Disney Now Provides Training to Help Young Stars Avoid Scandals

Bella Thorne's a bad girl I guess, following in the footsteps of Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears.

At the New York Post, "Burned by fallen princesses, Disney is training stars to avoid scandal":

The House of Mouse is putting its foot down on starlets-gone-wild https://t.co/wqCCOoDa4Y

— New York Post (@nypost) March 11, 2017

In the last few months, Bella Thorne has tweeted a photo of herself wearing nothing but high heels, and also Snapchatted a pic of her newly pierced nipple (seen through a sheer pink top) and one of her sharing a kiss with a bosomy pal during a vacation to Mexico.

It’s a far cry from the 19-year-old’s days playing cutesy dancer CeCe Jones on the Disney Channel show “Shake It Up.” But Thorne’s rebellion is par for the course for the kiddie network’s roster of female stars — many of whom have ditched Disney’s squeaky-clean image for meltdowns, arrests and scandal.

Last April, 23-year-old Debby Ryan, the actress who starred in Disney’s “Jessie,” was arrested for DUI and pled no contest to the lesser charge of reckless driving after crashing her Audi into another vehicle in Los Angeles. Demi Lovato, who appeared on Disney’s “Sonny With a Chance” for two years, has been candid about her battle with drugs and alcohol, as well as bulimia and self-harm. Last April, two months after her Disney XD show “Lab Rats” ended, then-20-year-old actress Kelli Berglund was arrested for using a fake ID. There was “High School Musical” star Vanessa Hudgens’ nude-photo leak of 2007 and Miley Cyrus’ barrage of hypersexualized, pot-smoking antics. And no one can forget “Mickey Mouse Club” member Britney Spears’ epic, shaved-head, umbrella-thrashing meltdown a decade ago (her former manager, Sam Lufti, said in a lawsuit that Spears was on drugs at the time).

While stars-gone-bad is not a new phenomenon, Disney’s sheltered teen flock trashing its squeaky-clean image faster than you can say M-I-C-K-E-Y — letting the world know they are sexual beings and unashamed to party.

Recently, Disney has tried to provide more guidance to its young stars with classes focused on healthy living and social-media responsibility. Speaking to The Post exclusively about the courses, studio insiders also reveal for the first time that the network offers “life skills,” coaching actors on how to navigate the wilds of social media and pitfalls of fame.

But if the latest batch of troubled Disney princesses is any indication, the kid-friendly channel still has its work cut out for itself...

Debby Ryan DUI? She was the goodiest of the goody-two-shoes child stars. My kid used to watch all of those shows at the time.

But I agree: Part of growing into adulthood is embracing the side of sexual being, and unless you're a cloistered monk outside of filming Disney programs, it's going to be hard to resist the pull of the young celebrity party culture. Young people want to explore. I partied like it was going out of style when I was young, to my great dismay later. I had to work extra hard in my late-twenties to make up for lost time. But I think there's a pay-your-dues kind of need-for-experience thing going on as well. You have to screw up sometimes before you know how to make it better.

In any case, more at the link.

ICYMI: Vine Deloria, Jr., Custer Died for Your Sins

Deloria's a great writer. I find myself giggling at some of his stuff.

At Amazon, Vine Deloria, Jr., Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto.

There's No Feminism Without the Baby-Killing

From Twitter the other day:

Feminism is an anti-male, anti-American, anti-Christian, anti-capitalist hate movement controlled by the Democrat Party. pic.twitter.com/pcNKfyBapM

— The Patriarch Tree (@PatriarchTree) March 9, 2017

Heh. Can you tell me what feminism's all about, lol? https://t.co/40AizcJ0JT

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) March 10, 2017

You don't need a Ph.D. in gender studies to understand what "crazy" means. https://t.co/AaaSHW2d5a pic.twitter.com/qO1wotXgHV

— The Patriarch Tree (@PatriarchTree) March 10, 2017

And today, from Katha Pollitt, at the Nation, "Can a Feminist Be Pro-Life?"

Is there pro-life feminism? @kathapollitt replies to @LNEnriquez and @dleonhardt https://t.co/j1iuZemHvY

— The Nation (@thenation) March 10, 2017

These are bad people. Very bad.

Ranking King Kong Movies

Following-up from last night, "Opens Today: 'Kong: Skull Island — Rise of the King'."

From Christian Toto, at Pajamas, "All the King Kong Movies ... Ranked."

Hollywood's Conservative Minority Faces Backlash in the Age of Trump

Punch back twice as hard, Hollywood conservatives!

At LAT, "In liberal Hollywood, a conservative minority faces backlash in the age of Trump":

As an Academy Award-winning producer and a political conservative, Gerald Molen has worked in the entertainment business long enough to remember when being openly Republican in Hollywood was no big deal.

“In the ’90s, it was never really an issue that I had to hide. I was always forthright,” recalled the producer, whose credits include “Schindler’s List” and two “Jurassic Park” movies. “It used to be we could have a conversation with two opposing points of view and it would be amiable. At the end, we still walked away and had lunch together.”

Those days are largely gone, he said. “The acrimony — it’s there. It’s front and center.”

For the vast majority of conservatives who work in entertainment, going to set or the office each day has become a game of avoidance and secrecy. The political closet is now a necessity for many in an industry that is among the most liberal in the country.

Since the presidential election, some conservatives feel that their political beliefs are more of a career liability than ever — even for those traditional Republicans disenchanted by President Trump.

“I feel absolutely it has harmed me professionally,” said Andrew Klavan, the L.A.-based screenwriter and novelist, and a “reluctant” Trump supporter. His credits include the 1990 Michael Caine dark comedy “A Shock to the System” and the novel “True Crime,” which was made into a movie directed by Clint Eastwood.

Klavan said that producers have “called my agent asking, ‘Why would you represent this guy?’ Anything that lowers your odds is going to hurt.”

While no official tally exists, conservatives in the local entertainment industry estimate their numbers could be as high as a few thousand. That’s a small fraction of the nearly 240,000 entertainment-related jobs in the county estimated in the most recent Otis Report on the Creative Economy of the L.A. Region.

Friends of Abe — the industry’s largest conservative organization — alone counts about 2,500 people on its roster, having started a decade ago with just a handful of individuals led by actor Gary Sinise.

The organization, which keeps the identities of its members secret, holds monthly social events as well as lunches for new members. A new member can only join through a recommendation by an existing member. The group doesn’t endorse candidates, but does hold speaking events with past guests including Trump, Ted Cruz and Glenn Beck.

Hollywood conservatives are themselves a divided group when it comes to Trump, whose brash style and controversial policies on trade and immigration have alienated many Republicans.

Leaders of Friends of Abe said its members have sharply divergent views on the current president...

Keep reading.

Kate Hudson and Candice Swanepoel

At Drunken Stepfather, "KATE HUDSON BRALESS OF THE DAY," and "CANDICE SWANEPOEL's MOM-BODY TOPLESS PHOTOSHOOT OF THE DAY."

Anastasia Ashley Hawaii Adventure (VIDEO)

Previous Anastasia Ashley blogging is here.

Reader Recommendation: Hervey Allen, The Forest and the Fort: The City in the Dawn

*BUMPED.*

Thanks to the enthusiastic reader who recommended Hervey Allen's, The Forest and the Fort, the first book in a three-part series called The Disinherited and later published together as The City in the Dawn.

At Amazon, Hervey Allen, The Forest and the Fort: The City in the Dawn.

Bernard DeVoto, Across the Wide Missouri

*BUMPED.*

Here's a classic for you.

At Amazon, Bernard DeVoto, Across the Wide Missouri.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the Bancroft Prize. Across the Wide Missouri tells the compelling story of the climax and decline of the Rocky Mountain fur trade during the 1830s. More than a history, it portrays the mountain fur trade as a way of business and a way of life, vividly illustrating how it shaped the expansion of the American West.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara Won't Resign

Following-up from yesterday, "President Trump Fires 46 Obama Administration Holdovers at the Justice Department."

At the New York Times, via Memeorandum, "Preet Bharara Is Said to Refuse Order to Step Down as U.S. Attorney."

And at the Hill, "U.S. attorney Bharara won't resign despite Trump demand: reports."

Obama-appointed US attorney fired by Trump after refusing to resign https://t.co/cAO7SULb7I pic.twitter.com/gAFvrr42FB

— The Hill (@thehill) March 11, 2017

The Next French Revolution

I don't love the Economist so much these days, with its steady move to the left, but this is a great cover leader.

See, "France’s next revolution: The vote that could wreck the European Union - Why the French presidential election will have consequences far beyond its borders."

The implications of France's political insurgencies are hard to exaggerate https://t.co/tB5vTJrZH4

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) March 4, 2017

I'll credit them with a fair and decent discussion of Marine Le Pen, who I hope and pray becomes the next president of France.

RELATED: "France’s Next Revolution? A Conversation With Marine Le Pen."

Opens Today: 'Kong: Skull Island — Rise of the King'

I need to see "Logan" if I'm going to the flicks, and besides, "King Kong" movies are so tragically sad.

Pretty spectacular trailer, in any case:

On March 10, witness the rise of the King. Watch the NEW trailer for #kongskullisland! Get tickets now: https://t.co/ujrlGZAy5Y pic.twitter.com/YZ1b4rUxFB

— Kong: Skull Island (@kongskullisland) February 27, 2017

And see Kenneth Turan, at LAT, "Review: Big cast, big budget, not enough big ape in 'Kong: Skull Island'."

Rex Tillerson: Weakest Secretary of State Ever?

We're at 50 days in, so perhaps this analysis is a bit premature.

That said, it's Robert Jervis, eminent political scientist at Columbia University, and he makes some good points.

Of course, Tillerson could be the victim of a massive Democrat-leftist-bureaucrat sabotage campaign, designed to damage the entire administration. So, again, we'll see.

At Foreign Policy:

Here's why Rex Tillerson might be the weakest @StateDept Head ever. Robert Jervis explains: https://t.co/9t3KY34htr pic.twitter.com/tC4hPxkpp7

— Foreign Policy (@ForeignPolicy) March 10, 2017

President Trump Fires 46 Obama Administration Holdovers at the Justice Department

Hey, right on!

At the New York Times, via Memeorandum, "Trump Abruptly Orders 46 Obama-Era Prosecutors to Resign."

Also at Twitchy:

YOU'RE FIRED: Donald Trump just told all 46 Obama-era US Attorneys to resign and Dems are LOSING IT https://t.co/OO3M34Nz6u

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) March 10, 2017

BONUS: At FrontPage Magazine, "David Horowitz on Hannity: 'Purging the Deep State' (VIDEO)."

Dana Loesch: Congressional Republicans Endangering the Trump Administration (VIDEO)

Via RCP, "Dana Loesch: Paul Ryan ObamaCare Plan a 'Middle Finger' to the American People, Trump Administration":

DANA LOESCH: I think there's a lot of danger there [with the House Republican health plan], Shannon. I want to reiterate what Senator Paul said, but I want to take it a step further. I think it's an insult. It's an insult to the American people and it's an insult to the Trump administration for Republicans, Congressional Republicans to deliver this bill to his desk.

They are the ones who are endangering this new administration and I can't bold, italicized, underline that anymore...

Also, at Breitbart, via Memeorandum, "7 Reasons Why ObamaCare 2.0 is All But Guaranteed to Impose Crushing Costs on Voters, Hurt Trump's Base, and Hand Power Back to the Democrats."

New Releases, Updated Hourly

At Amazon, Our Best-Selling New and Future Releases. Updated Hourly.

BONUS: Vine Deloria, Jr., Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto.

I'm off for interviews with the political science hiring committee all day.

Thanks for your support!

Scott Weidensaul, The First Frontier

*BUMPED.*

I'm almost 100 300 pages into Allan Eckert's, The Frontiersmen, which I'm loving.

For additional reading, see Scott Weidensaul, at Amazon, The First Frontier: The Forgotten History of Struggle, Savagery, and Endurance in Early America.

U.S. Marines Have Landed in Syria

Well, you know what they say: Send in the Marines!

And they have.

At the Washington Post, "Marines have arrived in Syria to fire artillery in the fight for Raqqa":

Marines from an amphibious task force have left their ships in the Middle East and deployed to Syria, establishing an outpost from which they can fire artillery guns in support of the fight to oust the Islamic State from the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, defense officials said.

The deployment marks a new escalation in the U.S. war in Syria, and puts more conventional U.S. troops in the battle. Several hundred Special Operations troops have advised local forces there for months, but the Pentagon has mostly shied away from using conventional forces in Syria. The new mission comes as the Trump administration weighs a plan to help Syrian rebels take back Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic State. The plan also includes more Special Operations troops and attack helicopters.

The force is part of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which left San Diego on Navy ships in October. The Marines on the ground include part of an artillery battery that can fire powerful 155-millimeter shells from M-777 Howitzers, two officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the deployment.

The expeditionary unit’s ground force, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, will man the guns and deliver fire support for U.S.-backed local forces who are preparing an assault on the city. Additional infantrymen from the unit will provide security, while resupplies will be handled by part of the expeditionary force’s combat logistics element. For this deployment, the Marines were flown from Djibouti to Kuwait and then into Syria, said another defense official with direct knowledge of the operation.

The official added that the Marines’ movement into Syria was not the byproduct of President Trump’s request for a new plan to take on the Islamic State...

Keep reading.

Thanks to the Readers Who Bought Allen Eckert's, The Frontiersmen

I'm still plugging away on this book, but it's one of those you actually don't want to rush through. I know there's not too many books like the ones from Eckert's series, the "Narratives of America." I want them to last a bit.

At Amazon, Allan Eckert, The Frontiersmen: A Narrative.

A couple of readers picked up copies. It's appreciated.

See also, Wilderness Empire: A Narrative; The Conquerors; The Wilderness War; Gateway to Empire; and Twilight of Empire.

Long day today with the committee for the new political science position at my college. But I'll update with something later tonight.

Thanks for your support.

Washington D.C. — One of America's 'Most Beautiful Cities'

I love D.C. A little chilly, otherwise I could fully hang.

At the Telegraph U.K.:

Tracy Chevalier: 'Washington DC is one of America's most beautiful cities'https://t.co/naF3vBoqQd pic.twitter.com/zgBlsbnH6r

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) March 7, 2017