‘The Insider’ Goes Inside HSN, But Not Too Far

Lara Spencer chatted up Wolfgang Puck at HSN's studios

Yippee, as we’ve noted before, the traditional media has finally figured out that home shopping is not still about selling can openers and cubic zirconia anymore. Jeez, even Oprah Winfrey shops on HSN! (We’ll explain later.)

CNN woke up and made it official when it did a segment on QVC’s large role in Fashion Week in Manhattan this year. And this week “The Insider” sent the vapid and extremely annoying Lara Spencer down to HSN’s headquarters in St. Petersburg, Fla., to do a story on how celebrities are flocking to sell goods on home shopping networks.

The story was a couple of minutes, which for “The Insider” is like an investigative report, even though it stated the obvious to anyone who knows the home shopping industry. But it was a great plug for HSN, that’s for sure.

The segment showed a clip of Liza Minnelli’s disastrous appearance, and there were also interviews with celebrity chef and pot peddler Wolfgang Puck, as well as Bill Brand, HSN’s executive vice president of programming, marketing and business development.

The segment said that HSN started in 1977 on AM radio selling electronic can openers. While there was once a “stigma” to appear on HSN, now celebs are calling the TV network to get on, we’re told.

“This world had changed and it’s been focused on finding those personalities that are popular, that are interesting but also very credible and authentic and are experts in their field,” Brand said to Spencer.

Spencer noted that Puck would be on the air for 10 hours, “not a single minute of it with a teleprompter,” the day she was in Florida shooting her segment.

“Welcome to a very tasty HSN,” Puck told Spencer.

She noted that as Puck was selling his cookware, HSN producers were watching how many people were calling in and buying, and then they told Puck through his earpiece whether to keep talking or move on.

There was also a clip of Sean “Diddy” Combs from his appearance on the home shopping network to sell his fragrance.

“I made it,” Combs said. “I’m on HSN, Ma.”

His fragrance, “I Am King,” sold out in 14 minutes, product that was meant to last for a two-hour show.

Brand also talked about singer Mary J. Blige debuting her new perfume exclusively on HSN. “That was really a first for the business,” he said.

“The Insider” also showed Oprah Winfrey calling in while Blige was on the air on HSN.

“I am supporting her and waiting on my shower gel,” Winfrey told Blige and HSN host Callie Northagen.

“You even have Oprah shopping on HSN, so it’s no surprise that HSN brings in $2 billion a year in revenue,” somebody whose name we didn’t catch said.

As for Spencer, she told us “it is not your grandmother’s HSN.”

No sh-t.

HSN Alum Liza Is Back, And TCM Has Got Her, Hopefully Not Live

Liza Minnelli will be appearing on TCM to talk about the legacy of her parents, singer Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli. Let’s hope it’s on tape, so that she doesn’t do a repeat performance of her disastrous live appearance on HSN.

Minnelli’s show on HSN, to talk about a line of clothing and jewelry based on her own belongings, made not only The Homeshoppingista’s blog but international headlines.

She appeared to be under the influence of something, slumped down in her chair, mumbling and making remarks that were non sequiturs or were just plain stupid. Go to the YouTube clip.

But she sure sounds good on paper, in the TCM press release on her upcoming interview.

Hollywood icon Liza Minnelli – whose brilliant career has earned her an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy and four Tony Awards – will sit down with Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne for PRIVATE SCREENINGS: LIZA MINNELLI, an in-depth interview special slated to premiere Saturday, Dec. 11, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT).

Rather than focusing on Minnelli herself, this special will take the unique approach of centering on the lives and careers of Minnelli’s legendary parents, Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli. In conjunction with the premiere, TCM will pack two nights (Dec. 11 and Dec. 14) with films starring Garland, directed by Vincente Minnelli and/or starring Liza Minnelli.

“Liza Minnelli has a perspective about Hollywood unlike anyone else,” says Osborne. “She is an Academy Award-winning actress with parents who both were also Oscar winners (Judy Garland in 1939 and Vincente Minnelli in 1958). Her playground was soundstages, where she watched her parents and other film icons work, so she has insights into their world, which became her world. Her story is at once fascinating, dramatic and touching and has never been extensively told before. We’re very excited to be able to devote two nights to celebrating the lives and work of this extraordinary family.”

Liza

Heads Up: Much Of Liza Minnelli’s HSN Clothing Line Is On Clearance

Liza's slinky dress

Not too long after Liza Minnelli’s disastrous appearance on HSN, her sequined goods are already on clearance on HSN.com.

For example, the slinky sequined tank dress we coveted at $120 is now $60.

And Minnelli’s sequined jacket and matching tank set was also marked down to $60 from $120.

The customer reviews were less than stellar, particularly on the dress.

“Thought this dress fit very well but every time I tried it on more sequins fell off,” wrote one woman on HSN.com. “If I was to try to wear it out for an evening I would have left a trail of sequins wherever I went. Sent back.”

Wrote another customer, “I loved the idea, the cut, the color, the shape, and size and fit were good. The materials were horrible turning what could have been an exciting cocktail dress into a Halloween costume that would cost far less that the $119 price tag for this dress. I will be returning the dress today.”

We don’t think we’ll be seeing Liza back soon.

Has Liza Minnelli’s Train-Wreck Appearance On HSN Gone Viral? At The Least, It Went International

You read it here first, folks. But the media is now having a field day writing about diva Liza Minnelli’s disastrous appearance on HSN earlier this week.

All the stories include all or or part of a 5-minute YouTube video (condensed from a two-hour appearance) of Liza selling her clothing and jewely line on the home shopping channel.

Liza was not very coherent, made statements that were non sequiturs, scolded the HSN host and was just not all there.

The New York Post’s story today is headlined “Shop Dead Diva: Liza’s Kooky HSN One-Nighter.”

The Post story says that the video of Liza’s appearance had gone viral on YouTube. Well, when we saw it yesterday it had about 450 views. This morning it was at 26,500.

The only thing inaccurate about the Post story is that it described HSN host Bobbi Ray Carter as “busty.” Carter is a stick, about 80 pounds wet, and she’s not well-endowed.

At one point during Liza’s appearance poor Carter, trying to keep the show rolling and the diva engaged, said, “You have a beautiful wrist Liza.” That was just one of a flurry of overly flattering comments Carter made to Liza throughout the night.

When Carter suggested viewers might want to pile on some of Liza’s bracelets, Liza corrected her and said, “One will do.” That meant a couple of less bracelet sales for HSN right there.

The Huffington Post even wrote about Liza’s HSN debut, as did Entertainment Weekly online.

Huffington Post mocked Liza’s line about a sequined dress in her HSN: “You don’t have to sell it, it sells you.”

Entertainment Weekly said that Liza deserves her own reality show, based on her performance on HSN. Its item made fun of Liza’s comment to one of her adoring fans who called in. The woman said she considered Liza her mentor, and the star replied. “You’re my mentor, too.” Huh?

UPDATE: Our talented friend and fellow blogger Lisa Swan, whose “Subway Squawkers” Yankee-Mets baseball blog who also blogs for The Huffington Post, e-mailed us to say that even the British papers, namely The Daily Mail had picked up the Liza-HSN story.

Well, HSN certainly got a lot of press out of Liza’s appearance, that’s for sure. We don’t know if the folks down in St. Petersburg are happy about it or not.

Liza Minnelli’s Appearance On HSN Is Getting Panned, So It Wasn’t Just Us

We tried to be gentle about diva Liza Minnelli’s train-wreck-of-an-appearance on HSN Wednesday night. Others were not so kind.

Thursday we saw that The Boston Globe had written an item on Liza’s HSN appearance, and we freaked out. The headline was “A Star is Reborn.” Did The Globe actually think Liza did a good job?

No, it was sarcasm, my dears.

That blurb included a link to an edited five-minute YouTube video that condensed all of Liza’s worse moments, and all of HSN Bobbi Ray Carter’s fawning over her, as they jointly hawked her clothing and apparel line, which was done exclusively for the home shopping network.

We guess we can’t blame Carter. She was in a tough spot trying to make Liza look OK.

Diva Liza Minnelli Is Making A Shaky Appearance On HSN For Its Birthday Celebration Kickoff

Liza Minnelli on HSN

We tuned in to see icon Liza Minnelli’s two-hour segment on HSN about five minutes after it started, and it just does not seem like this talented lady is up to snuff.

Maybe we’re crazy, but to us Liza seems to be slurring her words right now, and she does not sound sharp the way she did in a promo for the debut of her HSN Liza Collection.

And Liza is slumped down in her chair across from host Bobbi Ray Carter. She hasn’t faced the camera head-on in the first half-hour that we have seen so far.

We don’t like the HSN set, either. It’s a bit cheesy, with a fake-looking scene of Manhattan’s skyline. There is also a piano on the set.

Liza hasn’t stumbled and not been very articulate about describing her sequined and velvet fashions, which are actually much prettier than they looked online.

We’re trying to find a cogent quote from Liza. When Carter mentioned that Minnelli’s father had been a costume designer, so she grew with fashion, Liza said, “I guess it’s in my blood.”

She later said, “Halston was my hero.”

Nonetheless, Liza’s fans are calling in in force. They certainly love her and are showering her in praise.

One caller said, “I love you and I loved your mother,” referring to Judy Garland.

“So do I,” Liza said in a poignant moment.

Carter keeps plugging Liza’a recent cameo in “Sex and the City 2,” a movie that was pretty much universally panned.

The first hour of Liza’s appearance featured fashion, and the next hour is fashion jewelry.

We loved her sequined tank dress, which was $99. We’ve had gotten it in the read, if we weren’t trying to go back on our budget.

Liza is helping HSN kick off its 33rd birthday, an extravangza that will feature some events from Las Vegas. HSN’s vendors/talent will be out in force to help HSN celebrate during this Fourth of July weekend.

Diva Liza Minnelli’s New HSN Apparel And Jewelry Line Is Not As Colorful As Her Past

Liza Minnelli

Believe it or not, Liza Minnelli will be appearing on HSN next Wednesday to kick off the home shopping network’s 33rd birthday in July. Ms. “New York, New York” will be premiering an apparel and jewelry line inspired by her own wardrobe and baubles.

HSN announced back in May that it had rounded up Minnelli for its big birthday festivities, in which it is partnering with Harrah’s for a multi-million dollar promotion that will be shot on-site in Las Vegas.

HSN has already begun running promos with Minnelli for her June 30 appearance, and those eager to see what The Liza Collection is all about can now find her mechandise on HSN.com.

Jewelry is our thing, and we think Minnelli’s fashion jewelry pieces for HSN are OK, but nothing particularly different or earth-shattering. She has one of the largest collections of Elsa Peretti jewelry in the world, and several of her jewelry items appear to have been “Inspired” by Perretti, including two pendants on cords.

Peretti now designs for Tiffany & Co.

Minnelli’s HSN clothing includes a black velvet halter jumpsuit, black velvet pants and a velvet jacket, an odd assortment of items to be selling when it’s 95 degrees out with 90 percent humidity.

It’s interesting that HSN is partnering with a scandal-stained, albeit talented, figure like Minnelli. She’s been keepig a pretty low profile, but several years ago she was constant fodder in the Big Apple tabloids. That was when she “married” David Guest in 2002, where singer Michael Jackson served as best man and Elizabeth Taylor was maid of honor.

We just don’t believe, and not that there’s anything wrong with that, that Guest plays on the same team as Liza and The Homeshoppingista, if you catch our drift. And they both filed for divorce in 2003, after just over a year of marraiage.

And then in their incredibly nasty divorce proceedings, Gest alleges that he was a victim of domestic violence during their ill-fated marriage. There were lots of other ugly accusations.

However, in January 2007 Minnelli and Gest finally settled their bitter differences and had a no-fault divorce.

Minnellli’s had a rocky life, like her mom legend Judy Garland. And she’s got talent, and is a survivor. So in the end, that’s all that matters.

Diva Liza ‘With A Z’ Minnelli Is Coming To HSN With A Jewelry And Apparel Line

Liza Minnelli

Legend Liza Minnelli, fresh from a cameo appearance in “Sex and the City 2,” has joined the HSN family, as the home shopping network likes to say. She will debut The Liza Collection, jewelry and clothing, June 30.

The Liza Collection – exclusive to HSN – will consist of limited-edition apparel and jewelry inspired by Minnelli’s trademark look and recreated from her personal archives. Her appearance at HSN will kick off the network’s 33rd Birthday month in July.

“My life has provided me the ability to amass a wonderful wardrobe designed by fashion’s brightest stars,” Minnelli said in a canned statement. “I am excited to work with HSN in launching The Liza Collection and to have the opportunity to share my favorite looks with millions of women who want to look fabulous and feel their very best.”

The collection is a first for Minnelli within the fashion category, and will include some of her most recognized looks, including sequined separates and signature flowy pants. The jewelry is inspired from some of her own pieces pulled straight from her jewelry box including necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings.

“We are honored to offer our customers this exclusive fashion collection from Liza Minnelli,” Lynne Ronon, HSN executive vice president of merchandising, said in a preparted statement. “Partnering with such a renowned star reinforces HSN’s unique ability to effortlessly bridge the worlds of fashion and entertainment. As one of the most celebrated entertainers today, I am confident Liza will connect directly with HSN customers in marrying her iconic style with their own.”

Minnelli, daughter of legend Judy Garland, is one of very few personalities to win entertainment’s top four awards – the Oscar, the Tony, the Emmy and the Grammy.

The Liza Collection will debut at 10 p.m. June 30, with prices ranging from $29.90 for a charmeuse scarf to $129.90 for a sequined boyfriend blazer and for jewelry from $39.95 for silver-tone triple heart pave drop earrings to $79.95 for a silver-tone pave rose bangle.