Mad Magazine's 20 Dumbest People, Events & Things Of 2001
And The Dumbest Is....
MAD Magazine named the Rev. Jerry Falwell the "dumbest person of 2001" for blaming the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks on gays and lesbians, feminists and other groups.
The distinction was part of MAD's year-end review of the 20 "dumbest people, events and things of 2001."
"We thought Falwell had reached his personal pinnacle of dumbness a few years ago when he accused the Teletubbies
of promoting homosexuality," said MAD editor John Ficarra. "Give the guy credit, we underestimated him."
Falwell made the controversial statement during a Sept. 13 appearance on "The 700 Club" with televangelist Pat Robertson.
Regarding the attacks on New York and Washington, Falwell said: "I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists,
and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU,
People for the American Way -- all of them who have tried to secularize America -- I point the finger in their face and
say, 'You helped this happen.'"
The White House rebuked Falwell for his remarks, and he later apologized.
MAD's "dumb" list for 2001 also includes Anne Heche and Elton John's Grammy Awards duet with Eminem.
Mad Magazine's 20 Dumbest People, Events & Things Of 2001
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Cracks In The Continuity
A Car In Middle Earth?
Eagle-eyed nerds the world over have spotted more than three dozen mistakes overlooked by director Peter
Jackson in "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring." In one unintentionally humorous scene,
Elijah Wood and Sean Austin are chatting in a bucolic "Middle Earth" field when, if you look closely,
you'll spot a car suddenly cruise by in the distance.
In another of the flubs collected on
moviemistakes.com, Viggo Mortensen tossing an apple that clearly
sports a supermarket pricetag. The fearsome "Black Riders" strike terror in the audience - except in the shot
where you can see the breathing snorkel popping out from under the actor's mask. A battle scene is rendered
less effective when a supposedly dead extra lifts his head to sneak a peek at Frodo Baggins. And even the
great Sir Ian McKellen can't be saved from continuity cracks. In several scenes, props such as pipes and rings
keep appearing in, and disappearing from, his hands.
A Car In Middle Earth?
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Spent a good portion of the day behind 'the Orange Curtain'...visiting my Orange County cousins. It was
getting to seem that we only met up at funerals, so we ditched the respective spouses & kids and
sat a spell in a familiar coffee shop. Also had a photo album of their childhood from our grandmother's
estate that needed to be passed along.
Saw the parts of '60 Minutes' on CBS that interested me - like the Jackie Gleason and
Studs Terkel segments.
The resident 9-year old loves 'The Simpsons' so we spent a bit of time with faux.
KVEA, one of the Spanish language TV-stations in the LA area then had on 'National Lampoon's European
Vacation', which is funnier with subtitles.
Tonight, Monday, CBS has 2 hours of reruns - 'King of Queens', 'Yes, Dear',
'Raymond', 'Ellen'. Then, '48 Hours' rehashes the 'best' of Steve Hartman's stuff.
On ABC, there is a Peter Jennings special and it starts at a goofy time - 6:30 pm (pst). The show has a runtime
of 3 and a half hours. Somewhere in that block of time, live performances of U2, Sting, and
Arlo Guthrie are scheduled.
NBC has 3 reruns - 'Weakest Link' (contestants from 'Fear Factor'), 'Third Watch',
and 'Crossing Jordan' (the one with Mackenzie Phillips).
The WB has reruns of '7th Heaven' and 2 episodes of 'Raising Dad'.
Faux has reruns of 'Boston Public' and 'Ally McBeal'.
AMC celebrates New York City with 'Pope Of Greenwich Village', 'Raging Bull' and
'New York, New York'. Later, they also have one of those movies everyone should see, at least once -
'The Manchurian Candidate'.
Holy crap! TCM is playing ALL the Marx Brothers films back-to-back all day....'Duck Soup' and
'Horse Feathers', too!
Anyone have any opinions?
Or reviews?
(See below for addresses)
Deaths In 2001
Artists & Entertainers
Ray Walston, 86. He played the lovable extraterrestrial Uncle Martin on the 1960s TV sitcom ``My Favorite Martian'' and the devil in ``Damn Yankees.'' Jan. 1.
Les Brown, 88. His Band of Renown scored a No. 1 hit with ``Sentimental Journey'' during America's big band era of the 1930s and '40s. Jan. 4.
Michael Cuccione, 16. Youngest member of the spoof boy band on the MTV show ``2gether.'' Jan. 13.
Virginia O'Brien, 81. Comic actress and singer, famed for her deadpan manner, who played Judy Garland's singing sidekick in ``The Harvey Girls.'' Jan. 16.
Gregory Corso, 70. One of the circle of Beat poets that included Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, known for the 1958 poem ``Bomb.'' Jan. 17.
Sandy Baron, 64. Standup comic and actor who played Jerry's dad's nemesis on ``Seinfeld.'' Jan. 21.
O. Winston Link, 86. His dramatic nighttime photographs of smoke-puffing steam engines documented a vanished era of railroads and became valued as art. Jan. 30.
Anne Morrow Lindbergh, 94. The wife of aviator Charles Lindbergh, who became his co-pilot and wrote extensively about their adventures in flight. Feb. 7.
Dale Evans, 88. Singer-actress who teamed with husband Roy Rogers in Westerns and wrote their theme song, ``Happy Trails to You.'' Feb. 7.
Lewis Arquette, 65. Actor who played J.D. Pickett on ``The Waltons''; son of Cliff Arquette and father of Rosanna. Feb. 10.
Howard W. Koch, 84. Producer and director whose credits include ``The Manchurian Candidate'' and the TV series ``Maverick.'' Feb. 16.
Stanley Kramer, 87. Producer and-or director of some of Hollywood's most celebrated ``message'' films including ``High Noon,'' ``The Defiant Ones'' and ``Judgment at Nuremberg.'' Feb. 19.
Glenn Hughes, 50. The mustachioed, leather-clad biker in the disco band the Village People. March 4.
Morton Downey Jr., 68. Abrasive, chain-smoking talk show host whose reign over ``trash TV'' in the 1980s opened the way for the likes of Jerry Springer. March 11.
Robert Ludlum, 73. Author whose spy adventure novels had unbelievable plot twists that had millions of readers turning pages and critics sometimes rolling their eyes. March 12.
Ann Sothern, 92. Blond beauty who starred as the movies' wisecracking ``Maisie'' and as the busybody Susie McNamara in the 1950s TV series ``Private Secretary.'' March 15.
Norma Macmillan, 79. The voice of television's Casper the Friendly Ghost and Gumby. March 16.
John Phillips, 65. Co-founder of the '60s pop group the Mamas and the Papas and writer of its biggest hits, including ``California Dreamin''' and ``Monday Monday.'' March 18.
William Hanna, 90. Animator who with partner Joseph Barbera created such cartoon characters as Fred Flintstone, Yogi Bear and Tom and Jerry. March 22.
Ed ``Big Daddy'' Roth, 69. His fantastic car creations helped define the California hotrod culture of the 1950s and '60s. April 4.
Joey Ramone, 49. Punk rock icon whose signature yelp melded with the Ramones' three-chord thrash. April 15.
Michael Ritchie, 62. He directed the Robert Redford movies ``Downhill Racer'' and ``The Candidate.'' April 16.
Jack Haley Jr., 67. Son of the man who played the Tin Woodman in ``The Wizard of Oz,'' he produced several Academy Awards shows and documentaries about Hollywood such as ``That's Entertainment.'' April 21.
Deborah Walley, 57. Actress in such quintessential 1960s teen movies as ``Gidget Goes Hawaiian'' and ``Beach Blanket Bingo.'' May 10.
Douglas Adams, 49. British author whose science fiction comedy ``The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' drew millions of fans and spawned a mini-industry. May 11.
Perry Como, 88. The mellow baritone famous for his relaxed vocals on hits such as ``Catch a Falling Star,'' who entertained TV audiences in the 1950s on ``The Perry Como Show.'' May 12.
Jason Miller, 62. Playwright who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1973 for ``That Championship Season'' and sometime actor who was nominated for an Oscar for his role as a priest in ``The Exorcist.'' May 13.
Whitman Mayo, 70. He played junk dealer Fred Sanford's sidekick, Grady Wilson, on the 1970s television series ``Sanford and Son.'' May 22.
Arlene Francis, 93. Witty actress and television personality who was a panelist on the long-running game show ``What's My Line?'' May 31.
Hank Ketcham, 81. Comic strip artist whose lovable scamp, ``Dennis the Menace,'' tormented cranky Mr. Wilson and amused readers for five decades. June 1.
Imogene Coca, 92. Elfin actress-comedian who co-starred with Sid Caesar on television's classic ``Your Show of Shows'' in the 1950s. June 2.
Anthony Quinn, 86. The barrel-chested Oscar winner remembered for his roles as the earthy hero of ``Zorba the Greek'' and the fierce Bedouin leader in ``Lawrence of Arabia.'' June 3.
John Hartford, 63. Versatile performer who wrote the standard ``Gentle on My Mind.'' June 4.
Carroll O'Connor, 76. Actor whose gruff charm as the cranky bigot Archie Bunker on ``All in the Family'' pioneered a new era of frankness in TV comedy. June 21.
John Lee Hooker, 80. Bluesman whose rich, sonorous voice, coupled with a brooding rhythmic guitar, inspired countless musicians. June 21.
Jack Lemmon, 76. Actor who brought a jittery intensity to his roles as finicky Felix Unger in ``The Odd Couple,'' the boastful Ensign Pulver in ``Mr. Roberts'' and a cross-dressing musician in ``Some Like It Hot.'' June 27.
Chet Atkins, 77. Guitarist and music executive who played on hundreds of hit records, influenced a generation of rock musicians and developed country music's lush Nashville Sound. June 30.
Mordecai Richler, 70. Writer known for novels on Jewish life in Montreal such as ``The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz.'' July 3.
Johnny Russell, 61. Grand Ole Opry star whose song ``Act Naturally'' was recorded by Buck Owens and the Beatles. July 3.
Maceo Anderson, 90. Founding member of the tap-dancing Four Step Brothers. July 4.
Mimi Farina, 56. Joan Baez's sister; an accomplished folk singer in her own right. July 18. Cancer.
Frances R. Horwich, 94. Her 1950s show ``Ding Dong School'' helped change children's television and led the way for shows like ``Sesame Street'' and ``Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.'' July 22.
Eudora Welty, 92. Wise, meticulous writer whose loving depictions of small-town Mississippi brought her international acclaim and a Pulitzer Prize. July 23.
Robert Henry Rimmer, 84. Author of the 1960s best seller ``The Harrad Experiment,'' a novel that became popular with the free love generation. Aug. 1.
Ron Townson, 68. Centerpiece singer for the Grammy-winning pop group The 5th Dimension, who had a string of hits in the 1960s such as ``Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In'' and ``Up, Up and Away.'' Aug. 2.
Christopher Hewett, 80. British-born stage actor who played television's endearing English butler, ``Mr. Belvedere.'' Aug. 3.
Lorenzo Music, 64. Writer and voice actor who provided the distinctive voices of ``Garfield'' the cartoon cat and Carlton the doorman on ``Rhoda.'' Aug. 4.
Larry Adler, 87. The harmonica virtuoso who charmed kings and commoners with an instrument once disparaged as a toy. Aug. 7.
Betty Everett, 61. Soul singer whose record ``The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)'' was a top 10 hit in 1964. Aug. 19.
Kim Stanley, 76. Acclaimed as one of the theater's finest actresses in the 1950s in plays like ``Bus Stop,'' ``A Touch of the Poet'' and ``Picnic.'' Aug. 20.
Peter Maas, 72. Best-selling author who chronicled the Mafia from informants Joe Valachi through Sammy ``The Bull'' Gravano. Aug. 23.
Kathleen Freeman, 82. Veteran character actress whose face was known to audiences from television sitcoms, ``Singin' in the Rain'' and Broadway's ``The Full Monty.'' Aug. 23.
Aaliyah, 22. Rhythm and blues singer known for hits such as ``Age Ain't Nothing But a Number''; also a budding actress in films such as ``Romeo Must Die.'' Aug. 25.
Troy Donahue, 65. Heartthrob actor of the 1950s and '60s who starred in teen romances like ``A Summer Place'' and ``Parrish.'' Sept. 2.
Pauline Kael, 82. Brash, witty movie critic who thrashed both facile commercialism and self-indulgent pretense from her lofty perch at The New Yorker. Sept. 3.
Fred De Cordova, 90. Producer of ``The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' - and butt of Carson's jokes - for 22 years and director of Ronald Reagan's ``Bedtime for Bonzo.'' Sept. 15.
Samuel Z. Arkoff, 83. His American International Pictures exploited the youth market with pinch-penny movies that bore such bizarre titles as ``I Was a Teenage Werewolf'' and ``How to Stuff a Wild Bikini.'' Sept. 16.
Isaac Stern, 81. The master violinist who saved Carnegie Hall from the wrecking ball and helped advance the careers of generations of musicians who followed. Sept. 22.
Lani O'Grady, 46. She played the oldest daughter on the 1970s TV show ``Eight is Enough.'' Sept. 25. Cause unknown; no sign of foul play.
Emilie Schindler, 93. She helped her industrialist husband save hundreds of Jews from Nazi death camps in a saga memorialized by the movie ``Schindler's List.'' Oct. 5.
Will Counts, 70. His photograph of a white crowd jeering a black girl captured the drama of the 1957 Little Rock, Ark., desegregation crisis. Oct. 6.
Herbert L. Block, 91. The Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post cartoonist who under the name ``Herblock'' skewered every president since Herbert Hoover. Oct. 7.
Herbert Ross, 74. A choreographer and director who worked on films including ``Funny Girl'' with Barbra Streisand and ``Steel Magnolias'' with Julia Roberts. Oct. 9.
Dagmar, 79. She parlayed her dumb blonde act into television fame in the early 1950s on the late-night variety show ``Broadway Open House.'' Oct. 9.
Etta Jones, 72. Prolific jazz vocalist whose soulful, blues-influenced recordings over more than a half-century won her acclaim and two Grammy nominations. Oct. 16.
Ken Kesey, 66. He won fame as a novelist with ``One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,'' then took an LSD-fueled bus ride that became a symbol of the psychedelic 1960s. Nov. 10.
Gardner McKay, 69. He was the skipper of a schooner in the 1960s television series ``Adventures in Paradise'' before turning to writing. Nov. 21.
Budd Boetticher, 85. Director of Westerns such as ``Once Upon a Time in the West'' and ``Seven Men From Now.'' Nov. 29.
Kal Mann, 84. He wrote lighthearted lyrics for rock hits such as Elvis Presley's ``(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear'' and the Dovells' ``Bristol Stomp.'' Nov. 28.
John Knowles, 75. Author whose novel about adolescent conflict, ``A Separate Peace,'' has been read by millions. Nov. 29.
George Harrison, 58. The ``quiet Beatle'' who added rock 'n' roll flash and a touch of the mystic to the band's timeless magic. Nov. 29.
Some 2001 Obits
Updated!
BartCop TV!
Visit the site at BC TV
The 'Vidiot' never seems to rest - and doesn't let little things like laundry or
housekeeping get in the way!
Damn near every show on TV must is listed - days & days worth of great reading.
If you have any questions about nearly any tv program, check out
BC TV!
Beemers & Popcorn Poppers
Matt Damon
Matt Damon must be getting serious with girlfriend Odessa Whitmire. The "Ocean's Eleven" star gifted the
alluring Southern belle, who happens to be the personal assistant of his best friend Ben Affleck, with a
fully loaded $45,000 BMW X5 for Christmas. Odessa reciprocated with a movie theater-sized popcorn popper.
Damon promptly put the professional popper in the screening room in his downtown triplex.
Matt Damon
Some Lines From The Last Year
2001's Movie Quotes
"What I say the American people will believe. And do you know why? Because I will have a very big microphone in front of me."
The Contender - Shelly (Gary Oldman)
"Take your stinking hands off me, you damn dirty human."
Planet Of The Apes - Attar (Michael Clarke Duncan)
"It's not a lie; it's a gift for fiction."
State & Main - Walt (William H Macy)
"I can't relate to 99% of humanity."
Ghost World - Seymour (Steve Buscemi)
"Rock & roll is a lifestyle... and a way of thinking. It's not about money and popularity. Although, some money would be nice and the chicks are great."
Almost Famous - Jeff (Jason Lee)
"I must confess to you I'm giving very serious thought... to eating your wife."
Hannibal - Hannibal (Anthony Hopkins)
"Eat me."
Shrek, Ging'bread Man (Conrad Vernon)
2001's Movie Quotes
Down To 2 Monkees
Buh-Bye Peter
Peter Tork claims the constant backstage boozing of Mickey Dolenz and Davy Jones turned the
'60s popsters into malicious madmen who fired him with only two shows left to go.
"I'm a recovering alcoholic and haven't had a drink in several years," Tork tells the National Enquirer. "I'm
not against people drinking, just when they get mean and abusive. I went on the tour with the agreement that I
didn't have to put up with the drinking and difficult behavior."
Down To 2 Monkees
``Star Trek: The Next Generation''
``Star Trek: Nemesis''
``Star Trek: Nemesis,'' the 10th installment in the sci-fi film franchise, has landed a beastly new villain, with
Ron Perlman signing on to play the Romulan Viceroy.
Perlman, best known for his TV work on ``Beauty and the Beast,'' also recently appeared in the recent WWII movie ``Enemy at the Gates.''
Perlman joins the reunion cast of TV's ``Star Trek: The Next Generation,'' including Patrick Stewart and Jonathan
Frakes, in their fourth film. It is scheduled for a November 2002 release via Paramount Pictures.
In the film, the crew of the Enterprise is diverted to the planet Romulus when the longtime Federation
foes signal they are willing to begin peace negotiations. Once Picard and the gang arrive, they uncover a threat to Earth.
``Star Trek: Nemesis''
New!
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
Admitting Implants
Iman
Now it can be told: Iman has fake breasts. The supermodel wife of David Bowie reveals in her autobiography, "I
Am Iman," that she got implants in the mid-'80s, "to quiet the noise in my head and fill the gaping hole in my
self-esteem." The surgery, she says, "made me into a living version of a computer-game goddess." Iman also says
she thought she'd feel better about living the frivolous life of a model after the enhancement, but, "I really didn't."
Iman
A 'Mann-Love-Fest'?
Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx, who plays Muhammad Ali corner man Drew (Bundini) Brown in "Ali," gripes that he should have had more
screen time than director Michael Mann gave him.
At the recent "Ali" premiere in Los Angeles, Foxx was overheard dismissing the movie as a "Michael Mann-Will Smith love fest."
Foxx's rep did not return calls for comment, but I can't imagine Foxx will be happy to learn that execs at
Sony, the "Ali" distributor, are not pushing him for a Supporting Actor Oscar. Instead, they're working
overtime on Jon Voight's behalf. He plays sportscaster Howard Cosell in the movie.
Jamie Foxx
New! Updated!
(10 Dec., 2001)
The official BartCop Astrologer, Geneva, has done good, again!
Very interesting reading!
Lord Of The Rings - 2nd Episode
'The Two Towers'
Now that the "The Fellowship of the Ring" is a hit, director Peter Jackson is focusing on the second film in
the trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings."
But Jackson admits that, after Sept. 11, he had qualms about the film's title: "The Two Towers."
"It's true that I've thought about what that title means now," Jackson told the Melbourne Age newspaper. "But
[if we changed it] Tolkien fans would kill us."
Jackson has finished primary filming on all three segments of the classic fantasy about Middle Earth, its
inhabitants and the pull that a golden ring exerts on all of them. (The third film is "Return of the King.")
For Tolkien fans anxious to learn what to expect in "The Two Towers," Jackson revealed that the film will
include a pivotal and "very bloody" battle between good and evil for a castle known as Helm's Deep. There
also will be more of Gollum, the one-time Hobbit turned treacherous night creature who seeks to regain the ring.
Gollum is the only character in the films to be computer-generated, says Jackson.
LOTR: 'The Two Towers
Fund-Raiser In Florida
Reno and O'Donnell
Talk show host Rosie O'Donnell hosted a $250 per person fund-raiser Sunday for Janet Reno, the former U.S.
attorney general and a Democratic candidate for governor.
Asked about her chances of defeating Bush, Reno said bluntly: ``I'm going to win.''
The comedian owns a home on Miami Beach's Star Island, a gated community of mansions along Biscayne Bay. The
closed event was held at a private home.
Analysts said the appearance with O'Donnell could pose problems for Reno when she attempts to court voters in
areas heavily composed of gun owners, sportsmen and military personnel.
``Anything that connects Reno to gun control means Democrats lose big in north Florida,'' said Susan MacManus,
a political scientist at the University of South Florida in Tampa.
Reno and O'Donnell
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``The Fat Albert Christmas Special''
& More ''Fat Albert''
As 20th Century Fox readies a live-action version of ``Fat Albert,'' the 1970s Bill Cosby cartoon
already has made a comeback on the small screen.
UPN's Christmas Eve presentation of ``The Fat Albert Christmas Special'' won its 8 p.m. time period among adults
18-34, women 18-34 and kids 2-11. Not bad for a 24-year-old special that hadn't been seen on network television for years.
Now, UPN is talking to Hallmark Entertainment, which owns the rights to the animated series, about airing
other ``Fat Albert'' specials, including ones timed to Easter and Halloween.
``Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids,'' which followed a group of urban adolescents growing up in a Philadelphia
neighborhood, was a CBS Saturday-morning staple from 1972 to 1984. Cosby starred in live-action bumpers and
performed a number of voices, including Fat Albert's.
``The Fat Albert Christmas Special''
Newest Commanders of the Order of British Empire
Bee Gees
The three singing Bee Gees were honored with the title of Commanders of the Order of British Empire, or CBEs for their
artistic achievements and contributions, in London, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2001.
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"Boondocks" (9 Oct 01)
Still MISSING
Marc Chagall's "Study for 'Over Vitebsk'"
