Fun Fact Friday: Once a Buckeye, Always a Buckeye

This tidbit was brought to my attention by my sister-in-law, Julia:   Comedian Richard Lewis, who may now be better known as Larry David's friend in Curb Your Enthusiasm, graduated from The Ohio State University in 1969 with a degree in advertising.

Comedy Archive at Ohio State

Doris Von Kappelhoff: A Little piece of Ohio in Hackney, London

Albums displayed in case at V&A Museum of Childhood, May 2011

During my visit of the V&A Museum of Childhood last week, which was either prompted by my homesickness or my feeling a bit old lately, I was surprised to stumble upon at least two Ohio-related items.  One was part of a display that had interview snippets from Hackney residents about their family and childhood.  A resident mentioned that some of her happiest childhood memories was listening to the radio and to singers like Doris Day.

Doris Day was born 'Doris Mary Ann Von Kappelhoff' on April 3, 1924 in Evanston, Ohio (neighborhood of  Cincinnati).  Little Doris aspired to be a professional ballerina but an automobile accident dashed that dream by crushing her leg.  Fortunately, this setback led to the discovery of her gift for singing and after some lessons she began singing professionally at the age of 15 with the Les Brown Band.  After a screen test with Warner Bros (more Ohioans), she would become America's sweetheart and star in over 39 films in the 50s and 60s with the likes of Clark Gable (another Ohioan) and Rock Hudson. She is currently staging a musical comeback at the age of 87.

Talking about homesickness:  Doris Day singing 'Ohio'
Fun Doris Day Trivia

‎"I have found that when you are deeply troubled, there are things you get from the silent devoted companionship of a dog that you can get from no other source." -- Doris Day

The Lady of The Pixies. .. .She's kind of a big Deal.

While watching a great band, Bleech, at a rockin' birthday party last night, I was reminded how much I love female bassists and of my favorite female bassist, fellow Ohioan Kim Deal.  Deal is best known as the bassist for the Pixies, founder of the Breeders and being just plain cool.

Not My Job: Kim Deal
Fascinating Interviewee
It isn't easy being as cool as Kim Deal
Feel It

Not all Sheens are from Mars

Martin Sheen, Hollywood, 1996 by Paul Joyce

Ah, well, I had planned on posting this months back during the media frenzy surrounding Charlie Sheen, which although dissipating is still continuing, but a recent visit to the Whitechapel Gallery reminded me how much I enjoy Martin Sheen.  In the small theatre, a series of films played and the most engaging one was Dinh Q. Le's split-screen film simultaneously showing clips of Charlie Sheen in Platoon and Martin Sheen, in Apocalypse Now.  Amazingly to me, the film even included a clip that I didn't remember but found incredibly interesting and relevant:  Willard (Martin Sheen) states, “Fuck. You don’t get a chance to know what the fuck you are in some factory in Ohio.”  So, while Charlie Sheen is declaring himself a 'total freaking rock star from Mars' and the media is eating it up and following him like the train wreck that he is, I find myself wishing to hear more about my preferred member of the Sheen clan, Martin. Sheen the Elder (birth name: Ramon Gerardo Antonio Estevez) was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio by immigrant parents.  After leaving Ohio at the age of 18 with bus fare he borrowed from his parish priest, Sheen struggled to attain his acting dreams in New York and married a young Ohio art student (Janet Templeton) before landing a major breakout role in the play 'The Subject was Roses' and later his iconic role in 'Apocalypse Now'.  Despite his newfound fame and wealth, he like his son Charlie, had demons and addictions to battle.  Yet, he managed to surpass them and has maintained his marriage and a strong and ultimately happy family life.  In addition to all the work he has done on his own life based in Malibu, California, Sheen continues to visit Ohio to do good works and is involved in the development of his hometown and homestate community.

Sheen Family Therapy
Augsberger/Estevez scholarship
For a pacifist, Martin Sheen plays a pretty good president
Martin Sheen on his own addictions and 'Apocalypse Now'
What Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez were doing during Charlie's media and mental frenzy

RIP "Macho Man" Randy Savage

After hearing the unfortunate news of "Macho Man" Randy Savage's death today, I stumbled upon the fact that he was actually born in Columbus, Ohio in 1952.  The professional wrestler, minor league outfielder, rapper, and Slim Jim spokesperson will always hold a special place in the hearts of many Americans of my generation.

'Macho Man' by The Village People

Fun Fact Friday: Zowie Bowie

If anyone recalls the Glee episode from a few week's back where Sue Sylvester disguises herself as David Bowie, it really isn't that strange of a costume at all when you consider that his first born (with first wife Mary Angela Barnett) chose to study in Ohio.  This was brought to my attention during my first bout of graduate school when one of my cohorts, who grew up and went to college in Wooster, mentioned that he saw David Bowie and Iman walking through the campus of the College of Wooster during his undergrad days. This struck me as quite odd and unbelievable but was corroborated years later by one of my best friends, who also attended the same university and had actually lived down the hall from Duncan Jones until he managed to find 'better' accommodation.  He apparently graduated after three years with a degree in Philosophy and later went to the London Film School and has subsequently directed two films:  Moon (2009) and Source Code (2011).

Alma Witherspoon of Geek Love

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Speaking of Warren, the small town came up in one of the most unlikely places.  Namely, a novel that I was reading when back in the states entitled 'Geek Love' by Katherine Dunn.  The novel is is the story of a traveling carnival run by Aloysius "Al" Binewski and his wife "Crystal" Lil.  When the business begins to fail, the couple devise an idea to breed their own freak show, using various drugs and radioactive material to alter the genes of their children.  The story takes place in two periods:  the first deals with Binewski's children's constant struggle with each other through life.  The majority of this struggles deals with the Machiavellian Arty as he develops his own cult:  Arturism.  In this cult, Arty persuades people to have their limbs amputated so that they can be like Arty, the cult leader, in their search for the principle he calls PIP ("Peace, Isolation, Purity").  This is strangely where the small town of Ohio comes into play as the first devotee, Alma Witherspoon, is described as having originated in the small Ohio town (the following description is taken from page 180 of the book and is in the voice of Olympia, Arty's sister):  
I sat down next to her and watched the heat rash on the insides of her elbows and the backs of her knees and in the folds of her chins as she talked. She had got herself into a terrible jam, she said, and it had made her realize ... She was from Warren, Ohio, and her mother was a schoolteacher but had died last year. She took a photo album out of the shopping bag and showed me a picture of a fat old woman.


I have yet been able to find the importance of this Ohio town to the author but it's still a striking mention of detail that I feel is worth noting.


Freakery:  Cultural Spectacles of the Extraordinary Body