May 2008 Archives

Yesterday's Season Four finale of "Lost" was a fantastic reminder of how the theme of miracles and destiny will always be a part of the show's mythology. When Jack and Locke began arguing outside "The Orchid" about whether miracles existed (as usual, Locke said "Yes" while Jack said "No"), who wasn't reminded of another debate they had during the Season One finale? Minutes before the hatch door to "The Swan" exploded, Locke argued the island was their destiny while Jack argued there was nothing but the present.

During Season One, Locke believed it was their fate to descend into the hatch, that it would be the answer to getting them rescued off the island. Three seasons later, Locke also believes it's their fate to descend into another hatch, though this time it's to save them from being destroyed on the island. As Locke's mysticism and spirituality has strengthened through the years, his relationship with Jack has also weakened and deepened into a wide chasm. What's surprising about Jack's denial of miracles is his self-delusion (which Locked pointed out). After all, how could he deny his ex-wife's survival from spine surgery or even his amazing "reunion" with Desmond in the hatch as anything but miraculous?

Do you spend Friday afternoons wondering where the week went and simultaneously trying to make plans for the weekend? You're not the only one.

Beliefnet's handy entertainment calendar gives you the scoop on the weekend's best new movies, TV shows, CD, DVD, and book releases and more.

Click here to see the full week's list of events, which we update every Thursday. You'll never be out of the loop again!

Talk about getting in late on a hot trend. Celebrities from George Clooney to Rosie O'Donnell have had their own websites or blogs for a long time now, but Tom Cruise has only just this past week launched his own offficial website under the guise of celebrating his 25 years in filmmaking.

Cruise has wisely keep major references to promotion of Scientology off the site for now. Instead, it is simply full of fabulous photos of Tom smiling and looking like a movie star. There's also a heartfelt message on the site for his many fans.

As a P.R. tool to continue to remold his image, the site is pretty much a snooze. As a potential arm of propaganda for Scientology under the guise of "Humanitarianism"…well, I think it's just a matter of time, don't you?

"Year after year, twenty-something women come to New York City in search of the two Ls: labels and love. Twenty years ago, I was one of them," Carrie Bradshaw says in the May 30 theatrical release "Sex and The City." "Having gotten the knack for labels early...I concentrated on love."

And so begins the familiar voiceover by Bradshaw portrayer Sarah Jessica Parker in the long-awaited film based on the HBO series.

Media coverage and public discussions tend to concentrate on the likelihood that the film's lovers include an audience of women and gay men. However, there is some question has to how fans and those in the entertainment industry will label the movie through its results in the box-office.

Even Parker, who also serves as a producer, recently told Entertainment Weekly (in Missy Schwartz' May 23 article "Hello, Lovers") that the film's response is personal.

"I want it to do well, but the bigger story for me here is that I want the people who hold the purse strings to believe that there are female audiences, that it's worth their money," Parker adds.

Studio executives should believe because the "Sex and The City" franchise has symbolized into a religious institution with a faithful following of females and gay males that will stay true.

Advertising is a tricky business, and apparently wearing the wrong scarf can send the message that "This company tolerates and supports terrorist organizations!" Sounds crazy? That's because it is, as exemplified by the Dunkin' Donuts recent pulling of an advertisement it was airing with spokesperson (and chef superstar) Rachael Ray wearing a scarf around her neck that resembled a keffiyeh, or traditional Arab scarf.

The offensive piece of fashion was slapped down by syndicated conservative Fox News commentator Michelle Malkin (Fox also owns Beliefnet), who said that by wearing the scarf, Dunkin' was dabbling in "distinctive hate couture."