Talk Show days
I used to work for a nationally syndicated daytime talk show. That’s where I got the idea to write Back Talk. I was a researcher, which means I combed through dozens of newspapers looking for over-the-top stories about self-made teen millionaires, prison escapees, people with bizarre diseases… the list goes on and on.
One of my all time favorite episodes to work on was the Time Warp show. We went back in time to 1984. Ask me any random trivia question about that year and I’ll have the answer. 
Seriously. I will. It was so much fun. I convinced tons of companies to ply us with goodies that we gave away to the audience. We got wayfarers from Ray Ban, and Cabbage Patch Kids, and 80’s movies on DVD…
We even had a musical guest. Do you remember that song “Let’s Hear It For The Boy” by Deniece Williams? (that link is to an awesome youtube video from the 80’s.) The song was in the movie Footloose. Well, Ms. Williams came on the show and performed it! It was the bomb (except she was no longer a hip 20-year-old pop star. She was … older. But it was still a fun performance, and I always do that song at Karaoke now!)
Anyway, in honor of my past life in TV production, I’ve chosen a few bizarre stories that I think should definitely make their way onto a talk show:
Like this one. Holy OH MY GOD. Did you see the story about the little girl who was DISEMBOWELED in a kiddie pool? Whoa. I almost gagged watching the video on CNN, but it’s kind of incredible. This little girl was swimming and I guess she sat on hte drain or something. Anyway her intestines were sucked out of her through the drain. Jesus Christ! Remind me not to go swimming anytime soon! Yikes.
Or this one. How much do you love your family? Would you, for instance, wrestle a rabid fox to the ground in order to protect them? I’d like to think I would, but seriously? A RABID FOX? I don’t know if I could handle that. But apparently some 5-year-old kid in North Carolina totally had it in him. I hope he doesn’t get rabies.
And from News of the Weird. This is the most ridiculous story ever. A young couple stole a car, but then they decided to stop and do it in the car on the side of the road. Like that isn’t dumb enough, they left the car idle, so it ran out of gas and the cops caught them. Oy vey is all I can say.
And just to throw in something a little more glam: 
what is up with Christina Ricci’s new ‘do? (It’s the pic on the right.) It doesn’t really suit the shape of her face. In general, she is super cute, but she kind of looks like a mushroom cap now.
Actually, wait… I might change my mind. Maybe it’s got a fun, retro vibe. I’m so fickle.
July 5th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
oh my god!!! i just read the clip about the disembowelment, that is that nastiest thing ever. the poor girl. apparently this happens occasionally .. did you read that part? my question is if the pull of the drain was so forceful that it ripped a part of her intestines out, how did she swim away from the drain at all? she was underwater so she couldn’t scream .. ugh. i think i might throw up.
July 5th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
I know! It’s totally horrific. I guess she managed to get away from the suckage, then took 2 steps and passed out. I can’t believe this kind of thing “happens.”
I may never swim again.
Just watch your ass, Shaira. (get it! ugh, i’m so dumb.)
July 5th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
I added this link to the post, see if it works. I should be the first person, although there is a rabid buffy fan right below which could confuse people. ha.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/search/002-1402971-6848857?ie=UTF8&keywords=Country%20Girl%20Chic
July 5th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
I’ve read a fiction story by Chuck Palahniuk about a guy who was disemboweled in the pool. I wasn’t too sure if that could actually happen, but that article is proof to me now.
Christina Ricci’s hair’s okay, but I bet it would look better when her bangs grow a bit longer and she can just sweep them to the side.
July 5th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
oh, yeah, I tried looking for your book last time I was in a bookstore, but they didn’t have it. I might go to Amazon for it.
July 5th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
Those are some freaky stories. And that is some freaky helmet head look on that christina ricci
July 5th, 2007 at 6:51 pm
I think Christina Ricci’s hair is for the movie she just finished filming — the live-action remake of Speed Racer.
July 6th, 2007 at 12:13 am
I get such an education every time I buzz over here. I shall be staying clear of all pool drains forever more and possibly just pools in general. I like the Cleopatra looking Christina better.
July 6th, 2007 at 1:25 am
I read a story about a totem pole falling on a boy scout and killing him.
The Guilty Party? Termites.
Rotten luck, honestly. Horrible way to go, to boot.
July 6th, 2007 at 9:00 am
OMG that thing about the pool almost made me gag….UGH
but then I saw ms Ricci and that was ever worse…seriously the girl needs to grow out her hair and eat some damn bread she is too skinny now!!!
what show did you work for???
July 6th, 2007 at 9:48 am
I love bangs, i got some myself.
July 6th, 2007 at 11:01 am
That story about the girl is awful but cheesy tabloid stories and talk shows are my uber-favorite and I am so jealous now that you worked for one. I almost like Ricci’s new look, there is something very retro but Pat Benatar about it. I now have Let’s Hear it for the boy stuck in my head, too bad there was no lisa lisa and the cult jam.
July 6th, 2007 at 11:13 am
Being fickle is good. It’s better than being intransigent. Cool word, huh? I’m up to “I” in my vocabulary building course.
July 6th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
CONGRATS ON YOUR BOOK! im gonna go to my bookstore and check it out
July 6th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
i love your site, i just randomly found it through la petite fashionista. i added your site to my blogger!
i heard about the girl whose intestines got sucked into the drain. very scary!
July 6th, 2007 at 11:16 pm
Ok, she totally looks like a mushroom cap.
No joke.
Thank you Alex.. You enlighten me.
July 7th, 2007 at 12:24 am
Y’know, I heard about that pool story at my job, but had no idea what it was about. There’s no sound, only caption. As for Ms. Ricci, I liked her hair better in her last movie, “Black Snake Moan.” And then Maggie mentioned the Speed Racer (ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE CARTOONS. I can’t wait to see it) and it all made sense. The girl in the cartoon had the same retro hairstyle.
Congrats on the book, BTW. I’ll have to check it out.
July 7th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
I finally got ahold of your book! Yeah! I’m saving it to read when I go to Dallas next week! Congrats!
Steph~
July 8th, 2007 at 1:43 am
that’s such an awesome job you had, I always wished that I could find a job like that working behind the scenes in a tv show or something.
Retro is so back, and in full force!
July 8th, 2007 at 9:14 am
Lets hear it for the boy: LOVE that song!
Erm… they were some gross / weird stories but thanks for sharing! My biggest childhood phobia was drowning in a fountain after I’d read a story in Readers Digest about how the vents / drains are really powerful and some kid got sucked in - I REFUSED to go near one unless my mother was holding onto me to save me from slipping. I’m ok now though.
Mrs F x
July 8th, 2007 at 9:15 am
Yes Alex, thanks for giving me nightmares about this little girl in the pool. Yucky yuck yuck. In looking up info about that, I found this story about a lifeguard that had his arm trapped in a pool drain and was underawater for 6 minutes. The lifeguards were able to give him occasional breaths.
As always, no one can say your posts are boring. Thanks for keeping me up to date with current events!
July 8th, 2007 at 11:06 am
my god she looks adorable!
July 9th, 2007 at 12:34 am
I have always dug Cristina Ricci. An odd yet attractive girl. As for the 1984 knowledge, that’s pretty freaking cool. I remember that year all too well. Those were fun carefree times for me.
As for the poor girl in that pool, I too read that story and was horrified. Not that I go into pools that often anyway, but it sure makes ya creep out!
July 9th, 2007 at 7:18 am
Chuck Palahnuick wrote about a pool/intestine story in his novel Haunted. I felt so sick after reading it because it was really graphic in the book, but the boy survived, he just had small intestines and ate little.
I have ordered your new book and am waiting for it to be delivered!
Re: I have a low tolerance for long movies myself, which is why I haven’t watched Citizen Kane, which is apparently a big freaking deal because it’s one of those greatest movies of all time deals. It’s also boring as heck….Or Ben-Hur.
July 9th, 2007 at 8:53 am
God you make me laugh. Yes, only Gog would know all those 80’s trivia. Christins Ricci doesn’t look like a mushroom cap, by the way. OK, she does… but it’s part of her mystique.
July 9th, 2007 at 10:23 am
I heard that story on the little girl on CNN and I was horrified.
Christina Ricci is so cute I loved her in my favorite move of all time, NOW AND THEN. Her haircut would’t have been what I would have chose for her
July 9th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Woowww, make a big difference with some hair in your face !!
Well, today i’m goin’ to make my hair a little bit more shorter
Nice post!!
July 9th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
Hey Alex baby. I’m sorry about my hiatus (surprise surprise). But no worries hun… I’ve managed to do a little shopping on AMAZON and have officially purchased your book. I go yo back bebe…
I’m hopping on a train to Long Island manana and will dive head first into your novel. Can’t wait. Congratulations lova…
Besos
July 9th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
i just came across your blog a couple minutes ago,
and i’m glad i did.
see, i was at chapters earlier today and i was perusing my favourite section, when i happened to pick up your book and lea through it.
it seemed worth my time, so i bought.
i’m glad i did :]
http://www.zoeandjessicasick.blogspot.com
July 10th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
dude? diemboweled?!?!? in a pool?!?! in a KIDDIE pool.
jesus christ how does that happen?!@?!?
July 10th, 2007 at 7:54 pm
sure i’ll link you :]