thisnthatwithatwist

In January 1978 Wyatt Cooper, passed away during heart bypass surgery after suffering several heart attacks during the holidays in 1977. Anderson was only 10, and his older brother, Carter Vanderbilt Cooper, only 12.  Less than ten years later, on July 23, 1988, Carter a committed suicide jumping from the terrace of Gloria Vanderbilt’s Manhattan apartment, while Vanderbilt stood mere feet away begging him to stop.  The death was later believed to have been a sleepwalking incident caused by insomnia and stress from a recent breakup mixed with allergy drug, Proventil.  Both deaths had a profound effect on Cooper — personally and professionally. It has been reported that his brother’s passing was what inspired him to pursue a career in journalism.

So I had a thought last night while watching Saturday Night Live. The musical guest was country darling Taylor Swift and her first performance was he hit “Love Story.” I have to say that I had only ever heard her song this song and “White Horse” once on the American Music Awards but I can tell from that limited exposure that she has a really amazing voice.

That’s when it hit me; she should do a duet with David Cook. I know it sounds a bit odd because he’s Rock and she Country but both have had Pop hits and Sheryl Crowe and Kid Rock did it a few years back with the massively successful “Picture.” Career wise, having a song together could really broaden both of their fan bases and since both are relatively new artists that would be a huge thing. Not to mention I really feel that their voices could complement each other.

They could even co write it, perhaps a song about breaking up since she had a well publicized breakup with one of the Jonas Brothers and he has allegedly broken it off with Kimberly Caldwell. What better revenge than winning a Grammy over the ex for Swift and having the hit play everywhere to haunt Caldwell.

Discuss…

Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O’Connell announced today that they welcomed their twin girls just before the New Year, according to Access Hollywood.   

“Rebecca gave birth on December 28 to two healthy daughters, Dolly Rebecca Rose and Charlie Tamara Tulip,”a rep for the Ugly Betty actress told the entertainment show, “Mother, father and both girls are all home and doing well.”The twins are the first children for the couple who met in 2004 at a party, were engaged a year late and married in July 2007. 

No reason has been mentioned yet as to the meaning of the girls’ names.

Aside from the fact that it is providing income for me while I try and ride out the current economic climate, it is also going to be a big help this coming New Years Eve.

Every year I watch Dick Clark’s New Years Rockin’ Eve which I know makes me sound really old, but with Ryan Secrest hosting it’s really not as anchint as it was when Clark hosted. Also, it’s what I grew up on so it’s kind of tradition.

However, Anderson Cooper also has a NYE special, which I quite enjoy especially since Kathy Griffin has started co-hosting. This is why I love TIVO.  This year, though, I was faced with a problem because David Cook will be performing on the otherwise worthless Fox NYE special and my TIVO only tapes two programs at a time. Luckily, I was asked to work on that night so I can now watch one and DVR the other 2.

I just saw on E! News that there is a drag queen named Queen Jasmine who is teaching classes on how to walk in high heels, I could not have make that up if I tried. I suppose it is something that could come in handy if you never wore a pair and needed to wear, say a seven inch stiletto. It didn’t say how much she charges, perhaps it is a free service offered to the community, but either way they showed people learning from her so it is apparently a successful business. 

 I just found this so absurd I had to share.

So according to a leaked Fox memo, American Idol has made some changes.

1-     the month-long period where “Idol” usually features the best and most bizarre auditions from around the country have been shortened to just three weeks

2-      the  Hollywood round (formally one to two episodes) will now be two weeks

 3-     Instead of having 24 contestants when the show goes live, there will be 36

 4-     the wild card round will return

5-     there would be more 2-hour episodes (maybe that means more time for appearances by this past season’s Idol’s to return)

6-     “Idol Gives Back,” will not happen in 2009 

It is official Anderson Cooper has lost his mind! This fact makes me very sad because I love him as a person and respect him as a journalist. He announced today, while visiting Regis and Kelly, that during his year of filming Planet in Peril two: Battle Lines he went diving with great white sharks. He wasn’t in a cage, he was unprotected in open water surrounded by blood and shark bait. There are only two people in the world who’ve done this; the other is a professional diver.

Now he didn’t get eaten but this is just plain dangerous!

I love to give credit when credit is due and I love when I hear David Cook is winning things so you would think that I’d have been really excited when I opened my email today and saw David Cook and David Archuleta are to be listed on the VH1 “Hottest Hunks Under 25″ list.

Don’t get me wrong, David Cook is hot and should be acknowledged for it but he will turn 26 on December 20, 2008 and thus his entire time in the spotlight has occurred after he turned 25. So sorry VH1, but he shouldn’t be honored on this list. However, he has had the best year ever and should win the title on you yearend special this week.

Michael Johns might be the most talented person to ever come in eighth on American Idol (in fact I’d go as far as to say he’s the most talented not to make the finals.)  Still, ever since the end of the American Idol tour in September, there hasn’t been much noise from the man who put the M in Mavid.  

Well apparently he was busy working.  

*On Dec 9th Michael’s original Christmas song “Another Christmas,”  which was originally written as a gift to his family, will be released on ITUNES with all of the proceeds going to Nancy O’Dell’s ALS and the Red Cross charities.

*He also appears in “David Foster and Friends” which aired on PBS last night, and I’m sure will again. That is out on DVD as Nov 11th.

* And lastly (for now that I know of)he is  working hard on an Album and it will be out Feb/March 09′

I was watching the movie Elf last night, that movie is so funny and amazing. It should seriously be added to the list of Holiday Classics like Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer, Frosty the Snow Man, Charlie Brown’s Christmas, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas that we all watch year after year.

Will Farrell is amazing as the child- like Buddy the Elf, a human who was raised by the Elves at Santa’s workshop, who comes to New York City to meet his birth father and ends up saving Christmas for children all over the world by rejuvenating the Holiday Spirit.