Short Takes

(SINGING): “DICK TRACY, HE GOT DA BULLDOG JAW…”

Raise your hand if you remember when the Dick Tracy comic strip became a cartoon on TV. If you do, you’re gettin’ up there, but you’re in good company. The yellow-fedora-wearing crime-fighter turns 75 tomorrow, and to commemorate the longevity of the brand, Classic Media has released the Dick Tracy Complete Animated Series DVD set. (Just for the record, the cartoon ran from 1961 to 1964. And we feel suddenly ancient.) Among notable figures jumping on the bandwagon, a letter of congratulations will be sent to current strip writers Jean Gould-O'Connell and Dick Locher from President Bush; Gov. Rod Blagojevich will declare Oct. 4 "Dick Tracy Day" in Illinois (where the strip began); State Rep. Jack Franks said a proclamation will be entered in the Illinois House of Representatives declaring "Dick Tracy Day"; State Sen. Pamela Althoff will do likewise in the State Senate; and US Representative Judy Biggert will introduce a resolution and proclamation in Congress declaring Oct. 4, 2006 as "Dick Tracy Day." Don’t any of these people Work?

THE 90’S CALLED; THEY WANT THEIR FAD BACK

Having had an enthusiastic youngster in the house a few years ago, we went through the obsession called “Beanie Babies.” But we knew it was all over when the entire collection finally went for a measly twenty bucks at our yard sale. So it’s with some curiosity that we note Midwest Airlines’ newest promotion, announced today: The carrier is pushing Chocolate Chip, “a limited edition Beanie Baby created by Ty exclusively for Midwest.” He’s dressed in a snappy blue tie and wears the airline’s insignia, and is for sale exclusively at MidwestAirlinesStore.com for $7.99. Hey, if you can get people to pay you for your ads, nice going!

AND ANOTHER SACRED COW TUMBLES

It probably had to happen sooner or later, but word reached us today that an ad for a nasal spray made from hot pepper, “Sinus Buster,” is the first on radio to use full profanity in its sales pitch. Granted, it’s Sirius satellite radio, so folks who pay for the service will have no room to complain, but it’s still a far cry from the days of old when even a common word like “pregnant” was verboten. “It’s the way real people talk. It’s no different than what you’d hear from a group of adults having any conversation,” said announcer JD Gach, who claims to be a fan of the product and voices the spot. Naturally, this being a family-friendly e-newsletter and all, we’d rather not repeat the copy here, but if the product is ANYTHING like that Capsaicin-based, all-natural spray we get from the health-food store, it will clear your sinuses and then some. (The kids seem to enjoy watching us dance around the room after blasting some up our nostril, eyes tearing and head shaking. Rotten kids.) We will note that Gach closes the spot thusly: “The best (Rhymes with ‘twit’) that ever was ... Sinus Buster.” Nice.

SO, NO “PIN THE TAIL ON THE DONKEY”?

Just when you thought life couldn’t get more complicated, along comes iBirthdayParty.com, “a comprehensive, one-stop, online birthday party planning and booking service highlighted by a directory of thousands of birthday party venues around the U.S., an online birthday gift registry, online invitations, and a birthday party reservation system.” (And just today we got an e-mail asking if we REALLY don’t make this stuff up. No, we don’t, because we don’t HAVE to.) Aaaaanyway, the company is debuting today, pushing its service in Las Vegas at the Fun Expo show, which is yet another venue we wished we’d known about earlier. The main beneficiary of iBirthdayParty.com is intended to be the thousands of family entertainment centers that have sprung up around the country; the main users will be parents with too much money and too little time. And we sigh just a little as yet another vestige of our idealized childhood memory passes away with a whimper. Hey, back then we thought it was a big deal if we got a candy bar to take home. (Yes, we’re THAT old…)

NICHE MARKETING GETS REALLY SPECIFIC

Just how many motorcycle-riding female CEOs are there in the U.S.? We don’t know, but the makers of online boutique Cameleon Power-Sport Apparel think there are enough to justify their business. As they note in a release today, “This boutique introduces a unique protective Invisible Armor jacket as well as stylish, fashion-forward apparel exclusively for women around the world who ride motorcycles.” As best as we can determine, they make clothes that serve as protective wear while riding a Hog, but still look good enough to wear right into a high-profile meeting. Or, you could do like we do when we take the Harley to work, and change jackets once we get there. It’s just a thought. (Man, does EVERYTHING have to be so complicated?) Granted, the line is for women to whom style matters, so maybe we’re wrong. THAT would be a first! (All right, stop the snickering. We can HEAR through this Internet-thingy, you know…) Judge for yourself at CameleonApparel.com. And ignore all the typos on their homepage.

LEMONS INTO LEMONADE

Which is worse: Having a head of hair everyone makes fun of (Yes, we’re throwing sidelong glances in your direction, Mr. T.), or having no hair at all due to chemo? It’s a choice Bonnie Southcott wasn’t given, but she has turned two bouts of ovarian cancer into something positive. Still going strong (and cancer-free) at age 46, the former radio talk-show host is marketing a line of greeting cards titled “The Great Thing About Chemo.” Taking a funny, tongue-in-cheek look at one of life’s more frightening diagnoses, Southcott has produced the cards featuring herself as the bald-headed spokesmodel. See a true profile in courage at TheGreatThingAboutChemo.com. And buy something while you’re there; 10% goes to cancer research.

TRUTH IN ADVERTISING

Heard from some ladies this week who believe in telling it like it is. They’ve launched a Web site touting products that might be popular, ummm, “once a month” if you get our drift. The PMS Princess online store offers “baby-doll t-shirts, dog shirts, teddy bears, throw pillows (THROW pillows? Haw!) and other products” they tell us. But we especially like their tagline: "Why be difficult, when you can be impossible!" Yeah, we can relate… Enter at your own risk at PMSPrincess.com.