(no subject)

[thehefner]

Joey Bishop is dead.

Many of you will go "who?" Can't blame you. That's because Joey was, in many ways, the only one of the five who had any brains and common sense. He never got into serious drama. He was never involved in crazy scandals. His life wasn't packed with substance abuse and tragedy. He's the only one who truly was able to crack a joke and keep his head above water, even as the world forgot him. I don't think he even gave a damn.

But I don't know. Because that's the thing: there's pitiful little biographical information about him out there. He lived a relatively unremarkable life, aside from the Pack and having a talk show with Regis as his sidekick.

All I can say right now is that it's truly an end of an era.

God, I'm actually crying. Why the hell am I crying? Maybe it's just the culmination of three seriously shitty days of frustration, illness, and bad vibes all around. I don't know what's been in the air lately, but seriously, I'm tired of it all. And now Joey.

Also, in the months since Dad died, I've been so immersed in the Rat Pack of late, delving into biographies and stories which may or may not be true, but that hardly matters either way. With those guys, you take the myth with the men. But unlike Frank, Dino, Sammy, and poor Peter, whose all-too-human flaws showed the dark side of the idyllic and carefree Rat Pack lifestyle, Joey Bishop was the only one who (it seems to me) really was his on-stage persona.

He was the Mouse in the Rat Pack, and in many respects, he was the best of them. There's a reason he was the last one standing.

The last of the Clan is gone. Johnny Go weeps.

Comments

[little-dinosaur.livejournal.com]

How is this the first place I hear about this? Sad.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

It *just* broke. Like, fifteen minutes ago.

But it's not even headline news on cnn.com. It's minor.

I hope to see big "end of an era" articles in the near future. Hopefully, I can finally learn a little about Joey in the process. The dude remains an enigma, but only because no one cares. Or they didn't anyway. Hopefully this'll change that.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Okay, they've started expanding his obit. This will be interesting.

Incidentally, I was thinking about the zombie apocalypse of Bub and Johnny Go. I mean, I needed to give a real time and date for when the apocalypse hit, just so we'd know how long ago the Rat Pack era really was to the "present" day. And then I figured out that, well, there's only one time when it'd really make sense for the zombie apocalypse to begin.

Welp, now I have that date. You're the first to know: in THE ADVENTURES OF BUB AND JOHNNY GO, the zombie apocalypse begins exactly today, Thursday October 18th, 2007.

[kmousie.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's sad. You're absolutely right that there was a reason he was the last of them.

And of course the zombie apocalypse begins today. So while it's the end of an era, it's also the beginning of one.

[little-dinosaur.livejournal.com]

So what you're saying is that I need to put on pants, do my makeup and get my hands on a length of lead pipe and a getaway driver?

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Your literary counterpart should, anyway. But just keep an eye out. Be a little more alert than, say, Shaun of the Dead.

[jackolantern.livejournal.com]

He was the Mouse in the Rat Pack, and in many respects, he was the best of them. There's a reason he was the last one standing.

And, in the long, sad history of showbiz fuckups, that's a bright spot.

*pours a martini out onto the ground*

See you at the crossroads, Joey.

[suburbfabulous.livejournal.com]

*pours out some cheap bourbon*
FOR MY HOMIES!

[suburbfabulous.livejournal.com]

Ah, Johnny. I'm so sorry.
...I thought he was already dead, though, after that last hospital stay.

[adaptor.livejournal.com]

Have you ever read "Frank Sinatra Has a Cold"? I read it just a week ago. It's a really rich portrayal of the era you're mourning for right now.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, this is fantastic. I haven't had time to read it all today, and I'm currently halfway through.

And the Harlan Ellison cameo! Oh my god, and that's before anyone knew who he was! Before he became Harlan "I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream" Ellison! God, I always knew Ellison was a tough curmudgeon, but wow, to stand up to SINATRA like that? Balls.

I'll let you know what I think when I finish it. Thanks!!

[spacechild.livejournal.com]

Ah man... that's so sad.

As much as I do know who he is/was (you are not alone).. I know that it's even harder for you, brother.

Here's to him!