BLACK, WHITE, OR YELLOW...?

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The world falls deeper and deeper into 'PC' madness with the announcement that the producers of The SIMPSONS will no longer be using white actors to voice black characters.  What complete and utter tosh.  Am I a racist?  No, I simply believe that regardless of the colour of the character (I thought they were all yellow on the show anyway), it shouldn't matter what colour the 'voice actor' is - not just on The Simpsons, but on any animated show.  

So, for example, if a black actor voiced BRUCE WAYNE/BATMAN, I wouldn't mind at all as long as he had the right voice for the part.  It's acting, right?  If actors only played roles restricted to a reflection of themselves, it wouldn't be much of a stretch, would it?  Does this mean that should The HUNCHBACK Of NOTRE DAME ever be remade (and if so, the word 'hunchback' would probably be substituted by 'bellringer'), only repulsive, hunchbacked actors (and those two impediments don't automatically go hand-in-hand) would be considered for the role?

And what about NANCY CARTWRIGHT - a woman who not only voices the boy called BART, but also around another five male characters on the show?  Hey, Nancy, you're denying work from male actors, so how about a little consistency from the show's makers?  These days, if a man was voicing a female cartoon character, there'd probably be a right ol' stushie over it from female actors, claiming they were being denied the opportunity of work.

Also, as most of the show's characters are yellow, should white actors - or any actor who isn't yellow - even be working on it?  Yes, it is a daft question, but I ask it simply to highlight the absurdity of such a notion.  If a white actor can voice a yellow character, then why not a black one?  When it comes to cartoons, shouldn't the suitability of the voice be the only thing that counts, irrespective of race, creed, colour or sex?  When is sanity - or even common sense - going to be restored to our ever-increasingly insane world?

So, Crivs - any thoughts on the matter one way or the other?  Give it laldy in the comments section.     

IS YOUR HEART STILL A FIREBALL...?

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Around 40 years ago, I managed to obtain replacements for two copies of the 45 rpm single of FIREBALL that had been in the family record collection since I was a child until only a few short years previously.  Therefore, the interval between the originals (which were dispensed with due to damage) and their replacements wasn't much of a span, with the result that whenever I look at them today, it doesn't feel like there was ever a period when I was without them.

Then, around a quarter of a century ago, someone lent me their Extended Play version of the record along with its picture sleeve.  This single had four themes (two each side), so I taped them onto a cassette and had the sleeve photocopied, then made a couple of 'facsimile' covers.  Since then, I've stored my two singles inside their respective replica sleeves, even though they were short of the full complement of themes listed on the track list.

The plot now thickens.  A couple or so years back I saw another copy of the record (not the EP) listed on eBay, this one sporting what the seller claimed was the 'original' first pressing blue label (the other singles had black labels, same as my childhood copies), so I bought it.  This now meant I had three singles of the same theme, and it occurred to me that it would be nice if they each had an appropriate paper picture sleeve to store them in.

So a couple of nights ago I scanned one of my homemade replica EP sleeves and used digital technology to remove references to the extra two tracks, along with anything else that would betray the fact that it wasn't designed for the two-track single.  The first two accompanying images are of the sleeve in its pre-altered state, followed by a second two showing the 'customised' result.  When I remember where I stored the cassette recording of the EP I'll transfer it onto CD, then make a CD-sized copy of the unaltered sleeve, but that's a project for the future.

In the meantime, paste your pulsating peepers on the rip-roaring results of my handiwork - visual testimony of my creativity, and the reason why I often astound myself with the exceptionally high standard I usually achieve in all my chosen endeavours.  Combined with my modesty and humility (as well as my good looks), that's a potent combination.  Hey, why are you all laughing?

I've since added the single's number to the top corner

And below, because you demanded it (you didn't? - then who did?), both tracks on the single.  (Incidentally, DON SPENCER didn't provide the speaking voice of STEVE ZODIAC on the TV show - that was PAUL MAXWELL.)