The Pre-Read

Goodbye Mr. Press Secretary

It is reported that former president Jimmy Carter went to a nursing home where Jody Powell's mother lives to tell her of her son's death before she could hear it on television news.

I was pretty shocked to hear of Powell's death. He, of course, was press secretary to President Carter and before that to Carter when he was the Governor of Georgia.

Powell arrived at the White House in 1976 when Carter unseated President Gerald Ford in that very contentious election. Of course Ford and Carter would later become friends, but it was the friendship of Powell who many say was among his closest and most cherished.

They met back in 1966 when Jimmy Carter thrust his hand toward Powell at a shopping center and, with a wide smile, said "I'm Jimmy Carter and I'm running for Governor."

Carter didn't win then, but in his next race he found the young Powell an eager volunteer and before long an unofficial chauffeur. Carter, it is said, was so impressed with the young Powell's knowledge of politics and policy that they immediate struck up a strong and long lasting friendship.

It probably also helped that both were from small towns in Georgia, religious and had similar outlooks on life.

Much like the Clinton years that would follow, the Carter White House received criticism by the Washington establishment that it was overrun by young turks who had more ambition than sense.  

Of course that would prove to be wrong as President Carter made it a point to tackle as much as he could in one term as others might in two and he had the backing of his young, bright and energetic Georgia team. When told by friends to slow down and not take on too many controversial issues, Carter famously responded that he was elected president and it was his duty to do as much as he could, not to parse issues out so that he could stand a better chance of reelection.

Powell was not just a close friend of the president, but a fierce defender of him as well. And that defense would come to the forefront most recently when Senator John McCain, in his most recent bid for president, would call out former President Carter on any number of issues. It was Powell who was quick to point out Carter's early warnings about the nation's dependency on foreign oil and the fact that it was Carter who, in an effort to ween the country off of that oil, instituted plans that would include conservation, solar and other efforts that would have make the United States largely energy independent by the early part of this century. Of course once out of the White House those plans were scrapped by the new administration.

While I was probably first aware of Ron Nessen (press secretary to President Ford) and the duties to which they are charged, it was really Jody Powell who I came to recognize as the voice of the president.I became so intrigued at his ability to convey issues in a calm and folksy manner and realized that the message can better be delivered if done so in a friendly almost conversational manner. He was also rather adept at deflecting difficult questions with ease, although sometimes with a little heated exchange.

While I know I'm getting older and those who are older than me are doing the same. It's sad to lose those who we held in high regard. And Jody Powell was someone who I held in high regard.

It is probably a testament to how highly the former president regarded him as well. It seems to be telling of a different era, when people went out of their way to try to make things better for one another. And it is a testament to President Carter's good will and his deep friendship for Powell that he opted to be the one to share the heartbreaking news with Powell's mother.

I hope there are more Jody Powell's and Jimmy Carter's on the horizon. But from the way politics look these days, this may truly be one more step in the passing of an era.

Goodbye Senator Kennedy

I haven't posted in a while, and now it seems the only thing that gets me posting is when someone passes on. Bulletin tonight that Senator Edward Kennedy has passed away.

There's a lot I want to say. But the words escape me now. Suffice it to say that I wish him eternal rest, and his family and friends comfort and strength in what is a terribly sad time.

Michael Jackson

I'm not sure what it is about the passing of Michael Jackson that has affected me so.

Maybe it was his talent. The way he could sing and dance and literally become one with the music. I would watch him dance and I could SEE the music in him. He seemed so completely intertwined with the music he performed that to watch him move, to watch him defy gravity with his dance was just ... well just so magical.

I will miss that.

But I've missed that for some time really. It's kind of like the Beatles in a way. When they broke up, when they stopped, that was it. All talk of reunion shows were eventually discredited, their legacy was sealed by the music they made for a certain period of time and that was it.

I think the same is true of Jackson. I longed to see him dance again,to float with music being his only tether to the stage.  But that will never happen. And maybe it's better that it won't.

Yes, his legacy will always be accompanied by the turmoil he endured after his years performing. But we'll always have Michael Jackson at his best. We will always see and hear him at the peak of his game.

I am sad today. But I will remember him at his best. And one of his best is featured in the clip below.

Michael Jackson, may he rest in peace.

Goodbye

I had started a post, earlier today about Farrah's passing. 

She was such an iconic figure in the 70's that it was impossible to go anywhere for a time and now be confronted by her famous poster featuring her brilliant smile and fantastic locks.

While I never had the crush on her I would later have on Cybil Shepherd, there was something about Farrah that transcended television.  She was the television equivalent of what a movie star was. 

She may not have been the best actress in the world, though she would wow audiences some years later in her performances on Broadway and television dramas, but there was something about her that proved she had star power.

I was a little sad this morning upon hearing the news. And now, I hear word that Michael Jackson has passed on. Really?  How is that possible?

It's a sad day today. I'm in a funk now, even though I didn't know these people, there is something terribly sad about anyone's passing and their being iconic figures somehow makes it seem personal.

May they both rest in peace and may their families receive comfort and strength.

Goodbye Bea Arthur

I was not only saddened to hear the news of Bea Arthur's passing today. But I was really surprised. I didn't know she was ill. But I have to think she went out on her own terms (as much as anyone can I guess) in that she always seemed to be this big star with an even bigger private life. I'm glad I didn't know she was ill. But I am sad to see her go.

Many of my friends, and I would imagine most people these days, associate Arthur with The Golden Girls. The show that joined the ranks of perplexing ratings watchers as actors, seemingly past their prime, were commanding huge ratings. The Golden Girls debuted on CBS at a time when Murder She Wrote was big in the Neilson's, but also battled shows like Family Ties, Cheers, Whose the Boss? and later challenged, and beat, shows like Moonlighting and The Wonder Years.

For me, however, Bea Arthur will forever be Maude Findlay.

Maude, the 1972-1978 series, was another in the Normal Lear spinoff's of his highly successful half hour show All In The Family. In fact, Maude may have been the first spinoff. Arthur as Maude was the perfect foil for Carroll O'Connor's Archie Bunker. Where Archie was a conservative bigot, Maude was a liberal bra burner and when the two appeared on the small screen together, it made the already controversial, but amazingly well written and enjoyable All In The Family true Must See TV.

I'm not exactly sure why that show caught on with me so much. Maybe it was Arthur's bigger than anyone persona; with her deep voice and steadfast convictions. Or maybe it was the talk of politics without apology that I would later find myself so enthralled with.

Maude Findlay was a the time divorced, four time married woman who couldn't understand a world where everyone wasn't treated equally. And anyone who crossed her path with a differing opinion was the recipient of her wrath.

A situation comedy in name only, Maude tackled a variety of issues that were difficult to discuss around the family dinner table, but somehowseeing them on television made them a little more accessible. Whether it be issues of abortion, pre-marital sex, or even homosexuality, Maude took the side of tolerance and even acceptance that seems so out of bounds some 35+ years later.

An interesting side note is that Maude's best friend on that show was a character named Vivian Harmon played by future Golden Girl Rue McClanahan. Vivian was a ditzy sidekick to the always strong and self assured Maude. The two really did click on camera and it was great to see them reunited some time later.

Another interesting note is that during this same time, about 1973-1977, Betty White, another future Golden Girl, was on The Mary Tyler Moore show as Sue Anne Nivens. White played a character whose tv show was something along the precursor to what Martha Stewart would later make popular. However, Nivens was a sex vixen who was always after Lou Grant (Ed Answer).

My understanding is that producers were so solidified in their thinking of both McClanahan and White, that when they were originally pitched the idea for The Golden Girls, they wanted both to basically replay the characters for which they were, at the time, most famous. Supposedly it was McClanahan and White who suggested the switch which now is recognized as pure genius.

While known to millions for her television performances, Bea Arthur was also quite accomplished on stage. She was the original Yenta in Broadway's original cast of Fiddler on the Roof, as well as Vera Charles in 1966's Mame, a role she would later recreate in the feature film version in 1974.

There are a ton of wonderful video's posted of Bea on YouTube and other places. One of the great things I loved about her was her apparent willingness to do just about anything. Sometimes the result may not have been the most flattering, but almost always funny, and certainly always worth watching.

Below is just one of the many, many, many bits I still enjoy. Goodbye Bea Arthur, you will be terribly missed:

Goodbye Mr. Roarke

Wow, what a terrible day it's turning out to be. Now, sad news that Ricardo Montalban has left us.

While most may not remember the origins of this phrase, for me it brings me back to sitting on the living room floor and watching television. "Soft Corinthian leather," was used, by Mr. Montalban to describe the luxurious upholstery in the (at the time) new Chrysler Cordoba vehicle.

That commercial either appeared more often than most, or perhaps it was his rich, luxurious accent that made it so memorable. Of course the spot was parodied relentlessly, but even watching the commercial now, it's amazing how regal he is, and by association makes the car appear.

Star Trek fans will remember him in one episode of the original series as Khan, a role he reprised in perhaps my favorite Star Trek movie; Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan.

He had an amazing career, appearing both in drama's, as well as musicals and comedies. In fact, his role in Naked Gun was so hilarious because like Leslie Nielson (the star of the Naked Gun films) he was seen initially as such a straight man. And perhaps it is a testament to both actors that they can portray drama and comedy with equal aplomb.

Being such a TV hog when I was a kid, I remember enjoying any number of television movies. And when Fantasy Island appeared I was glued to the set. The initial MOW featured this island caretaker who made their fantasies come true was an instant favorite of mine. While I don't remember all of the first movie, i do remember that what one guest wanted as a fantasy, turned into something other than they had expected. So, in essence, there was a moral lesson to be learned. Montalban's character would change as the MOW turned into a series, but it was still a fun show to watch.

Ricardo Montalban long suffered from an injury he sustained on a movie set. He was never shy talking about it and, in fact, later in life whenever he appeared in long shots,it was rare that you would see him walk. When the occasional scene required it, you could see that he appeared to lift his leg with his hip and almost push his foot forward. I don't know that this is exactly how he maneuvered, but in certain scenes of any number of projects in his later days, you could see that it couldn't have been a very pleasant experience.

I really will miss Ricardo Montalban. Mostly because he seemed to constant. His career was a regal one, and few movie stars exist today that can hold a light to his shining star.

Goodbye Mr. Montalban. You will be missed.

Goodbye Number 6

It is very sad news that Patrick McGoohan has passed away.

I will admit to never fully understanding The Prisoner, the iconic British television show that he both  create and starred in as well has having written and directed several of its episodes. It is a testament to the popularity of that show that it only ran for one season, yet many people thought it had a much longer TV life.

Growing up I very vividly remember him in at least one episode of NBC's Columbo if not more. He won two Emmy's for his work on that show, and deservedly so. The episode I remember most he was not just believable, but almost creepily so. Bright to a fault and just ... well, just brilliant.

This past weekend one of the cable stations was airing A Time To Kill, the Samuel L. Jackson, Matthew McConaughey starrer. But it was McGoohan who nearly stole the show.

While watching this weekend, I remember thinking to myself, if not actually saying it out loud, that he was such a brilliant actor. Though born in America, McGoohan was raised in Ireland and lived in Great Britain most of his life. He is described as having a neutral accent, but I must say, he had a distinctive voice that was always a pleasure to hear. And in A Time To Kill, playing a Southern Hang-Em-High judge his southern drawl is so convincing I found myself wondering if he were actually Southern born.

McGoohan was 80 and that's a little bit of a shock to me. While I have taken notice of many notable Hollywood legends passing away of late, I imagined McGoohan more a television star and, as such, just imagined him younger. But when I do the math, of course it all ads up. It just makes me shudder to think who else might be heading to that big network in the sky.

More accurately, it makes me shudder to think who we will be left with down here.

Ice Cream

When I tell people I'm not a big fan of ice cream they sometimes react with abject horror. And when I tell them I enjoy chocolate, but could certainly live without it -- well, you can imagine.

But this post isn't about chocolate. It really isn't about ice cream either, but it figures into the story.

The neighborhood in which I grew up was wondrous. To me anyway. Up the street lived T, my best friend. Across the street lived a kid who I never really got to know very well. He was a year older than me, and different in just about every way. When I would love to sit inside and read, he would be pitching a baseball against the concrete wall that separated his house from his neighbor.

When I sat home watching TV, he would play football with his friends next door (three or more boys, I can't seem to remember) in his front yard. And when my best friend T and I would go ride bikes ... he was swimming in his pool in the back yard.

Down the street were other friends of mine, but they moved only a couple of years after we moved into the neighborhood. Down the street further, were bigger houses, or at the time they seemed bigger anyway, and one even housed a rich family, or so T and I would say.

Living right next door to me was S. She was older by a year or two, but always had a smile on her face and could guffaw at any joke with the best of them.  T and S were my closest friends. But it was S that I seemed to have the most in common.

Her family was from Oklahoma, a town that bordered Texas and one that produced families with thick accents. S had been born in San Diego so she had none, but her father and mother sure did.

Her father was a quiet man of few words. And to say few words I really mean very few words. Always kind to us kids, always a driver to his daughter who had to go to the store to get a snack or the latest magazine, he was part of what made our neighborhood a safe place to live.

One hot summer I remember him bringing out a large white machine that I had never before seen. He filled it with what looked like ice and salt and called me over.

He told me we would make ice cream.

It never occurred to me that ice cream had to be made. It just was. He poured other ingredients into his machine and when his daughter joined us, he told us that we were going to switch off turning the handle on the machine.

I went first. I was the boy after all. It was simple, if a little tedious. Then S would take a turn at it, and then back to me, and so it went, I began to wonder if he was pulling our leg until, if I remember correctly, it began to get harder and harder to turn.

"That's good enough I think," he said. Signaling our chore was done.

He opened up the machine and inside was vanilla ice cream. He handed us each a spoon and we took a mouthful each. Now, I guess when I say I'm not a big fan of ice cream, I really mean I'm not a big fan of store bought ice cream.

This stuff tasted great. It was amazing even. Simple vanilla ice cream had never tasted so good. It was creamy, it was sweet, it tasted like vanilla had never tasted, and it was great.

I don't remember if we finished it off. I do remember that for all our hard work, we didn't seem to make a lot. Then again, I don't remember how much we made, I just know we ate our fill.

It seems such an odd memory to have, but one that I really cherish.

I got word the other day that he had passed away. He had not been in good health for the last few months, but a diagnosis of emphysema (he was a heavy smoker all his life) a few years ago and a broken hip when he insisted on climbing the stairs unaided to retrieve the paper two years ago were clear signs he was on his last days.

Well, he had a remarkable recovery from the broken hip. Though he had to use a walker to get around, he was up and about four weeks after his surgery, and back to driving two weeks after that. We were all amazed.

But a year or so after that, and he slowed down. Still a man of few words, I would see him from time to time. "How are you Mr. V?" I'd ask. "Doin' the best I can," he would answer with no regret, just a matter of fact.

Mr. V used to drink Coke, a rare treat for me and my family, and he used to add peanuts to his bottle. His kids followed suit, and when I would accompany them to the story, a Coke was always bought for me too. And like them, I would pour a handfull of salted peanuts into the long neck bottle.

A habit I have rarely seen since, but one I still practice from time to time.

I think about Mr. V and can't help but reflect on what he said that day a year or so ago.

"Doin' the best I can".

I can so relate to that now. I truly can.

Sad Day

News just out of San Francisco news that Del Martin has passed away.

For those unfamiliar with Martin, she (along with her partner of 55 years) were one of the first to be wed in San Francisco by Mayor Newsome when gays and lesbians gained the right to be married.

Theirs was a love story 55 years in the making that included a desire to be treated, not as special citizens, but just as ordinary citizens. It was that long battle that brought them to the attention of the Mayor or San Francisco, and the the hearts of countless people across the country.

Said Mayor Newsome, (as quoted by Towleroad.com) "[She was someone who] defined, love, devotion, and constancy. She defined, from my perspective, what marriage is supposed to be about."

Once, the prevailing thought was that loving couples, of the same sex, couldn't marry. And once, it was the prevailing thought that a person whose skin was black shouldn't be allowed to vote. Today, we morn the loss of Del Martin, and yet we sit on the eve of a historic night, when the nomination by a major party will be accepted by a man of color.

The struggle for justice isn't always an easy one and is often met with anger, hatred and frustration. But that doesn't make it any less important or necessary. Del Martin achieved her dream of marrying the woman she loved. I hope, come November, a person of color will achieve his dream of being elected president.

Goodbye Bernard McCullough

I haven't been writing a bunch lately. More due to the amount of work I have, but partly due to life circumstances that take priority. Some amazing people have passed away in this time. People who certainly deserve being discussed, and while I do write about the passing of movie stars or people who've touched me in some ways, I have, lately, left that to others as they seem to be far more eloquent and can say what it is I feel much better.

The same may be true of Bernie Mac, but I still felt the need to write something.

While I had heard of Bernie Mac several years ago, I didn't know anything about him. I don't usually watch stand up comedians. There's nothing wrong with them, and they can certainly be a hoot, but watching them just isn't something that I tend to do.

Then one day I caught the new Bernie Mac Show. And by caught I mean I was flipping through channels, thought I had the TV on the channel I wanted and when the commercial ended there was Mac, and his TV family.

Before having a chance to find the show I was looking for I was laughing. Not just laughing inside, but that laugh that escapes you when you least expect it, and then self consciously look around to be sure no one heard you.

The channel stayed put, and I was surprised by a show that was well written, wonderfully acted and terribly funny.

The premise of the story (loosely based on personal experience from my understanding) is that Mac, a successful comedian/actor decides he and his wife will care of his sisters children while she is away due to drug use.

Bernie Mac conveyed, in his show, an everyman without editorial. That is to say, he said what he felt, what he believed and didn't feel the need to have to explain himself. What he said wouldn't always been politically correct, like when his children got into trouble and made him so angry that he tried to convey to his wife that they needed to be beaten. And not just beaten, but hit on the head so hard that some of the "white meat shows."

Obviously no one was hit, and no one was beaten. But the fact that anyone could say that on television these days, for comedic effect, was just so new to me. It was like a live action version of the Road Runner cartoon, only any harm to Wyle E. Coyote was threatened or implied.

I wondered if Mac was anything like his television character which I so loved, that I tried to catch him on interviews and other projects. And while you can never really know someone from watching them on the screen, big or small, he was always funny, seemingly honest and to the point in his interviews. I decided I liked him just as much as a character on television as I did as a person.

About a year ago I wrote a post about his show. Having been canceled, I was to include it in the "Great Shows You Haven't Seen" section. But while the post was half done, I never seemed to finish it. I'm not sure why. Maybe it was part that I didn't want to really believe the show was gone.

And now I am writing about Bernie Mac. And I can't really believe that he's gone.

Talent comes in a variety of packages. And as a big, seemingly gruff comedian, his comedy belied that package. His comedy was honest, deeply personal and often touching. I imagine much like the man himself.

Goodbye Bernie Mac, you will certainly be missed.