10/13/2006

Yes, it’s Friday the 13th- the traditional day of bad luck. Quite honestly, most Friday the 13th days have been good for me- but, then again, I’m Svengoolie…and, I’m glad that’s the case, because TONIGHT- from 8-11pm- I’ll be appearing at Six Flags Great America’s Fright Fest! They will be selling rubber chickens for me to sign, and I’ll have free autographed pictures. Rumor has it I may be the Grand Marshall of the parade! Come out and meet me tonight, for my return –for the first time in years- to Fright Fest! Now, regarding the whole Friday the 13th thing-not to get too religious on you, but some say the fear of thirteen has roots with the Christian belief that 13 people were at the last supper- and the “thirteenth” was Judas the traitorous apostle (Svengoolie talking religion-now we KNOW today is unlucky)! Another theory is that there were 13 months in the pagan calendar (I get dibs on keeping the picture of “Miss Thirteenth Month”)! Friday also may be considered unlucky due to religious and pagan beliefs. For those who read “Thor” comics, Norse mythology claims thirteen is unlucky because the evil god of mischief Loki crashed a party of twelve, making him the “thirteenth”, at a banquet where he killed the beloved Norse hero Balder! Modern sages claim that 13 is unlucky because rarely, on old TV sets, before cable TV, was there an active station on channel 13. Okay, I made that one up- but, on our cable system, BOY-does channel 13 stink!

Here’s a suggestion for a scary movie that doesn’t stink- and, what else could it be today, but 1980’s ‘Friday the Thirteenth”? The first in a long series of movies that made the hockey-masked undying Jason Voorhees a household name (in rather creepy households), the story of Camp Crystal Lake- where the young counselors get a little too friendly with each other- and are slaughtered for their “indiscretion”- is famous for being the vehicle for one of Kevin Bacon’s early roles. It’s also considered by many as one of those modern horror classics, like “Nightmare on Elm Street”- and certainly has survived many sequels, good and bad (or worse)!

Hey, it’s your lucky day- I’m gonna stop writing! See you here tomorrow, and at 9pm tomorrow night on “the U”!