Gord's Bacon Number

[Vickie]

So last night I went and saw "Mystic River" with Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, Tim Robbins, Laurence Fishburne et al., directed by Clint Eastwood -- great movie! I got to thinking about the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game and decided to look up some folks' Bacon numbers. Finally occurred to me to try looking up Gord's Bacon number...Would you believe -- 2???!!!

[DMD3]

Sorry http://www.corfid.com/ubb/frown.gif but what is a bacon #? http://www.corfid.com/ubb/confused.gif
(This proves how little I know) http://www.corfid.com/ubb/mad.gif

[DMD3]

Sorry http://www.corfid.com/ubb/frown.gif but what is a bacon #? http://www.corfid.com/ubb/confused.gif
(This proves how little I know) http://www.corfid.com/ubb/mad.gif

[Auburn Annie]

Here's an explanation at http://www.louisville.com/loumag/mar/bacon.htm

Excerpt:

"Three years ago a trio of Pennsylvania college boys with too much time on their hands and a bottle of Southern Comfort came up with the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. Craig Fass, Brian Turtle and Mike Ginelli wrote a letter to then TV talk-show host Jon Stewart, who invited them on his show to demonstrate the game. From these humble beginnings, a Web site arose, a book was published and a nationwide cult-fad was born.
The game is based on the conceit of the John Guare play and movie adaptation Six Degrees of Separation. The play posits that we are all connected by six or fewer stages of circumstance or acquaintance. In other words, if I were to run into Elvis in the Grant Line Road Kroger store's produce department, we'd hardly be to the dairy case before establishing that he was in King Creole with (1) Dolores Hart, who was in Where the Boys Are with (2) Paula Prentiss, who was in Catch 22 with (3) Richard Benjamin, who was in a remarkably brief TV series, Quark, which featured (4) the Barnstable Twins, whose grandmother, (5) Ellen Haverly, gave a pressure cooker to (6) me as a wedding present. Voila! Only six degrees separate the King and me!

Fass, Turtle and Ganelli took the concept one step further (or back). Noting how nicely Kevin Bacon could substitute for "Separation" in the meter, they hypothesized that he might also be the center of the universe, at least when it comes to connecting actors.

Although never a big box-office draw, Bacon has been in a significant number of ensemble films, from Diner to Apollo 13. And the boys discovered that if you use Bacon as an end point, you can link him in six degrees or less to almost any other performer." <snip>


BTW from what I remember reading, Mr.Bacon is less than thrilled to become a part of cultural trivia. Can't say I blame him.

[This message has been edited by Auburn Annie (edited October 21, 2003).]

[Jenney]

BTW from what I remember reading, Mr.Bacon is less than thrilled to become a part of cultural trivia. Can't say I blame him.

Yes, but he seems to be a good sport about it. That's the impression that I got when he did the TV commercial about not having id with him when he wrote a check. Funny stuff!
Jenney

[titan]

Auburn Annie,
You did an eloquent and complete explanation
of this. I want to compliment you on your excellent post. I had heard of this, but never had it explained so well. Thank-you!!!

[Brian 57]

TinkaLuisa,

OK, I'll bite-- what are the two stages that link Gordon to Kevin Bacon?

[BILLW]

I assume it's thru "Harry Tracy". I wonder if Helen Shaver or Bruce Dern ever worked with Kevin. That would make Gord 2 degrees away.

[Rob1956]

I assume it's thru "Harry Tracy". I wonder if Helen Shaver or Bruce Dern ever worked with Kevin. That would make Gord 2 degrees away.

[Vickie]

Brian 57 et al.,
Seems the link from Kevin Bacon to GL is that GL is one of many Canadian artists appearing in "Do They Know It's Christmas?" -- remember the "We Are the World" type benefit for hunger that they did? John Candy was in it -- he was also in a movie with Kevin Bacon! Though right now I'm too tired to remember, and too groggy to look it up!

Just thought this would be a fun, frivolous topic for everybody -- I come here often to read, but never had anything to post! And yes, Auburn Annie, good explanation. Guess I was feeling like being cryptic to get people's interest piqued!

[TheCromulentChipster]

John Candy and Kevin Bacon were in Oliver Stone's 'JFK' together, if anybody's curious.

[Big Blue]

John Candy and Kevin Bacon were in Oliver Stone's 'JFK' together, if anybody's curious.

[Vickie]

Thanks, Big Blue -- all I could remember was it was a movie I haven't seen!

[johnfowles]

Having just stumbled upon a New Jersey Network article entitled
"Six degrees of separation from Gordon Lightfoot" I vaguely recalled that there was something on corfid about this subject so not wishing to duplicate it I searched and found this old thread from 9 years ago.
Oh yes the article that prompted this is at:-
http://njnnetwork.com/2009/09/six-degrees-of-separation/
and is I feel worth reading for the trivia about Red,Rick Gord Terry and the JW cult,
sample quote
"Lightfoot made rules that they were not allowed to talk religion and especially JW religion while working for him. That meant on the road, in the dressing room and before and after performances. He saw their preaching as a threat to his career. It wouldn’t stop JWs though: I heard they were secretly trying to convert Terry Clements, Red’s replacement"
Note to Char if it is against the rules to mention religion here please delete or crop this message.