• detroit The premier of Charlie Sheen’s one-man show did not go well. After, amongst other things, setting fire to a shirt and insulting the city in which he was performing, Sheen was booed off the stage.
• chicago Sheen shook things up the show’s second night, opting for a talk show-esque format instead of…well, whatever the hell it was he did the first night. Apparently it worked; this time, Sheen received a standing ovation. source

• NO Charlie Sheen isn’t great at putting together a live show source

• » We’re tentative about even broaching this, as we got tired and sick of the media’s Sheen-o-rama much quicker than most. But even if only as a means to interrupt the flow of globally important, sometimes dire news for a little diversionary breather, this New York Times article about the disastrous debut of Sheen’s live show (characteristically called Violent Torpedo of Truth) last night is worth a look. We kept thinking while reading this about what Bill Maher predicted two weeks ago: “He’ll come out, he’ll say his catchphrase ‘duh, winning,’ the place will go nuts, and then it will be a long, slow march to 9:30.” It looks like he nailed it.

• $30 million for Mad Men creator Matt Weiner in new deal source

• » Patching things up: Weiner and AMC had been butting heads over some rather unglamorous specifics of the award-winning show, the sorts of arguments that chill the blood of television fans. AMC had wanted to reduce the production budget by shaving two minutes off the running time of each episode, as well as killing off characters to save on the actor’s pay, which is a pretty brazen demand to make in an artistic sense. As the compromise stands, all but the first and last episode will be two minutes shorter, but character deaths won’t be mandated by management.

• The word “Governator” combined two worlds: the world of politics and the movie world. And [this cartoon] brings everything together. It combines the governor, the Terminator, the bodybuilding world, the True Lies…
• Arnold Schwarzenegger • Speaking about “The Governator,” an upcoming project he’s doing with comic book icon Stan Lee. Slated for release next year, you’ll be able to both buy “The Governator” comic book, and watch “The Governator” cartoon show. The project features Arnold as the protagonist, who after completing his term in office, decides to build a secret crime-fighting base under his home in Brentwood. Two questions: Will this fictional narrative acknowledge the fact that Schwarzenegger was, to be generous, an ineffective (and by the end quite unpopular) governor? And more importantly, when are we going to get the “Comeback Kid” Bill Clinton video game franchise we’ve so passionately desired?  source

• We were making out, but then we went somewhere where it was bright and I saw that he was black and made an excuse and left. I can’t stand black guys. I would never touch one. It’s gross (pauses). Does that guy look black to you?
• Paris Hilton • Quoted in celebrity interviewer and creepy guy Neil Strauss’ new book “Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead.” Granted, it was from an interview she did in 1999, when she was 18 (she was talking about an unnamed actor from “Saving Private Ryan”), so let’s not be too hard on her. (Others have disagreed with this point.) But that said … Hilton followed up by saying this in response to the question “How black does a guy have to be?” “One percent is enough for me.” We’ll just leave this here. Whew. source

• Elizabeth Taylor, Big Hollywood style icon. Liz Taylor is one of those iconic figures who seemed, for a period, larger than life. Her death at 79 (she died of congestive heart failure on Wednesday) ends the life of a woman who defined a certain era of big-screen cinema — both on-screen and off. Especially off. In a lot of ways, she set the template for the kind of Hollywood you see today — one where divorces are a common fact of life and everyone keeps their last name. But as a figure to be admired, you don’t get any better than Taylor. Here are some quick bits about her life.

Three key years in the actress’ life

• 1944 As a child, Taylor starred in “National Velvet,” a story about a child who fell in love with her horse. (She had to … the other option was Mickey Rooney.) It was her first major hit.
• 1960 Taylor, by now a major star, was making $1 million a picture with her starring role in “Cleopatra,” a movie beset by delays and, after inflation, a budget larger than “Avatar.”
• 1964 Taylor married Richard Burton, and the already-inseparable couple started working together much more — including in such classics as “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.”

Other key facts and figures on Taylor’s life

• 8 marriages in her day — she married Richard Burton TWICE

• two number of Academy Awards she won for her acting; she also won a humanitarian award in 1992
• three number of other nominations she earned … though she was shut out for some of her early films

• $325M amount invested in AIDS research by amFAR, started by Taylor and others in 1985
• 69.42 number of carats in the Taylor-Burton Diamond, a frickin’ huge diamond Taylor owned
• first Taylor’s voice was famously used for Maggie Simpson’s first words source

• And now, ladies and gentlemen: Dick Cheney will soon be returning to the American limelight in the form of an HBO miniseries. The polarizing (and I think even the most hardened pro-Cheney partisan would admit, oft-glowering) former Veep’s entire career is said to be the focus of the series, from his rise in the Nixon administration, to the House of Representatives, to his roles in both Bush administrations. The series will be based on a Frontline documentary called “The Dark Side,” as well as a book called “Angler: The Cheney Vice Presidency” by Barton Gellman. source

• This Aussie sure showed that little punk. As you might have noticed, we didn’t post the clip du jour of the week, where Australian kid Casey Heynes, backed into a corner by a bully, pulled a Zangief-worthy move on his opponent, which (despite how violent it looked) only led to a scraped knee for the bully in question. The original clip felt exploitative. In this context, it feels less so. Australian program “A Current Affair” caught up with Heynes, who said he’s been bullied for years (even contemplating suicide), and finally snapped earlier this week. It’s soft-focus journalism, yes, but Heynes has a great head on his shoulders and a great family. And thousands of followers on Facebook. Great work. source

• He informed her that if she wanted to remain employed and be advanced by the company, she would have to engage in sexual acts with him as soon as she turned 18 years old.
• A lawsuit filed against American Apparel CEO Dov Charney • Reciting allegations made by former employee Irene Morales. Morales got hired at a New York branch of the clothing store in 2007, quit in 2009, and then worked at a L.A. store in 2010. She alleges that Charney invited her over to his apartment shortly after her 18th birthday, forced her to perform oral sex on him in the doorway, and then…well, yeah, a bunch of other horrible things. This isn’t the first sexual harassment case Charney, whose full name sounds like a brand of liquor, has faced, but none of the earlier suits have gone to trial. If these allegations are true, this scumbag should be in prison, and the $250 million in damages sought don’t seem too far off track, either. One question: why did Morales start working for the company again in 2010? We are not questioning Morales’ story – coming forward can be tough. We’re just curious. (Editor’s note: Reworded to avoid misinterpretation of what was meant.) source