What Becomes a Legend Most?

This is a something I actually wanted to talk about last week, but just never got around to, for a variety of reasons, until today.

That's a picture of the Grande Dame of Television, Betty White, who at 88, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild this past Sunday. Working in the industry since the 1945 short Time to Kill, Ms. White has graced film and TV screens with her talents for six decades. Whether on her own eponymous series (there were 4); as part of an ensemble or in many appearances on daytime game shows like "Password" or "The Match Game," Betty White has always been the epitome of grace and humor.

As Sue Ann Nivens on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" in the '70's, she put the "bitch " in home cooking shows while Martha Stewart was still dreaming about her own TV empire. And as the ditzy Norwegian from St. Olaf, Rose Nyland on "The Golden Girls," she managed to prove that dumb blondes are sexy well into their late 50's (and how she managed to say some of that outrageously hilarious dialog without cracking up is still beyond my ken). In Steve Miner's campy 1999 horror flick Lake Placid, she played a foul-mouthed old coot who kept a killer croc as a pet and on ABC's "The Practice" and "Boston Legal," she played a crazy murderous old broad who killed for attention, if nothing else. A long-time advocate of animal rights and from all accounts a wonderful human being, I can't imagine a person more deserving of Lifetime Achievement award.

Those who know me will attest that I am not a gusher nor a stammerer when it comes to meeting celebrities (ask me about the "I'm-about-to-run-into-you-dance" I did with Liam Neesom in the Lincoln Center Barnes and Noble some time), but I assure you, were I to meet Betty White, I would stammer, gush and probably fall prostrate at her feet. The words "Living Legend" have never been more apt then in describing this true icon of Film and Television. Still going strong, her most recent film was the Sandra Bullock/Ryan Reynolds romantic comedy The Proposal and she is listed on IMDb as being in post-production for the upcoming You Again and in pre-production for writer Suzanne Martin's TV series, "Hot in Cleveland."

If you ask me, the world needs more Betty Whites. Here are some highlights from her long and varied career:

Bless you, Betty White, for all the joy you've brought to millions over the years. I am, and will continue to be, an avid fan.

More, anon.
Prospero

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Disney Dorks

This post was almost entitled "...an' she Black." And I will tell you why in a moment.

My sister, who lives just outside of Tampa, is a self-described "Disney Dork." She loves all things Disney; especially weird, behind-the-scenes stuff (to which I must admit a fondness of my own). I sent her a link to an NYT story about how Disney is displaying rare and long-unseen artifacts at what they hope will be their ComicCon, the D23 Expo, and she writes back how she's been reading about it for months on the official Disney Newsletter she gets. Then I found out that a Facebook friend (and one-time castmate) is attending said Expo and Facebooking about seeing Betty White and Robin Williams. Betty Effing White, ya'll! Who doesn't love Betty White? And you won't see BFW at ComicCon, I'll promise you that.



Anyway, it all seemed rather synchronicitous that just Saturday, a friend related an amusing story about Whoopi Goldberg on "The View"* from Disney World. She was introducing a clip from this movie:

Ms. Goldberg, whom I love and admire as both a performer and a human being, finished her intro with the words: "...an' she Black!" which just seemed so silly and superfluous and completely contrived. And please don't get me wrong, it's high time Disney had an African American Princess (though I have other issues with the whole Princess thing...), but it seems to me that the way to make it work is not to make a big deal out of it. Big deals shouldn't have to be made about social progress. Social progress should speak for itself and no one should have to say "Look at what a progressive inclusionist I am!" But I digress.



* In full disclosure and further Mouse-influenced programming, "The View" appears on the Disney-owned ABC television network.

To complete the cycle, this morning I was trolling my usual sites and I came upon a clip from an animator who was better and more creative than Walt would ever be, Max Fleischer. The clip (I believe it was here) was linked because it features a vocal performance from the late, great Cab Calloway. It caught my eye because of the subject matter. Four years before Disney made his masterpiece, Fleischer gave Betty Boop the lead in his version of "Snow White." Watch it here. You can see why Danny Elfman and the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo (link may be NSFW) loved Fleischer's work. Just in case you are some musical Philistine or under 30, and aren't sure who or what Oingo Boingo was all about, here is their biggest hit. Oh, Kelly LeBrock, where are you and your lips, now. And yes, Dharma is his sister-in-law.



Personally, I'm torn. I (as most Americans today did) grew up with Disney. The classics are forever ingrained into our psyches. The artistry, if often repetitive, was undeniable. And there's no villain like a Disney villain... And Beauty and the Beast is the only animated movie to ever be nominated for Best Picture. Still... "Beauty and the Beast" started the Disney-fication of Times Square...I suppose I have a love/hate relationship with the Mouse. As I do with many things. Chocolate, beer, fried foods... men... sigh...



I still prefer Universal Studios, anyway. So now my question to you is: If my sister is a Disney Dork, does that make me a Universal Unicorn? Unitarian? Unionist? U2? UB40? R2D2? Help me, Obi Wan Kenobi! You're my only hope!



Please respond with your own alliterative suggestion in the "Comments" section. I always want to hear what you have to say!



More nonsense, anon.

Prospero

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