Best Buy and CDs: The End of an Era

If you are a frequent customer of Best Buy, you may have noticed a major change of recent. If you have not noticed, you soon will. A few months ago the powers that be at Best Buy corporate office decided to stop selling music CDs by July 2018. The reason is quite obvious — sales of music CDs have continued to drop over the years, making way for paid downloads through various platforms such as Amazon and iTunes. 

Best Buy operates in the same manner as most retail chains — the store shelves are valued real estate. Take the cost of operating expenses, divided by the total feet of shelf space in the store, and a dollar value is equated to every square foot of shelf space. If other merchandise such as tee shirts and action figures sell better than CDs, the retail value of compact discs diminishes. 

They say you either change with the times or the times change you. While a large percentage of customers have not progressed to the digital audio file format, retail sales are the driving element for the evolution of music formats. Long gone are 8-track and 45s, and compact discs are diminishing in the war between CDs and digital downloads. Granted, YouTube has been the major pirate source for illegal listening for more than a decade that the music industry has yet to crack down hard enough, providing access (and free digital downloads) for those who take a few minutes to learn how to click a button and listen. 

All of this does not mean you have to rush out and buy your favorite bands and singers before the CDs become obsolete, but when you visit flea markets and fan gatherings and the price is right, you may want to consider making a purchase. Once you own the CD, you own the recording for life and CDs are still the true on-demand. As music is digital on CDs, you can always convert to a new platform later such as an iPad or hard drive.

Many of the new cars sold on the market today do not include a CD player, instead focusing on Bluetooth connections for digital playlists on smartphones. Best Buy will continue to sell gift cards with serial numbers that grant you downloads of music purchased in the store, but one questions how long those will be continued as anyone can do the same with their smart phone from the convenience of sitting on their sofa. 

Best Buy is only the first major chain to make the decision to pull the plug on CDs. Other retail outlets will eventually follow, the trend will soon become the norm, and the studios and production companies that lose income as a result of a major drop in sales will eventually consider whether it is worth continued production of compact discs. As for myself, I am proud to have a collection of my favorites sitting on the shelf, which will continue to grow in the coming months, in preparation for what might be a sign of the music industry apocalypse. 

SerlingFest 2018

Early this week the SyFy Channel announced the cancellation of the annual Fourth of July Twilight Zone marathon. The network refused to cite a reason for the cancellation but the tradition of watching multiple episodes in one day became routine for tens of thousands of fans who, on specific Facebook groups, discuss the episodes as they air live. The annual tradition has been a SyFy staple for more than a decade. Christopher John Sorick, administrator of the Twilight Zone Fan Page, is encouraging fans to voice their disgust on the SyFy Channel Facebook page. Fans have been voicing disappointment on other Facebook groups, but the decision was no doubt financial for the network.

Thankfully, we have something more interactive to look forward to. On July 6 and 7, in Rod Serling's home town of Binghamton, New York, SerlingFest 2018 will offer fans of the television program a chance to meet Anne Serling, Rod's daughter, and a number of authors/historians, during a weekend of film screenings, documentaries and a trivia contest. The event is held at the DoubleTree, which is already sold out, but you can find a room at a neighboring hotel if you use google or hotels.com.

I hope to see a bunch of you at the event in a couple weeks!

http://rodserling.com/SerlingFest2018/SerlingFest2018promo1.html

Clint Walker, Tall in the Saddle

It is with sad and heavy heart that I report the untimely passing of Clint Walker, one of the three surviving members of The Dirty Dozen, but who will forever remain in my heart as Cheyenne Bodie from the weekly television Western, Cheyenne. He passed away on May 21, from congestive heart failure. 

Having spent time professionally with a large number of Hollywood actors, especially at fan gatherings and film festivals, I can truly say Clint was one of the few individuals who was sincere down to the marrow of his bones. Down to earth, very little ego, and as you saw him on the screen in both movies and on television, that was how he was in real life. A tall, larger than life man to look up to… the same man who inspired me to eat healthy many years ago when I had lunch with him and he generously provided some dietary tips regarding vegetables, red meat and protein. 

When he made a public appearance at the Memphis Film Festival a decade ago, I quickly observed the fact that he never took time to pose for photographs with fans. When I asked him why one morning, he explained, “at my age and with these knees, getting up and down all day is troublesome and would become painful. I do not mind signing autographs and answering questions, though.” So I guess I was one of the lucky ones to have my photo taken with Clint one morning, not so much at my request as it was his. He insisted on the photo before the door opened and fans caught him posing for the camera.

This might disillusion a few people reading this, but having been in the hotel rooms with Hollywood celebrities over the years, I have always observed the numerous gifts bestowed upon the celebrities during autograph sessions… Amateur artwork, scrapbooks, refrigerator magnets, and in one instance, action figures. Self-obsessed fans never seem to have trouble finding time to create mementos inspired by the legends they get to meet at conventions and fan gatherings. Celebrities accept gifts from fans solely to maintain Goodwill and appreciation, but realistically they never have enough room in their luggage or in their house for all the gifts that have been given to them over the years. For this, academically, I can understand. With Clint Walker, however, he was always sincere when he received gifts from fans. I remember when Clint was enamored by someone who created a pair of leather shows and their talent at leather burning… They had an image of Clint Walker as Cheyenne Bodie on the side of the shoes. He literally stopped the autograph line for a few minutes to admire the craftsmanship. 

In closing, I would like to re-count a story he once told me that is worth sharing… Clint Walker was the Captain of the Guard, a small and brief scene in Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments. This was among his first acting jobs in Hollywood. On the way to the studio that morning Walker observed a woman who had pulled over to change a flat on her tire. Being the kind soul that he was, the actor pulled over to assist. (As big and built as he was I can only envision him jacking the car up with his own hands to speed the process.) Upon finishing the task, he apologized for not staying any longer to except her verbal appreciation as he was already late for work. When he arrived at the studio, he expected to be fired for being late to the interview. DeMille was furious until Walker explained his reason. The director looked at Clint Walker for a few seconds and remarked, “I know all about the fix-a-flat. That was my secretary and she explained it to me a few minutes ago.” 

Rest in peace, Mr. Walker. 

The Triumphant Return of Rocky and Bullwinkle

2018 promotional poster

Let me state for the record that one of my two favorite animated cartoons is The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle. Breaking the fourth wall, adult jokes that would normally fly over the heads of youngsters, bad puns and thrilling escapades are part and parcel of the weekly television series. I religiously bought all five seasons as they came out on DVD, then found myself traumatized in 2000 when a big screen, live-action film was released in theaters. (To date, I have never fully recovered from that horrible movie.) 

So imagine my surprise when it was announced last year that the moose and squirrel were making a comeback on Amazon.com's Prime streaming service... and soon after the May 11 premiere, the short run, 13-episode mini-series went under scrutiny from this avid fan boy.

Once again, Rocky and Bullwinkle are thrust into harrowing situations but end up saving the day time and time again. Their innocent and silly ambitions to become rock stars, find lost treasure and win the annual Frostbite Falls Pie Contest (using grandma's stinky pie recipe) somehow dovetail with Fearless Leader's sinister plans for world domination. Enter stage left, Boris and Natasha, the notorious super spies, who seem to always fall victim to the diabolical boobytraps originally created for moose and squirrel.

There are three story arcs for this new series, "The Stink of Fear," "The Dark Side of the Moose" and "Moosebumps." Marco Schnabel wrote the first, which brilliantly captures the spirit of the original series, leaving me hooked long enough to view all 13 episodes. While I am not a fan of this new style of animation, there was enough here to binge-watch in two-and-a-half hours. Mr. Know-It-All segments, Bullwinkle's Corner segments, and "Hey Rocky, Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat" segments are few and far between. There are no fillers such as Peabody's Improbable History or Fractured Fairytales. The adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle last 21 minutes each, long enough for you to witness a cliffhanger that leads into the next episode.  

In an era where Hollywood continues to look at vintage property and attempt an update, rather than take a chance on an original concept, and without the voice legends of William Conrad, June Foray and Paul Frees, it is gratifying to know that the characters we have come to love are being introduced to a generation that never grew up with the original cartoons. As for this fan boy, it would be nice to see a second season with a few cartoon fillers (such as a Mr. Know-It-All segment). My only hope is that the new series will expose youngsters to the original series.