Originally Posted by
GuitarGeek
Maybe because this isn't Japan, the only territory where the Runaways were "big" (isn't everyone big in Japan)? I think Lita Ford once said the only thing you need to be popular in Japan is blonde hair.
All seriousness aside, the Runaways really weren't that successful Stateside. In this country, they're just barely known as the band Lita Ford and Joan Jett were in before their respective solo careers kicked off. Beyond that, Cherie Currie occasionally bobs to the surface, first as an actress (you ever see Wavelength? Great sci-fi flick with Cherie as a psychic who can communicate with extraterrestrials who've crashlanded on Earth, with a Tangerine Dream score, to boot!), then a chainsaw artist (you heard right, she carves stuff out of wood, using a chainsaw!) and the occasional new album or tour. I believe I saw her on a local morning show a few years ago, doing an acoustic (?!?!?!) version of Cherry Bomb. Or did I hallucinate that?
Maybe someone in the Jeopardy production office doesn't know about the band's legacy. Or maybe they're afraid that "popular in Japan, and two former members who had highly successful solo careers during the 80's" isn't something that the average "Jeopardy viewer" can/will relate to. Maybe if Jackie had been on the show back in 1988, it would have been different.
Or maybe she prefers to not talk about The Runaways. Like I said, she was on the verge of suicide when she left the band, and the Edgeplay documentary made it seem like it wasn't really a happy scene for any of them. So maybe she was like "Yeah, I used to be in this band, yeah, a couple of my bandmates became famous after we broke up, but I'd prefer to not talk about it".
Come to think of it, I suspect those "Get to know you" things are kinda like what they do on talk shows, where they do the pre-interview. A production assistant sits down with the interviewee and asks for an "interesting story" or two to tell, so that interview isn't just about plugging whatever TV show, movie, or what-have-you, you're providing a cute story as well, for entertainment purposes. When Jay Leno or David Letterman or Johnny Carson (or any of the amateurs who've taken their place) would start an interview with "So, I heard you just got back from..." or "I heard you almost killed yourself on your vacation, what happened?", that's a setup for a prearranged story to be told.
So I can see several scenarios:
1. Jackie tells them about her life now, first of all, about her law practice, her family, whatever amusing stuff that's happened in her life that didn't nearly end in her slitting her wrists. Then maybe she says, "Oh yeah, and I was in this band when I was a teenager", i.e. she didn't say "I was in a band with Joan Jett and Lita Ford, and we made three records together, we were huge in Japan, did a tour over there, appeared on multiple TV programs, etc, and are regarded in some circles as the first significant all girl hard rock band, and a precursor to the riot grrrl thing of the 90's".
2. Beyond any info that Jackie might have given the Jeopardy people about her life as a bassist, I somehow can well imagine that nobody connected with Jeoprady has any clue about The Runaways. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't buy Canadian Conspirator Trebek or anyone else he works knowing much about 70's rock music. I can't imagine they're any hipper than the production team on Regis and Kathie Lee (see Regis and Kathie's interview with Steve Howe and Bill Bruford for evidence they were clueless about Yes).
3. Even if anyone was hip enough to know who The Runaways were, they might think it'd be "not interesting to the average Jeopardy viewer" or whatever. I mean, it's like if they had someone from Thin Lizzy or UFO on..."Yeah, I was the guy who replaced Pete Way", I mean, to the average person watching at home, that's like a big "So what?!". At least, I can see some TV producer predicting that as the response.
4. As I said mentioned earlier, Jackie's tenure in the band basically ended with her almost taking her own life (and judging from the Edgeplay film, it doesn't seem like it was a very happy time for any of them). Maybe she doesn't mind acknowledging the band, but she doesn't really like talking about it. Like say, in the off chance that Alex (or whichever production assistant or whatever) just happens to know who the Runaways were, maybe she doesn't like talking about or remembering it. I can see her saying, "Yea, I was in the Runaways, but let's not make too big a deal out of it".
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks