posted: March 10, 2010

For the cover of today's NY Observer. NY Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravich is, according to the Observer " a smart, honest capable man. So how the Hell did he get hooked up with Governor Patterson?"
Also, free advertising for "WEMPE". I await my cut.
Nancy Butkus, AD.

posted: March 8, 2010

...GROUCHO!
http://drewfriedman.net/prints/groucho.html

My latest limited edition print: The legendary comedian  Groucho Marx, host of the iconic quiz show "You Bet Your life" circa 1960, at age 70. Groucho had hosted the show, first on radio, then TV, for over a decade and still showed no signs of slowing down. Also included is, of course, the Duck. When Groucho would write his memoir about "You Bet Your Life", THE SECRET WORD IS GROUCHO" in the mid seventies, his dedication read "To THE DUCK".
 
I had the honor and thrill of meeting Groucho 3 times in my young life. The first was in 1970, when I was 11 at the Broadway production of "Minnie's Boys' a musical about the Marx Bros early years, featuring Shelly Winters as Minnie, their mother. 80 year old Groucho had been hired as the  'Special Consultant" and was sitting in the front row, where I approached him at intermission with my Playbill, which he graciously signed for me and quipped "You're a very pretty little girl" (My hair was long at the time).
 
The second meeting was in 1973, at a party at an NYC supper club for Groucho thrown by Teachers Scotch, who Groucho was then doing print ads for. My dad, the author Bruce Jay Friedman was invited and brought my brothers and I along. Groucho was an admirer of my fathers work, having just seen and loved "The Heartbreak Kid" which was based on one of my dad's short stories. They talked at length, and I got to listen in and participate a little, until a slightly weary Groucho turned to his girlfriend Erin Fleming and complained,  "Okay, that's enough!". The party had worn him out.
 
The third time was the charm. In the summer of 1975, my dad and my 2 brothers and I were invited by Erin Fleming to Groucho's home in the Hollywood Hills for the afternoon. Groucho at this point was 85, slowed down by a series of strokes but still as sharp, quick and funny as ever. We spent hours with him in his living room, where he held court, greeting guests, among them Elliot Gould and Beach Boy drummer Dennis Wilson (who approached Groucho, clasped his hand and said "It's an honor to meet you sir". Groucho, clearly not knowing who he was, looked up at him and said "It oughta be"). Groucho performed all his classic songs for us, with his nephew, Harpo's son Bill accompanying on piano, and had a quip and joke for everything. My brother Josh enquired if Groucho remembered the former Vaudeville house the Playhouse theatre (which had become a movie theatre) in Great Neck, LI,  where we and Groucho had once lived... Josh: "There was  an Old Organ in the back..." Groucho: "I've got an old organ myself".  When a guy came in and announced his name was "Mark" ,Groucho quipped "What's your first name, Trade?". This went on for hours and as far as I was concerned,I was the luckiest kid in the world and  I never wanted to leave. The only time Groucho left the room was when he disappeared into his study for a half an hour to watch the daily re-run of "You Bet your Life", which was finally being syndicated on TV via Viacom. This was now  Groucho's daily ritual. He hadn't seen the shows since they originally aired.
My brother Josh would later chronicle our visit with Groucho for New York Magazine.
 
 

posted: February 10, 2010

For the new cover of the NY Observer. "Fashion Week" is upon us again and all the "fashionistas" follow a particular "Psychic's" predictions in ELLE magazine as if they were Gospel. Left to right: An "Olson twin", face-lifted designer Donna Karan, Another "Olson twin", fun-loving designer Marc Jacobs.

posted: February 1, 2010

http://www.drewfriedman.net/prints/kippy.html

This is my latest "Fine Art Print", "SHOW BUSINESS" now available, and featuring the legendary Kippy Spagenbusch, presenting his his sure-fire method for a "Big-Pay Career" in SHOW BUSINESS (Without Surgery). This originally appeared in BLAB! magazine.


To learn lot's more about Kippy Spagenbusch and his fascinating, disgusting, delightful, sordid past, click the link and go to his Facebook Appreciation Society Group. But not on an empty stomach.

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