PROFESSOR BINGO PRESENTS DAY: WHY? BECAUSE WE STILL LIKE YOU--REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

WELCOME TO

BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S
"PROFESSOR BINGO
PRESENTS DAY"
I'M EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THIS TUESDAY'S
"PROFESSOR BINGO PRESENTS DAY"
CHILDREN/YOUNG ADULT BOOK CHOICE IS.....
GIVEAWAY ENDED
WHY?

BECAUSE WE STILL LIKE YOU
An Oral History of the Mickey Mouse Club
BY JENNIFER ARMSTRONG

ABOUT THE BOOK:

This book will tell the behind-the-scenes story of how The Mickey Mouse Club paved the way for all that came after, from its humble beginnings as a marketing ploy, through its short but mesmerizing run, to the numerous resurrections that made it one of television's first true cult hits--all through the recollections of those regular kids-turned-stars who made it a phenomenon. It will reveal, for the first time ever, the untold stories of Annette, Darlene, Cubby and Karen, Bobbie and the rest of the beloved cast.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jennifer Armstrong is a feature writer for Entertainment Weekly. She has provided pop culture commentary for CNN, VH1, Fox News Channel, and ABC, and her writing has been featured in Salon, MTV.com, Glamour, Budget Travel, and the Chicago Sun-Times. She also co-founded and continues to run SirensMag.com, an alternative online women's magazine. Her essays have appeared in the anthologies Altared: Bridezillas, Bewilderment, Big Love, Breakups, What Women Really Think About Contemporary Weddings, and Coffee at Luke's: An Unauthorized Gilmore Girls Gabfest.

MY REVIEW:

Growing up, rushing home to see the Mickey Mouse Club was as natural for me back then, as it is for kids today rushing home to see, uh, er…is it “The Jersey Shore”, or perhaps “Hannah Montana”? Anyway, Jennifer Armstrong gives a wonderful look at the original Mickey Mouse Club in WHY? BECAUSE WE STILL LIKE YOU, and I found out so much I never knew. I didn’t realize the show was actually developed as a marketing vehicle to get people interested in the then “new” Disneyland.!

She describes how the cast was chosen (I did know that Annette was a favorite of Walt Disney’s) and what those Mouseketeers did when the show ended after a short, barely 4 year run. Armstrong also brings readers up to date with what they are all up to today but probably even more importantly, how this one show came to be such a strong influence on how shows are set up and programmed today in television land.

The book isn’t a complete compendium but rather a book of memories and stories about the show, many of which were never told before. So many of the cast went on to do well but there are others who not only didn’t, but did REALLY poorly. A few fun and innocent secrets are shared like the girls on the show going gaga over Zorro, then played by Guy Williams, when they saw him at the studio.

The organization of the book is done through the chapters where the auditions are described, as well as the early part of the show and how it gained popularity. The highlight years are also discussed and there is even time given to a favorite of mine, “Spin and Marty”. Of course, a section is also devoted to the decline and ending of the show which now makes sense because how long could Annette and Cubby, for instance, stay kids? It didn’t make sense to me back then! If you enjoyed the show, it is a pleasant trip down memory lane and if you are too young to have experienced it first hand, WHY BECAUSE WE STILL LIKE YOU will still be an interesting and eye-opening read. Although there are some “inside secrets” revealed as Armstrong does interview most of the cast, there isn’t anybody’s dirty laundry getting aired so don’t look for it. Instead, just enjoy…”M-I-C- See you real soon, K-E-Y- WHY? BECAUSE WE (STILL) LIKE YOU! M-O-U-S-E!

 

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO VALERIE AND THE GOOD

FOLKS AT HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, 

I HAVE 3 COPIES OF THIS WONDERFUL

BOOK TO GIVE AWAY!

--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY

HOW TO ENTER

+1 ENTRY: READ ABOUT WHY BECAUSE WE STILL LIKE YOU AND THEN COMMENT ON WHY YOU WOULD LIKE TO WIN THIS BOOK

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK AND LEAVE A LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE OTHER CURRENT GIVEAWAY OF MINE YOU HAVE ENTERED. YOU MAY COMMENT ON AS MANY AS YOU HAVE ENTERED THAT ARE STILL GOING ON BUT THEY ONLY COUNT IF YOU COMMENT SEPARATELY

+1 MORE ENTRY: VISIT JENNIFER ARMSTRONG'S WEBSITE HERE AND COMMENT ON SOMETHING INTERESTING YOU FIND THERE 

+1 MORE ENTRY: "LIKE" WHY BECAUSE WE STILL LIKE YOU HERE AND COMMENT ABOUT ENTERING FOR THIS GIVEAWAY. TELL ME YOU DID IT IN A COMMENT HERE AS WELL

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, DECEMBER 30!
GOOD LUCK!