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This is being written Tuesday night (rather than Wednesday morning.) The reason? We are headed to LAX (Los Angeles Airport) and then off to D.C. via the "red eye." I will arrive in D.C. about 7 a.m. and the last thing I will have energy to do at 7 a.m. is write a blog. I am hoping to simply head home and grab some sleep so that on Wednesday's show I am not slurring my words from lack of sleep. (Usually when I take the red eye I have coffee with my husband when I arrive home since I have not seen him. And then, of course, the coffee keeps me awake. Yes, I know, skipping the coffee would be a good idea.)
In case you want to know how glamorous this job is, on Tuesday we spent the entire day hanging around a L.A. hotel lobby waiting to get a call to do an interview we had expected to do. That never happened. Yes, sometimes you win some, sometimes you don't. On Tuesday we did not.
And while I am on the topic of the glamour of our job, you must check out the video blog today. We made it before we boarded the red eye. The stars of it today are two of my colleagues: Cory and Debi. We travel together all the time. If you see one of us, you will see the other two.
Yes, I joke about the so-called glamour of the job — and make fun of it — but the truth is that it is a great job. FOX takes great care of us and we get a ringside seat on so many fascinating stories, and we get to meet many fascinating people. I would not trade this job for any other in the world!!!
Did you see Tuesday night's show which included a segment with best-selling author Jackie Collins? I had never met her before and she sure is a wild one. There is not a dull bone in her body. She is also one who can shock. She used a word that our cable show has never heard before. I almost fell over when I heard her say it. I bet I will get a ton of e-mail about the interview.
Jackie Collins has a new book coming out next week called "Drop Dead Beautiful." I was curious about her book since I just met her and pulled this review off Amazon.com:
From Publishers Weekly:
It's not easy being rich, gorgeous, successful and a happily married mom, but Mafia princess turned Hollywood producer and real estate mogul Lucky Santangelo, last seen in 1999's Dangerous Kiss, again proves up to the challenge. In Collins's latest vendetta romance, Lucky plans her father Gino's 95th birthday bash while building a Las Vegas megaresort, unaware that family foe Anthony Bonar (né Bonnatti) is plotting revenge. In turn, Anthony is unaware of wife Irma's sexual awakening in the arms of their Mexican gardener, who in turn is unaware of Irma's affair with a federal drug enforcement agent. Meanwhile Lucky's 16-year-old daughter, Max, tells her parents she's with friends when she's really headed to a rendezvous with a man she meets on the Internet. That date provides the novel's fast-paced action, while Irma provides the novel's best sex and violence. Less gripping subplots include the on-again off-again relationship between Lucky's business partner, Alex, and his jealous girlfriend, as well as the off-again on-again romance between Lucky's best friend, the diva Venus, and her star-stud boyfriend, Billy. Collins delivers Lucky's usual mix of celebrity fantasy and godfather justice while Max promises to grow up in future sequels as troublesome and triumphant as her glitzy mom. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
In the green room before our taping I asked Jackie a few questions about her books and her writing. I learned that this is her 25 book, there will be a printing of about half a million, she writes in long hand, and when she starts writing she is not sure where she is going with the book.
As for Paris Hilton, here is a factoid: Paris is currently in the same jail that Susan McDougal was in a few years ago.
Now for some e-mails:
E-mail No. 1
Please if you do a video blog, make it compatible to Windows Media Player or YouTube or something. I am unable to view any of the FOX videos. I realize FOX makes money off of advertising, but advertising on my computer is annoying. I block ad sites through the HOSTS file on my computer and FOX News uses lots of them in their media player, hence I can't see any of the videos.
Karen K.
Plantation, FL
E-mail No. 2
Greta,
You hit it on the head when you said Paris was shaking and scared. She thought she was out of jail and scared as hell. The judge clearly had a grudge against her by even putting her in jail, as many people get a lesser sentence. I can only say maybe the good of this is she will have a driver when she is buzzed. Like in Mathew 7: 4: How can you say to your brother let me take the speck out of your eye when you have a log in your own? Judge not lest you be judged! The people around her have covered her mistakes for too long. Now she has a wake-up call and is being shamed for something just to be a warning to all the party crowd! She was wrong but the punishment does not fit the crime! Give her a break! Who would not walk out of prison if given the chance? Get off her naysayers! I give you credit for recognizing she does have a problem: Hollywood. If I had her money I would buy an island and get out of sight! Live without the stress!
Jon and Dana B.
Bend, OR
E-mail No. 3
Greta,
What is happening to your show? It sucks!!! You are reporting on nothing but celebrities & it sucks BIG TIME!! I have been a big fan of yours b/c you reported about crimes in America and was a voice for everyday people when murder, crime and child abuse is at their doorstep. But now all you ever report about are celebrities — IT SUCKS!! I shut your show off every night when your BIG story is about celebrities. It SUCKS!!
"On the Record" is not what it once was — It SUCKS!! I will continue to turn you off if you insist on being the public media for celebrities — IT SUCKS!! Your show is not "Entertainment Tonight" or some gossip program. You got your popularity from going behind the scenes and bringing stories about everyday people and the tragedy that has happened to them. Go back to your roots or GET THE HELL OFF THE AIR. Your show SUCKS!!
Cindy B.
Altoona, PA
E-mail No. 4
Hi Greta,
Paris Hilton is spoiled by her parents who didn't bring her up properly. Having money doesn't make you a lady in any sense of the word. They should have shown her some news clips once in a while to let her know what is going on in this world. She doesn't have a clue! I could take a guess and believe she got the book thrown at her because her dear mother Kathy was sarcastic to the judge. Her sarcasm came back and bit her.
Loved seeing Dannielynn. She is adorable and looks like her mother too.
PJ
Atlanta, GA
E-mail No. 5
The story sounds convincing but I don't buy it. Paris' aunt says Paris went to her attorneys and they said it was OK for Paris to drive for work. Paris is already on the record saying her publicist said she could drive. She then fired her publicist, making him the fall guy. Paris has been a loose cannon for years and hopefully she will learn from this lesson before she kills someone.
Nick
E-mail No. 6
Hi Greta,
I believe Paris did get a too-strict sentence. I wonder how many state, county and city courts are not following the law and guidelines for the offense that has been committed. I do know St. Charles County in Missouri does not always follow the law when it comes to the guidelines of sentencing.
Thank you. Keep up the good work.
Barb M.
St. Peters, MO
E-mail No. 7
Greta:
I am now convinced — and trust me, I thought I'd NEVER say this — Paris should've hired Gloria Allred at some point of this circus. I find it awfully STRANGE in today's TV world the PUBLIC has NOT seen ANY LAWYER representing Paris on any talk show defending her. I guess they want to DISTANCE themselves on the job they did. What else could be the explanation? One thing we all know is Gloria would've been fighting for her client all the way through in the court system and TV.
Roger
E-mail No. 8
Hey Greta,
Just wanted to thank you for your excellent reporting and interviews with people concerning Paris Hilton. I just have to tell you that I have gained a tremendous amount of respect for Paris Hilton now that I have learned what she goes through everyday.
Joel Y.
Hagerstown, MD
E-mail No. 9
It’s not fair but hold on the reason for the sentence being 45 days then reduced to 23 before hitting the jail. The reason for the sentence could be the attitude she presented to the judge and the failed probation stipulations. Let’s see Mel Gibson come to court and accepted his sentencing and proceed to do the items his probations stipulated as well as other celebrities. In Paris’ situation, she acted as if she was not responsible for even knowing about probation. Her people knew. She had not attempted to carry out or perform anything that was stipulated in her probation. As far as what happened in jail, when she came into the jail and her MD knew she was under his care that she was on medication and the jail should have been notified and when there was a spiraling she should have immediately been transferred to the medical facility and treated, not sent home where there is no one to supervise her.
Jeanne O.
Illinois
E-mail No. 10
Greta,
I've heard the Hilton family's excuse for Paris arriving late to court many times now. While it may well be true that Ms. Hilton and her entourage planned to drive to her court hearing out a little known back driveway to avoid reporters and found it blocked by a car, that excuse for being late to court is no more legitimate than any of a billion others offered to judges by equally irresponsible defendants every day. Any intelligent, responsible and court-respectful person would leave WELL IN ADVANCE of their scheduled court appearance time, especially in L.A. where road and freeway clogging accidents happen with aggravating, daily frequency. The blocked driveway excuse rings as hollow to me as the one offered to explain why Paris was driving on a suspended license... that she didn't know she was only allowed to drive to and from work. Good God, Paris Hilton is an adult human being and it is HER RESPONSIBILITY to know what restrictions have been placed upon her driving, not to mention adhere to the court's directive to take the remedial actions the court ordered her to take to get her license back.
Should Ms. Hilton have been given 45 days in jail for driving under the influence and subsequently ignoring court directives? Probably not, since, unlike Sweden and other countries that take DUIs seriously, that isn't what other drunk drivers and probation violators of that offense apparently get in California.
The irony is that while her incarceration has been unpleasant for her, as incarceration is for most folks (although P.C. in a women's facility is a safe and delightful walk in the park compared to G.P. in a men's facility), it may turn out to actually help her turn her life and image around, to her great and ultimate benefit. A generous gift really, and wrongly wailed about by Ms. Hilton, her family, lawyers and entourage.
Doug
E-mail No. 11
Greta,
I’m totally disgusted with you. You gave so much time to that STUPID Paris Hilton story tonight. Listening to her simpleminded aunt made me want to puke. Mental illness? Please, give us a break! A spoiled little brat with too much money to know what to do with, has anxiety over the fact that she’ll be unable to have her roots done in jail. She can’t read? Hmmm. You should know that courts hand down WRITTEN decisions stating times, dates, etc. She couldn’t read that notice from the court that said: Your license is suspended until ...? Oh, I’m sorry, HER PEOPLE couldn’t read it. She has two visitors per day??? No other inmate gets that!! I’m sick of this garbage. And you are doing yourself no service. You are an intelligent, accomplished woman — a former prosecutor for crying out loud, and you’re doing this trash?? After all the unwarranted attention this little bimbo has been getting, I won’t even visit Paris, FRANCE.
Kenneth K.
Long Beach CA
ANSWER: OK, you made me laugh about Paris, France.
E-mail No. 12
Greta,
Everyone who wants to jump on Judge Sauer and his sentence seems to be overlooking something. First of all, is the sentence unusual? Yes, normal contrite citizens are given a lesser sentence. But was it draconian as the drama queen Geraldo has espoused? I don't think so. The judge didn't sentence her to life nor fine her a million dollars. The sentence was clearly within the sentencing guidelines the judge is bound by. So why might Judge Sauer have done what he did? To send a message. Paris is part of an infamous brat pack in Hollywood: Lindsay, Britney, Nicole and herself. I don't (at least I hope he wasn't) think he was condemning her lifestyle. Whether one approves or disapproves of the way she lives her life is nobody's business. But this group has shown an increasing disregard for the safety of others. Paris alone committed all her sins in the space of five months!
Say what you will of one's life style, but when you cross the line of responsibility and endanger others recklessly something should be done. Possibly Judge Sauer decided enough was enough and someone had to draw a line in the sand. Paris, being the grand dame of the group drew the unfortunate straw. Will it work? Britney is trying hard to become the perfect mom, although I think the fear of losing her babies motivated her on this one. Nicole Richie appeared on David Letterman the night Paris was first sentenced. She was quiet, nervous and very contrite, willing to accept responsibility for what she had done. Absolutely no snide remarks. Before Paris got sentenced, Lindsay Lohan was making a joke of her rehab by constantly sneaking out. Since the sentence, she has been very quiet.
Be thankful there are sensible judges out there who are willing to look like the bad guy to act as the type of parent these girls need in their life. Did Paris get a different sentence others would have received? Yes, but sometimes you have to smack a dog hard on the nose to get his attention.
Keep up the great work Greta!
Dave
El Paso, Texas
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