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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2006 > July > 25 > Entry
‘Survivor’ sent to federal prison
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Richard Hatch has been sent to a federal prison in Oklahoma as he serves a 51-month sentence for failing to pay taxes on the $1 million he won on the debut season of “Survivor.”
Hatch, 45, of Newport, R.I., arrived last week at the Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City. It wasn’t immediately clear why Hatch was moved or whether he will serve out his prison sentence at the facility, which is a hub for prisoners transferring through the federal system.
Hatch had previously been held at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility in Massachusetts.
A federal jury convicted Hatch in January of failing to pay taxes on the “Survivor” prize and other income. He was sentenced in May to 51 months in prison by a judge who said the reality TV star had lied repeatedly on the witness stand.‘L & O’ meets Muppets
“Law & Order” creator Dick Wolf is often accused of taking himself and his venerable TV “brand” too seriously. So everyone at the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, Calif., got a kick out of a clip he aired to introduce three actresses joining NBC’s various “L&O” shows this fall.
“Law & Order: Special Letters Unit” featured Muppets hunting down the most-wanted letter “M,” plus hilarious overuse of the shows’ famed “CHU-CHUNG!” musical trademark.
“I feel like a tobacco company executive, because hopefully we will hook 4- and 5- and 6-year-olds,” Wolf joked about “Special Letters Unit,” which will air on PBS’ “Sesame Street” on Aug. 14.
Then he sternly reeled off a series of statistics proving that the “Law & Order “brand” was stronger than ever — despite what many critics have written.
Playtime over.
CHU-CHUNG!He says it was a joke
U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) says he was just playing along with the joke when comedian Stephen Colbert prodded him in an interview to say: “I enjoy cocaine because it’s a fun thing to do.”
The Democrat, unchallenged for re-election, appeared on Colbert’s Comedy Central show last week and was asked to say a few things that would “really lose the election for you if you were contested.”
Colbert asked the congressman to complete this sentence: “I enjoy cocaine because … “
A bemused Wexler looked into the camera and said, “I enjoy cocaine because it’s a fun thing to do.”
A follow-up in the complete-the-sentence questioning led to this comment: “I enjoy the company of prostitutes for the following reasons … because it’s a fun thing to do. If you combine the two together, it’s probably even more fun.”
Wexler told The Palm Beach Post after his interview aired last week that he had never seen the show before and only agreed to appear at the urging of his younger staffers.
Asked what his teenage children thought of his performance, he said: “They thought I was foolish.”
Monday, Wexler told The Associated Press he was fully aware of what was happening and had no regrets.
“I think it’s an important thing for members of Congress to be able to participate in a good-natured joke,” he said. “Everyone who watches the show knows that what is being said is a joke and that it’s about silly topics. I thought it was funny.”
Wexler isn’t the only one to be caught off guard by Colbert. When U.S. Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) appeared, Colbert asked whether it was difficult getting his rumored toupee through airport security. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who is gay, was asked what it’s like to be “an openly left-handed” American.
Bruce Lee film planned
Bruce Lee’s family plans to produce a film on the late martial arts star, the first such movie it has actively supervised, the Chinese company making the picture says.
The film, which will be made by the Lee family and the Beijing Jian Yongjia film company, will be based on an upcoming biography of the late actor by Lee’s brother, Lee Chun-fai, Beijing Jian Yongjia said in a statement Sunday.
“Bruce Lee died young, but stories about him haven’t stopped surfacing for 30 years. A lot of them were rumors fed by rumors and exaggerated. Bruce Lee’s family didn’t make its opinions known because they understood people’s passion about Bruce Lee,” the statement said.
“As the members of the Lee family enter old age, to let people know the true story about Bruce Lee, Lee Chun-fai assumed responsibility and carefully organized materials kept by the family, writing the biography ‘Bruce Lee,’ a real and little-known true story.”
The book will debut on Nov. 25.
Hong Kong native Lee died in 1973 at age 32 from swelling of the brain. He is known for portraying characters who defended the Chinese and working class from oppressors.Celebrity birthdays
Supermodel Iman is 51. Cartoonist Ray Billingsley (“Curtis”) is 49. Actor Matt LeBlanc (“Joey,” “Friends”) is 39.v
Contributing: Sonia Murray, Jill Vejnoska and news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-5688 or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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