Out of the mouths of babes–and matrons–come pearls. Katharine Hepburn neatly sums up the state of the nation`s psyche in the August issue of Family Circle. ”Nowadays people want everything–career, marriage, children,” says Katharine the Wise. ”The question is, how happy are they? It seems to me that the world is rapidly becoming a very peculiar place. People are just glutted with desire. By the time they`re done with work, videocassettes, movies, TV, dance class, money, sex–they`re ready for the psychiatrist.”
Sometimes John Ratzenberger, Cliff the mailman on ”Cheers,” feels sorry for his character. Cliffie never has much luck with the ladies. ”At times I think, `What a sad sack this guy is,` ” says Ratzenberger. ”But that`s the real challenge to playing him. He`s a genuine soul. And he never feels sorry for himself. He`s got a resilience that`s almost heroic at times.”
Ratzenberger`s favorite ”Cheers” episode is the one in which Cliffie begs Diane (Shelley Long) to accompany him to the Postman`s Ball. At the evening`s end, he tries to put his arm around her, but she`ll have none of it, or him, and Cliffie is left, walking alone down a dirt road–whistling.
While Murphy was busy writing his law, Mother Murphy was putting the finishing touches on her own. ”Mother Murphy`s Law and Other Perils of Parenthood” (Meadowbrook), by Bruce Lansky, tells how the universe really runs: ”Parenthood is a lot easier to get into than out of; no matter how long the flight, your baby will fall asleep minutes before landing; the surest way to get pregnant again is to sell your old crib; by the time you can afford to start a family, you`re too old to do it; and leakproof diapers aren`t.” And always remember, ”Mother knows best, but no one ever listens.”
REPLAYS
”There are three things men can do with women: love them, suffer for them or turn them into literature.” Stephen Stills
”No man does right by a woman at a party.” Harry Golden
”I owe every woman in America an apology.” Larry Flynt
