Month: November 2003

Folks keep asking me about a new book, “Imzadi Forever.” I thought I’d addressed this earlier, but in case I didn’t, or in case people missed it:

“Imzadi Forever” is a trade paperback-sized reprint of the two “Imzadi” books. It’s what’s called their “signature” edition, meaning there’s a reproduction of my signature on the title page, which should nicely accommodate all those would-be forgers out there. In addition, it includes an original intro by me as well as an original interview in the back.

So if you ever lent out your copy of “Imzadi” or the sequel and never got it back, now you can have a cheap edition with additional stuff you didn’t know you wanted or needed.

PAD

Issue 7, Issue 8, and Issue 9.

Issue 6? There is no Issue 6. Issue 7: No pooftas.

Dear Guys:

As a God-fearing American patriot, I absolutely insist that ABC refuse to air “The Jessica Lynch Story” as it currently plans to do on November 11. Although I haven’t seen it and don’t know what I’m talking about, I can say with confidence that it is wildly inaccurate, insulting, and upsetting to families who have lost loved ones in Iraq, and have loved ones over there continuing to fight the war that ended last May.

The recent interviews with Jessica Lynch have underscored the fact that the US Government cynically and ruthlessly manipulated the facts of both her capture and subsequent rescue. She was built up to be a Rambo-esque hero when others actually did the fighting and dying. And the details of her “rescue” are similarly overblown. To single her out purely to give Americans a heroine in order to bolster support for Iraq is a travesty, and ABC is aiding and abetting in this government-based fraud…a fraud seized upon and perpetuated by the noted conservative media that has fallen in line behind the White House since the war began.

I do not believe for one moment–and I know my conservative friends, if I had any, would back me up on this–that the viewing public should be able to make up their own minds on this topic. I know what’s best. They don’t. And what’s best is that this PR scandal be terminated before it is allowed to air.

Instead, I recommend that ABC air a repeat of “Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story,” the docudrama in which America’s first anchorwoman is portrayed as an alcoholic cokehead, which was no doubt most upsetting to her family, but they were probably liberals, so who gives a dámņ? The important thing is, it’s a biopic about a woman named Jessica, so it’s close enough. Failing that, you could run “Up Close and Personal,” which also tells the story of Jessica Savitch, but is a romantic comedy and nicely whitewashes all tragedy from her life.

Either way, I insist that you pull the Jessica Lynch biopic immediately. Until you do, I shall boycott the letters A, B and C, starting right now.

Sinerely,

Peter Dvid

A friend of mine wrote and asked me if I remember the ranks from the old Merry Marvel Marching Society, and how one attained them.

My recollection is patchy. I know there was Fearless Face Fronter and Permanent Marvelite Maximus. But there were about four others, and I don’t recall the order or what qualified you.

Anyone out there recall?

And before you post, make sure no one else already answered, so we don’t have twenty entries saying the same thing.

Thanks.

PAD

Off switches on their televisions.

Or channel changers.

Here’s a fact: All the people on this board currently discussing the yanked Ronald Reagan biopic? They haven’t seen it. Everyone’s depending upon what other people have said. Biopics, movies about real events…their accuracy is routinely challenged. People see it and then decide for themselves.

But not in the case of Ronald Reagan.

Don’t let yourself get buffaloed into thinking this incident is anything other than just another case of someone else deciding on your behalf what you should be allowed to see or not see. They’ve come to the conclusion the biopic is inaccurate. But they don’t trust *you* to come to that conclusion independently. They figure, y’know, you’re not as smart as they are, or clever, or knowledgeable.

So CBS, which just last Sunday was laughing over how silly it was that they dumped the Smothers Brothers because they jabbed at the establishment, did it again. They bowed to conservative pressure, just as Warner Bros. did when the Nixon White House insisted that the song “Cool Considerate Men” be excised from “1776” because it made conservatives look bad. The CBS eye blinked.

And this business that James Brolin shouldn’t have been cast because of his *political beliefs*? Oh my God. That is the single dumbest casting debate I’ve heard since the notion that the casting of Vanessa Redgrave as a concentration camp resident in “Playing For Time” was an insult to Jews because she harshly criticized Israel. I mean, are we *really* back to that now? Politicizing casting? Paging Joe McCarthy. Joe McCarthy, come to the Senate, please.

It’s not just that it’s about Reagan. I’d have just as much contempt for them if they bagged a Clinton/Lewinsky biopic because liberals squawked (which, by the way, we all know they wouldn’t.)

PAD