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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 25, 1996)
Arts ©Entertainment Thursday, April 25, 1996 Page 12 Brian Priesman Tabloids can be put to good use I’ll come clean and admit that I am a regular reader of “The Weekly World News.” Where else can I get a regular dose of weirdness and fun masquerading as real journalism? I can’t get enough of everyone’s favorite Bat-boy, that poor misguided lad who looks as if he stepped out of a bad B-movie. And those pesky, politically savvy aliens! Just think, in 1988 they visited Bush and secured him the victory. But they changed sides and supported both Clinton and Perot in ’92.1 can’t wait to see who they’ll support this year. Heck, I plan to base my entire po litical future on who they back! (Al though I’d be real ly happy i f they would decide to back James Brown because then I wouldn’t have to change a thing about my political affiliation!) But in all seriousness, people com plain about the tabloids being cheap, - petty and trashy. But then how come they sell more copies in a week than the New York Times sells in a month? People read the tabloids, hopefully, to laugh. No one I know takes them seriously. Well, I guess I do know a couple of people who view them as truth, but these are the same people who think “Saturday Night Live” is still funny. For me, “The Weekly World News” provides a cheap escapist form of en tertainment that’s only found in my local supermarket. They’re fun! Tltey’re laughable! And they’re cheap! The cheap part is my favorite. I can buy my copy of “The Weekly World News” for the price of a Burger King Kids Meal. And believe me, the tab loid is worth more than the meal. In a recent issue, it claimed that Christ had appeared, yet again, over the United Nations. Boy, if this were true you’d think the Pope would have said something! And there was this miracle cure for almost everything that relied upon a person eating fresh avocado about 20 times a day. And even though I may be sick to death of avocados, I feel like a million bucks! But I still can’t just waltz into the store and buy a copy. I still have to buy it and act as if it’s not mine. I’ll make this big fuss about “Why, that’s not mine! I wouldn’t read that! Oh, don’t worry, it’s pretty cheap, I’ll take it, I guess.” And then I walk off in a huff with the paper folded under my arm as if I hadn’t planned on buying it myself. As crazy as it sounds, it actually works at some stores. Yep, I can fool them all into thinking that I would never read that wonderful drivel. Maybe some day I can proudly waltz into my local Hy-Vee and pro claim that “Yes, that Weekly World News is mine! And I intend to read it, cover to cover!” But until that day comes, I will sneak with the rest of the devoted “WWN” readers, searching for Bat boy and his friends to offer me some whimsical diversions from the world - of serious journalism. Priesman Is a freshman news-editorial, aad theater major and a Dally Nebraskan, staff reporter. Warrior returns to the ring By Gerry Beltz Senior Reporter During his three-year respite from the hectic schedule of the World Wrestling Federation, the Ultimate Warrior has been minding his own business. Well, businesses, actually. That’s right, one of wrestling’s most popular figures has been play ing the role of the Ultimate Entre preneur in his hometown of Scottsdale, Ariz. The Warrior will make his return to the squared circle Sunday night as one of the featured wrestlers in the WWF’s “In Your House” Pay-Per View event, which will be broadcast from Omaha’s Civic Auditorium. “I have my own business, called ‘Ultimate Creations,”’ he said. “There’s Warrior’s World and War rior University, an institution of higher learning for young athletes to train and learn to believe in them selves.” Other parts of these businesses include the publishing of the “War rior” comic book series and the train ing of fledgling professional wres tlers, he said. ine cnaracter ot tne Ultimate Warrior is something that j ust comes naturally, he said. “I’m highly motivated in my per sonal life and business,” he said. “I’m very energetic and in your face, and the Ultimate Warrior is just an outward expression of that.” It’s not just the character of the Ultimate Warrior that is like that either, he said. “I think anybody who comes to know any professional wrestlers knows that their characters are j ust a natural extension of what they are like outside of the ring,” he said. The frequent mention of the Ulti mate Warrior by wrestling enthusi asts over the last few years shows the natural power of this character, he said. “For the last three years, the Ul timate Warrior has been on the tips of everybody’s tongues,” he said, “and people were actually creating poor imitations of him in other ieagues. “Nobody else can do that charac ter. No one else can be you.” The Ultimate Warrior—a previ ous WWF world and intercontinen tal champion—will face the flam boyant Golddust for the WWF in tercontinental title in Sunday’s match. The Warrior isn’t sweatin’ it. “I’m really looking forward to the match,” he said. “I’ve had a couple of appearances and TV Photo courtesy of the World Wrestling Federation The Ultimate Warrior, now mounting a comeback after a three-year hiatus, stretches out in all of his glory. Tm highly motivated in my personal life and business. I’m very energetic and in your face, and the Ultimate Warrior is just an outward expression of that. ” THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR tapings, but this is my first match back on the road.” All of the gold will be up for grabs Sunday night, as WWF world champion Shawn “The Heartbreak Kid” Michaels and Diesel meet in a “No Holds Barred” match, and the WWF tag team titles will be on the line as the champion Bodydonnas meet the challenge of the Godwinns. Other matches include Razor Ramon going up against Vader, and Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts will lock up with the British Bulldog. Tickets are still available for the event for $ 11.50 (general admission seating). The event also will be avail able on pay-per-view and can be ordered through CableVision for $19.95. 4-manband dazzles audience By Cliff Hicks Music Critic Too Much Joy. TOO MUCH JOY. TOO MUCH JOY!!! Too Much Joy played at Mudslide Slim’s, 1418 O - St., Tuesday _ night and for _^ anyone who | wasn’t there, ■ you may have I missed one of the most cner getic perfor Concert rnances ever to Review hit the Midwest. Ivcwicw Take four pieces of ball lightning, 300 pounds of Vivarin and a couple of Heinekens, blend it 1 all together and it will form into Too Much Joy. The four-man power-pop-punk band was viciously alive as it pro ceeded to blow the minds of 70 or so Lincoln listeners. Opening the show with “That ’ s A Lie,” I remember thinking to my sel f that at some point they were going to run out of energy. They didn’t. TMJ always pauses and throws in a lie of the day into the song. I have to admit, it even had me fooled. i mougni me song was over. Then Tim Quirk, the vocalist, said, “You know, we usually invite the girls to come back to the hotel after the show and (expletive) us, but we’re kinda hung over, so if you’ re going to offer, we ’ 11 dec line.” Along with everyone in the place, I screamed “That’s a lie!” as the band came crashing back into the song. It’s a good thing that Jay Blumenfield, the guitarist, was cordless, because he was everywhere — scooting, sliding, jumping and flying wherever he could. During the third song in the set, “Mrs. Now,” a fire truck pulled up in front of Slim’s, lights a-flashing. Apparently there was a fire next door (I never did really find out where), but it was the best light show anyone could have asked for. And best of all, it was free. Jay saw the lights (his head swiv eled as if he was in “The Exorcist,” I swear it) and for a moment, I thought I saw a grin. See JOY on 13 Former ‘Superman’ actress taken to ward By Jeff Meyer Associated Press Writer GLENDALE, Calif. — “Super man” actress Margot Kidder was in a psychiatric ward Wednesday after being found dirty, dazed and fearful in a stranger’s back yard, claiming she had been stalked and assaulted. Police said they found no evi dence of foul play, and took the 47 year-old actress to Olive View Medi cal Center in Sylmar for observa tion. Tests showed no sign of drugs or alcohol in her system. Only last May, Kidder’s “Super man” co-star, Christopher Reeve, was paralyzed from the neck down in a horse-riding accident. The whiskey-voiced actress, who played Lois Lane in four “Super man” movies and battled health and financial problems in recent years, had been missing for three day s until she was found crouching in the bushes by homeowners in a quiet neighborhood of neatly tended homes. Kidder appeared “frightened and paranoid” and seemed to have cut her hair to alter her appearance, Sgt. Rick Young said. When asked who was following her, she would not say. Young said. “We do not feel there has been a crimeatthistime,”Youngsaid.“She claimed that she was followed and assaulted, but we found no evidence of that.” Kidder lost a dental plate during her three-day disappearance, lead ing to initial reports that her front teeth had been knocked out. She was scratched and bruised, but police said that was apparently from hiding in the bushes. Kidder had been living in Livingston, Mont., and was in Los Angeles on business, Young said. Kidder was last seen at the Los Angeles airport Saturday night, wait ing for a flight to Phoenix, Ariz., police said. But she never arrived there, and a business associate re ported her missing Monday. The Theatre Guild, a producer of plays, said Kidder was supposed to teach an acting class in Thatcher, Ariz., on Monday. In a statement, the guild said she was hospitalized with “extreme exhaustion.” A representative for Kidder .did not immediately return a call for comment. Kidder’s career peaked in the 1970s and ’80s with the “Super man” series. She also appeared in the movies “The Great Waldo Pep per” and “The Amityville Horror.” She said a 1990 auto accident while filming a TV series based on the Nancy Drew books caused a neck injury that gave her persistent pain. She occasionally needed a wheelchair. She told People magazine in 1992 that she took pills to ward off the pain, but the pi Us left her mind “mud died.” Surgery eventually corrected Kidder’s physical ailment, but she went into bankruptcy when her in surance company refused to pay her bills, according to the magazine. It said she was broke and living in a one-bedroom apartment near Hol lywood. Kidder rented an office at a small Hollywood complex for about two years to work on her autobiography. Judie Phillips-Smith, who works in the building, said she believed Kid der moved out last fall. Kidder also took up political causes, working on Jesse Jackson’s 1988 presidential campaign, de nouncing capital punishment and fighting for abortion rights. She appeared with Stacy Keach in Baltimore last year in the play “Stieglitz Loves O’Keeffe: Flowers and Photos” and made the low-bud get movie “Never Met Picasso” last fall. In 1994, she appeared in a CD ROM thriller titled “Under the Kill ing Moon.”