning in the eastern sky? Well, yes. Cher, actually.

Cher is all pop culture opera, an over-the-top modern day minstrel...it’s the smartest $2 a minute you’ll ever spend in the name of entertainment.

Oh yeah…Cher will tour again. I know. I know. She said for that whole farewell thing she had her fingers crossed behind her back.

No new set list, I’m staying home. If I have to see the same set list over and over again, ’d rather see it in Vegas.

http://www.cherworld.com/news/?p=1145
  

Updates in Vegas, Love, Charity and Oprah

While convalescing (which entails staying away from the computer, sad to say), I went to see Cher and Barry Manilow in Las Vegas during the first weekend of May. My friends Julie and Dave and Nellie went with us.  The opening monologue still went on too long and generally confused Nellie, a Vegas singer and dancer. But the show as a whole was pretty great, especially with the new Bob Seger segment - a seedy rendition of "Fire Down Below" spliced with a fun-loving version of "Old Time Rock and Roll. Cher comes out as a male pimp/gangster (see Mackie sketch below...the real image of it is far more amazing, however) with a gargantuan feather towering over her head. Like in the video "Walking in Memphis" she nearly successfully sublimates her physicality with masculine motions. She appears tinier as a result. Just as when she does Elvis in the video. She quickly transforms onstage into a sexy redheaded moll in a yellow dress for the second song. Great sexy set and a creative and exciting performance. It steals the show for me. She sings "Love Hurts" now from the big pearl.

The set list:

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Laverne segment
Fire Down Below
Old Time Rock & Roll
The Beat Goes On
All I Really Wanna Do
Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves
Dark Lady
Half Breed
Don't Leave Me This Way
Take Me Home
Love Hurts
After All
Walking In Memphis
If I Could Turn Back Time
Believe  

It was like a high school flashback to see Barry Manilow the next night. Actually, it was not my choice to see Barry. I've long lost touch with his career. But my husband chose Barry over a Cirque show, reasoning that Cirque will be in Vegas forever; Barry may not be with us forever. Since I was a pre-teen I've seen Barry quite a few times, including at the Hilton a few year's back when he first came to Vegas. His show at the Paris casino was very emotional for me somehow. Our tickets upgraded to the orchestra so I was closer than I've ever been and everything was much smaller scale and personal, including a lovely tribute the paintings of the Louvre.  He did a breath-taking (literally) rendition of "Weekend in New England" and no fans were asked to sing "Can't Smile Without You" for which I was thankful. It was very sad to think this may be the last time I'd ever see him.

But enough of that...Cher's Got a New Boyfriend!

The news outing started here.

He's a comic and comic book writer. Here's his Wikipedia Page.

He had me at comics.

You can purchase his Ultimate Adventures book on Amazon.

He's also interestingly a Howard Stern co-hort and his dating  of Cher has been discussed on Stern's radio show:

HOWARD MIGHT DROP IN ON CHER

Howard looked forward to his weekend trip to LA, saying he might go visit his old friend Ron Zimmerman at his new girlfriend's house: "[I'm] probably going to go up to Cher's Malibu place and hang with her and Ron...Cher doesn't know anything about it." Howard joked that Cher would probably sequester him to a 'safe room': "Ron told me they have a special room for people like me at Cher's house. Like Ron's riff-raff friends."

Cher's New Charity Donation

http://www.peoplepets.com/news/celebrities/cher-bedazzles-a-dog-to-help-homeless-pets/1

Bedazzles a Dog to Help Homeless Pets

The one and only Cher is stepping up to help homeless animals this weekend in the best way she knows how: with outrageous fashions and lots of sparkle! The pop diva is donating this crystal-studded ceramic dog to the Animal Foundation's Seventh Annual Best in Show event. Decorated with 11,520 Swarovski crystals, the dog will be available for auction, with proceeds going to charity.

The flashy canine was all the singer's idea, inspired by the glittery, sequined costumes of her current Las Vegas show. And though many Sin City headliners are donating similar works to the auction, Cher is by far the biggest name to participate.

Best in Show is a fund-raiser that showcases 60 dogs available for adoption from the Lied Animal Shelter in Las Vegas.

Josh and Cher on Oprah!

Oprah arranged a meetup between Cher and her huge fan Josh. I agree with Kitty's comment on the show positng: http://cherscholar.typepad.com/i_found_some_blog/2010/05/tv-alert-orpah-.html

It was very touching and I thought Josh was amazingly eloquent and possessed. Here is the experience in a nutshell (with a tiny bit of extra footage not seen on the show): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1xQb15ENtk

And finally, an astute Cher Scholar emailed me this clip of Paul Anka singing the song "Flashback" just like Cher sang it on her 1976 I'd Rather Believe in You album: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5RzOlDE7mk

Speaking of album, many new Cher album rumors are flying, including one that Cher would sing a new single "Already Been There" on the May 18 World Music Awards. There was no hint of that on the WMA web site and not surprisingly it didn't happen. Cher is also stoking rumors that she will tour again to support the new album, rumored to be released in conjunction with her new movie Burlesque around Thanksgiving this year. 

The Blog Post of Leaked Things

The Burlesque script has been leaked: http://cher.yuku.com/topic/10365/t/Burlesque-Spoiler-But-Really-Cool.html

Good lord, exactly what piece of this movie will be a surprise to us come fall? I plan to do a 5-minute reenactment of the movie for my husband this Friday nite. That’s the risk of constant PR/leaks. That or fans will be whipped up into such a frenzy they might spontaneously combust. Not a pleasant way to die.

But somewhat less pleasant than being the scientist with an idea to cure cancer who dies at a Cher show with other "nameless, faceless" putzes in a Cher-grand-entrance tragedy, as was so put in Cher’s year-3 opening monologue leaked this week.

A New Year, A New Caesars Program

Give to Caesars what is Caesars.

Last weekend, a friend of mine went to Vegas and stayed at Caesars Palace. One morning, she said, there was no hot water…those Vegas hotels--even the nice ones get a little rickety. And she dropped by the Cher store for me to pick up the new Cher program Vol. 2 which is now available. But she changed her mind when another fan informed her that only 2-4 pages had been added. Allegedly, only the new Mackie costume sketches were put in.

Ahem. "Update" and "Volume 2" are two very different concepts.

Another inhumanity of lazy product reselling! Bah humbug, Cher.

In me news: this was a week of moving my Cher junk out of an office and it reminded me how much I love my Cher posters and Cher fan art. Which made it so timely that Cher scholar Peter sent me a wedding gift of two Cher art pieces. I love them and I’ll try to grab a picture soon as I unpack my camera. They are very kewl!

Here’s what Peter had to say about them:

Of course I did those!  I did them in HIGH SCHOOL!  All my art projects were based on Cher.  The WITH LOVE print was a silk screen - I still have 4 in various colors which I have been meaning to have framed individually for my hall.... I have to say  I just LOVED that image of the album cover so much and I thought I TRULY represented Cher..... the STARS is a block print - I still have the original block.

This reminds me that whenever I had to learn something in school--or now--how to search the library periodical books for magazines and news clippings, how to use the Internet, how to use a new online shopping services or databases (like allmusic.com), I always start by searching for Cher things.

Anyway, someday I hope to flesh out my office full of posters as phase one of the Chersonian Institute.

But for now I only have next year. And I’m excited about next year. I’m ready to get some work done, some new pottery, some new writing, I want to turn my old dollhouse into an art piece (I bought it when I was 11 and inspired by Queen Mary's Buckingham Palace dollhouse--pictured above). Hopefully we will have more interesting interviews for Cherscholar.com. I also plan to start the third Cher Zine in January. From Cher we should get a new movie (Drop Out) and hopefully a new album. Who knows what that will turn out to be: oldies, duets, repackaged old albums?

Now that I’m a married lady, I think it’s time I bought a sconce.