I’m watching a episode of “Mad About You” through the courtesy of TiVo. It’s the one where Jamie and Paul run around town carrying a dictionary–a gift for their friends the Kurttis.
There’s an anecdote in that, and it’s related to Jeff Kurtti, a guy I’m acquainted with. I won’t go into the story of why his name appears in this sitcom. It’s not that it’s really a secret, but since it involves his ex, a “Mad About You” production member, I really don’t think it’s in my jurisdiction to tell it.
But anyway, that’s not the point. “What IS the point,” you ask insistently?
Well, it’s just this: Jeff’s name is on many books that he authored, and it can be found in bookstores around the world, not to mention on my bookshelves. He’s produced numerous DVDs, and I run across his name in the credits of a bunch of supplemental documentaries on discs I’ve bought. But there’s something seemingly odd and unpredictable about how his name pops up on television when you least expect it.
It’s like when I Google my own name, and discover that something I wrote appears in a textbook on writing. No one ever told me, asked my permission, or — heaven forbid — paid me. But there it is, out there where I have no control.
That’s what happens when you watch ‘Mad About You.’ You know, there’s a lot of things you could TiVo that don’t suck.
Sorry, but I REALLY hate that show.