Utterly unimportant department. Stuck in traffic for way too long on the way home from turning the car in for maintenance. Radio on. Laura Ingraham --as everyone else, pretty much-- really lit into Russell Crowe for the phone-throwing incident. Is RC2 the only one whose sympathies lie with Crowe? Yes, yes, there's no excuse for losing your temper like that and when you're a celebrity it's worse, because it looks for all the world like big spoiled rich man spares no thought for the little people.
But listen to his side of the story (curtsy to Ninme, who got it from Drudge):
“Frustrated by a clerk’s unwillingness to help him put through a phone call to his family in Australia, Russell Crowe was involved in a minor altercation at the Mercer Hotel earlier this morning. After asking the front desk several times to replace a faulty phone in his room - and getting only attitude from the clerk on duty - Crowe brought the phone down to the front desk in an effort to address the situation in person. Words were exchanged and Crowe wound up throwing the phone against the wall. He regrets that he lost his temper, but at no time did he assault anyone or touch any hotel employee."
I mean, c'mon, who hasn't dealt with a clerk like that? Haven't you been capable of throwing something?
No matter how much of a jerk he is, RC2 will always feel soft on Crowe because he made a point on Leno of saying that he married in a Church, married his wife before having a child with her, and he also had a chapel (Anglican, presumably) built on their property in Australia. Ingraham played a clip of his "apology" appearance on Letterman last night, and he made a big deal of saying he needed to talk to his wife because when he's away she has the right to know that he's at home, hasn't been drinking, and is alone. Anyone who publicly defends marriage like that gets a small pass from RC2 on his temper (Evelyn Waugh was not known for being a nice guy, either).
(Although, the question does arise, can his millions not buy him his own cell phone? Even RC2 has one.)
