Just happened to run across this and thought I'd share. It's an odd song called "Shorty Said" by an artist called Das Racist with a number of pop culture references, including this little batch:
Shorty said I look like Richard Grieco
[Kool AD]
Grieco or Greco?
Shorty said I look like Art Deco
Shorty said I look like the gecko from the Geico commercials
I can't say I'm zipping over to iTunes to find out whether I can download this gem, but I do find it interesting how often Richard's name pops up in such a wide range of apparently random places.
Run across any of these references lately? Please share!
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Monday, August 12, 2013
So, Fox News is Kind of an Asshole...
I'll cop to it right up front; I've never been a fan of Fox News and there are far more significant reasons than the one I'm about to share. But when it comes to non-news, Fox has had some good and even progressive programming. And, though I'll admit that I'm far from a regular viewer/reader of the network, I hadn't previously noticed tabloid-style nastiness (I'll be interested to hear from more experienced viewers whether this is the norm).
Earlier today, Fox posted this piece about Richard Grieco's artwork. It's not a bad article,and in it Richard talks about the inevitable comparison between his career path and former co-star Johnny Depp's and says that while he's happy for Johnny, he likes his own shoes.
Of course, Fox topped off the story with a "Where are they now?" photo line-up of the stars of 21 Jump Street--and chose, for some reason, to feature this photo as Richard's "now" shot. It's impossible to believe that this was anything other than a deliberate attempt to find the worst relatively recent photo of Richard available, particularly when you compare it with the "now" shot of Johnny Depp.
I'm sure everyone (except, apparently, the person who put this story together) is bored to death with the 25-year-old "rivalry" between these two men, but Fox appears to have done as good a job of spreading misinformation with its choice of illustration as it does with its news reporting.
Thus far since the article went live earlier today, about 150 brand new visitors have come to this blog, the vast majority of them on the search terms "richard grieco drugs" and "richard grieco drug problem". For variety, a handful have entered on terms like "richard grieco plastic surgery" and "richard grieco troubles".
The power of the media is impressive and disturbing; without a single negative word, Fox has managed to convey an impression that has people all over the country hitting search engines to get to the root of a problem even they haven't directly suggested exists.
If you're one of them, check out this post to see what Richard Grieco actually looks like in the present--not his best or worst pictures, but an actual sample of photos from different events over the past couple of years.
Earlier today, Fox posted this piece about Richard Grieco's artwork. It's not a bad article,and in it Richard talks about the inevitable comparison between his career path and former co-star Johnny Depp's and says that while he's happy for Johnny, he likes his own shoes.
Of course, Fox topped off the story with a "Where are they now?" photo line-up of the stars of 21 Jump Street--and chose, for some reason, to feature this photo as Richard's "now" shot. It's impossible to believe that this was anything other than a deliberate attempt to find the worst relatively recent photo of Richard available, particularly when you compare it with the "now" shot of Johnny Depp.
I'm sure everyone (except, apparently, the person who put this story together) is bored to death with the 25-year-old "rivalry" between these two men, but Fox appears to have done as good a job of spreading misinformation with its choice of illustration as it does with its news reporting.
Thus far since the article went live earlier today, about 150 brand new visitors have come to this blog, the vast majority of them on the search terms "richard grieco drugs" and "richard grieco drug problem". For variety, a handful have entered on terms like "richard grieco plastic surgery" and "richard grieco troubles".
The power of the media is impressive and disturbing; without a single negative word, Fox has managed to convey an impression that has people all over the country hitting search engines to get to the root of a problem even they haven't directly suggested exists.
If you're one of them, check out this post to see what Richard Grieco actually looks like in the present--not his best or worst pictures, but an actual sample of photos from different events over the past couple of years.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Will Richard Grieco's Fame Help or Hurt His Career as an Artist?
Richard Grieco's fans from the old days have jumped right on board as cheerleaders for his artwork. That's not surprising: his fan base appears to be very loyal and his artwork is damned good. But will those fans and Richard's early fame be good or bad for his career as a painter?
Since I once made my living in Internet marketing, my first thought was that Richard's fan base was a gold mine in terms of spreading the word. He (or someone) has done a great job of getting press coverage for his artwork, but in the era of social media that coverage is only as good as its dissemination. From that viewpoint, having thousands of people invested in promoting your work is a definite benefit.
But, of course, the world of marketing and public relations is rarely so simple. Perception is sometimes more powerful than reality, and the unfortunate fact is that many, many celebrities dabble--some of whom should probably keep their hobbies private. It seems, sometimes, that every actor in Hollywood is in a band on the side and every actress is publishing a children's book. The same gallery showing Richard's work features Jane Seymour on their website, and Rick Springfield has a novel coming out next year.
As I've mentioned before, talented people tend to be talented. Many of those celebrities do, in fact, have other talents, and their work in other fields is quite good. And you already know that I strongly believe that Richard is not an actor who took up painting but an artist who happens to do some acting. But I'm not a critic, and I'm not a collector.
Is Richard's name recognition a blessing or a curse as he unveils his work to the world? I'm not sure, and I'm hoping to hear your thoughts in the comments or the forums. For the moment, I'm holding my breath a little.
Since I once made my living in Internet marketing, my first thought was that Richard's fan base was a gold mine in terms of spreading the word. He (or someone) has done a great job of getting press coverage for his artwork, but in the era of social media that coverage is only as good as its dissemination. From that viewpoint, having thousands of people invested in promoting your work is a definite benefit.
But, of course, the world of marketing and public relations is rarely so simple. Perception is sometimes more powerful than reality, and the unfortunate fact is that many, many celebrities dabble--some of whom should probably keep their hobbies private. It seems, sometimes, that every actor in Hollywood is in a band on the side and every actress is publishing a children's book. The same gallery showing Richard's work features Jane Seymour on their website, and Rick Springfield has a novel coming out next year.
As I've mentioned before, talented people tend to be talented. Many of those celebrities do, in fact, have other talents, and their work in other fields is quite good. And you already know that I strongly believe that Richard is not an actor who took up painting but an artist who happens to do some acting. But I'm not a critic, and I'm not a collector.
Is Richard's name recognition a blessing or a curse as he unveils his work to the world? I'm not sure, and I'm hoping to hear your thoughts in the comments or the forums. For the moment, I'm holding my breath a little.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Absolution - Maybe Not So Much
I'm not going to go so far as to say this movie was a 1, but I didn't finish it. And, you may recall, I went on and finished Against the Law. Most of the screen time in this movie went to the younger generation--specifically, to a handful of young male "cadets" who didn't seem to get fully dressed very often. They didn't do a whole lot for me, though, and apparently I wasn't alone--women gave this film an average of 1.8 stars.
Though Grieco's role was significant, we didn't see nearly as much of him as we did Mario Lopez and his scantily-clad squadron. And, Richard's character (the despotic and possibly somewhat crazy commanding officer) was a bit over the top, barking and shouting more than he spoke.
I'm slowly working my way through Richard's whole catalog, but I can't in good faith recommend this one--unless you happen to be an 18-29 year old male, in which case you'll probably find it mediocre.
Monday, August 5, 2013
Josh Hutcherson is Addicted to Gigolos
That's right: The Hunger Games star confessed that Richard Grieco's Gigolos was his "guilty pleasure" and called the show addictive. I wouldn't normally out a guy on a thing like this, but Hutcherson didn't exactly 'fess up over one too many drinks--he shared his fascination with the show with Cosmopolitan UK.
He may also have used the word "horrible"--apparently the life of a male escort isn't for Josh, since he also quickly responded, "Not Gigolos!" when asked which reality show he'd like to appear on. But, hey...he's watching.
And he's not alone. Though the first season of the series drew a 30% Metacritic rating, the New York Times said it was "almost impossible to watch," and TVGuide's critic wonder aloud how it could be legal, it was in its second season when Josh Hutcherson confessed to being a reluctant fan. As of this writing, the fourth season just wrapped. IMDB user ratings stand at 5.2, and that's the weighted average--the arithmetic mean and median are significantly higher. Ratings are significantly higher from overseas users than Americans, and viewers aged 30-44 (male and female) posted the highest ratings.
Bottom line: say what you will..someone is watching this show. And liking it.
He may also have used the word "horrible"--apparently the life of a male escort isn't for Josh, since he also quickly responded, "Not Gigolos!" when asked which reality show he'd like to appear on. But, hey...he's watching.
And he's not alone. Though the first season of the series drew a 30% Metacritic rating, the New York Times said it was "almost impossible to watch," and TVGuide's critic wonder aloud how it could be legal, it was in its second season when Josh Hutcherson confessed to being a reluctant fan. As of this writing, the fourth season just wrapped. IMDB user ratings stand at 5.2, and that's the weighted average--the arithmetic mean and median are significantly higher. Ratings are significantly higher from overseas users than Americans, and viewers aged 30-44 (male and female) posted the highest ratings.
Bottom line: say what you will..someone is watching this show. And liking it.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
When Time Expires
I kind of enjoyed this movie, though. It opens amusingly, with Richard suddenly appearing naked in the middle of the desert. Though it's wide open spaces for miles around, the female lead (played by Cynthia Geary from Northern Exposure) is naturally present to witness his arrival.
She responds as any red-blooded American woman would if Richard Grieco suddenly materialized in front of her (naked) and pretty soon they're in his hotel room...except the whole inter-galactic dating thing turns out to be a little complicated.
The fact that Grieco's mission on earth turns on putting a quarter into a specific parking meter at exactly the right moment also adds a humorous touch, particularly when he and Hamill gather around the parking meter to consider it. It's pretty much like every other parking meter in the United States.
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| When Time Expires Pictures |
Reviews were mixed and the weighted average rating on IMDB came in at 4.7. Once again, middle-aged women gave this film the highest ratings, followed very closely by both men and women aged 18-29.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Richard Grieco is back in the spotlight to premiere his revolutionary art!
Though I've already written about Richard's upcoming show at Gallerie Sparta, I decided to share this press release as well because it offers some additional information, and, frankly, because I'm happy to see the professional promotion behind this event.
LOS ANGELES, July 29, 2013 -- /PRNewswire/ - Richard Grieco, known as a cultural icon for his masterful performance in the hit 80's sensation 21 Jump Street among other acting credits including If Looks Could Kill, Mobsters and A Night At The Roxbury, is excited to announce the opening of his one-man art exhibit, Sanctum of a Dreamer!
After a break from the industry to hone his craft on canvas, Grieco has returned as the premier artist who coined the phrase 'abstract-emotionalism'. Remarking about his style and momentous pieces, Grieco comments, "My work is capturing lightning in a bottle, it's a pure unbridled emotion. I am a painter who puts his emotions on canvas and honestly my work is as much part of my life as breathing."
Grieco, along with celebrity friends and art enthusiasts, will showcase his historic, one-of-a-kind paintings on Thursday August 15th during an opening night red carpet event at the new French international art gallery, Gallerie Sparta (8641 Sunset Blvd.) in West Hollywood on the famed Sunset Plaza. Gallerie Sparta's owner Stephan Sparta states, "Richard's passion for painting, focused over a twenty year period of personal exploration has developed into his own emotional visual language. We have been following his ascent and are excited to be the exclusive gallery to premier his explosive paintings in Los Angeles."
A portion of proceeds from sales throughout the exhibit will be donated to the Wolf Connection Foundation, a rescue sanctuary seeking to strengthen the instinctual bond between youths and animals.
For further information, media inquires or opening night media accreditation, please contact Zack Teperman - zack@lexiconpublicrelations.com
SOURCE Lexicon Public Relations
LOS ANGELES, July 29, 2013 -- /PRNewswire/ - Richard Grieco, known as a cultural icon for his masterful performance in the hit 80's sensation 21 Jump Street among other acting credits including If Looks Could Kill, Mobsters and A Night At The Roxbury, is excited to announce the opening of his one-man art exhibit, Sanctum of a Dreamer!
After a break from the industry to hone his craft on canvas, Grieco has returned as the premier artist who coined the phrase 'abstract-emotionalism'. Remarking about his style and momentous pieces, Grieco comments, "My work is capturing lightning in a bottle, it's a pure unbridled emotion. I am a painter who puts his emotions on canvas and honestly my work is as much part of my life as breathing."
Grieco, along with celebrity friends and art enthusiasts, will showcase his historic, one-of-a-kind paintings on Thursday August 15th during an opening night red carpet event at the new French international art gallery, Gallerie Sparta (8641 Sunset Blvd.) in West Hollywood on the famed Sunset Plaza. Gallerie Sparta's owner Stephan Sparta states, "Richard's passion for painting, focused over a twenty year period of personal exploration has developed into his own emotional visual language. We have been following his ascent and are excited to be the exclusive gallery to premier his explosive paintings in Los Angeles."
A portion of proceeds from sales throughout the exhibit will be donated to the Wolf Connection Foundation, a rescue sanctuary seeking to strengthen the instinctual bond between youths and animals.
For further information, media inquires or opening night media accreditation, please contact Zack Teperman - zack@lexiconpublicrelations.com
SOURCE Lexicon Public Relations
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