Barbara Cook thinks Zeta-Jones should hand her Tony Back. — Page 2

I was waiting for this nonsense to show up here. Who really cares? Barbara Cook said she didn't like Catherine Zeta-Jones in ALNM. She didn't say she hates her. She didn't say she's a puppy murderer. She didn't even say Michael Douglas bought her the award. She said she didn't like her performance. Why is this such a big deal?

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It's kind of a big deal, at least surprising to me, because it shows a lack of class to speak publicly against another actress. I mean, she's Barbara Cook, not Joan Rivers. It's just poor form if you ask me. Not nice. Those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones-there's ALOT people could say about Cook but they have manners.

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Oh geez.

First off, actors say stupid things. People think that because they're pretty and famous they must have something intelligent to contribute, but nine times out of ten they don't and wind up looking foolish. Actors should generally stick to reading lines someone else wrote for them because when they go off book, it seldom goes well.

Second, old people say stupid things. I'm sure that if I'm lucky enough to still be kickin' it in my 80s that I am going to say stupid and offensive things on a daily basis. I hope people do me the courtesy of not reporting on it.

Third, if the person who originated the leads in The Music Man, Candide, and She Loves Me wants to bitch about a lead performance in a Broadway musical, she of all people has earned the right.

It amuses me when actors get slammed on message boards for saying things far tamer than what gets said all the time on message boards.

Updated On: 9/11/10 at 09:59 AM

"She did not comment on CZJ's abilities as an actress nor did she attack her personally."

Well, she kinda did in a roundabout way. When Finneran won she went up to her and exclaimed, "Thank GOD you were good!" adding, "You don't want to lose to some schlump."

If memory serves, there was some debate whether Cook would be nominated in Lead or Featured. I guess she's implying that she was more relieved to have lost to FInneran than Zeta-Jones (not that she was necessarily overjoyed for Finneran's win) because Zeta-Jone's performance was dull in her opinion and it would've been a shame to lose to her. Hence the emphasis on "God" and her comment afterward.

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Updated On: 9/11/10 at 11:07 AM

She's Barbara Friggin' Cook. She can say whatever she friggin' wants to say.

And she didn't saying anything about giving it back. She just spoke her mind.

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Just because you can say something doesn't mean you should say it, particularly when you're doing a concert and a gossip columnist is in the audience.

And if you don't understand the difference between posting something anonymously on a mesage board and saying it in front of an audience onstage, then this entire discussion is useless.

Let's start a blog called "$#*! Barabara Cook Says". Then it can be turned into a book and a TV sitcom!

My favorite line in the interview - "You don't want to lose to some shlump."

She's priceless.

No she was indirectly calling CZJ a schlump. She thanked GOD Finneran was good in her part, otherwise it would've been a disgrace to have lost to her, like if Cook had been put in Lead instead and lost to CZJ.

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