June 2009 Archives

'Real Housewives of New York City' star Bethenny Frankel takes a seat...on Dean's desk...to tell us about her book, "Naturally Thin."

Dean got more than a few words in with the great film maker George Lucas when he was honored in Chicago on June 15. Check out his full interview:

I'm one of the millions who plunks down $44.95 each month for UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) pay-per-views, so if I lose you with my mixed martial arts vernacular, I apologize. But there is a move in MMA called the "rear-naked choke." So far as I know, it's never been performed in the nude, and I can't fathom why someone put the words "rear" and "naked" together in describing the most lethal submission move in the sport.

Nonetheless.

I was put in a rear-naked choke once by a former UFC champion. It wasn't by choice- he just thought I'd find it interesting to know what suffocating felt like. It's a sensation I could live without re-experiencing. Thankfully, he had the common sense to keep me locked up for only 2 seconds. This young reporter was not blessed with such a perceptive interview subject.

But he does recover like a pro. 

There may come a day when Ozzie Guillen's incoherent ramblings become passe, but that day is not today.

I have seen a lot of strange things here at the ol' number 9.

A midget KISS tribute band, a 4-yr-old baby drummer, a herd of acrobatic cats, a German gay heavy metal band,

a chimp that plays poker, and a transvestite Cher-impersonator to name just a few.

Sadly, all of these things happened a couple years ago before we started putting clips from our morning news show on the website.

If you visit our website now, you'll see that we put everything on it, whether it's from our newscast or not.

Especially stuff that involves girls in bikinis. Those FHM or Maxim photo galleries get all kinds of hits.

Which reminds me of an old saying about the 4 things that will always get you ratings on television news...teets, tots, vets, and pets.

Well, yesterday we had all four on our show yesterday.

We had Hooter girls in tiny bikinis.

We had some veteran employees without their shirts on playing poker with Robin.

We had Ana with her little girl at Millennium Park with the Wiggleworms.

And we had a pet owner reunited with her cute doggie.

Let's take a look at the website overnight ratings on all four of these segments:

Hooter Girls - 399 hits

Ana's kid - did not show up in the top 59 clip list.

Shirtless Vets - 933 hits

Pet Reunion - 91 hits

Are you kidding me???

Man-breasts beat fake boobs?

Man-boobs clobber puppies?

And apparently, moobs smother Ana and her darling daughter with Wiggleworms.

(Easy, Ana. I'm being a smartypants. But, maybe you should have been breast feeding during your segments yesterday? I kid, I kid.)

Well, here's my idea.

Starting Monday, I propose that we do the entire program topless.

Except maybe Paul Konrad.

He has a hairy third nipple that is quite unpleasant to look at.

 

Jeff Hoover, Segment Producer

 

By, Larry Potash

 

You may recall we interviewed James Van Praagh on the show last week.  His appearance always generates a lot of feedback.  The "behind the scenes story" is that he asked the make-up artist  "Is that &*%$# Potash going to interview me?"

"Why do you call him that?" the make-up artist inquired.

"Because he's not a believer!" said Van Praagh.

(How spiritual of him.)

There's an old saying:  "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."

No "psychic has ever passed scientific scrutiny."

Van P claims his "ability" is beyond scientific scrutiny.

Oh really?

I suppose that's fine if there are no consequences to his predictions...but would you get on a plane built on "intuition?"  Would you let someone who didn't go to heart-surgery school to perform heart surgery on you based on the info he was channeling from the greatest heart surgeons in heaven?

 

The Center for Inquiry West in California offers $50,000 to anyone who can prove paranormal ability.  Chicago native Jim Underdown, of the CFI would welcome Van Praagh to take a short drive to Hollywood and win the  money.

"If he says he doesn't need it or do that for money," said Underdown,  "ask him how much he charges for a reading."

 

People like to pass of "intuition"  as supernatural.  It's not.

 

"Intuition can be explained scientifically in terms of thoughts, experiences and memories that may give subconcious clues to a person about another person or situation," Underdown said. "If Van Praagh is hearing info from an alleged other realm, that info should be accurate all the time."

 Below is what the CFI hands out  to audience members when psychics come to town:

 James Van Praagh's "powers"  may not be what they seem. Here are some simple hints you can use to evaluate his performance.

1.         Demand Specifics

a.         Mary is not Margaret, Marie, or Maria

 

2.         Count the Missed Guesses

a.         The correct guesses pale when compared to the wrong answers

 

3.         Beware of Generalities

a.         Most people in a given culture experience fairly similar lives

 

4.         Be Conscious of Giving Information When Being Read

a.         If a psychic asks questions, you are giving the answers, not him or her

 

5.         Watch for a Shift in Direction

a.         Do they jump to another subject when they hit a dead end?

 

6.         Ask for Last Names

a.         Everyone knows a John, a Mike, a Sue, a Mary or a Pat

 

7.         Don't React!

a.         Psychics use your visual clues to assess if they're on the right track

 

8.         Who, Specifically, is the Guess Aimed at?

a.         A guess directed at couples or groups is more likely to be correct

 

9.         Remember Why People Go to Psychics

a.         Psychics are like police stations, psychiatry offices and hospitals - most people go there with a problem. Love, money, job, health, grief are the most common reasons, and psychics know this.

 

Here's THE CFI fake test which reveals some tricks...

 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6911186994223979328

Dean is starting up a new video blog to keep you gossip junkies up to date with the latest entertainment news. Check it out and leave Dean a comment.

We have WWE wrestlers on the show pretty often, and only ONE has done a segment in character- our old friend Booker T. Not only that, but his wife appeared in character too, and even let me pour a bucket of worms on her.

(an explanation would require more time than I have)

I used to envision these segments going something like this: they come on and play the heel, I antagonize them, they break a vase over my head, everybody goes home happy. But that's hard to do when they are contractually prohibited from touching me. Apparently, all those nutty old-timers who'd assault reporters for asking if wrestling was fake, ruined it for everyone.

Still, you try and pick your spots with these guys. This gentleman on Spanish TV picked one spot too many with Randy Orton. If only he'd seen MY interview with him.
  

He smoked. He drank. He swore. And he didn't care about when and where he did it.

Legend-friggin-dary actor David Carradine was a handful for a producer like me. I had the pleasure of booking him multiple times on our morning news show. Yes, morning. That is probably not the best time of day for an old school Hollywood rebel.

Back in 2008, he appeared on our show to promote a really bad caveman movie and when I came to the green room to greet him, the lights were off except for the glow of the television. He was standing with his back to me and he turned around when he heard me say good morning. He just stared at me and went for something in his pocket. He pulled out his pack of cigarettes and pulled one out and let it hang from his lip. I didn't know what to do as he then pulled out his lighter. Finally, as he was about to light the cigarette, I asked him nicely to not smoke in the green room and tried to get him to follow me outside to a smoking area. He didn't budge. He lit that sucker up and inhaled a long drag and exhaled in my direction and said, "What are you going to do about it?"

HOLY CRAP ! He was right. What was I going to do about it? I stammered like a complete dork.

"Oh, will you please smoke outside? I really would appreciate it if you would take that outside. There are other guests that are using this green room this morning, etc

He walked towards me, leaving the light of the flickering television and into the hallway while I backed up waiting and trying to prepare myself for a flying scissor kick or something.

He said, "I don't listen to anybody. Directors, wives, nobody. Why would I listen now?"

Again. Why would he listen to me? I could have settled it by saying that his segment was cancelled and run away. But, we had teased his appearance all morning long. Plus, he would have been happier by not having to go on our show and try to muster up the energy to promote a stupid caveman movie.

He went on about the bad choices he has made in his life and his career as he finished his cigarette in our hallowed hallway outside the Bozo studio. I was smitten. It hit me. His role in life was more than Kung Fu and Kill Bill...and a caveman movie. His greatest role was being a badass. I was just another guy lucky enough to get close to the fire without getting burned.

Rest in peace, David Carradine. Although knowing him, he will not rest. He will chain smoke, binge drink and drop the F bomb forever.

 

- Jeff Hoover, Morning Show Segment Producer

Many communities would welcome a celebrity into their world. At my apartment building, for instance, there are fresh cut flowers and a martini waiting every day. And I can't tell you how much Tom Skilling appreciates that.

But Terrell Owens isn't experiencing the same hospitality in Buffalo. He's currently homeless, and being forced to schlepp it in the Penthouse Suite at the Adam's Mark Hotel. All he wants is a ridiculously priced rental unit to rest his head for 5 months out of the year (assuming he lasts a full season).

Is that so much to ask?

If National Geographic can show a lion chasing, and then eating the raw flesh of, an antelope, then I can show the video I did today. It involves a wayward pigeon, and a cricket ball travelling at a high speed. For those who don't know what cricket is, it's like baseball, except the batters wear facemasks. Needless to say, the pigeon didn't survive this encounter, and they had to spray the field before resuming play. 

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