Local News & Commentary Since 1890.

Archive for the ‘Entertainment’ Category

, , , , ,

Acclaimed author and writing guru to present “commercial” writing workshop

In Books, Education, Entertainment, Jobs, Local News, Media, Uncategorized on June 24, 2013 at 5:46 pm
Author, writing guru Peter Bowerman.

Author, writing guru Peter Bowerman.

Cincinnati, OH – On Wednesday, July 24th, aspiring professional writers in western and southwestern Ohio have the opportunity to meet and learn from “commercial” freelancing guru Peter Bowerman, author of The Well-Fed Writer series of books.

From 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at School Outfitters (3736 Regent Ave., Cincinnati), Bowerman will present a workshop entitled The Well-Fed Writer: Exploring the World of Lucrative ($50-125+/hour)“Commercial” Freelancing. Admission is $10 per person, cash only at the door and open to the public. The event is sponsored by the Cincinnati Copywriting and Content Professionals, and Western Ohio Writers Association.

In 1993, after a 15-year career in sales and marketing, Bowerman turned his sights to freelance commercial writing (writing for businesses and for hourly rates of $50-125+). With no industry experience, previous paid writing experience or writing background, he built a commercial freelancing business in Atlanta, Georgia from fantasy to full-time in less than four months.

He has published more than 300 articles and editorials, leads seminars on writing and is a professional coach for both commercial freelancing business start-up and self-publishing endeavors.

Bowerman has self-published his five books (three Well-Fed Writer titles, including the quadruple-award-winning 2010 edition; and two in The Well-Fed Self-Publisher series, including the brand-new 2013 update of the 2007 original). His five books have yielded 70,000 copies in print and a full-time living since 2001 (all the how-detail of which is chronicled in TWFSP).

In this 90-minute workshop, Bowerman will explain what commercial writing is, why the field makes sense now, how to build a portfolio, where the work is, what to charge, and more.

According to the founder of the Cincinnati Copywriting and Content Professionals, Alexandria Webb, “I started this group to provide copywriters and content professionals—whether novice or veteran, freelance, in-house, or with an agency — in the Cincinnati area with networking, support, and educational opportunities like this one.”

The Western Ohio Writers Association  is based in Greene County and provides networking and educational opportunities to writers in southwest-central Ohio. Participants attend monthly critique sessions to hone their writing skills through peer feedback, networking opportunities and educational presentations.

Gery L. Deer, professional freelance writer, owner of GLD Enterprises Commercial Writing and director of the Western Ohio Writers Association, noted, “Our organization is about education and enhancing the skills and opportunities available to writers in our area. Professional career support, like Mr. Bowerman’s workshop, is an important part of that mission.”

Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP online at http://bit.ly/195D0FP

, , , , ,

Local columnist to discuss his long-running print series on WDTN-TV2’s, Living Dayton program, June 18.

In Business, Entertainment, Local News, Media, Uncategorized on June 12, 2013 at 5:09 pm
Deer In Headlines author, Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines author, Gery L. Deer

Dayton, OH – Jamestown columnist, Gery L. Deer, author of the weekly editorial column, “Deer In Headlines,” will appear on the WDTN-TV2 program, Living Dayton, at noon on Tuesday, June 18 to talk about the successful five- year run of the series and what readers can expect from him in the future. Originally starting out as a guest columnist in 1993, Deer has had several long-running columns in various publications and served as a Features Editor for the Times newspaper chain for most of 2008.

“My goal is to make people think and, from the feedback I get, I believe I’ve managed to do that every week,” says Deer, noting that he launched a self-syndicated version of the column in 2009 for print and internet publications. “I’m often stopped on the street by a reader who asks a question or gives me their opinion of one of my topics.”

On the television program, Deer will also discuss the differences between blogs and traditional op-ed columns and a possible “Deer In Headlines” anthology book and how readers can participate in choosing past columnist to include in the publication. Distributed by GLD Enterprises, “Deer In Headlines” is published each Thursday on the opinion page of the Xenia Daily Gazette and the Fairborn Daily Herald.

In addition to being a freelance columnist, Deer is also a successful commercial writer and the featured business contributor to the Living Dayton program. For more information, or to watch the show on a live video online during air time, visit http://www.livingdaytontv.com.

, , , , , ,

Washington Square Shopping Center Announces First Annual Dashapalooza, Saturday, June 22nd

In Children and Family, Entertainment, Food, Health, Local News, Senior Lifestyle, Uncategorized on June 11, 2013 at 2:28 pm

Smoked Ribs_WSQ_2011_0004Washington Twp.  –  The merchants and management of Washington Square Shopping Center are proud to announce the First Annual Dashapalooza – The Party Before the Dash, from noon until 4PM on Saturday, June 22nd in and around the WashingtonSquareShopping Center at Far Hills Ave. and Whipp Rd. in Centerville. The event is free and open to the public.

Dashapalooza is a one-day art and merchant festival on the eve of the 4th Annual Dorothy Lane Market DLM Dash 5K Run/Walk.  Along with sidewalk sales and special offerings from participating merchants at Washington Square, Dashapalooza will feature exciting physical and art-themed activities for all ages.

Participants can barrel down a giant, inflatable slide, express themselves on the monster mural, draw on the sidewalk for prizes in the sidewalk art “chalk off” or take the obstacle course challenge.  Because it is important to “keep it local”, community based artists have been invited to exhibit and sell their work throughout the shopping center as part of the event.

Plus a smoked pulled pork sandwich cookout will highlight just one of many food and refreshment options on hand. Throughout the day, visitors will be entertained by live music featuring the acoustic sounds of internationally recognized Blues Duo, Izzy and Chris.

According to Melissa DeHart, property manager at Washington Square, the majority of the stores are participating in what they hope to make a long-running partner event to extend the excitement and anticipation of the annual DLM Dash.

“Washington Square is dedicated to the community,” DeHart says. “Our neighborhood of merchants, offers some one-of-a-kind places to shop, enjoy great food and even join an exercise group.”

IMG_3128Wendy Preiser is the owner of T-Willy’s Frozen Yogurt Emporium and one of the center’s newest tenants. “Some of the shops are hosting a scavenger hunt where visitors can win some great gift baskets,” she says. “Special deals will be offered throughout the shopping center as well including 25-percent off boxed invitations at the Envelope, one free mini album to each family that visits Moto Photo, a book signing at Tropical Smoothie Café, $10 coupons toward the purchase of “Art to Wear” at Nettle Creek Interiors, and in honor of our runners, energy pops at T-Willy’s.”

Dashapalooza is sponsored in part by Dorothy Lane Market, Up and Running, Boston Stoker, The UPS Store, Montage – The Salon, T Willy’s Yogurt Emporium, Pizza Hut, Knapke Cabinets, Trophy Nut, Nettle Creek Interiors, The Envelope, Utopia Salon & Day Spa, Helms Shoe Repair, Universal 1 Credit Union, Clark’s Home Medical, Moto Photo, Fox Cleaners, and Tropical Smoothie Café. For more information contact Melissa DeHart by calling 937-535-5690 or go online to http://www.dashapalooza.com.

, , , , , ,

Author Shares Journey of Love and Despair as Caregiver for a Mother Ravaged Dementia

In Books, Education, Entertainment, Health, psychology, Senior Lifestyle, sociology, Uncategorized on May 30, 2013 at 1:43 pm

Elaine Pereira yearbookGREENE COUNTY, OH –  Author Elaine Pereira shared the seemingly never-ending journey of caring for her mother stricken with dementia in her newly-released book I Will Never Forget: A Daughter’s Story of Her Mother’s Arduous and Humorous Journey through Dementia (ISBN 978-1-4759-0690-5). The award-winning author will be visiting Xenia for two public events, June 6 and 7.

I Will Never Forget is a powerful true story of the author’s talented mother, Betty, and her poignant and humorous journey through dementia. As their mother-daughter relationship evolves, Elaine copes with her mom’s uncharacteristic verbal assaults and watches as her brilliant mind is slowly destroyed by dementia’s insatiable appetite for brain cells.

Elaine Pereira earned a BS in Occupational Therapy and an MA in Family and Consumer Resources from Wayne State University and worked as a school occupational therapist for more than 35 years before retiring in June 2010. In this moving account, Pereira shares warm and humorous incidents as well as tragic and overwhelming encounters from the death of her father, sister-in-law, brother and her mother’s journey through a new world after her familiar world fades from her memory.

“This is a true story which validates the incredible events that happened in my mother’s life,” says Pereira. “From writing nine checks to the same payee, on five consecutive days, and later on the Great Houdini Escape when she nearly froze to death, Mom’s journey through bewildering dementia is real.

Cover I Will Never Forget 1-15-13I Will Never Forget is educational and therapeutic but is a journal full of insights that will provide helpful assistance and tips to other caregivers of dementia patients. “I want newly-commissioned caregivers to learn from my unwitting mistakes, to realize that reasoning and logic are rarely helpful dialogue techniques with a dementia patient,” explains the author.

“That approach is confrontational and often creates agitation and a fear response in someone. Redirection, re-phrasing, waiting and patience are the most helpful response strategies to diffuse potentially hostile situations.”

During the year long writing process, Pereira was able to put the troubling incidents in her mother’s final years in perspective. “The little problems faded away and the core of her wonderful life surfaced for me. That is how I want to remember her, as she was in my eyes as a child.”

Pereira’s book was named a finalist in the Best New Non-Fiction category of the 2012 USA Book Award and was an honorable mention finalist in non-fiction in the 2012 Hollywood Book Festival and was bestowed a ‘Rising Star’ and ‘Editor’s Choice award by iUniverse. The book most recently won the aging category in the 2013 National Indie Excellence Awards.

At 7PM, Thursday June 6, Pereira will speak to the members of the Western Ohio Writers Association at  Blue Jacket Books, 30 S. Detroit St. in Xenia, Ohio, with an emphasis on how and why she wrote the memoir about her experience. The event is $5 per person, open to the public, and RSVP is requested by emailing the organization’s director, Gery L. Deer, wowainprint@gmail.com

The next evening, Friday June 7, beginning at 7PM, the author will be at Blue Jacket Books, 30 S. Detroit St. in Xenia, Ohio, to speak about the experiences so many people now have in caring for a parent or other loved one suffering the ravages of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. There is no charge for this event and seating is first come first served. For information call 937-376-3522. The author will be selling and signing books at both events.

, , , ,

Who am I, and what am I doing here?

In Entertainment, Health, Opinion, psychology, Religion, Senior Lifestyle, sociology, Uncategorized on May 15, 2013 at 12:04 pm

Deer In Headlines

By Gery L. Deer

We’ve all had moments when we’ve turned to someone, a father, a brother, a God and asked, “What was I meant for? Am I doing what I was supposed to do?” It’s a normal exercise for us to question our situation, regardless of its status.

But we have to be careful to realize, regardless of how much we’d like the world to be a mystical place, our own choices landed us where we are and nothing was “meant to be,” that wasn’t directed by personal decisions.

I think it’s pretty normal to think we were meant for something more than we are, at least most of us probably feel that way. What many people tend to miss is how much value their lives have to others and how much would be different in the world without their contributions.

Over the last few years, I’ve written a great deal about my late mother, Lois. She passed away in November of 2011 after long battle with Alzheimer’s disease which among other things robbed her of a lifetime of memories.

Mom wasn’t an overly complicated person but she was very smart and caring, always putting others ahead of her – particularly her children and grandchildren. She only ever worked as a school volunteer, on the farm with Dad and for a time as a waitress in a little hometown restaurant where I grew up.

She might not have had the life people grow up dreaming about, but I’d like to think she felt like she had made a difference in the world. I know she did for me and my family. She didn’t have money or status or important connections, but she had wisdom and a level of understanding of her world and those in it that I truly wish I could emulate.

To some people a basic, down-home lifestyle could seem like Purgatory; a futile, pointless existence. Even though she didn’t have a list of college degrees after her name, nor did she work some high-powered job (unless you count managing my dad), her mere influence upon those around her probably had far greater reach than she ever knew.

In my mind, Mom had the life she was “meant” to live, evidenced by the efforts of those who helped care for her and offer support to our family as her illness advanced. We all have a place in the world and it might not seem like it matters at the time, but we are often more influential than we realize.

Since the kind of work life I have chosen does not lend itself to earning fistfuls of cash, far from it, I have always hoped that my labors have at least helped to enhance someone’s life, even in the slightest. Whether I am making people laugh on stage during The Brothers & Co. variety shows, or passing along my worldly observations in my writing, I always try to give people something that will help make their life better, even if it’s only for a moment. To me, that’s rewarding in itself.

Even when people don’t agree with something I’ve written, the point to take away is that they read it, and it made them think. I don’t want everyone to agree with me, nor am I trying to persuade them to alter their life paths based on my opinion of something. My job is to enhance someone’s life just by giving them something new to think about and that is the accomplishment.

So, a sense of accomplishment isn’t always derived from academic or financial achievement, and in my limited view of the world, it almost never comes from material success. Sometimes just being who you are and contributing to the world around you makes the longest-lasting difference.

Were you “meant” to be who you are, though? That’s a question best left to you. Only you can evaluate your level personal satisfaction from the world you’ve created for yourself. You are who you are, right or wrong. So like I heard once in a song, “This is it. This is life, the one you get, so go and have a ball.” And enjoy being you. It doesn’t matter how you got there.

 
Gery L. Deer is an independent columnist and business writer based in Jamestown, Ohio. More at www.gerydeer.com.

, , , , , ,

Excuse me; is that your nose in my business?

In Children and Family, Entertainment, Opinion, psychology, sociology, Uncategorized on May 8, 2013 at 2:43 pm

Deer In Headlines

By Gery L. Deer

On "Bewitched," nosey neighbor, Gladys Kravits (Alice Pearce) always got more than she bargained for with her cup of sugar!

On “Bewitched,” nosey neighbor, Gladys Kravits (Alice Pearce) always got more than she bargained for with her cup of sugar!

Fifteen years ago, I was shopping for my first house when I realized I had no idea exactly what it was I wanted. I grew up on a farm with a house smack in the middle of a valley of trees, pasture and corn fields so I was lacking some of the social necessities of being a ‘neighbor.’

I had no idea what it meant to have to “keep up with the Joneses,” and I never saw my mother so desperate for sweetener that she needed to bang on someone else’s door and demand they fill her measuring cup with sugar. I just didn’t get it. And, after a good fifteen years, I still don’t.

Growing up in such isolation taught me self-reliance and a good feeling for minding my own business. Even as an adult, as public as I might seem between my published work, music and television appearances, I tend to be a bit of an introvert. It’s not that I’m unfriendly, quite the opposite, but I just feel like I should keep my nose in my own cupboard and leave others to do the same.

For some, however, that’s not the case. When I first considered a suburban home, I visited several developments and each put me in mind of TV shows of years past. On TV, the houses looked all the same and there was always that one, nosey neighbor who just couldn’t keep off your grass.

Inevitably, I think of Gladys Kravits, the screeching butinsky from “Bewitched,” who spent her day tormenting her happily ignorant husband Abner all about the goings on at the Stevens home across the street. Granted, there were weird things happening on Morning Glory Circle (that’s the street where Samantha and Darren lived on the show), but rarely did those events directly impact the neighbors.

I tend to be an observer of human behavior, which helps me, I hope, to be a good writer. I’ve noticed over the years that the preoccupation of people with the activities of their neighbors can be close to a debilitating obsession.

Constant worry about the concerns of others is, to my mind, ridiculous and kind of neurotic. What if you did nothing all day but ponder such things like … When did John cut his grass – for the tenth time? How did Bob buy that above ground pool when he doesn’t make that kind of money? Do those people have anything else to do but remodel their house every month?

It can get out of control. I’m hoping that level of unwarranted curiosity isn’t the norm but the exception. I would hate to think that my comings and goings were costing a good night’s sleep to anyone but me. That’s not to say that even rural suburbs don’t offer some level of low-brow entertainment of a kind that would even sour Jerry Springer’s sensibilities.

Fortunately, where I finally chose to buy a home turned out to be the perfect fit for me. But I know people who live in suburbs where you can’t make a move without someone commenting on it or having an opinion to gossip about. I’m sure it happens everywhere, but I think people should spend their time worrying about their own lives and stay out of the affairs of others.

If the concerns of those around you occupy your thoughts more than your own actions, it might be time to take a look in a mirror instead of out the front window. Being nosey isn’t the same as being neighborly.

Thoughtful compassion for a neighbor with a sick parent or welcoming a new baby is not the same as feeling the compulsion to always see what’s going on next door. It’s important for people to know the difference and respect those boundaries.

 

Gery L. Deer is an independent business writer and contributor to the WDTN-TV2 show, “Living Dayton.” More at http://www.gerydeer.com

, , , , , ,

Free show by The Brothers & Co. May 18 at Beavercreek cafe

In Entertainment, Food, Local News, Theatre, Uncategorized on May 1, 2013 at 9:07 am
Gery Deer, Jim Karns, Ed Jones and Gary Deer Jr - The Brothers & Co. Entertainers! (Photo by Debra Bays)

Gery Deer, Jim Karns, Ed Jones and Gary Deer Jr – The Brothers & Co. Entertainers! (Photo by Debra Bays)

BEAVERCREEK, OH – Music and variety group, The Brothers & Co., will present a free and unusually casual performance beginning at 7PM on Saturday May 18 at 4 Starters Coffee Café in Beavercreek. The two-hour show features classic country and oldies in four-part vocals, as well as comedy variety routines and much more.

The Brothers & Co. began in 1995 and, over the years, became a complete stage show with full instrumentation, variety acts and, what they call, “Commagic™” (Comedy Magic) routines. Best known for updated versions of The Statler Brothers classics, their repertoire also includes covers of country and oldies including Merle Haggard, John Denver and the late George Jones as well as many original pieces.

Usually, their show features piano, guitars, percussion and saxophone instrumentation. But for this performance, “The Boys in Black,” will be doing a more laid back show, without their traditional western costumes and only acoustic accompaniment by member Ed Jones. Vocalist, pianist Gery Deer will add harmonica to some sets as well.

“If you’ve ever seen The Statler Brothers, they’re almost as good as we are,” jokes Gary Deer, Jr., percussionist of the group. “Mostly, we want to entertain people and give them a show like most haven’t seen since the 60’s.” The show may seem retro, but the guys insist it is not just for the older generation.

“We put a modern spin on an old kind of entertainment that’s nostalgic and originally presented all at the same time,” offers bass singer, magician and the most recent addition to the quartet, Jim Karns. “If you’ve never seen a live variety show, this will be just a taste of what our big show has to offer and something the whole family will really enjoy.”

Located at 2495 Commons Blvd., tucked quietly behind LaRosa’s Pizzaria, 4Starters Coffee Café is a hidden gem of Greene County. The family-owned shop offers gourmet coffees, soups, sandwiches, specialty dishes and a selection of fine wines. Musical performances and wine tasting events are featured weekly.

The show is free and open to the public. For more information go online to http://www.thebrothersandcompany.com.

 

, , , ,

Money cannot buy eternal salvation

In Charities, Media, National News, Opinion, psychology, Religion, television, Uncategorized on April 30, 2013 at 10:55 am

EVANGDeer In Headlines

By Gery L. Deer

Have you ever turned on the TV early on a weekend morning and heard something like this, “Friends, dig deep for those green rockets of salvation. Help us to lead the sheep to His lovin’ care with your kind love offering. Operators are standing by to pray with you – all for just $49.99.” A cross between an infomercial and a bad Saturday Night Live parody, television evangelists have been conning millions from the pockets of the devout since the medium was invented.

These clergy-covered con men (and women) take the stage amidst gold-plated, throne-like chairs, religious statuary and acrylic podiums to convince us all that we’re damned to the fiery pits of Hell unless we give and give generously. Armani-suited, well-quaffed, jewel-bedazzled TV preachers spout dramatic sermons from a teleprompter while holding up a Bible as if it were the newly presented cub in the Lion King movie.

If that’s not enough drama, it’s is followed by repeated moments of squint-eyed, hand-raised prayer and Lord praising before thousands of onlookers in the audience who are doing the same. Without opening their eyes, the host preacher prays that God will direct the viewers to the telephone number that appears at the bottom of the screen and give generously to the ministry so that more souls can be saved.

At home, viewers dial quickly, handing over millions upon millions of dollars to what could easily be compared to a guy begging on a highway exit ramp. The difference is that at least you know the panhandler is exactly that. He’s not pretending to give you a direct phone line to eternal salvation at the same time.

Holier-than-thou in their demeanor and testimony, eventually they fall from their pedestals in some kind of sex scandal or tax evasion allegations. I’m sure everyone remembers the rise and fall of Jim and Tammy Baker, Oral Roberts and Jimmy Swaggart.

Religious panhandling – might as well call it by name – is a real problem in America and, unfortunately, it’s completely legal and largely tax-exempt. For the truly devout, there is a clear understanding that man is meant to be humble and kneel before God. That doesn’t mean we were meant to live in abject poverty, but we’re not supposed to use the Almighty as a way to dupe billions of dollars out of unsuspecting people searching for answers in a life full of uncertainty and hardship.

With multi-million-dollar homes, limousines and servants, there is nothing holy about these so-called “evangelists.” In fact, in my opinion, it’s just flat out criminal. These people soil the image and intentions of faithful, honest people all over the country who are genuinely trying to do some good in the world. Most live modestly, often with a second job or from a share of whatever comes in the offering on Sunday morning. There are no limousines, golden thrones or evangelical stadiums.

There is nothing to excuse the fact that some of the poorest people in America, the elderly, are the most common victims to this kind of nonsense. Looking for spiritual leadership and often lonely and shut-in, seniors often send money to these TV charlatans before even paying for food and medicine.

Of course, these religious phonies don’t care who they hurt because they can hide out in tax-sheltered mansions, go for a dip in their Olympic-sized swimming pools or jet off to vacation homes in the Cayman Islands.

Not convinced? According to CelebrityNetWorth.Com, one of the most popular TV evangelists, Benny Hinn, is worth more than $42 million; all from donations to his “ministry.” Another extremely popular – and rich – television pastor, Joel Osteen, is reportedly roughing it on only $40 million. And more money is still pouring in.

I don’t have a problem with people living prosperously and giving generously from hard work and the success built from that labor. I am deeply offended, however, when those claiming to be men and women of God live in luxury at the expense and from the charity of lost souls desperately searching for comfort. It would do them well to go read that book they’re always waiving around on TV; particularly the book of Matthew, Chapter 19, Verse 24.

 

 

, , , , , , , , ,

Eleven local authors featured in new book launching May 3 at Blue Jacket Books

In Books, Business, Entertainment, Local News, Senior Lifestyle, Uncategorized on April 20, 2013 at 9:02 am
"Flights of Fancy" is an anthology of stories set in southwest Ohio by local authors from the Western Ohio Writers Association. It will hit shelves in mid-April 2013 and features local talent and production.

“Flights of Fancy” is an anthology of stories set in southwest Ohio by local authors from the Western Ohio Writers Association. It will hit shelves in mid-April 2013 and features local talent and production.

Xenia, OH –The Western Ohio Writers Association (WOWA) invites the public to attend the official launch event for their first book, Flights of Fiction, an anthology of short stories set in and around southwest Ohio, published by Loconeal Publishing / Handcar Press.

Officially released on April 15, the book and its authors will be presented publicly at 7PM on Friday, May 3rd, at Blue Jacket Books, 30 S. Detroit St. in Xenia with a 2-hour reception and signing. The event is free of charge and open to the public. It will begin with an introduction to the authors and a reading of parts of the book by the authors, followed by a signing and reception.

The WOWA was founded in 2008 by Gery and Barbara Deer, of Jamestown, in an effort to provide local writers with peer critique, educational and networking opportunities previously unavailable except at tremendous expense. Gery is a full-time business writer and author of the syndicated, weekly op-ed column, “Deer in Headlines.”

“Flights of Fiction is a group effort by just a few of the most talented authors in our organization and in the southwest Ohio region,” explains Gery L. Deer, co-founder of the WOWA and executive editor of the anthology.

“These soon-to-be classic tales let you follow one man’s tragic story at the end of the world in “Dead of Winter”; experience a night at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in “Nose Art”; and get lost in a haunting image from the past in “Tabitha’s Portrait,” plus many more. From detective tales to a trek into the mysterious world of wrestling, Flights of Fiction has something for everyone.”

He adds that Blue Jacket is a kind of second home to the WOWA. “We’re honored that Blue Jacket Books is hosting our book launch. We have had several signing and public reading events at the store and it’s great to see it growing and doing well.”

A limited number of copies of Flights of Fiction will be on hand for sale at the event with a cover price of $11.95. The paperback is available now with an electronic version set for release in mid-May. Find further information about the Western Ohio Writers Association or order Flight of Fiction online at http://www.westernohiowriters.org.

, , , , , ,

Annette made it cool to be good.

In Entertainment, Local News, Media, National News, Opinion, psychology, sociology, television, Uncategorized on April 8, 2013 at 9:45 pm

Deer In Headlines

By Gery L. Deer

Frankie Avalon & Annette Funicello (1960s)

Frankie Avalon & Annette Funicello (1960s)

In 1955, Walt Disney personally selected, 12-year-old, Annette Funicello to become one of the first “Mouseketeers” on the original Mickey Mouse Club television series. She’d been discovered in a production of Swan Lake at the Starlight Bowl in Burbank California but quickly became one of America’s best known actresses.

A gifted actor, singer and dancer, Funicello’s formidable years were spent growing up in front of a camera. In 1960, she hung up her bowed mouse ears and signature white sweater bearing her name (reading simply, “Annette”) to take on a movie career, but never shook her “America’s sweetheart” image.

During the 1960’s, Funicello appeared in a series of beach party movies with singer Frankie Avalon. Though they lived very separate lives off-screen, the two were so successful and appeared so often together on screen, most people believed they were actually married.

Annette continued working through the next two decades in reunion beach movies, television appearances and as the ultimate “mom” figure in Skippy peanut butter commercials. Her death on April 8, from complications related to Multiple Sclerosis, saddened millions of fans around the world, but her “goody two shoes” image never faded, even at 70.

After the success of the Mickey Mouse Club, Disney tried to revamp the show; first with a syndicated version in 1977 and then on the Disney cable network for a healthy, seven-year run. While they did turn out some great talent, neither reboot had cast members with quite the same popular appeal of the original.

Many of the Mouseketeers from the first series went on to have long, successful careers, in front of and behind the camera. Likewise, several modern pop stars got their start with Mickey including Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Christina Agulera, just to name a few.

There’s no question these talented people will leave their mark, but it’s hard to imagine anyone remembering Britney or Justin in the same way as the previous generations remember Annette and her fellow Mouseketeers. In those days, the standards for behavior, public and private, were far higher, although somewhat unrealistic.

Anyone in the public eye under the Disney logo had to be the model of the boy or girl next door, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Any variation from that image meant a summary dismissal by Walt himself. The fact was, sometimes there were problems no one outside ever saw and those kids were discharged anyway. When scandal attached itself to a young actor, the “cute factor” could no longer be exploited and a replacement would have to be found in a quickly executed and masterful work of marketing sleight of hand.

Of course no one working on television in the 1950’s was as squeaky clean as they were made out to be on the air, but they did their best to maintain their image, at least enough to stay employed. In retrospect, it may not be such a bad thing if studios re-instituted Walt’s no-tolerance attitude so long as the performers are under contract. With justice and good sense taking a backseat to public demand for perpetuation of pop culture icons, it’s not right that celebrities wear bad behavior like a badge of honor.

What kind of example does that set for young people? Isn’t that the question that’s always being asked by the media “experts” who admonish someone out of one side of their mouths while out of the other side giving a pass to Lindsay Lohan for her latest drug-induced infraction? American society is riddled with double standards and a declining sense of integrity and self-worth.

It seems today that people are more likely to be ridiculed for staying clear of drugs, alcohol and other life-wrecking activities while others are honored for completing a 12-step program after the fact. Seems a bit backwards, doesn’t it? There should be more honor and reward in having avoided the problem in the first place than to have succumbed.

Who knows, maybe the Mickey Mouse Club’s day is done and the clubhouse should remain boarded up and dark until a new generation decides it’s cool to be good again.