The Rose Parade--not in our back yard?...
The Rose Parade--not in our back yard? The attorney for the beleaguered Tournament of Roses recently complained that “perhaps the tournament should pick up and leave Pasadena and take with them their Rose Bowl game and their parade.”
We thought it a splendid idea and offered readers prizes to come up with suggestions for a new parade site--and for a new name for the un-Rose Bowl stadium. The response was enthusiastic.
The top finisher in the first category is Gary DeVries, who wins an autographed copy of “Cop to Call Girl,” by Norma Jean Almodovar.
In his letter, DeVries noted that “scores of people from colder climates” move to overpopulated L.A. because of the TV broadcasts of the Rose Parade. They’re attracted, of course, by “the beautiful snowcapped peaks in the background and the imported vegetation in and around the city of Pasadena, which is all shown amazingly clear by the smog-blocking filters on the TV cameras.”
So, DeVries nominates a site that would discourage Easterners from migrating here--Death Valley.
Sure, it might be a little cool on Jan. 1. But consider this: There’s ample parking.
Runners-up: Other new homes suggested for the Rose Parade:
* “The L.A. River--it’s dry, it never rains in L.A. on New Year’s Day, and you could paint it gray to look like Colorado Boulevard.” (Steve Afriat)
* “South Pasadena, where it would be renamed the Tournament of Sub Rosas Parade.” (Joseph Perret)
* “The Santa Ana Freeway--it always moves at that pace anyhow.” (Norm Anderson)
*
Renaming the Rose Bowl: The most original suggestion for a new name for the stadium was contributed by Jerry Cowle, who wins a Norma Jean T-shirt. Cowle wrote: “How about the Doze Bowl? How many flea markets can you attend without falling asleep?”
And, as for you, Tournament of Roses--no charge for the suggestions! We just wanted to show that we care.
*
Madison Avenue hangover: Some members of Consumers to Stop Sexist Alcohol Advertising put up a billboard on Sunset Boulevard to tell one beer company that it’s no bud of theirs.
*
The classics of the ‘90s:
A bookstore at Universal’s CityWalk has a row of what appear to be leather-bound jackets stamped in gold with the titles of classics by Byron, etc.
Actually, they are empty videocassette holders.
miscelLAny:
Robert Duncan, concierge of the Westwood Marquis Hotel & Gardens, told the Auto Club News that one of the most unusual requests he ever received from a guest came from a visitor from Moscow. She wanted the board game Scrabble--the Russian-language version. He said he found it in a store in Bayshore, N.Y.
