Dream a Little Dream, Corey...

Sad news came from the entertainment world today with the announcement that Corey Haim was found dead of an apparent drug overdose. He was 38 years old.

In recent years Haim was known more for his struggles with drug addiction than anything else, never able to regain the kind of fame like he had in his teens. But to me, he'll always be one of the "two Coreys" (along with longtime friend Corey Feldman, who certainly has had his own share of demons to battle). He'll always be the heartbroken, sensitive Lucas and of course, one of the brothers confronting a fairly menacing (but cool) band of vampires in The Lost Boys.

It's sad to see another former child/teen actor lose his life to a drug overdose. It really makes me wonder what the price of fame truly is. Fame is so fleeting for so many, and turning to drugs and alcohol to fill the void that notoriety left behind often ends tragically.

While Corey Haim might not have had the life he dreamed of, I hope he had some satisfaction in knowing how meaningful some of his early movies continue to be for so many. And while no one should die to teach a lesson, I hope Haim's death provides a wake-up call for others facing the same challenges with addiction: it is not shameful to admit you need help. But you have to get help before it's too late.

RIP, Corey...

Scott Fujita is My Hero...

So many professional athletes exemplify the "less" in "classless." (Gilbert Arenas? Plaxico Burress? Or how about my personal favorite thug, Allen Iverson?) While children all over the world look up to these multi-million dollar men as role models, many rarely live up to that part.

But then someone like Scott Fujita comes along. Fujita, a former linebacker for the New Orleans Saints who recently signed as a free agent with the Cleveland Browns, has proven himself an exemplary man before. Several times he has spoken out about homophobia and equal rights, not understanding why whom a person chooses to love should be anyone's business, and why anyone should be deserving of less-than-equal rights.

While that already endeared him to me, his parting gesture as he left New Orleans for Cleveland really sealed the deal:

He gave half of his Super Bowl check to charity, half of that going to relief efforts in Haiti, and the other half going to coastal restoration in New Orleans.

Now, it's one thing for an athlete with the earning potential of say, LeBron James or Kobe Bryant, to make a sizeable donation to charity. But when someone like Scott Fujita does it? To me, it's more than a gesture—it's a true act of class.

I wish more athletes would prove themselves worthy of being admired, or at least the ones deserving of admiration would get the recognition they deserve, instead of publicity for, let's say, alleged sexual assault, bringing guns to a locker room or just being an all-around thug.

But if that happened, what would I have to complain about then?

Oscar Moments...

Another year's Academy Awards ceremony has come and gone. As with most years, I was generally pleased with what transpired, although there certainly were winners I disagreed with here and there. But when you allow countless people to vote based on their opinions and throw politics into the mix, who knows what can happen?

Here are the things I most enjoyed about this year's Oscar telecast:

1. The hosts: I think Steve Martin has done a great job hosting the show before, and adding Alec Baldwin was truly an inspired choice. So many of their jokes left me hysterical, from Martin's mentioning that he and Gabourey Sidibe both "played poor black children in their first films" (referring to The Jerk) to their baiting of George Clooney and Meryl Streep (and "that damn Helen Mirren..." "that's Dame Helen Mirren") and, most hysterically, their introduction of Tom Ford and Sarah Jessica Parker by saying "He directed A Single Man and she weighs a single pound." (Yes, I know eating disorder jokes aren't funny, but this one was.) Hope to see both back next year!
   
   
2. The John Hughes tribute: Despite the fact that Judd Nelson's appearance scared me a bit, this was one of the most moving moments of the evening. To have Molly Ringwald, Matthew Broderick, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy and Nelson on one stage (along with Macaulay Culkin) was terrific and their recognition of the man who made them stars was truly heartfelt. Especially Ally Sheedy's line from The Breakfast Club, "When you get older, your heart dies."
   
   
3. The intros for Best Actor and Best Actress: Last year when the nominees for the four acting awards were introduced by former winners I found it odd. This year, when the nominees for Best Actor and Best Actress were introduced by people connected to them in some way, I found it emotional and satisfying. Heck, I didn't even realize Jeremy Renner and Colin Farrell knew each other, much less spooned in a bed in Mexico! My favorite moment, however, was Tim Robbins' recounting of a conversation he had with nominee Morgan Freeman on the set of The Shawshank Redemption:
   
   

   "He said 'the thing about friendship is sometimes friends get coffee for one another, so how about a cup of coffee, Ted? It is Ted, isn't it?'"

   
   
   

The Oscars: What Will Happen and What I Want...

Tomorrow night, the 82nd annual Academy Awards will be handed out. Of course, there will be the requisite sleep-inducing montages, the tearful acceptance speech and a handful of appalling wardrobe choices.

But for someone who loves the movies—and movie awards—as much as I do, I always get excited for the Oscars. However, almost every year I find myself hoping that everyone I think should win emerges victorious, although that never happens. (Not that I am the ultimate movie judge or anything, but heck, I can hope, can't I?)

So, in preparation for the big night tomorrow, here is a list of the big categories along with who I think will win (and if, different, who I think should).

A Blast from the Past, 90s Style...

I'm definitely a product of the 80s, but for some reason I was a big fan of Saturday morning post-cartoons TV in the 90s. Specifically Saturday morning programming on NBC.

Of course, that means...Saved by the Bell. Don't know why I found the adventures of Zack Morris, Kelly Kapowski, AC Slater, Jessie Spano, Lisa Turtle, Screech and Mr. Belding so, well, entertaining, but that's one of those mysteries of my life in the 90s I'll never quite understand.

Heck, I even watched the 19 episodes of Saved by the Bell: The College Years. And that may be the first time I've admitted that publically.

Equally as entertaining as Saved by the Bell (entertaining to me, at least) was the show that followed it, California Dreams. Similar in some ways to its predecessor, this show followed the adventures of a group of high school kids in school and with their band, The Dreams.

If you haven't been watching Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, he spent his first year on the air obsessed with trying to reunite the cast of Saved by the Bell. He was able to get many of the cast members on the show individually, but not manage the reunion.

Hypocrisy, Thy Name is Ashburn...

Meet Roy Ashburn.

Roy is a conservative Republican state senator from southern California.

Roy is a divorced father of four.

Roy has a history of opposing gay rights.

On March 3, Roy was arrested for allegedly driving drunk.

Allegedly driving drunk after leaving a gay bar.

Allegedly driving drunk after leaving a gay bar with another man.

I believe everyone is entitled to live their lives the way they want. No one should have the right to force them into disclosing facts about their sexuality. If a person wants to keep their personal life private, it should be their right.

However, when you publicly support the discrimination of a group of people because of their sexual orientation—an orientation you clearly share, whether all the time or occasionally—you are a self-loathing hypocrite. If you have trouble accepting your sexuality, I am sympathetic; when you use your position of power to deprive others of their equal rights, I am not.

Of course, all of this wouldn't be an issue if all people, regardless of sexual orientation, could be treated equally. But as long as there is discrimination, there will be hypocrites like Senator Ashburn, talking out of one side of their mouth while, well...

Perhaps Mark Foley, Ted Haggard or Larry Craig can give Senator Ashburn some advice?

"Terrified" x 3

Thanks to rickey.org for pointing me toward this.

I've been watching American Idol since the middle of the first season, and although I seem to have a serious love-hate relationship with the show and the way the judges embrace people I don't always think are the most talented, I can't seem to get enough of all things Idol.

One of my favorites in this relatively young ninth season is Didi Benami. For one of her performances during "Hollywood Week" she sang "Terrified," written by judge Kara DioGuardi and Jason Reeves. And she was fantastic. See for yourself: