Dictum Ridiculum - April 2003

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Dictum Ridiculum: April 2003

Archived rants and raves from the main page of the Colin Campbell Network.

Monday, April 28, 2003
The Dixie Chicks versus Diane Sawyer
Me? I'm still with the Chicks. Slate's Jim Lewis writes:
For what it's worth, I have profoundly mixed feelings about the war, and if I were to sit down with Natalie Maines, I'm sure we'd have much to disagree about. But, just so you know, I'm proud that the Dixie Chicks are from Texas. What's more, I'm embarrassed that Diane Sawyer is a member of my profession.
Check it out.
On a side note -- four posts in one day? Well, I read a lot of interesting stuff on the 'net, today I just felt like sharing.

Transmitted 11:45 PM PST | Link |

Time to Save Those Shows!
This is about the time of year Doctor Mom calls and says, “Oh TV Son, I really like this show called X, and I think it’s going to be cancelled. You work in TV; to whom should I address my very well written if somewhat vaguely threatening letter of suggestion that these NETWORK BONEHEAD WEASELS RENEW MY DAMN SHOW????”
(Yes, Doctor Mom really talks like that. Scary, isn’t it?)
According to my sources (Thanks, Detroit News!), here’s the pertinent info. As always, if your show is in danger of cancellation (Say like Angel on the WB), threats are probably not the best course of action. A well-reasoned letter stating your case for the show in question will probably be a welcome relief to the assistant who has to open and deal with your pleading.
And yes, they say it’s better to write a real letter, and spend your real $.37 on a stamp, than to e-mail. Life's tough; deal.
So here are the addresses you need:
ABC: Susan Lyne, president of ABC Entertainment, 500 S. Buena Vista St., Burbank, CA 91542. Send e-mail to: etaudr@abc.com.
CBS: Leslie Moonves, CBS president and CEO, 7800 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036. For e-mail, go to www.cbs.com and click on Feedback at the bottom of the home page.
Fox: Gail Berman, Fox Entertainment president, 10201 W. Pico Blvd., Building 100, Los Angeles, CA 90035. Send e-mail to askfox@foxinc.com.
NBC: Jeff Zucker, NBC Entertainment president, 3000 W. Alameda Ave., Burbank, CA 91523. For e-mail, go to www.nbc.com and click on Contact Us. Choose your show on the menu bar to get an e-mail address.
UPN: Dawn Ostroff, UPN Entertainment president, 11800 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025. Send e-mail to alice_britton@upn.com
WB: Jordan Levin, WB Entertainment president, 4000 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA 91522. Send e-mail to faces@talk.thewb.com.
Sure, it's too late for last fall's best new show Firefly (a pox on your house, Gail Berman!), but maybe not for your favorite show. Good luck to all!
Transmitted 11:15 PM PST | Link |

How $20 Million Movie Stars Are Killing Films
Kudos to Karen Feigenbaum for a great by-the-numbers analysis explaining how $20 million movie stars are killing films. The short version: For the same $20 million a company pays to Mel, Jim, Adam, or Julia, they could make at least two other complete mid or low budget films. The escalating price of stars is causing the number of films produced to decline ... at a time when distribution channels are exploding. Real smart, Hollywood.
Her argument is reasoned, rational, sound, based on a love of movies ... and will likely be ignored by the fearful, frightened, and cowardly movie studio heads who need this type of information the most.
But you can read it, and be smarter than movie studio heads! And isn't that why you visit this site, anyway?

Transmitted 01:18 PM PST | Link |

Morons of the Week: The Cast of The Real Cancun
Oh dear goodness, yes, we’re bringing back this popular feature (and it was popular, judging by the thousands of hits this website gets from people looking for information about past MOTW and Temptation Island "star" Mandy Lauderdale), because, let’s face it, it’s long overdue. In fact, I must apologize for seeming derelict in my duty to point out the ridiculous, absurd, and obscene in the world. It’s just that there’s so much to choose from these days! But instead of standing blankly with an empty plate at the buffet of stupidity, let’s start loading up and chowing down.
While cruising through Joel Stein’s fantastic deconstruction of the first “reality movie” in this week’s Time Magazine, I came across this gem of a quote, from Real Cancun star Roxanne.
Roxanne looks forward to being famous, even if it's for her wet-T-shirt antics. "I'd rather be known for this instead of being smart or something," she says. "There's a million people who are smart. There's only 16 of us who were in Cancun together."
First off, Roxanne, you’re not smart, so there’s no danger there. And looking at the anemic box office results of The Real Cancun this weekend, I’m guessing you’re not going to have to worry about that whole “being famous” thing, either!
Best of luck at Wal-Mart, though. I hear they’ve got a great benefits package.
Side note 1: Because we paint the Moron of the Week with a wide brush, Roxanne’s apparent idiocy has tainted her fellow Real Cancun cast members. Hence, this is technically a Morons of the Week. It’s a subtle, but appropriate, differentiation.
Side note 2: Count me among the many people who are glad that we now get a weekly dose of Joel Stein on the back page of Entertainment Weekly. Dude is seriously funny.

Transmitted 11:15 AM PST | Link |

Monday, April 21, 2003
Florida in a Nutshell
I mean, this story from St. Petersburg really has it all. Alligators, drunken behavior, a near-drowning, gunplay ... you name it.
Enjoy!
Transmitted 11:55 PM PST | Link |

Tuesday, April 8, 2003
Something Good From Something Bad
I urge you to read this editorial in The San Francisco Chronicle calling for the passage of what's being called "Casey's Law."
The Casey in question is 20-year-old Casey Goodwin, who worked with my best friend Frank to keep kids off drugs and away from alcohol. As one of my favorite 'bloggers Evany Thomas once wrote, irony loves opportunity. But for Casey to be killed by an allegedly drunken driver is beyond ironic and veering straight toward cruelty.
The passage of Casey's Law seems like a very needed step in the right direction.
Learn more about her life ... and her dedication to substance-free living ... at the Friday Night Live homepage.

Transmitted 10:09 PM PST | Link |

If Today Happens To Be Your Birthday
If today happens to be your birthday, you probably will either enjoy or dread visiting the The JavaScript Age Calculator. I mean, it's cool if you want to know how many seconds you've been alive, but on the other hand, I thought I would have been around for more than 317,000 hours. Turns out, it's just that. Time flies. Who knew?
And, if today happens to be your birthday, you share it with the WORLD'S BEST MOTHER™, Dr. Kathryn Campbell, PhD and DgM. (That's Doctor of Philosophy and Damn Great Mother, for those of you scoring at home. Or even if you're alone ...)
Happy Birthday, Mom!! Love you so much!
Transmitted 07:38 PM PST | Link |

Saturday, April 5, 2003
And Now, A Dancing Man
Because every web site should have one.

Transmitted 01:24 PM PST | Link |

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