Do what?
I must not be caffienated enough, yet. My brain is just not trackiing two things I saw on the first page of Yahoo.
First headline is something like "Sweden arrests FM slayer". Well, good. Being stuck with only AM would suck. Then, the next thing I see is "'8 simple rules' to go on". Okay...how they gonna do that? One knob in the comments section of the message board suggested they do it like 'Weekend at Bernies'. (I'll admit-that kinda made me smirk. I love 'WatB' and John was a great physical comedy guy...but...sigh. Please.) The really stupid thing was said by some bobble-headed, feeble-minded fool at the network. (I'm paraphrasing all but the last part of the last sentence, here...) "Yeah. We're gonna keep doing the show. We're gonna air the three episodes John did do, then we're gonna show re-runs while we figure out how to *expolit this situation, because we can still make money. (* Really paraphrased that one...) Future episodes will take the viewer into the Hennessey household as they deal with the death of Paul and learn to go on. We will play out the situation as real life." That last sentence just begs to be shoved up the guys butt who said it. Mostly because IT IS REAL LIFE, ya frickin' moron. John really died. Didya think he only died out in Hollywood? Nope. He's dead here, too. I'm still shaking my head over that one. Then...excuse me, but was this show not a comedy? Which way are they gonna kill this show? By turning a sit-COM into a sit-DRAMA or are they going to try to carry on in the best show business tradition with 'the comedy must go on'? Whatever they decide to do, they most certainly are not treating it like 'real life'. In real life, sucessful comedies are NOT morbid. And, if they try to be funny about John dropping dead....somebody's gonna get smacked. Hard. The closest thing to funny (and even then you need a really twisted mind to find the humor) about actors dropping dead on the set was Redd Foxx. Now, before anybody gets their panties in a wad, I love Redd Foxx. I not only still watch Sanford & Son on TVLand nearly everyday, I also have tapes of Redd's stand-up. He was wickedly funny and a cute old poop to boot. But, when I heard how he died...I was stunned and kinda giggly in a head-shaking, muttering "Jesus...of all the ways" kinda way. Apparently, when Redd died, it looked just like he was doing his "Here I come. This is the big one!" heart attack thing he did. Except, that time, he didn't get up. Poor ol' guy. Can you imagine those people on the show with him? All watching this, laughing their asses off at Redd's 'routine', then discovering, to their horror, he wasn't kidding? God.But, those network people are about to screw it up royally. They really need to put on their *WWJD caps and think about this. (* What Would JOHN Do?)
Years ago, I watched the HELL out of Hill Street Blues. (Yeah...I still do) When Phil Esterhaus died, they didn't turn it into an episode. They knew that we (the people who regularly watch the show) knew he died. They dedicated the last show he was in to his memory. And, then they mentioned him a couple of times after that. Now, in my opinion, that is handling it like it's 'real life'.
What these asshats out in Hollywood are doing now is trying to figure out how to keep the bucks rolling in without it seeming that way. Think about it. Do ya think John would want his sit-com screwed up by turning it into a drama? I doubt it. Do ya think he'd like to be exploited in death? I doubt it. Do ya think those heartless Hollywood head-honchos really give one damn about John Ritter the human being? I doubt it. Not the way they're acting.
WRING IT, MAN. Wring all the money and ratings and whatever the hell you can get out of it, out of it.
For the love of GOD, whatever you all decided to do, do not treat viewers like they have any brain function whatsoever. Do not realize the fact that we KNOW the man died. Do not handle it in a tasteful fashion. Do not do what the producers of Hill Street did. Do not have any thoughts past what this mess could do to your wallets. Do not have any regard AT ALL for anyone but your network and it's profits. Assholes.
Rest in Peace, if ya can, John.
Comments
1
I couldn't have said it better myself. I realize that a lot of people need the job that came from that show, but there's a better way to handle it than exploitation. Have they forgotten that there's a real family missing a real man? I hate corporate America.
Posted by: Kathleen at September 16, 2003 08:20 PM (S2aYw)
2
bingo!
Posted by: Ted at September 17, 2003 06:42 AM (2sKfR)
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