Praise Don? Where’s the REAL Van Jones?!
We're just not that into him anymore. The big media career of Van Jones, a CNN panelist and former special adviser to the Obama administration, has come crashing down.
It started out with such promise: Jones' compelling progressive arguments during the nation's most unnerving presidential campaign culminated in deeply emotional Election Day insights that endeared the vocal Trump critic to millions.
Naturally, CNN thought we'd want more. And more.
On top of Jones' near daily appearances on the network, we can also catch his very lame new town-hall style CNN show, "The Messy Truth."
Here's some messy truth: Jones is overexposed.
One of the pitfalls of talking for a living is that eventually you're bound to say something dumb. And even something really dumb. And maybe even something that sticks.
For Jones, that came last Tuesday when he inexplicably began gushing approval for Donald Trump's use of Carryn Owens (photo), the grieving widow of Navy SEAL Ryan Owens, as a political prop during his first address to Congress.
No doubt, as pure propaganda, it was Trump's best moment as President.
That Jones fawned over the moment would be fine - all the broadcast pundits were doing it. Only, on the same day that Trump praised Owens as a hero, the President had refused to take responsibility for Owens’ death - even blaming the fatal commando raid in Yemen on his generals.
Jones didn't even mention that part. All he could say was how incredible it was that television cameras ran with the moment, focusing on a teary Carryn for around four minutes - as Trump's glittering daughter Ivanka touched her arm.
"That was one of the most extraordinary moments you have ever seen in American politics, period, and he did something extraordinary," Jones gushed.
"And for people who have been hoping that he would become unifying, hoping that he might find some way to become presidential, they should be happy with that moment. For people who have been hoping that maybe he would remain a divisive cartoon, which he often finds a way to do, they should begin to become a little bit worried tonight, because that thing you just saw him do-if he finds a way to do that over and over again, he's going to be there for eight years. Now, there was a lot that he said in that speech that was counterfactual, that was not right, that I oppose and will oppose. But he did something tonight that you cannot take away from him. He became President of the United States."
To so sickeningly laud Trump for taking advantage of a vulnerable person in front of the whole world, is a Sean Hannity move.
For it to have come from Jones (something Hannity and his pals have gleefully been noting all week) is confusing.
We've seen too much of Jones lately and like too much of anything good, maybe he needs to take a break.
It could turn into one of our favorite things. Legendary film star Julie Andrews is trilling her way onto television — to teach kids, and kids at heart, about the performing arts on a new Netflix show called “Julie’s Greenroom.”
“Greenroom” stars Andrews, Giullian Yao Gioiello and a classroom of Jim Henson Company-produced puppets who aim to engage preschool-aged viewers. All 13 30-minute episodes will debut March 17.
H.G. Wells chases Jack the Ripper again in the debut of this fantasyadventure series, inspired by the same-named 1979 movie and adapted for television by Kevin Williamson.
The “Mary Poppins” star created the show with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton — an author and instructor at SUNY Stony Brook Southampton — and children’s show producer Judy Rothman-Rofe (“Madeline”).
“I knew I wanted to do a program about the arts and when they said, ‘Would you like to,’ I just jumped at it,” Andrews told the Daily News. “I’ve wanted to (do something like this) for the longest time, but never found the right opportunity. And suddenly the Henson people and eventually Netflix came along and said `go ahead.’ ”
Along with Andrews, the series features guest stars such as Sara Bareilles, Tituss Burgess, Idina Menzel, the cast of “Stomp,” Alec Baldwin and Carol Burnett.
Guests offer lessons about various aspects of the performing arts, including dance, mime, acting, writing and improv.
The series features field trip segments with clips from Broadway shows and the characters meeting professional performers.
“There is no better way for kids to learn critical thinking and problem-solving and Though he resists it, Arthur (Judd Hirsch) ultimately gives in and takes a vacation day in the new episode “Arthur’s Day Off.” Randy and Fawz (Katey Sagal, Maz Jobrani) try to get him to enjoy himself away from work.
If you fretted that the marriage of Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (Matthew Rhys, Keri Russell) was going to either implode or burn down to the ground in Season 4, then hang onto your hats as Season 5 opens with “Amber Waves.”