I Found Some Blog...by Cher Scholar

Cher at the Fair

Cher was spotted at the Malibu fair a few weeks ago!

It's sweet to see Cher out having fun -- especially with her bf!

…or at least one would assume fun is being had.

I mean who doesn’t have fun at a fair?

   

On Roseanne Barr

I don’t know what else Roseanne is up to other than running a website.

Roseanne Barr just launched "Cher and Chaz," her hilarious Web sitcom on Roseanneworld.com, imagining what it's like at home for Cher as her transgender daughter Chastity turms into her son.

I can’t believe there are actually news items on this comedy web sketch:

http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/08/23/2009-08-23_side_dish.html#ixzz0P9M8GCPG

http://www.akawilliam.com/the-cher-and-chaz-show/

And news about Cher not diggin it: http://www.pr-inside.com/cher-not-laughing-about-roseanne-s-online-r1454775.htm

I haven’t watched it yet, I must admit. But although I have nothing against this sort of send-up (I’m mostly in the nothing’s-sacred/anything-goes comedy camp), Roseanne is datedly and decidedly not funny in general so I don’t have high hopes for this sketch of hers. 

My resistance to sacred cows is what allows me to enjoy Howard Stern, a true provocateur. But if Roseanne were a true provocateur, she’d have the pulse of the people and the power of moral authority behind her. And she’s repeatedly failed to prove she has this power, many stunts after trying (the baseball game howling of the National Anthem and crotch-grabbing being the most infamous example of a failed attempt). She just misses the mark most of the time. No -- Lenny Bruce she is certainly not. And I wonder why. I think it’s because she comes across as a mean-spirited loner, honestly, whether she intends to or not. The perception is that her shit seems self-serving, never sincerely self-deprecating.

This can also be seen in the trajectory of her old 80s sitcom, Roseanne, which I initially adored, by the way, for giving American TV a somewhat normal, lower-class, non-skinny Midwestern family to watch. However, the more control she exerted over the show, the less typical the family became, the more melodramatic the plots were, and the more she tried to hit us over the head with laboriously provocative material.

Meanwhile, provocative dramas and comedies have come and gone from TVLand with real moral pathos and authority. The Roseanne circus ruined her show and, as a result, it jumped the shark much sooner than it deserved to. Somehow she just misses the boat comically.

Seriously, I’m not opposed to poking fun of Chaz’s somewhat historic story. Humor is not always mean-spirited; sometimes it’s cathartic for a society to process its dramas with laughter. Never a party when you’re the subject of it; but we all take a turn in this life or the next. Still, Chaz deserves a higher-caliber ribbing than what Roseanne can provide. And don’t send me Bruce Vilanch, please! Eddie Izzard could seriously do this.

The Great Gay Icons (According to Liza and Craig)

Here’s a great clip of Liza on The Craig Ferguson Show. Okay where have I been? This guy is freaking funny! Liza says Cher is freaking funny. It all comes full circle.

Great, great interview (even if it didn’t gush about Cher).

http://wickedgayblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/wicked-cool-liza-discusses-gays-cher.html 

   

Joan Rivers Reunites with Cher

Was there a Joan Rivers Cher feud going on over the last 10 or so years? Who knows in the shadow of the more well-known Cher v. Bette, Cher v. Howard Stern feuds. (Is that last one even a feud? Or more like the faux-feud of Cher v. David Letterman? I can’t track this all people!) 

You’d think there was a Joan v. Cher feud listening to Rivers who once gripped about never seeing Cher anymore (back in the 80s on late-night tv, they used to joke about their competing garage sales).

So in light of this, it was nice to get a field report from Coolia on an episode last week of Howard Stern:

Coolia: joan rivers was on howard this morning, talking about a recent dinner she went to at cher's house, at the invitation of kathy griffin (just the 3 of them). she said cher looks great, super skinny, and they ate in cher's bedroom with servants. Elijah Blue was there and she said he was nice. They did not discuss Chaz. She said she and Kathy ate like pigs but Cher was on a cleanse and just had some beverage prepared by her staff.  She said it was lovely and they had a view of the ocean, that she hadn’t seen Cher in like 8 years but they got along fine. They talked about Michael Jackson and all agreed that it was a circus and that Brooke Shields was exaggerating the scope of her relationship. In talking about still performing at their advanced age, Cher told Joan, "We're performers. It's what we do."

Me: this is hilarious...was howard nice talking about Cher? I think he secretly likes her.

Coolia: yeah, howard seemed fascinated and jealous. he kept asking a lot of questions about it, and kept steering the conversation back to cher when they were trying to talk about other things.

On a related note: my bf is always going on a cleanse. He has all sorts of undesirable potions around the house for such purposes. I tried it twice and, quite frankly, am just happy to have survived both experiences. 
 

Cher Supports the Working Class in Vegas

Although I have recently expressed frustration about Cher's Vegas show and its creative limits, I do also appreciate a kick-ass piece of Cher gossip when it comes along. And stories like these are what I love about Cher (what I love other than the photographs, music albums and TV clips that is).

A post called "Layoffs at Caesar" was submitted recently on the Cher list by Travis Wisdom. He interviewed some people in the Cher Store recently and had this to report :

I went to the Cher store today to return a shirt. While looking around and the few things that were available for sale- most is Bette's stuff- I started talking to the sales clerk. She said a couple of things I would cher. First, volume two of the program will be available at the end of the year. Second, she said that periodically Cher will visit the store and last year came by three nights in a row with her sister and her mother. Finally, the woman said that there were layoffs scheduled for the representatives at the Cher/Bette store and when getting word of the cuts, Cher put a stop to it! The woman said that Cher is now paying for them to keep their jobs! She also mentioned that for the shows that were canceled at he request she paid for the lost wages of the people who would have worked that night (Celine also had done that as well). No mention on whether or not the Divine Miss M is assisting too....

First of all, I LOVE The idea of Cher walkin around in her own store. And I love that Cher is keeping her store peeps in business and paying workers through her canceled shows. That …is…freakin awesome (if true)!

In honor of Cher's working class empathy: here are some pics of Cher playing the part in Silkwood.

Update on The Chaz Chronicles...

Cher has apparently released a statement through People Magazine:

Cher is speaking out for the first time about daughter Chastity Bono's decision to become her son Chaz.The 63-year-old entertainer tells People magazine exclusively,

"Chaz is embarking on a difficult journey, but one that I will support. I respect the courage it takes to go through this transition in the glare of public scrutiny, and although I may not understand, I will strive to be understanding. The one thing that will never change is my abiding love for my child."

That's a good and touching statement.

The Chronicles of Chaz

Introduction

The only tragedy I can see in the amazing-but-not-completely-unforeseen news that came out last week, my cher peoples, is that it is forcing me to put off some really, really awesome posts.

First of all, I found an amazing poem about Moonstruck to share with you, written by a fabulous new poet whose first book primarily explores gay and coming-out themes, as well as family relationships in that vein (a really well-written book in all aspects)...but that has to be put off. Another item: I was at a Culver City birthday party two weekends ago and met someone there who works as an accounting consultant for Universal (but the publishing side) and I intended to  post my longer exchange with him. The jist of it: while I was interviewing the accountant regarding Cher’s recent lawsuit for royalties, the birthday-party host, (who once playyed in Johnny Thunders’ band but now is in the music-marketing biz), waltzed by and declared loudly. “People are suing Universal all the time, Mary. You only care because it’s Cher.”

Okay, fair enough. Turns out there’s a spreadsheet for all ongoing lawsuits, how much cash they have in the kitty to deal with it, and what they’re going to counter-offer. Imagine some Cher line-items in that .xls. Also at the same party, I learned that Preston Sturges’ son Soloman lives in the accountant’s garage apartment...which has become somewhat of a Collier’s Mansion.  The accountant defined Collier’s Mansion for us all a few times so we’d know what that meant.

But all that LA gossip is tidily-winks now! Although you could draw out a larger discussion about celebrity kids trying to survive in LA and how many of them spontaneously combust in various sorts of ways...that’s for another day.  Because I was ALSO contacted a few weeks ago by Sonny & Cher’s 70s-era album engineer Lenny Roberts who found some errors in my comments about him (since corrected) in my "All I Ever Need is You" review (long form). I was able to interview him. But that awesomeness will also have to wait, because I have been completely upstaged by the formerly-Chastity-Bono’s announcement that she is becoming officially Chaz Bono, a he.

This news is a real bombshell all over, although Cher fans probably remember rumors stating Chastity has been thinking about this. I actually had friends call, email and facebook-poke me about it. My first question is will he keeping his middle name? Because Chazsun really runs together quite nicely.

Overview:

So in a nutshell, Chaz is getting what is technically called a gender reassignment (and I have never understood the assignment word in that phrase which sounds more like a school project than a physical reality). He will be doing this through hormone treatments and/or surgery which could possibly involve a legal gender switch as well as a biological one.

Reports are that Chas has the support of his family, including Cher and Mary Bono, her father’s widow. He has also received support publically from Neil G. Giuliano, the president of GLAAD; Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese; and Casey Schwarts, a trans youth specialist -- and probably others by now. All are emphasizing Chaz’s courage and honesty in his decision. It’s hard to say Chaz has gone public with his decision, since going private with the decision was simply never an option for someone so famous.

A Chaz Bio Review

One thing that fascinates me about this story is how news outlets perceive both Chaz and Cher. Chaz seems best known as a political and social activist. But he has had a checkered career as media advisor for GLADD (which led to a public feud with Ellen DeGeneres over her sitcom Ellen and its possible “gayness”), memoir author (of sorts—both books under the Chastity name were co-written), a musician in the band Ceremony, and a journalist for The Advocate, among other vocations.

Likewise, Cher in one report was described as an LGBT icon. This is new.  I have never seen her identified as an icon for lesbians, not to mention bisexuals and transgenders. For years I’ve been meeting many lesbian Cher fans at shows and conventions, but no one in the media seems to fully recognize this fan base.

To review, Chastity came out to her family in 1987 while a freshmen at NYU. She was outed forcibly in  1990 by a tabloid. Chastity came out herself in a 1995 cover article of The Advocate. She chronicled her relationships in her book “The End of Innocence.”  She has said her coming-out helped her mother see her as a full person –- which is interesting because this seems to be a common Mother/Daughter struggle for many women, as opposed to men. Which seemingly has more to do with how mothers perceive their daughters vs. how they perceive their sons. And I wonder if Chaz's gender reassignment will alter this aspect of the mother/child relationship.

That Hate-Take

You know there’s always a freakin’ hate-take. So skip over this section if you have a low tolerance for hate...or if you’re so over it.

Cher Sues Record Company (but doesn’t let that ruin her shopping trips)

Some quick news items and links this week – however, I have some good things are cooking for the end of the month. Next week I’ll be gone on a trip to Arizona for my bfs birthday and to shop for silver wedding rings. We’re excited about staying at an old refurbished Harvey House hotel.

Meanwhile Cher has been shopping in Kailua Hawaii.

Cher and well-known L.A. interior designer Martin Bullard made a stop last Thursday with their entourage at Kailua's Lanikai Bath and Body — known for its all-natural, made-in-Hawaii collections of lotions, creamy butters and sea salt and cane sugar scrubs. The two picked up lavender lotion with essential oils of lavender plumeria lotion and body butter, Tahitian gardenia butter, lip balms, Hawaiian bath salts, poi dog shampoo, naupaka massage oil and pohaku body wash.

Sweet...lavender. But now I predict Franz will be demanding poi dog shampoo now.

Cher last week Cher also filed suit against Universal Music Group for trying to hide her royalties:

Although it must be a major pain in the tukus to deal with litigation, this actually rocks that Cher is fighting back for her cash. As an established artist with some money and heft to hurl, she might break ground for many other artists currently getting screwed.

Among other things, the suit claims:

… the label's creative accounting has shortchanged her and the heirs of her late ex-husband Sonny Bono to the tune of $5 million. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, claims an audit of UMG's accounting to the singer-actress from 2000 to 2003 showed that UMG execs "engaged in wrongful tactics" designed to hide revenue from two hit compilation albums.

….breach of two recording contracts Cher had with UMG predecessors, one with MCA division Kapp Records in 1972 and another 1987 deal with the David Geffen Company. Cher claims that those deals entitled her -- and, in the case of the 1972 deal, Bono -- to receive up to 50% of net royalties received by UMG. But the complaint alleges that UMG later made a deal with Warner Music U.K. to distribute a 1999 compilation called "Cher The Greatest Hits," then funnelled the money through UMG's international arm to conceal the amountof royalties owed to Cher and the Bono heirs.

Cher also challenges accounting on a second compilation, 2002's "The Very Best of Cher." UMG allegedly allowed the album to be distributed by a division of Warner Music Group but accounted to Cher on a royalty basis as though UMG had sold the records itself, thus decreasing her share.

When Cher and Bono divorced in 1977, they agreed to split revenue from the songs recorded together. When Bono died in a ski accident in 1998, one-third of his interest passed to wife Mary Bono-Mack, and one-sixth interests were split amongst his kids. Bono-Mack, as well as Cher's daughter with Bono, Chastity Bono, are plaintiffs in the case, as well as Bono children Christy Bono, Chianna Bono and son Chesare Bono.

Music producer Snuff Garrett is also a plaintiff. He claims he is entitled to a 50% pro rata share of royalties from some of the recordings based on a producers deal with MCA Records.

This reminds me of reading the story of Allman Brothers earlier this year (which I need to review soon) and Cher’s many attempts to get Gregg and the Gang to investigate and stand up for what money was due to them and they weren't getting paid. They didn't heed the advice for a long time and were royally screwed. It's great that Cher is ON it.

Other news:

Cher’s Augustus Pugin chandelier is up for sale again if anyone has 24,000 spare dollars. Is that the chandelier...to the right?

Phil Spector was sentenced last week: 19 years to life.

A blogger apologizes to Cher and Adam Lambert.

Sonny & Cher's ‘Stangs have been harshly critiqued –- but hey, what wasn’t tacky in the 1960s? The link has lots of pictures of the interiors.

We get it, the times were weird, everybody was experimenting with things other than music, and free expression was the mark of the day, but stuff like Bobcat fur upholstery is way too much for our tastes.

From a sheetmetal perspective, the cars are basically identically modified. Each gets a twin grille, Frenched Thunderbird tail lights, relocated and flush-mounted door handles, rolled and flared fenders, faux hood scoops and 40 coats of hippy-tastic paint. Each was a 289 car with the automatic transmission, but there the similarities end. Inside, the "Sonny" car has some nasty shag "Bobcat fur," antique leather and funky suede. Cher's car got Ermine fur and Scottish leather upholstery, trimmed in pink suede, oh and a white fur trunk. Gag, times two.

The two cars are being sold as a pair with an asking price of... get this... $400,000.00. We could have named this post "Nice Price or Crack Pipe: Columbian Drug Lord Edition."

Columbian Drug Lord Edition--very funny. But what's up with this chandelier and these mustangs being resold? Are these former Cher items haunted or something? 

And last for news/links, dearly departed Estelle Getty and Bea Arthur do a Golden Girls send-up of Sonny & Cher.

Cher Scholar Interviews Rona Barrett

My bf and I spent one evening watching the new Rona Barrett DVD Rona Barrett's Hollywood, a set of iconic interviews of 70s celebrities.

Honestly, we were struck by how fresh and honest the interviews were in comparison to the stale, stiff Barbara Walters interviews we’ve come to know over the last 25 years. Don't get me wrong: I have loved me some Barbara Walters interview in my day. But seriously, I can't stand The View and haven’t watched a pre-Oscar special in years.

Interestingly, in Rona Barrett’s interviews there are no "million-dollar" questions and yet somehow she gets into a superstar’s comfort zone with graceful civility. Personally, I think this is because she knows how to have a comfortable conversation and celebrities feel at ease. I’m reminded of Jon Favreau’s Dinner for Five shows except without the extra four dinner guests. Which means less grandstanding chat between stars.

My bf thinks Ron's gift is that she sounds genuinely interested.

Cher Scholar JeffRey had this to say about the prospect of watching Rona Barrett's new DVD: it feels like visiting a friend I haven’t seen in a long time.

In the DVD's Cher interview, Rona says she's known Cher since Cher was a "street kid" in the 60s and that she admired Cher because she "had guts" and was honest. The interview takes place after Cher's breakup with Sonny and David Geffen, right as she was falling in love with Gregg Allman. She squeals with affection and like other interviews of the mid-70s, she is unusually unguarded and open. She seems remarkably comfortable. She has striking eyebrows, long eyelashes, glamor nails and uses phrases like "bummed out."

As I watched it I thought what a beautiful mouth Cher had. And those teeth. The Rona Barrett DVD is full of very 70s celebrity teeth, pre-hyper-perfection. I miss Cher's teeth. I do not miss Burt Reynolds' teeth, however. It's also amazing how candid Rona gets asking about sex and Cher talks about how liberated and sexually free she had planned to be after leaving Sonny. However, she just wasn't the type to sleep around. Great interview!

 Many people my age also remember Rona Barrett's fan magazines of the 70s that sat on newsstands right along Picture Screen and Photoplay. Magazines full of Sonny & Cher candid photos and wacky stories. Recently, a friend of mine gave me this copy (cover above; click here to see full image) of Rona Barrett's Hollywood from a celebrity-signing fair in LA.

Inside Cher is on practically every page, but the magazine has two (two!) full-page articles about her as well. The first one discusses the recent calls for censorship on The Cher Show - was Cher dressing too slutty? According to one Ohio TV station manager she was. Fans were asked to fill out a questionnaire on the topic.

Click here to read the full text and fill out the survey. (You may need to adjust your screen resolution.)

Please forward your responses to the comments section of this blog post!

In the back of the magazine there's a second article, this one an interview in color with Laverne. Sweet! Click here to read the full text. When I saw Cher in Las Vegas last weekend, Cher's mock interview with Laverne before Laverne's "I Got to be Me" video reminded me of this article. Laverne deserves more airtime. Cher may have changed. But Laverne stays the same.

Anyway, I had the privilege of being able to interview Rona Barrett last week about the new DVD, her charity foundation and the Rona Barrett magazines.

Click here to read the full interview where she talks about interviewing Cher and Cher's longevity.

L.A.  readers should know that Rona will be appearing for a DVD signing Wednesday, March 25 at  7:30 p.m. at the Barnes & Noble located at The Grove at the Farmers Market (Fairfax & Third).

V.A. Employees Would Do Cher

My bf came home last night with a very exciting straw poll undertaken casually yesterday at his place of employment, the benefits division of Veterans Affairs.

My bf did not take part in the poll, only overheard it and mentally noted the results.

One male V.A. Benefits employee asked five others in a casual group (mixed age range between 25-45) if they would “do Cher.”

A whopping five of the six said they indeed would do Cher if so given an opportunity. My bf later claimed to me that he would as well, making the tally six of seven VA Benefits males between the ages of 25-45 who would welcome an opportunity to have sex with Cher.

I’m assuming my bf was being honest, as that kind of admission might have ended our discourse on the poll results very badly...if I had tended to be a more clinically touchy female.