For Whom the Tinker Bell Tolls

Former television executive and former husband to Mary Tyler Moore, Grant Tinker, died at the spry age of 90.

Tinker toyed with NBC in the early 80s, a time that saw such great shows as Family Ties, Cheers, Manimal,  and The Cosby Show (although, we don’t like to mention that last one so much).

In 1969 he and his then wife, Mary Tyler Moore, started MTM Enterprises (meow) where they hired James L. Brooks… because that’s what you do in TV.  You hire James L. Brooks.

The company’s 1st show was The Mary Tyler Moore Show [a title which was kicked around

Tinker got his NBC job by winning a Johnny Carson look-alike contest.

in development for years], it was moderately successful and some people liked it enough.  The show is known to be reviled in clown communities.

MTM (meow) went on to make shows such as Rhoda (“This is Carlton your doorman.”), The Bob Newhart Show (“Hi, Bob.”), WKRP in Cincinnati (“As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.”), Hill Street Blues (“Let’s be careful out there.”) and St. Elsewhere (which was really created by an autistic kid holding a snow globe, so they don’t get a lot credit for that one).

After he foolishly divorced Mary Tyler Moore (Because who the hell would divorce her?  She’s fuckin’ awesome!), Tinker left MTM (meow) because, well… awkward…

He became chairman and CEO of NBC trading the “meow” of “bong bong bong.”  He left in 1986 to make way for his replacement, John Francis “Jack” Donaghy.

Tinker then tried to repeat his success with MTM by forming GTG Entertainment (ummm… woof?) but the business venture failed because it was a hollow shell of what can be created with Mary Tyler Moore at your side!  (Dresses be damned!  I’m wearing mother-fuckin carpris,bitch!)

This hit goes to: Josh!  Josh literally pulled this pick out of his ass in the 58th round.  I guess he was at the point in the night where he was like, “Fuck it, I’m Googling ‘old people” and seeing what comes up!”  Because when I told him about his hit, he had no idea who it was.

Though, I can’t fault him.  I don’t know who half of my picks are.  Between me, the obscure names and the alcohol, a thought don’t have much of a chance.

Happy pooling,

SPMI

Current Standings:

Wes: 50 – (Holly Dunn – 50)

Josh: 30 – (Florence Henderson – 20, Grant Tinker – 10)

Gianna: 20 – (Leonard Cohen – 20)

Jami: 10 – (Fidel Castro – 10)

Tailgating w/ Jesus: 10 – (Ralph Branca – 10)

Who the hell is Elaine Stitch?

Broadway actress, and Alec Baldwin’s mom, Elaine Stritch, died at the sry age of 89.

Stritch had an incredibly long career that included widely hailed turns in plays by Noel Coward, Neil Simon, Stephen Sondheim, Gilbert & Sullivan, William Shakespeare, Euripides… She rocked Athens as Oedipus’ mom.

Stritch moved to Michigan after living in the Carlyle Hotel in New York City for years.  How awesome is that?  Living in a hotel.  In

Stritch auditioning for the part of “Oscar the Grouch.”
The guy on the right got the part.

Manhattan.  You never have to clean your room… you can order room service any time for any meal… there’s a bar right down stairs… hell, its NYC, there are bars everywhere… a doorman opening the door for you… free continental breakfast… a bunch of strangers having keys to your home…

“I was reading a self-help book yesterday,” Stritch once said, “and it said: ‘Make your own bed.’ I

said to the book: ‘Fuck you! I don’t have to make my own bed! That’s why I live at the Carlyle.’ ”

According to the awesome website http://fuckyeahelainestritch.tumblr.com/,  Stritch experienced her first orgasm took place onstage during Act II as Martha in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”  I don’t think I really need to add a joke for that.

She was poor when she raised her son.  So, in order to make their Christmases special, she prostituted herself to an older Frederick August Otto Schwarz.  While they had so many presents that “you couldn’t see the tree,” the experience seemed to do more damage to her son than good.

Stritch was killed when her son hit her with his car and waited eight minutes to call 911.

This hit goes to: Dick in Town!  And while he is far from the lead and therefore not gloating, he is one of the people who have not paid up from last year’s pool… so he’s still earning his title. (and the public humiliation continues)

The 20 points bumps him up to 50, which is just 140 shy of the leader.

Happy pooling,

SPMI

Current Standings:

Jami: 190 (Ariel Sharon – 20, Philip Seymour Hoffman – 60, Peaches Geldof – 80, Rubin “The Hurricane” Carter – 30)

Tailgating with Jesus: – 120 (Jerry Coleman – 20, Ralph Kiner – 10, William Clay Ford – 20, Ralph Wilson -10, Jack Ramsay – 20, Don Zimmer – 20, Chuck Noll – 20)

Joanne: 100 (Ace Parker – 0, Nelson Mandela – 10,  Ray Price – 20, Maximilian Schell – 20, Connie Marrero – 0, Al Feldstein – 20, Casey Kasem – 20, Eli Wallach – 10)

“Imaginary” Steve: 100 (Cardinal Domenico Bartolucci – 10, Cardinal Ricardo Carles Gordo – 20, Emmanuel III Delly – 20, Marco (Polo!) Cé – 20, Cardinal Simon Lourdusamy – 10, Cardinal Bernard Agre – 20)

Starving Writer: – 100 (James Avery – 6’ 5” – 40, L’Wren Scott – 6’4” – 60)

SPMI: 90 (Peter O’Toole – 20, Joan Fontaine – 10, Sid Caesar – 10, Dave “Sick-motehrfucker” Herman – 30, Terry Richards – 20)

Gianna: 80 (Tom Laughlin – 20, Alicia Rhett – 10, Mae Young – 10, Ruth Robinson Duccini – 10, Pete Seeger – 10, Fred Phelps – 20, Marc Platt – 0)

Babysitter: 70 (Mikhail Kalashnikov – 10, Russell Johnson – 20, Mickey Rooney – 10, Ann B. Davis! – 20, Stephanie Kwolek – 10)

Good to the Last Drop (© Maxwell House): – 60 (Frederick Sanger – 10, Maxine Kumin – 20, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. – 10, Gary Becker – 20)

Dick in Town: 50 (Hiroo Onoda – 10, Dick “Dickie” Jones – 20, Elaine Stritch – 20)

Team Sushi: – 50 (Bob Hoskins – 30, Maya Angelou – 20)

The Girl on Fire: 50 (Eleanor Parker – 10, Dave Madden – 20, Ralph Waite – 20)

Occupy the Casket: 40 (Ronnie Biggs – 20, Harold Camping – 10, Dick Ayers – 10)

Nora the Explorer: 30 (Jeremiah Denton – 20, Ruby Dee – 10)

Mostly Mike: 20 (Shirley Temple Black – 20)

Carol’s 1%: 20 (Harold Simmons – 20)