Lawrence "Larry" Hertzog, the television writer and producer best known as the creator of the cult series Nowhere Man, passed on Saturday, April 19, at the age of 56. The cause was cancer.
Lawrence Hertzog was born June 25, 1951 in Flusing. He grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey. He moved to Los Angeles in 1977. In 1979 he broke into television writing episodes for Kate Columbo. He also wrote episodes of Hart to Hart. He wrote several episodes of Hardcastle and McCormick and was also co-executive producer of that show. He was also an executive producer on Stingray, for which he also wrote episodes. With Stephen J. Cannell he co-created the series J. J. Starbuck. He wrote three episodes of SeaQuest DSV and was a supervising producer for six episodes on that show.
Ironically, the show for which Larry Hertzog would become most famous did not have a particularly long run. The series originated from the soon to be launched UPN's need for programming. With only a few months to go before the new network would make its debut, UPN executive Michael Sullivan approached Hertzog about creating a series for the network. Hertzog created a show centred around documentary photographer Thomas Veil, who abruptly found his entire life "erased" and on the run from a vast, secret organisation which wanted negatives to a controversial photo he had taken. It was effectively a cross between The Fugitive and The Prisoner.
Nowhere Man was received very well by television critics, even getting a good review in The New York Times. And for a series on a fledgeling network, it got fairly good ratings. Unfortunately, there were those in leadership positions of UPN who simply did not like Nowhere Man. Worse yet, changes in the leadership of UPN would result in the decision to focus on urban comedies instead of action series as it originally planned. Nowhere Man was then cancelled after one season and 26 episodes. Despite this, through the years Nowhere Man has maintained a loyal following. It was even released on DVD on December 26, 2005.
Hertzog would go on to work as head writer on the series La Femme Nikita (which was similar in many respects to Nowhere Man in its "trust no one" premise). The final series on which he worked was the Sci-Fi Channel original Painkiller Jane, on which he was a writer and associate producer.
Lawrence Hertzog was not necessarily the most successful producer and writer in American television. With but a few exceptions, none of the shows on which he worked were smash hits. But he was arguably one of the best producers and writers in American television. Where Hertzog excelled best was writing (and in the case of Nowhere Man creating) shows that were different from almost anything else on television. Nowhere Man dealt with a man whose identity had been erased, ten years before identity theft became a common crime. La Femme Nikita combined Sixties style spy drama with the paranoia of The Prisoner and The X-Files (and Nowhere Man as well). Painkiller Jane (based on the comic book of the same name) dealt with an agent of the government with superhuman abilities who hunts others with superhuman abilities (Gil Grant of Covington Cross fame adapted the comic book into a TV series).
Of course, it was not simply that Hertzog worked on unusual shows. Quite simply, Lawrence Hertzog was also very good at what he did. Nowhere Man would not still be remembered, nor would it have been released on DVD, had it been a poorly written show. Hertzog did not simply have a knack for creating unusual situations, but also well developed characters to place in those situations. It is a talent that few television writers and even fewer television producers possess. It is then sad to know that he has been taken from us all too soon.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Earth Day Quiz
As regular readers of this blog probably already know, Beth of the lovely voice laid down a challenge for me at the first of the year. The challenge was simply this: I must create and post one pop culture quiz a month in A Shroud of Thoughts. The quizzes can have a single theme or simply be a collection of random things. At the end of 2008, the reader who has accumulated the most points throughout the year will win a pop culture related prize. For those of you curious about the prize, I decided that it will be a pop culture related key chain of the winner's choice, to cost no more than $5.00 (minus sales tax). The price limit is for the simple fact that I can't afford platinum plated key chains... I'll provide the answers around the end of the month.
Since yesterday was Earth Day, I thought this quiz should have an environmental theme!
1. In what year did Smokey Bear first appear?
2. What was the name of the comic strip created by Ed Dodd and debuting on April 15, 1946, which featured a photojournalist and magazine writer as its hero and dealt with environmental themes?
3. What 1962 book is credited with launching the environmental movement in the United States?
4. In what year was Earth Day first celebrated?
5. What bird is the icon for the United States Forest Service's anti-littering campaign?
6. What Greek letter was used as a symbol for the ecology movement?
7. What President founded the National Park Service?
8. What year was the Endangered Species Act passed?
9. What 1990 carton aired on TBS featured an environmentalist superhero and his team of five youths fighting threats to the environment?
10. What 2006 film won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature Film and dealt with global warming?
Since yesterday was Earth Day, I thought this quiz should have an environmental theme!
1. In what year did Smokey Bear first appear?
2. What was the name of the comic strip created by Ed Dodd and debuting on April 15, 1946, which featured a photojournalist and magazine writer as its hero and dealt with environmental themes?
3. What 1962 book is credited with launching the environmental movement in the United States?
4. In what year was Earth Day first celebrated?
5. What bird is the icon for the United States Forest Service's anti-littering campaign?
6. What Greek letter was used as a symbol for the ecology movement?
7. What President founded the National Park Service?
8. What year was the Endangered Species Act passed?
9. What 1990 carton aired on TBS featured an environmentalist superhero and his team of five youths fighting threats to the environment?
10. What 2006 film won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature Film and dealt with global warming?
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Ratatouille
Director Brad Bird has always referred to animation as an art form, something distinct from live action movies, rather than simply another genre of film. It is his belief that animation can be used to tell any sort of story and that it can be used in such a way to appeal to any sort of audience, whether adults or children. It is perhaps for this reason that Bird's films have always been light years ahead of other animated movies. Quite simply, Bird's insistence that animation is an art is reflected in his movies.
One need look no further than his latest film, Ratatouille, released last year. Ratatouille centres on a rat named Rémy who is blessed with remarkable senses of taste and smell and, as a result, wants to be a chef. Rémy achieves his goal through the hapless Linguini, a young man who just happens to get a job at Gusteau's, the once great restaurant founded by the legendary chef Auguste Gusteau. In the hands of another director such a tale could have been simple children's fare, but in the hands of Bird it is a masterpiece of animated storytelling. In fact, I rather suspect Ratatouille might well appeal more to adults than it would the younger set.
Indeed, it must be pointed out that Brad Bird is one of the few true auteurs working in animation today. Each of his films (his previous two being The Iron Giant and The Incredibles) have been steeped in nostalgia and American pop culture. While The Iron Giant was based on the English novel The Iron Man, Bird took the film and made it entirely a thing of its own, drawing upon the old Fleischer Brothers Superman cartoons, Cold War paranoia, and Fifties pop culture. The Incredibles was essentially a paen to Silver Age superheroes, with a family somewhat reminiscent of Marvel's Fantastic Four. Ratatouille follows in the same vein of nostalgia and pop culture, in this instance drawing upon the screwball comedies of the Fifties and Sixties. Even with a rat as the lead character, Ratatouille is a good compliment to such films as The Nutty Professor (the Jerry Lewis original, not the remake), Topkapi, and One, Two, Three.
It is for that reason that, like The Incredibles before it, Ratatouille is unlike any other Pixar film. There are no musical interludes of any sort, let alone songs by Randy Newman. No outtakes or bloopers play during the closing credits. Instead, Ratatouille is very much its own film, a Sixties screwball comedy separated from the rest only through its rodent hero and the fact that it is an animated film.
It is a mark of Bird's status as an auteur that certain themes do run through his films. In fact, the central theme of all three of his movies can be summed up in a line from The Iron Giant--"You are who you choose to be." Each of Bird's movies deal with indivduals struggling with their own individuality, their own need to be who they must be. In the case of Rémy, he must decide between being a traditional rat who simply takes what he wants for food, or a chef who creates culinary delights. As a character Rémy is very much in keeping with both the Iron Giant and Mr. Incredible in seeking a way in which he can be himeself.
Aside from its remarkably strong script, Ratatouille also benefits from some great vocal performances. Ian Holm is delightful as the villain of the piece, Gusteau's former suchef and now the chef at the restaurant. Brad Garrett is virtually unrecognisable as the late chef Auguste Gusteau. Perhaps the best performance in the entire film, however, is Peter O'Toole as dour food critic Anton Ego. It is arguably one of the best performances of an overall stellar career.
Visually, Ratatouille could well be Pixar's strongest film. The film's vision of Paris is lush and romantic--the Paris of many Hollywood films. And Ratatouille features some incredible sequences, from a complex scene set in a storm sewer to Rémy's flight through the kitchen and the restaurant.
Over all, Ratatouille could well be Pixar's best film, which given their oeuvre makes it all the more impressive. It is a truly amazing movie with a strong story line, memorable characters, great performances, and some truly amazing animation. It is also more proof that Brad Bird is truly one of the great auteurs of our time.
One need look no further than his latest film, Ratatouille, released last year. Ratatouille centres on a rat named Rémy who is blessed with remarkable senses of taste and smell and, as a result, wants to be a chef. Rémy achieves his goal through the hapless Linguini, a young man who just happens to get a job at Gusteau's, the once great restaurant founded by the legendary chef Auguste Gusteau. In the hands of another director such a tale could have been simple children's fare, but in the hands of Bird it is a masterpiece of animated storytelling. In fact, I rather suspect Ratatouille might well appeal more to adults than it would the younger set.
Indeed, it must be pointed out that Brad Bird is one of the few true auteurs working in animation today. Each of his films (his previous two being The Iron Giant and The Incredibles) have been steeped in nostalgia and American pop culture. While The Iron Giant was based on the English novel The Iron Man, Bird took the film and made it entirely a thing of its own, drawing upon the old Fleischer Brothers Superman cartoons, Cold War paranoia, and Fifties pop culture. The Incredibles was essentially a paen to Silver Age superheroes, with a family somewhat reminiscent of Marvel's Fantastic Four. Ratatouille follows in the same vein of nostalgia and pop culture, in this instance drawing upon the screwball comedies of the Fifties and Sixties. Even with a rat as the lead character, Ratatouille is a good compliment to such films as The Nutty Professor (the Jerry Lewis original, not the remake), Topkapi, and One, Two, Three.
It is for that reason that, like The Incredibles before it, Ratatouille is unlike any other Pixar film. There are no musical interludes of any sort, let alone songs by Randy Newman. No outtakes or bloopers play during the closing credits. Instead, Ratatouille is very much its own film, a Sixties screwball comedy separated from the rest only through its rodent hero and the fact that it is an animated film.
It is a mark of Bird's status as an auteur that certain themes do run through his films. In fact, the central theme of all three of his movies can be summed up in a line from The Iron Giant--"You are who you choose to be." Each of Bird's movies deal with indivduals struggling with their own individuality, their own need to be who they must be. In the case of Rémy, he must decide between being a traditional rat who simply takes what he wants for food, or a chef who creates culinary delights. As a character Rémy is very much in keeping with both the Iron Giant and Mr. Incredible in seeking a way in which he can be himeself.
Aside from its remarkably strong script, Ratatouille also benefits from some great vocal performances. Ian Holm is delightful as the villain of the piece, Gusteau's former suchef and now the chef at the restaurant. Brad Garrett is virtually unrecognisable as the late chef Auguste Gusteau. Perhaps the best performance in the entire film, however, is Peter O'Toole as dour food critic Anton Ego. It is arguably one of the best performances of an overall stellar career.
Visually, Ratatouille could well be Pixar's strongest film. The film's vision of Paris is lush and romantic--the Paris of many Hollywood films. And Ratatouille features some incredible sequences, from a complex scene set in a storm sewer to Rémy's flight through the kitchen and the restaurant.
Over all, Ratatouille could well be Pixar's best film, which given their oeuvre makes it all the more impressive. It is a truly amazing movie with a strong story line, memorable characters, great performances, and some truly amazing animation. It is also more proof that Brad Bird is truly one of the great auteurs of our time.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
When Hype is Not Warranted
The term hype has been in use since at least the Fifties. It is a word that simultaneously denotes excessive publicity and the commotion that sometimes comes with it. While the word may only date from the later half of the Twentieth Century, however, hype has existed nearly as long as there has been mass media of any kind, from the printed word to television.
Most often when hype surrounds a particular work, it is with very good reason. Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind, published in 1937, became the best selling novel of its time. Mitchell even won the Pulitzer prize for the work. For that reason it was quite natural that there would be a great deal of hype surrounding David O. Selznick's film adaptation, from the casting of Scarlet O'Hara to the film's complex production. It was quite naturally expected to be huge at the box office (and it was, becoming the biggest selling film of all time for many decades to come). One cannot say that the hype which surrounded Gone With the Wind was not warranted.
Another example of hype being well deserved also comes from the world of film. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was the biggest film of its time. It was quite natural then that there should be a good deal of hype surrounding its sequel, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. And while Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back did not do as well as the first film, it was still a phenomenal box office success. Today many regard it as the best of the series. Again, it would seem that Em>Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back deserved its hype.
While many movies, TV shows, and books do deserve the hype that they receive, there are other times when a particular upcoming work receives a great deal of hype for apparently no good reason. A current example which comes to my mind is Sex in the City: the Movie. The past few months have seen article after article on the film. And in many instances the writers give the impression that Sex in the City: the Movie will be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, movie of the summer. It is not unusual for it to be mentioned in the same breath as Iron Man, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Speed Racer, and The Dark Knight. My only question is, "Why?"
There can be no doubt that Sex in the City was one of the most popular shows on HBO. And the show most certainly has a loyal following. That having been said, I do not think that following is large enough to turn it into a smash hit at the box office. For one thing, it seems to me that Sex in the City was always one of those shows that appealed much more to women than men. Every single fan of Sex in the City I know personally is a woman. Not one man I know personally ever watched the show regularly, and all of them were either indifferent to it or outright hated it. From the outset, then, Sex in the City: the Movie will have an audience composed almost entirely of women. And, unfortunately for that film, it takes appeal to both sexes for movies to generally be big box office hits.
For another thing, I am not even sure that Sex in the City is that popular among women. Of the women I know personally who have seen the show, they seem to be divided about 50/50 as to the series. On one hand, my first best friend's wife and my second best friend are both indifferent to the show. On the other hand, my sister loved it. If the women I know are any indication, then, only 50% of all American women have any interest in Sex in the City. That certainly does not bode well for Sex in the City: the Movie.
That having been said, all of this is not taking into account that the movie is being released May 30, 2008. This will put it in competition with Iron Man (releasing May 2, 2008), Speed Racer (releasing May 9, 2008), The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (releasing May 16, 2008), and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (releasing May 22, 2008). Given this sort of competition and its somewhat limited audience, I suspect the best that Sex and the City: the Movie can hope for is modest box office success on its first weekend, possibly ranking #2 in the top ten movies for the weekend. Of course, I doubt it will even do that. The question then remains why the movie is getting as much hype, if not more hype, than many of the summer's obvious blockbusters?
Of course, unwarranted hype is not limited to movies. It occurs in the medium of television as well. Early in its run, Ally McBeal received an enormous amount of exposure in the press. The character of Ally McBeal even made the controversial June 25, 1998 cover of Time, appearing alongside feminists such as Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem. The show also won Emmy awards and SAG awards, as well as receiving several nominations for various other awards. Despite the intense publicity the series received and the awards it won, however, Ally McBeal was not a smash hit in the ratings. Although it was one of Fox's more popular shows, for most of its run it rarely ranked in the top 25 shows for any given week. And while it did win awards, many critics were not particularly fond of the show, finding the title character annoying. Even worse, there were feminists who found the character of Ally McBeal an insult to women. When the show's ratings fell towards the end of its run, they did so spectacularly. These days one rarely, if ever, hears Ally McBeal mentioned except in discussions of television in the Nineties. Again, one has to wonder what the reason for all the hype was.
Literature having always been considered a more respectable medium than film or television, one would think it would be immune to hype. This is not the case, and sometimes that hype is unwarranted. The textbook example of a writer who was overly hyped is perhaps the late Norman Mailer. It seemed that every new book Mailer had written was published with a good deal of fanfare. He won the Pulitzer, among other awards. His novel The Naked and the Dead and his nonfiction work The Executioner's Song can be considered classics. There are those who count him as the most influential writer of his generation. And yet, with the exception of The Naked and the Dead, nearly all of Mailer's books received mixed reviews. While many of his books sold well, there were many that did not. Indeed, today Mailer's books simply do not sell very well. His book The Armies of the Night, for which he won the Pulitzer in 1969, only sold 3000 copies from 2006 to November 2007. This can be contrasted with the works of Kurt Vonnegut. His novel Cat's Cradle sold 130,000 copies in the same time period. Slaughterhouse Five sold 280,000. The question then remains why so much publicity would often surround the works of Mailer, even more than the works of Vonnegut, a writer who was not only critically acclaimed but adored by the public as well.
It is probably impossible to determine all of the factors which cause certain works to receive a good deal of hype which they ultimately do not deserve. And I rather suspect that the reasons behind it vary from work to work. That having been said, I think that to some degree there could be a certain amount of snobbery which results in some movies, TV shows, or books being hyped more than other movies, TV shows, or books that might actually be more deserving. This may certainly hold true for Norman Mailer. While I have only read a few of his books, I can say that they were generally well written and well thought out. I still think Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller are better writers, but I must give Norman Mailer credit where credit is due.
Of course, it is difficult for me to see snobbery at work with regards to such things as Sex in the City and Ally McBeal. I always thought of the former as simply a half hour dirty joke written for women and the latter as a superficial show with little depth at all. That having been said, there could be an explanation for why the cognoscenti in television would love both shows. Sex in the City centred on urban, single, working women, three of whom were nearing middle age and one of whom definitely was middle aged--this at a time when very few shows focused on urban, single, working women of any age. The show often had serialised story lines and even flirted with drama at a time when most sitcoms did not do so. It also dealt with issues that at the time were considered socially relevant. While there were those who found the show rather shallow in its treatment of single women in the Nineties, I can still understand why the series might appeal to many television critics and reporters in the entertainment industry, particularly women. There would then seem to be a bit of a snob fact at work with Sex in the City. I believe the same could hold true with Ally McBeal. Like Sex in the City it centred on a single, urban, working woman. And like Sex in the City it dealt with socially relevant theme. It also featured serialised story lines at a time when such were a rarity on television. I can then also understand how the show would then appeal to the cognoscenti in the television industry.
The snob appeal of some movies, TV shows, and books then explains why they are sometimes hyped even if there is no great clamour over them among the general public. It is a case of these movies, TV shows, and books appealing to a few critics and reporters who lose their objectivity and somehow believe that these movies, TV shows, and books should then appeal to the vast majority of Americans. I can guarantee that when Sex in the City: the Movie loses the weekend box office to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, there will be those in the media who will proclaim it a box office disappointment and ponder why it did not perform better. What they will miss, of course, is that all the hype around the film was unwarranted and it will only be performing as well as is to be expected.
Most often when hype surrounds a particular work, it is with very good reason. Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind, published in 1937, became the best selling novel of its time. Mitchell even won the Pulitzer prize for the work. For that reason it was quite natural that there would be a great deal of hype surrounding David O. Selznick's film adaptation, from the casting of Scarlet O'Hara to the film's complex production. It was quite naturally expected to be huge at the box office (and it was, becoming the biggest selling film of all time for many decades to come). One cannot say that the hype which surrounded Gone With the Wind was not warranted.
Another example of hype being well deserved also comes from the world of film. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was the biggest film of its time. It was quite natural then that there should be a good deal of hype surrounding its sequel, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. And while Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back did not do as well as the first film, it was still a phenomenal box office success. Today many regard it as the best of the series. Again, it would seem that Em>Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back deserved its hype.
While many movies, TV shows, and books do deserve the hype that they receive, there are other times when a particular upcoming work receives a great deal of hype for apparently no good reason. A current example which comes to my mind is Sex in the City: the Movie. The past few months have seen article after article on the film. And in many instances the writers give the impression that Sex in the City: the Movie will be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, movie of the summer. It is not unusual for it to be mentioned in the same breath as Iron Man, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Speed Racer, and The Dark Knight. My only question is, "Why?"
There can be no doubt that Sex in the City was one of the most popular shows on HBO. And the show most certainly has a loyal following. That having been said, I do not think that following is large enough to turn it into a smash hit at the box office. For one thing, it seems to me that Sex in the City was always one of those shows that appealed much more to women than men. Every single fan of Sex in the City I know personally is a woman. Not one man I know personally ever watched the show regularly, and all of them were either indifferent to it or outright hated it. From the outset, then, Sex in the City: the Movie will have an audience composed almost entirely of women. And, unfortunately for that film, it takes appeal to both sexes for movies to generally be big box office hits.
For another thing, I am not even sure that Sex in the City is that popular among women. Of the women I know personally who have seen the show, they seem to be divided about 50/50 as to the series. On one hand, my first best friend's wife and my second best friend are both indifferent to the show. On the other hand, my sister loved it. If the women I know are any indication, then, only 50% of all American women have any interest in Sex in the City. That certainly does not bode well for Sex in the City: the Movie.
That having been said, all of this is not taking into account that the movie is being released May 30, 2008. This will put it in competition with Iron Man (releasing May 2, 2008), Speed Racer (releasing May 9, 2008), The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (releasing May 16, 2008), and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (releasing May 22, 2008). Given this sort of competition and its somewhat limited audience, I suspect the best that Sex and the City: the Movie can hope for is modest box office success on its first weekend, possibly ranking #2 in the top ten movies for the weekend. Of course, I doubt it will even do that. The question then remains why the movie is getting as much hype, if not more hype, than many of the summer's obvious blockbusters?
Of course, unwarranted hype is not limited to movies. It occurs in the medium of television as well. Early in its run, Ally McBeal received an enormous amount of exposure in the press. The character of Ally McBeal even made the controversial June 25, 1998 cover of Time, appearing alongside feminists such as Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem. The show also won Emmy awards and SAG awards, as well as receiving several nominations for various other awards. Despite the intense publicity the series received and the awards it won, however, Ally McBeal was not a smash hit in the ratings. Although it was one of Fox's more popular shows, for most of its run it rarely ranked in the top 25 shows for any given week. And while it did win awards, many critics were not particularly fond of the show, finding the title character annoying. Even worse, there were feminists who found the character of Ally McBeal an insult to women. When the show's ratings fell towards the end of its run, they did so spectacularly. These days one rarely, if ever, hears Ally McBeal mentioned except in discussions of television in the Nineties. Again, one has to wonder what the reason for all the hype was.
Literature having always been considered a more respectable medium than film or television, one would think it would be immune to hype. This is not the case, and sometimes that hype is unwarranted. The textbook example of a writer who was overly hyped is perhaps the late Norman Mailer. It seemed that every new book Mailer had written was published with a good deal of fanfare. He won the Pulitzer, among other awards. His novel The Naked and the Dead and his nonfiction work The Executioner's Song can be considered classics. There are those who count him as the most influential writer of his generation. And yet, with the exception of The Naked and the Dead, nearly all of Mailer's books received mixed reviews. While many of his books sold well, there were many that did not. Indeed, today Mailer's books simply do not sell very well. His book The Armies of the Night, for which he won the Pulitzer in 1969, only sold 3000 copies from 2006 to November 2007. This can be contrasted with the works of Kurt Vonnegut. His novel Cat's Cradle sold 130,000 copies in the same time period. Slaughterhouse Five sold 280,000. The question then remains why so much publicity would often surround the works of Mailer, even more than the works of Vonnegut, a writer who was not only critically acclaimed but adored by the public as well.
It is probably impossible to determine all of the factors which cause certain works to receive a good deal of hype which they ultimately do not deserve. And I rather suspect that the reasons behind it vary from work to work. That having been said, I think that to some degree there could be a certain amount of snobbery which results in some movies, TV shows, or books being hyped more than other movies, TV shows, or books that might actually be more deserving. This may certainly hold true for Norman Mailer. While I have only read a few of his books, I can say that they were generally well written and well thought out. I still think Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller are better writers, but I must give Norman Mailer credit where credit is due.
Of course, it is difficult for me to see snobbery at work with regards to such things as Sex in the City and Ally McBeal. I always thought of the former as simply a half hour dirty joke written for women and the latter as a superficial show with little depth at all. That having been said, there could be an explanation for why the cognoscenti in television would love both shows. Sex in the City centred on urban, single, working women, three of whom were nearing middle age and one of whom definitely was middle aged--this at a time when very few shows focused on urban, single, working women of any age. The show often had serialised story lines and even flirted with drama at a time when most sitcoms did not do so. It also dealt with issues that at the time were considered socially relevant. While there were those who found the show rather shallow in its treatment of single women in the Nineties, I can still understand why the series might appeal to many television critics and reporters in the entertainment industry, particularly women. There would then seem to be a bit of a snob fact at work with Sex in the City. I believe the same could hold true with Ally McBeal. Like Sex in the City it centred on a single, urban, working woman. And like Sex in the City it dealt with socially relevant theme. It also featured serialised story lines at a time when such were a rarity on television. I can then also understand how the show would then appeal to the cognoscenti in the television industry.
The snob appeal of some movies, TV shows, and books then explains why they are sometimes hyped even if there is no great clamour over them among the general public. It is a case of these movies, TV shows, and books appealing to a few critics and reporters who lose their objectivity and somehow believe that these movies, TV shows, and books should then appeal to the vast majority of Americans. I can guarantee that when Sex in the City: the Movie loses the weekend box office to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, there will be those in the media who will proclaim it a box office disappointment and ponder why it did not perform better. What they will miss, of course, is that all the hype around the film was unwarranted and it will only be performing as well as is to be expected.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Scream Queen Hazel Court Passes On
Actress Hazel Court passed on Tuesday at the age of 82 from a heart attack. She is perhaps best known for her roles in horror films from both Hammer Films and American International. She played opposite such greats as Peter Cushing, Vincent Price, and Boris Karloff.
Hazel Court was born in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham on February 10, 1926. Her father was a professional cricketer. She was only fourteen she studied drama at both the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and the Alexander Theatre in Birmingham. As a teenager she was already appearing in stage productions. She made her film debut in a bit part in the movie Champagne Charlie in 1944 Her first credited role was playing in the movie Dreaming in 1945. She won a British Critics Award for her role as the handicapped girl May Raeburn in the 1946 film Carnival.
Starting with the drama Root of All Evil in 1947, Court would make several movies for Gainsborough Pictures. Although she preferred comedy, she played in a variety of movies early in her career, appearing in the crime drama Dear Murderer, the thriller Forbidden, and the drama My Sister and I. From 1944 to 1948, she would make only two comedies--the swashbuckler adventure Meet Me at Dawn and Holiday Camp (her last film with Gainsborough).
Hazel Court was absent from the silver screen from 1948 to 1952, her last film having been My Sister and I in 1948. When she returned to the big screen in 1952, it would be in her first horror film. Ghost Ship (not to be confused with the Val Lewton movie) was written and directed by B-movie master Vernon Sewell. For the next few years she would appear in such varied films as Counterspy, Devil Girl from Mars, and Hour of Decision.
The year 1957 would mark a turning point in Hazel Court's career. It was the year that she made her television debut, guest starring on The Buccaneers and cast as a regular on the ATV series The Gentle Killers. More importantly, it was in 1957 that she appeared in Hammer Films' Curse of Frankenstein. The film established Hazel Court as an undisputed scream queen and a cult star. She would have her own TV series, Dick and the Duchess, from 1957 to 1958. She would guest star in TV shows such as Playhouse 90, The Invisible Man, Bonanza, Danger Man, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Thriller. She also appeared in such movies as The Shakedown, Model for Murder, and Breakout.
Of course, it would be for her horror movies for which she would become best known. She once more appeared with Christopher Lee in Hammer's The Man Who Could Cheat Death. She was also the lead actress in Dr. Blood's Coffin. That having been said, it would be for Roger Corman's American International that she would make the bulk of her horror movies. She starred in Premature Burial, The Raven, and The Masque of the Red Death.
Hazel Court semi-retired from acting in 1964 to concentrate on being a wife and mother. Thereafter she made only scattered appearances on such televsion shows as Rawhide, The Twilight Zone, Burke's Law, and The Wild Wild West. Her last appearance on film was a cameo in Omen III: The Final Conflict in 1981.
Sadly, it seems that more attention has been paid to Hazel Court's most noticeable assets and her ability to scream in fear than the considerable talent she actually possessed. While the movies she made often gave her little more to work with than looking beautiful and screaming profusely, she was often very impressive in her various guest shots on TV shows. Examples of such are her roles in the episode "Arthur" of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, the episode "The Contessa" of Danger Man, the episode "The Mink Coat" of The Invisible Man. Although she was not sometimes given the opportunity to display it, Hazel Court was indeed an actress of considerable talent.
Hazel Court was born in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham on February 10, 1926. Her father was a professional cricketer. She was only fourteen she studied drama at both the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and the Alexander Theatre in Birmingham. As a teenager she was already appearing in stage productions. She made her film debut in a bit part in the movie Champagne Charlie in 1944 Her first credited role was playing in the movie Dreaming in 1945. She won a British Critics Award for her role as the handicapped girl May Raeburn in the 1946 film Carnival.
Starting with the drama Root of All Evil in 1947, Court would make several movies for Gainsborough Pictures. Although she preferred comedy, she played in a variety of movies early in her career, appearing in the crime drama Dear Murderer, the thriller Forbidden, and the drama My Sister and I. From 1944 to 1948, she would make only two comedies--the swashbuckler adventure Meet Me at Dawn and Holiday Camp (her last film with Gainsborough).
Hazel Court was absent from the silver screen from 1948 to 1952, her last film having been My Sister and I in 1948. When she returned to the big screen in 1952, it would be in her first horror film. Ghost Ship (not to be confused with the Val Lewton movie) was written and directed by B-movie master Vernon Sewell. For the next few years she would appear in such varied films as Counterspy, Devil Girl from Mars, and Hour of Decision.
The year 1957 would mark a turning point in Hazel Court's career. It was the year that she made her television debut, guest starring on The Buccaneers and cast as a regular on the ATV series The Gentle Killers. More importantly, it was in 1957 that she appeared in Hammer Films' Curse of Frankenstein. The film established Hazel Court as an undisputed scream queen and a cult star. She would have her own TV series, Dick and the Duchess, from 1957 to 1958. She would guest star in TV shows such as Playhouse 90, The Invisible Man, Bonanza, Danger Man, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Thriller. She also appeared in such movies as The Shakedown, Model for Murder, and Breakout.
Of course, it would be for her horror movies for which she would become best known. She once more appeared with Christopher Lee in Hammer's The Man Who Could Cheat Death. She was also the lead actress in Dr. Blood's Coffin. That having been said, it would be for Roger Corman's American International that she would make the bulk of her horror movies. She starred in Premature Burial, The Raven, and The Masque of the Red Death.
Hazel Court semi-retired from acting in 1964 to concentrate on being a wife and mother. Thereafter she made only scattered appearances on such televsion shows as Rawhide, The Twilight Zone, Burke's Law, and The Wild Wild West. Her last appearance on film was a cameo in Omen III: The Final Conflict in 1981.
Sadly, it seems that more attention has been paid to Hazel Court's most noticeable assets and her ability to scream in fear than the considerable talent she actually possessed. While the movies she made often gave her little more to work with than looking beautiful and screaming profusely, she was often very impressive in her various guest shots on TV shows. Examples of such are her roles in the episode "Arthur" of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, the episode "The Contessa" of Danger Man, the episode "The Mink Coat" of The Invisible Man. Although she was not sometimes given the opportunity to display it, Hazel Court was indeed an actress of considerable talent.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Ollie Johston Jr., Last of the Nine Old Men, Passes On
Celebrated animator Oliver Martin "Ollie" Johnston Jr. died yesterday afternoon from natural causes the age of 95. He was the very last of the Disney's Nine Old Men, the core group of animators created most of Disney's classic works. They were deemed the Nine Old Men by Walt Disney himself, using the term that Franklin D. Roosevelt had used of the U.S. Supreme Court (here it must be noted that in the Thirties the oldest of Disney's Nine Old Men were only in their forties).
Ollie Johnston was born on October 31, 1912 in Palo Alto, California. Johnston attended Palo Alto High School and later went to Stanford University, where his father was the head of the romance language department. It was there that he met Frank Thomas, who would become Johnston's friend for life and another one of Disney's Nine Old Men. Both Johnston and Thomas attended the Chouinard Art Institute after graduating from Stanford. After Thomas started working for Walt Disney's studio in September 1934. Johnston followed suit in January 1935.
Johnston began work as an apprentice animator, working as an inbetween artist on such shorts as "Two-Gun Mickey" and "Mickey's Garden."The Tortoise and the Hare," on which Johnston worked, won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short. Johnston would serve as an assistant animator to Fred Moore on Disney's first feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.
Ollie Johnston would go onto work on some of Disney's great feature films. Under his full name, Oliver M. Johnston, he was an animator on Pinocchio, regarded by some as the greatest animated film of all time. He was the animation supervisor on "The Pastoral Symphony" for Fantasia and supervising animator for the character Thumper on Bambi. He was a directing animator on The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, The Jungle Book, and The Rescuers. He was an animator on The Three Caballeros, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, and Mary Poppins. Among the shorts on which he worked were "Peter and the Wolf," "Johnny Appleseed," "Chicken Little," and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Johnston retired in 1978, having worked for Disney for 43 years. He would also be the voice of the train engineer in The Iron Giant and performed additional voices for The Incredibles.
With his best friend Frank Thomas, he co-wrote four books: Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life, Too Funny For Words, Walt Disney's Bambi: The Story and the Film, and The Disney Villain. He and Frank Thomas and heir lifelong partnership were the subject of the 1995 documentary Frank and Ollie.
For nearly his entire life Ollie Johnston was a train enthusiast. In 1946 he built a constructed a one-inch scale steam-driven train and track. In 1968 he bought and restored a 1901 H.K. Porter steam locomotive. It was Ollie's interest in trains which would spur Walt Disney's own interest in them, even leading to the construction of the railroad in Disneyland.
There can be no doubt that Ollie Johnston was among the greatest animators of all time. His expertise was character animation, and he animated some of the best loved characters in the history of animation. It was Johnston who animated the Great Prince of the Forest and Thumper in Bambi, Mr. Smee in Peter Pan, and Baloo in The Jungle Book. An animator Johnston could be very subtle when it came to his characters, allowing their emotions to be expressed through little facial expressions and movements of the body. If animated characters today have a greater range of emotion than they once did, it is largely due to the work of men such as Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas. They were definitely among the best.
Ollie Johnston was born on October 31, 1912 in Palo Alto, California. Johnston attended Palo Alto High School and later went to Stanford University, where his father was the head of the romance language department. It was there that he met Frank Thomas, who would become Johnston's friend for life and another one of Disney's Nine Old Men. Both Johnston and Thomas attended the Chouinard Art Institute after graduating from Stanford. After Thomas started working for Walt Disney's studio in September 1934. Johnston followed suit in January 1935.
Johnston began work as an apprentice animator, working as an inbetween artist on such shorts as "Two-Gun Mickey" and "Mickey's Garden."The Tortoise and the Hare," on which Johnston worked, won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short. Johnston would serve as an assistant animator to Fred Moore on Disney's first feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.
Ollie Johnston would go onto work on some of Disney's great feature films. Under his full name, Oliver M. Johnston, he was an animator on Pinocchio, regarded by some as the greatest animated film of all time. He was the animation supervisor on "The Pastoral Symphony" for Fantasia and supervising animator for the character Thumper on Bambi. He was a directing animator on The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, The Jungle Book, and The Rescuers. He was an animator on The Three Caballeros, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, and Mary Poppins. Among the shorts on which he worked were "Peter and the Wolf," "Johnny Appleseed," "Chicken Little," and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Johnston retired in 1978, having worked for Disney for 43 years. He would also be the voice of the train engineer in The Iron Giant and performed additional voices for The Incredibles.
With his best friend Frank Thomas, he co-wrote four books: Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life, Too Funny For Words, Walt Disney's Bambi: The Story and the Film, and The Disney Villain. He and Frank Thomas and heir lifelong partnership were the subject of the 1995 documentary Frank and Ollie.
For nearly his entire life Ollie Johnston was a train enthusiast. In 1946 he built a constructed a one-inch scale steam-driven train and track. In 1968 he bought and restored a 1901 H.K. Porter steam locomotive. It was Ollie's interest in trains which would spur Walt Disney's own interest in them, even leading to the construction of the railroad in Disneyland.
There can be no doubt that Ollie Johnston was among the greatest animators of all time. His expertise was character animation, and he animated some of the best loved characters in the history of animation. It was Johnston who animated the Great Prince of the Forest and Thumper in Bambi, Mr. Smee in Peter Pan, and Baloo in The Jungle Book. An animator Johnston could be very subtle when it came to his characters, allowing their emotions to be expressed through little facial expressions and movements of the body. If animated characters today have a greater range of emotion than they once did, it is largely due to the work of men such as Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas. They were definitely among the best.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Social Networking Websites
In recent years a good deal has been written and said about social networking websites. For those of you who don't know what a social networking website is, it is essentially any website which is meant to facilitate interaction between its users. Many, if not most,social networking websites include blogs and messaging, and some even have their own email and chat. Perhaps the most famous example of a social networking website is MySpace.
Of course, it is hard to tell what the first social networking website actually was. As originally conceived, the web hosting service GeoCities was organised into "neighbourhoods" into which users would place their various web sites. Each user had his or her own profile. And GeoCities also offered chat, bulletin boards, email, and other community related features. In some respects, this isn't much different from the social networking websites of today. GeoCities came about in 1995, but has since done away with the neighbourhood setup and most all of the community features.
It must also be pointed out that Yahoo has had profiles nearly as long as GeoCities has been around. In one's Yahoo Profile one gives his or her Yahoo ID, his or her real name (if he or she chooses to), his or her occupation, his or her hobbies, et. al. The Yahoo profile was in many ways the ancestor of the profiles used by MySpace, Facebook, and other social networking sites.
Of course, one could always consider the online dating services to be among the earliest social networking sites. Indeed, Matchmaker.com's roots go all the way back to 1983, starting out as a bulletin board system. It was then among the first online dating services on the Web. Rival Match.Com was founded in 1994 and went live as an online beta in 1995. FriendFinder was founded in 1996. I must confess that I have no experience with online dating websites, but, from those who do, I know that they generally include rofiles, messaging, and other features generally found in social networking sites. Quite simply, online dating services can be considered highly specialised social networking websites.
Indeed, the earliest social networking websites did tend to be highly specialised. Classmates.com was founded in 1995 with the purpose of reuniting old classmates and keeping them in touch. Another early social networking website was SixDegrees.com. It was founded in 1997 and lasted until 2001. The name for SixDegrees.com was taken from the idea that there are only six degrees of separation between any two human beings. As a result, the website centred on indirect ties between people. SixDegrees.com was notable in that it not only included profiles, but users could create friend lists, post bulletin board messages to people, and so on. In many respects, it was the direct predecessor to MySpace, Facebook, Friendster, and so on.
Yet another, but highly specialised predecessor to the modern social networking sites was AncientSites. AncientSites was dedicated to history, from ancient Rome to the Germanic peoples of the Dark Ages. Member profiles were written as if the individual was an ancient Celt or ancient Greek or so on. Members could join various groups, chat with each other (chatrooms were everywhere on AncientSites), post to bulletin boards, and so on. Founded in 1997, AncientSites closed its doors in 2001. It maintained a loyal following, however, so much so that its creators would develop a new site, AncientWorlds, that is pretty much the same as the original AncientSites.
Another predecessor of modern social networking websites is LiveJournal. LiveJournal was founded in 1999, primarily as a blogging service. What set LiveJournal apart from other blogging services is that it has characteristics of a social networking web site. Like MySpace and Facebook after it, users on LiveJournal can have "Friends." LiveJournal also features groups called "communities," where users can hold discussions on various topics of interest to them. In some respects LiveJournal has always been as much a social networking website as it is a blogging service.
While Classmates.com specialises in renewing school ties and LiveJournal is a blogging service. Care2 is also specialised. Founded in 1998, it is meant to encourage activism in individuals by connecting them with like minded people. Like the social networking sites that followed it, Care2 includes a profile which lists one's interests. And it includes bulletin boards and groups in which individuals can discuss things. What sets it apart from other social networking sites is that it emphasises activism. I have a Care2 account myself, it is one of the better social networking sites out there.
If there is a turning point when one can say social networking websites came into their own, it is perhaps the year 2002. hi5 was founded in 2002 and from the beginning was set up much like MySpace or Facebook. Users create their own profiles listing their various interests. They can make friends, post pictures, and so on. Although not as well known as MySpace or Facebook, it is still popular. In 2007 it ranked as one of the 25 most visited sites on the web.
It was also in 2002 that Friendster was founded. It launched in March 2003. The idea was simply that individuals would have profiles like those at online dating sites, but instead those profiles would be used to network with friends and acquaintances. It was successful early on. By June 2003 it had 835,000 registered members. Unfortunately, problems would soon emerge for Friendster. The large number of users put a burden on the website's servers, which meant page loads could take over a minute. Users became very unhappy, as word of the site's problems spread through boards and blogs. Worse yet, Friendster would soon have rivals to contend with.
The first among these was MySpace. It was in 2003 that employees of eUniverse, an internet marketing company, realised just how successful Friendster could really be. They then developed their very own social networking website. Launched in August 2003, eUniverse promoted MySpace among its 20 million users. By July 2005 MySpace had 22 million users. Much of this success would come through the site's MySpace Music service, in which bands could not only have their own profiles, but put samples of their work on the site as well. Of course, MySpace also has many other features, such as blogs, photos, groups, and so on. If MySpace has become the most successful social networking site, it is perhaps because there is so much to do there. Indeed, in 2007 MySpace even introduced MySpaceTV, their own equivalent of YouTube.
Another rival to Friendster arrived in Feburary 2004. Facebook was originally a very specialised site, initially servicing only students at Harvard. It quickly expanded to include the whole Ivy League and later still any university student. High school students were allowed to join in September 2005. In April 2006 employees of ten major companies (including Amazon and Microsoft) were allowed to join. Finally, in September, 2006, everyone was permitted to join.
Even though Facebook is now open to everyone, it is still in some respects more specialised than MySpace or Friendster. It is essentially set up along the line of networks based on geographic region, workplace, or school. And unlike other social networking sites, one's profile cannot be viewed simply by anyone. Someone in say, the Bangkok, Thailand network would not be able to view the profile of someone in the New York, New York network beyond his or her profile picture and name. While this does insure privacy, it is also a bit frustrating in that it can sometimes be difficult to determine if someone in another network is indeed one knows. Still, there is a good deal to do at Facebook. Indeed, the site features what they call "applications," features which can allow one to share his or her favourite movies with people or take quizzes or what have you.
Of course, there are more social networking sites out there than Friendster, MySpace, and Facebook. There is Bebo, which seems to be most popular in the UK and its colonies (including the United States). There is Orkut, which is owned by Google, but seems to be most popular in India and Brazil. There is Yahoo! 360°, Yahoo's social networking site which they intend to replace with a universal profile system. In all, well over 100 social networking sites exist, not counting sites such as LiveJournal which have some social networking features.
Social networking has existed on the World Wide Web from the beginning. Online dating existed before the advent of the Web. Sites such as Geocities developed soon after. Perhaps the only surprise with regards to the emergence of sites such as MySpace and Facebook is that they did not emerge sooner. One thing that can be certain. They won't be going away any time soon.
Of course, it is hard to tell what the first social networking website actually was. As originally conceived, the web hosting service GeoCities was organised into "neighbourhoods" into which users would place their various web sites. Each user had his or her own profile. And GeoCities also offered chat, bulletin boards, email, and other community related features. In some respects, this isn't much different from the social networking websites of today. GeoCities came about in 1995, but has since done away with the neighbourhood setup and most all of the community features.
It must also be pointed out that Yahoo has had profiles nearly as long as GeoCities has been around. In one's Yahoo Profile one gives his or her Yahoo ID, his or her real name (if he or she chooses to), his or her occupation, his or her hobbies, et. al. The Yahoo profile was in many ways the ancestor of the profiles used by MySpace, Facebook, and other social networking sites.
Of course, one could always consider the online dating services to be among the earliest social networking sites. Indeed, Matchmaker.com's roots go all the way back to 1983, starting out as a bulletin board system. It was then among the first online dating services on the Web. Rival Match.Com was founded in 1994 and went live as an online beta in 1995. FriendFinder was founded in 1996. I must confess that I have no experience with online dating websites, but, from those who do, I know that they generally include rofiles, messaging, and other features generally found in social networking sites. Quite simply, online dating services can be considered highly specialised social networking websites.
Indeed, the earliest social networking websites did tend to be highly specialised. Classmates.com was founded in 1995 with the purpose of reuniting old classmates and keeping them in touch. Another early social networking website was SixDegrees.com. It was founded in 1997 and lasted until 2001. The name for SixDegrees.com was taken from the idea that there are only six degrees of separation between any two human beings. As a result, the website centred on indirect ties between people. SixDegrees.com was notable in that it not only included profiles, but users could create friend lists, post bulletin board messages to people, and so on. In many respects, it was the direct predecessor to MySpace, Facebook, Friendster, and so on.
Yet another, but highly specialised predecessor to the modern social networking sites was AncientSites. AncientSites was dedicated to history, from ancient Rome to the Germanic peoples of the Dark Ages. Member profiles were written as if the individual was an ancient Celt or ancient Greek or so on. Members could join various groups, chat with each other (chatrooms were everywhere on AncientSites), post to bulletin boards, and so on. Founded in 1997, AncientSites closed its doors in 2001. It maintained a loyal following, however, so much so that its creators would develop a new site, AncientWorlds, that is pretty much the same as the original AncientSites.
Another predecessor of modern social networking websites is LiveJournal. LiveJournal was founded in 1999, primarily as a blogging service. What set LiveJournal apart from other blogging services is that it has characteristics of a social networking web site. Like MySpace and Facebook after it, users on LiveJournal can have "Friends." LiveJournal also features groups called "communities," where users can hold discussions on various topics of interest to them. In some respects LiveJournal has always been as much a social networking website as it is a blogging service.
While Classmates.com specialises in renewing school ties and LiveJournal is a blogging service. Care2 is also specialised. Founded in 1998, it is meant to encourage activism in individuals by connecting them with like minded people. Like the social networking sites that followed it, Care2 includes a profile which lists one's interests. And it includes bulletin boards and groups in which individuals can discuss things. What sets it apart from other social networking sites is that it emphasises activism. I have a Care2 account myself, it is one of the better social networking sites out there.
If there is a turning point when one can say social networking websites came into their own, it is perhaps the year 2002. hi5 was founded in 2002 and from the beginning was set up much like MySpace or Facebook. Users create their own profiles listing their various interests. They can make friends, post pictures, and so on. Although not as well known as MySpace or Facebook, it is still popular. In 2007 it ranked as one of the 25 most visited sites on the web.
It was also in 2002 that Friendster was founded. It launched in March 2003. The idea was simply that individuals would have profiles like those at online dating sites, but instead those profiles would be used to network with friends and acquaintances. It was successful early on. By June 2003 it had 835,000 registered members. Unfortunately, problems would soon emerge for Friendster. The large number of users put a burden on the website's servers, which meant page loads could take over a minute. Users became very unhappy, as word of the site's problems spread through boards and blogs. Worse yet, Friendster would soon have rivals to contend with.
The first among these was MySpace. It was in 2003 that employees of eUniverse, an internet marketing company, realised just how successful Friendster could really be. They then developed their very own social networking website. Launched in August 2003, eUniverse promoted MySpace among its 20 million users. By July 2005 MySpace had 22 million users. Much of this success would come through the site's MySpace Music service, in which bands could not only have their own profiles, but put samples of their work on the site as well. Of course, MySpace also has many other features, such as blogs, photos, groups, and so on. If MySpace has become the most successful social networking site, it is perhaps because there is so much to do there. Indeed, in 2007 MySpace even introduced MySpaceTV, their own equivalent of YouTube.
Another rival to Friendster arrived in Feburary 2004. Facebook was originally a very specialised site, initially servicing only students at Harvard. It quickly expanded to include the whole Ivy League and later still any university student. High school students were allowed to join in September 2005. In April 2006 employees of ten major companies (including Amazon and Microsoft) were allowed to join. Finally, in September, 2006, everyone was permitted to join.
Even though Facebook is now open to everyone, it is still in some respects more specialised than MySpace or Friendster. It is essentially set up along the line of networks based on geographic region, workplace, or school. And unlike other social networking sites, one's profile cannot be viewed simply by anyone. Someone in say, the Bangkok, Thailand network would not be able to view the profile of someone in the New York, New York network beyond his or her profile picture and name. While this does insure privacy, it is also a bit frustrating in that it can sometimes be difficult to determine if someone in another network is indeed one knows. Still, there is a good deal to do at Facebook. Indeed, the site features what they call "applications," features which can allow one to share his or her favourite movies with people or take quizzes or what have you.
Of course, there are more social networking sites out there than Friendster, MySpace, and Facebook. There is Bebo, which seems to be most popular in the UK and its colonies (including the United States). There is Orkut, which is owned by Google, but seems to be most popular in India and Brazil. There is Yahoo! 360°, Yahoo's social networking site which they intend to replace with a universal profile system. In all, well over 100 social networking sites exist, not counting sites such as LiveJournal which have some social networking features.
Social networking has existed on the World Wide Web from the beginning. Online dating existed before the advent of the Web. Sites such as Geocities developed soon after. Perhaps the only surprise with regards to the emergence of sites such as MySpace and Facebook is that they did not emerge sooner. One thing that can be certain. They won't be going away any time soon.
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