I just got a text message from the spousal unit:
News tidbits...J.D. Salinger died, and Ugly Betty canceled by ABC.
To which I replied:
Bummer to the first and who cares to the second.
J.D. Salinger wrote a tale of adolescent angst that should be required reading for everyone, angsty or not. Sylvia Plath's work doesn't stand up quite so well but she suffered and was eventually overwhelmed by the black dog of depression.
Salinger removed himself from the literary gene pool in a less violent way but still assured us that we would never be disappointed in him. Like Garbo, but much more talented, he wanted to be alone. I have a feeling there are people tearing through his effects right now, looking for something to publish, anything, an old shopping list or a note to his mailman.
On the other end of the spectrum, we have a television show centered around a sweet, unattractive girl bumbling her way through life in the big city. Recently, Betty has undergone a makeover, her Patricia Field-on-acid wardrobe toned down, her hair cut, eyebrows tweezed.
In its rush to present a pretty heroine, ABC forgot the real reason viewers were tuning out: the show stopped being funny. The family became selfish and whiny and Betty became more irritating in every episode. There's even a rumor that she will sleep with her boss this season. Gross! This was a humorous soap opera with no one vamping better than Vanessa Williams. Now it's become a dreary parody of itself.
Maybe there's something to be said for quitting while you're ahead.
