PRIDE... IN THE NAME OF LAUGHS

Because everything is funnier when taken out of context.....

(From '30 Rock')

MURPHY'S SECRETARIES

As it turns out, I've totally missed the chance to celebrate "Secretaries' Day" (Office Adminstrators' Day now, I guess, to be PC). So I might as well share this now - a rundown of all the secretaries who ever worked for 'Murphy Brown', including the one played by my friend Mary Cadorette. (She kicks off the roll call.....)

BCnU!

"LET'S DO THE TIME WARP AGAIN!"

I can't remember if I've shared this already.  Too bad if I have.....

THE AMAZING BALLANTINE!

For no other reason than that he was always a pleasure to watch in action, here is.....

THE AMAZING BALLANTINE!

The Toobworld ramifications of that last clip......

Puppets are living beings in Toobworld. They are a spirit people from Living Island (aka Yazoo) who possess shells in order to have a physical, "viewable", form. And they take on the characteristics of the shell they inhabit. In this case, because this spirit person looked like Carl Ballantine, he sounded and acted like Carl Ballantine, and thus he keeps the memory of Mr. Ballantine alive......

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"IS THIS SOMETHING YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN?"

Movie producer Bob Evans has made an appearance in our look at the O'Hara Family Tree. Here's a look back at his famous catch-phrase (which also made an appearance in the saga.)

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AS SEEN ON TV: TOOBWORLD'S FIRST GAY COUPLE?

ELMER SHAW & CLARENCE FOX

CREATED BY:

Ray Bradbury

PORTRAYED BY:

Clarence Fox - Robert H. Harris

Elmer Shaw - John Qualen

AS SEEN IN:

'Alfred Hitchcock Presents'

("Shopping For Death")

BASED ON:

"Touched With Fire"

TV STATUS:

Recastaways (The Originals)

TV DIMENSION:

Earth Prime-Time

From TV.com:

Two retired insurance salesmen research the methods of death. One of them proposes a theory that most murders occur in hot weather. They see a potential murder victim in the nagging wife of a longshoreman, Mrs. Shrike.

This episode is based on the short story "Touched by Fire" by Ray Bradbury. This story (as "Shopping for Death") was first published in Maclean's (June 1, 1954.)

The story on which this episode is based was also adapted for an episode, "Touched With Fire" of 'The Ray Bradbury Theater'.

There's a reason why I didn't run this during my tribute to Ray Bradbury. If for no other reason, it might have been welcomed by my readers as a break from all of the characters from 'The Martian Chronicles' who were seen day after day.

But I wanted to save it specifically for today as the country celebrates Gay Pride. That's because I think Elmer Shaw and Clarence Fox may have been one of the first depictions of a gay couple in Toobworld. (It was broadcast on January 29, 1956.)

Mr. Bradbury probably didn't have that intent when he created these two men; I may be the only one who actually thought they were partnered homosexuals on first seeing the episode. If that's the case, so be it. My perceptions are usually what drives the Toobworld Concept anyway, and this interpretation doesn't have to be applied anywhere else... just in my own little sandbox.

But it's hard not to consider them as being homosexuals (the term of the day back then). After years of working together in the same business, they're still together in their retirement years. And it would appear that they live together as they spend so much time together from early morning until late at night. No other mentions of families to whom they have to return at the end of the day.

Who but a committed partner like Elmer would put up with Clarence's obsession with his actuarial statistics about murders taking place when the temperature hitting 92 degrees? (After the heat wave of this last week here in the Big Apple, I wonder if that theory played out in the real world?)

That would take real love on Elmer's part.

 

 

And there's just this sense of tenderness and care shown by Elmer for Clarence. They even walk hand in hand - well, hand on arm, to be precise - that doesn't leave that much room for other interpretations. (There is one - Perhaps Elmer knows Clarence has an inner ear problem with his balance.....)

Like I said, this is my interpretation and Mr. Bradbury probably never meant for that impression to be made. But the inroads toward acceptance had to begin somewhere and I think Clarence and Elmer serve as worthy members of the vanguard.

BCnU!

PS:

It's also the contention of Toobworld Central that Elmer Shaw had a twin brother named Samuel.  And Samuel was probably also gay, in a VERY long relationship with another old man named Max.

Sam and Max can be found in an episode of 'The Odd Couple' called "A Taste For Money".  John Qualen played Sam and Peter Brocco played Max.  (He could be Max Stone, just to make a connection with another NYC-based sitcom, 'That Girl'.  Brocco played "Mr. Stone" in the "Soot Yourself" episode.....)

SATURDAY - "IN THE NEWS"

I loved listening to his voice......

AS SEEN ON TV: TARA TELEVISION

Kicking off the Video Weekend early.....

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AS SEEN ON TV: TARA THORNTON

There were big changes for the character this season  (SPOILERS!!!).....

TARA MAE THORNTON

CREATED BY:

Charlaine Harris

PORTRAYED BY:

Rutina Wesley

AS SEEN IN:

'True Blood'

TV DIMENSION:

Earth Prime-Time

(Original timeline)

From Wikipedia:

Tara Mae Thornton is a fictional character in Charlaine Harris's "The Southern Vampire Mysteries" and their television adaptation, HBO's 'True Blood'.

Tara Thornton is a twenty-something Louisiana native and life-long friend of the main protagonist, Sookie Stackhouse. Compiling a description of her character is a complex task because quite a few facts about her changed when her character was brought from page to screen.

The fact that Tara had a neglected childhood is one fact that remains the same, but in the books, we read that both of her parents were abusive alcoholics; on True Blood, the only parent we see and hear about is her mother. The television show also expands Tara's family to include the spared Lafayette Reynolds and his mother, Ruby Jean Reynolds.

Here are the main differences between the Tara of BookWorld and the one seen in Toobworld....

TARA OF BOOKWORLD
Tara has two siblings, a brother and a sister. They both left Bon Temps and Tara behind as soon as they were able. In Living Dead in Dallas, Tara is engaged to "Eggs" Benedict Talley, but this relationship ends when a secret sex party they attend ends badly. She then opens up a clothing store called Tara's Togs, and then briefly dates the vampire Franklin Mott. He soon dumps her and gives her to the vampire Mickey who turns out to be a sadist. The situation with Mickey gets so bad, Sookie and the vampire Eric Northman must take steps to rescue her.

After owning and operating her own business for a few years, Tara becomes ready to settle down. During the events of All Together Dead, she and JB du Rone elope. Tara is currently pregnant with JB's twins. She confides this to Sookie, telling her that she did not plan on having a baby, but felt she should try her best and be the great mother that she herself never had. It is Claude who reveals that Tara is having twins, a boy and a girl.

TARA OF TOOBWORLD
Sam Merlotte, Tara's boss, and Tara explore the possibilities of a romantic relationship, but it never establishes, and before they can give it another try, Tara meets "Eggs" Benedict Talley. "Eggs" also lives with Maryann and it is at the "social worker's" house that the two meet. Sensing that something is not quite right with the mysterious lady, Tara resists the temptation to live with them permanently and moves in with Sookie. However, Sookie goes to Dallas, Texas and leaves Tara alone. A vulnerable Tara succumbs to the draw of Maryann and Eggs, but instead of moving in with them, Tara invites the pair to move into Sookie's. Tara and Eggs use this opportunity to get to know each other, and Tara even falls in love with him despite his questionable past. The relationship ends when Eggs is killed by Jason Stackhouse.

Tara then crosses paths with the sociopathic vampire Franklin Mott. Franklin glamours and bites her, kidnaps her and holds her bound in a bathroom and takes her to the Mississippi mansion of Russell Edgington. Franklin mixes romantic talk and the prospect of turning her into a vampire with coercive actions, while Tara attempts to soothe him with compliant words, while plotting her own escape. She escapes him on her second attempt, and makes it back to Bon Temps, where she seeks help in a rape survivors' group. Franklin confronts her once more in the parking lot of Merlotte's a few nights later. Franklin is also killed by Jason Stackhouse.

Jason, the object of Tara's affection since she was a little girl, takes her back to his house to recover. They kiss, but then Jason confesses to being the one who shot Eggs. Tara leaves his place and goes back to Merlotte's where she finds a very angry-at-the-world Sam. The two end up spending another night together, and in the morning Tara feels a little less frayed around the edges. The feeling does not last, however, as Sam decides to reveal his shape-shifting secret to her. She leaves his house and goes back to her mother's house where she finds Lettie Mae in an intimate situation with the Reverend Daniels. It is all too much for Tara, and she leaves Bon Temps for destinations unknown.

In season 4, Tara has changed her name to Toni, and moved to New Orleans, working as a cage fighter. Tara is seen dating another female fighter, Naomi. In the final minutes of the season finale, she is seen pushing Sookie Stackhouse out of the way of a shotgun blast but the buckshot hits her in the side and back of the head and neck.

In season 5, she's turned into a vampire by Pam at the behest of Lafayette and Sookie after her murder by Debbie and attacks Sookie when she awakens. It is uncertain if Tara will be good or evil.

BCnU!

"CHIEFLY O'HARAS" - HELEN MEETS KAL-EL

"CHIEFLY O'HARAS"

[EPISODE NINE]

"DECOY"

There's no sense in telling you about the investigation that brought Helen J. O'Hara together with Superman, not when it's easier to just show you instead.....

You might think that this marked the end of the story between Superman and Helen O'Hara. But you would be wrong, Snagriff Breath!

Coming up next: "Up All Night"

BCnU!