I met Mickey Rooney. More than just met him, I actually interviewed him for a column I wrote for a tabloid in Jacksonville, Fla. It was a long time ago and as I think about it, he probably was about the age I am now or close to it. Of course, I thought of him as a has been, as I did all the actors who turned to dinner theater for their dying careers. But I was still respectful of his accomplishments having watched him in old black and white movies on TV as a child. So I was surprised at his belligerent attitude, lack of respect for me (he changed into costume right in front of me, pulling down his trousers and all), but I was a rookie, just a kid. A nobody and he was forced to talk to me realizing how far he had sunk from his heyday. I was merciless in my column. Kind of beat him to a pulp for his behavior, but then I was told he had come out on stage after the show and basically apologized for his behavior toward me. He had read my column. I never thought he would read my column.
So now it’s my turn, to say sorry Mickey. Yes I was green, yes I didn’t fawn over you but maybe I should have. It’s quite sad to fall from worldwide notoriety to oblivion but I was heartless to that free fall. I should have been more deferential, I should have gotten my background facts solid about him. But we live and we learn and now I see, understand, how elusive the game of chasing fame can be. I believed it ruined him personally and perhaps thats an enormous price to pay, but at least he had his dream for awhile.
RIP Mickey.
Now for my other thoughts. I watched the Hunger Games last night. Well, watched is not accurate because I couldn’t sit through all of it. Why? Because it is one of the stupidest plots I have ever been exposed to. Kids killing each other for a reality show? Characters are an homogenized concoction from Alice in Wonderland, the Truman Show and the Time Machine. I cry, I Cry–WHY? WHY? WHY? is that story worthy of anything? What is wrong with us? And yet it is still a best seller. SIGH!
