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Thanks for the kind words, Fleurette. Dr. Iacono WAS filmed extensively throughout the EXTRA shoot. To the Parkie community, he's certainly a "celebrity" (in one way or another), but to the EXTRA staff apparently he's just not enough to boost their ratings like a, say, Leonardo DiCaprio!! In MY opinion, the LATTER is just a fresh-faced, uneducated, babbling KID in an industry FULL of that type, while Dr. Iacono's a UNIQUE, interesting, talented, total FOX (errrrrr... for a neurosurgeon!) <grin>. In an industry where there's very few "stars,' HE'S at the top of the heap! Barb Mallut [log in to unmask] ---------- From: Parkinson's Information Exchange on behalf of Fleurette Leonard Sent: Saturday, April 25, 1998 9:41 AM To: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN Subject: Re: BARBARA AND GEORGE DISCUSS BARBARA'S TV DEBUT Barb Even me in Northwestern Ontario, Canada was looking forward to watching EXTRA if not for any other reason than to see your face - you are after all a major contributor to our disease with info, computer expert, etc. So they want a celebrity - why not Dr. Icano? Just trying. Just hoping. Just wishing you a good day anyway. Fleurette At 05:38 PM 4/24/98 -0400, you wrote: >DEAR COLLEAGUES, > Early this am I wrote Barbara a note expressing my wish to speak >with the producer of EXTRA. My note and Barbara's response follow. If you >have any thoughts about what to do please drop me a note > thanks > george >@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ > >Dear Barbara, > How strange it is for me to call you dear and mean it !! But the >producer of "your segment" on "EXTRA" has gone and ticked me off. To not >run the show because of a lack of a "celebrity" is insulting to you and >your colleagues and to me and every other PWP. My first thought was to >ignore the whole thing given that the program was trash [in my opinion ]. >But on second thought >I think it is better to try and educate the producer and his staff both >about PD and about finding an angle to make the segment work. For example, >on the negative side , Dr. Iacono is not without his detracters. For the >positive, there is you "representing" the List which is made up of 1600 >talented and good people. > >Soooo, Barbara, if you could get me the producer's name and address and >about 6 others on his staff including his boss, the executive producer. >Also since you apparently watch the show you might get to me a short list >of sponsors as well. > >I've sent this note to you off-list in case you don't approve of it. I >don't want to damage in any way what ever chance you have of getting on the >show. If you don't have a problem I'd like to > go on-list and encourage other to say a word or two. > > My best > george >&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& > > >Hiya George.... > >In no particular order, 'cause I'm outta sinc right now awaiting my >first-meds-of-the-day to kick in, > >1. I don't recall the producers name as he rushed in late for the shoot, >said "Hello, I'm Mumble-mumble," and we all jumped right into doing the >preparing for the shoot) > >The shoot was arranged by Encino Hospital's public relations firm, rather than >the hospital itself. I wasn't aware of that till I called my liaison at the >hospital in order to get the information ya asked for about the staff of EXTRA >who did the shoot. I was ...uhhhhh... STRONGLY *encouraged* to NOT get >involved in "hospital politics" by contacting their public relations firm to >track down that info. > >Not being totally dumb, I got the message and backed off. > >2. You're right 'bout Dr. Iacono not being without his detractors, but >MOSTLY I'd say that hostility arises from within the medical community itself, >tho I have met a few Parkies that can't stand his being a bit of a "medical >renegade" and/or his occasionally brash personality. > >I've yet to hear a physician bad-mouth Dr, Iacono's ABILITY as a neurosurgeon >and movement disorder specialist, however they DO go nutz when Dr. I is >mentioned in conjunction with pallidotomies (and Dr. I HAS performed over 1000 >of 'em, with 400 being bilateral). When the FDA had yet to approve >pallidotomies for general use, Dr. Iacono picked up and went to CHINA with a >patient desiring to have the surgery (and this man was in TERRIBLE condition >due to PD!) <WE know what it's like to hit the wall with this damn disease, >don't we, m'friend>. Despite the rather Spartan hospital facilities, that >surgery was a tremendous success as were so many others Dr. Iacono's done both >in and out of the USA. > >I believe it's his "in your face" attitude plus his doing heavy duty research >into both conventional AND alternative medicine that simply seems to drive >some doctors crazy when ya mention Dr. Iacono's name to them, > >3. I happen to agree with you that EXTRA and it's ilk are total trash, so I >don't regularly watch it. I did turn it on faithfully for about 3 weeks after >the shoot because they kept telling the hospital's ad agency that the PD >segment'd be televised aaaaany day now. Finally, I said to hell with it and >stopped watching the program. Now if the segment's aired, I'll prolly miss >seeing it! > >4. Did EXTRA "insult" the 3 PWPs who were in the shoot plus the rest of the >Parkinson's community by not airing the segment because they felt having a >celebrity in part of the segment would enhance the program? > >I say "no" to that, George. I say no because I don't believe that the shoot >was made by EXTRA to enlighten the general populous about PD. It was made to >help the TV station maintain it's ratings and insure them of enough >advertising and public interest to stay on the air another season. They >wanted "fluff-medicine" <light and positive>, and we gave 'em that because the >alternative was them saying NOTHING about PD on their program. And we felt >that ANY info getting out to the public about PD is better than getting NO >info being disseminated. > >Sooooo.... basically, George, it all boils down to TV ratings and money, not >PD, when it comes to what gets aired. Fair? Not fair? Immaterial in THIS >industry. DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY, 'cause there's nothing more impersonal >than a program like EXTRA. > >For PERSONAL in the TV industry, I believe ya can't beat Oprah, and I have >submitted several requests to Oprah giving a highly personal spin to PD by >suggesting that our List family makes for a wonderful human interest story, >what with 1600 folks originally having only one thing in common, and that a >terrible disease. I pointed out that despite the fact we physically live in >over 35 different countries, ONLINE we "live" very close to each other and are >caring and supportive friends. Some of us could actually appear on Oprah's >show and many others could be live-on-video. THEN we could build on what PD >has done to our respective and collective lives, the lack of funding for the >Udall Bill, etc. > >Finally, if you want to post your message to me and my response to you, feel >free. > >Hoping you're doing well.... > >Hugs... > >Barb Mallut >[log in to unmask] >