January 21, 2003
A PEARL BEFORE THE SWINE:
Heaton walks out of music awards show because of lewd tone (Mark Dawidziak, 16th January 2003, Cleveland Plain Dealer)"Everybody Loves Raymond" star Patricia Heaton took a stand Monday night at the 30th annual American Music Awards. The Bay Village native stood up and walked out of the Shrine Auditorium, disgusted by what she described as "an onslaught of lewd jokes and off-color remarks."A two-time Emmy winner for her portrayal of Debra Barone on "Everybody Loves Raymond," Heaton was at the awards ceremony in Los Angeles to introduce a prerecorded retrospective of executive producer Dick Clark's annual music bash. But the sitcom star grew increasingly upset with the raw and raunchy comments made by presenters, performers and the hosts for the evening, the Osbournes.
"I'm no prude, but this was such a vulgar and disgusting show," Heaton said yesterday morning after seeing her four sons off to school and before leaving for the Burbank studio where "Everybody Loves Raymond" is taped.
Known for her candor in a town where stars routinely are warned to modify and suppress opinions, Heaton rarely shies away from speaking her mind, even when her views don't conform with the Hollywood company line.
"I arrived a little late and was seated in the audience," Heaton said. "I was going to present what's called a video package - a look at 30 years of the American Music Awards. Well, what was passing for humor basically ranged from stupid to vulgar, and I just thought, 'I'm not going to be part of this.' So I walked out and said, 'Get me my car. I'm leaving.' " [...]
"I really didn't know what I was getting into," Heaton said. "I mean, there was Ryan Seacrest pulling open his co-presenter's shirt, then noticing there was a 12-year-old girl in the front row. And he says, 'Don't worry, honey, you'll have a pair of these soon.' And everybody went crazy. It felt like I was in the Roman Colosseum. As far as I'm concerned, it was an affront to anyone with a shred of dignity, self-respect and intelligence."
Not only is Everybody Loves Raymond just about the only even half-decent show on television, Patricia Heaton is our favorite star. Though one would think she'd know better by now than to think there were very many other people in that building with "a shred of dignity, self-respect and intelligence." Posted by Orrin Judd at January 21, 2003 3:45 PM
best quote from her Fox interview: "Yes, I've thought about it. On a personal level, as a Christian, it will not be Barbra Streisand I'm standing in front of when I have to make an accounting of my life."
Posted by: Foos at January 21, 2003 5:41 PMDon't tell my Father-in-Law that.
Posted by: oj at January 21, 2003 6:01 PMDon't tell my Father-in-Law that.
Unless we all know your "Father-in-Law" (why the caps?) personally, this is something of a non sequitur.
Care to explain?
He thinks Barbara Streisand walks on water.
Posted by: oj at January 21, 2003 10:42 PMWell, I've never met the F-i-l, but I assume he thinks that she can part the Red Sea, not walk on it.
Posted by: David Cohen at January 22, 2003 8:14 AM