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A14 PEOPLE & ARTS
Friday 4 March 2022
In 'Lucy and Desi,' Amy Poehler strives to humanize TV icons

By LINDSEY BAHR of seeing a man like Desi
For Amy Poehler and mil- Arnaz on television and in
lions of millions of Ameri- charge.
cans, "I Love Lucy" wasn't A treasure trove of previ-
just something that was on ously unreleased personal
television. It was a show recordings and interviews
that "came with your TV found at their daughter's
and was on your whole Palm Springs home proved
life," she said. vital for letting Ball and
But it's also one that, in the Arnaz tell their own sto-
65 years since it ended, ries. Lucie Arnaz was more
loomed so large as a defin- than happy to hand them
ing pillar of sitcom comedy over to Poehler, who she
that it and the vibrant cou- thought the perfect person
ple behind the show have to be the shepherd of her
been flattened under the parents' story.
weight of words like "icon" "One of the things that was
and "trailblazer." It's why really important to me is
Poehler was especially ex- that we heard from Lucy
cited to dive into the world and Desi as much as we
of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz could," Poehler said. "It's
for the new documentary very interesting to hear
"Lucy and Desi" (streaming This image released by Amazon shows Lucille Ball, left, and Desi Arnaz in a photo from the docu- people talk about their
on Amazon Prime Video mentary "Lucy and Desi." lives, even if they're an un-
on Friday) and bring them Associated Press reliable narrator."
back to earth. The doc should satisfy su-
"One of my goals was to re- out and he was a child of she'd like," Poehler said. assumed to take credit for perfans, but Poehler also
ally make it feel like we were wealth and privilege whose "And it's these two people, any of those things." made it for the merely curi-
seeing them again as hu- life was upended during very confident in their skills Poehler tried to be espe- ous too.
man people," Poehler said. the Cuban revolution in but not gatekeepers in any cially thoughtful about se- "There could be so many
"As nuanced and complex 1933, when he and his fam- way, who take over the lecting her talking heads, different approaches to
thinkers as we think we are, ily fled to America and had business." which include Norman their story because they
sometimes our brains need to start from scratch. In one particularly powerful Lear, Bette Midler and Car- represented so many
to be reminded that the "I think one of the coolest sequence, Ball is shown re- ol Burnett. She didn't want things, whether they want-
little people that were on things about this story is you porting the $20 million earn- to simply collect famous ed to or not, they repre-
a black-and-white show have two genuine outsid- ings of their studio, Desilu, people, she wanted voic- sented a changing busi-
on our TV were actual flesh ers: You have a Cuban- which had just greenlit "Star es who weren't Arnaz and ness, they represented a
and blood people who American immigrant, a Trek" and "Mission: Impos- Ball to have had a more changing America," Poe-
had wants and needs like refugee, if you will, who ar- sible." direct connection to them, hler said. "What I found
everyone else." rived to the country with no "Lucy had a reluctance including their children, so fascinating is the way
The doc explores their un- money and a poor grasp to be considered the first Lucie Arnaz and Desi Ar- both respected and loved
likely ascent to Hollywood of the language. And then woman anything, but she naz Jr., and the children of each other's process up
moguldom as well as their you have a woman in her was the first woman to run a those who worked on the until the very end. They re-
fascinating relationship on 40s who's been working giant studio," Poehler said. show, or a perspective that ally brought out the best in
screen and off. She was in the business for a long "She was directing and writ- would deepen the nar- each other."
a girl from Jamestown, time and is very skilled, but ing and producing and but rative. Cuban playwright It's one of two high profile
New York, who saw mod- certainly hasn't reached she was a (product) of the Eduardo Machado puts Hollywood projects about
eling and acting as a way the amount of power that time and wouldn't have into perspective the import the power couple. q

Lady Gaga among co-hosts for Elton John's Oscar party

Gaga, Billy Porter and "Will said. but have greatly contribut-
& Grace" star Eric McCor- Singer-songwriter Brandi ed to LGBTQ+ visibility and
mack will join Elton John Carlile will perform during inclusion in entertainment
to co-host the superstar's the event. – both on screen and in
charity Oscar watch party. Porter is the Emmy-winning music," said co-host David
It is the 30th year the singer star of "Pose," a show that Furnish, who is the founda-
has hosted a viewing party ended its four season run tion's chairman and John's
to raise money for his Elton on FX last year. He and husband. "I'm honored to
John AIDS Foundation. This Gaga have both attended have this group to join me
year's event marks a return the Oscars in recent years, on stage in West Hollywood
to an in-person gathering wearing stunning looks on Park to advocate for all
after last year's party was the red carpet. McCor- marginalized groups af-
held online due to the pan- mack won an Emmy play- fected by HIV."
demic. ing Will on NBC's "Will & The foundation fights dis-
The watch party, which will Grace" during its original crimination against those
Sir Elton John performs at Madison Square Garden during his
Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022, in coincide with the Acad- run in the early 2000s and with AIDS and has programs
New York. emy Awards being held in starred in its recent revival. to provide treatment, pre-
Associated Press Los Angeles on March 27, "Lady Gaga, Billy Porter and vent infections and lobby
has raised more than $86 Eric McCormack are not governments for programs
By The Associated Press LOS ANGLEES (AP) — Lady million to date, organizers only amazingly talented, that help those with HIV.q