“You can’t fool me. I investigate things. I’m like Marco Polo.” “I don’t understand. How are you like Marco Polo?” “I investigate things.” “Are you thinking Marco Polo was a detective?” “Yeah. That guy who died last year.” “You mean Columbo?” “Right, Columbo.” Read more →
EppsNet Archive: Television
A Long and Short Explanation of Why Borders Books Went Out of Business
Borders, unable to find a buyer willing to get it out of bankruptcy, plans to close its remaining 399 stores and go out of business by the end of September. — msnbc.com “When Borders started up 40 years ago,” I explain to my son, “there was a certain percentage of the American public that bought books and read them. “It wasn’t nearly as large as the percentage who preferred to sit on their fat asses and watch television but it was there. There was a profit to be made from it. “Today, if I tell someone about a book I’m reading, they look at me like I’m confessing a perversion. Reading a book?! “Not only does no one read books but if anyone does get a notion in their head to read one, they’re likely to buy it online and/or download it onto a device. “The market for people who… Read more →
People I Thought Were Dead
John Astin – actor Bill Dana – actor Fats Domino – rock and roll pioneer Don Larsen – baseball player, NY Yankees Bill Macy – actor Roger Mudd – TV journalist Della Reese – singer, actress Dale Robertson – actor Mickey Rooney – actor Jerry Van Dyke – actor Bill Virdon – baseball manager Earl Weaver – baseball manager, Baltimore Orioles Updates Bill Dana – died 6/15/2017, age 92 Fats Domino – died 10/25/2017, age 89 Don_Larsen – died 1/1/2020, age 90 Bill Macy – died 10/17/2019, age 97 Roger Mudd – died 3/9/2021, age 93 Della Reese – died 11/19/2017, age 86 Dale Robertson – died 2/26/2013, age 89 Mickey Rooney – died 4/6/2014, age 93 Jerry Van Dyke – died 1/5/2018, age 86 Earl Weaver – died 1/18/2013, age 82 Read more →
“Now . . . This”
“Now . . . this” is commonly used on radio and television newscasts to indicate that what one has just heard or seen has no relevance to what one is about to hear or see, or possibly to anything one is likely to hear or see. . . . There is no murder so brutal, no earthquake so devastating, no political blunder so costly–for that matter, no ball score so tantalizing or weather report so threatening–that it cannot be erased from our minds by a newscaster saying “Now . . . this.” The newscaster means that you have thought long enough on the previous matter (approximately forty-five seconds), that you must not be morbidly preoccupied with it (let us say, for ninety seconds), and that you must now give your attention to another fragment of news or a commercial. — Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death Read more →
Huxley Was Right
In Huxley’s vision, no Big Brother is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity and history. As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think. What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. . . . Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. — Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death Read more →
Northwood 2011 College Decisions
Unlike highly recruited athletes, kids who are highly recruited academically don’t get to go on TV and turn over hats so everyone knows what college they’re going to. Northwood doesn’t have highly recruited athletes, so there’s a Facebook site where they can check in and state their college choice. Also unlike athletes, who are evaluated on a 5-star scale, Northwood students are evaluated on a 3-star scale, according to the commencement program that I have right here in front of me: *** = Highest honors (4.3 GPA or above) ** = High honors (4.0 or above, but below 4.3) * = Honors (Not sure; close to a 4.0 but not quite there) It looks like Cal got the best recruiting class this year with three 3-star prospects and no one lower than 2 stars. USC and Stanford each got one 3-star recruit, as did Harvard and Yale. To the kids… Read more →
I’ve Got an Idea for a TV Show
MEXICO (PIX11) — Mexican drug traffickers are abducting bus passengers and forcing them to fight each other like gladiators according to published reports. The winners of the fights are then ordered to become assassins. — Mexican Cartel Force Gladiator Fights and Suicide Missions – WPIX This would make GREAT television! I’m pitching it as a reality show/game show hybrid. Working title: Who Wants to be a Mexican Hit Man? Read more →
Boring
Of course, what I think is boring must not be the same as what other people think is, since I could never stand to watch all the most popular action shows on TV, because they’re essentially the same plots and the same shots and the same cuts over and over again. Apparently, most people love watching the same basic thing, as long as the details are different. — Andy Warhol Read more →
How to Be Liked by a Lot of People
Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you; spend a lot of time with them and it will change your life. — Amy Poehler, Harvard commencement 2011 Great advice from Amy Poehler, whoever she is. (A little research turns up the fact that she’s been in TV shows and movies with Tina Fey.) Thank god my kid isn’t going to Harvard! Do you have any idea what it costs to send a kid to an Ivy League university?! After which you get as a commencement speaker, not Tina Fey — which would be merely terrible, because at least people have heard of her — but Tina Fey’s sidekick. I’m reminded of the story of the SpongeBob and James D. Watson bobbleheads. SpongeBob has almost 23 million Likes on Facebook. Amy Poehler is giving commencement speeches at Harvard. James D. Watson is alive but unknown, not invited to commencements,… Read more →
You Don’t Count, You’re Not on TV
There’s this primary America of freeways and jet flights and TV and movie spectaculars. And people caught up in this primary America seem to go through huge portions of their lives without much consciousness of what’s immediately around them. The media have convinced them that what’s right around them is unimportant. And that’s why they’re lonely. You see it in their faces. First the little flicker of searching, and then when they look at you, you’re just a kind of an object. You don’t count. You’re not what they’re looking for. You’re not on TV. — Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Read more →
A Can’t-Miss Situation
The Situation Leaving ‘Jersey Shore’ In One Year? — The Huffington Post Leaving a successful TV show to become a movie star sounds like a can’t-miss idea, as I was just saying this morning to my cleaning woman, Shelley Long. Read more →
Twitter: 2011-01-30
RT @eddiepepitone: When shit hits fan here people will be quoting American Idol contestants for inspiration. # Read more →
Twitter: 2011-01-20
RT @MrsRupertPupkin: My cat tried to knock over my TV this morning. WHY ARE MY BEST FRIENDS FIGHTING?! # Read more →
James MacArthur, 1937-2010
He was the last surviving member of the original cast. BOOK ‘EM, DANNO! Read more →
Synergize
Sammi: I just feel like I don’t know. Snooki: I know how you feel. Read more →
Twitter: 2010-10-15
RT @Jesus_M_Christ: #unheardcelebbooks "I Did Not Sacrifice Myself so You could Get Fat and Watch Jersey Shore" By Jesus M Christ # Read more →
Twitter: 2010-10-05
RT @BetteMidler: There is no big picture anymore. Just lots of little pictures of sex and violence and product placement. # RT @capricecrane: The thing about reality stars is they don’t get that we’re not laughing *with* them. # Read more →
Why We Need a Big-Screen TV
“This TV cuts off the bottom of the scrolling bar,” my son says as we’re watching a football game. “I can’t tell if it says SCORE ALERT or SCORF ALERT. I assume it says SCORE ALERT but I don’t really know.” “That’s a really good point,” I say. “And I don’t care about scorfs. I only care about scores.” Read more →
Stephen J. Cannell, 1941-2010
“Rockford Files” and “A-Team” creator Stephen J. Cannell has died of complications from melanoma. He was 69. — TheWrap.com I PITY THE FOOL WHO DON’T WEAR SUNSCREEN! Loved Rockford Files. R.I.P. Read more →
Twitter: 2010-08-26
RT @eddiepepitone: Prophets of doom make 13 dollars an hour, life coaches 35 an hour. So who’s full of shit now? # RT @thesulk: “Who’s that actor?” “I don’t know, and I may never know.” (Watching TV Before the Internet) # RT @capricecrane: “Heidi Montag Wants Huge Breast Implants OUT.” She’s getting good at cutting giant boobs out of her life. # Related Articles Heidi Montag Regrets Breast Implants (mtv.com) Read more →