THIS WEEK IN XENA NEWS....
TWXN 54
12/23/96

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.



[   n] 12-10-96
   THE TORONTO SUN. Tuesday. Page 12. 484 words. "Kid
Stuff" By Raynier Maharaj
   COMMENTARY: Strangely enough the major media seems
to be releasing Rev. Rose's annual toy list as either
an objective news item with no partisan commentary or
as the fodder for a pro-list editorial. 
   Raynier Maharaj began his article with his long-
winded credentials for being a parental figure and then
stated, "Now I'm not a prude. Gross toys do have
certain appeal, which is why items like fake spiders
and snakes are timeless. But there is a line between
gross fun and just being gross. For example, there's
one doll for little girls, which is being heavily
advertised on television, which appears to vomit. I'm
told that figurines of the action hero Xena are
creating quite a storm in some quarters because
children can strip her voluptuous body bare. And this
is supposed to be fun? What kind of minds create stuff
like this for little kids?"
   The preface of "I'm told that" is an admission of
hearsay. The writer condemned a toy without (1) seeing
for himself how voluptuous it was; and, also obviously,
(2) jumped on the 'j'accuse' bandwagon without knowing
a whit about the current toy situation.
   I am really surprised that no one yet has made the
brilliant realization that when you strip the Xena
figure, you get painted on underwear! When you strip
the great American heroine, Barbie, you get a nude
chick with cleavage....which is the most prurient? YOU
DECIDE!!! Obviously Mr. Rose, Mr. Kornheiser, and Mr.
Maharaj has.
   My take on this is that we are witnessing a bit of
societal backlash and some double standards. What does
Xena have over Barbie? Well, Xena's an independent gal
who had no Ken; travels around with her female pal (who
when SHE encounters her Kens, they usually are left in
the dust while the gals have further adventures or the
Kens die sudden and violent deaths); has very little
fashion statements to make (Xena only has one ensemble
and when she needs other clothes she either 'borrows'
the dress, 'borrows' the body wearing the other
clothes, or wears the new clothes in her 'dreams'); and
beats up men without trying. Xena is a threat to the
free world as we know it: a woman doing it for herself
successfully, and when she does need companionship, she
chooses another woman. Expect more irrational attacks
on the show and its merchandise.


[    ] 12-10-96
   THE DOMINION (Wellington). Page 7. 236 words. "A
monstrous holiday treat" 
   COMMENTARY: The Film Centre in Wellington, New
Zealand will be featuring a documentary on special
effects in XWP & HTLJ in its summer film series "Movie
Monsters".


[   o] 12-11-96
   THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE. Wednesday. Page 37. 1184
words. "Viewpoints"
   COMMENTARY: A letter to the editor commends Rev.
Rose's list and relates the "repulsive toy" Xena II's
"enticing bosom" to why "molestation and assault are on
the rise".
   It is probably too late now (maybe not), but perhaps
we as fans should counter these unfair practices by
writing, ourselves, to these papers' editors and
explaining how the toy is being unfairly attacked while
the toy's only apparent crime is representing a strong
woman (come on, there are a lot more female action
figures out there that would make Xena blush! Also, the
criticism being waged against the Xena action figure
could be just as easily and more appropriately waged
against THE American icon, Barbie. Do you see anyone
doing that? I rest my case).


[   b] 12-11-96
   THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. 339 words. "Universal at
wheel of new TV 'Knight'" By Steve Brennan
   COMMENTARY: Passing mention of XWP in a blurb about
Universal/MCA's reincarnation of KNIGHT RIDER, to be
called TEAM KNIGHT RIDER. Don't forget, Hudson Leick
was in the Action Pack TV movie KNIGHT RIDER 2010.
   The show will be developed in part by Ned Nalle, the
executive vp of Universal Television Enterprises Prods,
who said "This will not be your father's 'Knight
Rider.' It will be smarter, hipper, with more complex
story lines and more characters."
   Nalle "was also instrumental in the development of
the company's hit hours 'Hercules: The Legendary
Journeys' and 'Xena: Princess Warrior.'" 


[    ] 12-12-96
   DAILY VARIETY. Thursday. Page 54. 367 words. "TNT
May Close Book on Bible Pix" By John Dempsey
   COMMENTARY: In an article about how TNT is souring
on making Biblical epics, it was announced that TNT
would be releasing its first exclusive original weekly
series on January 13, 1997. The show, "The New
Adventures of Robin Hood," will be "filmed in the style
of the MCA TV syndicated hits 'Hercules' and
'Xena,'..."
   Can you say "Sinbad" or how about..."Tarzan"?


[    ] 12-13-96
   THE DENVER POST. Friday. Page B07. 691 words.
"Defeminize the military" By Mike Rosen
   COMMENTARY: In an article against having women in
the military, XWP was mentioned as follows: "To be
sure, individual superwomen may be as physically
capable of anything a man is. Lizzie Borden may have
wielded a mean ax on her parents, and Xena makes one
hell of a warrior princess but, by and large, women are
better suited to nurturing than they are to killing."


