“Random Thoughts” for Monday, June 29th, 2020
I hope everyone had a GREAT weekend. Now we enter the final week of June! The 4th of July holiday weekend is next weekend! OK, let’s get this week started with some “Random Thoughts”…
HOT ENOUGH FOR YA?!
It looks like it is going to be a warm and dry stretch of weather, all the way through the 4th of July.
The National Weather Service in Grand Rapids put together this graphic on their Facebook page…
Their forecast highs climb throughout the week…
Enjoy the summer weather while we can. It’s only 175 days until winter!
CELEBRITY DEATHS
Milton Glaser, who designed the “I Love NY” logo, has died at 91.
Rest in Peace, Milton Glaser ❤️ Thank you for inspiring so many to embrace design with an open heart. pic.twitter.com/HCCvu0bodh
— AIGA Eye on Design (@AIGAeyeondesign) June 27, 2020
Author Charles Webb, who wrote the 1963 book “The Graduate” which was made into the 1967 Oscar-winning movie, has died at 81.
BUELLER, BUELLER?
The cast of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” reunited on Josh Gad’s “Reunited Apart” YouTube series on Sunday. Matthew Broderick joined co-starsJennifer Grey, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara and others in what was Gad’s final show for the summer. You can watch it here…
WHITE ACTORS TO STOP VOICING BLACK CARTOON CHARACTERS
Two of the longest running prime-time cartoons have vowed to stop using white actors to voice characters of color.
FOX made the announcement on Friday, saying, “Moving forward, ‘The Simpsons’ will no longer have white actors voice nonwhite characters.”
Earlier in the day, “Family Guy” star Mike Henry revealed that he would no longer voice the show’s Black character Cleveland Brown. He tweeted, “It’s been an honor to play Cleveland on ‘Family Guy’ for 20 years. I love this character, but persons of color should play characters of color. Therefore, I will be stepping down from the role.”
In January, Hank Azaria said he’d no longer voice Apu. But “The Simpsons” has several white actors voicing non-white characters, such as Harry Shearer’s Dr. Hibbert.
MORE TV EPISODES PULLED DUE TO BLACKFACE CONCERNS
I think some of these things are going a little overboard, but companies want to be very careful and delete anything that might be even slightly considered controversial…
An episode from Season 3 of “The Golden Girls” was removed from Hulu. In it, Rose (Betty White) and Blanche (Rue McClanahan) apply a mud facial treatment, and when a Black family sees them, Rose says, “This is mud on our faces, we’re not really Black.”
Meanwhile, Netflix axed an episode of “Community” in which Ken Jeong’s character wears black makeup during a Dungeons & Dragons game, explaining that he was cosplaying as “a dark elf.”
Episodes of “Scrubs” and “30 Rock” have pulled episodes featuring blackface.
JUST WONDERING…
Now that the Macaroni Grille on 28th Street has been closed awhile, have all the people who could write their name upside and backwards, in crayon on the tabletop, found a place to work?
TODAY IS…
Today is Waffle Iron Day!
I should have had a waffle for breakfast! Maybe add some strawberries and whipped cream!
OK, with all the extras added on top, do you still use syrup?! I do!
A LOOK BACK
On this date in 2007, the very first generation Apple iPhone went on sale for $500.
I bought one!
Find out what else has happened on June 29th.
WRAPPING UP
Have a MAGNIFICENT Monday! I will be on the air this afternoon — local and live — from 3-7 pm on 98.7 WFGR! I’ll keep an eye on the weather for you.
If you have any comments on the above stories, please leave your remarks below…
