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Feb. 24th, 2004
(no subject)
Feb. 24th, 2004 03:19 amI've seen all sorts of "Smile Time" icons; what I have yet to see are the slashy photomanips showing puppet-Angel and Ernie from Sesame Street enjoying intimate moments. Come on LJers! I want to see Angel/Ernie OTP NC-17 animated .GIFs on my Friends' Friends page!
What "Smile Time," and the resultant iconolatry, has reminded me most of all is an anecdote I heard back in my college days. My friend Ben (who has an LJ if not any entries as![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
beastlydead) was an intern one summer through a program run by, I think, the American Society of Magazine Editors. Every week or so, all the interns at all the various magazines would meet for a lunch at which they'd hear some big journalistic wheel speak. At one such lunch, the guest of honor was the editor for the publishing branch of the Children's Television Workshop, which put out a Sesame Street magazine. (I think I may have subscribed to this magazine as a child; I clearly remember receiving magazines associated with both The Electric Company and 3-2-1 Contact.) After the editor finished speaking, the floor was opened for questions. Ben immediately raised his hand.
"I know you must get asked this a lot . . . " Ben started.
"No," said the editor. "Bert and Ernie are not lovers. They're just good friends."
After the collected interns finished laughing, the editor said, "I'm sorry, that was rude of me. What was your question?"
To which Ben could reply only, "Um, that was my question."
What "Smile Time," and the resultant iconolatry, has reminded me most of all is an anecdote I heard back in my college days. My friend Ben (who has an LJ if not any entries as
beastlydead) was an intern one summer through a program run by, I think, the American Society of Magazine Editors. Every week or so, all the interns at all the various magazines would meet for a lunch at which they'd hear some big journalistic wheel speak. At one such lunch, the guest of honor was the editor for the publishing branch of the Children's Television Workshop, which put out a Sesame Street magazine. (I think I may have subscribed to this magazine as a child; I clearly remember receiving magazines associated with both The Electric Company and 3-2-1 Contact.) After the editor finished speaking, the floor was opened for questions. Ben immediately raised his hand."I know you must get asked this a lot . . . " Ben started.
"No," said the editor. "Bert and Ernie are not lovers. They're just good friends."
After the collected interns finished laughing, the editor said, "I'm sorry, that was rude of me. What was your question?"
To which Ben could reply only, "Um, that was my question."
(no subject)
Feb. 24th, 2004 11:27 pmRecently, I was involved in a discussion on the board concerning the shared realities created when television shows crossover. It is surprising, and a little scary, to see how many shows actually can be linked in this way. For example, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. can be linked to The X-Files: Gomer Pyle is a spin-off of The Andy Griffith Show; Andy Griffith's character on that show was created on The Danny Thomas Show, which, in another episode, featured Morey Amsterdam as Buddy Sorrell, his character from The Dick Van Dyke Show. Mad About You brought back some characters from The Dick Van Dyke Show as an homage; Lisa Kudrow played the same character on Mad About You and Friends; Friends crossed over with Caroline In The City which crossed over with Frasier which was a spin-off from Cheers. An episode of St. Elsewhere featured two doctors drinking at the bar from Cheers; various other St. Elsewhere characters have recurred on Homicide; and Homicide is linked to The X-Files through the ubiquitous Detective John Munch.
It is my contention that when our children will talk about the archetypical characters of mythology, they will mention The Hero, The Shadow, The Trickster and John Munch. Richard Belzer has now appeared on five different shows on three different networks as the character. Apparently, he's in line to add another.
It is my contention that when our children will talk about the archetypical characters of mythology, they will mention The Hero, The Shadow, The Trickster and John Munch. Richard Belzer has now appeared on five different shows on three different networks as the character. Apparently, he's in line to add another.