TLC still hasn’t canceled ’19 Kids and Counting’

According to reports, in the wake of the Josh Duggar molestation revelation TLC pulled the ’19 Kids and Counting’ from the schedule saying:

Effective immediately, TLC has pulled all episodes of 19 Kids and Counting currently from the air. We are deeply saddened and troubled by this heartbreaking situation, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family and victims at this difficult time.

However, it is important to point out that there’s apparently a difference between pulled it form the schedule and cancelled.

A report from Variety says TLC hasn’t decided to cancel ’19 Kids and Counting’ yet and may decide to keep the show going, just without Josh.

The Discovery Communications-owned network has not canceled the program in the wake of the recent disclosure that Josh Duggar, one of the central figures in the show, admitted to molesting teenage girls 12 years ago.

The company has not yet decided whether the show should continue or be cancelled, according to a person familiar with the situation. If the program were to continue, this person added, it would have to do so without Josh Duggar and with an emphasis on other members of the Duggar family. The most recent cycle of the series concluded in mid-May, but Discovery has pulled it from TLC and the Web. [Variety]

TLC famously canceled ‘Here Comes Honey Boo Boo’ after allegations that “Mama June” was dating a convicted child molester. Since then, Mama June has threatened to sue TLC if they don’t cancel ’19 Kids and Counting’. So why is TLC holding back from canceling the show? Well, ’19 Kids and Counting has better ratings than Honey Boo Boo.

Advertiser support for the program appears to be wavering. General Mills, Choice Hotels Intl. and Payless Shoe Source have all indicated they are working to keep their ads separate from “19.” In most cases, advertisers put in place a larger deal with the network or even an array of outlets owned by Discovery, rather than buying a particular program. None of the advertisers said they were puling ads from TLC or Discovery in general. [Variety]

These reports suggest that TLC is pretty hypocritical when it comes to canceling shows.

“19 Kids and Counting” isn’t the first controversial program Discovery has had to scrutinize. In 2011, TLC launched “All-American Muslim,” a reality program that followed Muslim families in Dearborn, Mich. Lowe’s, the large home-improvement retailer, pulled its support of the show within weeks, after being contacted by an advocacy group known as the Florida Family Association. [Variety]

It is pretty much weird and creepy. But, when ratings are at an all-time high, when life hands you sex offenders, create spinoffs.

Dustin Diamond’s (Saved By The Bell) attorney may have just screwed up the former child actor’s stabbing trial by “media bating” and “vehicular decoration.

The tragic story of the child actor gone wrong is hitting a climatic point. ‘Saved By the Bell‘ star Dustin Diamond‘s stabbing trial just keeps getting worse and worse. After his initial arrest for carrying a switchblade in December, it was revealed that Dustin Diamond had allegedly stabbed someone beforehand. The whole incident may or may not have started from a bad joke at a bar, but the trial itself made news again, unfortunately for the ‘Saved By the Bell’ star.

According to People, Dustin Diamond’s trial lawyer got in trouble with the judge over a simple matter of media-bating and vehicular decoration:

One of the cars in the lot had the words “Good luck to Dustin & Amanda” written on its back window, referring to the former Saved by the Bell star, 38, and his fiancée Amanda Schutz, who is also on trial.

Questioned by the judge, Diamond’s lawyer, Thomas Alberti, admitted it was his car, reports Milwaukee’s WTMJ radio.

Ozaukee County Judge Paul Malloy was furious. He gave Alberti five minutes to remove the message. “I’m telling you right now, any more shenanigans like that and you’ll find yourself in contempt faster than fast,” Malloy said.

Alberti later explained his actions, saying:

“They’re just good people. I want to put on a good defense for them. What they did wasn’t wrong. We’re going to prove that in court, and no more messages on cars. We’ll do it in the courtroom.”

Alberti’s explanation to the press does more to help Dustin Diamond than anything else. But, it is a long road ahead for the former child actor.

What do you think? Discuss this story with fellow Project Casting fans on Facebook. On Twitter, follow us at @projectcasting.

There might be a ’19 Kids and Counting’ spinoff series coming soon to TLC.

As revelations about Josh Duggar’s child molestation history continues to surface, TLC is considering a spinoff series on the ’19 Kids and Counting’ TV series. According to Deadline, this is seriously one of the alternatives TLC is considering at the moment:

Last October, a series-record average of 4.4 million people tuned in to see 19 Kids And Counting’s crazy-in-love virgins, Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard get hitched — and perform their very first kiss and first fully sanctioned frontal hug. TLC was the No. 1 cable network of the night in total viewers and among all key women demos (3 rating with women 25-54 and women 18-49). The episode was the network’s most-viewed telecast in four years. Not surprisingly, Jill and Derick are part of the spinoff being discussed.

Considering the growing amount of hate for the Duggar family at the moment, the likelihood of such a TV series spinoff remains to be seen. However, if the network does decide to move foward with Jill and Derick’s spinoff show, expect the channel to receive record setting ratings –  people sure love controversy.

What do you think? Discuss this story with fellow Project Casting fans on Facebook. On Twitter, follow us at @projectcasting.

A new super powerful drug called Flakka is erupting chaos in the streets of Florida.

Flakka is named after a Spanish slang word for “pretty woman” sounds like a pretty good time. But, the drug is a power stimulant that is causing people to become aggressive, violent and cause people to believe they have superhuman strength. Unsurprisingly, people are dying all across Florida for abusing the drug.

The New York Times reports that the new drug has been implicated to at least 18 deaths in one Florida county since September. What probably makes Flakka so attractive is the price. At $5 and a high that lasts for 3 days, people are lining up to try the new drug. However, the drugs side effects include hallucinations, paranoia and violence.

From The New York Times:

In February, a 50-year-old homeless man tried to kick in the glass door at the Fort Lauderdale Police Department because he believed people were chasing him. In Melbourne this month, a 17-year-old girl ran down the street naked and covered in blood, screaming that she was Satan. In Broward County, a man ran down a street wearing only sneakers, saying a pack of German shepherds was hunting him. Another person became impaled on a fence.

Some people believe the drug has caused people to suffer from kidney failure on top of thinking the devil is chasing after you. And makers of the drug are trying to make it more potent to drive up its addiction potential. In fact, law enforcement officials are having an even tougher time stopping the drug. Unlike exctasy or crack-cocaine, Flakka can be purchased by anyone with $5 and a wish to try the drug. While it may look like cocaine or crystal meth to some drug users, it is more potent, meaning that overdosing on the drug is easier. Once a user’s taken even a little more than they should they go into a state of “excited delerium” that, according a Florida detective is a high “they can’t come back from.”
Discuss this story with fellow Project Casting fans on Facebook. On Twitter, follow us at @projectcasting.

New iOS glitch allows you to shut off an iPhone with a single text message.

Apple is working hard to fix an issue with their iPhone software. A new hack was revealed that allows users to shut down any iPhone with a simple text. The message also affects the Apple Watch, iPad and any other iOS mobile device.

“We are aware of an iMessage issue caused by a specific series of unicode characters and we will make a fix available in a software update,” Apple said in a statement.

The bug was first discovered by Reddit user cbhunt14 and it instantly crashes the iPhone after receiving the Unicode message and causing the system to reboot.

According to Cbhunt you send someone the following message:

Copy and paste the following message into a new iMessage and send it to whoever you feel like tormenting: “effective. Power لُلُصّبُلُلصّبُررً ॣ ॣh ॣ ॣ 冗 effective. Power لُلُصّبُلُلصّبُررً ॣ ॣh ॣ ॣ 冗 effective. Power لُلُصّبُلُلصّبُررً ॣ ॣh ॣ ॣ 冗 effective. Power لُلُصّبُلُلصّبُررً ॣ ॣh ॣ ॣ 冗 effective. Power لُلُصّبُلُلصّبُررً ॣ ॣh ॣ ॣ 冗” It will immediately restart their iPhone. Have fun!

Some users are using the Apple glitch as a prank and shutting off their friends’ phones, while others have reportedly experienced more serious problems with their mobile devices.

Those worried about receiving the defect can protect their phones by disabling notification banners.

Discuss this story with fellow Project Casting fans on Facebook. On Twitter, follow us at @projectcasting.

How realistic is the earthquake in Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s summer movie, ‘San Andreas’?

Could an earthquake be felt from California all the way to the East Coast? Can it rock number so high that even the Richter Scale cannot even read them? Could an earthquak be so big it can will turn San Francisco into a an underwater city?

The upcoming Warner Bros. feature film ‘San Andreas,’ which features Dwayne Johnson and is directed by Brad Peyton, is so realistic that scientists are saying many scenes could really happen. The movie is so realistic that seismologists hope the movie becomes a “teachable moment,” for millions of people to learn how to survive and prepare themselves for the “Big one.”

From Variety:

“I am looking forward to seeing this and I am expecting to have a good time,” said Tom Jordan, a USC professor and director of the Southern California Earthquake Center, of the film. “As long as people don’t think of it as realistic portrayal of what happens in a quake, we are OK. And why would they? It’s Hollywood.”

Producer Beau Flynn talked to Jordan and other experts early in the making of “San Andreas.” “There are things they are going to say are embellished,” Flynn acknowledged. “But it’s not a documentary and I have always been very upfront about that.”

Flynn said, importantly, his film will show how people should “drop, cover and hold on” in the midst of a quake. And he believes it will inspire many to prepare their homes and offices and to become more supportive of seismic research.

“I hope people have fun at the movie and an intense thrill ride,” Flynn said, “and then look up what they should be doing and what could really happen in a quake.” To enhance the chance of the latter, the film’s hero, Johnson, has filmed public service announcements in which he delivers the “drop, cover and hold on” safety mantra.

According to reports, here are 5 scientific things about the ‘San Andreas’ movie.

1. Size

Scientists believe that an earthquake the size of an 8.3 can rock the San Andreas Fault in California.

2. Can the Earth open up?

Scientists argue that in an earthquake major size holes will open up and swallow communities hole is more fiction than reality. In an earthquake, tectonic plates slide up against each other instead away from each other.

3. Tsunami

Tsunami waves are waves are massive and increase the sea level but, in the ‘San Andreas’ movie the waves are too large and probably would not happen.

4. Collapsing buildings

In the ‘San Andreas’ movie, a large majority of buildings across the center of Los Angeles appear to crash to and crumble to the ground. Scientists argue that in a major earthquake along the San Andreas fault only 1 in every 16 buildings would fall to the ground. Therefore, the damage in the movie is far to extensive to be real.

Despite these limitations, a major earthquake could and probably will happen in San Francisco. It will not be as extensive as Hollywood’s imagination. But, expect buildings to fall, and water levels to rise. Unfortunately, for me and you, don’t expect Dwayne Johnson to save you.

Discuss this story with fellow Project Casting fans on Facebook. On Twitter, follow us at @projectcasting.

Bruce Jenner is officially a woman. The reality star and Olympic athlete has completed the gender reassignment surgery.

Bruce Jenner has reportedly completed his gender reassignment surgery, according to Radar.

The surgery was eight hours long, and successful in crafting female genitalia from Bruce’s existing parts. The story also reports that Bruce is as happy as ever.

Details about the procedure, as well as Bruce’s feelings about his transition into a woman are being kept under wraps until the ‘About Bruce’ docuseries airs.

What do you think? Discuss this story with fellow Project Casting fans on Facebook. On Twitter, follow us at @projectcasting.