Amanda Kloots Wants You to Have Proper Nutrition
'Since I was 18 and moved to New York from Ohio, I have always been hustling. I always had to have a plan, have a job, have a way. I love it because I love creating,' Kloots says while in a hair and makeup chair getting ready for an appearance. Her latest creation — aside from her own CBD muscle relief cream — is a line of superfood supplements that is part of her Proper health line. The nutrient-dense and affordable powders (sold online for $28 each and meant to be added to water, juice or smoothies) include the Greens: a mix of spinach, kale, spirulina and other, well, green things. Then there is the gut-health promoting Pinks, with digestive enzymes; the Oranges for immune support; the Yellows, with an energy-boosting blend of CoQ10 and green tea extract; and the Lavenders, to end the day with reishi mushroom, magnesium and ashwagandha, for stress relief and balance. In some ways, Proper might be her favorite hustle because of her coworker: now-5-year-old Elvis. 'He's my taste tester,' Kloots says. 'When you can convince a 5-year-old to drink his greens, you know you have a winner.'
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Los Angeles Times
28 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
A Graceland discovery inspired Peter Guralnick's myth-busting biography of Colonel Tom Parker
As the author of multiple books about Elvis Presley — including his magisterial 1994 biography 'Last Train to Memphis' and its 1999 sequel, 'Careless Love' — Peter Guralnick has interviewed hundreds of subjects and combed through a tall mountain of archival material in his quest for the truth about the most consequential American musical artist of the post World-War II era. But as it turned out there was more material, far more than Guralnick could squeeze into his Elvis biographies, and that material is the basis for his latest deep dive, 'The Colonel and the King.' A visit to the Graceland archive shortly after the publication of 'Last Train to Memphis' revealed a trove of correspondence written by Presley's manager Colonel Tom Parker, the rotund, blustery operator that shepherded the musician's career from the mid-1950s until shortly before his death in 1977. A cursory sift through the material revealed tens of thousands of letters tracing in minute detail the inner workings of Elvis business, from publicity campaigns to the finer points of his recording and movie contracts. These missives exploded the myths around a man who has for decades been derided as a cynical and unscrupulous opportunist that cheapened Presley's legacy while enriching himself at his client's expense. 'I read the letters and thought, 'Oh my God, this is nothing like the person that has been portrayed,'' says Guralnick from his Massachusetts home. What Guralnick found was a scrupulously honest businessman in love with what he called 'the wonderful world of show business' and the art of the handshake deal, in thrall to his star client's talent and willing to do whatever was necessary to keep him front and center. Guralnick's new book is the story of an immigrant scrapper who became a kingmaker with his unerring instinct for the main chance. The first half of the book is Guralnick's narrative; the second half contains a generous selection of Parker letters. Born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk in Holland, Elvis' manager-to be-dropped out of school at 12. 'His uncle owned a small circus,' Guralnick notes. 'He did every sort of job, like how to site the tent so it would have the maximum visual impact. He knew how to water the elephants, he studied the acrobats.' After a few false starts, he stowed away in 1929 on a ship bound for New Jersey, adopting the name Tom Parker shortly after reaching American soil. There was an Army stint in Hawaii, some odd jobs, and then he found what he loved: the itinerant world of the traveling carnival. At home in this milieu, Parker mastered the art of grassroots promotion, of pulling in large crowds by plastering the town with loud, hyperbolic placards. 'In the world of the carnival and the circus, nobody questioned your pedigree,' says Guralnick. 'Your handshake was your word, and everyone trusted and supported each other.' Parker scouted talent and took them on as clients. By the time he witnessed Elvis performing at the Louisiana Hayride in the summer of 1955, he had already enjoyed big success with singers Hank Snow and Eddy Arnold and had adopted the Colonel moniker. Elvis, he sensed, was different. 'He sees in Elvis someone without limits, a great creative artist with great drive,' says Guralnick, 'and Parker was prepared to throw over all of what he had achieved with Arnold and Snow in order to cultivate this untested talent. And he put everything he had into it.' Even a cursory reading of Parker's voluminous correspondence reveals a man not prone to passing over even the smallest detail in order to please his client. Working with a small staff of loyalists including his trusted associate Tom Diskin, Parker oversaw every aspect of Elvis' business, from meals to publicity to hotel accommodations. Work was play, it consumed his life, and this is exactly how he liked it. 'It is of course these funny letters and my feeling that One must enjoy his work or grow stale keeps me on the go,' he wrote to his friend Paul Wilder in a 1957 letter. He was a tireless proselytizer for his star client. Shortly after signing Elvis to a management deal, he immediately set about convincing the William Morris Agency of the greatness of his charge, writing to agent Harry Kalcheim that Elvis 'has the same type of personality, and talents along the line of James Dean,' and that 'if you ever follow one of my hunches, follow up on this one and you won't go wrong.' Elvis, for his part, deeply appreciated Parker's enthusiasm and loyalty. 'Believe me when I say I will stick with you thru thick and thin and do everything I can to uphold your faith in me,' Presley wrote to Parker in November 1955, shortly after he had secured a recording contract with RCA. 'I love you like a father.' 'Parker defended Elvis against every single entity with which he was dealing,' says Guralnick. 'RCA wanted to turn him into a mainstream artist, like a crooner, and Colonel wouldn't allow that to happen. When Kalsheim asked Parker to rein in Elvis, because he was too wild on stage, Parker refused.' 'The Colonel and the King' debunks some of the most stubborn myths about Parker, refuting the notion that Parker destroyed Elvis' career by force-feeding awful material down his throat. While Parker was a hawk when it came to contract negotiations, he had no say in any artistic decisions and fended off record and film executives with designs on grabbing Elvis' ear. 'He completely removed himself from Elvis' creative life,' says Guralnick. 'It was a partnership of equals, but Parker didn't get involved in that aspect of Elvis' career.' For many Elvis fans of long standing, Parker's hands-off approach as revealed in his letters will be hard to square with the singer's enlistment in the Army in 1958 and his subsequent posting to Germany, which, so the conventional wisdom tells us, killed the first vital phase of his career and kick-started the descent into awful Hollywood movies that effectively turned this erstwhile force of nature into a B-movie hack. Parker endorsed Elvis' Army move — his client wasn't about to be a draft dodger — but the decision to push Elvis into movies was a bilateral strategy that both men agreed was the best way to generate income at a time when Presley was reeling from his mother's death and fretting about money — as was Parker. 'It was actually financial and psychological,' says Guralnick about the left turn that changed Presley's career. 'And so the Colonel needed to reassure him, to say, 'things are even better now than when you went into the Army, and when you get out you'll be making even more money.'' But even 'Clambake' and 'Harum Scarum' couldn't douse Presley's musical artistry and fire. His triumphant 1968 comeback TV special kick-started an artistic renaissance. The hits returned: 'In the Ghetto,' 'Suspicious Minds,' 'Burning Love.' In 1969, Parker booked Elvis for a triumphant series of dates at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. The downside of this was that Parker picked up a nasty gambling habit, while his client soon became dependent on prescription drugs. Presley and Parker grew distant, as Presley insulated himself with sycophants and his behavior both on and offstage grew increasingly erratic. Parker was cast adrift by Elvis' death in 1977, retreating to his Palm Springs home. Ten years later, he was brought back into 'Elvisland' by Priscilla Presley and Elvis Presley Enterprises President Jack Soden, coordinating an Elvis festival at the Las Vegas Hilton and selling all of his memorabilia to the estate. But he never regained his standing at the top of the Elvis hierarchy, much to his dismay. In assessing Parker's legacy, Guralnick thinks that it all comes down to 'the great music he helped Elvis bring to the world — not through any musical contributions of his own, obviously, but by creating the conditions necessary to ensure Elvis' creative independence from the start. Not to mention all the joy he himself delivered and derived from what he always liked to call the Wonderful World of Show Business.'
Los Angeles Times
28 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
From ‘Too Hot to Handle' to ‘Let's Marry Harry': How Netflix created its own world of reality TV stars
Reality star Harry Jowsey has flirted, broken hearts and lied on TV. But now the 28-year-old Australian says he's ready to find his soulmate — and he's nervous. Last month, applications opened on a website for his new Netflix reality show, 'Let's Marry Harry,' with thousands of people signing up for the chance to be the former 'Too Hot to Handle' star's bride. On the day the show was announced, Jowsey marveled that women posted TikToks on how they just applied to be on his show. 'I don't think anyone would click on it, because it's a vulnerable thing to do to apply for a dating show, especially one where we're getting married,' Jowsey told The Times earlier this month, laughing. 'It's like 'Oh, people like me!'' Netflix is counting on it. Jowsey is part of what the streaming video giant calls its 'Netflix Reality Universe' — made up of regular people looking for love or who are up for competing against others. For example, 'Love on the Spectrum,' follows people on the autism spectrum going on dates. 'Too Hot to Handle' challenges attractive contestants not to engage in sexual activity. 'Squid Game: The Challenge' features people competing in games similar to the hit South Korean drama. Reality TV is a key part of Netflix's programming strategy, which aims to take the place of traditional TV with a wide variety of programming for virtually every demographic. Dating shows, cooking competitions and live reunion specials are comfort food that help supplement the streamer's large library of movies, scripted dramas like 'Squid Game,' kids shows like 'Sesame Street' and, increasingly, live events and sports. By taking breakout stars from its reality shows and casting them in a variety of programs and roles that promote the streaming service, Netflix helps boost their clout, and vice versa. 'Netflix has created its own subculture with their audience,' said Tom Nunan, a former studio and network executive. 'If that means having some of your favorite reality talent move over to some of their other reality shows, so much the better. It's just trying to keep it all in the family.' 'Let's Marry Harry,' which debuts next year and is executive-produced by podcaster Alex Cooper, is a prime example of Netflix's strategy. Since he appeared on 'Too Hot to Handle,' Netflix has found ways to make Jowsey a bigger star, putting him in the second season of dating series 'Perfect Match' and casting him in an upcoming movie on the streaming service, romantic comedy 'The Wrong Paris.' Netflix has given similar opportunities to 'Too Hot to Handle' costar Chloe Veitch, who has appeared as a contestant on 'The Circle' and 'Perfect Match' and was a host of 'Sneaky Links: Dating After Dark.' Comedian Michelle Buteau, who served as a host of Netflix reality show 'The Circle,' has comedy specials on the streaming service and stars in her own scripted series, 'Survival of the Thickest.' Positioned as Netflix's first 'The Bachelor'-like reality show, 'Let's Marry Harry' elevates Jowsey, who is known for qualities that did not exactly make him obvious marriage material. In the second season of 'Perfect Match,' he initially lied about kissing another contestant. The drama that comes with reality TV is part of the gig. 'We're gonna be judged regardless,' Jowsey said in an interview while eating a New York strip steak at Calabra, a rooftop restaurant in Santa Monica. 'It's kind of freeing to just be like, 'Well, f—k it. I'm just gonna do it and be myself, and people aren't gonna like it, people are gonna love it.' It's the best job in the world, just get to be myself on camera and have fun.' Jowsey's playfulness, charm and mischievous nature are some of the reasons why audiences have been drawn to him since 'Too Hot to Handle' premiered on Netflix five years ago, said Brandon Riegg, Netflix's vice president of nonfiction series and sports. 'He's like a lovable rapscallion, right?' Riegg said. 'He's got the accent. He's got a bit of mischief in those eyes. He's fun. He's a good person ... if the show is a more efficient way of helping him find the potential Mrs. Jowsey then I think, awesome. And so we'll go on that journey with him.' Riegg was instrumental in building Netflix's reality TV programming lineup when he joined Netflix in 2016. Back then, the streamer's reality slate was bare. But Netflix today has more than 1,800 unscripted titles, including 500 reality TV titles. The streamer developed worldwide hits such as 'Love is Blind,' which has been adapted in 10 countries, and the U.S. version will launch its ninth season later this year. 'Love is Blind' was the second-most watched original streaming show on U.S. TV screens last year, according to Nielsen. Riegg said reality dating shows are 'fertile ground.' When he was at ABC, Riegg said he and executive Rob Mills were instrumental in coming up with the idea for 'Bachelor in Paradise,' which is a reality dating show that brings together the contestants from past seasons of 'The Bachelor' or 'The Bachelorette.' At Netflix, the contestants on 'Love is Blind' and 'Too Hot to Handle' have participated in other reality programs such as 'Perfect Match' or 'Battle Camp' that bring together participants from across the streamer's unscripted universe. Jowsey has been one of the more controversial contestants. 'Let's Marry Harry' was a logical next step. 'It was good idea with the right piece of talent and the right auspices behind it, so we're excited to get going on it,' Riegg said. The Netflix strategy, following in the footsteps of other TV networks like MTV and Bravo, has given some people, like Jowsey, the opportunity to build massive followings from relatively modest beginnings, putting their faces in front of hundreds of millions subscribers around the world. That creates a virtuous cycle, getting the star's social media fandoms to return to watch other shows. As of last year, Netflix said it had more than 301 million subscribers. Jowsey's social media following rose from 140,000 to 2.4 million on Instagram after 'Too Hot to Handle' premiered in 2020. Today, he has 4.4 million followers on Instagram and 5.1 million on TikTok. He hosts a podcast called 'Boyfriend Material' and sells skincare products. Jowsey grew up on a farm in Australia, the youngest of five siblings. When he was in university, his brother's friend died by suicide — a wake-up call for Jowsey that university wasn't the place he wanted to be. Jowsey said he loved making people laugh, and first leaned into modeling and then landed on New Zealand reality dating show, 'Heartbreak Island.' With his wavy brown hair and self-described cheeky vibe, Jowsey applied to multiple reality shows, eventually landing a role on 'Too Hot to Handle.' He wasn't even subscribed to Netflix at the time because he didn't have the money for it. 'Obviously, it just turned into this beautiful relationship, and I get to live out my biggest dream,' Jowsey said. 'I remember putting in my manifesting book, 'One day I'll have a bachelor-style show' ... and it's here.' On the day 'Let's Marry Harry' opened contestant applications, Jowsey left from an early dinner to Netflix Summer Break, an event at the Santa Monica Pier promoting the streamer's reality stars that about 450 people attended. Jowsey and his team boarded a black SUV headed to the Netflix event. When asked what is the ideal person he's looking for, Jowsey said, 'Someone who is happy. I'm going in with no idea ... 'My type' ... hasn't worked out.' Once at the event, he took photos on a lip-shaped red couch and on the boardwalk under a large sign that said 'Netflix Summer Break.' The event resembled a summer beachside carnival, with loud pop and R&B music, a stand serving colorful cotton candy, food trucks and a supply of themed drinks, including 'I Do' (a gin beverage) and 'I Do ... Not' (a concoction with tequila). As he walked past crowds of people, he got catcalls. 'Harry, you sexy mother f—ker,' one attendee told him. He greeted Tanner Smith from Netflix's 'Love on the Spectrum,' Mark L. Walberg, host of 'Temptation Island' and posed for photos with actors from 'The Wrong Paris,' a movie about a woman who joins a dating show that she thinks is in Paris, France, but learns is actually in Paris, Texas. Jowsey went through a string of media interviews. 'This is the last one,' Jowsey said, referring to his stint on reality dating shows. The interviewer was skeptical — 'Are you sure about that?' He hasn't had the best track record in love. His relationship with 'Too Hot to Handle' costar Francesca Farago fizzled even after he proposed with a candy ring. He was attracted to Jessica Vestal on 'Perfect Match' but then kissed costar Melinda Melrose and lied about it. Jowsey said he doesn't want to hurt anyone anymore, a tough goal when the whole conceit of the 'Bachelor' genre involves rejecting potential mates. 'I hope the person that I marry is so happy that it outweighs all the hurt,' Jowsey said. 'I feel like if it was the wrong person, and they were with me for too long, then it'll hurt more so I want them to hurt as least as possible.' After Jowsey finished his interviews, he appeared onstage as part of the Netflix Summer Break evening program, where reality stars were given awards — favorite reality couple, for example — and others promoted their shows. The program's host AJ McLean of the Backstreet Boys called Jowsey one of his 'all-time favorite flirts.' As the Netflix Summer Break program drew to a close, the reality stars were getting ready to experience the rides on the pier exclusively for an hour. 'Try not to drink too much before you go on the coasters,' McLean said, encouraging attendees to 'eat, drink and be merry, and create content, of course.' But for Jowsey, he's already preparing for a life beyond reality TV. On a typical day, he said he wakes up at 5 or 6 a.m. and works on trading stocks. One of the companies he's invested in is Netflix. 'I realize this reality TV, this life, it's all kind of rented,' Jowsey said.
Boston Globe
28 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
All hail the TV curmudgeon, cranky but indispensable
Mary Richards (Moore) was applying for a job at a (fictional) TV news station in Minneapolis. The news director, Lou Grant (Edward Asner), asked her questions about her age, religion, and marital status. When an affronted Mary pointed out that none of those queries had anything to do with her ability to do the job, Grant said in seeming admiration: 'You know what? You've got spunk.' As Mary started to stammer out a response, he snarled: 'I hate spunk!' In that instant, Lou Grant vaulted into the TV Curmudgeon Hall of Fame. There isn't one, you say? Well, there ought to be. The Curmudgeon is one of the most durable character types in all of television, stretching all the way back to the fuming, sputtering Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason) on 'The Honeymooners' in the '50s, through the '70s with the irascible Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx) on 'Sanford and Son,' and, in recent years, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) on 'Hacks' and homicide detective Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) on 'Bosch.' The role of the Curmudgeon is to keep a character — indeed, a series — at least somewhat grounded in reality. A proxy or a point of connection for the audience, they react as many in the audience would react. Advertisement It is dyspepsia, not rage, that drives the Curmudgeon. They are not just grouchy; they are grouches because they believe, not without considerable evidence, that the world is run by idiots. Advertisement Think of Stanley Hudson (Leslie David Baker) on 'The Office,' serenely engrossed in a crossword puzzle as he ignores Michael Scott's (Steve Carell) latest inanity. Or gruff ex-cop Or hard-driving TV journalist Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen), who fired nearly 100 secretaries during the initial run of 'Murphy Brown.' Or Frank Barone (Peter Boyle), Raymond's cantankerous dad, on 'Everybody Loves Raymond.' Or Russell Jackson (Zeljko Ivanek), the president's short-fused chief of staff on ' On 'The Golden Girls,' we were treated to not just one curmudgeon but two: Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur, queen of the slow burn) and her mother, Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty). Among the very best of the TV curmudgeons in recent years was Jay Pritchett (Ed O'Neill) on 'Modern Family.' In one episode, Jay's stepson Manny (Rico Rodriguez) boasted that he was six for six on his college applications, and theatrically lamented that it was hard to choose from 'so many suitors.' Said Manny: 'I feel like Lady Mary in the last season of 'Downton Abbey.'' Jay's dry response: 'I'd avoid the big football schools.' Crucially, the true curmudgeon stops short of full-on misanthropy. So the category cannot accept the likes of homicide detective Carl Morck (Matthew Goode) in Netflix's new ' Bertram Gilfoyle (Martin Starr) on 'Silicon Valley,' or Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie), dishing out nonstop verbal abuse in 'House,' or scarier-than-the-criminals Detective Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) on 'NYPD Blue,' or any of the characters on HBO's 'Veep.' Advertisement With his baleful stare and his don't-mess-with-me voice, Harrison Ford has always belonged to a rarefied category: the leading man as curmudgeon. Now, playing the supporting role of therapist Paul Rhoades on Apple TV+'s ' There's a scene in 'Network' (1976), Paddy Chayefsky's scorching sendup of TV news, when programmer Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway) argues for letting deranged anchor Howard Beale (Peter Finch) go to even greater extremes. 'We want a prophet, not a curmudgeon,' she says. Not us. What we want is a curmudgeon. They've got spunk. Don Aucoin can be reached at
