Gawker: defamer, dirty dancing

Patrick Swayze is Now Dead. And It's Sad.

Andrew Belonsky — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:06:41 EDT

We've all known this was coming, but that doesn't make it any easier to announce. Patrick Swayze, American actor and icon, has died and, at the tender age of 57, succumbed to pancreatic cancer.

We all remember the Texas-born Swayze from his roles in Dirty Dancing and Ghost, but the actor's real break came from the television adaptation of North and South, a Civil War drama. The actor went on to star in a number of hits, like Point Break.

While we all have fond memories of Swayze's silver screen hits, we are most impressed by his courageous cancer battle. Though he knew his days were numbered, Swayae signed on to star in A&E's The Beast. And, honestly, whatever you'll say about the show, his gumption was commendable. We've previously honored Mr. Swayze with a video tribute, but here;s our absolutely favorite performance from Dirty Dancing, the sleeper hit that helped make him a star.

RIP, Patrick. You touched many lives and, as cynical and mean as we may be, will always be adored

Execs Appalled As Cloris Leachman Becomes Sanjaya-Like Threat to 'Dancing with the Stars'

Kyle Buchanan — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:45:00 EDT

It's a bad time to be backstage at ABC: not even twenty-four hours after word broke about behind-the-scenes in-fighting at The View, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting similar agita over at Dancing with the Stars, where the tyrannical Cloris Leachman has proven impossible to send home. It appears the producers and fellow dancers are firmly on Team Florence Henderson, as they're tired of the 82-year-old Leachman evading the ax simply by hamming it up for the cameras. "She has a Quentin Tarantino role to get to," they cry! "Does she need anything else?"

This source said "Dancing" competitor Susan Lucci is "fit to be tied. She is working so hard and is outraged that others have been eliminated who are far better than Cloris. It's all about her obnoxious schtick. ... There are deep concerns that people are going to tune out, thinking this has become a big joke and not the serious though entertaining dance competition it's supposed to be.

''Everyone assumed it would be Cloris and not Toni Braxton who would be eliminated [Tuesday],'' added the source. ''There was even some gallows humor going around today. ... People joked it must be a whole lot of CBS, NBC and Fox executives getting everyone they know to vote for Cloris — to try and wreck the show,'' the staffer said with a rueful laugh.

Along with all of the judges, show co-host Samantha Harris is said to be ''sick and tired'' of Cloris and ''her attempts to dominate everything,'' said my source. It even was evident when Harris snapped at Leachman to get away from the kids who had just danced in a junior competition on the show Tuesday night. ''After we were off the air, Samantha, Susan and a lot of others were saying they had had it with Cloris.''

You'd better watch yourself, Cloris; not everyone is as susceptible to your cavernous cleavage as Bruno Tonioli. When will Leachman realize that Dancing with the Stars is a serious, well-respected forum for Mormon child stars to play out their apple-cheeked nervous breakdowns on-camera, not some mere lark?

Sick of Cloris' shtick [Chicago Sun-Times]

Be warned, unauthorized apparel makers who'd...

Mark — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 16:12:45 EDT

Be warned, unauthorized apparel makers who'd like to place Dirty Dancing's famous "Nobody puts baby in a corner!" line on a cute t-shirt, for Lionsgate will sue you back to 1987 for trademark infringement. However, the studio has yet to file a suit over the use of the film's other signature line, "Just put your pickle on everybody's plate, college boy, and leave the hard stuff to me," which has appeared in countless works of pornography since the movie's release. [THR ESQ]