David Kronke was appointed Mayor of Television after a bloodless coup in 2000. Since then, he has improved infrastructure, championed greater educational opportunities and fought for reforms that have utterly erased corruption and incompetence from the television industry. Since Mr. Kronke has ascended to power, Television is a far better place. An appeal to “Seinfeld” fans far wealthier than I
Yes, the writers strike has everyone pinching their pennies, but if anyone has the discretionary income to purchase “Seinfeld: The Complete Series” (which goes for something like $880.88), which went on sale today, would you please consult the enclosed bonus Coffee Table Book?
See, a while back the people putting it together contacted me to ask permission to include in it a freelance story I wrote for the L.A. Times about the show (which I granted gratis), then decided they didn’t need to consult me after all. Then when the publicist for the boxed set sent me a press release about its release, I asked if my story was in the Coffee Table Book. She replied, yes, there was a Coffee Table Book included in the boxed set. I responded, no, no, no, I knew that – was something I had written included in it? No reply.
So if you get one of these Seinfeld-a-paloozas, could you page through the book and see if the story's there? Thanks. You’re a prince (or princess).
Fun fact: That story (actually two stories, including a sidebar) I wrote was transformed into a book. No, not by me – “Seinfeld Universe” by Greg Gatusso (which you can find selling for 2 cents at Amazon.com). I saw it at a bookstore many years ago and, while flipping through it, was astonished to find page after page after page of verbatim quotes from what had appeared in the Times.
As a customer/reviewer at Amazon.com (not me, honest) noted, “It reads like Gatusso just read articles about Seinfeld, watched commercials with Seinfeld actors in them, watched too much Seinfeld, put all these things into a book, and added his own worthless opinions. This book is a waste of money.”
Ah, but plagiarism is something familiar to the “Seinfeld Universe;” just ask Jerry’s wife.