OK, I don't usually comment upon has-been actors, but I'll make the exception in this case for two reasons.

More on them later.

First the news.

Patrick Swayze’s doctor is “optimistic” about his prognosis for battling pancreatic cancer, and the “Dirty Dancing” actor’s upcoming cable pilot is still in contention to become a series.

With the writer’s strike over, the A&E pilot “The Beast,” starring Swayze as an unorthodox FBI agent, is being considered to be turned into a series by the cable network. If that happens, the “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost” star hopes to continue to be part of the show, his representative Annett Wolf told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Swayze has been undergoing treatment for the disease, Wolf confirmed in a statement. The National Cancer Institute estimates there will be 37,680 new cases of pancreatic cancer in 2008 with 34,290 deaths in the U.S.; only five percent of patients live more than five years after being diagnosed.

No, things do not look good for Swayze, though he certainly will have access to the best treatment. The reality, though, is that every person I've known with pancreatic cancer has been gone within a year. It is particularly virulent.

So why do i comment on the story? Two reasons.

1) While folks remember Ghost and Dirty Dancing when talking about Patrict Swayze, a pair of chick flicks, most guys remember him best in a favorite film of the Cold War era, Red Dawn. It is strange to watch the movie today, with the Russians no longer Communist and Castro gone from power in Cuba, but it still resonates. I wonder -- could a similar film about a post-Islamist takeover of America ever get made today?

2) I always have enjoyed the outrageous headlines of the NY Post, but they crossed a line with this one.

PATRICK SWAYZE GOING TO DIE

Come on, folks, isn't that a bit much? Have you no decency? And I won't point out the obvious truth that goes along with your headline.

Posted by: Greg at 10:58 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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