Obscure Box
Oprah's inventing new words
Nice to see Tom Cruise actually sitting on a sofa this time as he chats with US talk show host Oprah Winfrey. But it is not Cruise’s antics that are a cause for concern. It’s Oprah. She’s inventing words as she chats with the actor. The interview was recorded in May 2008 at Cruise’s home [...]
Why the Oscars are so boring
The US media is working itself up over the appointment of Australian actor Hugh Jackman as host of next year’s Oscars. One way is even suggesting smelling salts be issued to all in the audience in case he’s a bore. The American awards ceremony hasn’t done too well of late with ratings on the slide. [...]
The US president has been black before
Barack Obama is not the first black president of the United States, as has been widely misreported by the world’s media. The president has been black before. Many times in fact. Perhaps the most recent appointment was actor Dennis Haysbert who played the black President David Palmer in the long-running television series 24. “If anything, [...]
What do those TV newsreader smiles really hide?
An American TV news anchor is facing a possible jail term over allegations he hacked into a co-anchor’s e-mail account. Side by side the pair sat in front of cameras for the evening news in Philadelphia no doubt trading all the usual smiles and frowns as the various TV reports were broadcast. Now it’s claimed [...]
Lisa Wilkinson and the not-so-far-away astronauts
The Nine Network’s Lisa Wilkinson needs a quick science (and geography) lesson when it comes to speaking of all things space. On today’s Today show she uttered the following: “Right this moment, millions of miles away, two astronauts have donned their suits and are spacewalking outside the International Space Station.” Hear the utterance for yourself [...]