Brett Debritz’s archive

If you thought you heard me on the radio this morning, you were right. I co-hosted the Conversations hour on 612 ABC with Steve Austin. The guest was Queensland Music Festival artistic direcotr Lyndon Terracini, and the link to the audio is here.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’s relationship a media stunt to promote their films? Of course it isn’t.

“Michael must assess the implications of the conduct that got him into trouble.” – The Rev Jesse Jackson, a friend of Michael Jackson’s family.
“I cannot believe that … this man could sleep in the same bedroom [with young boys] for 365 straight days and not do something more than just watch television and eat popcorn. But that doesn’t make him guilty of the charges that were presented in this case and that’s where we had to make our decision.” – Raymond Hultman, one of the jurors who found Jackson not guilty.
“He is not going to do that [share his bed with boys] any more because of the false charges that have been brought here.” – Jackson’s laywer Thomas Mesereau.
“Let’s reimagine this case where the defendant is a penniless, unknown 46-year-old trailer park resident who shared his bed with young boys and wonder what the verdict would be.” – Me.

A jury has found Michael Jackson not guilty on all ten counts against him. Details everywhere, including here and here.

When the members of the Eagles reformed, they called it the “Hell freezes over tour”. I’m not sure, then, what they should called it when Dave Gilmour and Roger Waters stand together on stage at the Live 8 concert. For more about the Pink Floyd reunion, click here. Meanwhile, Elton John has explained his decision to join the big gig, aimed at drawing attention to world poverty and encouraging the superpowers to do something about it. He said, in part: “The reason I’m here today is that Bob Geldof asked me to do something. I would go on a dangerous mission with Bob, I trust him with my life.” More here.

Something to consider if you’re in Lodnon: The Frida Kahlo exhibition at the Tate Modern Gallery. The Tate Modern is just one of the many galleries and museums worth seeing in the British capital, and the exhibition includes works owned by pop star Madonna. Coming up in London is the World of Ancient Persia exhibition at the British Museum.

How many of the world’s starving could be fed for $US15,000? That’s a point to ponder if you’re considering bidding in the online auction for a jar of air that might have been breathed by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.

Radio group DMG’s plans for its new Sydney and Melbourne licences appear clearer after the poaching of popular breakfast announcer Angela Catterns from the ABC. The stations, which DMG boss Paul Thompson has said will be aimed at the over-40s, are expected to be launched soon. We won’t be hearing any of it in Brisbane, however, as there are no more licences to be had.
PS: It’s interesting to note how much space ABC News Online devoted to the loss of one of its stars. Compare and contrast with this story on the death of veteran ABC broadcaster Clive Hale. And the longer Catterns item reads more like an obituary than the Hale one.

Brisbane City has decided not to remove the traffic-box painting of Premier Peter Beattie from the centre of the city. According to The Courier-Mail, Lord Mayor Campbell Newman says it shouldn’t have gone up, but he’s “not into censorship”. Councillor Kerry Ray says the Premier is a “pop star”. The artist, Aileen Timbrell, says she initially couldn’t decide whether to paint Powderfinger frontman Bernard Fanning or the Premier.

Reality check on soundstage three please. In the papers today, Russell Crowe is saying how sorry he is for throwing a phone at a hotel concierge, trying to make us feel sympathy for him. The reality is, as I understand it, that Crowe will face nothing like a seven-year sentence if he reaches a financial settlement with the man on the receiving end of the receiver. I’m sure Rusty’s lawyers are working on that now. Maybe he should read up about the poor bloke who got spent 35 years in the slammer for stealing a television set. Now we’ve got Angelina Jolie’s lawyer insisting journalists who want to interview her (to promote her new movie) sign a document that her comments will “not be used in a manner that is disparaging, demeaning or derogatory”. Reuters ended up signing a modified agreement that they wouldn’t defame her – which, one expects, they wouldn’t do anyway.