Back in the day when I was a film booker, we used to joke about the STILL WARM FILM FESTIVAL. Whenever a star died, there would be a rush to book in their films. They weren't even in the grave. They were 'still warm' and we wanted to capitalize on their death.

Paul Newman just died and no, I am not booking in an entire Paul Newman Film Festival, including the Silver Chalice. No, I just heard that a much bigger fish than myself is playing the 'still warm' game. This time it is People Magazine.

People Magazine is not one of my favorite pieces of periodical literature. For me it is the magazine best suited for toilet sitting especially when you are experiencing gastrointestinal distress. It's a magazine for the ADD sufferers of the world who are inclined to live vicariously through other folk's misery.

Now People Magazine is rushing out a 96 page 'tribute' to Paul Newman. It only costs $12.00 and all the profits are going to a very needy entity, itself. So here is a man who just died. This man devoted a large part of his life supporting worthy causes. He formed a company to funnel profits to charities to help people. One estimate is that he gave $250 million to help people in need. Now People Magazine, a division of Time Warner, will be hucking nearly a half million copies of a tribute 'book' and not one penny is going to the charities Newman supported.

Is it me or does this really smack of crass commercialism? Remember what I said about gastrointestinal distress? That is what People Magazine is.