Controversy!

[LLeff]

http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2005/11/from_the_notebo.html

I've been called "greedy and unseemly" by Chicago columnist Eric Zorn. What a hoot!

[Mike]

Like they say: "All publicity is GOOD publicity!" :) Mike

[shimp scrampi]

Well!

To be fair, Laura, it is unclear, given Mr. Zorn's incredibly poor syntax ,whether he is calling YOU greedy and unseemly or your EFFORTS greedy and unseemly.

[Gerry O.]

Well!

To be fair, Laura, it is unclear, given Mr. Zorn's incredibly poor syntax ,whether he is calling YOU greedy and unseemly or your EFFORTS greedy and unseemly.

Frankly, I don't see any reason to call EITHER Laura OR the efforts "greedy and unseemly". Mr. Zorn obviously has a problem with the whole "Jack On A Stamp" project....Perhaps Mr. Zorn has his OWN "favorite famous dead person" that he's pushing to get on the new stamp and we're gumming things up for him!

[shimp scrampi]

I think we should get T-Shirts made up with pictures of Jack, captioned "greedy, unseemly and STAMP-WORTHY" - and march on Washington!

[Maxwell]

Well!

To be fair, Laura, it is unclear, given Mr. Zorn's incredibly poor syntax ,whether he is calling YOU greedy and unseemly or your EFFORTS greedy and unseemly.

Frankly, I don't see any reason to call EITHER Laura OR the efforts "greedy and unseemly". Mr. Zorn obviously has a problem with the whole "Jack On A Stamp" project....Perhaps Mr. Zorn has his OWN "favorite famous dead person" that he's pushing to get on the new stamp and we're gumming things up for him!

Nah, Eric Zorn is just a tool. (You should be glad I didn't tell you what I really think of him.) He wrote a very stupid article in October saying how he would openly root against the White Sox in the post-season. Of course, the same company that owns his paper owns the other team in Chicago.

[David47Jens]

To be fair, Laura, it is unclear, given Mr. Zorn's incredibly poor syntax ,whether he is calling YOU greedy and unseemly or your EFFORTS greedy and unseemly.

Actually, since Laura is only the spokesperson for the IJBFC's campaign -- No disrespect meant by "only" there, btw, I just meant it in the sense that she's spearheading the publicity drive, and thus it's her name which keeps appearing in the articles and other features! -- I think it's more a matter of whether Mr. Zorn is calling all of us ("us" being club members and all others signing or otherwise supporting the petition) greedy and unseemly, or our efforts greedy and unseemly...

(I also have to wonder how simply asking for a man's image on a stamp can be construed as being "greedy," but I oh-so-characteristically digress... )

Personally, I liked Mark Evanier's take on the issue of Jack's being on a previous stamp: "Yes, I know there was a Jack Benny stamp in 1991, part of a set drawn by Al Hirschfeld of famous comedians. So what? There have been eight million stamps with George Washington on them and he wasn't even all that funny. There can be another of Benny."

Ordinarily, being the vindictive little s.o.b. that I am, I'd be sorely tempted to call for some sort of mild retaliation, like a letter-writing campaign aimed at Mr. Zorn himself. But that would only detract from the positive aspects of our "get Jack on a stamp" effort, and so I'd seriously suggest the following alternative:

If you feel affronted enough to "do something" about this guy's comments, channel that energy into something to help the cause, like writing that letter or letters to one or more of your congressional reps. (Because if you're like me, that's something you've been "meaning to do, but... ") No sense attacking or otherwise defending ourselves to one disgruntled nay-sayer. If nothing else, taking the proverbial "high road" here would be much more in the spirit of the man we're trying to honor.

[Jack Benny]

Greedy and Unseemly...what great Benny words! Jack would have loved this when his show was on! Can't you see Phil come on and he and Jack doing a couple of minutes on both words. Like their great use and misuse of "banal"

Phil: Hey Jackson, how could you use such an unseemly and disparaging remark about me.

Jack: Phil, I know I for a fact that before the show, you looked at the script then asked Rochester if he had pressed my pants wrong and that's why the were unseemly!

Rochester: He said it alright! That's what the man said!

Jack: let me tell you what the dictionary says about the meaning of the word unseemly...

Mary: Oh, shut up!

[LLeff]

Jack: Phil, I know I for a fact that before the show, you looked at the script then asked Rochester if he had pressed my pants wrong and that's why the were unseemly!

I could see that working even better as a play on com-PLEAT-ly...

I very much appreciate David's suggestion of funneling any righteous indignation into more solicitation of the people who matter. On the flip side, I recently heard Maureen Dowd make the statement, "Controversy sells books." So as I learn more about publicity, the thought had crossed my mind that we could do something with this!

Speaking personally, I think his statement is hillarious and bear no ill feelings about it. People take public swipes at "important" people, so I guess this boosts the perceived level of importance of the campagin.

Think of how Jack dealt with Gilbert Seldes. Nuff said.

[Jack Benny]

I could see that working even better as a play on com-PLEAT-ly...

That's why they only allow me to listen to the show, and not write it!

[shimp scrampi]

I very much appreciate David's suggestion of funneling any righteous indignation into more solicitation of the people who matter. On the flip side, I recently heard Maureen Dowd make the statement, "Controversy sells books." So as I learn more about publicity, the thought had crossed my mind that we could do something with this!

Speaking personally, I think his statement is hillarious and bear no ill feelings about it. People take public swipes at "important" people, so I guess this boosts the perceived level of importance of the campagin.

Think of how Jack dealt with Gilbert Seldes. Nuff said.

Moreover, this one little snarky comment is totally, undoubtedly an anomaly. I doubt he even meant it seriously, anyhow.

Consider of the politics of a "movement" concerned with getting Jack Benny on a stamp. There is going to be no mobilized "opposition" to this - unless there's a Fred Allen club somewhere I don't know about - no one will be offended or vehemently "anti-" stamp - this is the kind of thing that succeeds entirely on the organization, publicity, and public interest.

So, good attitude, LL, like Mike says, all publicity is good publicity in this case.

[Gerry O.]

Speaking personally, I think his statement is hillarious and bear no ill feelings about it. People take public swipes at "important" people, so I guess this boosts the perceived level of importance of the campagin.

Think of how Jack dealt with Gilbert Seldes. Nuff said.

You're comparing this to the 'Gilbert Seldes' controversy? Oh NO....does this mean that we all have to be sickenly sweet and nice to each other on the message board from now on?

[LLeff]

You're comparing this to the 'Gilbert Seldes' controversy? Oh NO....does this mean that we all have to be sickenly sweet and nice to each other on the message board from now on?

Gee, I hope not. But I should take this opportunity to say that I very much appreciate how "adult" and "professional" everyone is here on all topics, having fun but never degenerating into unproductive banter.

So there you go, Gerry O. you ignorant slut... (Think Saturday Night Live if you don't get the joke!)

[David47Jens]

You're comparing this to the 'Gilbert Seldes' controversy? Oh NO....does this mean that we all have to be sickenly sweet and nice to each other on the message board from now on?

Gee, I hope not. But I should take this opportunity to say that I very much appreciate how "adult" and "professional" everyone is here on all topics, having fun but never degenerating into unproductive banter.

Actually, I thought we were just saving that kinda stuff for the IJBFC's Special Edition DVD...

[Clyde]

GEE....and here I was still having trouble with "Purile and Bannal" (10-13-40 show).