What kind of impression does the "blog" give of "me"? On my trip to Atlanta I met some kindly grad students who had confused "blog" me with "real" me. I explained that 1) the "blog" tries not to address anything important as a rule and 2) "blog" me is a "construct" (in grad language) and a shaky one at that. Which leads me to this: Remember Sheri Joseph's friend who works for TCM? (She is not to be confused with my friend Shana [who also works for TCM], pictured above with DJ Gnosis on their way to visit Oxford.) Well, Sheri Joseph's friend (we'll call her "H.") is a writer and researcher at TCM, and in the course of her research, she came across Edie Adams playing three roles in a cigar commercial. Had I heard of Edie Adams (wife of Ernie Kovacs)? she wondered. Heard of her? Why, we've "blogged" about her! But that's not why "H." got in touch. The cigar commercial would not have made me question myself as a human being! But having seen one particular previous video clip on the "blog," "H." assumed that I would enjoy the monstrous spectacle of Debbie Reynolds singing "If I Had a Hammer." And so I asked myself again, what impression does the "blog" give of me? What have I become? Because she's right! Lord help me, she's right. It was all so very innocent when Bing Crosby sang "Eleanor Rigby." He was a good sport and acquitted himself pretty well. But it's a slippery slope, friends. A slippery slope!
