Friday, September 08, 2006

Pro Bono


In between the time Sonny Bono wore fur vests and became a US Congressman he owned an Italian restaurant on Melrose Ave. in LA named “Bono’s.” He picked a bad location. Within months it went belly up. Since then, every time I drive by that place it’s something else – Japanese, Indian, American diner, etc.

When we’re in production on a show it seems that every week there is that one nagging joke that doesn’t work. It’s replaced on Tuesday. That joke doesn’t work. Wednesday, same story. On and on throughout the week.

That joke is called a “Bono”. And like I said, there’s ALWAYS one (at least one).

What it teaches you is to stick with it, never settle, try new areas. And never just go for the easy joke…which is why I’m refraining from any reference to skiing.

7 comments :

JUST ME said...

and why I'm not saying anything about fur vests...

Anonymous said...

And then there's Congresswoman Mary Bono, whose only qualification for Congress was that she'd had the bad taste to marry Sonny. By this standard, Cher should be a Senator.

Anonymous said...

I met him in Palm Springs (when he came into the deli where I worked as a teenager) to buy a meatball sandwich. A hell of a nice guy, and hungry, with a disproportionately hot girlfriend.

Cap'n Bob said...

The best thing Bono ever did for America was go skiing.

FraggleRock said...

Um...Ken...the vested guy isn't Sonny. It is a guy playing Sonny in The Night of the Living Dead, a musical about departed stars...

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/recall/images/030912bono.jpg

Odd one, but actually Sonny in the vest...

Anonymous said...

I met and interviewed Sonny while working on a behind-the-scenes-piece on HAIRSPRAY in Baltimore some years back. Pleasant guy with a very nasal voice. That movie also featured Deborah Harry, Jerry Stiller, Divine (who looked much better in drag then as himself) and a then unknown, Ricki Lake, who was rather tubby. Funny, her mother was thin as a rail.

Mike Barer said...

Even though my politics where closer to Cher's, Sonny seemed like a nicer guy than her.