THIS WEEK IN XENA NEWS.... TWXN 57 12/26/96 Brought to you by Xena: Media Review (XMR): http://xenafan.com/xmr XMR is a periodic annotated world press review of reports regarding the internationally syndicated television show XENA: Warrior Princess (1995 - ) and the castmembers, Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor. For a free e-mail subscription send "subscribe XMR" to ktaborn@lightspeed.net. Excerpts from the following cites will appear in future issues of XMR. [ s] 12-20-96 THE ORLANDO SENTINEL. Friday. Page 1. 579 words. "Looking for Xena, Toy Patrol Strikes out" By Mike Archer COMMENTARY: An investigative reporter in search of Rev. Rose's offensive Xena II action figure (in order to undress) finds it sold out and also finds that the "good toys far outweigh the bad". EXCERPT: Armed with a news clipping of the Rev. Christopher L. Rose's 10th annual list of warped American toys, I entered Kay Bee toy store at Lake Square Mall. As part of my duty to serve and inform the public, I prepared myself to risk damnation and remove Xena's warrior princess outfit. "She's supposed to be a hero," the Rev. Rose says. "But why is it you take her clothes off?" That's certainly a fair question. But I was too late to answer it. Xena and all her warped toy buddies were gone. Funny thing, that old supply and demand. So I looked around for other toys the Connecticut clergyman/toy critic might consider warped. Surely, with the toy biz in the hands of Xena and the like, I could huff and puff myself into some moral outrage at something else in the store. I rushed around the store like a maddened inquisitor. To my disappointment, the overwhelming majority of toys weren't anything close to warped. They were thought-provoking and fun. Nerf footballs, for example, are way better than they used to be. The skin of the football is ridged so little fingers can get a grip and little ball players can learn to toss a bullet pass just like Gator Danny Wuerffel drills 'em. Talk about a confidence builder. With Pocahontas Paint 'n' Weave, you can make dozens of colorful crafts. The only raw material you need is something every kid can get - paper towels. Animal Families are small, movable figures of lions, elephants, polar bears, gorillas and other animals - all with parents and an offspring. On the box are some quick notes about the characteristics of the species and a world map with red dots locating its habitat. Excellent. Why shouldn't kids collect a little knowledge along with their toy critters? My First Laptop, a toy computer for tots, asks questions about counting and identifying objects. Then it tells you, in an encouraging voice, if you get the answer right. It also comes with a CD that builds a child-friendly bridge into the world of real computers. Remember Golden Books? Now they're electronic. You can still get Dumbo, Pinocchio, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast and other classic stories, but the new books are more fun. Take Power Rangers Food Fight, for instance. This book has a row of 10 recorded sounds that play when you press a square along the side of the book. The idea is to follow the story, press the matching sound-picture buttons and hear the sounds as you go. That's the idea, but it's more fun to experiment and make up little techno-rhythms of your own as you read along. Mom, get this with extra batteries because Dad's going to wear out the first set. I have sad news for Rev. Rose this holiday season. In Lake County, good toys far outweigh the bad. Parents, it's your own fault if you go into the toy store and buy something that warps your kids. There are hundreds of terrific alternatives. Toys look better than ever.... [ ] 12-22-96 THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER. Sunday. Page F14. 960 words. "The TV ratings, and the rated, we'd like to see" By Kinney Littlefield COMMENTARY: In Kelly Littlefield's lighthearted article about her personal TV rating system, XWP ranked a mention: "A blood-curdling TV-KILLER to 'Xena: Warrior Princess.' Star Lucy Lawless proves that strong, intelligent women and high-action TV shows are a great combo. Lawless keeps the ultimate warrior princess nicely sly as she chops her way through ancient Greece. She's even beating Kevin Sorbo's 'Hercules' in weekly ratings and 'Herc' is the show that spawned her." She also lamented that in her market, The Pretender and XWP air the same times. [ ] 12-24-96 NEWSDAY. Tuesday. Page B53. 1101 words. "Glued to the Tube / Sampling the Flea Market / Wanted: Creaky Reruns, Wacky Local Shows" By Diane Werts COMMENTARY: In a plea for more cheesy, trash TV, the author called the producers of XWP and HTLJ "genre-heads who fill 'Hercules' and 'Xena' with cleverly cheesy thrills every Saturday night". The graphic was of Kevin Sorbo as Hercules with the caption "Kevin Sorbo, star of the contemporary trashfest 'Hercules'" Diane Werts has also written on XWP --- times for NEWSDAY: [018a] 05-11-95. "Kevin Sorbo Didn't Want to Play Hercules on TV. Now He's Glad He Reconsidered" Ms. Werts mentioned Xena in passing as having been introduced in HTLJ and the subject of a new television show. [163] 02-13-96. "Glued to the Tube/Like Chocolate, a Dose Of TV Schlock Hits the Spot". Another Ms. Werts paean to "schlock TV" which she mentioned a conversation with another reporter who asked if she had seen XWP lately. [ ] 12-03-96. "Glued to the Tube / Gifts for Couch Potatoes / It's Easy Shopping Without Leaving Your Seat". Ms. Werts mentioned how easy it was to buy Xena merchandise without leaving your couch. Ms. Werts is attracted to XWP, but is more interested in its "cheese" factor and its use of humor.