Sorry to Offend

I just got an e-mail from a member of Frank Nation complaining about a comment that I made on Saturday morning about Academy Award winning actress Kate Winslet.

While previewing last nights 81st Academy Awards I mentioned that Kate had been nominated as Best Actress for her role in The Reader...and that she appears nude during the film.




I went on to say that Ms. Winslet has commented that this may be her last nude role because she didn't want to be known as the actress that always got naked on film. To which I replied, "I wouldn't mind if she decided to change her mind about that."

The person that complained said that my comments were "inappropriate, sexist, and crude." While I disagree with this persons perception...I certainly can appreciate the sentiment. However, while my comments may have been a little sexist...there certainly was no harm intended...nor did I mean to be offensive.

If you know me in the slightest then you know that I admire and respect women. My wife is an accomplished woman. She is the Maine State President for AAUW...an outstanding woman's organization that fights for women's rights on not only the state level, but also the national level. I also work side-by-side with a female morning show partner each day, and on more than one occasion in my 26 year career, I've had a female supervisor. Believe me...if I even was slightly sexist any one of them would have set me straight...and rightfully so.

I can assure you that I am not sexist. I'm a red-blooded American guy that appreciates women not only for their beauty and sex appeal, but their intelligence too. The fact is that I applauded Kate Winslet for her great acting ability...as well as being a sexy woman...and made a comment in am attempt to be amusing. If my joke hit a sour chord...and you were offended...then I'm sorry. I guess I need to find someone to write better jokes.

Christmas Tree: Real or Fake?

We talked about this topic at length over a week ago on Frank's Place with Bill & Heidi...and I'm still getting e-mail with advice and opinions!

The truth is that I love a real tree. I always have. There's just something about the smell, and then finding the perfect side to face the room...I think the lights and ornaments even look better on a real tree.

However, at my house no one wants to help take care of the tree after it's decorated. Oh they love the tree from the lot to the car to inside the house to decorating it...but then it's as if the tree has the plague...until Christmas morning when all the presents are sitting around it...then everyone loves it.


So a few weeks ago I called a family meeting and suggested an artificial tree this year. Wow! I might as well have suggested that we cancel Christmas this year! I was met with outrage...my youngest son even suggested that I may be Scrooge! My wife just shook her head and looked as if I'd just run over the cat.


At first I was taken back by their behavior...then I recalled the day that my dad brought home the fake tree that would be the scourge of our holidays for years to come. I couldn't believe that he could do such a thing...

So after talking with Frank Nation I called another family meeting to re-address the issue. This time they were armed with the facts! My wife broke out safety statistics on real vs. artificial tree's, my two son's talked about the pro's and con's to the environment, and then they all slammed me with the fact that I hate fake tree's.

Needless to say we went and got a very nice real Christmas tree later that day.

Thanks for all of your input...now stop e-mailing to call me The Grinch!



I hope you're having a great holiday season.