Tunneltalk/Issue v.1 n.9
Tunneltalk is a Beauty and the Beast (TV) letterzine edited by Barbara Storey, Victoria Clark and Sharon Himmanen.
There were 17 issues.
This zine began after the letterzine Passages ended.
From the August 1991 issue: "This publication is intended as an outlet for fans; it will not be sent to either Witt-Thomas or Republic, or anyone else connected with the show, so don't be afraid to say your piece."
v.1 n.9
Tunneltalk v.1 n.9 was published in November 1990 and contains 45 pages.
- comments on ...Shall Have No Dominion (Beauty and the Beast zine by Carolyn Kleinsorge), see that page
- reviews of Kaleidoscope #2, see that page
- review of Wishes and Dreams, see that page
- the poem by Dot Sconzo called " Whispered Promises," which is a companion piece to "No Shadow of Another" in "Tunneltalk" v.1 n.2
- an 18-page, single-spaced transcript of Ron Perlman's Q&A with fans on November 25, 1990 at the New York City Creation Con: "Before Ron came onstage, three very romantic, Vincent and Catherine music videos were presented —"Waiting for You" by Richard Marx & "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler, compiled by Kim Taylor, and "After All" by Peter Cetera & Cher, compiled by a Creation employee — which Ron watched from the back of the room. He then came to the front of the ballroom, dressed completely in black — as he quite often is!"
v.1 n.9: Excerpts from the Letters
[Jill B]:I just reviewed "Orphans" (I watch one episode per week) and cried all the way through once again. I feel much better. This private show of non-strength on my part has gotta stop. I work in a hospital and hide most of my emotions easily.
However, the episode entitled TLBL will remain in my archives only, because the grief I felt from that show will never, never end, nor will the sadness pass from the entire season three. Guess you could say I'm a "CLASSIC B&TB" fan — a supporter of seasons one & two.
But wait just a minute; I did look forward to the new episode entitled "The Reckoning." I thought it might return to the old B&TB format that I enjoyed so much. But how could it, sans Catherine? Well, I gave it a try, and it wasn't bad, but the loss of Catherine and entrance of Diana was still in he background.
If only they wouldn't have had Diana begin to love Vincent so quickly (I thought to myself), perhaps I could have enjoyed her character more? But I guess it's the void of Vincent's Catherine that still tears me apart. All you other LOC writers express your views so eloquently — you said it all for me — we were drawn into the show because of the Vincent-Catherine relationship. The other characters we grew to love were bonuses. Long live the zines through which this V & C relationship lives. Yes, my checkbook is rapidly depleting due to my zine appetite, but I'm very grateful for all you talented people out there.
[snipped]
By the way [in the episode "Invictus"], Diana did look nice in a dress for a change.
[Kriss F]:My reaction to a comment made in one of the earlier issues: "I can't believe any true fans of the real Beauty and the Beast really liked the third season." I might as well get it out of the way right here — I enjoyed the third season every bit as much as the first two, and I can't tell you how hurt and offended I am by that statement! I don't want to pick on the one person who wrote it, because I'm sure she is not the only one who thinks that way. I have fought as hard as anyone for the survival of B&TB — wrote as many letters as anyone. I have laughed and cried with everyone of its characters, felt so much of what they were feeling. I grieved NO LESS for Catherine than anyone, and because I have dealt with that grief does not make me less of a person, or less of a fan! I am truly sorry so many still struggle so much with it, but to be told I can't be a true fan because I found worth in something another could not, hurts deeply! I don't think less of those who could not accept all that B&TB was — the good, the bad and the changes. This kind of comment doesn't make the wounds in fandom any easier to heal.
Now, to jump up to issue 6. I have to say I agree almost completely with the comments of Constantia, [Mary D] and [Mollie T]s, and find [Barbara S's] rebuttal extremely weak. I can't see saying Diana looks like a "rat" as anything but an attack on the character and Jo Anderson. I should clarify that Barbara didn't say this, but unbelievably (to me, anyway) tried to defend it! To say it is only a form of grief is totally unacceptable. One person's pain is not an excuse to inflict hurt on another! I know that all too often it happens, but that does not make it right. That's like saying, as long as we hurt — whether it be from the loss of Catherine, Vincent, the entire show, whatever — it's okay to occasionally lash out at another. Seems pretty contradictory to all TT has said until now. And so you know lam not just a Diana crusader here, I found Barbara Brown's comments on both Catherine and Diana to be every bit as offensive. If these comments constitute lack of objectivity or bias on my part, so be it. I find both women to be beautiful inside and out in sometimes, but not always, very different ways.
I've always found it incredulous, and sad, that any of us resorts to belittling the physical appearance of any character, in any way, whether it be the way they dress, how they wear their hair, and particularly physical characteristics they can do nothing about. Of all the messages B&TB offered, the simplest and most inarguable was that who we truly are lies beneath the surface and no one should be judged, or ridiculed, for the way they look. And to attack the way Catherine or Diana look IS to attack Linda and Jo as well — whether it is intentional or not.
[snipped]
I have absolutely no qualms about Koslow penning [a future Beauty and the Beast movie]. At the very least I would want him to co-write. I haven't forgotten that NONE of what I enjoyed so much in the show and in fandom would ever exist without him. I know a lot of fans feel they don't "owe" him anything, and I respect those feelings, but HIS vision has brought me so much joy and fun over the past three years, I guess I feel I owe him at least a small bit of loyalty and think I would still feel that way even if I had been disgusted with season three, and I definitely WAS NOT! I still have great respect for his work and talent, and still feel he understands most of the B&TB characters as well as anyone — especially Vincent.
[snipped]
I'm looking forward to the release of "Though Lovers Be Lost" on videotape. The only reason I don't have a copy as I write is because a friend told me not to order it— she would be sending it as a birthday gift. I am disappointed so many people seem to WANT it to fail, and to assume Republic is releasing it just to prove B&TB is not viable is ridiculous! Why do some fans feel that Koslow, Witt-Thomas, Republic, have all been out to "get us" at some point? I have never been able to understand that. I do believe all these people care about the fans to some degree, and even if they didn't, it would be crazy to assume they would jeopardize any money-making proposition just to antagonize fans!
[Sylvia W-F]:I have been reading lately, in letterzines and fiction zines, (about) the bashing of Linda Hamilton.This is done either 1) very subtly, so it sneaks up on you; or 2) not so subtly, depending on whose opinion is being given out!
[snipped]
The loyalty I feel towards Linda Hamilton has always been there. I just never felt I had to defend her the way I do now. My interpretation of the facts are as follows: As one fan wrote, "She owes us nothing but a good performance every week, and she delivers." If anyone thinks Linda Hamilton owes fandom anything else, then I believe that they might not understand what an actor does. They act. That is all. Anything else— interviews, conventions, etc—are a gift (even if they are paid for them) and should (in my opinion) be looked on as such. She did not/does not owe us any explanation of why she does/doesn't do interviews.
Ron Perlman should not be held up as an example for Linda (or anyone else) to emulate. Yes, he worked tirelessly on the publicity for this show. That was/is his privilege, and we were ALL grateful that he did so. I was so thrilled (and still am, to this day) whenever I see him on TV. I wondered why Linda wasn't out there too, but I never thought of penalizing/punishing her for not "being there" for her public.
I run into this attitude (about Linda) a lot. On top of that, there are also vicious rumors flying around about the fans who support Linda. I think it's time to stop. Let us all remember the wonderful performances she gave us and wish her all the best in the future (hopefully with a Beauty and the Beast movie).
Let us not split fandom up even further by trashing one of the cast. Again, would people be so vindictive if it was Ron Perlman who had decided not to do any or only a few interviews?
One last thing. I believe that without Ron Perlman, there would be no Beauty and the Beast. Would it be possible for fans of Season three to at least "entertain" the thought that for "some" fans (like myself), without Catherine (Linda Hamilton), this season's Beauty and the Beast was NOT the show I fell in love with and was NOT the show I wanted to see, no matter how WONDERFUL Ron was (and he WAS!). This DOES NOT mean, however, that I now hate Beauty and the Beast. It simply means that I have a different view of Season three—that's all. AND I am STILL a true-blue fan of the show.
[snipped]
[Barbara G], Your letter was extraordinarily powerful. Your passion for the character of Diana is fascinating (if I may borrow one of Mr. Spock's favorite words). I will have to rewatch some of the less painful (for me) third season episodes, because you have awakened a curiosity in me about seeing Diana anew. I have heard more than one person say they thought Diana was a "female Vincent." The same coloring, that medieval quality about her (in spite of her modern clothes), a certain stillness, a "listening" quality about her. I noticed these things, but unfortunately, I also noticed the writers trying to create a love relationship with Vincent, and this ticked me off SO MUCH that I think a lot of Diana was lost in the anger I felt towards the direction the writers/plots were going in. I always wanted to give her a chance, but so many things conspired against that: the newspapers blaring "New Beauty," all the bad gossip concerning Linda Hamilton, the absolutely (to me) stunning news that not every fan felt like I did concerning Catherine's "death" — that totally floored me. We had become a big family, supporting one another, and then, to find out (!) that other fans felt the show could continue WITHOUT Catherine — I was flabbergasted! Now, 10 months later, I have learned to live with this fact, but... it was hard accepting this realization.
[Marie H]:I read one LOC that stated we do not have the right to demand the return of Catherine to the story since B&TB is not a product like laundry detergent but a work of art, and it is inconceivable that anyone should tell an author what to write. Excuse me?
I was under the impression that's how we got into this controversy in the first place: because CBS demanded a retooling, and retooling is a euphemism for re-writing. Is the right to demand changes in what is written and produced, therefore, exclusively the prerogative of the people with money and power? Do we not have the same privilege? If they could demand a rewrite, why can't we demand that they un-rewrite it? Un-retool it? Oh, you know what I mean.
Had CBS not meddled in the first place with the writing in seasons one and two, maybe a lot of misery might have been avoided. No one knows the real reason Linda left, but being a full-time mother seems most likely an excuse, in view of the fact that she has made two movies since she quit the show. Instead of criticizing her for that decision, maybe we should ask ourselves if she saw the handwriting on the wall in the falling ratings of season two. From the rumors we heard, both she and Ron Perlman were fighting to see the love-story progress—something we all apparently wanted, since we were collectively holding our breath for just one KISS.
We all fought with every means at our disposal to save the show when CBS threatened to cancel it and then put it on hiatus. Basically, what we were doing was demanding the show's return. Now, suddenly, all that fervor is splintered, and because some so-called leaders of fandom just LOVED third season, we are sitting here wringing our hands and projecting the attitude to the producers (more people with money and power) that they have the right to produce anything they like and we will accept it. Well, I don't buy a laundry detergent that I don't want, and I will not meekly accept the remnants of a show that someone has rewritten into oblivion.
[snipped]
All I ever wanted or asked of the show was that it remain true to the original premise. I ached to see the love Vincent and Catherine shared overcome all the obstacles and win for Vincent the right to acknowledge that he is, after all, a human being entitled to all that a human love can bring him. And NO, I DON'T feel that he can "find another love." Besides being a cop-out, that negates almost everything spoken and promised in the first two seasons. No fairy tale I ever read starts with "Once upon a time..." and ends up with "She died, but he lived happily ever after with someone else... ." So, I personally will continue to fight for the return of my fantasy—Vincent and Catherine together forever. I am very much afraid that if we let the producers make the proposed movie without any constructive input from us, then we may just see the story retooled one more time into something that is unrecognizable to any of us.
[Elizabeth H]:I just finished a letter of (criticism) to the editor of Pipeline for that rumors tirade found in the latest issue. For someone who doesn't like controversy, she sure does a good imitation. Isn't it enough that Ron P. had to tell us not to hurt each other?
[snipped]
Remarks like those, or remarks about how actresses look, accomplish nothing and just upset people. I'm pretty much beyond my third season anguish — total rejection works wonders! — but I'm tired of hearing other fans tell me that I didn't like the third season or Diana because a) I have a closed mind, b) I have a closed heart, or c) I obviously wasn't watching. Unfortunately, my heart was open and I did watch. I came away from that 2-hour movie wishing that Catherine had stepped off a curb and been hit by a bus rather than her screen fate. It would have been just as senseless but a thousand times less cruel to watch. (So don't even ask me to buy the video.)
I imagine everyone is excited about Ron's Creation appearance in November. I'm sure it will be a thrilling experience for many fans and unless my common sense gets the upper hand, I may find myself on a plane.
[Sherry K]:I have read a lot of letters in TT, and other publications, about how much people were, and still are, hurt by Catherine's death. I think we need to learn some lessons from Catherine. She was a victim once, but learned to fight back so she would never be a victim again. I think we as a fandom need to learn to fight back also. They wanted to hurt us with TLBL. I can't imagine that ANYONE would think that we would like TLBL CBS and Koslow & Co. had to know that most fans would HATE it. This was done on purpose, to hurt us. Why exactly anyone would want to hurt us, I do not know. I have felt, from the beginning of season three on, that CBS (or whoever) was out to hurt us as fans. I guess in a lot of ways they did, but I believe we can fight back, just like Catherine learned to. Maybe they wanted to divide fandom, to break our backs (or hearts), so to speak. But we don't have to remain victims; we, too, can fight back. I think the best way to do that is to stand together. For this to be possible, we have to come to terms with the fact that we aren't all going to agree, so agree to disagree. This fandom has great power as long as we stick together, but tolerance is a must for that to happen. As long as we hang together, I think we can have the things that we want— which for me is a movie with V & C. Catherine loved Vincent, even though she didn't always agree with him, or even like what he did. Vincent and Catherine showed love and courage — let us try to do the same.
Fandom is wonderful. There are so many talented artists and writers, who help keep the dream alive. I have found that B&TB fans, on the whole, possess the virtues the show tried to teach us. There is something about this program that reaches inside of each of us and brings forth the best of who we are. I personally am so thankful for all the friends I have made within the fandom community, even if I don't agree with them 100%.
Let us remember the lessons of love and courage this show has taught us.
[Sharon McC]:I read the zine review of Black Cover. I am very angry that such stuff is being written about B&TB. I know that Star Trek has some unusual literature, also, but I never heard of anything like Black Cover. People's sexual preferences are their own business, but perversion and filthy language (by perversion I mean whips and crazy stuff like that) DO NOT belong in B&TB. If I bought such a zine, I'd bum it; I wouldn't even WANT my money back.
As the reviewer said, Star Trek's unusual literature is not terrible stuff, and it is not forced on anyone — or so my Star Trek friends tell me. (Eds note: That is definitely true, Sharon.) I don't follow Star Trek, but I believe my friends. Anyway, if anyone plans to write more perverted stuff, maybe CBS will give you a series — maybe Jeff Sagansky can get ratings that way.
[Patty M]:Here we are again rehashing Catherine vs. Diana again. They are two different women. Yes, Catherine was his first love — his true love — but his only love? How unfair of us all — condemning Vincent to lead a life of loneliness and solitude. The memory of Catherine alone will not warm his bed at night (Now there's a thought) and are we condemning Baby Jacob (to) a life without a mother? I don't think this is keeping a/the dream alive!
[snipped]
Final comments on the third-season disaster: I cannot understand how so many so called "fans" could come out and support Ron Perlman in his Broadway show, to show fan support after dashing and destroying the third season and the show — I'm so sorry the third season wasn't what you wanted, but you are not the writer and the creators. This man was giving a profound performance and a difficult one, and you all turned your backs on him. How could you now see him and cheer him on? Major inconsistency here. Search your hearts... my friends...
I will take the shows/movies return in any form given — I enjoy the acting and the writing and appreciate good work. I support B&TB no matter what. I am truly a fan — can you "44 no more fans" say the same?