A reporter once asked Hicks why he'd stopped smoking. His reply: "I wanted to see if Denis Leary would."

Great line.

How do you see it manifesting in other branches of show business?

I figure if I can glean this kind of thing from officially sanctioned interviews of actors, musicians, directors, etc., where you've got people slagging off other people above and below them in the celebrity food chain on the record, it's got to be a whole lot worse via the unofficial channels.

I also saw a guy who was clearing the ice from the sidewalk with a pickaxe.

DH didn't use a pickaxe, but rather a long handled, iron weeding tool to chip through a few inches of ice on our sidewalks.

Human nature, definitely. Though I do think there's a connection between the the ego-driven nature of show business in general in conjunction with the failure to success ratio, and a level of bitterness, jealousy etc. that's above the mean. If that makes sense, which it may not since it's late in the day on a Friday.

Makes sense to me. Success in show business is due, in part, to luck. Luck in getting discovered, in finding a good agent, in getting the right gig to get you enough exposure. If two people are using the same material and one of them rises above the other, that's gotta burn.

I wonder if people who loved Buster Keaton were bitter about Charlie Chaplin's success.

I can glean this kind of thing from officially sanctioned interviews of actors, musicians, directors, etc.

This makes me feel quite naive. I remember reading the Onion AV article where Joss slags Donald Sutherland and I was startled at his honesty. I don't doubt people feel petty feelings--just that it was not the done thing to go on record with it.

Part of the reason the Sorbo thing made fandom_wank.

How long does it take for (real) maple syrup to go bad in the fridge?

How long does it take for (real) maple syrup to go bad in the fridge?

I've never had it go bad. Which makes me think it's on the order of years. At least one. I can be slow like that.

Newborn ends up in mother's pant leg: [link]

I'm sad to hear the talk about Leary. I haven't been able to enjoy an episode of Seinfeld since Michael Richards went racist-insane at that show. I always think how cute John Stamos is, and then remember stories I've heard about him, here. Sometimes, I wish I didn't know stuff.

Which makes me think it's on the order of years. At least one. I can be slow like that.

The hypothetical maple syrup is, I'd say, at least two years....

Newborn ends up in mother's pant leg: [

Wow, like that sketch in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life.

I love both Hicks and Leary. I'm bothered to hear of direct material ripoff, and not just style copying.