Craig Ferguson: Late Bloomer | Newsweek Entertainment

Q&A
Even Sinatra Took Some Cues From Q
Allison Samuels 11/22/2008 12:00:00 AM
Quincy Jones—musician, producer, Oprah's BFF—has put his life (including his school report cards) into a coffee-table book: "The Complete Quincy Jones: My Journey and Passions.'' He spoke to Allison Samuels:
CAMPAIGN 2008
Islam and Obama
Lorraine Ali 11/7/2008 12:00:00 AM
For the past few months, not a day went by without the words "Muslim" and "Obama" being mentioned in the same sentence. From the divisive shouts and jeers at McCain rallies to the Op-Ed pages of The New York Times to an interview with Colin Powell on NBC's "Meet the Press," Muslims—or at least the mention of them—have been more prevalent this campaign year than "Joe the Plumber."
STRAW POLL
Elisabeth Unplugged
11/1/2008 12:00:00 AM
Poor Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Her co-workers never seem to enjoy her view on "The View." But as she's been appearing on the campaign trail with Sarah Palin, things have gotten extra heated. A sample:
TELEVISION
Why Obama Needs a Tina Fey
Joshua Alston 10/25/2008 12:00:00 AM
If self-sacrifice is the mark of a true patriot, then Mike Barker is an American-flag pin incarnate. Barker is an executive producer of "American Dad," Fox's animated sitcom featuring Stan Smith, a xenophobic, far-far-right CIA agent—the type of Republican who believes we're winning in Iraq because the MISSION ACCOMPLISHED banner said so. "Dad" derives much of its humor from Stan's slavish adherence to cultural conservatism and President Bush's cowboy diplomacy, so attendees at this year's Television Critics Association press gathering wondered aloud how a Barack Obama presidency might affect the show. Could it benefit more from a McCain upset? Barker put any questions of his allegiance to rest: "I think we have to put the needs of the country ahead of the show." McCain might be hogging the slogan, but sometimes even Hollywood liberals put country first.
CULTURE
Clay's Aiken's Overdue Honesty
Ramin Setoodeh 9/24/2008 12:00:00 AM
Last January, I sat down for an interview with Clay Aiken as he was rehearsing for his Broadway debut in "Spamalot." Aiken, at 29, looked like he'd put on some weight, and he was wearing sweats and pair of mismatched socks. He said he cared so little about fashion, he didn't even pay attention anymore. Aiken was chatty in a dorky kind of way, until you brought up questions about his past, which of course I did. I asked him about the scuffle he had with a lady on an airplane over an armrest, which resulted in an FBI investigation. "I'm not going to talk about it," Aiken said. Then I asked him about his scuffle with Kelly Ripa—when Aiken was a guest host on her show, he covered Ripa's mouth with his hand and Ripa said, "I don't know where that hand's been, honey," and an hour later, Rosie O'Donnell was on "The View" calling Ripa homophobic. "I'm not going to discuss it," Aiken said to me. But did he think Ripa was homophobic? "I'm not going to discuss it," he said again, his voice growing louder. Then he threatened to end the interview, but he uncomfortably went on for a few more rounds, comparing NEWSWEEK to the National Enquirer.
ENTERTAINMENT
Striking Out
Joshua Alston 1/8/2008 12:00:00 AM
For the first two months of the writers' strike that continues to cripple Hollywood, the Writers Guild of America, the union that governs film and television writers, did an impressive job of winning the propaganda war. They explained in clear and simple terms just how raw a deal many of their members were getting, how they receive mere pennies for pricey DVD box sets, how the industry's view of Web-exclusive content was such that they were essentially expected to work for free. The WGA's opponents, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, have maintained that the WGA's demands are irrational, as they are requesting portions of Internet revenue, a business model that is still far from perfect. But in the last week the WGA's decision makers seem determined to be the ones to make the case for their irrationality. And so far, it's a very compelling case.