Richard Widmark dies at 93.

Richard Widmark died Wednesday at age 93. He first became famous as crazy laughing killer Tommy Udo in the 1947 film Kiss of Death. It was his maniacal giggle that Frank Gorshin imitated in his portrayal of the Riddler on Batman.

I always liked the Tommy Udo character because he rolled that wheelchair-bound old lady down the stairs. For more on Widmark, here is the CNN story.

You Wanted to See a Photo of Villanova

I mentioned her in this post about March Madness. Here is what my sister, Villanova, looks like.

I Think the Dark Knight Will Suck

I'm sorry but I just have to say this at the risk of being called "old school," but from what I can tell this new Batman movie, The Dark Knight, is going to suck.

I know the extreme comic book nerds hate me because I prefer the 60s TV show because it had that subversive humor I enjoy. Also I never liked Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. It looked like he drew it on a school bus traveling down a bumpy country road.

What I don't like so far about the new movie is the Joker's makeup. It looks like he put it on while riding in a school bus traveling down a bumpy country road. Too bad Heath Ledger's last great role will be as the Joker with the worst makeup job. According to this CNN report, the Joker IS wearing makeup. In the comic books and the 1989 movie, the Joker's weird look came about because of chemical dye (In the movie, he falls in to a vat and in the comic book he jumped in to escape police capture).

Also notice the dark look of the photos. I'm a little sick of the "Batman-lives-in-a-dark-world" concept. The TV show was overly bright and colorful because the TV networks were trying to sell color TV (I believe RCA dealers gave away Batman mask to kids whose parents bought a new color set). However, I believe if you are going to make a movie, the audience should be able to see what's going on.

I've not seen Batman Begins yet, so I guess before I see the Dark Knight I will have to see it. I don't know. I just think it looks bad.

I Hate March Madness!

Yes, I will attract a whole new group of haters and enemies, but I need to say this: I HATE MARCH MADNESS!

Working as I have for the past few years in sports talk radio (I'm being held against my will - a prison sentence for being my "super-villainy"), I absolutely hate this month.

1. CBS cuts a game off when one team pulls ahead and goes to coverage of another game. Most radio listeners never think that this is the work of CBS. It is the work of those people at the radio station. They quickly call the radio station and begin cussing me or one of my co-workers out when I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG. Many times CBS Sports' coverage is so confusing that WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT GAME WE HAVE ON THE AIR! Before the games were automated, I stepped out of the studio for a minute and they switched games. I was swapped with angry calls. I couldn't tell the difference. It sounded like the same game to me. CBS, I have found out from the folks at KOLR, does the same thing with their TV coverage.
2. While I'm on the subject of angry calls, let's talk about the stupid men in this country who force their wives to call the radio/TV stations to complain because they aren't hearing/seeing the game they wanted (Cardinal fans are bad to do this too). These poor women are forced to call (Can we say spousal abuse?) the station while their hot-headed hubby stands next to them or sits in his Lazy Boy barking out commands and foul-language directed at us hard-working media professionals. If the woman doesn't get the right answer, the jerk takes the phone away from the wife (You can usually hear her arm break over the phone) and begins cussing away. IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE GUTS TO CALL YOURSELF, DON'T FORCE YOUR WIFE TO DO IT!
3. Unlike the TV network who can pre-empt all the CBS shows for these games, we on the local end have local sponsors contracts to uphold. We have to run shows like Sports Talk, You Auto Know and the Fishing Radio Show, not some basketball game from an out-of-state college. I don't like them pre-empting David Letterman for a bunch of crappy basketball games, but I don't call CBS and whine like a teenage girl with PMS.
4. If you didn't go to that college, then why the Hell are you all concerned about how their basketball team does. MSU isn't playing so why should I bother with these teams. Most of them I'm not familiar with. George Mason: I think used to do mornings on US 97 in the mid-80s, Gonzaga: Isn't that the fire breathing lizard that always stomps on Tokyo and, of course, Villanova: That's my sister's name. Which leads me to something I've noticed about March Madness...
5. It is a nerd fest. March Madness mainly appeals to NERDS. They get a sexual thrill off of making out brackets and everything. When they don't get to hear the game on the radio they get upset and call the station? "Why are you running Sports Talk instead of the Piminto University/ Dickwad Tech game?" That is when I say, "You're a nerd, aren't you? We are not running it because nobody else is interested and also that new Batman movie with Heath Ledger will not be half as good as the TV show with Adam West. How do ya like them apples, Nerd Boy?" Seriously, you can hear this guy wearing a pocket protector and taped glasses over the phone.
6. And tho it has been said many times, many ways Billy Packer and Digger Phelps are douche bags.

If I think of any more reasons to hate March Madness, I'll come up with them.

A Bus Accident for Bus Plunge

Well, it looks like an accident.

I Had Fun

My weird schedule has only allowed me to attend the Springfield blogger events. I made it a point to attend the send off for Tony Messenger of the News Leader. I had fun in the short time I was there (I had to be at work, as usual). It is always fun to talk with the people in the industry who cover the news and deal with the craziness of the business.

Tony was forthcoming about the behind the page world of the News Leader. It is always interesting to learn you don't work at the only crazy place in the business.

I found out that Tony still has the Pez Dispenser I sent him. I also found out I was apparently not the target of the editorials on anonymous blogging. After all, he was glad to meet me. I was a decent person and shook hands with (unlike some of the riff-raff in our community).

I realize not everyone in the area likes Tony (I think we can think of one person), but I believe the editorial page has been better under his direction. Before Tony it was only the Ozarkers who were against anyone having any kind of fun (sex in particular).

Also for those who complain about the News Leader, go to the Library Center and look at the old Springfield Daily News and the old News Leaders from the 1950s. The Daily News front page was mainly wire stories of the most lurid nature. I found one which featured a story about a 19 year old boy who dug up the body of a nine year old girl who had died of cancer for sexual purposes. What did this have to do with folks in Springfield? The News Leaders seemed to be filled with opinon pieces "longing for the good old days when Ma made my sister panties out of Pa's chew tobacky pouches."

I realize Tony stepped on some toes. Some will take credit for him leaving. Really sad that some would have such blind hatred and lack of respect for someone more talented than them, but that is what we in the business have to put up with. Good luck, Tony. Don't eat too much of that Pez.

*Note: No tennis balls were thrown at Tony or anyone else during this blogger get-together.

Thank You Phil Morrissey!

Reader Phil Morrissey sent me this comic panel. Cool, huh! Better art work than the last comic panel that appeared here.