Modified On December 17, 2004
Two posts in the last 24 hours highlight the eagerness with which some members of the media are willing to display their ignorance (See ““Unknown Hack Toils for Home Theater Mag” below and see the post just south of this one.) Then, there’s the review of the “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”/”Frosty the Snowman” DVD release that’s been making the rounds on the wires lately, from which we pull this quote:
“Frosty the Snowman,” at half the length of “Rudolph,” uses conventional and somewhat cheap-looking cartoon animation. It’s still enriched, though, by the gravelly voiced Durante’s inimitable rendition of the title song. (Jackie) Vernon, whose deadpan standup comedy was a staple of the old Ed Sullivan Show, has never been more bouncy than as Frosty.
If you’re going to be slapping the media’s wrist regularly, you must occasionally pat them on the head for a job well done. This guy/gal (no byline, unfortunately) not only knew that Vernon did the voice, he knew who Vernon was and slipped in a little history. This is how it’s done– rather than display your ignorance of such matters, you try to lay a little knowledge on the people. And you make yourself look smart in the process. Is that so hard to grasp? (We’re especially pleased because, around these parts, Jackie Vernon has always been a favorite. His slide show bit is a modern classic. Our efforts to contact his son for an interview were fruitless. If anyone in Los Angeles knows Vernon’s kid, ask him to get ahold of us!)