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Sunday, July 28, 2013

Saturday In The Park

The summer is already in full swing, and by my last count, we still have plenty of summer days left on our calendar. There's still plenty of time to kick back with a nice cool beverage by the pool side, applying suntan lotion all over yourself (perhaps the nice coconut scented Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen with 60 SPF that I usually use on the hottest days of the year), and enjoy such summer activities like swimming, volleyball on the beach, barbecuing, and frisbee throwing...

...or, you could be like me and not have any vacation time until September and spend the entire summer working for a living.

But no...I'm not bitter about that. Much. I just have to keep telling myself that September is technically a month that is more summer than fall and that it will still be lovely weather the week I do go on vacation, and that I'll still manage to enjoy having some time off even though it's at the tail end of the summer months...

...yeah, I'm not convincing you, am I? I'm not even convincing MYSELF here!



Oh well...at least there's one thing that I can have going for me. I have downloaded onto my iPod what I believe to be some of the most quintessential songs necessary for anybody's summer soundtrack. And, for the rest of the summer, I plan on sharing some of these songs with all of you in this and every Sunday Jukebox until the official end of summer 2013, which this year will be on a Sunday (September 22).

I figure that if I do this, then at least I'll be able to partially enjoy some of the summer through music. And, hey, it may give all of you reading this some ideas of songs to play at your own summer celebrations.

So, let's get right into it with today's summer favourite.

First, I'll give you a little bit of a personal story in regards to this song. It happens to be a song that I heard a lot in my childhood. Back in the days of the 1980s, my mom would always have our local radio station turned on whether she was listening to it in the kitchen while she was baking cookies, or in the car radio driving all over town. The radio station at that time was an AM radio station (it switched over to FM radio in either the late 1990s or early 2000s), and as far back as I could remember, kids my age used to make fun of it.

Let's face it. AM radio had its place in history, but by the 1980s, it was becoming incredibly old-fashioned and inconvenient. The sound quality of AM radio was poor compared to the crisp, stereo sound of FM radio. You practically had to strain your ears to be able to listen to some songs. It just couldn't compare to the radio station that my peers and I preferred to listen to (which at the time was Ogdensburg's PAC 93).

And this brings me to my next point. The reason that my classmates and I tuned into PAC 93 during our formative years was because it was the one radio station that played music from the Top 40 charts. I don't even think that the radio station played anything that was recorded before 1979. It had the biggest hits, it had the coolest disc jockeys, it even had Casey Kasem on weekends!

Our local AM radio station seemed to only have twenty-five albums at its disposal. And more often than not, they played music that predated even myself. Lots of 1970s soft rock, 1980s adult contemporary and even some...shudder...disco. It was fine for people like my parents and elder siblings who grew up listening to that type of music, but as a nine year old kid, I was more content listening to MC Hammer, Vanilla Ice, R.E.M., Paula Abdul, Madonna, and Duran Duran.

(Quite the eclectic mix, huh?)

However, once in a while the local radio station would pull out a few gems from their limited record collection. Songs that I would actually like listening to. Granted, the sound quality was still terrible, but again, it was AM radio.

This particular song happens to be forty-one years old this month, and it was recorded by a band that has gone through some major changes in members and style over its forty-six year history.

Can you believe it? The band's been together forty-six years! The only band I know that has lasted longer is “The Rolling Stones”, and half the time, I find myself finding it hard to believe that Mick Jagger turned seventy years old two days ago!

Anyway, this particular song was recorded on America's 195th birthday – July 4, 1971. This band was set to record their latest album in New York City right around that time, and to pass the time in New York, one of the band members took a tour around Central Park, which at the time was filled with people celebrating America's birthday. And according to him, the park had it all. From buskers to steel drum players to singers to dancers, it inspired this man to jot down a few lyrics based on what he had seen. When he returned to the hotel where the rest of the band were staying, he talked the other members into putting the lyrics to music.

That song became the band's highest charting single at that time, and helped the band's album reach the top spot on the Billboard 200 album list.



So, given that Robert Lamm came up with the inspiration behind the song that peaked at #3 on the charts in the summer of 1972, it was only appropriate that Lamm be the lead vocalist for the following single.



ARTIST: Chicago
SONG: Saturday In The Park
ALBUM: Chicago V
DATE RELEASED: July 10, 1972
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS: #3



So, at the time that this single was released, the album “Chicago V” was actually the band's fourth studio album. Confused? Don't be. The live album that the band released in 1971 “Chicago at Carnegie Hall” could also be considered “Chicago IV”. You see, that was the thing with Chicago. Almost all of their albums had the same name...Chicago. The only way to tell which album was which was by the Roman numeral that followed afterward. In total, Chicago has released a total of thirty-four albums...

...or I guess that should be XXXIV albums.

Now, over those thirty-four albums, the line-up of Chicago changed more often than most people changed their underpants, so it could be very hard to determine which band member played on which album. Fortunately, I have the list of all seven band members who were a part of the Chicago V album, and by association, “Saturday In The Park”.



You already know that Robert Lamm sang the vocals and played keyboards on the single. Now meet the other members of the band during 1972. They were...

Terry Kath – guitar, vocals
Peter Cetera – bass, vocals
Lee Loughnane – trumpet, flugelhorn, percussion, vocals
James Pankow – trombone, percussion
Walter Parazaider – woodwinds, percussion
Danny Seraphine – drums, congas, antique bells

You know, that's quite an assortment of musical instruments and talent. And, speaking of talent, there's a couple of pieces of trivia that I want to share in regards to this song.

First, Peter Cetera's voice can be heard in the background of “Saturday In The Park”. And secondly, the real all-star of Chicago V was Robert Lamm. Not only did he provide lead vocals and write “Saturday In The Park”, but he wrote eight of the ten tracks listed on the Chicago V album!

To Chicago's credit, the whole Chicago V album was absolutely amazing. I think it's probably one of their most successful albums, and it happens to be one that has some of the band's best works. And, it was recorded at a time in which the band was gelling well together both professionally and personally. Who knew that just five and a half years after this single was released that Terry Kath would accidentally kill himself with a self-inflicted gunshot wound just days before he turned thirty-two?

Saturday In The Park” was, I think, one of the songs that helped showcase the band at its very best. And, how could you not be in a great mood after hearing this song? One of the reasons I loved listening to the song as a child was because it sounded so happy and carefree...the way that some of our most memorable summers should be. And, it was a very positive song with a very positive message which some might not get until the very last verse.

The first third of the song talks about a man walking through the park on what he thought was the fourth of July.

TRIVIA: It wasn't. The fourth of July fell on a Sunday in 1971, which was the day that Robert Lamm strolled through Central Park which inspired the song. However, the following Saturday was July 10...which was exactly one year before the single was released onto radio!

But the sights that he saw while he was waiting for Saturday to come were very pleasant. Who doesn't love the sounds of people talking and laughing? And who didn't love going up to the man selling ice cream, wanting to purchase a popsicle or a fudgsicle? It takes me back to the days in which my grandmother and grandfather were still alive and the ice cream wagon used to drive by their house. I don't know how much ice cream I bought from that man, but I estimate that I probably helped him put a down payment on a house.

Heh...just kidding.

TRIVIA: You know in the first verse where Robert Lamm sings about that man selling ice cream singing Italian songs? Well, in the actual lyrics for the song, that lyric is represented by a question mark! You see, the Italian lyrics were completely improvised on the spot. The first part of the Italian lyric is “Eh Cumpari”, and then a bunch of nonsensical Italian words following suit. I would imagine that if someone from Italy were hearing this song for the first time, they'd be a hundred shades of confused!

It's not until we get to hear the second and third verses that the bigger picture opens up.

The song itself is filled with fantastic images, and every time I hear this song I can picture all of it as if I were walking through the park and gazing at all the people having fun. I could picture the man singing in the park with his guitar with his desire to change the world through music. I could see everyone laughing in the park. I could see the people coming together to celebrate the love and the freedom and the happiness that they felt in that park on that fourth of July. And, it comes down to this rhetorical question.

Why can't every day be like that?

Why can't we all come together and celebrate love instead of tearing each other apart to feed the hate? Why can't we all just celebrate life and all the day-to-day joys that can come from simply living?

Well, according to Chicago, they've been waiting for a long time for that day. In fact, I think a lot of us have been waiting for a long time for a day in which we can all just let loose and have fun enjoying what life has to offer without worry or fear.


I think almost all of us are waiting for that day to come.

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Justin, Jay-Jay, and the Juvenile Dinkent

Okay, so for this week's edition of the Saturday Smorgasbord, I will be doing a feature on either a book series, a comic book, or a magazine. And, since it has been a while since I featured a children's book in this space, I thought that there would be no time like the present to feature a book that was specifically targeted for the preteen market.

The problem was that I had difficulty narrowing down my choices. You see, I read so many books as a kid that I have a difficult time keeping track of all the ones that I remembered reading. There were so many times in which I probably read the same book dozens and dozens of times and not even realized it. But I didn't care. If the story was decent and had a good plot with a little bit of humour mixed in, I would happily read and re-read it.

Such is the case of today's book spotlight. We're going back to the year 1986 for this children's book, as that was the year it was first published, however my first experience with this book dates back well over twenty years ago.

The year was 1990. Or, was it 1991? I can't remember now. But I do know that it was during the fourth grade, as Mrs. Moore was the teacher at the time. And, I was in fourth grade during the 1990/1991 school year.

Elementary school was a rather interesting time for me. There were some moments that I could have done without. The embarrassing gym class memories, the nasty kids who used to beat me up in the schoolyard, math class...yeah, all those things I could do without.

But one fond memory I have of Mrs. Moore's fourth grade class was the breaks that we would have in between learning. You see, Mrs. Moore was the type of teacher who liked to read us stories, and she always had great taste in books. And she read the books with so much energy and passion that it kept the class captivated the whole time, and we were looking forward to the next chapter.

Believe me, that was very important to me. My first grade teacher had a really bad habit of killing every story that came into her contact with her lacklustre delivery. She even made Dr. Seuss books sound about as appealing as getting a tooth removed at the dentist.

Getting back to the topic at hand, I was introduced to this book by Mrs. Moore. It was already in her collection of books, and she decided to read us this story in between math and humanities classes to break up the routine a little bit. From the very beginning of this book, my entire class was hooked on the story, and I personally found the book very entertaining. I found it so entertaining that when it was offered in the Scholastic Book Club one year, I ordered it, and read it so much that the cover actually fell off.

Here's a tip for all of you out there. If you're ever in a used book store, don't dismiss those books that have dog eared pages and battered covers. They were probably previously owned by someone who really loved the book. In fact, the majority of the books that I absolutely loved as a kid ended up in terrible condition after reading and re-reading them several hundred times.

So, what book could possibly be so good that I had to read it over and over again?

It was this one.



Justin, Jay-Jay, and the Juvenile Dinkent.

And, yes, there's a reason why I italicized the word “dinkent”. A couple, actually.

First, the word “dinkent” is supposed to be the word “delinquent”. The reason why author Paul Kropp chose this word was because it was how one of the main characters pronounced the word delinquent (the character being kindergarten or grade one aged).

And, secondly, it is that word that prompted a title change for this book in the mid-1990s, as some parents felt that the word “dinkent” was inappropriate for young children. Because as we all know, the “Helen Lovejoys” of the world know exactly what's best for young children.

Needless to say, the book can also be found under the less threatening title Fast Times With Fred. But, just for the sake of argument, we're going to use the original title. I find it more fun.

So, here's the story.

The setting is typical suburbia America, and in the middle of the neighbourhood, we have a typical middle-class family. There's a mother, a father, and their two children. There's Justin, a kindergarten/grade one aged kid (I used to know what their ages were, but it's been a while since I last read the book), who is about as optimistic as they come. He finds joy in anything and everything, is very adventurous, and always says what is on his mind...regardless of whether the word is pronounced correctly or not. And, there's Jason, who is approximately five years older than Justin, and is a lot more “mature” than Justin. He saves his money, does his chores, and always talks down to people who he thinks don't measure up to him on a level of intelligence.

Truth be told, Jason kind of annoyed me in the book.

One last thing I should note. Jason is referred to in the book as Jay-Jay, as Justin can't say the word Jason yet.

The book begins with Justin and Jason's parents struggling to find a regular babysitter for the two boys. Despite Jason's assertions that he is old enough to look after Justin and make sure that he doesn't end up dead by the end of the night, his parents won't have any of that. The problem is that the father's idea of who they should hire doesn't exactly sit well with the mother. The father teaches at a high school where one of his students is a sixteen-year-old boy named Fred, who has gotten involved with the wrong crowd, and has gotten into trouble. Justin and Jason's father thinks that by giving Fred a chance to look after the boys, it may give him some much needed responsibility and maturity needed to get out of trouble and stay out of trouble.

Despite the mom's objections, Fred becomes the babysitter of Justin and Jason for a trial period. And, after taking one look at Fred with his oversized clothing, gawky appearance, and unkempt style, Jason was appalled, Justin was thrilled, and Jason and Justin's mother wanted to run upstairs and lock the door, fearing that Fred was going to come and rob the place.

Nevertheless, Justin and Jason's father is still willing to give Fred a chance, so the adventures of Justin, Jay-Jay, and the Juvenile “Dinkent” begin.

And, boy oh boy, do Justin and Jason get thrown into Fred's world in a big way.



It all starts with Fred's truck, which Justin happily points out “smells like poo”. Apparently Fred holds down a job of transporting manure in the back of his truck, which has seeped out of the bags and onto the truck's cab. Justin didn't care too much, but Jason looked like he wanted to be sick.



Then Justin gets hungry and wants to have french fries from McDonald's and a Ronald McDonald vacuum cleaner thrown in for good measure. Fred is totally against going to McDonald's, claiming that Ronald McDonald is demented, but Justin didn't care how “dented” Ronald McDonald was. He wanted food. Jason meanwhile was very frustrated, as he had to finance the trip to McDonald's. Of course, that trip to McDonald's ended up being a disaster as an old face from Fred's past comes back to haunt him, and Fred, Justin, and Jason are forced to flee the fast food joint in fear...AFTER Jason already paid for the meal.

Their second attempt to grab a bite to eat didn't end much better, with Fred pretending to pass out at the restaurant in an effort to avoid paying for the meal (hmmm...maybe Mother was right about Fred after all).

Finally, Fred decided to take Justin and Jason to his house, where Fred promised to put his culinary skills to good use by making them homemade french fries and onion rings. And, it's here that we learn just how bad a hand Fred was dealt. He lives in a house that appeared as if a gentle breeze could knock it down, and Fred talked about having to live with his older brother, who really didn't have much love for him. The scenes at Fred's house certainly made Jason learn a little more compassion, and he actually began to understand why Fred was the way he was, and he started to treat Fred with a little more respect – in spite of the fact that “Fred's Fries” tasted like onions, and Fred's hatred of the Brady Bunch.

However, an incident happens to Fred that causes him to re-evaluate everything he ever believed about himself. It involves a razor, Fred's eyebrows, and the mysterious man from Fred's past that Fred was terrified of at McDonald's. And, by the end of the book, there's one final confrontation between Fred and this man...and poor Justin and Jason happen to bear witness to the whole thing.

But don't worry...the ending of the book is quite satisfying. Fred realizes that he can't live the way he is living anymore, and makes changes to help him get out of the hole that he initially dug himself into. But I think that Justin and Jason learned a little bit about themselves just based on spending so much time with Fred.

At any rate, it's a great story that I recommend to people. It's got a great message, some humour, and really showcases the changes that the characters all go through. And, considering that there were two additional books created that feature Justin, Jay-Jay, and the Juvenile “Dinkent”, I would say that Fred ended up doing quite well for himself.


(Well, I can only make that assumption, since I haven't read the sequel books.)

Friday, July 26, 2013

The 10 Most Forgotten Reality Shows of All Time

Now, I know what you're thinking. Television in the year 2013 is a cesspool. All there is to watch is cheaply produced reality television programs cast with some of the most vapid, obnoxious, fame-hungry people on the entire planet.

And, well...in many cases, you would be right.

From the granddaddy of reality television shows like “Survivor”, “Big Brother” and “The Bachelor” to newer offerings such as “The Winner”, “Whodunnit” and “The American Baking Competition”, reality television seems to be here to stay for the foreseeable future.

Whether we want it or not.

But that's fine with me. I happen to be a fan of reality based television for several reasons. One, it happens to be a fun distraction by watching what other people's definition of what “reality” is. Two, it makes me feel a little bit more secure in my own life watching some of the train-wrecks that are cast in these types of shows. And thirdly, I have to admit that some of the reality shows that I watch, I actually want to be a contestant on!

I know for sure that I will never be the next American Idol (mainly because I am Canadian). But I bet I could kick butt on Big Brother. I don't think I could stomach being “The Bachelor”, but I wouldn't mind going all over the world in “The Amazing Race”. And, I know that I will never be considered “America's Next Top Model” (nor would I WANT to). But if they ever had a reality show where people competed to be the best writer, I think I could really give the other contestants a run for their money.

Now some of these shows are absolute trash, and I would never want to be seen watching them (“Jersey Shore”, for example), but there are others that I have watched since the very beginning.

And, some reality shows tend to last a lot longer than others due to the producers always trying new things to spice them up (though some changes don't sit well with viewers). It's why “Big Brother” is currently airing its fifteenth season, “Hell's Kitchen” just concluded their eleventh, “Survivor” is about to kick off their twenty-seventh year on the air, and “America's Next Top Model” is set to air season...

...ahem...cycle 20.

But what about those reality shows that only lasted a season or two? Do you remember those at all?

Well, that's what this entry is all about. Today we're going to be looking at the forgotten reality shows of the last two decades. In 1992, a television show called “The Real World” began airing on MTV, which featured a group of young Americans living together in a house. There were no cash prizes, no battles for control, and no fighting to survive on a deserted island. It was just about people struggling to fit into a world that they didn't necessarily always understand. For whatever reason, the show became one of MTV's highest rated programs, and I think the success of the show kicked off the reality television movement.

And, as I stated before, many shows have survived and thrived. And, then there's this collection of ten shows, which you will see below. Some of them were ones that I really liked and enjoyed, and hoped that they would bring them back on the air one day. Others were shows that I was surprised even lasted the entire season. And, in the case of one program, it was so terrible that they ended up cancelling the show after just two episodes!

So, let's get this look back on the most forgotten reality shows of all time.



1 – MURDER IN SMALL TOWN X (FOX)
July 24, 2001 – September 4, 2001

Twelve years ago, I was absolutely glued to my television set watching this reality series unfold on FOX. It was as if you were watching a miniseries where you were trying to figure out who a serial killer was...only it was a reality show.

I'll give FOX a lot of credit. They went all out for this television series, which was set in the fictional community of Sunrise, Maine (actually known as Eastport, Maine). Ten people arrived at the fishing town to solve the murder of an entire family – The Flints. But as the show progressed, more and more people were murdered, and the investigators were eliminated one by one by playing the “killer's game” by being killed off until only two remained.

(Just so you know, nobody actually ended up dying during the game. In fact, one of the investigators that was eliminated later became a contestant on “The Apprentice” four years later.)

It was a brilliant storyline, capped off by the fact that all the key suspects in the game were hired actors and actresses who stayed in character 24 hours a day, seven days a week until the mystery was over.



Unfortunately, the show only lasted one season. And, sadly, the winner of the game, firefighter Angel Juarbe, Jr. was killed on September 11, 2001 in an attempt to rescue people from the World Trade Center in New York. His death occurred just one week after the show's finale aired, making it even more of a tragedy.



2 – THE APPRENTICE: MARTHA STEWART (NBC)
September 21, 2005 – December 21, 2005

Okay, so most of you have likely heard of the Donald Trump version, which has aired both civilian and celebrity versions since 2004. Well, Martha Stewart decided to give the franchise a whirl by hosting her own version of the show, which saw sixteen people competing against each other in the chance to become Martha's next apprentice.

The show was exciting and new, as we saw such breathtaking tasks as writing a children's book, or designing a new flavour of salad dressing. And, when teams won, we got to see them enjoy such fancy and elaborate outings with Martha Stewart such as touring one of Martha's homes, or playing Scrabble with Martha.

Oh, who am I kidding? The show was a disaster from the very beginning! The only things that were redeeming about the show was that we had a character that we loved to hate on the show (Jim), and that it was the show that introduced us to Bethenny Frankel...which depending on who you talk to may or may not be a good thing.



3 – WHO WANTS TO MARRY A MULTI-MILLIONAIRE? (FOX)
February 25, 2000

I suppose that the best thing about this show was that it only lasted one episode. It was a two-hour television event (predating Survivor by three months) which saw fifty women competing against each other to marry a man who they did not know. And, the women didn't know who he was either. All they had to go on was a silhouette. By the end of the episode, registered nurse Darva Conger was selected to marry Rick Rockwell, got married on the show, and they lived happily ever after...

...for all of a few days.

With the “multi-millionaire” status of Rick Rockwell in question, we later learned that Rick Rockwell was actually Richard Balkey, a man whose net worth was only two million dollars, and who had a restraining order against him by a former girlfriend. And that was enough for Darva Conger to want a divorce. It was a disaster of a show from the beginning, and an even bigger PR disaster for the parties involved.



4 – WICKEDLY PERFECT (CBS)
January 2005 – March 2005

Okay, so Wickedly Perfect was a show that was hosted by former Good Morning America host Joan Lunden, and it was kind of similar in format to Martha Stewart's Apprentice. Contestants competed against each other in a variety of creative tasks to become the next Martha Stewart, complete with prizes that would help them achieve that goal.

Well, the winner of that show was Kimberly Kennedy. But how many of you actually knew that? Since the show wrapped in 2005, I haven't seen her name appearing on magazines, or have seen her on television shows, or anything. It was a nice idea for a show, and should have been more well-received...but the snoozefest that ultimately was associated with this show was anything but...well...wickedly perfect.



5 – MR. PERSONALITY (FOX)
April 2003 – May 2003

I am one who believes that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I am not one who would fall in love with someone based on how they look. For me, personality is everything. So, a show that has a woman who is looking for her one true love in a room where all the men's faces are covered should sound like a good idea in theory, right?

Problem #1 – The program was hosted by Monica Lewinsky.
Problem #2 – The men on the show had really ugly personalities.
Problem #3 – By the end of the show, we didn't care if the woman did find love.

Recipe for disaster...but not as bad as...



6 – CUPID (CBS)
July 2003 – September 2003

Everyone knows of the impact that Simon Cowell has had in the music industry. He was the “Mean Judge” of American Idol for nearly ten years, and he currently is working as a judge on “Britain's Got Talent”.

Unfortunately, his efforts to create a dating show fell apart. The show was about a 25-year-old woman named Lisa, who was looking for love. She was also attached to a million dollar dowry, which proved to be problematic. Guys auditioned to get into Lisa's dowry...ah, erm...heart, and it became really clear who was there for love, and who was there for money. Luckily, Lisa had her two friends Kimberly and Laura there to weed out the good from the bad.

It's just too bad that Laura was an attack dog, who was incredibly snobbish and rude to all the men who were there. And, it's too bad that America had the control over who they wanted to see on the show (which explains why the worst guy of the bunch ended up in the final two). And, it's a shame that as the show progressed, we got to see that Lisa was just becoming frustrated by the whole experience, and showed off a bratty side that wasn't very becoming at all. It was a terrible idea for a show, and by the end, we just didn't care about Lisa OR her million dollar dowry.



7 – KID NATION (CBS)
September 19, 2007 – December 12, 2007

If you were into watching kids between the ages of eight and sixteen slaving away doing hard labour, getting into fights over brutal working and living conditions, and watching kids try to start up a society, then this is the show for you. Forty kids from all over the United States were brought into an abandoned town to learn all about civics and city planning while starting up their own town. Some children were awarded stars for their hard work and performances, which were worth lots of money for their college tuitions.

The show was associated with a lot of controversy, and many people felt that the show was exploiting children. But, I'll also be the first to admit that I watched the whole show, and I didn't find it as bad as I should have. The kids were working hard, but many of them treated the whole experience as a game, and had fun. You could definitely see that. And, if at the end of it all, I think that they had a life-changing experience that will change the way that they see the world. At least, one can hope.

And, here's a scary thing to consider. The oldest kids on this series would be in college now!



8 – TRUE BEAUTY (ABC)
January 5, 2009 – July 19, 2010

The show only lasted two seasons, but I happened to like the premise a lot. The show was cast with the most beautiful looking people in the world (and they will tell you that themselves too), and they were brought to a nice mansion competing in photo shoots that would help the judges determine who would win a modeling contest.

There was just one catch. The contest measured their inner beauty.

Hidden cameras caught the contestants being put in various moral and ethical dilemmas, and the person who passed most of the tests would win the honour of being a true beauty. These tasks could include helping someone find a lost ring, treating people with respect on photo shoots, even something as ridiculously simple as holding a door open for another person. It was a great social experiment show, and I'm sorry to see it not air anymore.

9 – GREATEST AMERICAN DOG (CBS)
July 10, 2008 – September 10, 2008

Okay, so the series in itself was predictable, and unless you were a dog lover, you didn't really get the hype. But this one series run of the show did have two things that were going for it. We got to see just how wonderful the love is between a dog and his/her master, and the winners of the competition (Travis and his dog Presley) were definitely the most deserving of the group to win it all.



And secondly, we got to see this dogfight between two judges...which I will happily show on this blog because I couldn't stand either one!



10 – THE WILL (CBS)
January 8, 2005 – January 8, 2005

No, I haven't made a typo. This show only did last one episode. When I describe what the show is all about, you'll understand why.

The show was created by Mike Fleiss of “Bachelor” fame, and the show featured Bill Long, a multi-millionaire from Arizona.

Turns out that Bill is updating his will, and he wants to decide who he should leave his entire fortune to. So, he does what almost everyone else in the world would NEVER do. Pit ten of his relatives and friends against each other to compete in a series of degrading tasks to win the whole shebang when Bill eventually passes on.

I mean...WHAT?

The fact that having a reality show competition to divvy up your possessions after you die is tacky enough. But to pit the people you supposedly love more than anything in the world against each other to win those possessions? I don't know whether I should be disgusted with Bill for suggesting such a ridiculous thing or feel sorry for him in knowing that his relatives are such gold-digging creeps.

You know, on second thought, I feel disgust. Many of the “relatives” competing in
The Will were the relatives of his wife Penny, who is the classic characterization of the phrase “gold-digging bimbo”. And, in the end, Penny was the one who WON the competition...beating out Bill's own SON!!! And, you thought your Thanksgiving dinners were hell!

The show was cancelled on CBS after one episode, and later aired in full on FOX Reality Channel. But seriously, the fact that a show like that even existed in the first place makes me want to go over to his ranch and knock it down so that nobody could have it! Easily the worst reality series of all time.


Thursday, July 25, 2013

Going Cold Turkey - Facebook Gamers...DIVIDE!

This week's Thursday Diary entry is going to be one that may appear to be on the most superficial topics that I could ever think of...but when you begin to read on, it will begin to make some sense. It's a blog entry that is one-third frustration, one-third disappointment, and one-third realization.

Confused? Don't be. It's all explained on the inside.

July 25, 2013

As far back as I can remember, I have always been attracted to electronic games.

I still have memories of being sick with the flu when I was a little boy, and passing the time by playing on my sister's retro Merlin toy from the late 1970s. Although the only thing that it really ever did was play music and tic-tac-toe, it was still a toy that I loved...well, until the batteries finally died out and the mechanisms that controlled the Merlin finally broke down for good.

But I think playing that Merlin kind of fueled my love for electronic games. And, I'm sorry to say that in a lot of cases, my love for electronic games went out of control when I was a teenager.

Let's face it. When you combine a love for video games with a rather introverted personality – which I admittedly have – they can take over all of your free time.

It wasn't uncommon for me to sit down in front of my Super Nintendo and play Super Mario World straight through for a few hours, trying to find all ninety-six secrets scattered throughout the game. It wasn't uncommon for me to don my pretend swords and armor to slay dozens of soldiers, monsters, and magical beasts in the Final Fantasy series. And, don't even get me started on how many hours I wasted playing Chrono Trigger. Needless to say, I don't even want to think of how many hours I wasted playing video games because I would likely drop dead of shock.

But, such was the life of an introverted teen, I suppose.

The funny thing is that when I was maturing from my teenage years and into my twenties, I kind of lost interest in gaming for a while. Mind you, I do currently own a Nintendo 3DS and have several games for it, but I only play it once or twice a week as opposed to three or four hours per day. Part of the reason for that is my job. Working full-time hours certainly doesn't leave a whole lot of time to play video games, and I find that on days in which I do work an eight hour shift, I am just too tired to concentrate on a video game.

But lately I have found that my obsession towards video games has taken on a new development, and lately I find that I am now wasting time playing games that are not only less sophisticated than a Nintendo game, but also more mindless.

And I'm sure that any of you who are a member of a social media site know exactly what I am talking about.

Social media games.

When I first began venturing onto social media sites six years ago, I saw quite a few people playing video games on places like Facebook and Twitter. Back in 2007, there were very limited options available. I think some of the earliest Facebook games that I can remember seeing around the time I joined were Farmville, Mafia Wars, and Parking Wars. And while I admit to playing at least two of these games, I tended to lose interest rather quickly.

Over the next few years, other games have come and gone, and sometimes I got into them and sometimes I didn't. I admit to playing the CSI game for a couple of months, but lost interest after I got fed up with waiting so long to proceed in the game. I played another game that was fun for all of two minutes, but kept getting at least 150 game requests from my “friends” as a result of trying that game out for all of two minutes.

Which prompted me to seek out a Facebook game which allowed you to kick your friends across a field so I could get “revenge” against those who kept sending me game requests which were unsolicited!

But other than that, I took pride in telling myself that I could break the habit of getting suckered into Facebook games and that I wasn't nearly as much of an addict as I initially believed.

Well, that was until 2012, in which I started playing two more Facebook games...and bought into the hype – hook, line, and sinker.



Fortunately, I just recently kicked the habit regarding one Facebook game. For six months, I played the game “Criminal Case” daily. And, I'm kind of ashamed to admit that, because I can't believe that I played any Facebook game for that long. But, I guess in order for us to break a habit, we have to be the one to admit that we have a problem.

My name is Matthew, and I am a recovering “Criminal Case” addict.

I couldn't help it at first. I love a good murder mystery. It's why I actively seek out video games that feature one, and why the Ace Attorney video game series for the Nintendo DS was so much fun. When I discovered that “Criminal Case” had crimes that one could solve each day (with new cases being added every week), I figured that I could have a lot of fun with it.

And it was fun the first few months.



The way “Criminal Case” worked was like a hidden object game. You would look for clues inside of a scene, and then you would take those clues and examine them for information on who killed the victim. You could dust for prints, examine hair and skin fragments, and interview suspects to get closer to the truth. The real kicker was that you had to play crime scenes in order to earn enough stars to conduct your investigation. That could take time. And, each time you played a crime scene, you depleted your “energy”, which could take forever to fill up.

In fact, I think that's where I kind of lost interest in “Criminal Case”. The early cases were such that you could speed through them in a day or two. But as you played through the game, the cases got longer, more complex, and took up way too much time to get through them. And, on the last case that I solved, realizing that it took me a whole week to play through one case, it got to the point where it was not worth the wait anymore.

But that was just one reason why I gave up “Criminal Case” cold turkey.

Another reason why I gave up playing the game was because I wasn't finding it as much fun anymore. And that was partially due to the fact that I was getting bored with it. After all, every case was exactly the same and was exactly the same format. I lost interest in the gameplay a lot later than I thought I would, but eventually that day came last week, and I haven't looked back.



But the main factor behind why I lost interest in the game was the sheer amount of people who were on my friends list solely to get the freebies that one could earn while playing the game. Not that I really have an issue with helping people out in their games.

What I did have an issue with was when people would take the freebies that I had posted onto my wall and posted them on the walls of other Facebook friends on their lists so that they could get in on the deals WITHOUT asking my permission. Nor do I appreciate having those friends randomly adding me onto their friends list just so they could get free stuff for their own “Criminal Case” games. And, to most of my friends credit, a lot of them were very respectful in that regard. Unfortunately, there were a couple who took advantage of that in a big way, and that was enough for me to say that I had enough. When I start getting friend requests from people I don't even know, and when people start hijacking my posts on my wall because a friend on my wall lead them to it, I don't know...it just rubs me the wrong way.

I mean, I know that in the grand scheme of things, I'm complaining about a computer game. And, yes, there are way more important things to vent about. But as I have mentioned before in this blog, I take friendship quite seriously. Perhaps I take it even more seriously than other people have done. But that's the way I am and have always been, and I don't know if I can or even want to change that about myself. I don't really like having to deal with people in day-to-day life who use me, or who are only nice to me when they want something from me...and then once I give it to them, they go right back to ignoring me, or making fun of me. I've had to deal with that too much in my real life, and I decided that I didn't want to deal with that in a computer game either.

So, I dropped “Criminal Case” from my life. And, I think it was a wise decision, because not only do I free myself from a time-wasting game (which allows me more time to spend on my first love – writing), but I also freed myself of the people who were only on the game just for what I could give them. And, needless to say, the ones who were most guilty of this are no longer considered friends.

But you know, that's why I enjoy doing a Thursday Diary so much. I can write about what is bothering me, and once I do, I feel much better for it. Mind you, the tradeoff is that most of you reading this probably consider me a computer nerd who got “pwned” by gamers who were more hard core than I...but if that's the worst thing that is said about me, I can deal. I have a thick skin after all.



Now...if I can only break my addiction to “Candy Crush”...

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Kissyfur - By Request

This week's All-Request Wednesday is going to go a little bit differently, because rather than it being a request that someone sent me, it is actually a request that I offered someone. Because they had a birthday coming up soon (and not to reveal their age, but it happens to be one of those milestone birthdays that everyone fears, but are usually not as bad as people think they are), I offered to give them the request for that week as a little bit of a gift. So, Sharyn D. of New York, this one's for you!

But before I get to Sharyn's request for this week, I thought that I would add a little bit of a change to the All-Request Wednesday. Don't worry though, it isn't a major change. In fact, it's a change that I think will benefit all of you reading this right now, and will make the All-Request Wednesday more fun.

You know how back in the days of American Top 40 when Casey Kasem used to host the program? Sigh...I miss those days.

Anyway, whenever Casey Kasem's show would come on the air each weekend, he would break into the countdown at least twice to read off a request and dedication. Occasionally what would happen is that a person would make a request either in memory of someone who passed away, or to send a loving message to someone that they care a lot about. So, I thought to myself...why don't I try that here?

Let's be clear. You can still send me requests of whatever topics you want me to talk about in this space every week. But now I'm going to accept dedications as well. So, if you have a friend or family member who loves a specific pop culture reference, feel free to send me a note along with the topic that they would most like to see, and they will have their names in print on this very blog. I'll say yes to almost any topic.

So, today's topic is all about a television cartoon series that had a rather sporadic schedule to say the least. It was a show that ran for a total of five years, yet only had two and a half seasons.

Confused? I'll break it down for you.

The show technically began in late 1985 as a prime-time television special on NBC. Created by Jean Chalopin and Andy Heyward of DiC Entertainment, a total of four television specials were released between December 1985 and September 1986 – all four television specials earning good reviews. It was enough for NBC to consider adding the program to their Saturday Morning cartoon line-up in the fall of 1986, where it aired on and off for four years until August 1990.

Now, here's the thing about this show. I don't remember even watching one episode of it, which surprises even me as I used to be glued to the television every Saturday morning and would surely remember every single cartoon that aired on the big three networks (which was essentially all that we had to choose from in my very early childhood). But I never did get to see this program.

Of course, I think one of the reasons why I missed out on the show was because our NBC affiliate would air the program at an insanely early time. NBC started off their Saturday Morning programming the earliest of all three networks, and I'm pretty sure that I was still sleeping when the program aired.

So I ended up doing a marathon viewing session of whatever episodes of the show that I could find online, and I think I have enough information to work with to do a decent blog entry on...



...”Kissyfur”!



Okay, so here's the background behind Kissyfur. The show begins as we are introduced to circus bear Gus and his young son named Kissyfur. They joined the circus in order to perform and entertain boys and girls all over the world. As a result of their commitment to the circus, Gus and Kissyfur learned quite a lot about the human world and how they do things. And that knowledge helped both of them learn about how to adapt when an accident happened.

While Gus and Kissyfur were on a train bound for another circus show, the train ended up derailing, and Gus and Kissyfur manage to escape. They both find themselves in a swampland known as Paddlecab County, and are quickly integrated into the community.

And just what sorts of creatures make up the world of Paddlecab County?



Well, for Kissyfur, he ends up befriending a group of swampland creatures, almost all of whom treat Kissyfur with kindness and respect. Beehunnie, for instance, is a little white bunny who secretly has a crush on Kissyfur, but would be absolutely mortified if the word ever got out. She is the only female of the group, and often the only one who seems to be the voice of reason.

There's Stuckey, a purple porcupine who sort of has an Eeyore personality in that he appears very gloomy and quiet. Still, he is a loyal friend to Kissyfur despite his contrary personality.

Toot is a beaver who is the youngest in the group, and who looks up to Kissyfur in almost the same way that a boy would look up to his big brother. Duane is a pig who ironically enough absolutely hates to get dirty. In fact, some may say that he is a little bit obsessive compulsive over keeping his living space clean. Hoarder, Duane is not.

Really, the only member of Kissyfur's circle of friends who acts like more of a frenemy is Lenny, a child warthog who seems to gain great pleasure in calling Kissyfur “Kissyface”. He also has a bit of superiority complex of sorts, getting off on bossing everybody else around. He talks a good talk of bravado, but in reality, he's a bit of a scaredy-cat. Still, there must be some sort of hidden goodness inside of him if Kissyfur and his friends keep him around.



Mind you, the adult population of the swamp is just as...shall we say...unique as their offspring. And, if you wonder where Lenny's personality comes from, one needs look no further than Lenny's father Charles, who claims to know all the answers, but really doesn't have a clue.

Other notable adults in the series include Miss Emmie Lou, the schoolteacher with a heart of gold and warm feelings towards Gus, Uncle Shelby, the wisest turtle in the whole swamp, a pair of chickens known as the Cackle Sisters, Ralph, a packrat who can't help himself to the belongings of the other people in the swamp, and Howie, a mocking bird who can mimic almost anybody in Paddlecab County.

So, that is the motley crew of forest creatures that make up the area known as Paddlecab County. And, Gus and Kissyfur prove to be a great addition to the community as Gus has used his skills that he learned while in the circus to create his own business by building a boat and offering tours to the residents of Paddlecab County. It was a service that most of the forest creatures took advantage of, not only to see places in the swamp that they never visited before, but to assist them in transporting themselves and their wares to other locations, expanding their services.

Of course, every cartoon has to have at least one antagonist, and in the case of “Kissyfur”, these baddies come in the form of a pair of alligators, Floyd and Jolene.



They have no desire in helping the community. They have no compassion for any of the critters living in the swamp. But they do want to have them for dinner someday.

No, seriously...their main goal in life was to have a Thanksgiving dinner feast...with Kissyfur and his friends as the main course!

Fortunately for the creatures of Paddlecab County, the alligators were never very good at their jobs. Floyd in particular was especially inept at his job, as his plans to capture the other animals always went wrong...usually because of his own mistakes. And this caused Jolene to take out her frustrations on Floyd which distracted both of them from achieving their goal.

Ever.

Because let's face it. Had the alligators succeeded in turning Kissyfur into an entree, there would be no show.

So, that's really all of the information that I could scrounge up on Kissyfur. I had a hard time finding stuff to talk about with this topic as there wasn't a whole lot of places to gather my research. But if you click HERE, you can watch a few clips of the television series. And please give the show a real shot because after watching the few clips that I did in preparation for this entry, I learned that this show taught you a lot about life.

I learned that no matter where you were in the world, you could use your previous skills to start anew again, such as Gus did.

I learned that there was a way that you could have friendships with different groups of people of different backgrounds and still feel like part of a family.


And, most importantly, I learned that there was a really decent show that was on Saturday mornings that I really wish that I had gotten the chance to watch when I was growing up. I think that the lessons that the show taught were presented in a way that didn't talk down to children, and I think that the friendships and bonds that the characters had with each other on Kissyfur were what we should all strive for. I can understand why Sharyn really enjoyed this show, and I am glad that she suggested this show for the topic for today, not only to open up my eyes to the wonderful world of Paddlecab County, but so I can share that world with all of you!

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

July 23, 1984

First things first. I would like to take the time to congratulate both Prince William and Princess Kate on the arrival of their new baby boy on July 22, 2013. While I will admit that I have not really kept up with the House of Windsor since the death of Princess Diana sixteen years ago, I am happy that the baby arrived healthy and happy, and I am sure that it is a very happy day for everyone in not just the royal family, but for the entire United Kingdom as well. Again, congratulations to William and Kate.

And now, on with today's entry.

The Tuesday Timeline is firmly set on July 23...but which year will be our destination for today? Well, we're about to find out in just a couple of minutes.

The only thing I can say is that sometimes people have to hit rock bottom in order to become a respected figure in the world. And in the case of today's blog subject, I think she has done exactly that.

But first, let's take a look at some of the other happenings that took place on July 23 over the years. July 23 happens to be a year in which a few famous faces were born, and if your birthday happens to be today, you're sharing it with the following people; M.H. Abrams, Vera Rubin, Ronny Cox, Don Imus, David Essex, Ian Thomas, Blair Thornton, Edie McClurg, Michael McConnohie, Woody Harrelson, Eriq LaSalle, Slash, Samantha Beckinsale, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Stephanie Seymour, Charisma Carpenter, Alison Krauss, Marlon Wayans, Monica Lewinsky, Kathryn Hahn, Michelle Williams (Destiny's Child), Bec Hewitt, and Daniel Radcliffe.

Okay, so maybe two of those names are more infamous than famous. They're still worth mentioning.

And, here are some of the major news stories for the 23rd of July.

1829 – William Austin Burt patents the typographer, a precursor to the typewriter

1840 – The Province of Canada is created by the Act of Union

1881 – The Boundary Treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina is signed in Buenos Aires

1903 – The Ford Motor Company sells its first car

1914 – Austria-Hungary issues an ultimatum to Serbia demanding Serbia allow the Austrians to determine who was behind the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

1926 – Fox Film buys the patents of the Movietone sound system, designed to record sound onto film

1942 – The Holocaust: Treblinka extermination camp is opened

1950 – The Gene Autry Show debuts on CBS

1955 – Singer Chuck Berry releases the single “Maybelline”

1962 – Telstar relays the first publicly transmitted, live trans-Atlantic television program, featuring Walter Cronkite

1967 - 12th Street Riot takes place in Detroit, Michigan, which will lead to 43 deaths, 342 injured people, and over 1,400 buildings burned to the ground

1982 – Actor Vic Morrow and two children are killed on the set of “Twilight Zone: The Movie” after a stunt helicopter crashed on top of them

1986 – Prince Andrew marries Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey, becoming the Duke and Duchess of York

1995 – Comet Hale-Bopp is discovered

2012 – Astronaut Sally Ride succumbs to cancer at the age of 61

So, as you can see, a lot happened in the world on July 23. But what date will we be looking at today?



How about we go back in time almost thirty years? The date? July 23, 1984.

And, you know something? In the two years that I've done this blog, I don't believe the Tuesday Timeline has ever done a spotlight on the year 1984. And, that's surprising to me because 1984 was a rather big year in the world.

It was the year that Los Angeles hosted the Olympic Games. It was the year that Michael Jackson's “Thriller”, Cyndi Lauper's “She's So Unusual”, and Tina Turner's “Private Dancer” were played on the radio. It was the year that “Three's Company” ended and “Murder...She Wrote” began. And, it was the year that we had TWO Miss Americas!

No kidding. We really did have two. And the reason why we had two was because of a scandal that erupted within the beauty pageant...one which ended on July 23, 1984 when the woman at the center of the controversy had no choice but to relinquish her crown a few months into her reign to first runner-up Suzette Charles.



It was undoubtedly a low point for the former winner of the 1984 Miss America pageant, Vanessa Lynn Williams. But, if you think that she hid in a corner and cried about it...well, think again. But, let's talk about what happened that caused Vanessa Williams to give up the title of Miss America, as well as how she ended up winning the title in the first place.

Vanessa Lynn Williams (not to be confused with the “Melrose Place” actress Vanessa A. Williams, who ironically enough happens to be the same age as this Vanessa Williams) was born on March 18, 1963 in Millwood, New York. Born to a pair of music teachers, her parents made a point to insert the phrase “Here She Is – Miss America” in Vanessa's birth announcement.

It was like they had a crystal ball or something.

Vanessa and her brother Chris had a typical upbringing in a suburban neighbourhood, growing up in the community of Chappaqua. Vanessa studied music at an early age, and while she played a couple of musical instruments in her childhood, she preferred to write and sing her own songs. Graduating from high school as part of Horace Greeley High School's Class of '81, Vanessa studied at Syracuse University, enrolling in the Musical Theatre Arts program.

And it was during her time at Syracuse University that Vanessa Williams entered the Miss Syracuse University beauty pageant. She wasn't intending on taking part in the contest, but when a musical that she was set to perform in was cancelled, she decided to take part in the contest on a whim. It ended up being a good decision for her as she not only won the Miss Syracuse title, but she ended up winning the title of Miss New York! Winning the title of Miss New York allowed Williams the opportunity to compete in the Miss America pageant which was to be held in September 1983 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

And Vanessa went into the Miss America pageant with an edge. It was often said that if a contestant had won at least one of the preliminary competitions, they certainly had an edge in the overall pageant. In Vanessa's case, she had won both the swimsuit and talent prelims. So is it any wonder that she ended up being crowned Miss America on September 17, 1983? Have a look at her crowning moment below.



Vanessa Williams ended up beating competitors Suzette Charles (New Jersey), Pam Battles (Alabama), Wanda Geddie (Mississippi), and Pamela Rigas (Ohio) for the title. And for Vanessa Williams, she had made history. She was the very first African-American winner of the Miss America pageant, a pageant which began all the way back in 1921! It took sixty-two years for an African-American woman to win Miss America, so it was an extremely big deal in the press.



Unfortunately, that win also created some waves in Vanessa's own personal life. And while I am sure that Vanessa was happy to honour the various commitments and opportunities that came with the responsibility of being Miss America, it was very bittersweet. Apparently, colour lines were still being drawn in the sand in early 1980s America, and some people actually sent Vanessa Williams death threats and racist hate mail. It was the first time that any reigning Miss America would be subjected to such disgusting behaviour, and while I am sure that Vanessa handled the situation with grace and poise (well, I suppose if you're Miss America, you really don't have much of a choice but to), it must have been a really frightening experience for her.

Of course, nobody ever expected the events that would begin to spell out the end of Vanessa's reign as Miss America on one hot day in July 1984. And by the time the dust settled and the crown was polished, people were debating on whether the right decision was made.

You see, one of the main things that the Miss America pageant promoted was their interpretation of what they felt the perfect lady should be. Mind you, the whole idea sounds incredibly stereotypical and some may even call it outdated or even sexist...but I am not on the Miss America committee, so I don't know their policies. I can certainly question them, but I don't have the say to demand that they change them.  And looking back on it now, I think that they completely overreacted to the scandal...but again, it was a different time and a different place.  And, in 1984, I was only three years old.  My main concern was finding a blue crayon so I could colour the sky in my colouring book.

Anyway, as I was saying, the Miss America pageant had its standards for its contestants, and certainly the Miss America committee made darn sure that all fifty-one of its contestants (including the District of Columbia) represented the pageant with grace, poise, and class.

So you can just imagine the shock that might have come across the committee's faces upon hearing the news that one of the contestants posed for nude shots, which were subsequently published inside a particular adult publication. Why, it would be a disgrace! Fortunately, in the case of the 1984 Miss America pageant, fifty of the fifty-one girls did no such thing.

Unfortunately, the fifty-first girl who DID admit to posing topless...happened to be the one to win the whole shebang.

Though, I'm sure that Vanessa Williams did not intend for the photos to appear in the middle of Penthouse magazine. But somehow they did.

Vanessa Williams received an anonymous phone call in July 1984 – ten months into her reign – stating that nude photos that a photographer had taken almost two years prior had resurfaced and this news blew Williams away, who had mistakenly believed that the photos had been destroyed. And, she certainly didn't sign a release form that granted permission for the photos to be used.

Certainly, the photos themselves could be considered quite tame compared to some of the photos that are floating around social media in 2013, but back in 1984, it was a huge deal. The photos were taken around 1982 – a year before Vanessa began competing in pageants. At the time, she worked as an assistant to photographer Tom Chiapel, who photographed her and another woman completely in the nude. At the time, Williams didn't think it was a big deal, as she was lead to believe that Chiapel was taking the photos to test out a new art concept.

But by the time Williams could do anything about it, it was too late. While Playboy magazine CEO Hugh Hefner turned down the offer to publish the photos in his magazine as he didn't have Vanessa's authorization to print them. Furthermore, given her high-profile gig, Hefner declined to publish the photos because he didn't want to embarrass her. A classy move on the Hef's part.



Now, the CEO of Penthouse Magazine, one Bob Guccione, didn't feel the same way as Hefner. He was more than happy to pay Chiapel for the rights to use the photos without even so much as seeking permission from Williams to use the photos, and he announced that the photos would be published in the September 1984 issue of Penthouse.

With word of the photos being made public, it caused a scandal in the Miss America circuit. Some sponsors of the pageant had already pulled out and several more were threatening to yank their sponsorship of the pageant as well as the story became a media circus in the summer of 1984. And the organizers of the pageant were scrambling, as many of those sponsors paid for the ads that aired during the pageant, some of the prizes that the contestants would win, and the scholarship opportunities that could come from winning the title of Miss America. And, to protect the contestants of 1985 from losing out on those opportunities, the committee strongly urged Vanessa to walk away from her title to save herself and the organization some face.

And on July 23, 1984, that's exactly what she did.

In a press conference, Vanessa Williams relinquished her title to first runner-up Suzette Charles, a Miss America first. Suzette Charles would later come to be known as the shortest reigning Miss America of all time, with her title lasting just seven weeks. Two months later, Vanessa Williams did file a lawsuit against both Tom Chiapel and Bob Guccione to the tune of five hundred MILLION dollars in damages caused by the scandal, but later dropped the suit, believing that success was the best revenge.

And, just how much success did Vanessa Williams have since being forced to give up the title of Miss America? Well...


  • Has released eight studio albums between 1988 and 2009, which includes eight Top 40 singles, four Top 10 hits, and at least one chart-topper
  • Has had roles in successful television series, including “Ugly Betty” and “Desperate Housewives”
  • Has appeared in several feature films including “Eraser”, “Soul Food”, “Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man”, and even “Hannah Montana: The Movie”
  • Starred in several Broadway plays
  • Has been nominated for several Tony, Emmy, and Grammy Awards
  • Has been a spokesperson for Radio Shack, L'Oreal Cosmetics, ProActiv, Crest Toothpaste, Disneyland and M&M's (where she voices the character of Miss Brown)
  • Is the mother of four children ranging in age from thirteen to twenty-six

Now, I ask you again...does this sound like the resume of a woman who let losing the title of Miss America bring her down? I think not.




Certainly the events of July 23, 1984 were such that Vanessa Williams would rather forget everything that happened. But what she has done since is nothing short of wonderful. The sweetest revenge certainly did come with success. And, I can't think of a better song to end this blog entry off than this #1 hit from early 1992...a song that is very much appropriate given all she went through.