Robert Corddry of NewYork-based Jon Stewart's 'Daily Show' came over to the house with crew for an interview yesterday evening. Despite the threat of rain (in August???? in Sacramento???? it's that small upper level low parked off the CA coast, combined with SW monsoonal moisture, and what looks like a front along the Sierras), the backyard scenes went well.
The premise of the interview was: Marc Valdez - serious candidate for Governor, maybe just a bit wacky, but not wacky enough to be Governor of California without our help. Things went great, but it may be three weeks or so before the piece gets aired, since they are on the brink of their annual August vacation in New York. I hope to let you know when that happens....
On other fronts, I've noticed an upsurge of interest on my Web Log from New Mexico, after the Monday story in the Albuquerque Journal, and the Tuesday interview on KRQE TV.
Made a 1-minute radio ad for mammoth AM radio station KFI in Los Angeles. All the candidates have been offerred 1-minute slots for KFI's drive-time audiences. I also sent off a 5-minute tape (made with the help of friends) that hopefully will appear on obscure Cable TV channels in the LA area. And I'll be doing an interview on John Hancock's California Channel (a cable California governmental channel) on Monday morning.
And I declined the invitation to attend Jay Leno's Recall Candidate night, Monday September 22nd. I was annoyed by the nature of the invitation, and sensed all the recall candidates were being dissed a bit. Etiquette often revolves around small matters - trivial sometimes. My concern wasn't that my dignity was being violated as a politician, or even as a human being, but rather as a theater person. The Tonight Show violated standard, age-old theater etiquette with this invitation.
Since we are not guests in the standard sense, we can't take the stage. Fine. But we are to be seated in the studio audience. So does that mean we are members of the studio audience? No. We lose two rights that audience members have traditionally had - the right to decide when we attend, and the right of anonymity (a precious right of its own!) We are to be recognized 'as a group' (a form of honor which is usually done for technical crew and orchestra members, who must remain at their stations), yet we aren't seated as a group and we are not at stations. So what are we, exactly?
Almost all the other candidates who responded to my E-Mail complaints to the Tonight Show were dismissive, suggesting that I should view the invitation as a party invitation, and not whine so much. But we aren't party guests, because what are we celebrating, exactly? The recall? That party came and went with Arnold. Beats me what we are - an untouchable class? Circus freaks? Gladiators? I don't know! As far as I know, only myself and Ralph Hernandez from Contra Costa County, who felt we should all get stage time, are sulking.
I was chastised that I shouldn't moan and groan too much regarding an invitation, so I won't: but I won't attend either. I'll go another time, and enjoy the show as an anonymous audience member.
Many of the other candidates want to get together for alternative media events both before and after the Tonight Show event. That is a superb idea, and there's no reason why they can't mold this opportunity to suit their needs.
