December 29, 2000
That was the year that was - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
The final column for 2000 is a year in review piece. I’ve probably left something out - alas. It was a helluva year. I’ll be back on New Year’s Day, Monday, for a kick off of 2001 here in Commentaryland.
Before the main commentary, I got to catch the Kennedy Center Honors on Wednesday night. They were superbly done, as usual. If you get the chance, do watch the annual celebration of the arts, as producers George Stevens Jr. and director Lou Horvitz pack more emotion into two hours than a year’s worth of award shows; everything from the Oscars to the Grammys.
VANCOUVER -- Faster than one of those fast-finger questions on the Regis Millionaire show, 2000 went by pretty quickly. At least that’s the way I see it.
2000 would be a remarkable year in the annals of history as it would be a year for an American Presidential election. Little did we know that it would be that historical! The year will, across the board, be remembered as the year that George W. Bush took the White House. The scrap versus Al Gore was no less made easier by the fact ‘hanging chads’ became household phrases and a fellow named Ralph Nader helped to practically polarised the nation.
In Canada, we were treated to the readjustment of the Official Opposition, Reform, to becoming the Canadian Alliance. We were met with the arrival of a fellow named Stockwell Day on the federal scene, and Prime Minister Jean Chrétien took him on. Mind you, in a November election that went faster than the fallout of the American election. The Liberals managed a win, giving Chrétien his third mandate, boggling the mind of a certain correspondent.
In February, in fair BC, we got a new Premier as the interregnum from Glen Clark’s tumultuous term of office ended with Ujjal Dosanjh becoming leader of the NDP and the Premier of British Columbia. Dosanjh becomes the nation’s first Indo-Canadian Premier. Opposition leader, Gordon Campbell, sat anxiously awaiting the election call that would vault him to the government side. Alas, 2000 was not the year for that. 2001, partly because of the law, will be.
The world of show business, equally as political, waded into the discussion of the American election. Celebrities like Robert Altman, Barbra Streisand and Alec Baldwin vowed to leave should Bush win. You might have gotten the e-mail asking for funds to help them move. They still reside in the States as I type.
A Concorde crashed and Harry Potter made kids read again.
Brad (Pitt) and Jennifer (Aniston) got married. Madonna (?) and Guy (Ritchie) ditto, as did Catherine (Zeta-Jones) and Mike (Douglas) did in grand style last month. As marriage bound those couples, 2000 saw the unravelling of some of Hollywood’s major unions. Ellen (DeGeneres) and Anne (Heche) split, as did Harrison Ford and his scribe bride. Hank Azaria and Helen Hunt parted ways, as did Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid. Both couples were mum on the reason for the dissolution of marriage, although Russell Crowe probably played a part in at least one of those so said divorces.
While they were heading down splitsdom, Caroline Mulroney married a chap named (Andrew) Lapham, in probably Canada’s top wedding of the year. Brian and Mila, as the parents of the bride, were no less than beaming. Feminist Gloria Steinem, got, get this, married. Oh, and at 10 Downing Street there was a birth as Cherie Blair and her Rt. Hon. Tony saw the birth of their newest chap, Leo.
The biggest story in Canada will probably be the death of one Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Justin Trudeau was christened a lot of things, everything from being the heir apparent to the Trudeau charm, the Liberals’ secret weapon, and as a closeted politician in the making. One thing he didn’t do during his public grieving process was shake his father’s unmistakable shadow on Canadian culture and politics. I took the death somewhat personally as I have long admired Trudeau. I think most Canadians did, some more than I, and we as a nation muddled through feeling older - lamenting a time that was fading.
David Letterman, the sardonic and witty occupant of CBS’ late night talk and comedy fest, was felled with ticker trouble and underwent an emergency triple bypass. The show biz world stood awaiting the fate of Dave and during February sweeps, he emerged funnier. Being a long-time watcher of Letterman, I took interest in his healing process as on his program he, on-air and rather humorously, began to acknowledge the competition - Jay Leno.
Kathie Lee Gifford, another talker, left Regis Philbin and their Live with Regis and Kathie Lee show for a career outside the boob tube. (Oops, I should not refer to television that way, as Mrs. Gifford is prone to not wearing a brassiere.) Sadly, she emerged again, except on the Regis show, flogging her sex life, a new album and the innocuous TV movie here and there.
Speaking of crappy television, the world of North America was let in on the trends spawned from Europe, reality TV. Survivor was a huge hit, and I’m not just talking about millionaire Richard’s bare ass. The CBS program saw viewers flee the outdoors of an August evening to concentrate on who won. It was show business’ biggest secret for about 15 minutes, the same elapsed amount of time fame bequathed each of the contestants. I could mention another reality program, Big Brother, but let’s not remind ourselves of the boredom that was inflicted on our television eyes. Brace yourselves as Survivor returns and a certain Mole, will pop up on television in 2001.
Dare I remind us of a “millionaire” named Rick Rockwell and his wife of a few days, Darva Conger?
Celine Dion left show business, albeit temporarily to get knocked up a most unconventional way. Her pal Barbra Streisand also retired. We can’t wait till they come back. Ahem. David Crosbie was outed as the sperm donor to Melissa Etheridge and Julie Cypher’s baby, and later in the year the lesbian duo were no more.
The reformatted Saturday Night hit the pages of the Saturday National Post, while the local media scene in Vancouver saw the great Jack Cullen retire and Dan Russell and David Berner leave CKNW for < mycityradio.com >.
On the CBC front, Michael Enright was out as the host of the infamous weekday morning show and Shaleigh Rogers was in. The nation lamented for Peter Gzowski. This while private broadcaster Izzy Asper’s CanWest Global took control of the newspaper monopoly owned by Conrad Black’s Hollinger. The nation’s other newspaper giant, Thomson was taken over by BCE who, by happenstance own CanWest’s competition CTV. Hillary Clinton defeated Rick Lazio to become the US’ first First Lady to seek and win elected office. Until the 20th of January she can carry Senator-elect for New York next to her name, while carrying the moniker, First Lady. Talk about convergence.
Jennifer Lopez shocked us with her remarkable Versace gown at the Grammy’s, while Tom Green shocked us with the tale of his ball er, testicular cancer. He and Drew Barrymore hooked up, while Charlie Sheen hooked up with Heather Locklear on Spin City after Michael J. Fox’s multiple award winning exit on the ABC sitcom.
Michel Auger, a Quebec based journalist suffered the fate of the Hells Angels as he was felled by a snipers bullets. He survived and he’s still writing on the subject of the Angels’ exploits. Journalism wins.
The Queen Mother turned a hundred and the Olympics went ‘Down Under’. Monica Lewinsky went down under too... er, that was two years ago, sorry.
Steve Allen, the legend of television’s Tonight Show died. An early hero of mine, Steve taught me everything I’ve ever had to know about public speaking. The comic strip Peanuts seized production, on the same day that it’s author Charles Shultz died. Fate being the way it is, even Charlie Brown must have wept. Nancy Marchand, the matriarch of The Sopranos died, as did the remarkable Richard Farnworth, who only a year ago touched us with his performance in The Straight Story. The high kicking dame of Broadway, Gwen Verdon died, as did the great curmudgeon Walter Matthau. Frick’s death also saw the passing of two British legends in the personages of Sir Alec Guiness and Sir John Gielgud. The art of thespianism is dimmer without them.
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. passed on, perhaps that one last link to the golden age of Hollywood. And this past Tuesday we lost the remarkable Jason Robards Jr. The Sr. Robards wasn’t as well-known, but the Jr. certainly contributed to the fact that acting is considered an art.
Also passing this year was Maurice Richard. The famed number 9 for the Montreal Canadiens had one hell of a state funeral, which dare I say, prepared us for the state funeral of one Pierre Trudeau. Held in the same basilica, we were privy to applause at a most holy of events! Richard Mulligan, the bumbling star of Soap! and Empty Nest died, as did Tim Ralfe. Mr. Ralfe was the naughty reporter who provoked Pierre Trudeau to dare us to ‘just watch him.’ His passing was mere weeks following the death of Trudeau. Leah Rabin, the widow of slain Israeli PM, Yitzhak Rabin succumbed to cancer. And probably made some think of peace in the Middle East, however futile that would be.
I’ve left out some stuff, I’m sure. It was a remarkable year and no doubt memorable, for better or worse - for all of you. Cheers. And Dick Clark, do drop that ball one more time.
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