Monumental Moondoggie Moment
“And that goes for me as well!”
James Darren, the movie and television actor died last month. No doubt, readers remember the moment the charming and handsome performer from portraying “Moondoggie” in the Gidget Hollywood films as well as his starring role as Officer James Corrigan in the TV series T. J. Hooker.
For Yours Truly, however, he had a very short but ever-lasting impact on this publication.
It occurred twenty years ago, October 2004. Darren was receiving the “Keys to the City” from then Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman.
A press conference was held and joining the reporters and TV cameras was a new addition – this publisher of the 15-month-old newspaper, Las Vegas Senior Life.
It was the moment my first journey to City Hall. There I was among the print and media journalists when right before the event started, Mayor Goodman spotted me, stopped what he was doing, and in front of everyone announced: “You have a good newspaper, but I will never read it.”
Stunned, I asked why, and as only his Honor could boast, proudly proclaimed, “I’m not a senior.”
After I caught my breath, I meekly sputtered, “But…but Mr. Mayor, you’re over 50-years-old.”
“That’s true” he replied. “But I’ll never be a senior. A senior is a state-of-mind, not an age qualification.”
And while everyone in that room stared at me as I was looking for the nearest hole to climb in James Darren uttered the above sentence.
I left embarrassed but pondered what the two gentlemen said. When I returned home and discussed what happened to wife Amy, she calmly advised me to pay no mind what the Mayor said.
But when I told her of that James Darren follow up line, her reply was a monumental business (and life) game-changer. “Did Moondoggie really say that?” she blurted out in disbelief. “Now we have to change the name of the paper.”
We spent the next two days coming up with new titles. When the name “The Vegas Voice” was mentioned, we realized it sounded similar to the alternative publication we knew from growing up in New York, The Village Voice.
Both of us agreed it was a perfect new name for our publication. We changed Las Vegas Senior Life to The Vegas Voice two months later with our January, 2005 edition.
Ironically, two decades later, Rana and I cannot begin to count the number of people who tell us how much they enjoy our (now) magazine, The Village Voice.
I’m sure Mr. Darren never gave his throw-away remark a second thought. He passed away unaware the impact his statement would have on our “senior” community – no matter the age.
May he rest in peace.
Want to stay up-to-date on the latest news and events in Las Vegas? Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for exclusive videos and interviews. And don’t forget to pick up a copy of The Vegas Voice magazine for even more in-depth coverage of our community. Another moment, until next time, peace out!
