Popular Culture Review Vol. 8, No. 1, February 1997 | Page 29

W H E N I TH IN K of m y e rs a tz fri end, n o w, I h a v e a n u n n erving l a ck of r e s p o n s e . Y e t w h e n I re a d D a vid St e ig e rw a ld’s dismiss a l of Dr. T i m L e a ry in THE SIXTIES AND THE END OF MODERN AMERICA— “Ultim a t e ly, h e w a s to o s e rio u s a nd s e lf-imp ort a nt to re a liz e m u c h m or e th a n a min or cult f ollowing, e v e n a f t er a n arre st a n d j a ilbre a k in 1970 t urn e d him into a b o n a fide fugitive” (1 7 5)— I l a ugh e d at “s e rio us,” a c k n o w l e d g e d “s e lf-imp ort a n t,” a n d b e g a n writing a n articl e. I h a t e to h e a r or re a d w ord s critical of him. In m a n y w a y s , h e is a n inc o nsid er a t e s e lf-c e nt e re d j erk, a nd in just a s m a n y w a y s a brilliant visio n a ry thre e to five a h e a d of NOW. I r e sp e ct th e rol e h e p erforms, e v e n t h o ugh I d o n ’t like him v e ry m u c h, e v e n t h o u gh I o n c e did, v e ry m u c h. U S : TIM & M E L T h e mo st difficult of all. Th e r e w a s , o n c e , a n ‘u s .’ S o m e of the a lo n e t og e t h e r nights in N e w Y o r k hot e l ro oms, in E u r o p e a n hot el ro oms, a n d at h o m e in B e v e rly Hills a nd J e n k i n t o w n w e r e g e nuin e . I choose to b e li e v e that. AMERICAN CELEB RITY CULTUR E S m o k e a n d mirrors, limelight, H O LLYW O O D / B E V E R LY HILLS a n d a fun ride. W e — s e v e ra l G R E E TIN G : gro u p s, o urs inclu d e d P e t e E m b r a c e th e p e rs o n, but m a int a in To w n s e n d etal, D a vid K e ith etal, at l e a st t e n i nc h e s b e tw e e n y o u r Tim o t h y L e a ry a nd M e l tors o s. T h e n kiss th e a ir p arall el S e e s h o l t z— w e r e st a n ding to th e o t h e r p e rs o n’s right out sid e th e F l a m ing C o l o s s u s , che e k. o n e of th e hot L A c e l e b sp ots in R e p e a t on t h e left sid e, bl e n ding in th e late 8 0 s (n o w e x tinct), w aiting a n e f fluvi a of gra tuitous f or th e v a l e ts to bring o ur c a rs. c o m plim e n t s.___________________ Fl o o d lights s w a y e d like p a lm tre e s in th e br e e z e from L A P D h e lic opt er circling o v e rh e a d. O n th e o th e r sid e of th e b a rric a d e w e r e h ord e s of th e y o u n g a n d be autiful. S o m e w e r e h o ping to g e t into the clu b w e w e r e l e a vin g. S o m e w e r e s n a p p in g p hot os. Mos t w e r e w o n d e rin g w h o th e hell I w a s , but si n c e I w a s with t h e m, I mus t b e s o m e b o d y too. A m e ric a lov e s its c e l ebriti e s. T h e y ’re b e tt er th a n royalty. W e expect c e l e b s to a ct b a dly. A n d w e a dm ire that. A f t er all, w e ’re a nation of m a lco nt e n ts. T h e Purit a ns w h o st e p p e d onto Plym o u t h R o c k w e r e a s ra dic a l a n d e x tr e m e a s Tim o t h y L e a ry. But T i m h a d a lot m or e fun at his e nd of th e s p e c tru m. H e insist e d on it. O n e of his o nly rul e s w a s to h a v e a s m u c h fun a s po ssibl e do ing w h a t e v e r h e w a s d o ing, e v e n dying. C e l e briti e s h a v e tha t option. H o w m a n y of t h e m h a v e y o u h e ard