FOSSE

Do you recognize the name? Probably you've heard it, if you are interested in theater or show biz -- and who isn't?

Doesn't every child, at some point, dream of being an actor or actress?

Okay, maybe today's kids have a variation on it -- a bigger dream of being a Rock-Pop, TV, Movie, Internet, Songster-Dancer-Actor.

Fosse was a director-choreographer, movie-maker whose ideas and feel for movement was his vision, his steps and gyrations that I call the "BOB FOSSE STYLE."

There are others who inspired the Fosse style -- Jerome Robbins,, Gower Champion, Jack Cole, and others, who've had their style, their feeling in their muscles, and knew how to build, expand, ignite a sequence into a knock-you-out, take-your-breath-away, whamo! wow! socko! climatic tiptop, over-the-top photo finish!

I have to mention Busby Berkeley; Fred Astaire has to be included, and Gene Kelley (though he didn't take my breath away), but the Fosse style is S-E-X -- hips, torso, pelvis, leggy-snakey-octopus limbs, plus a shimmying, gyrating torso -- the stripteaser's relentlessly seductive embrace -- making-love, love-making with you, without actually touching you.

Bob Fosse could do it, did it again and again in show after show -- it's an astounding list of hit shows. I won't bother listing them, or showing you bits of the film, "All That Jazz,"-- his over-the-top, excessive, on the verge of boring, fabulous, fantastically original, non-stop inventive movie scenes -- you can see it for yourself better on a CD or on You Tube.

"Bye-bye Life" -- Roy Scheider, Ben Vereen with electric dancers surrounding them -- it's a film story-adventure experience. If you were saying goodbye, and you knew that you were about to die, what would you do -- what would you sing -- reach for -- touch -- cuddle -- grasp?

Bob Fosse was daring, and created from his own experiential view of sex, orgasm, drugged ecstasy, exultation and fear. I can't get his images, bits, and elements of them, out of my mind.

"All That Jazz" -- all that it means -- like it or not -- Fosse's ART speaks to me.

OPRAH WINFREY

I wrote and re-wrote a book, in 1999, 2000, 2006, that still hasn't been published. It's about a woman born January 1, 1900. I wanted the dates in her life to synchronize with the dates of the major events in the Twentieth Century. And as the story is ending, in 1999, my heroine is reminiscing with her granddaughter.

"Cordelia nodded thoughtfully, remembering her husband. 'He'd have loved Tiger Woods, worried about terrorism, blamed it on our foreign policy. Chuckled over the hullabaloo, hated the hullabaloo over President Clinton's love life. Wouldn't be thrilled about more women commanders, the military announcing there'll be more lady bosses by two thousand and ten.'

"Cordelia hummed a few names. 'Oprah, Hillary, Madeline Albright? Who'll be the queen pin, king pin in two thousand and ten? Some new person we never heard of? Maybe it's a good thing Cordelia Benedek-Elliot retired from congress.' "'

Yes, I knew back in 1999 -- Emily, the author, knew that Oprah was a woman to be reckoned with.

I don't watch Oprah. I have never seen an entire Oprah Winfrey show because ...

Because I am uncomfortable with her marvelous, breezy, relaxed, confident focus.

Because what she conveys , as she speaks, is a sincere, full-out, genuine awareness: of me.

Because she doesn't seem to suspect that I don't want her opinions laid on me.

(Of course, she's not aware of me, she doesn't know me, but the image on the television set says that she does.)

I don't want Oprah Winfrey's ideas. They're like hand-me-down clothes that she is sure I'll love, and she's putting them on me, dressing me in them.

I don't mind wearing hand-me-downs, but Oprah picks them off her rack that's part of her personal collection, and she slips them on me. I am not only uncomfortable in what she so generously, lovingly dresses me in, I'm annoyed -- yes, repelled -- the color, the style, the shape of her things are not my taste.

I've avoided Dr. Phil. (He's smart, he's perceptive and caring.) I don't like Dr. Mehmet Oz. (I don't like the exercises he promotes.) I won't watch Rachael Ray. (I've peeked -- she's charming.) But the Oprah Seal-of-Approval on Phil, Oz, and Rachael turns me off.

I checked-out Oprah's new " OWN Network." I read the names of the programs throughout the day and evening. I don't intend to return to that channel and watch any of them.

I have to admit that I like Oprah's energy. I found her heartfelt support of Obama, during his campaign touching. But I don't want to "be my best self" based on her concept. I don't want to latch on to Oprah's favorite things, Oprah's famous people, and the inspirational stories that Oprah loves, touts, and recommends.

Nope.

Am I a dope?

The OWN Network will succeed without me, I hope.

WAS LINCOLN GAY?

Andrew Sullivan, well-known, acclaimed blogger for The Atlantic Monthly, in a video-blog, explains that Abraham Lincoln often had his male guests sleep over, sharing his bed with him, and suggests that Lincoln was gay.

Click, and you'll see Was Lincoln gay?

Hmm.

Sullivan's speculation reminds me of the latest questions about Michelle Obama. She's thicker around the middle. Photos suggest she's gained some weight. And apparently the Obamas disappearance one night got the White House's wagging tongues wagging.

Is Michelle Obama pregnant?

Why do we ponder these questions? Does it make a difference? If Lincoln was gay, do we need to re-examine his deeds, his ideas, and our thoughts of him as a great American?

Is Sullivan concerned and enjoying the idea because of his own gayness?

I know from my husband's family, male Southerners share their beds -- they've seen their older brothers and uncles share their beds -- it's quite natural and polite for them to tell a male guest (if the hour is late, or the weather is inclement), "Why don't you stay over -- I've got room in my bed."

Being a Northerner, we don't share our beds -- even with women friends we're reluctant. Of course, this could be my up-bringing. Anyway, I was shocked when I was out-of-town, and my Southern husband told me he'd invited a friend of ours (who's gay), to sleep over, sharing the bed my husband and I sleep in. It happened more than once back in the days when I was touring, (and my husband, John Cullum, is not gay.)

Why did Sullivan bother with this subject? I've sensed before that Sullivan's an angry man, and tends to over-emphasize that he's gay.

What's interesting is the need in all of us, males and females, to know what our heroes and heroines do in the privacy of their bedrooms.

What is it? Aspects of one's childhood still lingering? Even after we know about the birds and bees, we can't help wondering about our parents, teachers, neighbors, famous people?

The consensus of opinions is that Michele Obama is not pregnant. And I don't think that President Abraham Lincoln was gay just because he invited guys to sleep over.

POWER GUYS (Video)

Who are the most influential commentators in the country right now?

Emily Frankel shares with John Cullum her concern about the fifty names on the list in Newsweek -- men and women who are the most popular these days, and what they are earning.

Their names and faces are familiar. The "names" most in demand, give speeches, write articles, and books, appear on television, radio, and of course are on Twitter and Facebook. Because they're seen constantly, they're selling us their own political and cultural preferences.

It's chilling. The famous men and women who are making the most money as "political entrepreneurs" are touting ideas that dismay the Cullums.