“Television” on The Daily Caller

In 1980, before Mark David Chapman murdered John Lennon outside his Central Park West apartment, Johnny Carson, the late-night host of “The Tonight Show,” had been targeted in Chapman’s mind. But the assassin calculated that Lennon was more accessible, that he couldn’t get near enough to hit Carson. Little did he know. While B-list guests as well as announcer Ed McMahon took limos to the studio, Johnny, a private man, drove himself to work. (more)

I’m worried about Sally Draper, the pubescent daughter of brooding Mad Man Don. (more)

The Oscars will be awarded Sunday night, so it’s time to take a close look at all the blockbuster movies that received sizable tax breaks in the past year. (more)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Talking to the TV is usually a sign of extreme agitation, mental instability or loneliness. TV manufacturers are set to make it a more rational behavior this year, with a range of sets that respond to speech. (more)

“We can meet our destiny — to build a land here that will be for all mankind a shining city on a hill.” ~ Ronald Reagan
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New Jersey Governor Chris Christie may have waffled on whether he wanted to run for president, but on the subject of whether taxpayers should foot the bill for the MTV reality show “Jersey Shore,” Christie issued a resolute no. The governor vetoed the so-called “Snooki subsidy” last week. This is welcome news to any New Jersey taxpayer uncomfortable with the idea of financing a show that features stereotypical Italian-American characters engaging in embarrassing and idiotic behavior. (more)

If the fall TV season is any guide, the sexual revolution that was supposed to liberate men and women from traditional sex roles seems to have resulted instead in a straight-up role reversal. The male characters are messes — insecure, jobless, barely able to dress themselves without a wife or girlfriend and/or living in mom’s proverbial basement. Their female counterparts, meanwhile, are flaunting the same selfish, boorish ways that once got men called “chauvinist pigs.” The only difference today is that when these female characters act like jerks, we are expected to cheer them on as “empowered.” (more)

We now have the ultimate proof that the sudden emergence of fraudulent conservative Donald Trump as a presidential “contender” has indeed sucked all the metaphorical oxygen out of the discussion of legitimate candidates. The E! Network just debuted its “Sarah Palin True Hollywood Story,” and hardly anyone in the news media seemed to care. (more)

In the halls of American power, the Arab Spring has brought Al-Jazeera in from the cold. (more)

Charlie Sheen’s “Violent Torpedo of Truth” tour took over Boston last night, and after a less than stellar performance, the actor stopped by 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Toucher and Rich” radio show for an interview. During the late-night chat, the eccentric star broke the unexpected news that he may return to the CBS hit sitcom, “Two and a Half Men,” despite his notorious conflict with the show’s producers, and a $100 million dollar lawsuit Sheen filed against his former employers. (more)

Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura says he can no longer appear on Fox News, and apparently it isn’t because he hosts a show on another cable channel. (more)

Katie Couric joined her old co-host Matt Lauer on NBC’s “Today Show” Wednesday morning to discuss her new book, but instead fielded questions about future plans and hinted at a syndicated show. (more)

Oprah Winfrey’s syndicated program might air in daytime, but it’s hitting up advertisers for major-league primetime ad rates for its final episode. (more)

While it’s no secret where HBO “Real Time” host Bill Maher’s political loyalties lie, his idea of government’s role in society is a bit odd, at least when it comes to how public money should be spent. (more)

Andy looks at apartments that don’t have bathrooms, while Greg would rather go out in the woods. And a new get rich quick scheme: Save Julia Roberts from terrorists. (more)

In what seems more like a New York City Chamber of Commerce spot than one for the NBC “Nightly News,” host Brian Williams takes a few jabs at the hipster culture. (more)

They say you shouldn’t bite the hand feeds you, but that isn’t stopping MSNBC’s “The Last Word” host Lawrence O’Donnell. (more)

Not a week has passed, and actor Alec Baldwin is already walking back his claim that ”our show next year is our last year of the show.” (more)

Tina Fey, 40, is pregnant with her second child, her rep confirms to UsMagazine.com. Fey announced the news herself during a taping of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” on Wednesday. (The episode is scheduled to air April 12.) (more)

Google Inc. is working on a major overhaul of YouTube as it tries to position itself for the rise of televisions that let people watch online video in their living rooms, according to people familiar with the matter. (more)