Ed, Michael and Farrah R.I.P.

I was never a big fan of Michael Jackson's, but I have to give him credit. Not only was he the first African-American entertainer to accumulate a strong crossover following on MTV, but his 1982 Thriller is the world's best-selling record of all time. He's made into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, and his contribution to four decades of popular culture cannot be denied.



I was on Twitter when the first rumours were announced. I've only been actively using Twitter for a short time (see my post about 10 Ways Twitter Can Help Writers) but I've already noticed how ANY major (including pop culture) news hits Twitter before mainstream online news venues.

Within a matter of minutes, there were rumours that Michael Jackson was being taken to the hospital, that he had had cardiac arrest, and then he had died. I'm sure media companies, especially those with traditional print newspapers, are paying close attention and trying to figure out how to compete or (wiser) join. If they aren't paying attention, they should be.


Farrah Fawcett didn't get nearly as much Tweet-coverage, but she had a bigger impact on my life than Michael Jackson. Charlie's Angels was one of my favourite shows as a teenager. My favourite Angel was Kate Jackson, but Farrah Fawcett had a bubbly innocence that appealed to me.


I still remember one year in grade school, though, when all the girls (including me) had Farrah hair. We'd use a curling iron to get the flip and then a round brush to pull the curled hair into the shag. Unless you used hairspray, though, you had to keep brushing your hair to pull the curl back. It must have driven the teacher crazy, with all these girls constantly brushing their hair.

Hey, here's Farrah on the Partridge Family:



Anyway, the comic summarizes my general mood yesterday. I didn't know these people personally, nor was I a huge fan of either. But both were part of my childhood while growing up. Losing them means that another tangible piece of my childhood falls from the present into the past, and makes me that much more aware of my own life journey.

Ok, that's enough philosophizing for a Friday morning. :)

Friends and comics and polar bears

Watched the season finale of Lost with Jeff and our friend John Kalisz. No spoilers in this entry, don't worry. All I'll say is that I keep getting more confused.

I mention Lost because I wanted to post some cool Lost trivia. Remember that Spanish comic that Hurley was reading in the beginning of the series and that Walt was reading later (the one with the polar bear)? Well, John worked on the original comic. How cool is that?



I'm very much enjoying John's Toronto visit. I got a kick listening to John and Ruth talk computer-artsytalk on Friday. Tomorrow we're having lunch with Patricia Storms of Booklust (whose book The Pirate and the Penguin is coming out this September!).

Dollhouse may NOT be cancelled after all

Just saw this article (*Be warned the article has plot spoilers!*) in the Chicago Tribune.

Although Dollhouse tv ratings haven't been stellar, it's apparently done well on other platforms. so there's a chance it could return. Here's Joss Whedon's take on the subject:

"I assumed it was dead in the water because the network was refusing to air the thirteenth [episode]," Whedon said. "Not refusing, but just not interested. I assumed that meant the bell tolled for us. And they made a point of calling and saying, 'That is not what it means, and we'll keep you posted.'

"I think they want it to succeed. I think they're getting it," he added. "They need it to succeed enough for them to pay for it. So I'm oddly hopeful but I'm also ready for anything.""

Fingers crossed.

Some Blatherfeedback from Shane McEwan (for those of you who read my Waiting For Frodo comic strip, Shane was the Weta guy):

"I was disappointed by the early episodes of Dollhouse primarily because I was hoping for something more like Firefly. But as the show has progressed I’ve been enjoying it more. I ramble on about it in the latest episode of my OzPod podcast."

Thanks, by the way, for all the feedback in Livejournal as well.

Videos and Dollhouse sadness/confusion

Thanks to my friend Cathy for pointing me to this great video of Susan Boyle's impressive tv debut. Most of you have probably seen clips on tv, but Jeff and I don't have cable.

Speaking of tv, Jeff and I have been watching recorded episodes of Joss Whedon's new project, Dollhouse. Both of us have been enjoying it, and I -love- it. I was disappointed recently by rumours that Dollhouse may be cancelled. They're only rumours, though, right? RIGHT?

Related:
Save Dollhouse (Livejournal community)

Jamming with Richard Hatch

Watched the end of the Battlestar Galactica series the other day. For fear of spoilers, I've decided not to talk about this except to say that I thought it was very cool how they wove in a bit of the original musical motif of the original series.

Photo above: Jamming with Richard Hatch (who played a good guy in the original series and a bad guy in the new series) and Davroz at Marcon some years ago. Thanks to Gary Ehrlich for the photo.