Entertainment Review of April 08
We’re bringing you the cream of the crop as we scour the entertainment highlights of what has made April so entertaining! Britney’s done it again, recent UK film flops and eating disorders strike again, read on to find out more…
Spears Returns
Britney Spears starred in the US sitcom How I Met Your Mother back in March and delighted TV bosses at CBS when ratings showed a three million rise in viewers. It seems the public are fans of the otherwise broken-down mother who plays a ditzy receptionist in the show. Maybe it suits her personality more than playing herself in front of the media. Britney seemed composed and wasn’t afraid to show that she enjoys acting. The New York Daily News said: "Spears proved she can act every bit as well as she can sing." So will this cameo role prove to spark a career move for the falling star? Only time will tell, but we reckon if it is it may just be the best thing that’s happened to poor Britney this year.
Three and Out and Flop
Recent UK release Three and Out starring MacKenzie Crook (The Office, Pirates of the Caribbean) flopped in it’s first week of release, only reaching number 12 in box office figures, taking £189, 454 (pittance in comparison to Russell Brand’s new film Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which took in excess of £1.7m). The comedy about a driver who tries to get someone to commit suicide under his train (?!) unsurprisingly sparked controversy and saw Train union and drivers protest at the London premiere. Trying to show how a train driver would deal with the opportunity to finish work getting a big pay off for having had three suicides happen on their shifts in the last month was bound to get some backlash, and we’re not sure how you do that while giving the viewers a laugh too. But well done for trying, we guess?!
Prescott is not Alone
After former deputy PM, John Prescott admitted to his battle with Bulimia, other men have followed suit. John Stapleton, broadcaster and GMTV presenter, has opened up about his experience with eating disorders. In a feature on The ONE Show, John talks about how he kept his suffering from Anorexia hidden, and even waited 30 years to tell his own wife. We now know that eating disorders amongst men isn’t a rarity, with men making up 10% of the total of people who struggle with such issues. Having an eating disorder is no longer a taboo and there are plenty of places and people you can turn to for help. We think that the recent media coverage is a positive step towards both men and women seeking the treatment they need. It’s also important that people can feel able and unashamed to take the first step and confide in a close relative or friend who can be a support.