Fan Fare
Entertainment behind the scenes
Howard Stern sidekick Artie Lange attempted suicide-report
His on-air blowups on the “Howard Stern Show” and confessions to drug abuse have given listeners plenty of insight into comedian Artie Lange. But the latest news about Stern’s sidekick is even more grim than what has been revealed about his life in previous reports.
The New York Post said on Thursday that Lange stabbed himself nine times over the weekend in a suicide attempt, and that was the reason why he was hospitalized, as had been previously reported. On his show on Thursday, Stern reacted angrily to the revelations in the Post article, and said “this is a family matter” and that Lange is “wrestling with some serious stuff.” A spokeswoman for Lange could not be reached for comment on Thursday.
Last year, a Rolling Stone profile on Lange put on full display his addiction to heroin. At the time, the Rolling Stone writer Vanessa Grigoriadis said that Lange was using drugs on the road, alone in his hotel room, which she called “very scary” and “a stage of drug use that’s linked to depression.”
(Photo from HowardStern.com)
Publishing David Carradine photo. Too much information?
Police in Thailand are working to solve the mystery of actor David Carradine’s death last week in a Bangkok hotel, and they have said not to expect any answers for a month.
His family, however, is ready to settle at least one question: whether the media should publish photos said to be the actor’s body, discovered naked and hanging in his Bangkok hotel room on June 4.
Carradine’s death has sparked intense media speculation about how he died (Click here for that story). Theories have ranged from suicide to murder to accidental autoerotic asphyxiation. All are speculative, none are confirmed.
When a Thai newspaper, Thai Rath, which is known for lively coverage of crime and celebrities, published grainy photos on Saturday that it claimed showed Carradine’s hanging body, an attorney for the actor’s brother, Keith Carradine, said the family will take legal action against people or media outlets that publish the photos.
“The family wants it understood that … any persons, publications or media outlets will be fully prosecuted for invasion of privacy and causing severe emotional distress if the photos are published,” said the statement from attorney Mark Geragos.
Thai police have declined to confirm the authenticity of the photos. (Click here for that story). They did say media were not present at the crime scene and the picture was not leaked by them. Thai Rath did not give a source for the photograph or show the face. We here on the Fan Fare blog have seen it online, and at best it appears highly suspect.
The events bring to mind the leaked police photo of Rihanna after she was allegedly attacked by singer Chris Brown back in February. The photo caused a stir and was not published by some media outlets but was published by others. A key difference was that it was said to be a police photograph, which was later substantiated, and it was clearly Rihanna.
We’re in for much more information on David Carradine. There’s a new book called “David Carradine: The Eye of My Tornado” and it will examine the cause of Carradine’s mysterious death in Bangkok.
“American Idol” — time to stop the laughter?
“American Idol” returns in January with a few tweaks but broadly the same mix of tone-deaf singers and potential gems among the thousands trying out in the early audition rounds.
Snarky comments, and sometime helpless laughter from the judges, about the hopeless singers have always been a big part of the show’s appeal.
But has the public ridicule gone too far, especially given the apparent suicide in Los Angeles in November of a former ”Idol” tryout and obsessed fan of Paula Abdul?
“Idol” producers say they have to mix up the good with the bad singers to give an accurate cross section of those who turned out for auditions. But executive producer Ken Warwick also told reporters this week he would have a “pretty boring show” if he left all the no-hopers off the air.
The toughest jibes usually come from Briton Simon Cowell, who seems to enjoy his reputation as the Mr. Nasty of American TV. But while Cowell says the death of Paula’s fan in November made him think hard about whether to temper his comments, he doesn’t envisage major changes.
Will you be laughing in January at the dozens of would-be singers who should never be heard in public? Or has the parade of sometimes delusional performers, and the ridicule meted out to them, become reminiscent of a carnival freak show?
