JEAN SHEPHERD in every BREATH of "A CHRISTMAS STORY"....PLEEZE ???

[jaymuss-eato]

...DAMMET if that *young-TURKEY*...aka: *Ben Mankewitz*...(who i admittedly seem to have a Love / Hate tendency toward)...Don't ERK the HELL outta me...

...There ARE times that i fall for his charm...but mostly, i'm bristled by his yuppie-ish attitudes...AND overly "TYPICAL" comments that FORCE me into wishing a REPLACEMENT.

...I'm WILLING to overlook the NEPOSTISTIC cicumstances that facilitated his "climb"...

...and POSSIBLY these SPECIFIC comments are *SCRIPTED* and therefore AUTHORED BY SOMEONE ELSE for Ben to *PARROT*...

...but i wish to take ISSUE with one PARTICULAR *promo* for the seasonal Classic; *"A CHRISTMAS STORY" (1983, MGM)*...

-where in by; *BEN* makes the comment that...*"PART of it's POPULARITY is that IT'S SO DAMN POPULAR"*....and just the WHOLE "*WASTED MOMENT"* ...that *COULD BE*...aPROPER "tribute" to a *CLASSIC 20th CENTURY FILM*.

-That *such a* *work of ART* should be *SUBJECTED* to such *DE-EMPHASIS of it's BRILLIANCE*... is *CERTAINLY a SHAME*.

...To *NOT* recognize the adaptation of *JEAN SHEPHERD's* (one of the *GREAT AMERICAN RACONTEURS*) stories into a FILM...so imbued into...AND INDICATIVE of...the AMERICAN IDENTITY...is *UGLY to me*.

...to *NOT* recognize the *PAR EXCELLENCE* *ACTING* by *ALL INVOLVED*....*seems SUPERFICIAL*...when you consider the SPOTLIGHT is *MAINLY* on some DUDE who bought the house on EBAY....and *OPENED IT UP AS A MUSEUM*...(yep, *COMPLETE WITH a GIFT SHOP*.)

...so WE, as the AUDIENCE...are EXPECTED...to FOCUS...on the fact...that some*"AVERAGE JOE"* tuned your *"PRECIOUS MEMORIES" into "PROFIT"*...

...as OPPOSED to...

...ACKNOWLEDGING *JEAN SHEPHERD*...and encouraging us...to seek out MORE INFORMATION about his WORK and LIFE...OR...ACKNOWLEDGING the performances by*DARREN MAMcGAVIN* and *MELINDA DILLON*...or the superb DIRECTION by *BOB CLARK*???

...*WAY to DUMB us DOWN -T.C.M !!!*

*...DO OVER.*

Angrily DISSAPPONTED,
Jaymuss