Thank God Larry King hasn’t become irrelevant. Those that claim the once great interview is now nothing but a hack are clearly misinformed – I mean he had political heavyweight Christina Aguilera on his show last night for goodness sakes! Christina had a lot of deep and original thoughts to get off her ample chest – like how important it is to vote, and how she’s getting really, really old.
Credit Christina Aguilera’s newborn son Max with getting her involved in this year’s election. “Being a new mother, it was really important for me to get excited about this election,” she told Larry King during an interview Wednesday about her involvement with Rock the Vote. This election “is such one of change and new development for our country and for the future of my son,” she added. “I want the best possibilities for him.”
Aguilera — who would not reveal which candidate she supported — told King, she registered to vote “as soon as I could” but admitted she didn’t “exercise that right until the last election. I grew up in a house where politics weren’t discussed,” she explained. “It was a hopeless situation. As a woman, that’s embarrassing that it took [me] so long [to vote] because we weren’t always given that right,” she said.
As for why other young people don’t vote, she said maybe they feel politics “doesn’t affect them” and they think it will matter to them “later on down the road. But time goes quickly,” she cautioned. “I’m already 27.”
27? Holy crap that’s unattractive. She’s just a big bag of dinosaur bones. I kid, I kid. I sometimes get annoyed with all the celebrities when they do the whole “get out and vote” thing because it’s generally a bunch of people who don’t seem to care about anything – except every fourth year, when that’s what they’re supposed to say.
If a celeb that’s often supporting social or charitable causes says it, I think it’s great. But when Heidi Montag and Paris Hilton tell me I should vote, I want to tell them they should go pop a Valtrex and shut up. Man I’m cranky today. Larry King always puts me in a bad mood. With that face of his. I’m going to stop now.
Here’s Christina on “Larry King Live” last night. Video thanks to RedLasso.
Larry King’s 26 years-younger wife, Shawn Southwick King, 48, has entered rehab for an addicted to painkillers. An “unnamed friend” of the talk show host says his wife is being treated for a dependence on prescription medication that she was using to treat chronic migraines:
TALKMEISTER Larry King’s stunning TV-personality wife, Shawn Southwick King, 48, has gone into rehab for addiction to painkillers. King, 74, has been married to Southwick, his sixth wife, for 10 years and they have two children together. A friend of King’s confirmed to Page Six, “Shawn is in rehab for medication issues related to her chronic migraine problem.” CNN declined to comment.
This is Page Six, who knows if this is true or if they’re softballing the news and making it seem minor out of some loyalty to King. They’ve been known to pick on people for no reason, to make shit up, and to play favorites.
I had a friend who was addicted to Oxycontin after he took it for back pain and it can really take hold of you quickly. It’s relatively easy to get it online and on the street and it causes terrible withdrawal symptoms if you quit cold turkey.
First lady candidate Cindy McCain also went to rehab for painkiller abuse back in 1990s. She has successfully beaten her addiction been drug free ever since and in 1999 told the press the story of her desperate times and the uncontrollable urges that led her to steal drugs from a nonprofit agency she ran.
When stories come out about famous people suffering addiction and real human problems it becomes a little easier for others facing similar issues to seek help. Best wishes to Mrs. King for a successful recovery.
Larry King and Shawn Southwick are shown in the header at the Clive Davis pre-Grammy party on 2/9/08 and below with their sons Chance, 11, and Cannon, 8, at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards on 12/21/07, thanks to PRPhotos.
I’m not sure how Larry King live is viewed across America (we don’t get it here in New Zealand), although Wiki says 46% of Americans had an unfavorable opinion of him, but I suspect that more people have that opinion of his possible replacement Ryan Seacrest.
A source from within CNN says that Seacrest, who has filled in for his friend Larry King in the past, is involved in “serious negotiations” to take over “Larry King Live” around year’s end. King told The New York Times in April 2007 that Seacrest would be his first choice to take over the show when the time came.
“He’s the classic generalist,” King told the Times. “The only thing I don’t know, and I’ve gotten to know him pretty well, is how versed he is in politics, world affairs. Does he read the paper? Is he interested in Iraq? Because if he is, he’s going to be very good.”
Another source familiar with Seacrest and his involvement on “American Idol” said that a drastic course change might be just what Seacrest needs. “He’s so serious about his career, but like anyone, he wants it to evolve. Hosting ‘Larry King’ would be perfect for him.”
CNN has made no official statement about Ryan’s possible employment, but MSNBC has another ‘source’ saying that this isn’t true.
This is following hot on the heels of reports that American Idol is reaching the end of it’s run. After 7 seasons on television, the show is losing viewers. While it still rates well, I suspect that people aren’t really interested. It’s not water cooler conversation anymore, people just don’t seem interested in who wins the contest now. I also think that for the winner, it is not a stepping stone for a great career like it was for early Idol winners like Kelly Clarkson – they just don’t seem to be as successful as they have been in the early seasons.
There’s no word on whether Seacrest will leave his radio show if he takes over from Larry King, but it is possible he might do both. He’ll probably just take a nap between shows.
Jenny McCarthy was on Larry King Live last night and she was very clear that she thinks her nearly six year old son, Evan, would not have suffered from autism if it wasn’t for vaccinations. She said that autism is a global epidemic, and that she and the autism community are not anti-vaccination, but that they’re anti-toxin and anti-schedule. She’s says “we’re not treating autism, we’re treating vaccine injury.”
Larry asked Jenny about the schedule and she said that back in 1987 there were 10 shots scheduled for children and today it’s 36, which is “too many too soon.” She says we need an alternate schedule, and that the mercury has not been removed from vaccines and that the shots also include aluminum, ether, and antifreeze.
MCCARTHY: I personally haven’t heard of that many people falling off the map that we needed to implement 26 new shots in this time. And isn’t it ironic, in 1983 there was 10 shots and now there’s 36 and the rise of autism happened at the same time?
And parent after parent after parent says I vaccinated my baby, they got a fever and then they stopped speaking and then became autistic.
KING: Is your link scientific or statistical?
MCCARTHY: Well, I believe that parents’ anecdotal information is science-based information. And when the entire world is screaming the same thing — doctor, I came home. He had a fever. He stopped speaking and then he became autistic. I can’t — I can see if it was just one parent saying this. But when so many — and I speak to thousands of moms every weekend and they’re all standing up and saying the same thing. It’s time to start listening to that. That is science-based information. Parents’ anecdotal is science-based information…
KING: Jenny, will you agree that some cases have nothing to do with vaccines, which makes it more puzzling?
MCCARTHY: Absolutely. You know, environmental toxins play a role. Viruses play a role. Those are all triggers. But vaccines play the largest role right now and something needs to be done. You know, testing these kids for immune issues, you know, that would help so much, changing the schedule. You know, I don’t understand — as a precautionary measure, why don’t they do this?
If everyone is screaming this and they’re so worried about parents going into offices right now telling the pediatrician j everyone is going I’m too scared to vaccinate my child. This is the new parents’ number one fear — I am afraid to vaccinate.
I am not trying to start this global non-vaccinating world. I’m trying to implement change.
Jenny says that her son Evan hasn’t “recovered,” but that he no longer qualifies as autistic for special services. She compared it to being hit by a bus. You can get better but you’re never quite the same. She called him a “a wonderful example of hope and possibility for parents out there.”
They had journalist David Kirby, the author of “Evidence of Harm” on. He discussed the case of Hannah Polling, in which the “vaccine court,” a special court created by the US government to shield the pharmaceutical companies from large lawsuits, ruled that vaccines did contribute to Polling’s autism. In that case Kirby notes that Polling had an underlying mitochondrial disorder that was exacerbated by the vaccines. Kirby says, like McCarthy, he’s not anti-vaccination but thinks that the schedule should be individualized to each child. He said you could for example specifically test for the genetic defect that causes a mitochondrial dysfunction and make sure that those children, who are genetically more susceptible to autism, be given less vaccinations at once.
At the end of the show there was a panel of doctors trying to sum up the issue. Earlier they discussed the importance of vaccination and how childhood illnesses have been eradicated. The discussion got heated and McCarthy plainly said “that’s bullshit” when one doctor said vaccines have been a boon to families. She said “my son died in front of me,” and talked about how her son died for two minutes and went into cardiac arrest. She asked “are we considered acceptable losses?”
Clip of McCarthy saying “that’s bullshit!”
I clipped the rest of the show and the links are below if you would like to watch it. This is an important issue that touches so many families and I can’t imagine the heartbreak of having a child with autism. Good for Jenny for having the courage to speak out about this. There are no clear-cut answers and there needs to be more study into this, but it seems as if the pharmaceutical companies have been shielded from scrutiny due to the reasonable fear that people will stop vaccinating.
Larry read out a statement from Jim Carrey at the end of the show that “Vaccines are more a profit engine than a means of prevention. And that’s why there are so many vaccines.”
Jenny and Jim Carrey will lead a march on Washington on June 4th, and you can learn about it on GenerationRescue.org
MCCARTHY: Jim and I are going to lead a march and rally in Washington, D.C. And I’m announcing it right here on June 4th. You can go on GenerationRescue.org for more information. We will be there and we’re asking every parent that can make it there in Washington on that day, every grandma, mom, dad, to be there with us marching, rallying. You have a voice that day.
KING: Are you raising money?
MCCARTHY: Oh, no. This is a day — you know, I’ve been talking to parents across the country, thousands of them. And they’re so dying to have a voice one day. So we’re bringing the media. We’re bringing the attention, and now I’m asking every parent that’s watching this right now, come there that day and you will be heard.
Jenny McCarthy on Larry King Live 4/2/08, Part 1
Jenny McCarthy on Larry King Live 4/2/08, Part 2
Jenny McCarthy on Larry King Live 4/2/08, Part 3
Jenny McCarthy on Larry King Live 4/2/08, Part 4
Jenny McCarthy on Larry King Live 4/2/08, Part 5
Jenny McCarthy on Larry King Live 4/2/08, Part 6
Jenny McCarthy on Larry King Live 4/2/08, Part 7
Dr. Jan West, Kanye West’s deceased mom Donda’s plastic surgeon, made history on the Larry King show last night by being the first guest to walk off in 22 years. Larry asked his executive producer Wendy Walker toward the end of the show if a guest had ever left like that, and she said “You have been on the air now, Larry, for 22 years. And I have never seen a guest walk off… The only time I ever remember anything like this happening was one time, Vice President Gore was late and we put your children on for the first segment before he could get there.”
This was surprising to me, but Larry King is such a softball interviewer you could see how people would never get pissed off at him enough to leave. Adams delayed his appearance, and came on after the first commercial break, saying that he wanted to appear on the show, but that he would respect the wishes of the West family that he not talk about the case:
ADAMS: I — what I really want to say is I want to thank you for this opportunity. Basically, I had come here to talk about things in the press that aren’t accurate about me. But I have a tremendous amount of love and respect for the West family. And they’ve asked me not to go on. And I’ve said from the very beginning, I don’t have a side in this. They are my side.
And so I’m going to respect their wishes. And I’m going to apologize to you because I think I’m taking up your air time. But I will not be on the show and I will not discuss any of that. I’m going to honor their wishes, OK?
KING: Meaning, you won’t answer any questions about anything?
Adams went on to say that he would talk about what happened when the West family was comfortable with it and he ripped the microphone off and walked dramatically off stage. He didn’t get emotional or anything, but he did look and sound scared. The thing is, he was expected to at least address some of the many claims leveled against him, including multiple malpractice suits, several DUIs, the 100k in back taxes he owes, and his ex wife’s allegations that he physically assaulted her. He didn’t talk about any of that though, and just got the hell out of there, claiming he was doing it for the West family.
It’s more likely that Adams kept his mouth shut, something he hasn’t been able to do up until this point, due to a faxed letter from the West’s attorney that was received by his lawyer just prior to his scheduled appearance.
Adams’ attorney, Alan Tenenbaum, was on the show and confirmed that he did receive a fax from the West’s attorney, which came in right “as he arrived at [Larry King’s] office.” He said that it involved an issue of patient privilege, which is a civil matter, not a criminal matter, and he confirmed they could be sued for violating patient confidentiality. Adams had speculated earlier to the press that Donda died from a possible painkiller overdose, a statement that clearly violates patient doctor confidentiality. The West family has not yet announced a civil suit or an intent to sue.
Larry King said that the letter also threatened to go to the California Medical Board and have Adams’ license to practice medicine taken away if he continued to speak out about Dr. West’s case.
Adams could have talked about the other claims against him without violating Dr. West’s confidentiality, but he got scared and got the hell out of there. He does have a chance to speak out about the many stories about him that have been publicized as a result of this tragic case. He gave an interview to People Magazine that will appear in their next issue.
People senior editor Galina Espinoza was on the panel of experts commenting on Adam’s bizarre behavior on the show, and said that in that interview he dismissed the cases against him as “nuisance suits.” He also said that he never became board certified, something that is recommended but not required for physicians, because he didn’t think he needed to:
ESPINOZA: The DUIs he did not talk about. He did talk about a lot of the malpractice suits, and he dismissed most of them as “nuisance suits,” with his quote. And he did actually go on to say that in at least three cases where he did agree to a default judgment against him that if he had to do it over again, he wouldn’t do it, that he was an idiot for doing so. That was his explanation…
ESPINOZA: He was not board certified and we did ask him why he wasn’t. And he said that he did in fact start the process to become board certified, but things happened in his life. He had a serious illness. He wasn’t able to complete the process.
And then he went on to say, and I’m going to read this quote to you, saying that he wasn’t bothered by the fact that he does not have this credential, saying, we have made the board a tie to a certain level of competence, which I don’t really think is true.
So clearly, he did not think it was important for him to be board certified. He thought he was perfectly qualified.
This guy is going down hard and he knows it. He must have been waiting for the axe to fall for the past few years and it was incredibly irresponsible for him to continue practicing medicine and behaving like an expert on television. Watching that show, he acted and behaved like a scared guilty person, and I hope that his license is revoked and that he’s sued into the ground. It won’t bring Kanye’s mom back, but their family might have a little justice.
