Newsletter #45

folc central
Newsletter #45
December 8, 1998

In This Newsletter...
What's New?
The Diva Factor
The Obsession Connection
The Fanfic Side

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What's New?

Today, December 8th, is Teri Hatcher's birthday! She's 34!

Dean has reportedly just finished shooting an episode of "Fantasy Island", which should air in early 1999.

Looking for Superman stuff? If you live in the USA, visit your local post office soon! At my post office, there are only a few small items left, so if you don't want to miss out on getting a piece of post office and Superman history, you better get over there A.S.A.P.

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The Diva Factor
by Karen (LadyFOLC@aol.com)

T'is The Season

Not the Christmas season. Any dork can write about that. Not that I don't love the holidays - yuletide cheer and all that, sign me up for a big piece of jolly. But I'm talking about something much more fulfilling, meaningful, and joyous - Oscar season.

The Oscars, the Academy Awards, the Big Kahunas. And everything leading up to it - the Golden Globes, the SAGs, The Director's Guild, The Writers Guild, The National Review Board, etc. They get me all a-tingle. They are the pinacle of Hollywood excess and glamour, and I love them for it. All the back-stabbing, two-faced, hypocritical shallow "beautiful people" - I just love them! It's like a big episode of Melrose Place, only on a grander scale. And even though the Oscars are still a few months off, the first awards of the season have been announced - The National Review Board. Went to a bunch of indie films, it's inconsequential. The point is, the season is here. And in honor of them, I'd like to give out some awards of my own: The Karen's Favorite Movie Awards. These are going to my favorite movies to explain why they are my favorites. Why not just give awards to movies I just saw this year? I only saw a couple of movies this year, I'm afraid.

Most Fashionable Movie:
Evita. Surprised I didn't say Titanic? I bet. But when you have as many costume changes as Evita did, with so many beautiful vintage gowns and outfits, it has to go to Evita.

Most Fun Movie To Watch When You Know The Words:
Two-way tie between Grease and Billy Madison. If you haven't seen either, shame on you. Grease is a classic, and I have a raging crush on Adam Sandler.

Most Romantic Movie:
The Wedding Singer. Still surprised I didn't say Titanic? Don't worry, it will get something. Jack never wrote a song about Rose, did he? Go see The Wedding Singer and if you're not all gooey-happy-crying after the end, if you don't smile and gigle when he tries to go to her house and he's practicing what to say as he walks down the street, and if you don't rejoice and sing along to "Love Stinks" and "Somebody Kill Me" - you're not human.

Funniest Movie:
In & Out. See it. It gets big bonus points for a) being written by my favorite writer, and for having a storyline involving The Academy Awards.

Best Chick Flick:
The Joy Luck Club. Watch it with your mom and/or daughter. Watch it and call your mom. Just watch it. This movie also gets huge bonus points for written by a family friend of mine, Amy Tan.

Best Suspense Movie:
Rear Window. By Alfred hitchcock. Starring James Stewart, Grace Kelly, and Raymond Burr. It's a classic. See it.

Best Drama:
Titanic. Told you it was coming. It has a massive special place in my heart. In fact, I just added several pages to my Titanic scrapbook.

Most Stylish Movie:
Breakfast At Tiffany's. Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard. If you haven't seen it, you can't even be in the running to be a diva. I watch it constantly to cheer me up. Holly Golightly is the most charming character ever to come onscreen, and she works those Givenchys with style and grace. Watch this movie, and you will see how Jennifer Love Hewitt could NEVER fill Audrey's shoes.

There you go, kids. My all-time favorite movie list. Next year, these awards will be televised at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, hosted by myself and David Duchovny - watch for our love scene in the opening teaser - and covered by all the major networks. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Joan Rivers will not be invited.

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The Obsession Connection

It all started when I didn't watch Lois & Clark for three whole days. And as you sit there, wondering how I could actually still be alive after all the torment I have been through, just know that I was in distress. Major distress. Three days of no Lois, no Clark, no Tempus, no space rats, no Kryptonite, no Double Fudge Crunch Bars, and no staring at Clark's cute...arms. His cute arms. Right. That's it.

Needless to say, when I came to my senses on Sunday and realized what a major crazy person I was, I frantically dug out the tapes and proceeded to watch them. In the last three days alone, I've watched "House of Luthor", "Illusions of Grandeur", "The Ides of Metropolis", "The Green, Green Glow of Home", "Lethal Weapon", "AKA Superman", "Never on Sunday", and "Chip Off The Old Clark". Now I've got my heart set on seeing "The Phoenix", "And The Answer Is", "We Have A Lot to Talk About", "Ordinary People", "Home Is Where the Hurt Is", "Twas the Night Before Mxymas", "Soulmates", and "Tempus, Anyone?"--in no particular order.

I know that any FOLC can get Red Kryptonited occasionally. A case of apathy, perhaps, when you're feeling "bumped", that can result in a kind of mode where you don't want to watch L&C. It's like anything else--chocolate, for instance. Chocolate is wonderful, but you know how, around Christmastime, you get a whole lot of it? I mean, there's the Hershey's kisses, brownies, fudge, cookies, pie, cake, candy, chocolate Santas, chocolate milk, Snickers, caramel, gooey chocolate chips...and then someone offers you a nice big chunk of warm chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and sprinkles, topped with Brown Cow icecream...and suddenly, chocolate doesn't look so good.

Or maybe it's like a book...you like this particular book and everything, but you *have* read it 456 times...you just need a break from it. Pick it up in a month and dive back in to it. Take a break.

You should never, ever, stop liking L&C. To stop liking L&C is a crime beyond all crimes, punishable in most states. But it is okay to take a break from the show for a few days, tops, as long as you feel guilty the entire time, and promise yourself that as soon as your interest comes flooding back, you'll watch it morning, noon, and night. Then go out and buy all available merchandise, and beg your L&C poster for forgiveness. Okay, LOL, mayyybe that's going too far.

So to change the subject just a bit, today I would like to talk about obsession. Now, I don't mean obsession, like what I was talking about in the last newsletter--being so crazed that you'd actually go to Dean's house and sing for him--I'm just using the word as meaning you like something so much you'd do *almost* (note: almost) anything for it. Your just like it a heck of a lot...or you even love it. Now, I love Lois & Clark, always have, but today let's talk about what Lois and Clark themselves have loved.

Naturally, they love each other. I mean, they're soulmates, it's a given. And they love their families, but most people do (certain aunts, uncles, and cousins do not always count, in some cases). But rewind a bit, to when my Clarkie first came to Metropolis. He was so cute! Wait, I'm getting sidetracked. Okay, when Clark first came to Metropolis and interviewed with Perry for a job at the Daily Planet, he saw Lois for the first time. Later on in the show, he has been known to say that he loved Lois since the moment he saw her...he has loved her from the beginning, etc. Lois thought Clark was OK, but she *really* liked Superman.

Fastforward to "I'm Looking Through You", when we learn Lois has Superman pajamas. Or to "Vatman", where she mentions a Superman fan club ("You get a button!") Or to "Barbarians at the Planet" (and I love this one) where she has a Superman scrapbook! And then there's "That Old Gang of Mine", where it is discovered that she carries a picture of Superman in her wallet. And this is long before she finds out Clark is Superman.

Was Lois obsessive? Yeah, baby. Gotta love her. Was she crazy? No way! Let's see...a scrapbook, a fan club, a picture, and pajamas...if that's all the Superman stuff she has, she's safe. But I have always thought, deep down, that somewhere inside Lois's mind, waaaayy down there, was the knowledge that Clark was Superman, all along. It was just so deep down and far back in her brain that she could never retrieve it except when she wasn't expecting it (Hmmm...kind of like that beam of light that sent her info. in "The Eyes Have It"...shoot, I'm getting sidetracked again). You'll notice throughout the first two seasons there were instances where Lois looked like she was *almost* going to figure out Clark's secret, but never quite could. Maybe being Soulmates gave Lois a unique ability to just "know", but not *really* know, you know?

If by some miracle you are still following this column, I applaud you. And I would like to leave you with one quote...

"Can you say obsessive?"
"I'm obsessively in love with Clark Kent!"

--Clark and Lois, "AKA Superman"

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The Fanfic Side
by Rachel M. (Scardno007@aol.com)


Hey FoLCs! And how is everybody today? We just got assigned Uncle Tom's Cabin in English. I nearly passed out...629 pages?! Yeesh! So just ignore me if you find that I'm a little...out of it. Now I have to go work on my research paper roughdraft that's due tomorrow! (Don't tell anyone, but I haven't even finished the notecards yet...) Go ahead, you can call me a slacker, I don't mind...I'd better just give you this issue's fanfic before Mom yells at me...sheesh.

"Barbarians at the Orange"
AKA
"That Old Orange of Mine"
by Sharon Brown and Darren

Clark Kent had just gotten home from work and was about to change clothes when suddenly his super hearing picked up an emergency:

"HELP! The plantation is on fire!!!!!"

Clark rushed out of the window and sped towards Florida. He landed and
saw an orange plantation ablaze, and with a gust of super breath, blew
it out.

As he walked through the charred trees, searching for any possible
injuries, he spied something gigantic just over a hill to the North.

As he topped the hill, he stopped in surprise. Growing right before him
was the largest orange he had ever seen. It was at least twice as big
as the Daily Planet globe, and Clark walked over to get a closer look.

"Oh wow." said Clark. "What in heaven's name could that be?"
He looked closer. It was an orange, but it was really big.
"Oh my goodness," Clark said. "That is KEWL!"
He touched the outside of the orange. Well, it felt like an orange.
Suddenly Superman was hungry. He considered taking it back to Lois'
place for their dinner. Then he decided not to. He had an idea, and
started tunneling into the orange.

"Yum," said Clark. "This orange is good."

He tunneled out an open area in the center of the orange for him, flew
home and got a few lawn chairs and his tv, and set up. This was really
neat. "I could stay here forever!" said Clark.

Just as Clark was relaxing in his new orange home, he noticed
voices. They seemed to be coming from inside the orange.

"I wonder what that is!" He got up to search, but suddenly stopped as a
little creature crawled out to see him. "Hey bucko! My name is Oscar!
Welcome to our huge, caused by radioactive seeds, home!"

"What are you?" Clark crossed his arms and waited for Oscar to answer.
Oscar crossed his two stumps of arms and said "Listen, buddy, we don't
like strangers, so unless you let us illegally hook your cable box up to
our TVs, you are EVICTED!"

"Well," Clark said, "I really like this place, and even though I've got a nice wife and a good job, I think I'd like to stay awhile. Sometimes I need a break from things, you know? Listen, you can sit here and watch ESPN with me."

Oscar walked over and sat in a lawn chair. He resembled a Care Bear, Clark thought.

"You'd let me watch ESPN with you??" Oscar asked. "I am so touched!"
So they sat back and watched ESPN. A few minutes later, they heard some racket.
"What is happening?" asked Clark.

"BOOO!!!" Clark heard someone screaming.
Someones, actually. Out popped a creature that looked strikingly like
part of the My Little Pony collection.

"I'm Meyer! Stop putting the moves on Oscar!"

"Hey, it's ok, Meyer, Oscar and I are just friends." Clark said.

"Oh, alright." said Meyer, who plopped down on the couch. Meyer was a
boy, but he enjoyed dressing like a girl from time to time.

Oscar, Meyer, and Clark sat there watching ESPN for a long time. When
they were hungry, they just reached down and grabbed some orange.

When they were thirsty, they had orange juice.
And no one ever had to use the bathroom while in the orange, it was
really weird.

Oscar, Meyer, and Clark became inseparable. Until Weiner came along, that is.

Weiner didn't get along with anybody.

"We CAN'T watch ESPN, we HAVE to watch Buffy!!"

"I hate Buffy!" yelled Clark and Meyer. Oscar said so too. Weiner even got a VCR, and offered to watch Evita. Clark and Meyer and Oscar were angry beyond tears about that.

Clark raised his hands in the air. "Listen guys, no Evita, no Buffy. I don't want to watch that kind of thing!"

Weiner sat in the corner and pouted, and so Clark took the time to ask Oscar and Meyer about their lives.

"Clark, we've been in here for 100 years. We never thought we'd get
out, and we knew we were goners in that fire. We are so glad that you
came to save us!"

"I'm not." said Weiner from the corner

"Weiner, shut your hole!" both Oscar and Meyer yelled.

Meyer took over the life story telling. "Oscar, Weiner, and myself have
been sitting around in this orange for a long time, so for fun, we like
to sit around and write poetry, things like that."

"The only station we've been able to pick up on our TV is PBS, our
stupid rabbit ears don't do much."

"Clark, we wrote a poem about living in an orange, would you like to
hear it?"

"Sure," Clark said, "I've got nothing better to do, there's a commercial
on ESPN right now anyway."
Oscar cleared his throat. "I call it an Ode to my Orange."

"Oh Orange, I've lived in you for so long,
you make me feel like I'm hitting a gong.
Sometimes when I'm feeling sad and blue, I eat you
because you're full of Vitamin C and cure me of the flu!"

Clark and Meyer applauded politely, while Weiner booed and threw rocks
at Oscar.

"Boooooooo," said Weiner, even after the rest were finished
applauding.
"Yeah right, Weiner, you can't do one any better!"
said Oscar , defiantly.

"Yeah right, my poem could kick your poem's butt!" said Weiner.

"Ignore Weiner, Oscar, he is just being immature." said Meyer.

"Fine, you can listen to my poem. It is very good." said Weiner.

"Here goes....
Oh Orange, I'm tired of living in you...
If I had one wish, I would take Oscar and Meyer and kick them until they
were blue and out
of air and preferably dead but unconscious would do...
I'm tired of eating bad food for dinner-- such as Orange Stew.
Everytime Oscar and Meyer write a poem, I end it with a BOOO."

"The end." said Weiner.
No one made any noise. "THE END!" said Weiner. "What are you, deaf?
You're supposed to clap!"

"I didn't like Weiner's poem." said Oscar. "I'm not sure, but I think it was about me."

"It was a very nice poem, Weiner. " said Clark, trying to be polite.

"Yeah, right," said Weiner. "No one ever listens to me. Everyone hates me."

"That's not true," said Clark. "They love you, Weiner."
Oscar and Meyer started crying.

Pretty soon, Oscar, Meyer, and Weiner were all in one great big group
hug. Clark watched ESPN some more.

As the women's rhythmic gymnastics competition came to an end,
Clark went to stand up. "Guys, it's been fun, but I've got to go home
and wash some clothes. Oh, and can you unhook your TV's from my cable box?"

Oscar and Meyer suddenly grew six feet taller and a pair of big white
fangs appeared in their mouths. "YOU CAN NEVER LEAVE!" Suddenly,
Weiner hopped forward, and changed into Jimmy Olsen.

"Hey, yes he can leave, he's smooth!" Clark grabbed his lawn chairs,
TV, and Jimmy, and flew out of the tunnel, with Oscar and Meyer hot on his tail.

Just as they reached Clark's house and Oscar and Meyer threatened to kill Lois, Clark woke up.

He was breathing heavy, and turned over to see Lois coming into the bedroom.

"Lois, where have you been?"

"I was just downstairs, I had the strangest craving for oranges."

Clark screamed and passed out. THE END
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Thanks Sharon and Darren! Just one thing...where do you find rocks inside an orange? Hey, and don't forget, if any of you FoLCs out there want to see *your* fanfic posted up in one of the newsletters, send it to me at scardno007@aol.com!
-Rachel :)

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SuperThanks!
Molly, Rachel, Jill, Karen, Maggie, and Cat!