Interlude

Dear Chuck,

Over the past few weeks I have been juggling a class for career advancement, plus cleaning out the apartment I am vacating on July 31. So a trip to Barnes & Noble hasn't been in the works for me, and may not be for a month or so. However, though I have not read your whole book, I would like to take a few guesses as to why mentioned in the reviews "villiany."

* Andrew Dice Clay. You talk about knowing the most and caring the least? Well, the Diceman went above and beyond that the night of September 6, 1989. He knew that he was not supposed to work blue on the Dick Clark-produced MTV Video Music Awards, but he did not care and used the word "t*ts." Pissing off Dick Clark? Biggest "asking for it" move that year not involving Tony Mandarich.

* Fred Durst. I wouldn't say it was Woodstock '99 that did him in, but rather later, making insinuations that Christina Aguilera (then a nice, wholesome teen pop star) went down on him. You don't do that without getting backlash.

* Chevy Chase. Now here's a guy who, even when he was secretly a coke-addicted, Laraine-Newman-harassing a-hole, had box office value. Look at his stretch from 1978 to 1989: Foul Play, Caddyshack, Vacation, Fletch, European Vacation, Spies Like Us, Three Amigos, and Christmas Vacation. Even the non-hits (Under the Rainbow, Modern Problems, Funny Farm) did little to hurt him.

Then, he did Nothing But Trouble. That film was a failure on every level. Visually repulsive, intellectually insulting, audience alienating. I'm not prepared to do an exposition on it now, but it's a possible future topic of mine. I truly believe that was what led him to try the talk show, which needs no exposition here.

So, those are my takes on three of your subjects. Soon I'll learn yours, we'll compare notes.

Best,

Dan