Wish this were a more surprising or harrowing story, but we are talking about the genius and standards of E! Entertainment Television here. The cable TV network sent a request to the management of former Pantera and Damageplan drummer Vinnie Paul yesterday afternoon, requesting the use of Dimebag Darryl footage from the recent Dimevision DVD. The network wants to use it in an upcoming special. And that "special" is sure to be a fun one for the whole family (or at least the family that watches The Girls Next Door).
"E! is producing a show titled 25 Most Chilling Hollywood Murders which takes a factual journey through the tragedies that shocked not only Hollywood, but the world," clearances coordinator Beau Thomason wrote in an e-mail that has since been forwarded to everybody's mother, uncle and second cousin by Abbott publicist Jane Hoffman.
Rather than reply with a firm "no thanks," she pulled out the virtual cat o' nine tails to guilt the hell out of the lowly E! staffer; can't totally blame her, but really, why bother with the emotional plea? E! would kill Betty White on live TV (and then create a True Hollywood Story about the death) if it meant higher ratings. (And one could argue this isn't that much different from the VH1 Behind the Music special about Pantera that went on and on about the very murder in question and received total cooperation from the Abbott family. Well, perhaps there is one significant difference--the words "chilling Hollywood murders" in the title, maybe?) No matter. The outrage is after the jump. Sam Machkovech >>> Janie Hoffman (jhoffman @xxxxxxxxx.com 08/18/06 9:04 AM) Hi Beau. I'm leaving John's comments in cause he's a nice guy and I know this was difficult for him to send on through. I'm also blind copying a whole list of folks who will most likely copy a whole other list of folks until maybe this spreads like a good email should and end up on 100,000 websites to show the world what a collective bunch of tasteless morons you all are.
Dime's birthday is this coming Sunday and your timing couldn't be worse. Not that there is a good time. In fact, in honor of his birthday, I think I'll send this around to a few of our favorite music websites who will most likely print the whole damn thing word for word, including your phone number and email. For good measure, I'm going to throw in the top 50 major daily music and some of the top TV writers in the country and why not, the weeklies as well.
I realize there is nothing anyone can do to stop E! from producing garbage like this below, as you've built your audience on the backs of other people's private lives, creating some type of warped reality out of your garbage, which is merely excuses for programming on the cheap and at the expense of others.
I would like to request that you please read this out out loud to all the creative geniuses in the programming department that came up with this idea.
We have received your request to license footage on Dimebag Darrell Abbott for your upcoming production of, "25 Most Chilling Hollywood Murders."
While we realize the average E! audience most likely has the IQ of an umbrella, they collectively are a smarter bunch than the lot of you. Your programming creativity falls somewhere to the bottom of the middle at best, and that's saying a lot.
I ask that you all please take a moment from your busy days and close your eyes. Live out the fantasy of playing your favorite instrument onstage. Your closest friends in the world surround you, either in the band or in your crew. From one side of the stage, a man approaches. Thinking he's a security guy or a drunk fan who's just a bit out a line, you continue to perform. Two seconds later, he lifts his arms, aims a rifle at your brother, your best friend, your buddy and blows his brains out, not three feet from where you are. In the nanosecond it takes you to comprehend the magnitude of what just happened, he does it again...and again...and again...and again...and again...and again before taking aim and murdering additional members of your extended family as well as fans that have come to see you play. Two of your crew are shot but survive, but of course, will never be the same again.
Now imagine it's a few years later and you turn on the TV set. Just in case you may be having at least a five minute respite from that scene that plays over and over in your head, just in case.....you flip through the channels and there it is. Again. Only with some two bit actor who thinks this is his big Hollywood break.
And please, if you don't like that scenario, make believe it's your child who got his brains splattered all over a stage in Ohio. And then you turn on E! Oh, the magic of television!
In case none of this appears clear enough and you need a definitive answer to your request...no. The answer if no, and on behalf of everyone that was there that night and everyone that misses him every day, you can take that no and shove it up your collective asses.
And, for your second request, yes, you can quote me on that.
Sincerely, Jane Hoffman
