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March 2009

Iiiii am Everyday People

Chersequins Now I know and you know that Cher is just regular peeps.

Well, to some extent.

I mean  you can’t be rich and famous from the time you were a teen and be completely one of the proletariat, no matter how “get real” you are with your home peeps.

That said, information has recently come forth that Cher has been know to grace the halls of Michaels and Target (according to last week’s interview).

Not only that, but she visited Disneyland a week or so ago AND thinks Octomom is a kook just like the rest of us do!

See? Stars really do deal with belly-button lint like the rest of us. Unless their outies.

See for yourself:

Cher at Disneyland http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2009/02/cher-gets-her-disneyland-fix.php

Cher on Octomom: http://icydk.com/2009/02/25/cher-on-octomom-come-down-to-planet-earth-with-the-rest-of-us/

I keep trying to picture what might be in Cher's Target shopping cart and I'm vacillating between cheap plastic yard reindeer, a George Foreman Grill and bulk-size Palmolive. 


  


Cher in Vegas v2

EtJust when I was thinking very little information seemed to be coming out about Cher’s second-year run with her Las Vegas show (I still pinch myself sometimes thinking about being able to go to Vegas and see a Cher show, btw), including a dearth of information on new Cher Store items. I mean, what treasures have newly appeared from the mines of Cher Mountain? Any new songs or outfits?

But then on CherGroups, information started to trickle in this week. Cher sang "Love Hurts" (allegedly replacing "The Way of Love") which feels like a good change, all in a new getup and one that I actually am thrilled to see because it’s reminiscent of her “More Than You Know” fit from the Celebration at Caesars and Live in Monte Carlo shows at the turn of the 70s/80s.  Love-hurts

It's got such a retro-yet-spacey headpiece.

Love Hurts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKTSUgE5p8s

After “Walking in Memphis,” Cher also sang “Let The Good Times Roll” and she sings it just like you’d think she would.

For this and other recent espionage clips of v2, visit the fabulous Cher World: http://www.cherworld.com/news/?p=702

One fan also said Cher fell onstage after “some drunk guy” threw his straw hat on stage for “Turn Back Time.” She fell on her knee due to tripping on it. Rumor has it security may ban sailor hats in the Coliseum.

Imagine no hats for Turn Back Time! But...then again who knows what some wacko might try to stick inside a sailor hat.

Cher was also on Entertainment Tonight talking about the show (pic above).

Video:  http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/02/71188/index.html

I can’t believe they’re still talking about her health. Didn’t we clear up that rumor on the last Entertainment Tonight episode a few months ago?  Cher further clarifies that she does indeed see the doctor who Farrah Fawcett sees for treatment of cancer but Cher goes for a completely unrelated issue.

Anyway, Cher looks great in this interview. You know I love the cowboy hats (see the cowboy hat photo gallery) and love the earrings. Cher is animated, beautiful and relaxed. Great to see!

MorethanyouknowTo the left is Cher's previous More-than-you-know-fit.

The interesting thing about "More Than You Know" is how many times Cher covered it in the 70s and early 80s. The version I grew up hearing was the up-tempo Bittersweet White Light version but I grew to like the slower, torchy version better. 

Here is Cher singing "More than You Know" for her TV special...with her hair tied up in a tree and a wild cat on set. They just don’t do stunts like that anymore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLk7TNYxOxA

Buy the way, one of the things that got me sweet on the wedding dress I picked out what the fact that its sequins sparkled in the lights like Cher's TV show-fits used to do. Sigh.

Now that I look at her leopard suit from the clip above, I think it looks very Dr. Seussian...almost like a Thneed in fact.

Here is the Monte Carlo version of "More Than You Know:" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qqc4-3jxyEg

Here is a compilation of reviews of Cher's Vegas shows year one: http://govegas.about.com/od/cher/Cher_Cher_at_Caesars_Palace_Las_Vegas_Show_Review.htm

    


You Make Me Feel Like Interrupting

Sonnycher-06-1 Over the holiday weekend, we got a lot of wedding stuff done. I think I’ve found dress I like and can afford, we ordered our cake and met another florist. Still have two more florist meetings to go before nailing that down.

In the meantime, I’d like to talk about something that has bothered me since I was a wee child of 7 or 8 years old...as evidenced by the Sonny & Cher Show duet with Sonny & Cher singing "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing." Yes, it’s been something I’ve been harboring for quite a long time but as yet un-uttered.

As giddy as Tinkerbell as I was that S&C were back on the air in 1976 after their divorce, I can barely explain the level of my frustration over the intrusive Laverne and Alvie (or was it Alvin?) sketches that interrupted each opening duet. Grrrrr!! I would think, every time this misforunate thing happened, which was almost every freaking week.

So it was bad enough S&C were not yet re-married and that now on top of that the viewing hour of the new show was past my bedtime due to our family moving from the Mountain to the Central Standard Time Zone which resulted in quite elaborate negotiations with my parents in order for me to have a one-week-exceptionary-later-bed-time-hour, (which would actually come in quite handy the next year when the first Solid Gold special ran late), and I could then still watch the new S&C show, political maneuverings that would impress even our Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, by the way…add to all that the fact that this lame modern saloon skit interrupted the festive and heart-warming opening song every week, like a reminder that paradise was not well and Sonny & Cher were not eternally duetting on stage blissfully but in reality un-married and wasting away in some bleak hotel bar slugging back wiskey sours...and you can see why I turned out the way I did.

Dancing Deep breath.

This song is the worst offender that I can recall. Probably I feel this way because when I was 8 years old I loved this song – loved it enough to buy the 45 when I was 15, a 45 that only languished in a shoebox because I grew up to find Leo Sayer grating.

This duet irks me every time I watch it. Here is the video where some kind, agnelic, hero-type has spliced the song together without the skit.

You’d think this would bring me peace after all these years, but somehow it doesn’t.

http://toosweet4rocknroll.wordpress.com/2009/02/16/sonny-and-cher-you-make-me-feel-like-dancing/

  


Cher Interview and Mustangs Sold

Bilde2 The 1966 Sonny & Cher Ford Mustangs sold for $198,000 at the RM Auctions Collector Cars of Ft. Lauderdale last weekend and George Barris himself was there. All auction memorabilia sold for $11,588,100. The top seller was a 1936 Packard Twelve Coupe Roadster that reached $220,000.



More details: http://www.freep.com/article/20090212/BUSINESS01/902120336/1002/rss02

The original auction press release: http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewContent.aspx?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/01-29-2009/0004962985&EDATE=

Cher also gave a short interview recently. Ah, how I yearn for a lengthy People cover.

In the latest, Cher talks about her hopes for Billy the Elephant (freedom), her latest charity work (kids in Africa and Tibet), briefly about her new album (more guitars), and shopping at Target and Michaels to get paintbrushes for the teamsters to paint teapots for their mums.

I’m looking forward to my second trip to see the Vegas show in March.
  


Talking Trash

Argue2 I have to be delicate with this post. After all, I do have friends who are fiscal conservatives and we do agree once in a while. I also have a friend or two who are social conservatives. We can’t talk politics at all, period…or we won't be speaking for three years.

However, with all due respect to my conservative peeps, I can’t resist responding to this week conservative bloggers and web pundits who have taken great umbrage with recent comments Cher made about Republicans. Me thinks she may have hit a nerve.

Not surprisingly, I see great credibility issues in the responses – which have been almost uncontainably feral.

Remember back in the 80s when your friends’ parents used to say the evils of the economy were rooted in the ideas of Franklin Roosevelt and all his socialist programs? Today democrats believe the evils of the economy are rooted in the ideas of Ronald Reagan and his trickle-down economic theory. Now, Reagan was a celebrity before he was a President. This will become important later.

http://politikditto.blogspot.com/2009/02/obama-cultist-cher-wonders-why-anyone.html
Politikditto's major rebuttal to Cher’s comments are

“I mean does anyone under 30 even know who Cher is?”

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,489526,00.html
RNC mouthpiece, Fox “news” took the same tactic:

“Don’t remember who Cher is...?”

This humorous tactic has no rational credibility. If Cher is a has-been whom no one remembers, then why are y'all reacting to it all over the blogosphere? And while we're at it, why did her last tour break so many records? Why is her Vegas show selling out every night? Why is she constantly followed around whenever she goes shopping by the likes of TMZ and other Paparazzi – because stories about what she’s buying don't interest anybody?

Why are you still talking about her then?

http://www.mrc.org/BozellColumns/entertainmentcolumn/2009/col20090209.asp

L. Brent Bozell III, his column's first line says it all:

“Beware celebrities getting involved in politics” and goes on to say, “Celebrities aren’t expected to make sense, they’re only expected to be famous.”

THAT’S why Ronald Reagan never made sense! He wasn’t supposed to. He was a celebrity. Thank you for clearing that up for us. Conservatives have no credibility asking celebrities to refrain from talking  politics. Why? Because they consistently don’t complain when conservative celebrities are doing the talking on politics:  Ronald Reagan (whom they’ve canonized), Charlton Heston and Ted Nugent were  never asked to “shut up” by conservatives.

Later Bozell says,

“Let’s take Cher, the singer who can’t honor her promises to retire...”

This retire comment is another way of saying, “please just go away” so I don’t have to listen to your opinions, which I disagree with. It’s very similar to Rush Limbaugh last season telling liberals to “shut up…until you win an election, shut up!”  Well, now that the losing party is not shutting up, they lose credibility asking the rest of us to shut up.

Bozell then criticizes Cher recent protest for Billy the elephant and complains about her involvement in the abortion-discussion film If These Walls Could Talk which, by the way, had both pro-life arguments and pro-choice arguments in each vignette:

“Like many a Hollywood liberal, Cher’s sympathies for animals don’t extend to human babies. She starred and helped direct a pro-abortion film for HBO in 1996. She told Newsweek at the time she was passionate from personal experience: “Our mother almost died from an illegal abortion when I was little. Our grandmother had a desperate coat-hanger abortion when she was young. I had four miscarriages before I got pregnant with my daughter. I had two abortions. Legal.” She was upset there was still an abortion debate. “If men had babies, we wouldn't be having this conversation. It would be a done deal.””

Bozell has absolutely no moral credibility here. To paraphrase him -- Like many a conservative evangelical, sympathies for the possible suffering of the unborn don't extend to the sufferings of the living. In the last eight years, major evangelical conservative organizations have thrown all their heft, arguments, and money behind things they are against, against abortion, against gay marriage, against stem cell research. They have not yet established any strong message or support to end suffering for servicemen in Iraq who lack equipment, the suffering of veterans who lack services, the suffering of the poor, the suffering of animals (even pet abuse initiatives), the suffering caused by “playing God” with the death penalty that sometimes puts to death the wrong guy, the suffering of children without adequate health care, or any real love thy neighbor initiatives. Correct thy neighbor initiatives only.

http://www.moonbattery.com/archives/2009/02/cher_denounces.html

Bill O’Reilly called Cher a pinhead; this Moonbattery article is titled “Cher Denounces Republicans, Praises Moonbat Messiah.” Other bloggers called Cher “stupid” and an “airhead.”

Moonbattery says,

“Typically of dreary has-beens trying to seem relevant in the cesspool of our entertainment industry, Cher is heavily into BHO..."

Typical of these responses is name calling. Which doesn’t bring with it inherent credibility -- ever. It’s sort of like a last-ditch effort to assert yourself.

"For his first miracle, the Moonbat Messiah will blow over $1 trillion on liberal pork, despite the country being nearly broke... A primary reason this country appears to be headed for decline is that narrow-minded leftist cretins like Cher control our mainstream culture.”

Moonbattery has no fiscal credibility with his response, either. Because in 8 years conservatives never criticized Bush for his spending on an unnecessary war in Iraq, which took us from a surplus to a huge deficit. Spending wasn’t an issue three months ago. Suddenly…it is.

http://www.onebigdog.net/it-would-be-funny-if-cher-died/

Big Dog's blog seeks death to unbelievers. Big Dog says it would be funny if Cher died,

“Not funny as in comical or humorous but funny as in ironic.”

“After reading the sappy praise she spewed for Obama it appears to me that she wants a different kind of stimulus package from her exalted leader.”

So previous bloggers claimed those who support President Obama are somehow cultish, following a messiah; but this one asserts that if you criticize Republicans, you deserve death.

That sounds credible.

He goes on to reveal a bit of his racial prejudices (all under the guise of comedy, mind you):

“In another bit of irony, one of Cher’s big hits was a song titled Halfbreed [sic]. And then came Obama, in fulfillment of the scripture…”

It's hard to find credibility in insults and thinly-veiled racial slurs.

Think of these people like bullies in the swimming pool. They’ve been pushing the beach ball so far under the water for eight years and now they’re outraged that it’s flying up in the air like it is.

When you push the country to one extreme, it tends to have an extreme correction (even just to get back to the center). Simple physics.

Here are some bloggers who supported Cher’s comments:

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/125773/cher_bitchslaps_republicans/  (This one has video of Cher’s comments)

http://www.newshounds.us/2009/02/10/independent_bill_oreilly_calls_cher_is_a_pinhead_oh_no_he_didnt_oh_yes_he_did.php  This one takes O’Reilly to task.

Cher slams them. They slam Cher. Toys are thrown across the sandbox. Madness.

   


Cash It In

Cash So I’m poking along, planning my wedding at the library. And many pieces that are coming together are due to the fact that I have a bf with many past lives. He used to co-own a snarky greeting card company and his former partner designed some awesome seating cards for us that look like library cards. They’re also working on the invitations. From his days in Chicago theater he also found our photographer. We picked out our hotel which sits about a mile and a half from the library and is on the pier. I found wedding favors on sale that fit our unusual theme of books and leaves.

Two weekends ago, we also navigated around a free Honeymoon scam. David’s Bridal (who I’ve never visited but where I signed up for email tips) allegedly sells names to some unscrupulous vendors. One of those vendors called me claiming I had been to a bridal expo (I haven’t and never will) and had been submitted to win a free trip. To claim it, I had to visit a local hotel and listen to a spiel about the products of RP Bridal. Bf smelled something fishy right away and so I did an Internet search where I read all sorts of horror stories about lost deposits, faulty pots and pans, hard sells, salesmen who go lost in the night with deposits, refusals to cancel, harassments from bill collectors on phantom orders...crazy sad stories. It was all Internet hearsay but it was enough to keep us away. But how depressin in this cloudy economic climate to prey on hopeful young brides. Thank God, we're old and cynical. We have appointments this month to look at dresses, taste cakes and meet florists.

In the meantime, bf and I are obsessed with the BBC show You Are What You Eat hosted by the tart and cranky Gillian McKeith. She has inspired me with her shock tactics to stop eating crap and lose weight. Three great things about the show: 

  1. When Gillian lays out for people all the crap they eat in a week...it’s alarming; she also uses shock tactics to show them how awful their biggest vice is: how much sugar is in it; all the butter they ingest in a month, it's always very visual and shocking.
  2. When she asks them to give her a poop sample and then she then berates it in always original ways.
  3. The 8-week transformations are pretty amazing.

I’m also corresponding with our DJ while I plan out all my music lists, which is particularly pleasurable for me. I was searching for fun dance songs for the reception and I said to myself, I wish there was a dance remix of a Johnny Cash song. Little did I know a whole CD of his earlier recordings remixed was about to be released. I downloaded it yesterday and have been loving it! 

Be prepared: it's similar to the remix of Elvis' "A Little Less Conversation," and the dance mixes of Serge Gainsbourg. I wish someone would do the same with Cher’s 60s and 70s material – back before every single had a cousin-remix that was released with it.

Continue reading "Cash It In" »


Elephants and Parties

Cherparty2Paparazzi pics came out there last week showing Cher shopping at Barneys in Beverly Hills. Much ado was made of her sunglass postures. Ugh. So stupid. Must have been a slow celebrity fashion news week to warrant this. I don't want to repeat the 80s with our hyper vigilant sunglass posturings! Nicholson, Cruise - you know who you are!

Cher was also seen at a party chatting up Goldie Hawn at the Slumdog Millionaire/ The Wrestlerawards party in Los Angeles. Much ado was made over her “bondage-style PVC thigh-high boots,” sequined skirt, plaid shirt and red eye shadow.

For more info:

http://www.cherworld.com/news/?p=690

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1133873/Someone-forgot-tell-Cher-wasnt-fancy-dress--takes-inspiration-Ozzy-Osbourne-LA-party.html

Cherparty3 Look at this picture to the right. Is someone grabbing Cher’s ass again?

Cher was also out trying to save Billy the elephant last week. I had to catch up on this somewhat. I’m embarrassed to say in my former life I was an animal activist (yeah, I did a march or two) and aside from not eating meat or buying leather and contributing to my favorite animal organizations (Farm Sanctuary and Animal Legal Defense Fund), I’ve been out of touch recently.

Farm Sanctuary got me started as a vegetarian in college after seeing their film on factory farming. Animal Defense League sends lawyers in to stop animal abuses and enact change through the court system – and they’re surprisingly effective.

Catadlf See their cat mascot? Who can say no to that cat? I’m telling you, they’re playing hardball over there.


Inspiring cow escape story on Farm Sanctuary: http://www.farmsanctuary.org/rescue/memory/cincinnati.html

Recent story on ADLF: Meat Industry Seeks to Overturn California Law Barring Sick and Disabled Farm Animals From the Food Supply: http://www.aldf.org/article.php?id=819

But back to Billy...

Continue reading "Elephants and Parties" »