Friday, May 26, 2000
Leis defends views on Mapplethorpe
Hamilton County Sheriff Simon Leis, who will be portrayed by Craig T. Nelson in Showtime's Dirty Pictures (premiering 9 p.m. Saturday), gets his own say about Robert Mapplethorpe's photos in a 15-minute Showtime documentary following the film.
Art on Trial (10:45 p.m. Saturday) features comments from five principals portrayed in the film: the sheriff; former Contemporary Arts Center director Dennis Barrie; CAC attorneys H. Louis Sirkin and Marc Mezibov; and former Citizens for Community Values president Monty Lobb.
Mr. Leis tells Showtime: “The law is the law, and you've got an obligation to enforce it. And when the media defends obscenity, and they defend pornographic film, you know what they're doing in the final analysis? They're defending crime, because obscenity is a crime.”
Dirty Pictures stars James Woods as Mr. Barrie, who was indicted with the CAC in 1990 for pandering obscenity and illegal use of a child in nudity-related material for exhibiting Mr. Mapplethorpe's The Perfect Moment. The film is rated R (no children).
Mr. Barrie and the CAC were found innocent of all charges in October 1990 by a Hamilton County jury. “We had won, I think, a great victory for everybody. The city, I think, felt suddenly like it had been freed,” Mr. Barrie tells Showtime in the brief film.
Dirty Pictures repeats 9 p.m. Wednesday, followed by Art on Trial (10:45).
(Sunday special: Mapplethorpe battle changed art world)
WEBN-FM winner: WEBN-FM's (102.7) “Harley Days of May” contest ends today with at least one local winner in the national give-away, a joint promotion by 49 Clear Channel stations.
On May 11, Tim Spencer of Fairfield won one of the 20 Harleys. WEBN-FM didn't have any local winners of the 20 sports trips given away by 50 Clear Channel stations last October.
WEBN-FM hasn't announced hometowns of daily prize winners, so listeners might not be aware that they're competing with folks coast to coast for big prizes.
Explains Michael Walter, 'EBN program director: “We do not announce hometowns of winners, which is not an attempt to mislead, but have rather chosen to focus on our local winner.”
Mr. Walter says the new Harley 883 Sportster, with tax and licensing, is worth about $9,000. Winners had the option of taking $7,000 in cash instead of the motorcycle.
TV history: It was 51 years ago Saturday that WLWT announced that viewers in Hereford and Gatesville, Texas, and Murdock and Eden Valley, Minn., have received Channel 5's signal.
The press release said: “WLWT engineers are pleased to know about the phenomenon, but hasten to point out that the letter-writers must not expect regular, dependable service from WLWT.”
Musical note: Anyone headed to Tina Turner's Sunday concert at the Firstar Center should keep an eye on her backup singers. Gloria Reuben, who played Jeanie Boulet on ER for five seasons, is touring with Ms. Turner as a dancer and backup singer. Ms. Reubenleft ER in October.
Around the dial: Sidekick Andy Richter, 33, leaves Late Night with Conan O'Brien today (12:35 a.m., Channels 5, 22) to pursue an acting career. The two will review highlights of their seven years together.
Mr. Richter's next gig will be playing Richard Gere's buddy in Robert Altman's Dr. T and the Women, according to wire reports. Helen Hunt and Laura Dern co-star.
New boss: Gail Berman, executive producer of Malcolm in the Middle and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has been named Fox Entertainment president. She replaces Doug Herzog, the former Comedy Central executive who quit in March after 14 months.
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