Ellen Leventry: November 2006 Archives

It is not cool to dress up as Maria Von Trapp from “The Sound of Music” for your high school halloween costume day, but I didn’t care. Julie Andrews (who played Maria) was, and still is a woman I admired with a voice I still adore. So, though I knew at the time it wasn't cool, I did it anyway. And now I've learned that maybe I was cool, after all.

Entertainment Weekly's new "Inspiration Issue" reveals that Gwen Stefani loved Maria as much as me: "I’m like a Trekkie, but for the 'Sound of Music,'" says Stefani, music superstar, and popular clothing designer. "The first time I ever went on stage, at a high school talent show, the dress I wore was the dress that Maria wears when she sings 'I Have Confidence.' The drop-waisted tweed dress. I had that dress. I made it."

It’s nice to see that the pop music maven and fashion icon isn’t embarrassed about what really inspires her. No gushy Oprah moment here.

EW, apparently hoping to join the marketable and profitable "inspiration" bandwagon, interviewed numerous artists for the feel-good issue, including director Christopher Guest ("For Your Consideration," and actor Heath Ledger ("Brokeback Mountain"). Suprisingly, the directors seem to have been inspired mainly by other directors and films. Catherine Hardwicke director of "The Nativity" and "Thirteen" counts "Harold & Maude" as an influence). Actors are inspired by other actors (Djimon Hounsou by Morgan Freeman), and singers by other singers (Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz cite's Robert Smith of The Cure as his idol).

But, the real delight is in the unexpected inspirations. Will Ferrell ("Stranger Than Fiction," "Talladega Nights") cites fitness guru Jack La Lanne as his "creative role model," saying that La Lanne "was the guy who did one-handed push-ups and dragged tugboats with his bare hands. That guy knew how to live life."

Some of the reader responses at the back of the magazine are also priceless, especially one from "Enrique": "I was inspired by the season 1 finale [of "Lost"] to start meeting people in airport bars," he writes. Eventually those airport bar meetings led Enrique to his fiancee.

While much of the entertainment produced these days could be called less than inspiring, it’s fun to see what molded the artists that we love. The best interview of the issue is horror-meister Stephen King meeting with the creative team behind "Lost": J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. The "Lost" gang was so excited that they brought copies of King’s books for him to sign, all except Abrams who was crestfallen because he forgot. King was also totally psyched to see the trio, since he is such a huge fan of the show.

It’s always nice to see that even media giants are just little kids when they meet their idols.

The "Bachelor: Rome" has taken a page out of "The Real World's" playbook, and it may result in a fairy tale ending. The producers upped the ante this year by finding an actual prince, Prince Lorenzo Borghese--ancestor of Pope Paul V and heir to the Borghese cosmetics fortune--for the ladies to fight over. But unlike previous season--which featured the Woman Who Just Wants to Be Married clones--the producers have cobbled together an exacting group of women who fit the reality-TV world stereotypes: The Bitchy Rich Girl, The Crazy Party Girl, the Virgin. One would think they've been watching a bit too much MTV.

But, luckily for viewers, several of the women rise above these stereotypes, especially Sadie, The Virgin. A perky, blonde publicist from California, Sadie "came out" as saving herself for marriage early on in the competition, even though she felt it might be detrimental to her chances of receiving a rose. It turns out that it was anything but detrimental, and audiences cheered when Lorenzo, who could be dubbed Prince Valiant, let it be known that he respected her and her decision--and he has rewarded her by selecting her as one of the top three finalists.

But, as all faithful viewers of the show know, the final three ladies are taken on extravagant dates and are offered a night with the Bachelor in the "Fantasy Suite," where cameras cannot go. While the ladies usually start salivating over the offer from minute-one of the date, Sadie expresses her discomfort: "I am saving myself for marriage, and I don't want Lorenzo to get the wrong idea.... I really want Lorenzo to know that I'm a classy, conservative woman."

But Lorezo comes through again when she broaches the topic with him, saying that he doesn't want to make her uncomfortable, that he'll respect her decision, and that he likes "classy, conservative women." She accepts his invitation, they spend the night talking, and she makes it to the final two.

But, wait... isn't "classy conservative women" the exact same phrase that Sadie used during one of her confessionals; a confessional that Lorenzo isn't supposed to have heard? Is there a chance the producers are passing notes and manufacturing this whole thing--the idyllic story of a Prince who marries a Virgin? Let's hope not, because for once, I'm rooting for one of the Bachelorettes instead of against one.

Their names are wedded for all eternity, and now the world waits with baited breath to see if TomKat--Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes--will finally tie the knot this weekend in Itlay. Speculation is rife that the "Mission Impossible" star and the "Dawson's Creek" ingenue will wed in a traditional Scientology ceremony this weekend at Odescalchi Castle near Lake Bracciano. However, an Italian newspaper reported last week that Cruise wants to have a Catholic ceremony, apprently in deference to Holmes' Catholic parents. But, according to news reports, the priest with jurisdiction over the 15th-century castle says his parish won't marry Cruise because he is twice divorced, and others note that a Scientology marriage most likely would not be recognized by the Italian State.

While the nature of the ceremony may be as secret as Ethan Hunt's true identity, the guest list is no state secret. And, as shocking as it may seem, Oprah hasn't been invited to the big day.

When I was younger, I had heard tell of the Golem, but only truly became acquainted with the legend thanks to the "Kaddish" episode of "The X-Files," in which the legendary clay monster of Jewish folklore is brought forth to revenge a hate crime in modern day Brooklyn. Now, the Golem's back on FOX and this time he's more nebbish than nightmare. The second of the three stories that make up this year's "Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XVII" was a bit of a monster mash, marrying the Golem story with the "Bride of Frankenstein."

Trying to return his Krusty the Clown Alarm Clock that squirts acid, Bart stumbles upon the Golem in Krusty's prop room. The ersatz entertainer goes on to tell Bart of the tale of Rabbi Loew, the "legendary defender of the Jewish people," who created the Golem to defend his Jewish community. "Like Alan Dershowitz," says Krusty, "but with a conscience." Of course Bart can't resist temptation, feeds the Golem a scroll with orders--the monster's method of motivation--and forces him to do his bidding: Think Bart's usual bag of tricks on principal Skinner.

However, Lisa feeds her own scroll to the monolithic monster, giving him the freedom of speech. And, oy, does he ever speak! Voiced by comedian Richard Lewis, Golem goes on to introduce the Simpson family to Jewish humor and its stereotypical neuroses ("I mangled and maimed 37 people, and I told a telemarketer I was busy when I wasn't!"). They might as well have named him Woody Golem. In order to shut the monster up, Marge creates a "Girlem" out of blue Play-Doh. Girlem is, naturally, voiced by Fran Drescher, whose nasal delivery has never been more perfectly grating. And while Homer decides that they need to go back to the drawing board, as Girlem spouts bad Borscht Belt comedian jokes, Golem is smitten, and the pair head to the chuppah.

As "Treehouses of Horror" stories go, this entry was middling. While the voices of Lewis and Drescher were perfect, the story just didn't go anywhere. But it's nice to know that the FOX network has introduced yet another generation to an enduring Jewish folk tale.