August20

Parade Magazine is Tacky

As I’ve noted in the past, I enjoy reading the Sunday paper. The most I look at the paper during the week is over lunch, and that’s because me and my lunchmates work the crossword puzzle, wordy gurdy, jumble and cryptoquip. Sundays? I glance over nearly every page and then continue on to the comics, coupons, etc.

Today, as I was starting on number 7 from my list, Parade Magazine, I nearly chocked on my Mint Chocolate Chip Pop-Tart. The thing I enjoy the most in Parade is the Personality Parade. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s (usually) the first page of the magazine that prints “letters” from “readers” asking about their favorite stars and theur current whereabouts.

Translation: The celebs listed in these “letters” have a new project to promote, so let’s get their names in the media as much as we can.

Well, I thought today’s Personality Parade (will be updated on Tuesday to have the full text) had a giant slap in the face:

For those who can’t read blurry text from a digital photo, this is what it says:

Question: As a big fan of Westerns, I’m curious: Which actors were the best riders?
—Connie Dillon, Wichita, Kan.

Answer: “I’d rate Robert Duvall, John Wayne and Slim Pickens as among the best,” says T.J. Bews, who provided horses for Brokeback Mountain. “Heath Ledger was excellent. Jake Gyllenhaal was a novice but came along pretty well. And I worked with Christopher Reeve in 1993. He was a very good rider.”

Yes, this is the same Christopher Reeve that became a quadriplegic due to being thrown off a horse.

I don’t know what Parade was saying, but I didn’t find it very tactful. I suppose that Parade wanted to make the point that Reeve WAS a good rider, at one time. Tsk tsk.

+ original post date: August 20, 2006 10:59 AM
+ categories: Pop Culture, WTF