Eating Haggis
You know, even tho he's a multi-Academy Award winning writer/director, is the current Hollywood Golden Boy, lives in Santa Monica and has Clint Eastwood's private phone number, when Paul Haggis returns to London this Monday, I tell ya, I just gotta feel a little bit sorry for the guy.
Since winning the Best Screenplay for Million-Dollar Baby which was also named Best Film at the Oscars two years ago - and then following it up this year by directing The Best Film, Crash from his Best Screenplay, well since then, London City Council has been up at least a couple of nights wondering how to properly honor Haggis and take credit for his success - even tho he fled here long ago.
At first they thought of having a special presentation at City Hall during a City Council meeting. "Just hold on there, Paul, we'll get to you right after we debate the new sewer surcharge. And don't forget - there'll be cake and photo-ops afterwards!"
Then, of course the inevitable occurred to them - 'Let's name a street after Paul,' (after winning a few Oscars, all of City Council are on a first name basis with you.) But as Butch McLarty, the Hollywood correspondent for the SonnyDrysdaleMediaEmpire has already reported, Paul's dad, Ted Haggis told him that "I quickly put the kibosh on that because the property had no real connection to Paul."
Note - the street they had picked out for him was a new street in a southwest part of town that wasn't even around when 53-year-old Haggis grew up here.
So what do the geniuses at City Hall decide to do after that? As a "special surprise" on Monday, they're going to name a park after him. At the moment, according the the Free Press, this "future park is in a still-undeveloped area of the city" on the outskirts of town.
Wow, what an honor. A chunk of green space out near the highway in a new suburb that doesn't even exist yet!
That's right. After his dad turned down the empty gesture of naming a street after him because it had no connection with his youth and childhood in this town, this is what they come up with. Only in a rinky-dink hick town like London. Geez, even Brantford wouldn't come up with such a lame and insulting idea.
You might think that someone from the City would have done a bit of research into where the guy actually grew up. And chose a tribute that might actually mean something to the man.
According to McLarty, Haggis was born on Blackfriars Street near the heart of the city and today the name of his production company pays tribute to the Blackfriars Bridge. This is obviously a guy who takes his roots seriously and has some fond memories of his days here before fleeing about three decades ago.
When London honors him with such a gesture totally lacking in thought and sensitivity you can't blame the guy for leaving.
According to Friday's Free Press, when father Ted was informed of his son's soon to be bequeathed tribute of untouched farmland in the middle of nowhere, he replied, "I guess that's wonderful."
I guess that says it all.
This Monday, Paul baby, I feel for ya. God-speed to ya, man.
As for the rest of you - don't forget, even tho this town has had problems with proclamations in the past, according to City Council, this Monday - September 11th (no less,) is officially 'Paul Haggis Day.'
And no, you don't get the day off work.
Since winning the Best Screenplay for Million-Dollar Baby which was also named Best Film at the Oscars two years ago - and then following it up this year by directing The Best Film, Crash from his Best Screenplay, well since then, London City Council has been up at least a couple of nights wondering how to properly honor Haggis and take credit for his success - even tho he fled here long ago.
At first they thought of having a special presentation at City Hall during a City Council meeting. "Just hold on there, Paul, we'll get to you right after we debate the new sewer surcharge. And don't forget - there'll be cake and photo-ops afterwards!"
Then, of course the inevitable occurred to them - 'Let's name a street after Paul,' (after winning a few Oscars, all of City Council are on a first name basis with you.) But as Butch McLarty, the Hollywood correspondent for the SonnyDrysdaleMediaEmpire has already reported, Paul's dad, Ted Haggis told him that "I quickly put the kibosh on that because the property had no real connection to Paul."
Note - the street they had picked out for him was a new street in a southwest part of town that wasn't even around when 53-year-old Haggis grew up here.
So what do the geniuses at City Hall decide to do after that? As a "special surprise" on Monday, they're going to name a park after him. At the moment, according the the Free Press, this "future park is in a still-undeveloped area of the city" on the outskirts of town.
Wow, what an honor. A chunk of green space out near the highway in a new suburb that doesn't even exist yet!
That's right. After his dad turned down the empty gesture of naming a street after him because it had no connection with his youth and childhood in this town, this is what they come up with. Only in a rinky-dink hick town like London. Geez, even Brantford wouldn't come up with such a lame and insulting idea.
You might think that someone from the City would have done a bit of research into where the guy actually grew up. And chose a tribute that might actually mean something to the man.
According to McLarty, Haggis was born on Blackfriars Street near the heart of the city and today the name of his production company pays tribute to the Blackfriars Bridge. This is obviously a guy who takes his roots seriously and has some fond memories of his days here before fleeing about three decades ago.
When London honors him with such a gesture totally lacking in thought and sensitivity you can't blame the guy for leaving.
According to Friday's Free Press, when father Ted was informed of his son's soon to be bequeathed tribute of untouched farmland in the middle of nowhere, he replied, "I guess that's wonderful."
I guess that says it all.
This Monday, Paul baby, I feel for ya. God-speed to ya, man.
As for the rest of you - don't forget, even tho this town has had problems with proclamations in the past, according to City Council, this Monday - September 11th (no less,) is officially 'Paul Haggis Day.'
And no, you don't get the day off work.
posted by Sonny Drysdale at 8:40 AM
4 Comments:
Actually, Sonny, the special surprise that remains unreported in the mainstream media, is the $25,000 original collage, Celestial City, by London artist Philip Aziz that Haggis will receive in Council Chambers on Monday, Spetember 11, at approximately 3:45 p.m.
Haggis will receive the art work from Philip himself and Her Worship the Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best (who, by the way, is shitting bricks about Fontana Banana-Rama's about-to-unfold mayoral campaign).
It's up on your blog about the Aziz stuff, on the last thread. It was also provided to altlondon a day ago, but has yet to appear (not a good sign for a news blog).
Oh, another thing. While Paul Haggis was born on Blackfriars Street in 1953, he grew up in the Byron area -- but I agree 100 per cent that the location for Paul Haggis Park sucks the high hard one.
Rob Paynter (former Free Press supremo shitcanned by Lester Pyette a few years ago) of Media Management Management Inc. (which for some strange unknown reason is helping to organize Paul Haggis Day) did not know that Haggis grew up in the Byron area when I told on the phone in mid-August.
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha
I guess Pyette had the right idea after all! Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha
Butch - I remember your scoop about the Phil Aziz collage (and that indeed is a worthy gift,) but SSSSHHH! Ted Haggis is on here all the time. Who do you think Deep Trout is?
Pops - Actually, I think it was June's pop, Gene Lockhart who was either born here or visited here at some point. Either of which makes him one of our own.
I remember a pic of June visiting here not-too-many years ago and being at the walk-over bridge at the end of my street where supposedly, her dad saved a dog from drowning OR he, himself was saved by a male collie from an accidental drowning death.
On an unrelated note - who do you think would win in a ruff n' tumble cat-fight of the TV Moms - June Lockhart of Shirley from 'The Partridge Family'?
Butch - feel free to speculate. As if I could stop you.
Typo cerrection - of course I meant a catfight between June (the original "Mrs. Robinson")AND Shirley 'Partridge' Jones.
Pardon the typa mistake
RESOLVED : Melonville's dick is so short they can't blow their own horn.
Rule #1 in PR and Communications 101 (the City of London and its high-priced allstars obviously missed the course):
The most effective method to control the flow of information in the media and to the media is to release public information in an upfront and timely fashion, noting that nothing can or will remain under wraps for long. Failure to do so will often result in miscommunication, errors and omissions, resentment, missed opportunity and occasionally, crises and scandal.
ON THE OTHER HAND: I'd want to keep it a deep dark secret too if I was the moron responsible for dedicating a park out in the boonies to a hometown hero. The location of that future park has no connection to Paul Haggis whatsoever.
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