Monday, July 25, 2005

Ricky Martin: Livin La Vida Loca

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(image via Hello!Magazine)

My favorite memory of Ricky Martin was his appearance on that significant 80s cultural artifact "Silver Spoons." Rick Stratton (so ably played by Ricky "Call Me Rick" Schroeder) had a crush on a latina honey (didn't we all back then?), so, like any colonizer-manque, the impossibly blond kid invited Menudo to do a little personal concert at his house. Stratton thought that the Puerto Rican proto-boy band Menudo would bring him closer to his honey. How very naive he was.

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(image via amazon)

After Menudo played (The Corsair believes they performed their smash hit "Your Love Hits Me Like A Cannonball"), the honey-in-question was left screaming: "Ricky, Ricky!" Unfortunately, a curly haired darling broke things down for Schroeder, gingerly, saying: " ... He's called Ricky too ..." And, to Schroeder's horror, the big reveal: His honey was draped around the babyfaced Ricky Martin (" ... like a Caaa--non-ball!"). As JFK once said, sagely, "Life ... isn't fair."

Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose ("..Your love hits me like a cannon-bohhl .."). Years later (" ... like a caaa-non-bohhl"), according to Hello!Magazine, Martin has another auspicious honey, Queen Noor, singing his praises:

"Months after touring tsunami-hit southern Thailand, pop star-turned-United Nations Goodwill Ambassador Ricky Martin is once again showing his most caring side, helping launch the 25th annual Arab Children's Congress in the Jordanian capital of Amman.

"The chart-topping singer met with Jordan's Queen Noor as he took centre stage at the international teen summit, which brings together young people from the Arab world, Asia and Europe to discuss cultural and humanitarian issues. Ricky has taken up a high-profile role as a children's advocate in recent years, stepping to the forefront of a campaign against child trafficking. And last month, the US State Department recognised the star for 'lending a powerful voice to vulnerable children who are unable to speak for themselves.'"

Or, at least to those vulnerable children who speak with pubescent voices that crackle.

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