Originally published April 22, 1994, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1066
This ‘n that…
Year: 2010
Dancing With the GOP
Ages ago, when this season of my guilty pleasure, “Dancing With the Stars,” started up, I expressed irritation that all the media push was ignoring Jennifer Grey. “Nobody puts Baby in a corner,” I declared, and thus far since then I’ve been proven right. She has been the top score-getter practically every week. This evening she was declared to be in the top three for next week’s finals.
Unfortunately I’m starting to think that that’s as far as she’s going to make it. Why? Because the results of a recent poll published in “Hollywood Reporter” indicates that “Dancing” is the ninth most popular TV series on air with Republicans. And who else is still in the show despite dancing performances that are, at best, adequate, and paled in comparison to the magnificent Brandy, who was voted off this evening? Yup: Bristol Palin. There were looks of shock on everyone, particularly Grey’s dance partner, Derek Hough, who was literally slack-jawed, when Brandy was dumped while Bristol was still standing there.
DwtS has always been a popularity contest, but it’s particularly evident this year. It’s becoming abundantly clear that the GOP is lining up behind the daughter of professional candidate Sarah, perhaps in hopes that she’ll show up on the final episode. Mother has wisely kept as clear from daughter as possible, presumably so that if her daughter succeeds, it will be perceived as Bristol’s triumph alone. Should she indeed come out on top, and the odds seem for it (although I’d dearly love to be wrong) trust me: It won’t be perceived that way.
PAD
Friends of Ellison, Part 2
Originally published April 15, 1994, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1065
Previous installment: Part 1
For those who came in late:
Back in January, this column discussed the existence of a slam group created specifically to attack noted essayist and fiction writer Harlan Ellison. Originally the group called itself “Enemies of Ellison” and—hiding behind an anonymous flier—announced its intentions to put together a book of anecdotes designed to savage Ellison upon his eventual demise.
Cowboy Pete, That’s Who
A lot of people have been asking me to discuss the most recent series of “Doctor Who,” and since it’s available on DVD so that anyone can see it, I figure now is as good a time as any. I’ll try to keep spoilers to a minimum.
Erie-at-the-switchboard
Originally published March 25, 1994, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1062
There are some people who do their job extremely well. Their ability to do that job effects hundreds, even thousands of people every day. And when they die, their passing prompts outpourings of grief from those many hundreds and thousands of people. There are memorial services, and obituaries (albeit sometimes erroneous ones) in national newspapers.
And there are some people who do their job extremely well. Their ability to do that job effects hundreds, even thousands of people every day. And yet, by an interesting turn of priorities in our society, these people are generally not noticed. At least not consciously. Because the nature of the job is such that, if done right, the person isn’t really acknowledged by the outside world. Like a gimmick that’s part of a magician’s illusion, it makes the trick work without drawing attention to itself.
The Gift of Me Update–Spider-Man Vault
You’re gonna love this
It turns out, for reasons that I can only guess at, that Running Press–the publisher of the Spider-Man Vault–has released it exclusively to…get this…Costco stores (so yes, Tom Galloway was right). Not that it’s on their website, because that would be too easy.
My guess is that they’re holding national bookstore distribution until there’s a movie to tie into (since I suspect that this was originally supposed to time out with the fourth Spider-Man film which, as we all know, got pushed back.) But they’re putting out some now on a limited basis, through Costco, presumably to tap into the Christmas season.
Isn’t publishing great?
I should put some of my author copies up on eBay. I could probably make a fortune.
PAD
I Hate to Admit It
But I would totally buy “Coon and Friends” action figures and plush toys.
PAD
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