Distasteful Disney Dish

When you hear the name Disney, most people think of the company that makes dreams come true, providing warm and fuzzy moments for millions of people around the world. Unfortunately for actress Sabine Singh, her fantasy turned into a nightmare at the hands of Disney subsidiaries ABC and SOAPnet.

Singh had the unenviable task of taking over a popular role following the departure of the actress who originated it. Singh signed on to ABC's All My Children early 2007 after Emmy nominee Rebecca Budig left the show in November 2005. Apparently she did not rub the audience the right way. By Thanksgiving 2007, rumors that the soap would be saying "sayonara" to the recast were running rampant.

Being replaced is not out of the ordinary in the soap world, especially if the opportunity for the original portrayer to return presents itself. That was the set of circumstances in this case. However, they way in which the networks went about making the change was appalling. From the end of November until Budig's second debut as Greenlee, there was a massive daily campaign announcing that the "real Greenlee" would be back on January 16. For two months while her episodes were still airing, Singh had to face this onslaught. What is objectionable about this is Singh didn't cause Budig to be let go. She did not portray an imposter Greenlee. She was hired to fill the role when Budig apparently did not want to return at that time. Yet, due to the media blitz, it made it seem as if Singh's efforts were inferior or a pale comparison.

Granted, many fans, including myself, preferred Budig's interpretation (although that could also be due to the writing), but it just seemed unnecessarily cruel to hammer away that the "real Greenlee" would be returning while the current one was still on the air. For a company that is known for kindness, compassion and all good things, Disney/ABC could have shown a little more class.

Image courtesy of ABC.com

From Boozefest to Snoozefest

For years, the Golden Globes have been touted as the biggest party in Hollywood. Anything can happen at the Globes, and has, over the years. How many times has a presenter or winner knocked a few too many cocktails back (since the bar is open during the ceremony/dinner) and provided more entertainment than intended (most notably or frequently Jack Nicholson). This year, however, on January 13, 2008, the 65th Annual Golden Globe Awards were more of a wake than a party.

Due to the over two-month strike by the Writers Guild of America, actors and directors in a show of solidarity refused to cross picket lines. As a result, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association held more or less a press conference to reveal the winners. Part of the fun and interest in awards like these is that they've become spectator sports. People tune in to see what the stars are wearing, who they come with, and how they react to the results. Instead, moviegoers and television viewers were treated to a recitation of recipients that was as much fun to watch as paint drying. And to add insult to injury, on this historic anniversary of the awards, Steven Spielberg was to receive the Cecile B. DeMille Award, but it had to be moved to next year since no one was attending.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards are slated for January 27. Since all of the nominees are actors, unless the WGA grants an exception for its members to participate, the ceremony will likely follow the same format as the Globes. That would be a shame because the first two major award shows of the season are the only ones to celebrate TV and movies together. Talks are supposed to resume this week between the writers and producers. If the two parties can't reach a resolution quickly, the 50th Annual Grammy Awards (set to air on February 10) and the 80th Annual Academy Awards (slated for broadcast on February 24) could suffer a similar fate. It also would not bode well for the future of televising these events. If the viewers get annoyed enough, the special events may discover there is no longer an audience left to tune in.


Image courtesy of HFPA.com