"Ice Truckers?!?"

[Tricia]

bro9mari9 said:

ricemclean said:

Judge Judy says, "beauty fades but stupid is forever ..."

Okay, current bitch session over. Anybody else wanna gripe? Arrrgggghhhh!

--t.

Trish, I thought the saying goes...."Beauty fades but UGLY is forever...." (At least my mirror says so!!) Arrggghhhh!

B&B

Bornandbred--

Actually, I quoted the judge wrong, it's actually, "beauty fades but dumb is forever." I like to add that sentiment to the following, "you can help a lot of things, but you can't help stupid."

This lowest common denominator thing that rules this country's entertainment business is driving some genres to their death. In last week's Time magazine, the art critic bemoaned the death of the "romance" film ... Hollywood simply doesn't make enough money on tales of the heart. As a person who has lately penned such a story, it's enough to cause me to take pause. I sent the article to my Custer mentor yesterday and I'm sure he'll be shocked. Of course, he's cast himself in the main role in our "pretend" movie ... LOL. Too bad Hollyweird won't cooperate.

--t.

[elisabeth]

There was a similar article here in the Guardian newspaper a day or two ago, about the decline of the rom-com. It pointed out that the standard plotline nowadays is: slob/slacker/geek/nerd lands beautiful/powerful/capable woman for no discernible reason. The conclusion was that it's the testosterone dollar that rules the box office: guys wanting reassurance. I presume the Time piece took a similar view -- that the "woman's picture" attracts only women, while what Hollywood's after is couples (the date movie) or groups (the action movie)?

This is where yours could score, though. Romance on its own, yeuk ... but romance with war stands a much better chance. Any Custer picture has that great advantage. There's the Libbie (or in this case, your Russian lady) angle to appeal to -- yeuk again -- the distaff side, but also plenty of fighting to appeal to the chaps. Amazing, really, that Hollywood hasn't exploited it more often.

Re the History Channel: same here. We get the US satellite one, but we also have a thing called "UK History". It started out doing exactly what its name implies, i.e. proper history -- re-runs of old documentaries etc., great stuff. Lately -- and I can't blame summer, because this has been going on for months -- it's been devoted almost entirely to travelogues, re-runs of an ancient cutesy industrial-archaeology series that was always more about the presenter than the subject, and episodes of Sharpe or, at best, Rome. Entertaining enough ... but not what we expect from it, at all.

Maybe we should all get up a Campaign For Real History, along the lines of the British phenomenon the Campaign For Real Ale!

[Tricia]

Oh, by the way, Gordie ... don't forget our LBHA membership fees are involved in those insignificant markets! I wonder how much the Chairman has lost for us ... yeah! Yeah! Let's receive those better returns for our money. Yeah!

Dow down 245 points. Go, Bill! You have my complete trust!
--t.

[Tricia]

Elisabeth ...

You seem to have greater faith in my story than I do! The moment Mentorman started telling me "this will make a great movie," I got really nervous. This was not in my plans, needless to say. But I have a great champion; he shares your enthusiam, and perhaps eclipses it! It has been one of the greatest things to come out of my summer--it's made all the annoyance I've suffered finally worthwhile.

Of course, I'll hack off a bunch of Custer freaks--and have over the past four years--people who take Custer more seriously than he took himself, apparently. But I like the idea of seeing GAC away from the front, actually, and that's what I think makes my tall tale a little more fascinating ... a kind of sequel, if you like, to Class of 62. Yeah, it's a whacko story, but I only wanted to try and answer this question: Why wasn't GAC at Judge Bacon's damn funeral?

We'll see all that fightin' in my second book and a lot more of Libbie--and it includes a scene where my female protagonist shows up in New Orleans at the end of the Great Buffalo Hunt. A very busy Boy General ...

But this trend towards stupid guy gets handsome girl seems just a two hour expansion of those American beer commercials. There are folks who want to be impressed with character and its faults, no matter who it is ...

--t.

["Hunk" Papa]

The deterioration in all levels of TV broadcasting started with the onset of "Reality" shows which require nothing from the viewer except the role of voyeur and, if one is sad enough, the wherewithal to call a particular telephone number. This removes from program makers the responsibilty for producing anything that requires viewers to exercise their brains to any profound degree. Rather like the LBHA BOD, we get what we deserve because the majority of people are just too apathetic to bother making a fuss about second rate fare.
As to 'North and South' Trish, I guess you are like my sister, any excuse to see Patrick Swayze. That works for me 'cos I'll get to see Lesley-Ann Down.
Reading the extract from you novel in Reply #18, you could be describing Mr. Swayze!

Hunk

[Tricia]

Actually, I have the hots for Lesley-Ann Down! I've been in little girl lust with her ever since she debuted on Upstairs, Downstairs. I really don't like Patrick Swayze at all; he's not ugly, but I prefer the dark haired.

I'm glad you like the snippet. Buy the rest of it--hopefully--later next year!

["Hunk" Papa]

I hear you Trish, but how about 'white haired that used to be dark?' A fighting chance? What am I saying? Lovely as you undoubtedly are, my heart belongs to Diane.

H

[BrokenSword]

In the 'for what it's worth' column-

Hollywood's total revenue breaks down to roughly 30% derived from the domestic (USA) market and the balance of roughly 70% from overseas distribution. Some films have slightly differing versions taylored to the different market places. Most films do not and simply pander to the 'foreign' market place by way of including what numbers of us in the USA see as simplistic anti-American stereotypes held by people in non-American theaters.

I too have been disappointed by the 'reality' pablum of recent years - to the point where I rarely even bother with the television set except for news. But, even the news of significance is lost in the jumble of 'real-life drama' covered endlessly, or at least until the next 'real life drama' begins unfolding.

High or low speed car chases in Los Angeles can go on for 40 minutes or an hour or more - all live and on the news. If you live on one of the affected streets in LA its important perhaps, but not to the rest of the nation. What sports stars/teams or celebrities do is ONLY important if you care. None of it will affect our lives in either a good or a bad way. Most sports game results are the same every weekend - half of the teams will win and half of them will lose.

Okay -- I was invited to gripe. All done. Thank you. I feel better. They have almost finished cleaning my cage. I'll go back there now.

Oh! Gordie? You said, "Anyway, this is about history, and it has obviously become a thing of the past...................." Thought you could slip that past us, did you? Clever devil.

M

[harpskiddie]

a simple test......................................

Gordie.
many times I'd sold my fast gun for a place to lay my head, till the nights began to haunt me........

[markland]

Television? What's that?

Yeah, I know that I exaggerate considering I have watched at least one million "Law and Order" replays; but what did you think would happen when "Survival" in its various scenes still draws viewers.

Thank God for books! (and "Law and Order")

Billy


P.S. I like "The Most Dangerous Catch" best as a History Channel/National Geographic series.

[Scout]

Yea, when I think about history I think of 'Ice Truckers.' At least the 'History of Sex' was entertaining. This new show on the 'States' is also somewhat lame. Perhaps their fall schedule will offer new shows...the History of rubber bands.

I agree Billy, thank God for books.