REFLECTIONS ON A HAS-BEEN

With the current flap over his essay in the New York Review of Books, here's a piece that perfectly sums up the Jian Ghomeshi situation.

Though the link to the rest of the column is broken, the comments make the point, which still stands today two years after the trial, well enough.

By the way, it doesn't matter that he wasn't convicted back in 2016. Ghomeshi had a long-standing reputation for doing what he did, and Ghomeshi hired a hot-shot lawyer who got him off.

BRUCE RONEY, VE3BER IS DEAD

Just found out that Bruce Roney, whom I knew of through his narration of audiobooks for CNIB, died about a year ago at the age of 79.

I remember his reading of World War II history books and magazine articles in particular.

Here is his obituary which, as it says in the link, originally appeared in the Toronto star.

Farewell, Bruce. Your authoritative type of voice is getting rarer and rarer.

BEFORE MR. DRESSUP HAD HIS OWN SHOW

he was on another CBC show called "Butternut Square" which ran from 1964-1967.

Here's a promo for that show, voiced by future Hollywood producer Alan Hamel. Love the local ID and time-check in this.

OLD CTV AND CBC PROMOS

Here are a couple cool videos I came across recently.

First, fifteen minutes worth of CTV promos which the title says are from 1978 but which from reading the comments I suspect are actually from 1973, so even better.

Also, here are some CBC promos from a commercial break in 1978.

THE FRIENDLY GIANT ON AMERICAN TV

Before beginning his long-running CBC children's show, Robert Homme was entertaining children in the same comforting, soothing style on Wisconsin Public Television, starting in 1953. Here are two episodes of the American version of "The Friendly Giant", first with Homme reading Marjorie Flack's "Wait for William" and the second with the big guy reading "The Sad-eyed Clown."

It's interesting to note the differences between the CBC version and this one. First of all, I like the upbeat version of "Early One Morning" used in the opening better than the almost dirge of the recorder theme used on CBC, here heard appropriately only at the end.

Also, it would appear Homme does the voices of Rusty and Jerome. I like the fact he hired Rod Coneybeare to do the voices when he took the show north.

YOU MIGHT REMEMBER ME: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF PHIL HARTMAN

By Mike Thomas. New York: Macmillan, 2014.

They say we should never meet our heroes and we should never read about them, either.

This book is a thorough, in-depth, well-researched biography of comedian and fellow canuk Phil Hartman, taking us through Hartman's childhood, to his early career, to his time with The Groundlings and "Saturday Night Live", and trying to present a faithful, factual reconstruction of the day of Hartman's death. The book even devotes a fair amount of time to the man's legacy and those left behind.

However, this book does make one sit up and take notice of something. I was a great admirer of Phil Hartman growing up, and was really distraught that day after I'd learned of his death. Looking back, though, the book is right: Phil Hartman lacked depth. While Hartman's still funny, when you look at other comic actors and comedians, you realize they bring so much more to their roles than Hartman did, making them a lot funnier than him.

I think, due to his childhood, Hartman didn't know how to be plain old Phil. He always had to be PHIL HARTMAN and couldn't relate to people. That's why, as I think about the roles I've seen him in, I realize they were all Phil Hartman doing his thing and not creations come to life onscreen.

Purchase this book here.https://www.amazon.com/You-Might-Remember-Me-Hartman/dp/1250070309

SPRINGFIELD CONFIDENTIAL: JOKES, SECRETS AND OUTRIGHT LIES FROM A LIFETIME WRITING FOR THE SIMPSONS

By Mike Reiss and Mathew Clikstein. New York: Harper Collins, 2018.

Informative but desperate at the same time.

Simpsons writer and one-time show-runner Mike Reiss tells us the history, inner workings and his personal history with the show, as well as providing us with his autobiography and talking about the side projects he's been involved with, such as writing children's books.

Though the book is funny, interesting, informative, and helpful for the aspiring comedy writer, Reiss's (and probably someone else's higher up?) attempt to justify "The Simpsons'" continued production approaches being painful to read, or listen to in my case since i listened to the audiobook, which Reiss does an excellent job at narrating.

The fact is, "The Simpsons" is long past due for cancellation. I quit watching the show ten years ago in the period after the Hollywood writers strike because it was just the same old jokes. From what I hear, it's only gotten worse. Some people say the later seasons would still make a fairly decent sitcom, but that's faint praise indeed for a show that changed the face of television and influenced society to an unbelievable degree.

Even as far back as season 9 one could see it coming. Principal Skinner is no longer the perfect authority-loving mama's boy but some hood from the mean streets of Capital City. Barney is no longer a drunk but a guy who drinks coffee. Lisa is no longer the one who'll escape Springfield but more and more a typical tween, concerned about whether she's fat and watching "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody."

The fact the show has to create controversy such as Homer and Marge getting a divorce, Harry Shearer deciding to leave and then not leaving and of course the latest flap over the character of Apu (the only decent male character on the show) demonstrates how terrible and unpopular it's become.

Also, Reiss's attempt to refute "The Simpsons" use of predictive programming, such as telling us 9/11 was going to happen and predicting Donald Trump would be president is pathetic. Those who control things are a small tribe of people and they planned those aforementioned events years in advance. I don't for a second think they'd hesitate to taunt us with hidden hints of what was coming in a program as popular as "The Simpsons."

All in all, Matt, Mike and crew, please cancel this show before you embarrass yourselves even further, if that's indeed possible.

Purchase this book here.https://www.amazon.com/Springfield-Confidential-Outright-Lifetime-Simpsons/dp/0062748033