This episode dives into the fascinating life and legacy of Shirley Temple, reflecting on her status as a child star during the Great Depression and her transition to a political career. Our hosts discuss how her path was shaped by the intense pressures of showbiz, as well as her impactful contributions as an ambassador later in life. They compare her journey to other famous child stars, touching upon the difficulties that many of these young performers face in navigating fame. The conversation shifts to the wonderful escapades awaiting anyone with a spirit for wanderlust, as one of our hosts
Shirley Temple would be 120. A mere 98. She led a good long life. She was born this date, 1928.
SPEAKER 03 :
Good Ship Lollipop is from the film Bright Eyes, 1934. I’ve… Do you know how big a star this girl was? She was six filming that movie. She was a massive, massive star in Depression-era America.
SPEAKER 02 :
Was that the movie where she did the big tap dance up and down the steps? Because I was thinking that probably wouldn’t be allowed to be played these days. No, there’d be a lot of things. Oh, I mean, because it’s got a Song of the South kind of vibe to it.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, Judy Garland, there’s footage of young Judy Garland in like actual blackface because some minstrel show decided that would be a good idea. So, yeah, there’s all kinds of imagery that they don’t exactly do anymore. And, of course, Shirley Temple went on to become Shirley Temple Black. And she was ambassador to Ghana. She was a big deal politically. So happy birthday to a big star and a fine, fine lady.
SPEAKER 02 :
And not an abusive mother, but one of those typical stage moms, I think, that really pushed her and pushed her and pushed her. Judy Garland, I think, had the same kind of situation. They were feeding her weight loss pills and making her smoke and stuff to lose weight.
SPEAKER 03 :
It was before that. Because today’s child… Is there a child star that comes to mind that managed to not be screwed up or managed to – I mean, I don’t know. It’s a tough one. Because there’s so much money and so much attention. It’s the most unhealthy thing you can do for somebody who’s 6 or 10 or 12 or 14.
SPEAKER 02 :
That whole acting world is such a different world. You know, I’m off tomorrow. I’m going to take a long weekend to a city that I really like. And I’m an unlikely Vegas fan because I don’t smoke. I don’t drink. I don’t really gamble. I mean, I’ll play a little bit of the slot machine. But sure.
SPEAKER 03 :
Shows upon shows upon shows, though.
SPEAKER 02 :
And restaurant upon restaurant and hotels. And I was going with some friends of mine, and two of them are actors, husband and wife. And so he calls me late last night and says, oh, no. And we got all the tickets lined up for Vegas. He’s getting called in to read for a role in a Netflix series, which would be a big gig for him. His wife is working right now, and she’s a big star. He’s pretty big in New York, but he’s not working right now. He gets called in. He says, you’re not going to believe this. I think they’re calling me in for somebody else, but it’s a big, big part. They’re calling me in today at 11 a.m. I’m supposed to get on the plane at 2 to go to Vegas with you. And he said, if I get the gig, I’ve got to start shooting tomorrow. And I thought, oh, crap.
SPEAKER 03 :
It’s kind of close to the bone, isn’t it? Is that how showbiz works?
SPEAKER 02 :
It is.
SPEAKER 03 :
They audition you, and you get the part, and it’s like, be here tomorrow at lunchtime?
SPEAKER 02 :
It is. He said that. He said it’s kind of unusual, but he said, and it’s Netflix, which is a big employer now for a lot of these actors. Hey, can I go back to something I heard you say?
SPEAKER 03 :
60 seconds. Don’t. What are you going to do? So what do you have tickets for? What’s this?
SPEAKER 02 :
What’s this? I’m going to do some some. Well, a good friend of mine, his daughter is a headliner at the Westgate Resort. Her name is Jen Kramer. I’ve had her on the show before. She does the magic of Jen Kramer. And I’ve known the Kramer family for years and just love these folks. She does a family-friendly magic show. And tomorrow night is her 1,000th performance at the Westgate. By the way, the Westgate, fun fact, a lot of people will know this, that was where Elvis had his residency. Was it called something else in the 70s? I don’t think so. I think it was called the Westgate. Barry Manilow is still there. He does a residency there. But Jen’s got a magic show. And so Larry and his Wendy and his wonderful wife, I’ve known them, again, family for years.
SPEAKER 03 :
I’m fascinated by magic. I love it. How long are you there for? How many days do you have?
SPEAKER 02 :
Just for the weekend. I’m leaving today, and I’ll be there through Sunday.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, I tell you, if you’re a big Magic fan, if there’s anything that Lisa and I would do, if we were to go out there, because I think I’ve put the… Man, we’ve spent some time at the crap tables, man. We did all of it. Really? We won a lot. We lost a lot. Are you a degenerate gambler? No. With all the positions I’ve been taking lately, not just about keeping casinos out of Texas, but just these evil apps on these phones and the gambling addictions. I know. I think I’m done. There’s nothing in the Bible that says don’t gamble. But I’m never the best steward of my money or my family’s fortunes. I don’t mean fortunes, fortunes, but I just mean our family’s resources. If I’m doing that, and we probably are ahead of the game by a couple of bucks over time, which means we’ve done way better than most people. But I would still go to Vegas for shows and food to see somebody at the Sphere.
SPEAKER 02 :
Have you done a show at the Sphere?
SPEAKER 03 :
No.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, that’s one of the trips we’re doing. We’re going to see The Wizard of Oz, because they’ve remastered The Wizard of Oz, and they play the 1939 classic in the sphere with special effects, including wind that apparently blows on you when the tornado hits. And people say it’s a magnificent experience, so we’re going to do that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, I’ve seen eagles at the Sphere and other people at the Sphere, and I guess I’ve got to do that. I feel like my head would explode with sensory overload. But we’re so fascinated by magic. There’s a guy who won America’s Got Talent named Matt Franco. Another guy who was on AGT, a wry British guy who wears a dragon outfit called Piff the Magic Dragon. Funny as all get out, but also an appreciable magician. Penn and Teller are still knocking it out in Vegas. If we were to go, we’d probably do wall-to-wall magic shows.
SPEAKER 02 :
Now, somebody just texted from Dallas, said Elvis was at the International in Vegas. That was his residency. But I understood that he had a history there at the Westgate. Maybe it was called the International. You know who owned the Westgate? I think is the guy that they memorialized in that movie, The Queen of Versailles. The wife that built the huge house, the mansion here in Florida that was like the biggest purse. A real colorful guy. I think he died. She’s still alive, I think. But anyway. I look forward to stories.
SPEAKER 03 :
I look forward to stories.
SPEAKER 02 :
I love the vibe and everything. Well, let’s go back to the story about – a couple of stories about vices. Because here’s a story that’s right up your alley, and you probably haven’t even – Rhonda celebrating her 12th anniversary with you today. Yes, indeed. And by the way, how do you know that? How do you – I can’t even keep anybody’s birthday straight. Do you, like, have a running calendar? Because you do this all the time. This is the ninth month and third day that I’ve been on 660 AM The Answer. This is Rhonda’s 12th anniversary. How the hell do you know all this? All that.
SPEAKER 03 :
There’s this crazy thing called the calendar on your computer. And if there are things that are important, like her, well, obviously I don’t need it for like Lisa’s birthday in November, our anniversary in September. Rhonda’s birthday is in October. Her service anniversary is in April. And so you just kind of stick that in there and bloop.
SPEAKER 02 :
So when she started, you’re telling me 12 years ago. First of all, that didn’t even make any sense. I think you’re making all this crap up. Okay. You’re telling me 12 years ago you had an iPhone and you put on your calendar on your iPhone, Rhonda begins today, so that 12 years later in 2026… Make a note of this every hour.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay, probably not. Here’s what I would think. Fake news. No, no, no. Here’s what I think. So if she starts on April 23rd of 2014, I’m guessing on April 23rd of 2015… You came in and said it’s been a great year. It’s my one-year anniversary. Or drew some attention to that. Not like, hey, dig me, it’s my one-year anniversary. Just in a spirit of giving and gratitude.
SPEAKER 02 :
So then you put that on your calendar.
SPEAKER 03 :
And then I went, you know what? I’m not going to let this go by again.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I’m trying to do better at birthdays. That’s my big thing. I’ve never been a big birthday guy. I didn’t care about mine a couple weeks ago. I don’t remember anybody’s birthdays. But I’m trying to use that calendar app more and more. And maybe by next year I’ll remember my kids’ birthdays. All right.
SPEAKER 03 :
That would be good progress.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, because they get a little cranky. They get a little cranky when Dad forgets to send the money. All right. How about this headline that’s sure to ruin your day? President Trump moments ago just announced some breaking news. The administration is reclassifying state-licensed marijuana as a, quote, less dangerous drug. The Attorney General, the acting Attorney General, just announced it. Moments ago, Todd Blanch signed an order. reclassifying marijuana from Schedule 1, which was reserved for drugs like heroin, to the less strict Schedule 3. Blanche said the move is delivering on President Trump’s promise to expand Americans’ access to medical treatment options. What say you, Mark Davis? I’m totally fine with it. Wow. Didn’t expect that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Legalization of weed recreationally is the stupidest thing any state could do. It is horrible. It’s poison. It’s bad. More intoxicants being legal is a terrible, terrible thing. And yet weed ain’t heroin. So having some gradation of what these things are. I mean, 1939 reefer madness. People smoked a joint and jumped off a building. Yeah. A more reasonable film would have shown him smoking a joint and eating a bag of Oreos. So it’s not good. Recreational legal weed is nasty.
SPEAKER 02 :
But you’re right. Marijuana is not heroin. Amen. Good for you.
SPEAKER 03 :
So there’s some sanity there. There’s some context, some nuance.
SPEAKER 02 :
Promises made. Now, wait a minute. I’ve got to stay on the vice story because I’ve got a big breaking story on the floor.
SPEAKER 03 :
The last thing about the pot is it probably gets a couple of votes in the midterms. You know what I mean? And that’s not a bad thing.
SPEAKER 02 :
Especially with young people and independents. You know, he brought Joe Rogan to the White House the other day. Apparently, he wants to legalize shrooms, psychedelics, which helps people in pain.
SPEAKER 03 :
Former Governor Rick Perry invited me to a clinic 11 or so years ago. He had just stopped being governor. And he said, I just wanted to meet some people. I want you to see something. I met veterans, people with addiction issues. And this, I don’t know if that was Ibogaine or some other thing, but these revolutionary treatments, it’s psychedelics. Bottom line is the same chemistry that can make the ceiling drip with colors while you listen to a Jimi Hendrix album can also cure you, cure you, of PTSD and some addictions. And it makes me think about the counseling industry, makes me think about big pharma. How are they going to feel if there’s something that you can do that does not require you to be tied to a counselor or taken pharmaceuticals for the rest of your natural life? I support 100% more inquiries into that.
SPEAKER 02 :
Me too. Also, some breaking news out of Capitol Hill. The Senate did advance and approve the funding plan for ICE and Border Patrol agents. Sorry, Democrats. The Senate advances the DHS. They used reconciliation. Zero support from Democrats. More winning. And as you saw yesterday, circuit court said the Virginia election don’t count. It doesn’t count.
SPEAKER 03 :
This is one court down in Tazewell. It looks like Tazewell, but it’s Tazewell County, Virginia. It’ll go to the Virginia Supreme Court. I just don’t know. The state has had some concerns about it.
SPEAKER 02 :
Come on. Be optimistic.
SPEAKER 03 :
Virginia Supreme Court’s going to do the right thing. I hope. Because it looks like they broke some rules and cut some corners in how they brought this thing to the people. Did you read the ballot?
SPEAKER 02 :
Did you read what was on the ballot? In order to make elections more fair, well, who’s going to go into the ballot box and say, well, I don’t want to make elections less fair. Anti-fairness. The whole thing is a sham. Trump was right. It is rigged. Absolutely rigged 100%. Be optimistic. We’ve got good things coming. Good things are happening. And look at all the Vegas experts in North Texas. What do you got? So here it is. I got the definitive word. The International, where Elvis was a headliner, became the Las Vegas headline, a Hilton, and then it became the Westgate. So I was right. See, there you go. There you go. There you are. I’m going to be taking care of business this weekend. Very, very good. I’ll be there by myself because nobody’s coming with me now on this trip.
SPEAKER 03 :
Anybody want to go to Vegas? You wandering around a casino with a Diet Coke at 3 o’clock in the morning.
SPEAKER 02 :
With my Diet Coke. Looking and playing Wheel of Fortune. If it’s a Wheel of Fortune game, I’m in. Don’t do slots. Don’t do slots. And I’m going to see kind of an R-rated, kind of a PG-13. I’ve seen it once before. It’s very funny. A show at the Caesar’s Palace called Absinthe. And it’s this real weird, raunchy, kind of acrobatic. Last time I went with, well, I won’t even tell you how I was embarrassed. So if I’m sitting there by myself like a goober, he’s sure to pick on me because I’m in the second row. So God help me. Of course you are. There’ll be stories. See you Monday. Have a great day.
SPEAKER 03 :
Another reason to catch the Eminem experience on Monday. Have safe, safe, safe travels. That’s Mike. He heads to Vegas. We’ll somehow cobble together a show tomorrow. And in the meantime, Mike’s show today starts at 10 as soon as we’re done. Right here on 660 AM.
SPEAKER 01 :
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