Lifestyle13

Before they were famous some celebrities lives were heading in a totally different direction. 

Take Eva Longoria.  She graduated from Texas A&M and was going to be a physical therapist.  She entered a talent contest, decided she wanted to act and signed on with an agent.

Matthew McConaughey was studying law until he read the book The Greatest Salesman in the World, and changed his major to acting.

Lucy Liu studied Asian Languages.  She starred in a school production of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ her senior year, and that launched her acting careeer.

Denzel Washington graduated with a degree in journalism.  Then moved to San Francisco where he attended the American Conservatory Theater.

Benecio del Toro’s father wanted him to be a lawyer.  However, he secretly changed his major to acting and later dropped out.

Richard Gere attended the University of Massachusetts on a gymnastics scholarship. He studied philosophy but dropped out of school after two years to pursue acting.

Will Ferrell graduated with a degree in sports information. He took a job as a sportscaster but later found his passion to be acting and stand up comedy. 

Who knew!!

Want to see how far we’ve come or relive some old memories?   I went to Classictvads.com and viewed some old tv commercials.  I was shocked at how many of these theme songs I remembered just by seeing the product again, before I even watched the commercial.  It’s funny how it just comes back to you. . . it’s the power of advertising.

For some old commercial viewing  - click here

or to see the cartoon characters ” The Flintstones” selling Winston cigarettes - click here

If your interested in reliving the broadcast of the events of 9-11-2001, tune into MSNBC on the morning of September 11th, where their coverage of the morning of 9-11 will be replayed.

Coverage starts 9 a.m EST.

Matt and I are recording it to show our kids who were a bit too young to really remember the intensity of that morning. 

The first TV advertisement was aired July 1, 1941 at 14:29 on WNBT which the Bulova watch company paid $9 for a 20 second spot before a baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. It had a very simple design that had a Bulova watch over the United States with a voiceover that had the company’s slogan, “America runs on Bulova time!”

Last week I did a post showing you what I would look like as a Southpark Character and now it’s time to see what Anne and myself would look like as a Simpson…

To find out what you would look like as a Simpson go to Simpsonizeme.com

Buddy Sheffield, a comedy writer, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday alleging he came up with the idea for the teen television show “Hannah Montana” but was never compensated. He is suing for breach of contract, breach of confidence, unfair competition and unjust enrichment. 

Buddy says he presented an idea for a television series called “Rock and Roland” to the Disney Channel in 2001. The story was about a junior high school student who lived a secret double life as a rock star.  However, Disney passed on the idea.

The Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana” is about high school student Miley Stewart, who lives a secret double life as a famous pop star.

What do you think? Original idea or stolen?

American Idol runner up, Blake Lewis, has signed a recording deal.  His contract is with Arista Records.  The label managed by Simon Fuller, said, “Blake is one of the most unique ‘Idol’ contestants I’ve ever seen.”  His debut album is slated for release later this year. 

• Kermit the frog has 11 points on his collar around his neck.

• If Barbie (the doll) was life size, her measurements would be 39-23-33.

• Donald Duck’s middle name is Fauntleroy.

• Pinocchio is Italian for “pine eye”.

• The first TV couple to sleep in the same bed was Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

• Captain Kangaroo won five Emmy awards.

I found this neat website that really shows us how fast time is going by. 

“Who’s Alive and Whose Dead” may have some surprises for you like it did for me.

This website is really well organized and not only lets you know who is alive and who isn’t but birthdays are given as well as notes folks who have made it over the age of 80. They not only have actors, but athletes, political figures, musicians and others.

A couple entries that really got my attention:

Elly May Clampett from “The Beverly Hillbillies” TV show.  In my mind, I still think of her as that charming, cute and lovable blonde.  When in reality Donna Douglas who played the role was born in 1933, making her 73 years old!  I hope she had a good life!

 I was a big “Gilligan’s Island” fan as a kid and of course that show has been in re-runs ever since it’s short run in the 1960’s.  The professor, the role played by Russell Johnson, was a big part of the show. Turns out that Russell Johnson the quick, smart, handsome professor on Gilligan’s Island, is now 82 years old…82!  Visit his website to see what he looks like now. 

I guess my point is that, we the viewers, who don’t know these people personally but only as our favorites on TV or in a movie, never get to see them age like the rest of us. It really was a shock to realize how much time has passed since these two were in their prime as stars.

• Only 1/3 of all “Gilligan’s Island” episodes are about getting off the island.

• The first toilet ever seen on television was on “Leave It To Beaver”.

• One in every 4 Americans has appeared on television.

• In every episode of Seinfeld there is a Superman somewhere.

• The first couple seen in bed together was Mary Kay & Johnny Steen.

These days we seem to look up to famous people to be our role models.  But do you really know anything about them.  Of the 20 best-paid actors and actresses on our Most Powerful Celebrities list, only two, Adam Sandler and Cate Blanchett have a college degree.  Those 20 people in the course of 1 year, brought in over $529 million.   Reece Witherspoon who made $7 million of that, is a college dropout.   Stars now believe that a college education is an unnecessary item on their résumés, and may actually be a liability.

 For non-actors such as authors and directors, it’s a little different.  Oprah Winfrey, Donald Trump, and Steven Spielberg all have degrees in speech, film and economics.  

Stars without a degree include,  Madonna, Tiger Woods, Tom Hanks, Ben Stiller, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Matt Damon.

Stars with degrees include, Jerry Seinfeld, Howard Stern, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Shaq, and Michael Jordan.

Stars like Jessica Simpson, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan are earning enormous paychecks by the time they’re teenagers, so the obvious question, no matter how smart they are, is why take time off to go to school?”

So if you ask yourself if the non-educated A-list will serve as poor role models?  The answer is no.  Because whether or not celebrities have attended college is rarely known, much less discussed.  Reality isn’t important. For fans, an actor playing an English major on television has more impact than an actor being an English major in real life.  When people want motivation from a celebrity, they focus on just the qualities that they’d like to follow,  and forget about the rest.

Yesterday I posted a picture with the question, “Who is this guy?” and then gave you a couple of possiblities.

I also told you I’d reveal the answer today, so here you go. 

No, it isn’t the German Ambassador to the United States.

And, no, not a Spokane, Washington serial killer either.

He’s not an announced presidential candidate in 08, although some might wish he was.

And, last time I checked, he wasn’t the CEO of Haliburton, but if he was smart with all the money he made in the 60s, he might be a stock holder.

He is, in fact, a former rock and roll star.  And, like I said yesterday, if you were alive and awake during the 60s, or have studied 60s music you’ll know this guy.

Ready:

Check the pictures side-by-side and there’s little doubt:

All the guy on the right needs is the stocking cap!

The Monkees for those who don’t know were a huge pop group in the 60s and 70s.  They were a “manufactured” group, put together primarily for a TV show that was designed to cash in on the early success of the Beatles.

In the end, though, the Monkees produced some huge hits, including I’m A Believer, Last Train To Clarksville, (I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone, Daydream Believer, and Pleasant Valley Sunday.

Merv Griffin has died at the age of 82 from prostate cancer.  Griffin was the host of his own television talk show “The Merv Griffin Show” for over twenty years.  Griffin found much success as well as creator of TV game shows, “Jeopardy” and “Wheel of Fortune”

For more on the story including reactions from friends go to:

http://tv.yahoo.com/show/31376/news/urn:newsml:tv.ap.org:20070812:obit_merv_griffin__ER