Kick several corpses, why don'tcha?: Frank Sinatra bedded two First Ladies.

Publication: Globe

Date: 12 Dec. 2011

The Globe gives a tip of the hat to its geezer demographic by spilling the dirt on Francis Albert Sinatra.  According to a new tell all book, Sinatra had sex with two different First Ladies.

I did not open the Globe to find out the names.  I leave that to my more motivated readers.  I'm guessing here, but it wasn't Eleanor Roosevelt and Pat Nixon.

This week's Natalie Wood stories.

Publications: Globe, National Enquirer

Date: 12 Dec 2011

Let us recall that the Natalie Wood story was the exclusive possession of the low rent Examiner before the case was re-opened, but now that it has been re-opened, the other, and more well heeled Wicked Step Sisters are running with the story.  Here are the headlines.

• National Enquirer: Only in the Enquirer
  Christopher Walken phone call revealed
  Natalie Wood sex secret
  What cops were never told
• Globe: Natalie Wood case solved!
  World exclusive
  30 years after shocking death
  New evidence: her last words reveal what REALLY happened
  Plus: Natalie's secret diaries
  Are they telling the truth?
  Pictures of Robert Wagner and Christopher Walken

Hey Old Timer Gossip: A "Where Are They Now?" story about stars of cop and detective shows.

Publication: Globe

Date: 5 Dec. 2011

This week's Meanest Story competition is not as mean as recent weeks when there have been several Brave Last Days Alerts.  Two reasons for this are that the low rent Examiner wasn't delivered to the usual places in Oakland and the Globe had a massive cover story that isn't mean. They have a list of old detective and cop shows with pictures of the stars. They may say some of them are going through hard times in the story inside, but on the cover it's just an invitation to nostalgia. Here are the stars and shows mentioned, each with a picture. There is a promise of an 11 page spread with even more photos.  Here is the list from the cover, both of stars and shows.

• Don Johnson Miami Vice 
• Angie Dickinson Police Woman 
• Cybill Sheperd Moonlighting 
• Edd Byrnes 77 Sunset Strip 
• Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless Cagney and Lacey 
• Dennis Franz NYPD Blue 
• Martin Milner and Kent McCord Adam 12

There is also a picture of the case of The Mod Squad, but no names were included.  They are in a separate post.

Secrets of The Mod Squad.

Publication: Globe

Date: 5 Dec. 2011

The Globe has such a chock full of stars "Where Are They Now?" grab bag story on the cover that it has to be split into two posts AND an extra blank post for label overrun. After naming a whole lot of stars, there is an extra picture with the caption "Secrets of The Mod Squad!" with none of the actors named.

For the record, left to right are Michael Cole, Clarence Williams 3rd and Peggy Lipton.

Here is a link to the rest of the story as well.

Fussin' and Feudin' Alert: Tanya's olive branch to Glen rejected

Publication: National Examiner

Date: 28 Nov. 2011

 

Tanya Tucker and Glen Campbell used to date back when Reagan was president, but it did not end well. (Neither did the Reagan presidency, but that's a story for another day.)  In any case, the hatchet is not yet buried and the low rent Examiner wants us to know about it. Here are the headlines.

• Tanya begs ex-love Glen
• "Let's make up!"
• "No way" - he says

Goodbye, Regis!

Publication: Globe

Date: 28 Nov. 2011

The Globe and the low rent Examiner take turns on putting Regis Philbin on their cover and most of the stories have a negative slant.  For example, back last January the Globe said Regis was leaving his show because he was dying.  Now that the show actually is coming to an end, they give him a surprisingly nice farewell.  Here are the headlines.

• special tribute inside
• Plus: Who's replacing him
  

Secrets taken to the grave alert: Another story about Jackie O.

Publication: National Examiner

Date: 28 Nov. 2011

The low rent Examiner goes for nothing but Hey Old Timer Gossip this week, including a story that claims Jackie O took some secret to her grave.

Honestly, won't everybody take at least one secret to the grave?

Mary Tyler Moore cheats death!

Publication: Globe

Date: 28 Nov. 2011

More "Hey, Old Timer!" gossip from the Globe, one of the two supermarket rags that skews older and more morbid than the rest. (The other is the low rent Examiner, a fellow kennel mate at American Media, Inc., owner of the five meanest of the American gossip magazines.) The sub headline reads "secret hospital drama".  "Drama" is code for a story that isn't even remotely similar to the sensationalistic headlines and often false in the bargain.

 

Best wishes to Miss Moore, her family and friends, from a fan.

Demon Drugs alert: James Garner, 83, is a pot head!

Publication: Globe

Date: 21 Nov. 2011

It says something when the nicest story about a person all year is that he's a doper, but that is the case with James Garner and the supermarket rags.  They quote a "tell all book" that says the movie and TV star smokes the herb.

Every other story said he was a dead man.

Kick a corpse, why don'tcha? Spencer Tracy's bizarre love life.

Publication: National Examiner

Date: 21 Nov. 2011

Fresh trash on Thursdays! Welcome back to 21st Century gossip hell, Spencer Tracy.  He's only been dead these past 44 years, so the writers (or is it writer?) over at the low rent Examiner decided now would be the perfect opportunity to drag his name through the mud one more time, just like they did last year. The headline continues "Wife's revenge on Kate Hepburn".

It's a corpse kicking triathalon!

JFK Jr.'s crash mystery solved

Publication: National Examiner

Date: 14 Nov. 2011

Did you know the crash of JFK Jr.'s plane was a mystery that needed solving?  Me neither!  Apparently, the writers (or possibly writer, singular) over at the low rent Examiner had a little time on his hands and made up this peppy little corker.

• It was a bomb!
• New evidence of cover-up
  

Regis' revenge!

Publication: Globe

Date: 14 Nov. 2011

The Globe and the low rent Examiner are the only gossip rags who think their readers are interested in what is going on in Regis Philbin's life. The Globe told us he was quitting late last year (true and counts as a scoop) and then that he was dying (so far premature, as many of the tabloid warnings are).  Now they say he is getting his revenge.  Here are the headlines.

• Dumped for being too old… Regis' Revenge!
• His secret TV comeback and bombshell tell-all book
• The fury & tears
• Plus: wife's bitter heartache (picture of Joy Philbin)

Kick SEVERAL corpses, why don'tcha? Paul Newman's secret affairs.

Publication: National Examiner

Date: 14 Nov. 2011

Welcome to gossip hell, Paul Newman!  The low rent Examiner caters to its target demographic with some seriously old Hey Old Timer Gossip.  They say Newman, who was just about too gorgeous for words in his younger days, had secret affairs with Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Natalie Wood.  I count Hey Old Timer Gossip as trash about anyone famous before I graduated high school.  With this foursome, all their careers got started before I was born and I'm old.

Meanest story nominee: Miss Loretta Lynn has weeks to live.

Publication: Globe

Date: 14 Nov. 2011

For those of you keeping track, this is now the fifth story in two years in the gutter press predicting the death of Miss Loretta Lynn.  What it really means is there is some over-dramatic Judas with a connection to Miss Lynn who is making money funneling mean stories to the Globe and the low rent Examiner.  Here are this week's headlines.

• Loretta Lynn dying!
• New hospital drama!
• Only weeks to live - pals fear

Let me note that it was two months ago when the headline about Miss Loretta read "THE END".  By saying "weeks to live", I've given this post an "Expiration Date" label and I arbitrarily set the date at the end of the year.

Best wishes to Miss Loretta Lynn, her friends and family, from a fan.  I exclude the "friends" who keeping blabbing bad stuff about her to the tabloids.

This is a nominee for Meanest Story of the Week.

Meanest story nominee: Robin Gibb THE END

Publication: Globe

Date: 14 Nov. 2011

Welcome to gossip hell, Robin Gibb.  The 61 year old member of the Bee Gees was recently hospitalized and looks very thin, so the Globe gives him no chance to live for much longer. Here are the headlines.

• Robin Gibb THE END
• Bee Gees tragedy!
• Now 97 lbs!

Best wishes to Robin Gibb, his family and friends, from a fan.

This is a nominee for Meanest Story of the Week.

Hey Old Timer gossip: Linda Evans loves getting older.

Publication: National Examiner

Date: 7 Nov. 2011

The headline this week in the low rent Examiner reads 

"Linda Evans, 69: I love getting older!"

And of course we believe her.  Who wants to stay young and pretty forever?  So much better to look like the female version of Mickey Rourke.  If you don't grow older, you don't get the wonderful experience of your creepy husband John Derek, already sixteen years older than you are and on his second wife, dumping you and marrying a woman who could be your twin, except she's fifteen years younger still.

Yes, dear.  We definitely believe you.

Clint Eastwood under attack by FBI!

Publication: Globe
Date: 31 Oct. 2011

Welcome to gossip hell, Mister Clint Eastwood! The iconic actor is now on nearly everybody's list of the greatest American directors working today, and according to the Globe, his latest movie, a biopic of J. Edgar Hoover starring Leonardo DiCaprio, has him in hot water with the FBI.

I almost gave this a "planted crap" label, but there is no point in planting a story in the Globe and while Clint may be a Republican, I still think he is way too classy for a stunt like that. I am eagerly looking forward to this film and wish Mister Eastwood every success.

Meanest Story nominee: Larry Hagman fighting deadly disease!

Publication: Globe
Date: 31 Oct. 2011

In March, the low rent Examiner said Larry Hagman had Alzheimer's. Now, the Globe says he is battling a deadly disease. This puts him on the tabloid death watch and makes this count as a Meanest Story of the Week.

Best wishes to Larry Hagman, his family and friends, from a fan of I Dream of Jeannie.

Meanest Story nominee: Penny Marshall has six months to live!

Publication: Globe
Date: 31 Oct. 2011

Penny Marshall has been on the Brave Last Days list since last year and the stories about her have been in the Globe. I assumed they thought her life was in danger because of her weight, but instead it was about an alleged cancer diagnosis. In August, the Globe reported a nice story that she had lost weight and the cancer was gone. Here are this week's headlines.

• Penny Marshall dying
• Her cancer is back
• Six months to live
• Race against time to write tell all book
• Then and now pictures

Best wishes to Ms. Marshall, her family and friends. This is a nominee for Meanest Story of the Week.

Dig up a corpse, why don'tcha? Re-open Natalie Wood's murder case! Again!

Publication: National Examiner
Date: 24 Oct. 2011

The low rent Examiner calls for the re-opening of the case dealing with Natalie Wood's death, which they say is murder. People with really good memories (better than mine, for example) will recall the low rent Examiner is re-cycling this story from June of 2010 and who knows how many times before I started writing this silly blog. I wouldn't have remembered except the Blogger software let me know the "Natalie Wood" label already existed, though not "Natalie Wood 2011".

The new detail in the headlines is the first cop on the scene asking for the case to be re-opened.

UPDATE: It's a month later and the case is being re-opened. I'm giving the low rent Examiner a Scoop of the Week after the fact and a confirmation.  The owner of the boat is the one currently blabbing and he's fingering Robert Wagner. The cops are currently saying they don't buy it.