I... don't know what to think...

[squamous]

yet I must share.

Terrifica, N.Y.-Based Costumed Protector of Women, Is Targeting Lonely Lotharios.

Whatever happened to that woman who proclaimed herself to be Underdog...?

Comments

What a charming story!

[paulcurtis.livejournal.com]

I'm particularly amused by Fantastico...

As for the Underdog lady, that would be Suzanne Muldowney...

Here's her page on www.amiannoying.com... (http://www.amiannoying.com/view.asp?ID=1642)

I will say that Suzanne smiles a LOT during her personal appearances (I've seen her do several "interpretive dances" at live "Beyond Vaudeville" shows) so I think the "unsmiling" thing is just part of her schtick.
I can find links regarding her activities up until fall of last year...so she may possibly have grown rather quiet since the WTC attack.

Re: What a charming story!

[squamous.livejournal.com]

Hah! I didn't know there was a Howard Stern connection with the Underdog-lady... I read about her in a magazine in the early to mid-90s and somehow the story stuck with me. Wow she has a pretty high "annoying" rating on that site... she's ranked higher than Jeffrey Dahmer, Saddam Hussein, and L. Ron Hubbard. But below India. Hmmm.

Fantastico does sort of make the Terrifica story for me.

Re: What a charming story!

[paulcurtis.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Howard likes to make fun of her and unfortunately that's the show where the largest number of people have seen her. She presents herself much more favorably on Beyond Vaudeville and (I take it...haven't seen the show) Atomic Television.

With the Underdog act, she is dead serious (rather like Terrifica protecting single women)...she has the school-marmish approach toward being over-concerned with role models and wanting to enforce them, rather than support them. It's easy to see her concern...there are very few cases in which a company has created a character INTENDED as a role model for kids, and then been able to maintain it properly.

Best example of a role-model franchise is "The Lone Ranger"...it worked okay for decades but finally fell into obscurity (assisted by a spectacularly bad late-70's movie.) I think one of the things that eventually worked against it was how deadpan it was, with no additional content for adults to enjoy. If the creative staff had worked some sly humor or interesting detail into the series, the old TV episodes and radio shows might be more popular even today.

Curiously, Underdog is FULL of sly humor (even the names...Simon Bar-Sinister!?), and is quite enjoyable by adult standards. I have an Underdog DVD and look forward to being able to afford additional ones.

Re: What a charming story!

[paulcurtis.livejournal.com]

Fantastico reminds me of Bat-Manuel on "The Tick."

I noticed Suzanne rated more annoying than Jeffrey Dahmer. That takes some doing, really. And everybody gives Saddam a free pass these days because Bush don't like 'im. If Bush suddenly pretended to like Saddam, then everybody would be all in favor of running right over to shoot him. Maybe it's all part of some plan...