News of the Week: Cool June, Messages from the Grave, and the Lost Episode of Sesame Street

In the news for the week ending June 24, 2022, are a wicked witch, a pop icon, an unexpected trademark, a profane gravestone, frozen ketchup, a frozen explorer, and more.

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Random Notes

It’s been oddly cool here in Massachusetts the past couple of weeks, but I’m not going to fall for that trap. I know that July and August are going to be hot and humid and unbearable. Mother Nature doesn’t like to be fooled, and neither do I.

I just celebrated my 57th birthday, and I find that every day there’s something that makes me feel old. For example, albums aren’t “released” or “come out” anymore; they now “drop.” Beyoncé Drops Song, Beyoncé Announces New Album ‘Renaissance’ to Drop July 29. That’s something I’m never, ever going to say. I mean, could I use it for what I do here too? Bob’s New Column Drops This Friday.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted THE Ohio State University a trademark on the word THE. It allows them to use the word in that way on apparel and in promotions. But where does that leave this band?

More on words: A gravestone in an Iowa cemetery has enraged citizens because it has a hidden, profane message on it. Well, it’s not so hidden now.

Sometimes I think we should just stop creating new foods. We already have all the breakfast cereals we’ll ever need, we’ve mastered the science of stuffing things into pizza crust, and there should be a limit on flavors of ice pop. Case in point: the Frenchsicle, the French’s Tomato Ketchup frozen treat (they call it a popsicle, but that’s a trademarked brand name) that’s currently being released in Canada.

Suddenly I’m very aware that I’m typing the word the and I’m nervous for some reason, like I’m breaking the law.

Can You Tell Me How to Get, How to Get the Lost Episode of Sesame Street?

Did you know that there’s an episode of Sesame Street that hasn’t been seen in 46 years? Now, there are probably a lot of episodes of the show you haven’t seen in 46 years, but this one was specifically not shown again because it was too scary.

But the internet has it! Someone uploaded a good copy of the episode, which featured Margaret Hamilton as her Wizard of Oz Wicked Witch character, to Reddit, and now it has spread to other platforms as well.

I’m not quite sure why parents objected to that episode, since their kids were probably already watching The Wizard of Oz and dressing as little witches and vampires for Halloween.

Quote of the Week

I was doing some research on one of my favorite shows, Perry Mason, when I came across this tidbit. A viewer once came up to star Raymond Burr and demanded to know why Mason won every single case. Burr replied, “But madam, you only see the cases I try on Saturdays.”

RIP Mark Shields, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Tim Sale, James Rado, Joel Whitburn, Maureen Arthur, Duncan Hannah, Brett Tuggle, Glen Trotiner, and Victor Paganuzzi

Mark Shields was a veteran political pundit who appeared on such shows as PBS NewsHour and CNN’s Capital Gang. He was also a syndicated columnist, worked on four presidential campaigns, and wrote On the Campaign Trail, which chronicled the 1984 election. He died last week at the age of 85.

Jean-Louis Trintignant starred in such classic films as A Man and a Woman, Z, My Night at Maud’s, and Amour. He died last week at the age of 91.

Tim Sale was an influential comic book artist known for his important work on Batman, Superman, Spider-Man and other DC characters, as well as the TV show Heroes. He died last week at the age of 66.

James Rado was co-creator of the hit Broadway musical Hair. He died Tuesday at the age of 90.

Joel Whitburn was one of the leading experts on pop and rock music and the author of several books. He owned every album that ever made the Billboard charts plus 200,000 45-rpm singles. He died last week at the age of 82.

Maureen Arthur appeared in the stage and screen versions of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying as well as films like The Love God? and Thunder Alley. She also appeared on TV shows like The Jan Murray Show, Holiday Lodge, Empire, Perry Mason, and Murder, She Wrote. She died last week at the age of 88.

Duncan Hannah was an artist who a few years ago published the diaries that he kept in the 1970s detailing his life and associations with people like Andy Warhol. He died Saturday at the age of 69.

Brett Tuggle was a keyboardist for groups like Fleetwood Mac, Rick Springfield, Steppenwolf, and The David Lee Roth Band (he co-wrote “Just Like Paradise”). He died last week at the age of 70.

Glen Trotiner was an assistant director on many popular films, including Independence Day, Captain America: The First Avenger, The Untouchables, and Deep Impact, as well as TV shows like Oz, Blue Bloods, and Life on Mars. He died last week at the age of 65.

Victor Paganuzzi designed the sets used on CBS Sunday Morning and CBS election broadcasts, as well as working on set design for The Jackie Gleason Show, Love Is a Many Splendored Thing, and The Joan Rivers Show. He died last week at the age of 90.

This Week in History

George Mallory Born (June 18, 1886)

The British explorer disappeared in June 1924 while climbing Mount Everest. His body, well-preserved by the freezing temperatures, was found in 1999.

Hopalong Cassidy Premieres (June 24, 1949)

It was the first TV western, and star William Boyd also played the cowboy in 66 (!) films.

This Week in Saturday Evening Post History: Butch’s Bike Ride (June 23, 1945)

Butch is all excited because his owner just bought him some celery.

Strawberry Parfait and Chocolate Pudding

You get two food holidays this week, both desserts. Saturday is Strawberry Parfait Day and Sunday is Chocolate Pudding Day.

There are different ways to make the former. Spruce Eats has a recipe for Strawberry Parfait that calls for amaretto liqueur and amaretti biscuits, while Eating Well has one that includes granola and Greek yogurt.

For chocolate pudding recipes, try this one from The Pioneer Woman or this one from Food & Wine, which promises double the chocolate. And you can try this one from an 1878 issue of The (traditional use of upper and lower case letters) Saturday Evening Post. You have to scroll down past several other recipes, but you might also want to try making the chocolate almonds from Mrs. Beaton’s Cookery Book, which dropped in 1861.

Next Week’s Holidays and Events

Wimbledon Starts (June 27)

It’s going to be an interesting two weeks. Serena Williams is making her comeback, Rafael Nadal is trying to win his third major of the year, and the war in Ukraine is having an effect on the tournament and tennis in general. It begins on ESPN starting at 6 a.m., and Tennis Channel will have coverage at night.

National Handshake Day (June 30)

Are we officially back to shaking people’s hands again? If so, this is the day to do it.

Featured image: Trademark The Ohio State University

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Comments

  1. “Old?” I know how you feel! I’m older than you and I recently had to explain to some kid behind a counter what a phone book was! And the cover with Butch is so cute!

  2. I’m happy for you the weather’s been oddly (too) cool in MA. the last couple of weeks. Think of it as an extended birthday present, a pleasant canoe ride before going over an unexpected water fall; except you’re expecting it. High 90’s, low 100’s in much of the nation over a month now. Thanks for the Mother Nature ad. Loved it new and now!

    For my 8th birthday (celebrated ‘around’ the date per convenience) my mom took me and a couple of friends to the now long gone Chevrolet plant for a tour of those ’65 Impalas rolling down the assembly line from start to finish. The body style choices then were A LOT. Chevy was the sponsor of ‘Bewitched’ for its entire run, but only saw the cars sometimes. I cringe when I hear the name pronounced “Im-PAL-a’. Doesn’t ‘Im-POL-a’ sound much better? Of course it does!

    Haven’t heard the term ‘drops’ either for a song. In this particular case though, it can keep on dropping into oblivion. With this nation crashing and burning, the whole ‘The’ thing is particularly ridiculous, but not surprising. The THE THE musical group is wonderful. I’ve listened to their ‘Global Eyes’ per the link 3 times. Very unique. I’d have never known about them except for this column.

    ‘Global Eyes’ thematic music is both beautiful and exotic. It has strong elements of composer Robert Cobert’s music for Dan Curtis Productions, most famously the 60’s and 1991 versions of ‘Dark Shadows’. Music that lets the sound take you away in a calm, hypnotizing manner as you’re drawn in.

    The Iowa cemetery controversy really shouldn’t be, but can see how it is. The deceased (whom I would have steered clear of) had it all planned. Since the headstone is upright, it’s more visible than the flat version, making the not-so coded word much more obvious. This has a ‘You Be the Judge’ decision quality to it. As such, I say leave it alone. His children are very level headed people. If it was in violation then, it shouldn’t have been allowed. Moving forward, they (and all) cemeteries may need to revise their policies as to what is and is not acceptable.

    Even though I was too old to have seen ‘Sesame Street’ in 1976, it would have been neat to see Margaret Hamilton in this capacity. In this era I remember her as a friendly, helpful shopkeeper named Cora in a series of Maxwell House coffee commercials, as well as Vivian Vance as Maxine in others for the brand. They both made it very clear why Maxwell House was the superior brand to those at all unsure of themselves.

    Thanks for the ‘Butch’ cover from 1945. Albert Staehle created a great series for this wonderful dog in the 40’s.

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