Wednesday, April 11, 2007; 12:00 PM
Reliable Source columnists Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts were online Wednesday, April 11, at Noon ET to discuss your favorite gossip, what you think about their recent columns or who you want to see them writing about in future ones.
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Earlier this week: Ryan Zimmerman dances on tabletops and Miley Cyrus upstages her dad Billy Ray; the White House Easter egg scandal, the Edwards kids hit the road; Mary Cheney's expecting a baby boy; plus, which celebrities are taller than you expect, and which are shorter? But if you just want to talk about Dannielynn and proud papa Larry Birkhead, we're up for it.
A transcript follows.
A transcript follows.
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Amy Argetsinger: Good morning everyone, and thanks for all the questions and star sightings...
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Washington, D.C.: My coworker and I saw one of the Baldwin brothers near the trains at Union Station yesterday (Tuesday, 4/10) shortly before 5 p.m. It was either Steven or Billy. Is one of them filming a movie in D.C.? Thanks!
Amy Argetsinger: Oh, come on now -- you can't tell the Baldwin brothers apart? Just a simple primer: Daniel is the very beefy-faced one, Billy is the one who used to be thin who played the Preppy Murderer but is kind of beefy-faced now, Alec is Alex, and Stephen is the blond-ish one.
That was probably Stephen, who was slated to be doing celebrity duties at the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday.
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Arlington, Va.: Around 6:15 Tuesday evening (while waiting for my dinner companions outside of Pesce) I saw Jon Voight walk into Al Tiramisu with an interesting assortment of people -- one of the members of the group was a priest. I thought that was kind of odd, but maybe Voight was soliciting advice from a higher power about his (allegedly) tense father/daughter relationship. Normally, I would just assume that I had spotted a doppelganger, but I did read (in the Reliable Source --natch) that Voight was in town filming the sequel to "National Treasure." So ladies, Jon Voight's prayerful twin or the real thing?
Amy Argetsinger: That was the real thing! Jon Voight -- who, yes, is here filming the "National Treasure" sequel with Nic Cage -- had dinner last night at Al Tiramisu with Father David O'Connell, president of the Catholic University of America, Voight's alma mater.
How do we know this? Because we're that good.
Voight also paid a visit last week to CUA, where they showed him the cardinal mascot he painted on the gym floor back in the day. It's great he's been hanging around the old campus so much. Maybe they'll get an endowed chair or a new theater wing from him.
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Washington, D.C.: How could L'il Kim qualify as "shorter than you expect"? She's L'il! It's right there in the name!
Amy Argetsinger: Yes, but... even though you expect her to be short, she's still EVEN SHORTER than you expect! I mean, Lil Wayne isn't that short, and neither was Lil Bow Wow.
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Another for taller than you'd expect: Minnie Driver. I met her at a premiere in L.A. a few years ago, and in heels she was easily over six feet. IMDb.com lists her at five feet, ten inches tall.
Amy Argetsinger: Oh, that's a good one. You just never know with the starlets, do you? You expect them to be tall and willowy, and then they all turn out to be teensy-tiny, and so after a while you EXPECT they're all going to be the size of Hummel figurines, so you're stunned when they're actually Amazons.
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Arlington, Va.: Hello ladies. I must (gently) lambast you and your copy editor for the misuse of the word "gender" in last week's article revealing that Mary Cheney's baby is going to be a boy. That is the SEX of the child, as I and any other social scientist with tell you. "Gender" means masculine or feminine traits, not whether something is male or female, man or woman, boy or girl. For example, a lacey item of clothing is considered feminine and most likely found on females in our society, while something like buffalo-check flannel shirts are considered masculine because of their related history with male lumberjacks. The words "sex" and "gender" are not interchangeable. Please help us sociologists battle this chronic misuse of words while allowing us to soak up your otherwise fun articles. We "people people" live to hear about them! Thanks!!
Roxanne Roberts: Boy oh boy. Interesting point, although it begs the question of popular usage vs. exact definition. "Gender" is often used interchangably with "sex"----and that's probably not going to change.
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Washington, D.C.: I've heard a rumor that work by three very famous artists from N.Y. and Europe will be in the coming Artomatic, but their work will be there anon.
Is this true? Sounds like fun and also a little like what the Post did with Joshua Bell playing anon. In a Metro station.
Amy Argetsinger: I haven't heard that rumor, which doesn't mean it's not true -- though it does sound like an excellent tactic for promoting interest in Artomatic.
I hate to promote dubious rumors, but I put this out there as an opportunity to promote Gene Weingarten's astonishing Sunday magazine story about what happened when he got world-renowned violinist Joshua Bell to perform as an anonymous busker at the L'Enfant Plaza Metro. Link to follow. As soon as you're doing participating in this chat, you should read it if you haven't already. Best story since the Great Zucchini.
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Arlington, Va.: Was anyone else a bit disturbed by the photo of the photographer looking like he just won the lottery after finding out he was the father of Anna Nicole's daughter?
Amy Argetsinger: Aw, I don't know. I guess I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. I think there's a seriously hard-wired male pride aspect to being acknowledged as the father of a child -- maybe amplified when you're dealing with the world's most famous infant.
Roxanne Roberts: I'm with Amy. He's been fighting for this for months---long before Anna's death. I give him credit for trying to do the right thing by the baby, even before the stakes got crazy. By the way, there's a new Legal Times article that says the baby is unlikely to get much--if any--money from the Marshall estate, so I'm thinking the motives are pretty pure. Larry could have walked away a long time ago.
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washingtonpost.com: Pearls Before Breakfast ( Post Magazine, April 8)
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Bowie, Md.: Saw J.Lo on "A.I." last night. Despite her rep as being a diva, she came across as "Jenny on the Block" and seemed very easy going, friendly, and surprisingly knowledgeable with how she gave the contestants tips on how to sing the tunes. Reports though, have her and skeletor on the rocks. True or false?
Roxanne Roberts: I saw her and agree----seemed nice, helpful, and looked cute, too. As for yet another Spiltsville: There will always be rumors, but the two of them have been out and looking pretty solid, so---for the moment---I'm chalking it up to tabloid fodder.
Amy Argetsinger: She was much more enthusiastic than most of the guest mentors (e.g., Gwen Stefani, who seemed like she wanted to die as she listed to each of the Idols).... Don't forget, there's also the perpetual rumor that J-Lo. and Marc Anthony are expecting a child. They're rumor magnets.
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Who is Eva Mendes?: I read a lot of old Us magazines and I have one reoccuring question --who is Eva Mendes and why is she always posing somewhere?
Amy Argetsinger: Excellent question, I was wondering the same thing recently, and whether she's taken over the Gabor Sister Memorial "Famous for What Again?" trophy, previously held by Jennifer Love Hewitt. The only work of entertainment I've ever seen Mendes in is that one where Greg Kinnear and Matt Damon were Siamese twins. IMDB tells me that she was also in "2 Fast 2 Furious" and "Hitch" and "Ghost Rider" but I personally cannot vouch for this. She is, however, extraordinarily pretty in those US Weekly photos.
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Washington, D.C.: Where would Tom Cruise fall on the `taller than your expect' list? I mean, if you're about 4 feet tall, is it possible for people to have expectations that you're any shorter than that?
Roxanne Roberts: Tom is the poster child for "shorter than you expect"---but we figured everyone knew that. Years ago, I was assigned to cover Earth Day on the Mall, and Tom was the emcee. I'm 5'8" and wore sneakers; I stood directly in front of him and Tom was a tad shorter---and wearing shoes with a very thick sole. I'd put him at 5'6", 5'7" tops.
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Alexandria, Va.: Submitting REALLY early here as I have to be at a meeting out of town tomorrow.
I was at Share Our Strength's 'Taste of the Nation' last night (Monday) at the Hinckley Hilton and could have sworn I saw Luke Wilson there. (I'm not the only one who said that they saw him there.) Do you know if he is in town and what he was doing there? Taste of the Nation is a large culinary fundraiser for childhood hunger. Does he have an interest in this issue or does he just like good food?
Amy Argetsinger: Okay, maybe I'm jaded here, but I'm betting that it wasn't Luke Wilson, if only because I think someone would have called us to let us know he was here, if only a PR person for the event. If you REALLY think it was him, we'll make some inquiries... I suspect, though, that it was just a guy who looked like him. We recently tried to chase down an alleged Arlington sighting of John Krasinski from The Office, but it turned out it wasn't him -- he's the kind of guy who a lot of guys in D.C. kind of look like.
So, why didn't you walk up and ask him if he's Luke Wilson? We'd like to encourage all of our readers to do that the next time they see a potential celebrity -- also, ask them why they're here. And send the results to reliablesource@washpost.com.
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Gene-ius: I agree about the fabulousness of Gene's recent article, and I also thought the Great Zucchini profile was astonishingly good. My question ... and I'm asking this in all seriousness ... is, what can we do to help him get a Pulitzer? Long overdue, in my opinion.
Roxanne Roberts: Tough sell---the committee doesn't do funny very often. Meander down the feature prize road and you'll find heartwarming, heartbreaking, and heartfelt---but seldom out-of-the-box fabulous. And where's the Pulitzer for Gossip? We're SO overdue.
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Logan Circle, Washington, D.C.: So I'm not a tween, but I can't help enjoy that Hannah Montana's music/personality! So what's the scoop about her White House appearance? Did she sing/dance/roll eggs? If only I had been at the JW Marriott ...
Amy Argetsinger: She sang the National Anthem, I believe. The people who saw her at the J.W. Marriott said she was adorable and very friendly and talkative.
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Washington, D.C.: Amy and Roxanne -- are you guys taller or shorter than we would expect?
Amy Argetsinger: I'm shorter than you expect, in part because I'm also shorter than I actually appear. Roxanne is as tall as you expect.
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Larry Birkhead quote: It seems to me "I'm going to the toy store!" should be a euphemism for something. I just can't figure out what.
Amy Argetsinger: Yeah, you're right.
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Harrison Ford -- shorty: My uncle met Harrison Ford a few years back at a party in Jackson Hole, and told us Ford is only about 5'8" and a bit socially-awkward.
Amy Argetsinger: And yet the official word is that he's 6-1... You wouldn't believe what a headache it was to report that item.
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Herndon, Va.: In defending your misuse of "gender" you misused "begs the question." I didn't know about the sex/gender distinction, but misuse of "begs the question" drives me nuts.
Begging the Question ( Wikipedia)
Roxanne Roberts: Just want to give you something to cashew on.
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Eastern Market, Washington, D.C.: George Stephanopoulos is 5'7" only if he's wearing some serious lifts in his shoes. I'm 5'8" and when I saw him a few years ago, he was several inches shorter than I am -- I'd put him at closer to 5'4".
Amy Argetsinger: You're really 5-8? That's shorter than I expected.
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Washington, D.C.: So my husband just called me from a bar at National Airport, waiting for a flight for a business trip. It was just him and some woman sitting a few seats away, when some crazy lady ran up to the bar woman and was like "Oh my god! You're in Destiny's Child! What's Beyonce like! Are you guys going to get back together!" Apparently it's really her. Though, my husband is not up on his Destiny's Child trivia, so he can't confirm which member it is.
Amy Argetsinger: Oh, this is fun... could you e-mail us at reliablesource@washpost.com, and give us some more details -- like, what she looked like, what the bar was? -- who knows, might be a good sighting for us if we can pin it down.
No idea if this is who he saw but LeToya Luckett (one of the gals bumped from Destiny's Child back in the day) is dating the Wizards' Deshawn Stevenson.
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Woodbridge, Va.: I'm just glad that Howard Stern didn't try, for whatever reason, to fight Birkhead for custody. Now if only the lawsuit could get settled as quickly ...
Amy Argetsinger: Oh, come on -- won't we be kind of sad when this story goes away forever?
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Washington, D.C.: Also short? The blonde guy from the O.C. You know, the one who played Ryan, I think.
Saw him at the Dem Convention in '04. Teeny.
Amy Argetsinger: My beloved Benjamin McKenzie (wahoowa! class of '01), of my dear departed "The O.C." Unknown sources on the Internet put him at 5 foot 8 and 1/2 inches. Sounds about right.
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Obligatory TomKat Comment: Just saw a recent photo of these two. Katie looks awful -- thin, tired, and a very tight smile.
Any credence to the rumors that Nutball has clamped down on phone calls, outside contacts, etc.?
Roxanne Roberts: Nah, but they sound so plausible that everyone's prepared to believe them. Doesn't look like anyone is having much fun on Cruise Control.
Amy Argetsinger: I certainly enjoyed US Weekly's "Katie's Secret Prison" cover story.
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Height surprises: Met the soft-spoken but sweet Mr. Rogers at a booksellers convention once. (No, he was not wearing a cardigan.) But he was short -- maybe I thought he was tall because he had all those puppets on his show?
Amy Argetsinger: Context is everything.
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Kensington, Md.: So, for the borders, we have Minutemen. For our nation's waterways, we have the Riverkeepers. Who will stand with me and be the Duckminders? FOR DOHA AND HER BABES WE STAND!
Amy Argetsinger: We're so proud to have finally written an item in The Reliable Source that makes small children weep into their breakfast cereal. Poor Doha, and poor little Portman, Zoellick, Barshefsky, Kantor, etc.
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Taller than you'd expect: Minnie Driver: It's cuz she's British and they are a little less ruled by the teeny-as-a-bulemic aesthetic that rules in the U.S.
Amy Argetsinger: Bad teeth but good health -- rule Britannia!
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Washington, D.C.: Amy, I gotta back Arlington's play on this one. This is not an "I'm okay you're okay" issue. Gender and sex refer to two entirely different concepts. One is social, the other is biological. To use them interchangeable is to use them erroneously.
I know lots and lots and lots of people don't care enough to learn the difference, but c'mon gal. You're the tops! We love you because you care enough to get stuff right (like L'il Kim's height). Why should our language get less consideration?
Roxanne Roberts: Because langauage is always evolving, and it's important to know both the proper definitions and how they change through usage. I'm not saying the rules should be ignored, but the fact is----most people currently use gender and sex interchangably, and it's not a felony.
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The Look Alike Maybe Was ...: Jenna's beau Henry Hager. Remember he did live in Arlington and does resemble one John Krasinski.
Amy Argetsinger: Does he? Never noted the resemblance. Interesting. Jenna's a lucky girl, then.
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Washington, D.C.: Whoops, I realize that I addressed my language rant to Amy, when in fact it was Roxanne who had the cavalier attitude about correct language use. Apologies, Amy. Listen up, Roxanne!
Roxanne Roberts: I'm listening, already!
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Re: Pulitzer: Besides, Dana Priest has already signed up for next year's prize. Gene is too late, but maybe his wife could handle the paperwork for submitting his materials the year after.
Amy Argetsinger: Nah, they'd be in different categories. No reason they can't both bring home trophies next spring.
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Richmond, Va.: Actually, gender has always meant sex, check your dictionary, especially one alternative definition that people are pushing (not that there's anything wrong with that!) -- to mean sexual IDENTITY. (bonus points for knowing the reference I threw in)
Roxanne Roberts: Word fight! Nouns at ten paces!
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John Krasinski : (Sigh) I have a mad crush on one of the Arlington-based Krasinski look-alikes. They are everywhere though, aren't they?
Amy Argetsinger: Aw. Why don't you just ask him out?
Nah, I'm just kidding -- don't do that. But yeah, it's a certain type, isn't it?
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Washington, D.C.:"Amy Argetsinger: And yet the official word is that he's 6-1 ... You wouldn't believe what a headache it was to report that item."
What the heck does the last sentence mean?
Amy Argetsinger: Just that it's very hard to pin down definitive heights for a lot of VIPs -- the subject of Sunday's column (there should be a link up at the top of this chat) in case you didn't see it.
I think a lot of these celebrities lie to say they're taller than they are. But at the same time, it's possible that we star-spotters come up with some mistaken low-ball estimates, simply because we're confused by how our expectations have been confounded.
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Falls Church, Va.: But Gene's stories on Bell and the Great Zucc weren't really "funny" pieces!
Roxanne Roberts: True-----but how WOULD you define them?
Amy Argetsinger: I say this completely unironically -- both of those stories made me laugh AND cry.
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Gender vs. Sex:: Roxanne, you know someday that little bit of knowledge is going to prove useful some how on "Wait ... Wait. .." Along those lines, I heard that "Wait ... Wait ..." isn't coming to D.C. this year, but any news on shows that will be taping in the area that needs a plucky audience member?
Roxanne Roberts: So true---never know when a cross-dressing bank robber question might come up, and I have to parse the description of the perp. As for you, plucky, I'll let you know as sooon as I hear of anything.
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New York City: I, almost literally, ran into Tom Cruise. He is shorter than I am (I'm about 5'8). And he was probably wearing a heeled boot too.
That said, he was still strikingly handsome. And I'm as straight as all get out.
Roxanne Roberts: Not that there's anything wrong with that.
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Brooklyn, N.Y.: My girlfriend lives in L.A., and recently when I was on the phone with her she said she saw James Van der Beek. She said he looked good. But I had ask if she was going to park her car on his chin.
Amy Argetsinger: Ah, laughing right now... Did she say he's short? I bet he was short, that Dawson Leary.
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Washington, D.C.:"Tough sell -- the committee doesn't do funny very often."
I thought Gene's piece was beautiful and heartbreaking.
Roxanne Roberts: Gene, how many people did you pay to write in this week?
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Bowie, Md.: Gwen Stefani is a big time music star, make now doubt, but I think she "wanted to die" when faced with the "A.I." contestants because all the contestants' abilities were different from hers. Every "A.I." contestant has that sing song voice, while Gwen is more so a "shout out the lyrics/over the top" type of performer, so she might have felt uneasy when the "A.I." contestants were into vocal ranges, falsettos, etc., which she is not accustomed to or not her style of performing.
Amy Argetsinger: You mean, "make No Doubt," right? ha ha ha
I'll withhold judgment on the Idols' performances that week and also on Stefani's, but I was taken aback by the look on her face as she met with this, this somewhat intimidating mix of weariness and incredulity. She seemed not to be having a whole lot of fun, for sure.
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Washington, D.C.: Won't we sad if the Anna Nicole baby-daddy drama goes away? No! Maybe then we can revive the crazy astronaut story. I still think that one didn't get its fair share of media insanity. Luckily, Yahoo reports this morning that they've released more details about the wacky kidnapping supplies in the astronaut's car. So there's actually a chance!
Amy Argetsinger: Too true -- good point. I miss that stalker lady astronaut.
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Amy Argetsinger: Confidential to Clifton, Va.: Please e-mail us at reliablesource@washpost.com with more info on Nic Cage please....
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Re: Eva Mendes: Eva was the love interest in both "Hitched" and "Ghostrider." She's also one of the CoverGirl Cosmetic faces and has appeared in Self Magazine. She's not uberfamous, but she carries herself well and has some good roles in pretty good movies (I LOVED "Hitch"!)
Amy Argetsinger: That's right, forgot about the CoverGirl ads.
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Baltimore, Md.: Re going up to celebrities and asking their identity: I agree that it is surprisingly easy to do that, as I have done it a number of times. But believe me, it is much easier if you can say (using Luke Wilson as an example) "Oh, hi! Wow! "Bottle Rocket" is one of my favorite movies," as opposed to "Aren't you Luke Wilson?" Show biz celebs love it when people are familiar with their work, rather than having just seen their picture in Us. (If it isn't Luke Wilson, of course, you would receive some odd looks for sure.)
Amy Argetsinger: I disagree -- if it's not Luke Wilson then it's probably a guy who's used to being mistaken for Luke Wilson. It's also probably a pretty good pick-up technique, not that I've ever tried it of course.
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Washington, D.C.: Re: Luke Wilson. Don't be so quick to assume the PR people would have tipped you off. I work for a non-profit, and we frequently have big-time celebrities at our events. They're there to participate and learn about the issues, not to be famous. So we don't publicize their attendance. It ends up being a little bonus surprise for our regular donors/advocates who come for the event itself. If we publicized the fact that movie stars would be there, our rather serious event would be mobbed with star-gazers, and we don't want that.
Amy Argetsinger: Really? Well, okay...
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Reporting:"... You wouldn't believe what a headache it was to report that item."
I think the confusion came from the fact that most people don't know how journalists use the verb "to report." It means "to find out the stuff you need to know for your story."
Amy Argetsinger: Thank you. I knew I had confused them with some element of my fancy journalism jargon, just not sure which.
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FOR DOHA AND HER BABES WE STAND! in B'more: Didn't just make small children cry into their cereal. I'm a middle-aged woman about to cry into my lunch if things don't work out for Doha and her babies.
Can't someone get out with a cellphone camera and give us a visual update on the situation?
Roxanne Roberts: They deserve streaming video, just like the PandaCam.
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New York, N.Y.:"shorter than you expect"
I remember attending the launch party for TV Land at Paramount lot. Were you guys there?
Anyway, I saw Gary Coleman and was shocked that he was EVEN TINIER than I expected.
I also saw Peter Dinklage once here in NYC. He was about as tall (short) as expected.
Amy Argetsinger: No, weren't there, are pretty much D.C. bound with this job. But when I was in L.A. for the Post, Gary Coleman would sometimes try to hit on our bureau news aide when he stopped by our building to see his agent.
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It was Roxanne who had the cavalier attitude about correct language use: but it was the ranter who used language incorrectly. Check your dictionaries, folks. Most do not list gender as meaning IDENTITY, most show it meaning sex. The few that do show gender as meaning identity show it as a 3rd or 4th definition, well after the 1st primary definition as sex. Someone's giving you a hard time and it's s/he who is wrong!
Roxanne Roberts: Can I buy a vowel? Can't we all just get along?
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Alexandria, Va.: I would totally advocate for Gene to get a Pulitzer for the Joshua Bell article.
It's very rare that an author can write an article that gives you chills. And of the articles that have done that for me in the last few years, they were often by Gene.
I honestly can't stand his humor column, but I think his long articles are some of the best work to appear anywhere.
Amy Argetsinger: I like his humor column, but I am downright blown away by his full-length reported stories.
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Re the Pulitzer committee: So, um, are there comments pouring in to support the idea of a Gossip category? And you're just modestly not posting them?
Amy Argetsinger: Breaking from our modesty for a second to post this.
Uh, no, sorry, it's just you.
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Pick-up line: Yeah, I've tried "aren't you Amy Argetsinger?" for years, but it never works.
Of course, that might be because I'm asking men.
Amy Argetsinger: Yeah, and guys who look like John Krasinski or Luke Wilson are especially freaked out by that. Keep trying, though -- when it works, then you'll know you've found The One.
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Alexandria, Va.: So if a hypothetical group of readers were to hypothetically send hypothetical e-mails to the Pulitzer Committee, would that increase any one writer's chances of winning?
Roxanne Roberts: Hypothetically, it would probably make the committee think said writer had paid off hundreds of fans with cheap wine and cigars, and would probably work against him.
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Not terribly relevant: But there was a guy on "Jeopardy" the other night who was a dead ringer for Robin Williams. When people would come up and ask him if he was Robin Williams he would reply "I'm taller and thinner, but he's richer."
Amy Argetsinger: You'd think he'd have come up with a better line by now, huh?
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Short Shane: Supposedly Alan Ladd was so short he had to stand on a box to appear taller than leading ladies in love scenes.
Roxanne Roberts: Yup. Most reports had him a whisper above 5'4---and still he was a romantic leading man.
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Washington, D.C.: Would anybody be surprised or shocked if Sanjaya shows up in full drag next week?
Amy Argetsinger: I might actually phone in some votes for him if he does that.
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Washington, D.C.: Did you know that Helen Keller is buried at the grounds of the Washington National Cathedral?
Amy Argetsinger: I think I knew that at one time. Any reason that's on your mind, or just in the mood for some trivia today?
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Washington, D.C.: Harrison Ford seems like a legit 6-1, not 5-8, because he towers over Calista Flockhart, and she's supposedly 5-5.
Amy Argetsinger: Sure, okay.
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Bowie, Md.: Eva Mendes was in "Training Day" with Denzel Washington where he won an Academy Award, I think.
Amy Argetsinger: Five years on and I still haven't seen that movie. Should really Netflix it.
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RE: Eva Mendes: She is also a 2007 Special Olympics SUmmer World Games Ambassador. So she is socially conscience.
Amy Argetsinger: The many, many facets of Eva Mendes.
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Amy Argetsinger: Confidential to the Washington reader with the sighting of a former pro athlete: 6:30 a.m., really? How fun. Tell us more at reliablesource@washpost.com.
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Speaking of "Jeopardy": I watched it for the first time in years. They HAVE dumbed it down!
Amy Argetsinger: Or... maybe you just got smarter?
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Library of Congress:"Correcting your English"
It's typical that the know-it-all turned out to be incorrect. People will say the same thing about "disorientated." They'll correct you and say it's not a word.
Look it up. It is.
Roxanne Roberts: I did, it is. But "irregardless" is not, no matter how often people say it. Funny how language works, huh?
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Retail therapy: Britney's main activity since leaving rehab seems to be "shopping sprees." Is this substituting one addiction for another? And how is she funding these sprees since it's been a long time since she had a bona fide hit?
Amy Argetsinger: Yeah, but I think she really made SO much money back when she had a recording career that she can afford to do this. She's still years away from spending herself into a Michael Jackson-like tailspin.
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Better line: I saw Robin Williams in a jewelry store once. I said "You're Robin Wiliams!" He grabbed a mirror off the countertop, stared at his reflection in shock, then said "My god, you're right! I am!" Then looking over both shoulders, shifting his eyes: "Don't tell me I'm here ..." All while doing those great overexaggerated mugs he does. Very satisfactory.
Amy Argetsinger: Wow, that is deeply satisfactory! How fun. It does give you a bit of a window, though, into how exhausting it must be to be Robin Williams.
Roxanne Roberts: One of the best ever. I'm never understood why some celebs get so surly----sure, it's a hassle to get bugged in public, but part of the job. The smart ones figure that out pretty quick.
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Re: Katie Couric: Inquiring minds want to know: Isn't there something wrong with the fact that a producer was fired for a piece that Katie Couric discusses in the first hand? I was under the impression that she wrote about her own experiences and observations?!?!
washingtonpost.com: 'Katie's Notebook' Item Cribbed From W.S. Journal ( Post, April 11)
Amy Argetsinger: Hmmm, yeah... as Howard Kurtz notes in this story: "What made the ripoff especially striking was the personal flavor of a video -- now removed from the CBS Web site -- that began, 'I still remember when I got my first library card, browsing through the stacks for my favorite books.'"
A CBS spokesperson "said it is 'very common' for the first-person commentaries to be put together by staffers without Couric's being involved in the writing, but that she does participate in topic selection."
By the way, if you haven't seen it lately, it's worth renting "Broadcast News."
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Washington, D.C.: I know this is somewhat random but ...
I'm reading "Being There" again. Love the movie, which was filmed in D.C.
I know this happened ages ago, but any Peter Sellers sightings in the Post archives?
Amy Argetsinger: Another movie I'm planning to rent soon.... Peter Sellers died in 1980. We'd really have to go deep into the archives, and I don't think the Post was quite as sightings-happy as we are now. Maybe, though. Will let you know what I find.
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Re: difficult to report: You mean, you don't get all your stats from IMDb.com??
Roxanne Roberts: If only. We had to, like, CALL people.
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Washington, D.C.: Pulitzer categories that Gene's article seems to fit into well:
4. For a distinguished example of explanatory reporting that illuminates a significant and complex subject, demonstrating mastery of the subject, lucid writing and clear presentation, in print or in print and online.
8. For a distinguished example of feature writing giving prime consideration to high literary quality and originality, in print or in print and online.
9. For distinguished commentary, in print or in print and online.
Roxanne Roberts: Someone REALLY likes Gene.
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Roxanne Roberts: Love to stay, but I've got a hot date with a dictionary. Stay warm, save the ducklings, and send your tips to reliablesource@washpost.com. Next week, kids---and I don't mean baby goats.
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