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Issue 720
SNIPPETZ OPENS THE BOOK ON BANNED BOOKS: DON'T READ THAT!! by Lindsey Harrison 
“Censorship ends in logical completeness when nobody is allowed to read any books except the books that nobody reads.” – George Bernard Shaw, Irish dramatist
Think back to your favorite book as you were growing up. Think about how it made you feel and why it was your favorite. Now, imagine that someone decided you weren’t allowed to read it again . . . ever. Would it devastate you? What if it was one of the classics, a book that truly represented an era? But it happens all the time. Books are challenged every year for their content and attempts are made to ban them for a variety of reasons, usually for the supposed effect they may have on the reader, especially if that reader happens to be a child or young adult. So, what happens when a book is banned? Where does it go? Snippetz, being the literary juggernaut that we are, decided it was up to us to learn more about banned books. Not only to find out what happens when a book is banned but why the ban on specific books actually went through. Read on, before this gets banned, too! WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A BOOK IS BANNED? In 399 B.C., Socrates was charged with corrupting the minds of the youth with his writings. To stop the spread of his dangerous ideas, his writings, and those of anyone else who was thought to have a similar effect on young minds, were burned. It was a great way to put the kibosh on that type of thinking. But in 1450, when the printing press was invented, it became a little harder to round up all the copies of an individual book and burn them. In order to stop the printing and reprinting of threatening literature, the book ban was developed. In America, the majority of the legal precedent for banning a book relates to public school libraries. In 1982, the court case of Board of Education, Island Trees School District v. Pico, it was determined that school officials could not remove literary material from school libraries because they disagreed with the ideas within said material. However, in reference to school libraries in particular, the 1988 case of Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier set forth the precedent that school officials have the ability to censor classroom curriculum, including required reading books. If a challenge on a book based on the legal precedents listed above is accepted, the book is removed from the school’s curriculum or library. The three main reasons books are challenged are: · The material was considered to be sexually explicit · The material contained offensive language · The material was unsuited to any age group WHY DID THEY BAN IT? Over the years, many classic pieces of literature have been banned. Sometimes the reasons are obvious, even if we don’t always agree with them. Other times, it’s like someone just needed something to do so they decided to try to ban a book. Here are some of the less likely books to be banned and the reasons for the decision:
Issue 721
SNIPPETZ LOGS ON TO THE DIGITAL WORLD OF ONLINE DATING by Lindsey Harrison 
“I don’t know the first real thing about the dating game. I don’t know how to talk to a specific person and connect. I just think you have to go person by person and do the best you can with people in general.”
– Jason Schwartzman, American actor The dating scene can be rough, there’s no doubt about it. People lie to each other and deceive each other and in the end, most relationships just don’t work out. But sometimes you find the perfect person for you and you commit your lives to each other. When that happens, it makes all those horrible blind dates or awkward first dates totally worth it. The real issue is: how do you actually find that person who is perfect for you? Sure, you can go to a bar and try to find someone; or you can strike up a conversation with that cute sales associate at your favorite clothing store. But how often does that work? Wouldn’t it be better to simply meet someone that you knew was a decent match for you and then see if you actually have chemistry? Of course it would. And that’s why online dating was invented. Plus, wouldn’t it be nice to find someone while lounging in your super comfy pajamas and eating Cheetos rather than having to, like, shower and get ready? Ugh. With that in mind, Snippetz thought it would be a good idea to research online dating . . . and we may or may not be sitting in our pajamas while we do this. BEFORE THERE WAS ONLINE DATING . . . As hard as it may be to believe, there actually was a world before the Internet. And in that world, people met, dated, fell in love and lived happily ever after. There were also people out there who had trouble finding that special someone, so they turned to professionals for help. Enter: the matchmaker. It’s true that marriages have been arranged for centuries. Typically, it was a strategy to secure or expand on a family’s property holdings, secure wealth from dowry payments, continue blue bloodlines, and even to marry off female daughters to lighten the financial load a family felt. But the idea of marrying for love is a much more modern idea, and a more difficult task to achieve. So, people consulted a matchmaker who would take their preferences and attempt to match them up with someone else who “fit the bill.” Historically, matchmakers worked for rich, single men who wanted someone else to brave the rough waters of the dating pool for them. But in more recent times, just as many women are seeking out help in finding a suitable man. Although it may sound like an archaic practice, matchmaking is still very much alive. In fact, there was an estimated 1,500 matchmaking professionals in the U.S. in 2006, and very probably many more than that now. Mainly, matchmakers in our country are women and the industry is valued at about $250 million. IN COMES ONLINE DATING Online dating, as with many things, was born out of necessity, or at least a perceived one. Harvard undergraduate students Jeff Tarr, Vaughan Morrill and David Crump, teamed up with Cornell student Douglas Ginsburg to develop a way to meet women aside from the usual blind dates and mixers. And since it was 1965, there was no Internet so no one could search through their friends’ Facebook pages to see if anyone looked interested. But being the problem-solvers that they were, the quartet decided that using computers to pick out compatible matches for people based on their answers to questions on a questionnaire. The idea was simple: have students, both male and female, fill out the questionnaire and then feed the results into a computer, which would then spit out the names and telephone numbers of matches it deemed compatible. In the end, the group hoped to provide the ideal list of Ivy League students and for whom they were well-suited. Consultations with different experts, including computer scientists gave the men the courage to put the plan into action. They developed a questionnaire that they sold for $3 each. Interested students filled out the information and returned them, then anxiously awaited an answer about a possible match. Here’s an example of one of the original questions: 1. Your roommate gets you a blind date for the big dance. Good-looking, your roommate says. When you meet your date, you are sure it’s your roommate who is blind – your date is friendly, but embarrassingly unattractive. You: (a) Suggest going to a movie instead (b) Monopolize your roommate’s date, leaving your roommate with only one noble alternative (c) Dance with your date, smiling weakly, but end the evening as early as possible (d) Act very friendly the whole time and run the risk of getting trapped into a second date Although not as scientific as the online dating services of modern times, the questionnaire was incredibly popular and in high-demand; so much so that the group had to seek outside funding to finance the project. A fortuitous request from the popular T.V. quiz show, “To Tell the Truth,” landed Morrill an appearance as a “mystery personality,” and ultimately provided the dating service free national publicity. Intelligently, the quartet also saw another opportunity in the form of Vicki Albright, Harvard law school’s “Woman of the Year,” who also happened to have been on the cover of Newsweek magazine about the same time. They invited her to try out their dating service and when the computer spit out a prospective match’s name, the press got wind of it and the story blew up. The Associated Press printed it and the story made its way from one coast to the other. MODERN ONLINE DATING That original questionnaire laid the groundwork for future dating services, like eHarmony.com and match.com, both of which ask their members to answer a series of questions to help narrow the field and find that perfect match. However, these modern dating services boast that they are significantly better and matching people up, even going as far as to claim that they use 29 different “dimensions” that are used to determine compatibility. Generally speaking, it’s a combination of surveys and mathematical algorithms that ultimately determines each match. For example, the site may ask you to rank attributes by order of importance, like hair color, level of education, height, etc. If you happen to prefer raven-haired beauties but don’t really mind dating a blonde or red-head, you’d likely not rank that attribute very highly. But if you are set against having your date be taller than you, that attribute would rank highly. Then, when you receive a match, you’re more likely to end up with a shorter red-headed date over a super-tall red-head. The cost of modern online dating services is significantly more than the $3 that the original service charged. Usually, you can count on about $20 to a few hundred per month, depending on the type of subscription you purchase and the amount of amenities you’d like to have access to via your profile. ONLINE DATING SNIPPETZ
Issue 722
SNIPPETZ SHARES THE REST OF THE STORY ABOUT PAUL HARVEY by Lindsey Harrison “In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these.” – Paul Harvey, American journalist and radio personality Members of the media have a special place in our society. We go to them for the news and information we need, and we trust that they will provide that in an accurate and unbiased manner. While there are plenty of trustworthy, respectable news broadcasters out there, a select few manage to deliver that pertinent information in a way that actually entertains as well as informs. Paul Harvey was one such person. His easily-recognizable voice and interesting mix of ripped-from-the-headlines news stories, comments, and advertisements held audiences captive for decades. So, what made him so special? Well, that’s the rest of the story (as Harvey would say), isn’t it? And Snippetz has it all right here! IT STARTED IN OKLAHOMA Paul Harvey, whose real name was Paul Harvey Aurandt, was born on September 4, 1918 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His parents Harry Harrison Aurandt and Anna Dagmar Christensen Aurandt also had a daughter, named Frances Harrietta Aurandt Price, who was 10 years older than her brother. Harvey’s father was a police officer and did his best to keep his community safe. However, one night, when the younger Harvey was just three years old, his father and friend were out hunting rabbits at about 9 p.m. They were approached by four men armed with guns who tried to rob the duo. Harvey’s father was shot and succumbed to his injuries two days later. While the perpetrators were caught and eventually found guilty of the crime, little Paul Harvey was left to grow up without a father from a very early age. Even though he didn’t have someone around to do “father-son” things with, Harvey managed to keep himself busy. He began building radio receivers, something that was perhaps a foreshadowing to his future as a broadcaster. While attending Tulsa Central High School, a teacher stated that she was impressed by his voice and suggested that he seek employment at the KVOO radio station in Tulsa. At 14, Harvey was given a job there, helping clean the facility. Before too long, he was permitted to fill in on the air by reading commercials and sometimes, the news. After high school, Harvey attended the University of Tulsa, while continuing his employment at the radio station. He worked his way up to announcer and then to a program director. Harvey had officially begun his long career as a broadcaster, traveling to from Tulsa to Salinas, Kansas to Oklahoma City and finally St. Louis in 1938, where he took a job as the director of special events and a roving reporter. ANGEL Harvey met Lynne Cooper, aka “Angel” in St. Louis in 1939. He was working at the radio station there and she, a former school teacher, came to take part in a school news program. Harvey invited her to dinner and on that very first date, he proposed marriage to her. She declined but a year later, she conceded and the couple married in 1940. He nicknamed her “Angel” and referred to her frequently on his shows. Lynne Harvey was a success in her own right; she became the producer of Harvey’s shows and was the first producer ever inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. She helped develop some of her husband’s most memorable pieces, including “The Rest of the Story.” Lynne Harvey was responsible for setting 10 p.m. as the designated hour to broadcast the news. She was the first woman to receive a lifetime achievement award from the Chicago chapter of the American Women in Radio and Television organization and was even credited with creating the television prototype to the modern talk show. Lynne Harvey was also one of the first women to produce an entire newscast. PAUL HARVEY, SPY As an outspoken critic of lax security practices, especially at the nuclear test site called Argonne National Laboratory, Harvey very nearly got himself into hot water. The site was located about 20 miles west of Chicago and presented the perfect target for Harvey to make his point; just after midnight on February 6, 1951, he managed to sneak onto the property by using his overcoat to scale over the barbed wire fence that surrounded the facility’s perimeter. He was spotted by security guards and took off running, but tripped and fell. Instead of giving up and admitting he was someplace he shouldn’t have been, the quick-thinking Harvey made up a story about getting lost and having his car die. The point was to show how easy it could’ve been for him to carry out an act of terrorism on the property. In fact, Harvey had written out a script in which he planned to give a false account of how easily he obtained access to the site, but he never actually read it on air. Harvey very nearly got indicted for espionage based on his actions, however. But, using the airwaves to suggest that he was being set up, he managed to dissuade the grand jury and they decided not to indict him. THE REST OF THE STORY Perhaps one of Harvey’s most memorable broadcast series was his “The Rest of the Story” pieces. It premiered on May 10, 1976 and ran until 2009, when Harvey passed away. The pieces were written by his son, Paul Harvey, Jr. and, at the show’s peak, were broadcast to 24 million listeners each week. Six days per week, people across the nation could listen to Harvey regale them with what he claimed to be entirely true stories, although there has been much debate about that assertion. True or not, the stories were memorable and entertaining and represented possibly the only instance where his facts were called into question. IN THE END Paul Harvey died on February 28, 2009 at the age of 90. His wife had died the previous year. By the time he died, Harvey reportedly accounted for 10 percent of ABC’s $300 million per year advertising earnings and was the recipient of a variety of awards, like American of the Year, Father of the Year, Salesman of the Year, Commentator of the Year, and Person of the Year (to name a few). PAUL HARVEY SNIPPETZ
Issue 723
WHEN ADS BECOME ICONS: SNIPPETZ ROUNDS UP SOME POPULAR ADVERTISING CHARACTERS by Lindsey Harrison “When I was old enough to know better, I ate a bar of soap in the shape of the Muppets’ Fozzie Bear, because I loved him so much I wanted to consume him, even if doing so made me ill. I didn’t yet know the word ‘foreshadowing.’ Fozzie was only the first of many pop-culture icons I feel shaped by.” – Emma Forrest, British journalist What makes an icon? No, not that little “thumbs-up” symbol you can add to a text or to show that you “Like” someone’s Facebook post. We’re talking about those recognizable, sometimes annoying but often loveable characters created by advertising agencies to promote a product. Whether we like it or not, those characters often become icons and with the way our lives revolve around media of all sorts (print, television, radio, social, etc.) it’s no wonder more kids can recognize Ronald McDonald than Vice President Joe Biden. While some icons certainly stand for things that, as Emma Forrest said, could be dangerous to our health, others lend a certain wholesomeness to advertising that the world is most definitely lacking. If you know anything about Snippetz, you know that this is right up our alley. So here are some of our favorite pop-culture icons, in no particular order! DUKE, THE BUSH’S BAKED BEANS DOG The Bush Brothers & Company was founded in 1908 by A.J. Bush and his two sons and did fairly well right from the start. But as with any growing company, they decided they needed a new advertising gimmick to garner them more customers. In 1995, the company was being run by A.J. Bush’s grandson, Condon. And it just so happened that Condon had a son named Jay, who had a golden retriever named Duke. What better way to appeal to the American public than with a guy and his talking dog? But there was one hitch: the REAL Duke wasn’t into acting so the company had to hire a body double to portray him in the commercials and on the road doing publicity gigs. BETTY CROCKER As a veritable juggernaut in the baking world, General Mills certainly has a reputation to uphold. So when letters began pouring in during the 1920s from people asking questions about baking, they simply to respond. But who are you more likely to trust: a baking company or a homemaker who knows her way around a kitchen? Granted, she was completely fabricated, but Betty Crocker fit the bill nicely. Her first name was chosen because it sounded “warm and friendly” and her surname was chosen to honor a retired General Mills executive. Betty Crocker respond to letters for years before artist Neysa McMein was commissioned to draw the fictional woman so people could put a face with the name. Over the years, her appearance has changed many times but she is certainly identifiable; at one point, a public opinion poll placed her as the second-most famous woman, behind Eleanor Roosevelt. THE AFLAC DUCK “Aflac!” It certainly sounds like something you might hear a duck say. But it’s actually the name of an insurance company. One clever art director finally made the connection when he found himself muttering the company’s name over and over, trying to find inspiration. And so, the Aflac duck was born, much to the chagrin of Ben Affleck (no relation). THE COPPERTONE GIRL Back when it was cool to have a natural tan and no one really knew or was concerned about skin cancer, Coppertone (the sunscreen maker), debuted an ad featuring a little girl with a suntan whose swim suit bottoms are being pulled off by an ornery puppy. The slogan, “Don’t be a paleface!” is obviously not the slogan anymore, now that people have become more aware of the dangers of sun over-exposure. But the image of the pig-tailed little girl, who was actually created by artist Joyce Ballantyne in the image of her three-year-old daughter, Cheri, has withstood the test of time. The television ad that followed also served as the start of very famous actress, Jodie Foster’s career. THE PILLSBURY DOUGHBOY What better way to sell refrigerated dinner rolls than to have a giggly, sweet little doughboy do it for you? The Leo Burnett advertising agency rolled out the mascot in 1965, first as an animated character and then later as the stop-action clay figure we’ve all come to love. Actor Paul Frees, probably most well-known for his work as the voice of Boris Badenov and Dudley Do-Right in “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show,” landed the roll as the Doughboy’s voice. RONALD MCDONALD Arguably the most recognizable pop-culture advertising icon, the red-haired clown hit television screens in 1963, played by Willard Scott, a former weatherman for NBC’s Today show. Originally, he had curly blond hair, a magic belt, a fast-food tray hat, and a paper cup nose. We can’t say how the company would have fared if Ronald had never gotten his makeover, but it’s clear that the change was well-received; people all over the world flock to McDonald’s, to the tune of more than 52 million customers each day. THE ENERGIZER BUNNY Created by Chiat/Day in 1989, the Energizer Bunny was originally meant as a parody on the commercials produced by rival battery company, Duracell, featuring battery-powered toys. Energizer used the pink bunny to display how their batteries “just keep going and going,” and soon, the big pink bunny became a mainstay in the company’s advertising repertoire. AUNT JEMIMA In 1893, the Quaker Oats Company debuted its trademark spokesperson, Aunt Jemima. Back then, the stereotype of Aunt Jemima portrayed as an apron-and-bandana-wearing “Mammy” was accepted and wasn’t found nearly as offensive as it would have been, had the image been dreamed up today. In fact, former slave Nancy Green was the original spokesperson for the brand and served as the inspiration for the Aunt Jemima character. Of course, the intent of the Aunt Jemima character was not to offend or subjugate anyone or any race but to highlight the comforting appeal of the southern cooking and domestic traditions of the time period. As times changed, so did Aunt Jemima. In the 1960s, petitions were sent to the Quaker company, asking them to update their icon’s image so she wasn’t portrayed in such an outdated and subservient role. The company listened and made over Aunt Jemima several times before settling on the image we see today. THE MICHELIN MAN Have you ever wondered why the Michelin Man, supposedly a man made of tires, was bleach-white when tires are anything but? Back in the late 1890s, when the character was created, tires took on a grayish-white or light, almost translucent beige color because no one had through of adding carbon to the material to serve as a preservative. The Michelin Man’s name is also symbolic: “michelin” in Spanish actually means “spare tire” but also refers to the slang term for the flabby area around a person’s waist. His real name is actually Bibendum, which means “drinking to be done” in Latin and the idea behind that was to indicate that the company’s new pneumatic inflatable tires could drink up the obstacles on the road without going flat. THE JOLLY GREEN GIANT The Minnesota Valley Canning Company, an offshoot of General Mills, initially launched its marketing campaign for its canned peas with a grumpy, grayish gnome as the mascot. That character wasn’t very well-received. But in 1928, the gnome became the smiling green giant clothed in a tunic of leaves and was such a hit that the company officially changed its name to Green Giant in 1950. The Green Giant is so popular, there is even a 55-foot fiberglass statue of him on Route 169 in Blue Earth, Minnesota. Issue 724
SNIPPETZ SAYS, "GOBBLE UP THESE TASTY FOOD PHRASES!" by Lindsey Harrison "Eating is not merely a material pleasure. Eating well gives a spectacular joy to life and contributes immensely to goodwill and happy companionship. It is of great importance to the morale." - Elsa Schiaparelli, Italian designer Reading that quote, you're probably thinking, "Wow, food is kind of a big deal." You know you need it to survive, but who knew that it played such a massive role in other areas of our lives aside from survival. So is it any wonder that we sprinkle food references into various phrases of the languages of the world? The origins are often lost in translation but people still use them all the same. But where did those phrases come from and how did they get the meanings we've attached to them thus far? That's where Snippetz can help; we've cooked up a recipe for discovering the origins of food phrases. So feast your eyes on this! POPULAR FOOD PHRASES AND THEIR ORIGINS There's no such thing as a free lunch · Origin: this saying dates back to a common practice at bars across the United states in the 1840s. The bar owners would offer anyone buying a drink a free lunch to go with it. But the lunch was really just a bunch of salty snacks to make those customers thirstier, and thus, they bought more drinks. The Big Cheese (there are two competing origination theories for this saying) · Origin: in 1802, a cheese maker delivered a 1,235-pound wheel of cheese to President Thomas Jefferson. Clearly, that was a pretty big cheese, but the claim is that people used the phrase as a double entendre, referring to both the cheese wheel's size and the importance of its recipient. OR · Origin: stemming from the Persian Anglophile phrase, "the chiz," which means "a cool thing," the phrase "the big cheese" became commonly used in the early 1800s, where it meant someone or something wealthy or top-notch. In a nutshell · Origin: way back when, Cicero actually coined this phrase when he said that Homer's famous epic poem, the Iliad, was written in such small handwriting that all 24 books could fit "in a nutshell." Cool as a cucumber · Origin: although the phenomenon wasn't scientifically proven, it has been a well-known fact since the early 1700s that a field cucumber stays about 20 degree cooler than the outside temperature, even on a hot day. Spill the beans · Origin: we can thank the Ancient Greeks for this saying, which refers to their voting system for admitting prospective members into private clubs. To vote “yes,” a bean of a specified color was dropped into an opaque jar and to vote “no,” a different specified color was placed in the jar. If the jar of beans was spilled, the results of the vote were known prematurely. Bring home the bacon (there are two competing origination theories for this saying) · Origin: taken from an English tradition that began in 1104 called the Dunmow Flitch Trials, “bring home the bacon” is a literal reference to the award given to the married couple who managed to go an entire year without arguing. The award, a flitch, is a side of bacon. OR · Origin: beginning in the 1700s, “bacon” was a slang term for a person’s body, and by extension, their livelihood or means of income. In 1906, lightweight boxer Joe Gans was scheduled to fight for the title and before he left for the match, his mother said, “Joe, the eyes of the world are on you. Everybody says you ought to win. Peter Jackson will tell me the news and you bring home the bacon.” Gone to pot · Origin: referring to something that is not good anymore, this phrase comes from pre-Elizabethan England and how meat that was hardened and on the verge of spoiling was used – it was thrown in the stew pot. Egg on your face · Origin: in order to make a fellow actor look foolish during a slapstick comedic performance, Victorian actors would break eggs on the fall guy’s forehead, thus putting egg on his face. Easy as pie · Origin: this phrase, which dates back to the late 1800s, is actually a derivative of the original phrase, “easy as eating pie.” Cook your goose · Origin: in medieval times, the act of hanging up a goose was akin to calling someone stupid. So, in 1560 when Eric XIV, the Mad King of Sweden invaded a town and saw that a goose had been hung in his “honor,” he yelled at them, “I’ll cook your goose!” In a pickle · Origin: meaning “to be in an uncomfortable situation,” this phrase comes from the old Dutch phrase “de pikel zitten,” which means to sit in a salt solution used for making pickles. Take the cake, piece of cake and cakewalk · Origin: all of these phrases come from the same activity that was commonplace in the 1800s, in which black communities in the southern United States held “cakewalk” competitions. During these cakewalks, couples would get dressed up and walk through a course of cakes, showing off their style and fanciest gait. The winning couple would “take the cake.” Because the competition was literally just walking, the phrases “piece of cake” and “cakewalk” came to be synonymous with something that is easy to do. Happy as a clam · Origin: you may be wondering when a clam is happy and how you would ever know, but as with other sayings, this phrase is a derivative of a longer, more explanatory, phrase: “Happy as a clam at high tide.” Clam diggers are only able to gather clams at low tide so someone made the obvious connection that clams must be happier at high tide because they aren’t likely to get plucked up and eaten. Take it with a grain of salt · Origin: meaning “to consider something with skepticism or suspicion,” this phrase comes from the belief that salt has healing properties. To eat or drink something with a grain of salt was considered a preventive practice against potential poisoning or illness. A baker’s dozen · Origin: in medieval times, English bakers tried to stretch their dough as far as possible and sold loaves to customers that contained more air pockets than bread. Authorities caught on and by 1266, they enacted a law that required bread to be sold by weight. To avoid fines or penalties, bakers added an extra loaf to every dozen. It’s all gravy · Origin: a hearty meal like turkey and mashed potatoes just isn’t the same without a good helping of gravy. Using an Old English saying that life is meat and potatoes and the more luxurious things are gravy, the phrase “it’s all gravy” essentially means that “it” is a great and wonderful thing, whatever “it” is. Chew the fat (there are two competing origination theories for this saying) · Origin: this saying stems from an Inuit eskimo tradition of chewing whale blubber like bubble gum because the blubber took a long time to dissolve and helped pass the time. OR · Origin: when supplies got low, it’s said that sailors were forced to chew salt pork as a way to take their minds off their dwindling rations. Egg on · Origin: this is actually a variation of the word “edge.” To edge someone on is to urge them on or urge them forward, so egging someone on means the same thing. My cup of tea · Origin: tea held such a beloved place in British society that, in the early 1900s, “cup of tea” was commonly used as a synonym for someone’s affinity for someone else. Issue 725
SNIPPETZ TRAVELS TO TASMANIA LOOKING FOR THAT LITTLE DEVIL! by Lindsey Harrison “Earth was created for all life, not just human life.” – Anthony Douglas Williams, Canadian author If you know anything about the Looney Tunes, you know that the craziest, most chaos-inducing character is the Tasmanian devil, Taz. In a whirlwind of dust and whatever various items come dislodged in the process, Taz streaks through a room and completely destroys anything in his path. Awesome. But more than a little inaccurate. So where did that whole misconception come from? Perhaps it’s the fact that Tasmania itself seems so exotic and mysterious that an animal called the Tasmanian devil was just too interesting to pass up! We get it. But we at Snippetz thought it might be good to do some more investigating into the wildlife of Tasmania to see what those amazing animals are really like! TASMANIAN DEVIL We might as well start with the infamous Tasmanian devil. The image of the Looney Tunes Taz may not be accurate but there is some good inspiration to show him as being the maniacal animal he is. Tasmanian devils are about the size of a small dog and typically have black fur covering their muscular frames. They give off a distinct, pungent smell and emit extremely loud screeches that can be slightly disturbing. Tasmanian devils are ferocious eaters and this combined with the other attributes is likely why we see the cartoon Taz that we see. Tasmanian devils have large heads and necks which gives them one of the strongest bites per body unit mass of any land predator. They hunt their prey but aren’t above eating road kill and other carrion. Tasmanian devils typically consume about 15 percent of their body weight daily, but have been known to eat about 40 percent of their body weight in a span of 30 minutes if the opportunity presents itself. They can completely devour the carcass of a smaller animal, including the bones and fur, which might have further inspired the Taz character. Like kangaroos and opossums, Tasmanian devils are marsupials, meaning they give birth to live young that they carry around in a pouch until the baby is old enough to survive on its own. Unlike opossums, however, Tasmanian devils do not have prehensile tails, meaning they can’t hang from or grasp things with it. In fact, Tasmanian devils actually store fat in their tails instead. They can climb trees like opossums, but as they get older, it becomes harder for them to do so. COMMON WOMBAT Another marsupial native to Tasmania is the common wombat, also known as the coarse-haired or bare-nosed wombat. These animals typically grow to just above 3 feet long and weigh about 57 pounds. Common wombats are solitary animals and live in elaborate tunnel systems that they dig, which often have various side tunnels, although typically only one tunnel actually enters the wombat’s burrow. Common wombats are herbivores and live on grass, snow tussocks and other plants it can find. They are nocturnal so they usually forage for food at night but will often emerge during the cooler parts of the day, like the early morning or late afternoon. Breeding occurs every two years and they will give birth to a single joey, who will spend about five months in its mother’s pouch. Common wombats live about 15 years on average while in the wild but can live an additional five years or so in captivity. EASTERN BARRED BANDICOOT Marsupial number three on our Tasmanian wildlife list, the eastern barred bandicoot is about the size of a rabbit and weighs less than 5 pounds. There are two separate populations of the eastern barred bandicoot; one lives on the mainland Australia and the other lives on the island of Tasmania. The Tasmanian population is a bit larger than its Australian counterpart but not by much. Eastern barred bandicoots have short tails with three or four whitish bars across their hind quarters. These animals are nocturnal and come out at dusk to scrounge for crickets, beetles and earthworms. In order to find food, they use their long noses to probe deep into the soil and then dig out their prey. During the day, they relax and rest in their grass-lined nests. Eastern barred bandicoots can have up to five babies in a single litter, but typically only have two or three. Their gestational period is only 12 days long, one of the shortest gestational periods of any mammal. The Tasmanian population of the eastern barred bandicoot is larger and more widespread than that of the Australian version, mainly because Tasmania provides a larger areas of suitable habitats. Tasmania also lacks the red fox, the eastern barred bandicoot’s main predator. SHORT-BEAKED ECHIDNA One of four living species of echidna, the short-beaked echidna is covered in fur and spines. It used to be called the spiny anteater, but since it really has no relation to the anteater, that name has fallen out of use. The distinctive snout and super-speedy tongue also help distinguish the short-beaked echidna from other animals. Like the duck-billed platypus, this mammal lays eggs. They have strong front limbs and claws that allow them to burrow quickly. Because they survive underground, going into a deep torpor and hibernation during winter, they must be able to withstand high levels of carbon dioxide and low levels of oxygen. They use their spines as protection and roll into a ball as a defense mechanism, similar to a hedgehog. Additionally, they evade predators by diving underwater. When doing so, they adjust their heartrates to about 12 beats per minutes, roughly one-fifth of the usual resting heartrate. This allows them to ration oxygen out to their hearts and brains. The short-beaked echidna’s strong claws and burrowing skills allow them to dig out their prey and pull apart nests or rotting logs to access certain insects. They are relatively particular about what they eat because certain insects secrete nasty-tasting liquids. Short-beaked echidna are usually about 12 to 18 inches long, with about 3 inches of that being snout. They typically weigh between 4 and 15 pounds. They have fur between the spines on their backs to provide insulation. TASMANIAN BETTONG The Tasmanian bettong is another native Tasmanian mammal that usually weighs just about 1 pound. Because they are small, they have many natural predators, mainly foxes, that have completely extinct the bettong from the mainland of Australia and they are only found on the eastern half of Tasmania now. Bettongs eat seeds, roots, bulbs, insects and underground fungi. This animal is yet another marsupial and the females give birth at various times throughout the year. Their gestational period is 21 days and the babies live in their mother’s pouch for about 3 1/2 months. The bettong can live in the wild for between 3 and 5 years. EASTERN QUOLL At adulthood, the eastern quoll measures about the size of a small domestic cat. They have thick fur that is usually brown or black with small white spots all over their bodies. Like the bettong, the eastern quoll is wholly extinct from the mainland of Australia but is widespread and commonly-found throughout Tasmania. The eastern quoll typically hunts and scavenges for food, usually sticking to insects, although they have been known to take down small mammals like rabbits, rats or mice. They are nocturnal and usually sleep in nests under rocks or in underground burrows, rarely emerging at dusk to forage. Similar to the bettong, eastern quolls have a gestational period of 21 days; but females give birth to as many as 30 young at once. Significantly less than that survive due to a lack of available nipples from which to nurse. Issue 726
SNIPPETZ WANTS TO KNOW: "WHAT'S IN A (NICK) NAME?" by Lindsey Harrison “Titles are but nicknames, and every nickname is a title.” – Thomas Paine, English-American political activist, philosopher and author Nicknames can be both a blessing and a curse. For instance, perhaps you have a dog that is small, black and a bit overweight. If you decided his nickname should be “Meatball” because he looks like a burnt meatball, that can be fun for you, but maybe not so much for your dog (although he’s probably just happy that you’re talking to him). That’s the great thing about nicknames, though. They aren’t just for people. They’re for animals, foods, and states. Yep, all of the 50 states have their very own nickname. Some are easier to understand and others need a bit of explaining and while we’d like to cover all 50 nicknames, our wonderful little magazine just doesn’t have the space. So here are some of the more obscure, bizarre or confusing nicknames and where they came from! ALABAMA – The Yellowhammer State This nickname originated in the Civil War times and refers to the uniform worn by a company of Confederate cavalry soldiers from Huntsville, Alabama when they entered the war in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. The new soldiers’ uniforms were new and had bright yellow on their sleeves, collars and coattails. The other soldiers, who had been in the war much longer and subsequently had uniforms that were NOT new, teased the newcomers with a taunt started by Will Arnett, who said, “Yellowhammer, Yellowhammer, flicker, flicker!” From then on, the new company became known as the “yellowhammer company” and eventually all troops from Alabama were referred to as “Yellowhammers.” ALASKA – The Last Frontier As the last state to be admitted into the United States, Alaska also represents the last state in which large settlements have yet to really take over. ARKANSAS – The Natural State Arkansas got its nickname from the abundance of natural beauty, including crystal clear lakes and streams and plenty of wildlife. CALIFORNIA – The Golden State Officially dubbed The Golden State in 1968, California’s nickname harkens back to the discovery of gold in 1848. Additionally, fields of golden poppies bloom each spring, giving another reason for the nickname. COLORADO – The Centennial State One of the more obvious nicknames, Colorado was dubbed The Centennial State because it officially became a state in 1876, 100 years after the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence. CONNECTICUT – The Constitution State Designated as The Constitution State by the General Assembly in 1959, the idea came from historian John Fiske, who contended that the Fundamental Orders of 1638-1639 were the first written constitution in history. The Orders were a “social compact for immediate use, constituting a new and independent commonwealth, with definite officers, executive and legislative, and prescribed rules and modes of government” created by the planters of Connecticut. FLORIDA – The Sunshine State This nickname was adopted as the official state nickname by the 1970 Legislature. Presumably, the nickname comes from the fact that most of the state has a subtropical climate and portions of it have very little variation in the temperature throughout the year. Going by number of sunny days alone, this nickname should technically belong to Colorado, which sees 300 sunny days on average, compared to Florida’s 246. IDAHO – The Gem State Thinking the name Idaho meant Gem of the Mountains in Shoshone, the state has been called “The Gem State” since about 1863. However, the name Idaho actually means “the sun comes from the mountains” and possibly even derives from the Apache term meaning “enemy.” ILLINOIS - The Prairie State INDIANA – The Hoosier State This nickname stems from a poem by John Finley called “The Hoosier’s Nest,” which was printed as the “Carrier’s Address” in the Jan. 1, 1833 edition of the Indianapolis Journal. A week later, at the Jackson Day dinner, John W. Davis gave a toast to “The Hoosier State of Indiana.” IOWA – The Hawkeye State James G. Edwards suggested the nickname as a tribute to the Sauk Indian leader, Chief Black Hawk. KENTUCKY – The Bluegrass State Even though Kentucky bluegrass isn’t actually blue, it does produce bluish-purple buds and when seen in the large rolling fields of the state, it appears blue. Early settlers found the grass and decided to make use of it through trade, which became known as “the blue grass from Kentucky.” MARYLAND – The Old Line State Given by George Washington, this nickname refers to the regular line troops that fought in the Revolutionary War. MINNESOTA – The North Star State This nickname evolved from the state motto, “L’Etoile du Nord,” or “The Star of the North,” which makes sense since it is the northern-most state in the contiguous United States. MISSOURI – The Show Me State This nickname is attributed to Representative Willard Van Diver, who said, “I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces me nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me.” NEBRASKA – The Cornhusker State The term “cornhusker” refers to the method of harvesting corn by hand, called “husking,” which was common in the state prior to the invention of husking machinery. NEW JERSEY – The Garden State This nickname came from Abraham Browning who said that New Jersey is like an immense barrel, filled with good things to eat that is open at both ends, with Pennsylvanians and New Yorkers each grabbing from their respective ends. NORTH CAROLINA – The Tar Heel State This nickname supposedly comes from a verbal exchange between the soldiers of North Carolina and the troops sent to support them during one battle of the War Between the States. Apparently, the supporting troops fled when the battle got too difficult but the North Carolina stood their ground. Those troops told their supposed supporters that maybe they should put tar on their heels so they wouldn’t run away in future battles. NORTH DAKOTA – The Peace Garden State The International Peace Garden, which sits on the border between North Dakota and the Canadian Province of Manitoba, was the inspiration for this nickname. It was formally adopted in 1957. OHIO – The Buckeye State Originally, the nickname referred to the vast population of buckeye trees that could be found in Ohio. However, the presidential race between William Henry Harrison of Ohio and President Martin Van Buren solidified that name. Initially, opponents said he was better suited for sitting in a log cabin, drinking hard cider than running for president. Harrison became known as “the log cabin candidate” but his supporters used that to his advantage and used the image of a log cabin made from buckeyes and various other buckeye items to promote their candidate. When Harrison won, the buckeye became even more closely associated with Ohio. OKLAHOMA – The Sooner State In 1889, the Oklahoma area was opened to settlers, who lined up on the border of the territory and when the signal was given, they raced in to claim their land. Those who cheated a bit and went in early became known as “Sooners.” TENNESSEE – The Volunteer State The most popular of Tennessee’s nicknames, The Volunteer State stems from the War of 1812, in which volunteer soldiers serving under General Andrew Jackson displayed braveness and valor during the Battle of New Orleans. TEXAS - The Lonestar State UTAH – The Beehive State Designated the official state emblem on March 4, 1959, the beehive is meant to represent industry and the value of thrift and perseverance. WISCONSIN – The Badger State During the 1800s, miners dug tunnels into the hillsides of Wisconsin in search of lead. They lived in them during the cold winter months to stay warm, thus reminding others of badgers. And that’s how Wisconsin became The Badger State. WYOMING – The Equality State Also known as the “Cowboy State,” Wyoming’s nickname is The Equality State because women in this state were the first in the country to vote, serve on juries and hold public offices. Issue 727
SNIPPETZ GEARS UP FOR HALLOWEEN WITH A PEEK INTO THE SPOOKY MIND OF TIM BURTON by Lindsey Harrison “I grew up watching things like The Brain That Wouldn’t Die on Saturday afternoon television. There’s a guy with his arm ripped off and blood smeared all over the wall. I never saw it as negative. I find that stuff, when it’s not rooted in reality, to be cathartic.” – Tim Burton, American director, producer, artist, writer and animator “This is Halloween, this is Halloween.” How many of you will go around with this song stuck in your head this month? With Halloween just a few weeks away, it seems like every retail store you enter has jumped on the bandwagon and started selling anything and everything Halloween-related. Truth be told, some store starting doing this back in July, but that’s not the point. The point is that Halloween has become hugely popular, not only for kids but for adults as well. And when you picture adults that embody Halloween, you probably picture Tim Burton. His films, like “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Beetlejuice,” and “The Corpse Bride” are perfect fodder for Halloween imagery (not to mention awesome costumes). How did he get to be such the Halloween guru? Read on! EARLY LIFE On Aug. 25, 1958, Timothy Walter Burton was born to Jean and Bill Burton in Burbank, California. Bill Burton was a former minor league baseball player who eventually got a job with the Burbank Park and Recreation Department, and Jean Burton owned a cat-themed gift shop. Burton’s interest in filmmaking started early on. Before he hit his teen years, he had already begun making short stop motion animated films, a technique he would later use to create one of the most memorable stop motion animated films of all times, “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Burton also dabbled in 8 millimeter film, which he shot without sound, and produced one of his oldest known films, “The Island of Doctor Agor.” He made it when he was just 13 years old. A STAR ON THE RISE Burton attended Burbank High School where he honed his artistic skills by painting and drawing. After high school, Burton studied at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California. There, he focused on character animation and produced two more short films, “Stalk of the Celery Monster,” and “King and Octopus.” After graduating from college, Burton was offered an apprenticeship at Walt Disney Productions’ animation department after executives watched his film, “Stalk of the Celery Monster.” Burton worked as an animator, storyboard artist and concept artist on “The Fox and the Hound,” “The Black Cauldron,” and the original “Tron.” Burton continued to work for Disney and made his first short film for them, called “Vincent,” in 1982. It was a six-minute black-and-white stop motion film about a boy who imagines that he is Vincent Price, an American actor whose claim to fame was his numerous roles in horror films (want to know more about Vincent Price? Check back with Snippetz in a couple weeks!). Price narrated the film, which was shown at the Chicago Film Festival. In 1984, Burton released his next live-action short film, “Frankenweenie.” The film, also shot in black-and-white, focuses on a young boy who tries to bring his dead dog back to life after it is run over by a car. Apparently, Disney didn’t much care for the final Frankenweenie product and fired Burton, claiming the company didn’t approve of his decision to spend company resources on making such a dark and potentially frightening film. BREAKING AWAY Ordinarily, one might assume that getting fired from Disney Productions would be a career-ending event. In Burton’s case, it was likely the best move of his career, simply because it gave him the freedom to work on the types of films that he felt drawn to. It was also after his split with Disney that Burton teamed up with Danny Elfman, a musician with the group Oingo Boingo. The first film they collaborated on, “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure,” cost $8 million to make and grossed over $40 million at the box office. Clearly, the team was a winning combination. Since then, Burton has had Elfman score every film he’s directed, except for two: “Ed Wood” and “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” CLAIMS TO FAME Chances are pretty good that, somewhere along the line, you’ve seen a movie that Burton had a hand in creating. From the “Beetlejuice” movie that was adapted into a cartoon series to the “Batman” and “Batman Returns” movies that essentially kicked off viewers’ obsession with the Caped Crusader, Burton’s influence was integral in making each project the success they would each eventually become. After casting Johnny Depp as the lead role of Edward in “Edward Scissorhands,” Burton would go on to use him in a variety of other successful films including “Ed Wood,” “Sleepy Hollow,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Corpse Bride,” “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” “Alice in Wonderland,” and “Dark Shadows.” Speaking of “Corpse Bride,” you may have noticed that it has a similar feel to “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Burton’s influence in both films in undeniable but he took a leading role in the creation of “Corpse Bride” as director and it paid off. The film grossed over $207 million in the U.S. alone. Burton also took the opportunity to remake his 1984 film, “Frankenweenie,” which was released in October, 2012. Another example of his stop motion films, Burton said the film was based on a memory he had of the relationship he formed with a dog he had while growing up. By this time, Disney’s initial rejection of the film’s concept was a distant memory and Burton was able to fully realize his vision from nearly 20 years earlier. WHAT’S NEXT? Burton is currently working as the director of an adaptation of the book “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” by Ransom Riggs and producer of the sequel to “Alice in Wonderland,” called “Alice Through the Looking Glass.” Both films are scheduled to be released in 2016. Additionally, Burton is working to create another animated film called “Deep” that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world and plans to direct a live-action version of Disney’s “Dumbo.” Don’t rule out several other projects in the near future, either. Burton is a busy man! TIM BURTON SNIPPETZ
Issue 728
SCIENCE FICTION OR SCIENCE FACT? SNIPPETZ LOOKS INTO SCI-FI NOVEL PREDICTIONS by Lindsey Harrison “Remember, science fiction’s always been the kind of first level alert to think about things to come. It’s easier for an audience to take warnings from sci-fi without feeling that we’re preaching to them. Every science fiction movie I have ever seen, any one that’s worth its weight in celluloid, warns us about things that ultimately come true.” – Steven Spielberg, American director, producer and screenwriter Science fiction is a genre of writing that encompasses a wide variety of storylines. Whether it’s a story set in outer space, under the sea or on another planet completely, there’s always something to interest even the most discerning reader. So why are we researching science fiction novels during the spookiest of months, October? Because science fiction novels are not just entertainment. What if we told you that in some instances, they have actually predicted the future, just like Steven Spielberg stated. That may not seem scary at the outset, but we at Snippetz know better; sci-fi can be scary and the idea that they might be foretelling events to come is enough to send a chill straight down your spine. So, how close have those sci-fi books come to predicting the future? Read on! TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT? Admittedly, science fiction is meant to be fiction. However, we’ve come across some examples of when that fiction seems to have foretold future events. And those events aren’t always so wonderful. Of course, with the plethora of sci-fi stories out there to browse, we had to pick and choose a bit so forgive us if we’ve left out your favorite book. But perhaps you’ll be prompted to pick up one of the books we discuss here if you’re looking for a bit of a fright! “1984” by George Orwell Published in 1949, the book “1984” depicts a futuristic society in the former country of Great Britain, where war is ever-present and the government surveilles every move each citizen makes. It’s interesting to consider just those two similarities to modern times, especially in the United States. But the similarities don’t end there. The government in “1984” has actually created a new language, called Newspeak. This form of language basically shortens and combines words to make new ones. Hmmm. Anyone remember the July 13 issue of Snippetz in which we researched new words? Yeah, it’s just like that. Orwell talks about a political system called English Socialism, but in Newspeak, it’s actually Ingsoc. English + Socialism = Ingsoc. Not convinced? Well, consider that the protagonist of the story, Winston Smith, is a member of the Outer Party and works for the Ministry of Truth, called Minitrue in Newspeak. Ministry + Truth = Minitrue. Of course, these are just a few of the things from “1984” that Orwell wrote about way back in 1949, that are coming to fruition in modern times. Spooky? We think so, too. “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury Bradbury’s book, “Fahrenheit 451,” was published in 1953. In it, a futuristic American society where books are outlawed and “firemen” are tasked with confiscating said books and burning them. Now, that may sound a little harsh, but here’s the thing: in the story, books were banned because of the gradual takeover of new media, sports and an overall increases pace of life. Because people’s attention spans had shortened so much, the content in books was drastically edited to accommodate those short attentions spans. Eventually, people saw the content as so outdated that it posed a threat to the overall mental health of the society and so the books were systematically rounded up and burned. Short attention spans, huh? An increased pace of life? Heightened interest in media and sports? That sounds NOTHING like today’s society (please note: extreme sarcasm used in last comment). And let’s not forget all those books that have literally been banned from approved reading lists in our public schools throughout the country. Anyone remember our “Banned Books” article? That’s right. Bradbury foretold of the banning of books because the content inside them wasn’t approved for the masses. Granted, our modern society doesn’t burn every book it comes across, or even the majority of the books that have been banned. But the similarities are impossible to ignore. If Bradbury’s predictions aren’t scary, we don’t know what is! A GLIMPSE OF WHAT IS YET TO COME?!? We know there are times when science fiction is eerily accurate. But there are other times when, thankfully, the writer’s imagination was way ahead of its time. There’s no telling if we’ll end up facing some of those situations in the future, but for now, we can safely say the following examples were a bit off-base. “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” by Philip K. Dick This book was first published in 1968 and is set to have taken place in 1992. Dick writes of a society that is recovering from a massive war to end all wars, World War Terminus, which has left the majority of the world decimated by nuclear warfare. Clearly, we’re in 2015 and there has been no near-annihilation of the world due to radioactive fallout, especially not in 1992. Phew. Additionally, the idea that android animals are used as a status symbol for people who can’t afford the more expensive “real thing” is, in general, not accurate either. But let’s not forget those little Tamagotchi things. You know, the little keychain pet that you had to feed and take care of or it would “die.” Yeah, so maybe Dick’s prediction about people having robot pets wasn’t so far off . . . “The Stand” by Stephen King Originally published in 1978, horror story guru Stephen King relates a tale about a weaponized strain of flu that was accidentally released, effectively killing off 99.4 percent of the world’s human population. This story was set in 1980, so again, we’re missed the cutoff for that pandemic and hopefully won’t be seeing anything like it any time soon (knock on wood). But biological weapons have long been a concern of not only our country, but countries across the globe so while King’s prediction didn’t come true in 1980 and hasn’t come true in 2015, the scariest part is that it could easily become a reality in the very near future. Yikes! “The Martian Chronicles” by Ray Bradbury Written sometime in the late 1940s and published as a short story collection in 1950, “The Martian Chronicles” begins in January 1999 and follows attempts made by people on Earth to escape atomic devastation by fleeing to other planets, namely Mars, to establish new colonies. In his story, Bradbury relates how people from Earth manage to make contact with Martians, who they ultimately nearly kill by exposing them to germs the Martians can’t survive. Again, Bradbury’s ideas are quite interesting and echo events from earlier times in our nation’s history. Thankfully, the part that has yet to come to fruition is the nuclear event that prompts the “Earthlings” to leave in the first place. And let’s not forget that we have yet to actually get a human being to set foot on Mars. Oh, and we’re still working on finding evidence that other lifeforms exist in our universe, especially on our closest planetary neighbor, Mars. Issue 729
"WHO IS THE HORROR FILM MASTER?" SNIPPETZ SAYS IT'S VINCENT PRICE! by Lindsey Harrison “I sometimes feel that I’m impersonating the dark unconscious of the whole human race. I know this sounds sick, but I love it.” – Vincent Price, American actor, writer and gourmet As we inch closer and closer to the end of the month and the long-awaited celebration of Halloween, our thoughts here at Snippetz have turned to the dark and mysterious, the spooky and sinister. Real life, for the most part, doesn’t have much of those things in it, at least we hope not. It’s really not that scary to go to work in an office or at a school. But one place where people can let their imaginations wander is in the movie theater. Movies provide a safe haven for the average person to indulge in our fears. We can cuddle up on the couch with a huge bowl of popcorn and watch a horror flick with all the lights off. No one is there to judge us when we scream and throw the popcorn into the air. And certainly, it’s better to remember that it’s just a movie. So we have decided to venture into the world of horror films and pull out one of the most famous, most notorious actors of that genre: Vincent Price. Never heard of him? Well, now’s your chance to learn all about this master of the big screen scare! EARLY LIFE Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was board on May 27, 1911, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Marguerite and Vincent Leonard Price, Sr. Price's father was the president of the National Candy Company and his grandfather invented "Dr. Price's Baking Powder," which was the first cream of tartar baking powder and subsequently earned the Price family a healthy income for years to come. Price attended St. Louis Country Day School and after graduation, he attend Yale University, where he graduated with a degree in art history in 1933. His love of art would follow him throughout his lifetime and eventually he would found the Vincent Price Art Museum in California. But let’s back up for a second. After completing his degree at Yale, Price taught for a year but then decided to pursue his Master’s degree in art history from the University of London. While art would always hold a special place in his heart, Price abandoned the idea of getting his Master’s degree and instead began to focus on his acting career, which he had begun on-stage in 1934. By 1935, Price had established himself as a stage actor and appearing at Orson Welles’s Mercury Theater in London. CAREER As Price’s career progressed, he slowly began to find his niche in horror films. Initially, Price was a character actor, not necessarily pigeon-holed into one specific type of film or another. In 1938, he made his on-screen debut in “Service de Luxe,” then appeared as Joseph Smith in “Brigham Young” in 1940. Following that, he played Vital Dutour, Bernadette’s prosecutor in “The Song of Bernadette” in 1943 and the next year, was featured to two films: first as William Gibbs McAdoo in “Wilson” and then as the priest in “The Keys of the Kingdom.” While he was working away at becoming a well-known actor, Price was introduced to the horror film genre in 1939 in Boris Karloff’s “Tower of London.” In 1940, he played the title role in “The Invisible Man Returns.” In addition to his roles in various other types of films, Price took an interest in “film noir,” which is actually one of the only film type that emerged out of Hollywood unintentionally and organically. Film noir movies are not necessarily horror films, but they deal in dark topics and often take place in dark settings, with dramatic plots. Price made a name for himself playing villainous characters in movies like “The Web” and “The Long Night” in 1947, and “Rogues’ Regiment” in 1948. However, his first starring role came in 1950’s “The Baron of Arizona,” in which he played con man James Addison Reavis. Aside from his various appearances in films, Price was also very active in radio shows. From 1947-1951 he provided his voice for the role of Simon Templar, a Robin Hood-esque character in “The Saint.” HOW “HORROR”-IBLE In 1953, Price made his definitive move into the horror film genre with his role in “House of Wax.” This film was the first 3-D movie to end up on the year’s top ten at the North American box office. He continued down the horror movie vein with “The Mad Magician” in 1954, “The Fly” in 1958 and “Return of the Fly” in 1959. Price also starred in two other major films in 1959, “House on Haunted Hill” in which he played an eccentric millionaire named Fredrick Loren, and “The Tingler” in which he played Dr. Warren Chapin. In his horror film roles, Price used his tall, lanky frame to his advantage, but truly his voice was what gave him his notoriety. His rich, deep voice, and pure tones often lent a somewhat otherworldly, definitely spooky quality to his roles. Price knew how to use it to his advantage, too by employing it to help create a sense of tension. Although he was aware of the effect his voice had on viewers, Price was once quoted as saying, “To me, I should like everybody else in Missouri. I think I sound like Harry Truman.” Pretty sure Harry Truman didn’t agree. While many actors were busy trying to make the next big hit and searching for the high-budget films to act in, Price was not as concerned. In fact, many of the films he starred in were low-budget flicks that played to interest in the horror film genre. And who better than Edgar Allan Poe to serve as the inspiration for such films? Price couldn’t have agreed more, considering he starred in several adaptations of Poe’s stories, including 1964’s “The Masque of the Red Death.” DEATH Price discovered he had lung cancer while working on the set of Tim Burton’s “Edward Scissorhands.” In fact, you may recall from our “Tim Burton” article earlier this month that this film was Price’s last before he passed away on Oct. 25, 1993. He left behind two grown children, Vincent Barrett Price and Victoria Price. VINCENT PRICE SNIPPETZ
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