The Explainer on Slate.com notes, “Which Movie Critics Really Matter?” to help us figure out which year’s end award to take seriously (I still wouldn’t take the Golden Globes that seriously, but it’s fun to watch on tv).
Consider the following: Some weeks ago, I noticed that the TD Waterhouse commercials no longer had the actor Steven Hill on as the spokesman. Hill, for those not in the know, was the DA Adam Schiff on “Law and Order” (the original incarnation); he was also the original team leader of “Mission Impossible” (but, really, I think “Jim” was the team leader best remembered). Hill played his spokesman role as the crotchedy old guy who made you feel stupid for not saving your money. Then, lo and behold, instead of the old guy, TD Waterhouse has… Sam Waterston? The Deputy DA of “Law and Order” – Mr. McCoy?! (no, not the Star Trek chief medical officer). I was thinking, geez, what’s with TD Waterhouse and “Law and Order”? And, here’s the Slate.com with an interesting analysis, on what TD Waterhouse is doing with the “Law and Order” folks. It is too funny.
(By coincidence, I’m currently watching Sam Waterston on “Much Ado About Nothing” on Channel 25 (NYC’s alternate PBS selection); it’s a television filming of his work from the 1970’s or early ’80’s of a Shakespeare play he did in NYC where made his first claim to fame. Waterston is such a good actor – from “I’ll Fly Away” to “Law and Order” and… TD Waterhouse commercials). Maybe TD Waterhouse like the alliteration they had in common with Waterston.
The comic strip “Stone Soup” (profiling the life of the Stone family) has a funny spin on reflecting and regretting the year’s end. As Grandma Stone says, “What’s DONE is DONE! What will be will be. You all THINK too much! You’re just wallowing in pointless angst. Enjoy the dang sunset…” Yeah, but don’t we like our angst because it makes us think we’re such deep folks? Funny thought – Grandma is right, really.