Jeffrey Zaslow, who writes a column for the Sun Times, also writes a weekly column for the newspaper insert USA WEEKEND. This column is syndicated to nearly 500 newspapers, giving it a potential readership of some 40 million people.
I am not, I must admit, among that crowd, because Zaslow’s column, Straight Talk, offers advice from celebrities and I’m not sure I have ever been in dire enough straits to prefer the wisdom of a Sonny Bono over that of a friendly bartender, a crazy cabbie or the face in the bathroom mirror.
Bono is featured in Zaslow’s new book-based-on-the-column, “Talk of Fame: Good Advice from Great Celebrities” (Cader Books).
Bono is cited four times in the book. So are columnist Dave Barry and actors Chazz Palminteri and D.B. Sweeney. The top advice-giving celebrities, with five offerings each, are TV comic Drew Carey and TV chatman Charles Grodin.
Attorney Gen. Janet Reno–huh?–twice offers advice. Cher isn’t in the book but Siskel and Ebert are. Martha Stewart’s in twice and the late Tiny Tim says, “Remember, it’s better to be a has-been than a never-was.”
As if to prove that point, there on page 62 is a bit of advice from former Vice President Dan Quayle.
