Elsewhere, I wonder if John Corbett holds his nose and eats at Applebee’s; if Robert Wagner and Fred Thompson themselves have reverse mortgages; if the clueless kids looking into a freezer in the Totino ads will become politicians?
Our own Central Florida car man David Maus is no longer the stiffest guy in commercials — the honors go to Phil Mickelson and the ever-annoying former sheriff’s detective, who maddeningly puts the emphasis on the first syllable in “insurance.”
The local trial-attorney commercials are all pretty bad, but at least there’s an attempt at creativity in the ones with the Frat Boy lawyer.
Navel gazing
•Here’s one for you. How many famous Teresas or Theresas can you come up with? I can think of just six. See below.
•In a Sentinel article, a woman named Margaret talked about her book, “Rock and Roll Baby Names,” and was going on about how she started the book because she had never found a good song with “Margaret”in the title. Duh, the great “Margaret and the Dutchman,” the sad and memorable song by Michael Peter Smith, who has appeared here many times.
•Two more foreign-film Oscar winners down, lots more to go. “Forbidden Games” (1952) has a French World War II setting, two children coping with death by creating a pet cemetery (Brigitte Fossey, who plays the little girl, Paulette, went on to become a film star as an adult). “Black Orpheus” (1959) sets the mythological tale of Orpheus and Eurydice during carnival in Rio (the myth having to do with Orpheus descending into the underworld to bring back his dead lady love, Eurydice). I love this sexy, tragic movie and admire the academy for picking something so sensual in prudish 1959. Plus, some of the music is by Antonio Carlos Jobim. In fact, “Black Orpheus” generally gets credit for introducing samba and bossa nova to the world.
•Obits: Beastie Boy Adam Yauch, only 47; beautiful Brit actor Patricia Medina (the widow of Joseph Cotten), 92; George “Goober” Lindsey (or as Aunt Bee pronounced it, Goo-bah), 83; Jim McCrary, the photographer who took the cover shot on Carole King‘s “Tapestry” album, 72 (I was going to say the “iconic” cover shot, but I’m so sick of “icon” and “iconic,” I could puke).
•As usual, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction show (which was on HBO) had highs and lows, but the Laura Nyro tribute was poignant as, of course, was the one for the Beastie Boys. Axl Rose famously wasn’t there for the Guns N’ Roses induction, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Fleaand Anthony Kiedes stripped off their shirts to perform (although they left their socks on their feet). Another honoree was Donovan; I sort of forgot he was still with us (back in the day, I got him mixed up with Oliver and Cat Stevens).