When Wacky Packages ruled

By Todd Leopold
CNN

(CNN) -- I blame Wacky Packages for making me the man I am today.

Though there have been attempts to bring them back, Wacky Packages' heyday was in the early '70s.

At 9 years old, I became hooked on the Topps-brand sticker series of product parodies, which recast Cap'n Crunch as "Cap'n Crud" and Nestle's Quik as "Nutlee's Quit" ("Explodes Instantly with Milk").

From there, it was a short trip to Mad magazine, "Saturday Night Live," National Lampoon, punk rock, trolling used-book stores and record stores, and indulging in other mind-rotting activities (memorizing trivia, creating puns) until I became the skeptical, disillusioned writer you have before you.

So, to Wacky Packages, I can only say: Thank you.

Not that Topps, or more specifically illustrator Art Spiegelman and writer Jay Lynch -- goaded by Topps' Woody Gelman and Len Brown -- knew the import of the work. In the preface to the new book "Wacky Packages" (Abrams), a collection of the first seven series of the Topps cards, Spiegelman -- yes, the same Art Spiegelman who won a Pulitzer Prize for "Maus" -- remembers the creation of Wackies as being "a dream job," but something that would probably be forgotten.

"It was all done as Part of a Day's Work, much like the way early comic books were made: they certainly weren't made as art, they weren't sold as art, and they weren't thought of as art," he says in the book's introduction. "Wacky Packages just formed an island of subversive underground culture in the surrounding sea of junk."

Lynch, a childhood friend of Spiegelman's who worked on Wacky Packages, Garbage Pail Kids and other Topps series, agrees.

"I didn't know they were that memorable until about 12 years ago, with the Internet," he says in an interview. (Several Web sites have been devoted to the cards, notably Greg Grant's Wacky Packages pages.) "Before that, I didn't think of it as any more important than the other series."

an the LA paparazzi be tamed?

By Peter Bowes
BBC News, Los Angeles

The Los Angeles paparazzi are as much as part of Hollywood life as the studios, celebrities and publicists.

Snapping stars is big business for the legions of photographers who stake out the clubs, restaurants and shopping malls of Beverly Hills.

But all that could change if new laws are brought in to curb the activities of the paparazzi.

In recent months there have been some ugly incidents in which photographers are widely believed to have overstepped the mark.

The day Britney Spears was taken from her home on a stretcher and ferried to a local hospital, scores of tabloid photographers swarmed around her ambulance.

Flagrant flouting

A police helicopter and a dozen officers on motorbikes were drafted in to escort the singer, at a reported cost to the local authority of $25,000 (£13,000).

"We can't afford to drain that type of resource from the police department," says Dennis Zine, a member of the Los Angeles City Council.

Photographer Nick Stern thinks new laws would curb press freedom

"We need to come up with something to control the situation. Normally somebody is in an ambulance and it gets to the hospital without any kind of impediment.

"In this particular case it was impeded because of the paparazzi."

Tabloid photographers have also developed a reputation for flagrantly flouting traffic laws. Many will think nothing of rushing into a busy street with a camera at the ready if it means they can get a shot of a celebrity in their car.

"Everyone thinks they're going to get the photograph of the century," says Mr Zine.

"It becomes a mob mentality. It's like a pack of wolves, a swarm of bees going after their prey. That's the issue that we really need to contend with and we need to come up with a solution."

Another widely-reported skirmish involving the paparazzi occurred when actor Matthew McConaughey went surfing in Malibu.

'Tropic Thunder' pushes envelope and then some

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- There's no question "Tropic Thunder" takes chances.

Ben Stiller, left, and Robert Downey Jr. are among the stars of "Tropic Thunder," a Hollywood satire.

Tom Cruise almost unrecognizable as a foulmouthed, foul-mannered movie executive? Check. Mockery of action heroes, Method actors and gross-out comedians? Check. Challenging stereotypes at every opportunity? Absolutely.

But casting Robert Downey Jr. as a black man? Well, that might be a bit much.

Or maybe not.

In "Tropic Thunder," a comedy about self-absorbed Hollywood types making a "Platoon"-style war movie, Downey plays Australian actor Kirk Lazarus, a multiple Oscar-winning performer who gets so involved in his roles that he forgets to come out of them. He's a man constantly looking for ways to transform himself for his art.

So, cast as a black man in the war movie, Lazarus decides to dye his skin surgically.

Downey -- no slouch as an actor himself -- has often been seen as one who immerses himself fully in his roles. That kind of dedication prevented the character from coming off as offensive, said Ben Stiller, who directed, co-wrote and stars in "Tropic Thunder."

"I give all the credit to Robert," Stiller told CNN. "I felt he really was so committed to that character, the guy that was playing that guy, that as an audience you bought his sincerity. Very few people, I think, could pull that off."

Brandon Jackson, who plays hip-hop star turned actor Alpa Chino (say it fast), agreed.

"Robert was black the whole time. My mom came on the set and she thought it was Don Cheadle," he told CNN. "I'm serious. That's how black he was."

'Tropic Thunder' pushes envelope and then some

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- There's no question "Tropic Thunder" takes chances.

Ben Stiller, left, and Robert Downey Jr. are among the stars of "Tropic Thunder," a Hollywood satire.

Tom Cruise almost unrecognizable as a foulmouthed, foul-mannered movie executive? Check. Mockery of action heroes, Method actors and gross-out comedians? Check. Challenging stereotypes at every opportunity? Absolutely.

But casting Robert Downey Jr. as a black man? Well, that might be a bit much.

Or maybe not.

In "Tropic Thunder," a comedy about self-absorbed Hollywood types making a "Platoon"-style war movie, Downey plays Australian actor Kirk Lazarus, a multiple Oscar-winning performer who gets so involved in his roles that he forgets to come out of them. He's a man constantly looking for ways to transform himself for his art.

So, cast as a black man in the war movie, Lazarus decides to dye his skin surgically.

Downey -- no slouch as an actor himself -- has often been seen as one who immerses himself fully in his roles. That kind of dedication prevented the character from coming off as offensive, said Ben Stiller, who directed, co-wrote and stars in "Tropic Thunder."

"I give all the credit to Robert," Stiller told CNN. "I felt he really was so committed to that character, the guy that was playing that guy, that as an audience you bought his sincerity. Very few people, I think, could pull that off."

Brandon Jackson, who plays hip-hop star turned actor Alpa Chino (say it fast), agreed.

"Robert was black the whole time. My mom came on the set and she thought it was Don Cheadle," he told CNN. "I'm serious. That's how black he was."

Allman Brothers Band sues record group for $13 million

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Allman Brothers Band has sued a record company to demand a bigger cut of recordings sold through third parties such as Apple's iTunes music service.

The rock band claims it's the victim of "digital exploitation," and demands more royalties from sales.

The Southern rock band filed its lawsuit against UMG Recordings Inc. in federal court in Manhattan on Monday, saying it was the victim of "digital exploitation."

The band behind such hits as "Melissa" and "Ramblin' Man" demands at least $13 million and additional royalties from the sales of newly configured compact discs and digital downloads for use on telephone ring tones.

The Allman Brothers Band was formed in the late 1960s and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.

A telephone message left with a lawyer for UMG hasn't been returned.

Soul star Hayes was 'cool as ice'

Soul II Soul star and British music pioneer Jazzie B became friends with US soul icon Isaac Hayes after they performed together in the 1990s.

Jazzie B says the iconic singer-songwriter, who has died at the age of 65, has left a big impression on him - and on modern music.

---

I first heard Isaac as a kid. He was Black Moses at that time. He'd done that album - that would have been the early '70s.

We had a lot of laughs, a lot of chuckles

One of the things I remember most was the album cover, him as Black Moses, with the chain waistcoat and the cloak, and the album sleeve opened out into a cross. A very outstanding piece of material.

My biggest memory of Isaac is singing with him in Paris, I think it was either '95 or '97, singing Papa Was a Rolling Stone. That duet was just so bizarre. That's one of my fondest memories. We became friends after that.

When Isaac came over [to the UK], I'd often hang out with him and we had a lot of mutual friends. He was just a really nice man, a really cool guy. He was quite funny, quite comedic. Always had interesting things to say.

I probably remember him more from a humorous point of view, we had a lot of laughs, a lot of chuckles. Isaac definitely had an impression on people.

BY-BBC NEWS

'The Daily Show' goes to China

NEW YORK (AP) -- Foreign correspondence on the fake news of "The Daily Show" usually amounts to someone standing in front of a video screen on the New York set, a few steps away from Jon Stewart's desk.

That's the real Great Wall of China behind Rob Riggle, not a fake background.

But to coincide with the Olympics, the show's Rob Riggle went to China. Really. His skewed travelogue unfolds this week on the Comedy Central hit.

That's when they find out whether they've created any international incidents.

"It was an opportunity to go over to China and do something that has probably not been done in the past -- go to China and do some comedy," said Riggle, a former U.S. Marine who served in Afghanistan and is still on reserve.

Riggle, who last year traveled to Iraq for "Operation Silent Thunder," started planning by applying in January for journalists' visa. With the intercession of MTV executives in China, they got the go-ahead less than 24 hours before their plane was due to leave on July 29.

"There were days when we got promising news and days when we got not-so-encouraging news," said Glenn Clements, field producer and Riggles' traveling partner. "But we decided to stick it out until the end, and it paid off."

Trying to explain what "The Daily Show" did would have been difficult. They essentially delivered a list of places where they planned to do filming.

They were able to film segments on the Great Wall of China and within Tiananmen Square, the latter historic site the focus of debates with Chinese authorities over access.

"Our motto was 'Let's just go until they tell us to stop,' " Riggle said.

Riggle and his crew were followed almost everywhere by Chinese police, although only once was a hand placed over a camera lens cap and they were told to go away. It was a moment the comedy writers probably couldn't have made up: They were filming the outside of a 7-Eleven convenience store.

Other times when police expressed concern about what the crew was doing Clements essentially hid behind the language barrier.

When they stopped on the street to do some filming, crowds would immediately form around them, attracting more police.

But anytime Clements' crew tried turning the camera around and speaking to Chinese citizens, the crowds would scatter. They would literally turn and run away, Riggle said. As a result, only a foreign journalist and Chinese newscaster were interviewed for the series.

Even for an ex-Marine, the police state atmosphere was intimidating.

"There were moments where you were just being watched very closely," he said. "We still did what we wanted to do, but I was hurrying it up, saying 'Come on, come on, let's go.' It was a subconscious thing."

Riggle also had the somewhat unexpected experience of being recognized on the street. Twice. One young Asian couple came up and said how much they enjoyed watching him on Stewart's show, leading him to wonder where they had seen it.

His first segment, on Monday, will be a mock "up close and personal" look at Riggle and his journey to the Olympics. They also plan a tongue-in-cheek look at the exotic and mysterious places in China, hence the trips to 7-Eleven and Western-style shopping malls.

The team will also take some shots at the Chinese authoritarian government and a critical look at history, much the same way as "The Daily Show" satirizes the U.S. government, Clements said. The four segments, prepared over the weekend between bouts of jet lag, are called "Rob Riggle: Chasing the Dragon."

"Jon always has a very good sense of what's in good taste and bad," he said, "and we'll try to stay within the bounds of what we think is good taste. We didn't go in there to make fun of the Chinese people at all."

Admiring Michael Phelps (and feeling a little dirty about it)

The Olympics have already produced some amazing images — and last night might have been the finest yet.

Jason Lezak’s incredible finish in the 4 x 100 freestyle relay swimming event, which enabled Michael Phelps to continue his quest for a record amount of Olympic gold, was phenomenal. Lezak, swimming the final lap for the U.S. team, finished the race a slim eight-hundredths of a second ahead of Alain Bernard and the French team. The U.S. quartet — Lezak, Phelps, Garrett Weber-Gale and Cullen Jones — set a new world record in the process.

But, for us, that spectacular finish wasn’t the image that lingered. It was Phelps’ victory dance, arms thrust in the air, showing his chiseled body to perfection. Instead of wondering just how Lezak saved the day, many women (us, for example) were left wondering just how Phelps could have molded himself into such an incredible physical specimen in his skintight Speedo.

And we realized how young the athletes are, and how old we have become.

Now, is it so terrible to admire the athletes for their bodies as well as for their skills? After all, our partner publication, Sports Illustrated, has showcased female athletes in swimsuits for years — even if the swimsuit isn’t their usual uniform (or, for that matter, isn’t made for swimming).

And yet … can you feel exhilarated and dirty at the same time? Exactly how old is too old to appreciate the physical gifts that athletes have been blessed with?

– Audrey Irvine and Jo Parker, CNN

Heard the one about the 12-year-old?

Lisa Summers
BBC Scotland news

Eros said comedy was a hobby for him

Eros Vlahos thinks he is funny.

But he would. He has been doing stand-up for four years with stints at the Comedy Store in London, Comic Relief and, here is the clue, Blue Peter.

That is because Eros Vlahos is only 12.

He is the youngest stand-up at this year's Edinburgh Fringe and he is hoping his show, Problem Child, will cause a stir.

But it is not going to be easy.

A third of the shows at this year's event are billed as comedy and with a reputation as one of the most prominent "comedy" festivals in the world, it also attracts harsh critics.

Somebody who has seen it all is artistic director of the Assembly Rooms, William Burdett-Coutts, who said: "I think probably 12 is pushing it slightly.

"It's a tough career if you go for it because you are solo, you are on your own, you have to keep your profile up."

Eros though is philosophical.

He said: "I just enjoy it, it's kind of a hobby for me really. It's hard competition because there are thousands of stand-ups out there.

"I've chosen a small venue because if you only have one person, it's still a nice place to do it in."

Roy Walker said he still gets nervous

At the other end of the experience spectrum, former Catchphrase host, Roy Walker is making his debut at the Fringe at the age of 68.

He is enjoying a career revival, but thinks Eros will use youth as an advantage.

"I think you can't start young enough, he won't have any fear at that age".

Walker though, admits even a veteran such as himself can be afraid of his first time at the fringe.

"I've worked in front of 20,000. Yes, there's always nerves but not as bad as here."

The fringe's youngest comedian though said, no matter what happens to him at this year's festival he will still make sure he has a laugh.

BY-BBC NEWS

'Pineapple Express' the latest stoner hit

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Stoners are riding high nowadays. Fans are buzzing about the reunion of Cheech and Chong after a long feud, and a couple of tokers are lighting up the box office with "Pineapple Express."

James Franco, left, and Seth Rogen star in the action comedy "Pineapple Express."

From the pot partakers and dealers of "Weeds" to Harold and Kumar to Sean Penn's dude in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," stoners have been a beloved subset among Hollywood fringe players.

Some win Academy Awards (Kevin Spacey for his suburban sad-sack in "American Beauty"). Some lose their wheels (Ashton Kutcher in "Dude, Where's My Car?"). Some merely abide (Jeff Bridges' "The Dude" in "The Big Lebowski").

The canon of stoner flicks is almost as old as Hollywood itself, with the 1936 propaganda film "Reefer Madness" high on fans' must-see list. Other favorites include the '70s high-school flashback "Dazed and Confused," the demented Hunter S. Thompson tale "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and the inner-city romp "Friday."

"Pineapple Express" upholds a truism known to just about anyone who has lit up: That it's more fun to party in pairs than it is on your own.

The movie casts Seth Rogen as a pot smoker hunted by druglords and crooked cops after he witnesses a murder. He leaves a smoking gun -- or rather, a smoking roach -- at the scene, a strain of pot called Pineapple Express that's so potent and rare, the bad guys can track it back to its source: Rogen's dealer, played by James Franco.

So the duo ends up as an odd couple on the run. Rogen's pot-hound is a fairly responsible guy with a day job as a process server, while Franco's peddler is so lovably fuzzy-headed from the weed that it's a wonder he can tell a nickel bag from a potted fern.

Chuck Berry's house to be historic place

ST. LOUIS, Missouri (AP) -- A modest, one-story red-brick house that rock and roll legend Chuck Berry bought in 1950 will be considered for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

In this undated photo, Chuck Berry does his famous duck walk routine.

Experts on St. Louis landmarks say Berry and his family lived in the home in the city's Ville neighborhood during his most productive early songwriting period.

It was in the house that Berry developed his distinctive guitar style, rehearsed, wrote and recorded many of his classic songs including "Maybelline," "Johnny B. Goode," and "Roll Over Beethoven."

Berry sold the house in 1958.

On Friday, the Missouri Advisory Council on Historic Preservation recommended the house for inclusion on the National Register.