Mood:
party time!Topic: "Grissom not Gruesome"(4)
Grissom is leaving the Las Vegas Crime Lab tonight. Gruesome is giving his Farewell Address in front of family, friends, and household pets. Neither one will be wearing lipstick.
Forensic anthropology has been transformed by the adventures of the man who brought entomological analysis into the same field once occupied by Boston Blackie and Sam Spade. At the University of Tennessee, for example, there is a "garden" where donated human corpses lie exposed awaiting periodic analysis by forensic scientists-to-be. The capacity does exist to scientifically determine "time of death" by the presence, or absence, of certain flesh-eating nematodes and their ilk. Allowing the corpse to remain exposed to the weather also provides input to the scientist, as well as a certain pungency. In any event, the number of enrollees in this specialized field of study has mushroomed (pun intended) since "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" brought slinky and sexy to bug would-be bad guys.
On the other hand, a somewhat uninspirational, if not ghoulish, character will smirk his final smirk for Frodo's bedevilment this evening. Although Frodo suspects that the moronic performance at his final press conference will be surpassed in a few short seconds "en camera," Frodo would rather look for white flies on the body of an actor holding his breath.
How quixotic, don't you think, that an actor can inspire a generation of young people to seek a profession that is part science, part adventure, and all public service. At the same time, someone who is elected President of the United States twice leaves office without the admiration or even high regard of almost anyone.
Shoot, even today's kids can tell the difference between good acting and bad behavior. Frodo still thinks the old man's condom broke.
