An 'Ordinary' Look at Mary Tyler Moore

Came across this fascinating profile of Mary Tyler Moore written on the eve of the release of "Ordinary People." Mary's portrayal of icy WASP Beth Jarrett was thought to be a nearly unbelievable stretch at the time for America's Sweetheart. But as the years went on, it began to seem more like an eerie case of typecasting. The lifelong Republican had just filmed an endorsement for the Jimmy Carter re-election campaign(!) and was experiencing a rebirth of sorts at 42, having recently separated from television executive Grant Tinker. (She got pregnant and married the first time at 17.) The irony that her newly single life in many ways now mimicked Mary Richards's trials and tribulations wasn't lost on her. (There's a theme song anecdote that gave me a smile nearly as big as hers.) Mary's once-estranged son, Richie Meeker, was by her side for a Paramount Studios screening of the film that would garner her an Oscar nomination. But the young man would tragically die of a self-inflicted gunshot wound before the piece even went to press.

Mary was a Carter fan before it was fashionable

Stevie Nicks Covers Rolling Stone

My mom's not a fan -- "She's so drab ..." -- but I sure am. (Fleetwood Mac concert is just over two weeks away!) This isn't the honor it once was, but it's gotta feel pretty good after all these years just the same.

P.S. Can anyone tell me why "Gypsy" is every Millennial's favorite Stevie (FM) song? It's great, but it must have been used somewhere for them to all know it, although my "American Horror Story" source seems to think it wasn't on there.

Her other solo cover (1981)

She's with the band

1997

1980

1978

1977

Chart Flashback: July 18, 1974

    The early days of Olivia Newton-John's ascension to world domination.

Chart Flashback: May 24, 1984

  "The Reflex" was the first Duran Duran song I felt like they had just mailed in -- and who'd have thought "Oh Sherrie" would still be played nonstop (on adult/contemporary stations) 30 years later?!

UPDATE: And speak of the devil, Steve Perry came out of seclusion over the weekend and performed!

Chart Flashback: May 17, 1979

My favorite department of Rolling Stone -- interesting that the No. 1 song that week was by far the weakest.

Stephen Colbert: Rolling Stone in Good Company

 

On last night's "Colbert Report," Stephen defended Rolling Stone's decision to put Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev out front, reminding viewers of past controversial cover subjects: Like when "Hitler's Final Solution for Belly Fat" appeared on the cover of Men's Health, and Cosmopolitan's infamous "50 Ways to Make Your Man Say 'Americans Must Pay With Blood for the Death of Muslims Abroad!'"

Rolling Stone Thinks Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Is Da Bomb

Lots of outrage about Rolling Stone giving Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev the "rock star treatment" on its cover. I'm ambivalent about this. I can see their point, But it's not like Tsarnaev isn't newsworthy -- and people are extremely curious to know more about him. The fact that he is young and good-looking and seemed like such an "All-American boy" is a huge part of the story and why people are so intrigued, so RS just went with it. The cover line sort of paints him to be a victim or sorts -- which is insensitive to the actual victims -- but I think we can all agree he was horribly misguided by an evil older brother, and wouldn't have done anything like this if not for him. Thoughts?

Some are demanding that RS pull the issue, but even if I were outraged and wanted to protest by canceling my subscription, I have this autorenew thing that's been going on against my will for over 10 years, so I'm stuck.

See also: LETTER TO ROLLING STONE: ‘I DEMAND THAT YOU PULL THIS ISSUE’

Shades of Jim Morrison?

And let's not forget Charles Manson was once a cover man

From a friend's FB: "Boston is probably the only major city that if you fuck with them, they will shut down the whole city...stop everything.. and find you."