The other day, I linked to a website that made a strong argument in favor of saving the life of Terri Schiavo. Here, we have a strong argument the other way. I don't know what to think except that this is turning into The Jerry Springer Show, and that's not where this kind of issue should be decided.
Last Evening at the Guild
So that's me receiving the award last evening from the Writers Guild's Animation Writers Caucus. The amazing Gary Owens presented it…and if you've never met Gary, you should know this about him: He is a wonderful role model because he is truly one of the nicest men on this planet and he just plain works all the time. Everyone likes him. What's more, everyone knows how good he is at announcing and voicing cartoons and playing straight man to Jonathan Winters. Then there's his most impressive skill which comes into play when he does commercials or promos and they give him this terrible, clumsily-written copy. He somehow always manages to infuse it with warmth and friendliness and humor. If they ever hired Gary to do ad spots for suicide, we'd all turn into lemmings, racing for the cliff. Because he'd make it sound like a fun thing.
Gary knows everyone and has worked with everyone. You mention Sinatra and he tells you ten Sinatra stories. You mention Brando and he's got Brando anecdotes. I've never mentioned Mother Teresa in his presence but I'm sure that if I did, he'd tell us how they had Mother Teresa (or "Moms," as everyone called her) on Laugh-In and how they doused her with water and dropped her down the trap door during "Sock-It-To-Me Time." There are people who tell you their tales and you can smell the overpowering aroma of Bandini emanating from them. But I know enough about Gary to know that they're all true. Even maybe the one about Moms.
Gary gave me a lovely introduction, I made a speech and then we all ate cookies and fruit. Oh, yeah — and they gave me the trophy, which doesn't really look as much like something an orthodontist would use to correct overbites as it seems in the picture. Actually, it's a cross between a soaring bird and a fountain pen, which I guess symbolizes how writers create things that take flight. Or it would if any of us used fountain pens. I write on a Pentium 4 computer but I guess there's no graceful way to morph one of those into an eagle.
A lot of my friends were there and Guild officials had some good news about recent efforts to have the WGA cover the writing of more animated cartoons. So all in all, it was a very nice evening and I thank everyone who voted me the thing but couldn't be present. I was thinking of saying, "If you want to see the trophy up close, click here," and then I'd have a link to a fake eBay page where I seemed to be auctioning it off. But I care a lot about the work the WGA is doing to clean up certain unfairnesses in the field and to see that cartoon authors have proper protection. So I won't kid around about this. Besides, I can sell those three Emmy awards that Variety gave me this morning.
Recommended Reading
Looks like I'm not going to win my bet about Donald Rumsfeld changing jobs this week. But as Fred Kaplan notes, someone's got a lot of explaining to do.
Happy Birthday, Nick Cardy!
Nick Cardy is one of the great comic book illustrators of all time. Has anyone ever drawn a handsomer hero than his Aquaman? A sexier heroine than his Wonder Girl? I think not. If you doubt me, you can see many examples of Nick's fine work over at his website.
Nick turned 83 a few days ago. I just called him to wish him at least 83 more, and we had a long, lovely chat because Nick loves to talk. (The first time I interviewed him on a convention panel, he was nervous before. He kept saying, "I can't speak in public…what am I going to say? You'll have to ask a lot of questions to get anything out of me." As I've learned, this is a sure sign that the person is going to start talking and, much to the audience's delight, not shut up. Went through this with Nick. Went through it with Will Elder. Went through it with Al Williamson. When they say that, I know they don't need me there.)
Anyway, Happy Eighty-Third to Nick Cardy, renderer of Aquaman, Teen Titans, Bat Lash, Congo Bill, Tomahawk and so many more. What a fine gentleman.
Recommended Reading
Michael Kinsley describes what seems like a great reason for his personal dislike of George W. Bush.
The Fox Cartoon News
Here's a story that was posted today in a weblog staffed by reporters for The Dallas Morning-News. The direct link to the story is here but since their site has a lot of link glitches, I'm going to post it in full. It's by a writer named Jim Frisinger…
Fox News loves lawyers all right. Cartoonist and The Simpsons godfather Matt Groenig tells this story on Terry Gross' Fresh Air today (and repeated tonignt on KERA at 7 p.m.) Seems The Simpsons did a Fox News parody, including use of the news crawl on the cartoon segment. Fox News threatened to sue. (Sounds like Al Franken all over again.) The Simpsons stood firm. Fox News backed down. Mr. Groenig figured Fox mobul Rupert Murdoch saw no percentage in the suit: Fox News suing a program appearing on the Fox Network. Hmmm. But if I heard the interview correctly, you won't see any new episodes with the Fox News crawl under Homer and Bart's antics: as a policy matter the network asked the cartoon to drop the concept because viewers might be confused that they're watching real news. I did not make this up.
And I don't think Matt did, either. I think Fox was just worried that viewers would realize that Homer Simpson had more credibility than Brit Hume. And seemed more lifelike.
(P.S. Yes, I know it's Matt Groening, not Groenig. But the reporter didn't.)
Recommended Reading
Ronald Brownstein on something that I think is necessary and inevitable in this country: Universal Health Coverage.
Startling Revelation
Today's Daily Variety has an article about this award I'm receiving from the Writers Guild tonight. It's in the subscription-only area of their website and I don't feel like quoting it here, but I was amazed to read the first sentence and discover an interesting fact about myself. In my stock bio which I furnished to the Guild, the next to last line includes the following phrase…
[Evanier] has received three Emmy nominations (no wins).
Can't get much clearer than that. Nevertheless, the story in Variety begins…
Three-time Emmy winner Mark Evanier has been tapped for the sixth annual animation writing award by the WGA West's Animation Writers Caucus. The kudo will be presented tonight by the caucus at its annual reception.
I know it was a harmless mistake but I just cringe at stuff like this. There are people in this world who claim honors they really didn't receive and I'd hate for anyone to think either that I'd won three Emmys or that I was like Bill O'Reilly, bragging about two fictitious Peabody Awards. Maybe it's not a big gaffe but as a recent recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, I'm somewhat embarrassed.
Another Pitch For Donations
Traffic at this site is way, way up to the point where I have been exceeding my allotted bandwidth and the hosting service has started to charge me more money. I am therefore making another of those shameless suggestions that you either send me some money via PayPal or place your Amazon purchases through one of my links.
(Special Bargain Hint: Amazon has a special Evanier two-fer in progress that will benefit those of you who haven't purchased my books, Comic Books And Other Necessities of Life and Wertham Was Right. Individually, they sell them for $12.95 and $11.66, which mean that to buy both would cost you $24.61. But on either page, there's a special offer which will get you both books for…$24.61, a savings of absolutely nothing. But it will at least feel like you're getting a bargain, and if you spend 39 cents for something else, the order will qualify for free shipping.)
Also, I haven't mentioned it here but we have one of those affiliate deals with Movies Unlimited, which has a huge selection of videotapes and DVDs, sometimes at better prices than you'll find at Amazon. If you click on the name here, it will take you to their site and then we'll get a tiny commission on whatever you order there.
By the way: Someone asked me about the privacy of these affiliate referral deals, and the answer is that I get a list of what folks order there but not the names of the buyers. For instance, my current report with Amazon tells me that in the last thirty days, users of this site have ordered ten copies of The Complete Far Side, nine copies of National Lampoon's 1964 High School Yearbook Parody, seven copies each of Stan Lee and the Rise and Fall of the American Comic Book and my pal Alan Brennert's novel Moloka'i, and a whole mess of Groo books and individual items, but I have no idea who bought what. I don't even know which of you bought this. And I don't want to know.
The Legacy of Rerun
People in show business love to tell certain kinds of stories that are true (or "sorta true") in order to explain how the field works. Fred "Rerun" Berry, who just died at age 52, starred in the TV show, What's Happening?, and in two separate series of show business stories. Some of the stories were about how his career started, the rest were about how it ended, and both kinds have served as valuable lessons to actors craving stardom in Hollywood. He was an oft-cited example of how every so often, you can get a starring role even though you're all wrong for the part.
When What's Happening? was first casting, the breakdowns described the character of Rerun as a skinny and slow white guy. The producers couldn't find that person but they saw Berry, who was an energetic, overweight black guy known primarily for his dancing, and they decided he had star potential. So they asked the musical question, "Well, why couldn't Rerun be a heavy-set black kid?" and then wrote that description and some breakdancing scenes into the script. This kind of course-correction only occurs about once out of every five thousand times an actor is considered for a part but it does happen, and agents and actors love when it happens because they want to believe that no job is ungettable; that if you're short, elderly and female, someone might still hire you to play Tarzan. Once, I observed in a class where a casting director was giving tips on how to audition. He told a roomful of wanna-be DeNiros, "Never think you're wrong for a role," and he related the Fred Berry story to suggest that if you don't fit the part, they'll change the part to fit you. Like I said, it does happen…just not very often.
The other kind of object lessons that have prominently featured Mr. Berry have to do with thinking you're a big star with infinite prospects when all you are is a flash-in-the-pan novelty. That's not as foolish as it may seem since there are flash-in-the-pan novelties that manage to stay around and make good money for many years. But again, we're talking about exceptions here…and this time, Fred Berry wasn't an exception. Whatever loot he made on the original What's Happening? went to bad investments and badder cocaine dealers. The way the story has been told — and I'm not saying I know this to be a fair assessment — he figured he was a superstar and that when his first series ended, there'd be another and another, plus movies and other gushers of cash. This did not happen.
There was very little demand for his services after the show went off in 1979. In fact, he didn't have another steady job in television until What's Happening? was revived in 1985. Though that version lasted a few years, Berry did not last with it. He felt he was underpaid and took to the pages of the tabloids to complain — and this was actually how he put it — that it was grossly unfair that he was almost 35 years old and not yet a millionaire. I'm not sure if he quit because they wouldn't make him one or if he was fired because he kept complaining but either way, there's a lesson there about actors who have an inflated idea of their own indispensability. Since then, when a kid on a series decides he's the new Travolta, someone will often take him aside and tell him the story of Fred "Rerun" Berry…and maybe he'll even listen.
There's probably more to these anecdotes than I've heard, but this is the way they're usually recounted. It's a shame Berry couldn't have received a residual payment every time one of them has been told. If so, he would have had that million dollars…and more.
Recommended Reading
William Saletan on misconceptions about so-called "partial birth abortions." And this article by a doctor who actually performs abortions makes some interesting points, as well.
Right to Die?
I believe that a person has a right to end his or her own life. I do not think it should be done frivolously or without safeguards or on a whim. But I do believe that if a human being's deteriorating medical condition reaches a certain stage of their own selection, they should be able to end the pain, the suffering, the drain on their loved ones, etc. You should be able to designate that if you reach that certain stage and cannot take your own life, it will be done for you. I think the infamous "Dr. Death," Jack Kevorkian, is a hero who should not be sitting in a prison cell. His style was a bit eccentric but his viewpoint is more compassionate and committed to human dignity than the ravings of those who insist that all lives must be preserved at all cost.
This is not a viewpoint I came to out of sheer theory. It evolved out of watching a beloved neighbor deteriorate in old age. Long past the time he might ever again utter a coherent word or be able to do anything for himself, he remained technically "alive" in a manner that was sheer torture to his wife of more than fifty years. Taking care of him became a 24/7 job that destroyed her health and bank account. I am sure that if he ever did have a moment of lucidity, he would have been horrified at the harm that his condition was inflicting on a spouse he loved and he'd have jumped out the window or something.
One often hears people, especially of the "religious right," insist that life is sacred; that no one but God has a right to end it and that humans must preserve it, no matter what. In theory, that sounds noble to me but I cannot reconcile the principle with what I witnessed in the lives of those neighbors. Prolonging that heartbeat meant nothing but pain and personal destruction.
I used to think that the worst possible thing in the world would be to wind up like that man…to live in pain and to destroy the lives of those you loved. I was wrong. After reading all about the Terri Schiavo case, I think the worst thing would be to wind up like her or my old neighbor and to become a political football. A lot of people who don't know the poor woman are suddenly weighing in on her situation and trying to resolve it in favor of whatever view they hold about euthanasia.
This website was set up by some members of her family, and it seems to make a strong case that her life should not be ended. As I said, a step like that should not be taken unless the person has indicated they wish it and a rational due process has verified that fact. If I formulate an opinion based on what's being reported in the press, it would seem that this was not the case, and that the officials who stopped her termination took the right step. Then again, I believe so little of what I see reported in the press, I don't feel qualified to assert that. I doubt that anyone is, apart from certain family members, doctors and parties who are intimately involved with the woman's situation. Everyone who is commenting from afar is just pushing their personal views on mercy-killing, for or against, with no real consideration of Terri Schiavo's needs.
So: I believe what I said in the first paragraph above and I have no opinion on whether or not it is proper in her case. But the main thing is that I think I'm going to insert a clause into my will. It will say that if I ever am so ill and infirm that my friends, loved ones and doctors are debating the ending of my life, they should make that determination, knowing that I would never want to be kept alive if there was no real chance I would ever again think and communicate and function and eat pizza. And if it reaches the stage that people on the Internet are joining in on the debate, they should pull the plug on me…immediately. Perhaps they could even hook my life support up to Google News and when the topic arrives there, it would send out a shutdown signal.
Falwell Outdoes Himself
Here it is, fresh from today's installment of Crossfire…
BEGALA: General Boykin said — and I'm quoting him here about our president — "Why is this man in the White House? The majority of Americans did not vote for him." He's right about that. "Why is he there? And I tell you this morning, he's in the White House because God put him there for a time such as this." Now, in case General Boykin is watching, and for our folks at home, let me show a couple of images here. First, this is God. God is depicted, actually, by Michelangelo in his masterpiece in ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. On the right side of your screen is William Rehnquist. He's the chief justice of the Supreme Court. He's the one who put George Bush in the White House, isn't he, Reverend Falwell? Not God.
FALWELL: Well, if — if you don't take the Bible seriously, what you and Hussein just said would be true. But the vast majority of believers worldwide, Christian, followers of Christ, believe that God rules in the affairs of men. And history would support that.
BEGALA: So God put President Clinton in office?
FALWELL: You worked for a long time for Bill Clinton. You worked for a long time for Bill Clinton.
BEGALA: So God put him there?
FALWELL: I think that we needed Bill Clinton, because we turned our backs on the lord and we needed a bad president to get our attention again to pray for a good president. That's what I believe.
If you want to read the whole transcript, you can find it here. But just that much I think constitutes the stupidest thing Jerry Falwell has ever said on TV. It's certainly in the Top Ten.
Recommended Reading
Penn Jillette explains about misdirection and how it may or may not apply to politics.
A New Personal Best
I just watched today's edition of Crossfire and heard Jerry Falwell say what may be the single stupidest thing he has ever said…and that's quite an achievement. As soon as CNN posts the transcript on its website, I'll quote it here.