Hey, kids, welcome to the Phile for a Thursday. How are you? So, 2020 is so bad even Murder Hornets didn't want to stick around. Last week, word came out that music legend Beyoncé was in talks with Marvel for a role in Black Panther 2, and while the report has yet to confirmed, there have been rumors suggesting that Marvel may be planning to cast the singer as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s new Storm. While Beyoncé would definitely offer additional star power to the MCU, fans have been expressing their dislike over the possibility of having the legendary singer play X-Men’s Storm. Not only are fans questioning Beyoncé s ability to act, but it seems like they’d rather much have a darker-skinned actress to take on the role. Instead of Beyoncé the Marvel fanbase seems to have another name in mind... "Pose" actress and transgender activist, and Phile Alum Dominique Jackson. Marvel fans have a new petition up on Change.org asking Marvel to consider Jackson for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s new Storm, and it looks like the campaign’s gotten quite a number of signatures. “Fans of the X-Men’s Storm finally deserve to see an on-screen version of her that matches the strong black woman leader we grew up with from the comic books,” the petition description reads. According to petition leader Javier Enriquez, Jackson would be the perfect actress to play Storm because of her experience as a transgender women and as an activist for LGBTQ rights. “Ms. Jackson knows what it’s like to feel to be an outcast only to find strength in community. Ms. Jackson's journey has all the makings of a true X-Men, compassion, nerve, and leadership,” the description continues. Jackson got wind of the petition and offered her thanks to the Marvel community. Taking to Instagram, the actress put up a post thanking everyone for their confidence in her acting skills and in her ability to uplift and empower others.
While there might be other big-name actresses out there to fill in the role of Storm, I do admit that Jackson would be a great fit for the role.
Bruce Springsteen is saying enough is enough, this coronavirus situation is getting out of hands! The singer criticized President Donald Trump’s way of handling the coronavirus pandemic, telling him to “put on a fucking mask.” Ouch, I can’t wait to see what Trump has to say about this one. The artist made the remarks on Wednesday after speaking on his "From My Home to Yours" series on U.S. radio station Sirius XM. He stated, “With 100,000-plus Americans dying over the last few months and the empty, shamed response from our leaders, I’ve been simply pissed off. Those lives deserve better than being simply inconvenient statistics for our president’s re-election efforts. It’s a national disgrace.” The singer also noted that instead of celebrating the joy of summer this year, we should be contemplating our current circumstances in regard to COVID-19 and the cost it has drawn from our nation. Springsteen’s comment comes after the coronavirus has claimed the lives of over 100,000 people in the United States, and Trump has often refused to wear face masks during public appearances. Several health experts have recommended wearing masks while out in public to limit the spread of infection. The president has also been criticized for reopening large parts of the U.S. economy while they are still infection rates at high. Springsteen dedicated a to the president on his radio broadcast noting; “If you are ready for a rock & roll requiem, stay tuned. I’m going to start out by sending one to the man sitting behind the resolute desk. With all respect, sir, show some consideration and care for your countrymen and your country. Put on a fucking mask. This is Bob Dylan with ‘Disease of Conceit.'” This isn’t the first time Bruce has been an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump. Just last year, he told CBS host Gayle King that the president “doesn’t have a grasp of the deep meaning of what it means to be an American.” The singer also spoke about how change can come to America by declaring that the election is a few months away, urging us to vote before “it’s too late.”
Actor Danny Masterson, known for his iconic role in "That ’70s Show" sitcom and "The Ranch," has been charged with forcibly raping three women in separate incidents that occurred between 2001 and 2003. The 44-year-old actor is now facing three counts of rape by force or fear. He was arrested at 11:30 a.m. and released from custody around 2:45 p.m. after posting a $3.3 million bail. This according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The actor allegedly raped a 23-year-old woman between January and December 2001. According to the criminal complaint against him, he’s also being accused of raping a 28-year-old woman in April 2003. He is also accused of raping a 23-year-old woman between October and December of that year who he invited to his home. The DA’s office declined to file sexual assault charges against Madison into other cases. In one case, the DA alleged that there wasn’t enough evidence, “one for insufficient evidence and the other based upon the statute of limitations for the crime alleged.” The actor is facing a maximum sentence of 45 years to life in prison if convicted as charged. Tom Mesereau, Masterson’s attorney, issued a statement about the actor’s accusation, vowing to fight the charges. “Mr. Masterson is innocent, and we’re confident that he will be exonerated when all the evidence finally comes to light and witnesses have the opportunity to testify,” Mesereau said. “Obviously, Mr. Masterson and his wife are in complete shock considering that these nearly 20-year old allegations are suddenly resulting in charges being filed, but they and their family are comforted knowing that ultimately the truth will come out. The people who know Mr. Masterson know his character and know the allegations to be false.” The Scientologist has been under investigation by the LAPD since 2016. He was officially dropped by the Netflix series, "The Ranch," starring Ashton Kutcher and Sam Elliott, back in December 2017, amid renewed focus on sexual misconduct in the wake of a scandal involving Harry Weinstein. Masterson has repeatedly denied all allegations against him. Back in August 2019, four-woman filed the lawsuit against Masterson and the Church of Scientology, alleging that they were harassed and stalked and retaliated for going to the authorities.
An Austrian man has been charged 500 euros (or 565 dollars) for farting loudly at police officers... and on purpose! Police report that the incident, which occurred in Austria’s capital city Vienna, was intentional and offended public decency. According to officers, the criminal farter stood up from a park bench, looked straight at the officers, and (this is a direct quote from the police department), “let go a massive intestinal wind apparently with full intent.” Police added that their officers do not appreciate being farted on. There was some public outcry over the fine, however, so the police were forced to clarify that A) no, Hans Q. Public will not be arrested for accidentally letting one rip, and B) the man they fined had, previous to the fart itself, behaved provocatively and uncooperatively with officers. So, basically, feel free to publicly rip ass in Austria so long as it’s accidental and you haven’t also been bothering the cops. These cops are snowflakes and this guy’s hot fart melted their snowflake brains. Whatever guys. It’s a dude on a bench farting at you. If he’s tossing liquids or solids your way, okay sure. Write him up. Maybe take him in. But gas? That’s not a form of matter worth writing someone up for. Unless it’s in an enclosed space and really stinky, maybe? Like, so bad that some rookie pukes because he’s never smelled a pilsner, doner kebab, and meth fart before. And you know it’s definitely on purpose. Then you can write a guy up for a fart. The decision can be appealed according to police, so now I just really want a live stream of this guy appealing his fart fine in an Austrian court. With subtitles, obviously. This fart debate is the closest thing to sports I’m going to get for a while.
U.S. service members are said to be the first Americans to receive the vaccine against COVID-19 if one is proven to be effective and safe. The Trump Administration effort to develop, distribute, and make it work in a vaccine against a deadly COVID-19 by early next year is said to first be given to the most vulnerable, such as an elderly, those with underlying health conditions, workers in essential businesses, and the U.S. Military. The coronavirus vaccine will be provided free of charge to Americans who cannot afford it, according to the Trump Administration. Any American who is vulnerable and desires the COVID-19 vaccine will not be charged. The administration is also working with insurers, some expressing eagerness to cover the vaccine without a co-pay. Several public health experts have urged the United States leaders to make a coronavirus vaccine available to everyone, not just those who can actually afford it. The virus has infected more than 2.1 million Americans and killed at least 116,127 since it was first reported in the United States less than five months ago. U.S. officials and scientists are hoping a vaccine will be ready to prevent COVID-19 by mid-2021. U.S. Health officials and researchers have been fast-tracking work on vaccine development, and are aiming to produce over 300 million doses of potential vaccines by January. The Trump Administration’s goal, according to officials, is to have an effective vaccine to protect as many lives as possible by the height of the flu season. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. officials are investing in multiple stages of research to make sure the vaccine is effective and safe. The Trump Administration has officially narrowed down its list of promising experimental vaccines to about 7 from 14. Officials did not say which ones have started vaccine production. According to President Donald Trump, earlier this month, the U.S. had already produced 2 million coronavirus vaccine doses that are “ready to go” when health experts and scientists figure out whether it is effective and safe. But, scientists are still learning about key aspects of the coronavirus, including how the immune system responds once a person is already exposed. Scientists believe the answers may have important implications for vaccine development, including how quickly it can be deployed to the public. The last time the fastest ever vaccine was developed was for mumps, which took more than four years and was licensed in 1967.
Don't leave the house unless it's the...
I think A.A. Milne knew about the coronavirus a long time ago. Check out this pic from a Winnie the Pooh book...
Hahahahaha. Did you see Beauty and the Beast recently? They changed quite a few things in the film like...
No one cleans like Gaston, quarantines like Gaston. No one stops spreading COVID-19 like Gaston.
I'm a bit worried all the mermaids are currently falling in love with slave owners...
Did you see the new movie coming out on Disney+? Check it out...
Hahahaha. That's lame. If I had a TARDIS I would like to back to the Magic Kingdom but knowing my luck I'll get there right when COVID-19 started and it was crowded...
Sorry to burst your bubble. Large crowds all over the world have gathered to protest police brutality and stand with Black Lives Matter. People are standing up for the safety and dignity of black people whether or not its popular in their town. Anti-racist demonstrators are hosting their own protests in small towns and cities. While they may be the only people standing, they're not standing alone. Like these three in Fredericksburg, Texas...
There are some tone-deaf celebrities when it comes to posting about the George Floyd protests. Like Matty Healy from the 1975 also plugged his own song.
Trump walked back over to the church again... wonder what he's holding this time...
Sooty!!!! I love it. So, if Snow White was in quarantine this is what it'll be like...
So yesterday I told you about the email I received from a guy asking if he's wrong for advising his niece to stay in the closet until wealthy grandparents die. Well, after the entry was posted yesterday he emailed me back ands wanted me to share, "my wife apologized for getting snippy with me and now agrees she should hide it for a year or two. She is a powerful advocate of LGBTQ+ rights so she had an angry knee-jerk reaction to my dad's bigotry." Hope this girl gets her 7 million dollars and her happily ever after. Now from the home office in Port Jefferson, New York, here is...
Top Phive Things Said By Married People In Quarantine
5. My wife won't tell me what her reopening plan is.
4. My husband hasn't turned his TV off in two months but he's gonna gripe at me for not turning out a light when I leave the room, yeah, okay.
3. Definitely get married so you too can enjoy fighting over important issues like different grains of rice before 8 a.m.
2. Before quarantine my husband used to eat like five Doritos and then fold the bag and put it away and since we've been in quarantine HE STILL DOES THE SAME THING. I mean has this situation taught him nothing?
And the number one thing said by a married person in quarantine is...
1. My wife signed through an entire argument, and won.
So, you know live in Florida, right? Well, there's things that happen here that happen no where else in this universe.
U.S. Army veteran Trent Tweddale wasn’t expecting a fight while walking his dog in Pasco County, Florida, but as fate would have it, the former Staff Sergeant ended up having to go a round or two with the 13-foot beast of an alligator that tried to turn his best friend into lunch. According to Tweddale, his 6-year-old rescue dog, named Loki, had its paws in the water, which was up from recent storms. Loki’s playful exploration of the higher than normal water quickly turned into a nightmare, though. The gator popped out of the water and clamped down the dog’s legs and pulled it into the water. Tweddale acted quickly, though. He grabbed onto Loki and attempted to pull his dog out of the gator’s grasp. He ended up in a tug-of-war with the gator, one that he was not sure he would win. So with his dog’s life in the balance, Tweddale waded into the water and decided to take the gator head-on. Man versus gator. Tweddale began punching the alligator in the head until, finally, it let go of Loki, and swam away. But Loki did not escape unscathed. One of his front legs was hanging on by just threads of flesh. He had to be taken in for emergency surgery to reattach the leg. Fortunately, the surgery appears to be a success. Loki didn’t lose his leg, and Tweddale is hopeful that he’ll be able to fully use his paw again one day. In the meantime, Tweddale says he’s got a gator to hunt now. He has said he won’t rest until the gator is captured. Considering it tried to eat his dog and apparently isn’t all that afraid of humans, that’s probably a pretty good idea. Tweddale and Florida Fish and Wildlife officials put out a trap for the gator, but they’ve had no luck yet. Tweddale is on the case though, saying he’ll fight tooth and nail for his dog.
If you spot the Mindphuck and I'm sure you will. Hey, kids, it's Thursday. Guess what that means?
That's the pic from the story about people who are removing the inside of their ears as part of a bizarre new trend. Okay, let's take live look at Port Jefferson, shall we?
It seems quite a few people are out this afternoon. I wish I was there.
The 129th book to be pheatured in the Phile's Book Club is...
Natasha Gregson Wagner will be on the Phile on Wednesday. I'm pretty excited.
Today's guest is an American voice actor and comedian. He has performed the voice of the Disney character Goofy since 1987, and is also the current voice of Pluto and Horace Horsecollar. Please welcome to the Phile... Bill Farmer.
Me: Oh, gawrsh, Bill, welcome to the Phile. How are you, sir?
Bill: Oh, it's my pleasure to be here.
Me: So, do you think your voice sounds like Goofy?
Bill: Yeah, we're melding into one. The more I do this, gawrsh, I'm starting to sound more like him.
Me: What's the hardest thing about doing Goofy's voice?
Bill: The laugh is the hardest to learn in the beginning.
Me: Why is that?
Bill: There's a lot of little variations on it. There's the short one and there's the longer one and then sometimes when he gets really tickled it's even longer. Hu-hu hyuck hyuck hyuck! Then can wear me out after a while. Or the Goofy yell... yay-hoy!
Me: Ha! When you were a kid were you into cartoons?
Bill: Oh, absolutely. I was really one of those kids that really tired to watch CBS, ABC, NBC... they all had these different cartoons and I tried to go back and forth and they to catch them all. Of course in those days we couldn't tape anything. I would always do the joke that it was, "Hey, Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat. Yes, inspector, where's Little Nel? Captain Crunch cereal says crunchy, even in milk." And then my parents would turn television set on, it was one of those things. I was a cartoon kid and a sci-fi kid, monsters and all that kind of stuff.
Me: Me too! Did you ever try to copy Goofy when you were a kid?
Bill: Well, he's my favorite Disney character but I really didn't get a chance to see him that often. The only time I could see him was usually on "The Wonderful World of Color" where occasionally they would have a Goofy cartoon. I didn't see him too much but of the Disney characters he was my favorite. I remember watching him with my dad, sitting on his lap and watching the Sunday night show. But I really didn't practice it back then. Not until I was totally grown I kind of played with the voice a little bit and thought hmmm, I'm kind of close on that.
Me: About how old were you then?
Bill: Probably 30. Seriously.
Me: So, what were you doing before then?
Bill: I started stand-up comedy when I was about 30. I've always done voices in his school and in college. I was always the guy who would drive through places like Burger King and they'd say, "Do a weird voice." I had a reputation of doing impressions. I would order my Whooper with cheese in some weird voice, they would look out and my friends would laugh. That's as far as it went for a long time. My degree was in Broadcast Journalism so when I was in radio I developed a lot of different characters that I would bring into the studio and do little interview with myself basically. That's kind of where it really started.
Me: I know what you mean. I write the stupid little characters for my blog and kinda interview them. Did you write down the interview beforehand?
Bill: Yeah, I would do that and most of the time in those days I would use live action. I would do the news and it'll be like, "I'm Walter Cronkite, this is the news and now we're going to the big forest fire." I'd crinkle up the paper in front of the microphone and just do little song effects and stuff like that and try to create little radio shows on an old tape recorder. I've been doing that since I was a little warped kid.
Me: What was your first voice-over job you ever did for a job?
Bill: I was 15-years-old and I did John Wayne.
Me: Can you still do John Wayne?
Bill: Well, of course I can do John Wayne.
Me: Where and why did you do him?
Bill: We would have pep assembly's on Friday afternoon for that nights football game and they would have me come out as John Wayne and say, "Well, we're gonna beat them Dodge City Demons and getting them wagons in a circle." So I was kind of pushed in front of people. They kind of liked me doing that so I started writing a little bit of comedy then in college we'd have band breaks and they'd say, "Farmer, get up and do some kinda voice." I learned to write that way so I'd have something to say. So I'd have a little different scenarios and jokes and things. It just kind of morphed into a career over a long period of time.
Me: Did you have a voice actor that you looked up to?
Bill: Pat Buttram. I got to work with him right before he passed away, his last movie I believe was A Goofy Movie. He had a small part in that and it was big thrill to get a chance to meet him. He was great, he was like 84-years-old and he was sitting around telling me all kind of jokes and things like that. He was just one of those guys that was always on. He would try out material on me even at that age. You'd think he'd have it down but no, he was trying out new stuff all the time.
Me: You were saying about doing voices when you were ordering Burger King, Bill. Ever go to Disneyland or Walt Disney World and do the same thing?
Bill: Yeah, if I was in line for something, let's say there's a little kid whose tired and he's hanging onto his dad or something and whine, "I don't wanna go on this, I wanna go home." I just stand there and when he's not looking I'll chuckle like Goofy and he'd be like what and turn around and look around and I'd just there whistling. He wouldn't know where that came from and that'll drive him nuts. "Daddy, Goofy..." "Goofy's not here! Be quiet!" I'd whisper it to the walk-arounds occasionally and say, "Gawsh, I'm your voice." And they get a big kick out of that. They never break character, 34 years or so of doing this job they never break character yet.
Me: I have to tell you this, and I hope I don't get in trouble for saying it... back in 2006 or 2007 when Disney was doing "Year of a Million Dreams," my area did this raffle thing where we got to do if we won something we always wanted to do and I was picked and got to be Goofy. I never went out in the Guest area, but still got to be Goofy for a few hours. It was amazing. Anyway, what was your audition like to get Goofy?
Bill: That is amazing, Jason. It was really underwhelming. At that time back in 1986 I just moved out to Los Angeles from Dallas because I had an agent on Dallas who said, "Well, because all the voices you do you should take a shot in Hollywood." I got an apartment there and sent out my demo tape and was able to get some interviews with agents out there and got an agency to represent me. I stayed there and I didn't know if I was going to make it and everything so I left my wife in Dallas. At the time I was stand-up comic traveling across the county and performing in comedy clubs so I kind of based myself out of Hollywood opposed to Dallas where I was living at the time, My agent said, "Do you do any Disney characters?" At the time there were four of five guys doing Mickey, Donald and Goofy and they wanted consistency, Roy Disney and Michael Eisner always wanted to hear the same voice. So it was a big audition with about a thousand people or so all through Hollywood and they liked mine. I just got a cassette of the original voice, Pinto Colvig, practiced over the weekend, went into the booth on Monday, laid them down and kind of forgot about it. Then about month and half later they said, "They want to use you as Goofy." I'm not now signed to a big contract... "YOU NOW ARE THE VOICE OF GOOFY." It was for one job, going in and doing a couple of lines. I didn't know if it was for once, twice, whatever. I went in and was terrified for the first time because it was looping to an existing cartoon relating dialogue which I never done, I got into the booth and was about to get through that okay. That was kind of it. "That was great. Okay." Nothing like we'll see you soon, nothing like that. And about a couple weeks later they called me back and I did another one, and then another one and another and by the summer I thought this was a pretty steady thing. I brought my wife out to Hollywood from Dallas and we've been there ever since.
Me: What kind of prep work did you do?
Bill: It was just a straight voice match. I just tried to do the same lines as Pinto did in such cartoons as "Boat Builder," "Lonesome Ghosts," "Clock Cleaners." I even had to sing in that first audition come to think of it.
Me: Sing? What did you sing?
Bill: It was from "Mickey and the Beanstalk." "Thirteen lobsters, baked potato pie, pancakes piled up, 'til they reached the sky." So I gave that a shot, laid it downed like I said they liked it and they're still using me.
Me: What point did you start to do the bark for Pluto?
Bill: It was about the same time. I just sort of came up very serendipitously. In the same projects they needed a quick little bark for Pluto and I said, "I can bark. I can do that." I did my bark and they liked that and I studied it a bit later on actually. It was after the fact and they said that it's great and they just used it and it was very convenient of them to have both dogs their at the same time. So I've been doing that for just as long.
Me: Do you have a favorite moment playing Goofy?
Bill: Oh, there's several. Several things come to mind. I think the best project I did was A Goofy Movie.
Me: Why is that?
Bill: The reason is it was in theaters nationwide and I got to go see it with a normal regular audience and watch them enjoy it, and seeing my character on a big screen was also very special and was sort of surreal really. I've done a couple of movies earlier. One of the only on screens things I've done was the movie Robocop I did when I was back in Dallas. That's a little weird seeing myself on screen. I kind of like it more as a cartoon character, I don't critique myself that way saying I look terrible. Hearing myself on screen as an iconic character like Goofy was just amazing. Also occasionally I get to talk to kids who are in hospitals and stuff with Famous Phone Friends and Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Me: Oh, cool! What is that like?
Bill: That's when the magic comes alive because I'm talking to this kid and it really is like being Santa Claus in a way. I'm talking to these kids that really want to talk to me and it really comes alive. The magic is there and we get letters later on where a lot of times the kids are shocked or something. It might be because the effects of the medication and they don't talk back much so I do most of the talking. It's really special that I'm going back and forward with a kid and I'm really Goofy to him. Most of the time I'm in a little glass studio and I get a script and I don't get a sense of the magic the characters have for the audience until I see it in the theater or talk to someone live over the telephone.
Me: That's so sweet. Do you do anything special to get into the Goofy character before you record?
Bill: Probably the first couple of years when I was doing a voice match with Pinto Colvig I would. I would have a cassette in the car and I would go over some basic Goofy lines to get into it. But after a couple of years it became more me and we kind of melded it a little bit. I started adding more of my vocalizations to the character, little things that I like to do with it. Now it's so much a part of me and I've done it for over 3,000 different projects for Disney it's just like we melded into one.
Me: So, there was a Goofy series called "Goof Troop." I've never seen that, or the Goofy movies either. Anyway, what can you say about "Goof Troop"?
Bill: It was kind of initiating. It came out about 1990 and it was the first series I've ever done and the cast on that was a stellar cast. It had everybody... it had Jim Cummings, it had Frank Welker, it had Rob Paulson, it had April Winchell, it had Nancy Cartwright, all of these people. Working with them, the top people in the industry and I had the top role in the show and it was my first one so I felt very imitating being in the room of tremendous talents, It was done assemble, we were all in the studio at the same time and read it like a radio play. Just working with this talent really made me a much better actor and I learned a lot about the craft by doing that. I thought I get paid to do this, this is like heaven.
Me: I got to interview Jim Cummings on the Phile not long ago and Nancy Cartwright. So, why was Goofy a single dad? Hahaha.
Bill: I asked that many times. People have asked me that many times, "where is Goofy's wife?" I think we ought to do a new cartoon called "The Mystery of Goofy's Wife." I started making up scenarios because they have no official backstory. I think its Jessica Rabbit before she was with Roger, that's my theory. Maybe I ought to write a movie about that.
Me: If Goofy has a kid then you know what that means, Bill. Goofy had to have boinked with somebody. Haha.
Bill: That's funny and true.
Me: So, what do you think of the new Mickey cartoons? I love the style but a lot of people don't.
Bill: I didn't know what to think because we're not watching anything, we're not looping to a movie, we just have a script. So we're going okay, this is a little different. We see a couple of sketches and renderings on what the characters will look like the style they're going for which is a lot more "Ren & Stimpy" looking to me. They're a totally different take, its more Dippy the Goof than it is Goofy. He's kind of in his old vest and has a tail and it's kind a stylized Goofy. So I can kind of have a liberty with the character a little bit and they put him in situations they would never have put him in earlier versions of the character.
Me: Why do you think they made the look the way it is?
Bill: The whole idea I think is to take it back to the earlier time where they were rougher around the edges, a little bit more rambunctious and not tamed as much is you will. They're a little bit wilder characters.
Me: That's cool. Bill, thanks for being on the Phile. Please come back again soon. I hope this was fun.
Bill: It was, Jason, thanks so much. I'd love to come back.
That about does to for this entry of the Phile. Thanks to Bill Farmer for a great interview. The Phile will be back tomorrow with Search Results Web results Donnie Dunagan from Bambi. He was Bambi in fact. Spread the word, not the turd or virus, or hatred. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye.
I don't want you, cook my bread, I don't want you, make my bed, I don't want your money too, I just want to make love to you. - Willie Dixon
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