Western Washington University Western CEDAR Klipsun Magazine Western Student Publications 9-1980 Klipsun Magazine, 1980, Volume 10, Issue 06 - September Dave Miltenberger Western Washington University Follow this and additional works at: https://cedar.wwu.edu/klipsun_magazine Part of the Higher Education Commons, and the Journalism Studies Commons Recommended Citation Miltenberger, Dave, "Klipsun Magazine, 1980, Volume 10, Issue 06 - September" (1980). Klipsun Magazine. 52. https://cedar.wwu.edu/klipsun_magazine/52 This Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the Western Student Publications at Western CEDAR. It has been accepted for inclusion in Klipsun Magazine by an authorized administrator of Western CEDAR. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 2 Klip sun '1 Klipsun September; 1980 Vol. 10; No. 6 4 Gossip: It's None Of Your Business o Editor: Dave Miltenberger Do we have news for you. Journalists tell all. Story by Gregg Managing Editor: Nancy Walbeck Olsen. Design Coordinator: Greg Lewis Business Manager: John Bliss Darkroom Technician: Rick Ross 8 Soaking Up Your Own Suds Production Manager: Susan Borter Ferment now; repent later; it's all a matter of taste. Article by Consultant: Gregg Olsen Advisor: Carolyn Dale Mike Stoddard. Staff: Rob Bishop, Glenda Carino, 10 Blood; Sweat and Gears Michael Connors, Susan Fried, Bill Gibbon, Trade Hornung, Joan Jorgenson, Wheels spinning, legs pumping and the loneliness of the long Nina McCormick, Terry McGuire, Leita distance racer. Article by Susan Borter. McIntosh, Bill McNeill, Mary Norvell, Laura Ritter, Mike Stoddard, Susan Thorslund, Brian VanderHaak, Bruce Yeager, Kathy Zalewski. Photo Credits: Gregg Olsen, inside cover; Joan Jorgenson, 8, 14; Susan Fried, 10- 11; Trade Hornung, 21-23. Illustration Credits: Mike Bentley, front and back cover, 6-7, 24; Greg Lewis, 13, 18-20; Frank Shiers, 25-27, 29. 13 Plowing The Past; Reaping A Future A small farming community in Whatcom County preserves the past, with affection and pride. Article by Brian VanderHaak. Special thanks to Sue Mitchell, Mike Bentley and Frank Shiers. 16 Images 18 Coast Indian Art Is it art money, or is it smart money? Gregg Olsen e^camines the native Indian art scene. Klipsun Copyright ® Klipsun 1980 Klipsun is a twice-quarterly publication funded with student fees and distributed without charge. Klipsun, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington 98225, 676-3737. Printed at 21 How To Catch The Wind WWU Print Plant. Ever wanted to raise your jib, secure your head or batten down your hatches? Sail on with Trade Hornung. Klipsun is a Lummi Indian word meaning "beautiful sunset. ” 24 The Blue Book Guide Some serious and not so serious insights into life at the "University of Bellingham." September 3 It s none ol by Gregg Olsen The camera cuts away to Rona “People want it. You can’t really The National Enquirer, Tiger Beat Barrett in Hollywood. With eyes as argue with success.” and People all deal in the gossip big as her mouth and a drugstore Americans apparently have an gambit today. Each, however, has its blond hairdo that hasn’t been altered insatiable need for gossip which own distinct style, target audience in 15 years, the gossip queen breath­ appears in publications that range and degree of credibility. lessly reports tinseltown trivia. Rows from tawdry tabloids to slick maga­ of books behind her show television zines that look nice, but offer little in The National Enquirer’s Untold Story viewers that Miss Rona is as respec­ the way of intellectual stimulation. Without a doubt, the most success­ table as a librarian. Gossip fan magazines flourished in ful of the gossip tabloids is the The National Enquirer hits the the 1950s. Confidential was notable National Enquirer. With a super­ stands. The eight-items-or-less (cash because of its high circulation (it was market check-out distribution sys­ only) checkout station in the super­ one of the top selling magazines of its tem unequaled by any of its competi­ market is a colony brimming with day) and low regard for the truth. tion, the Enquirer is shoved into 5.7 celebrity paternity suits, fad diets and Libel lawsuits from various Holly­ million shopping bags each week. cancer cure-alls. The tabloid beckons wood luminaries brought the publi­ Enquirer publisher Generoso with 72-point headlines. Shoppers cation to its demise in 1957. Pope, Jr., switched the tabloid’s hand the paper to the checker along When television came of age, so emphasis from criminal violence to with cantaloupes and carrots. did the public’s desire for intimate stories about celebrities, psychic The press zips off copies of the facts about the tube’s actors and phenomena and triumphs over newspaper by the scores. The Seattle actresses. Magazines and tabloids adversity when he purchased the Post-Intelligencer pressman pulls catered to the demand—those that publication (then called The New one of the first copies off the end of chose not to often went bankrupt. York Enquirer) in 1952. the line with inky fingers. He takes a Today, it’s not uncommon for a pub­ A quick glance through an issue break and reads Emmett Watson’s lication called Movie Mirror to fea­ nets the following tidbits: “Oscar column of local humor and rumor. ture a television personality on its Nominee Now a Lonely Old Man It’s all gossip. And it is all a part of cover. Living in a Mental Hospital,” “Bev­ the wave of “personality” style news Nowadays, “The Ear” out of the erly Hillbillies Costar Dies Lonely, that has enjoyed a tremendous resur­ Washington Star keeps Capitol Shunned by Buddy Ebsen,”and “Zsa gence in the past decade. Today an watchers in the know. Rolling Zsa Dumps 7th Hubby: He’s a accepted yet distrusted branch of Stoners “Random Notes” section lets Tightwad and a Party Pooper.” journalism, gossip news has become readers keep up with the trials and Not surprisingly, the newspaper- immensely popular. Even though tribulations of the rock set, and Wal­ magazine hybrid has been the critics of the phenomena scream ter Scott’s Personality Parade serves defendant in its share of libel suits for “misleading” and “false” at the con­ up personality leftovers once a week. stories similar to the preceding. tent of the magazines and newspap­ Gossip is no longer confined to Recently, a group of celebrities led by ers that specialize in it, it has not movie magazines and gossip actress Carol Burnett was involved in faltered. As one gossip editor said. columnists. litigation with the Enquirer. Bur- 4 Klipsun voar 1msiiiess...1mt... nett’s $5 million lawsuit charged that fidential, in 1957, remains to be seen. maintain its No. 1 status. Publisher the Enquirer published—with At that time. Confidential pub­ Pope has down-played the impact malice—a false gossip item about her lished a cover story about the actress the Star and other imitators have had and former Secretary of State Henry that charged she had a steamy love upon the Enquirer. Kissinger. scene in the back row of a Hollywood “Our competition isn’t the Star or The Enquirer item said Burnett theater. She did not. In fact, O’Hara People or any other magazine. It’s a “had a drunken row with Kissinger at was able to prove she was filming in claim for the consumer’s dollar. a Washington Restaurant.” Burnett Europe during the time the magazine We’re just another product and we’ve maintained such an incident never reported the incident had occurred. got to remain attractive,” he once occurred and the Enquirer knew that said. when they published the piece. The response in several phone A Los Angeles Superior Court interview attempts to the Enquirer Fan Magazines: “Most Of What We judge ruled earlier this year that the headquarters in Latana, Fla. was the Print Is True.” tabloid hadn’t acted maliciously. It same “I’m sorry, we are now involved appeared as though the actress- in litigation and cannot give any Celebrity fan magazines are per­ comedienne had lost her battle. interviews.” haps the most noticeable gossip pro­ In early April, however, Burnett’s Litigation is not the Enquirer *s ducts on today’s newsstands. With attorneys received new information only woe. Competition is creeping three main kinds—teen idols, day­ from two restaurant employees who into the area around the checkstand time television performers and movie claim they told the Enquirer that with increasing frequency and stars—fan magazines have often Burnett did not act in an offensive strength. been chided for being less than repu­ manner. Enter Rupert Murdoch, the Aus­ table. Charged with concocting sto­ Although the tabloid has offered tralian with a special fondness for ries and rearranging photographs to settle out of court several times, gossip and sensationalism. Murdoch with scissors, fan publications are Burnett has refused. “Every time they offered to purchase the Enquirer but not taken too seriously by anyone— except the fans. tried to settle, I said, ‘No, I want to go was turned down in 1973. The failed to trial. You guys are bad guys,’ ” she deal was not much of a setback for According to the L.A. Times, one said in an article that appeared in the Murdoch; he launched the Star the publicist who worked for a New L.A. Times. following year. York gossip magazine said the publi­ Burnett is not the only one hoping Similar editorially to the Enquirer, cations were “fiction factories” that to sue the Enquirer into oblivion. Murdoch’s Star's biggest difference are operated by “arm-chair journal­ Paul Lynde, Ed McMahon, Shirley and major selling point was its full ists” who tape talk shows and clip Jones and others collectively have color photographs.