Jackie’s faux pas gets the ‘Once Over Lightly’ treatment
For nearly 50 years, light-hearted Jackie Schulz wrote a weekly social column called “Talk of the Town” in the Forest Park Review, highlighting births, weddings, travels of locals, hospitalization notes and local treasures from around the neighborhood.
In April 1975, local publisher Bob Haeger stood up for Jackie’s work during a heated election season in his weekly “Once Over Lightly” column:
“Of all people, Jackie Schulz fell prey to the use of an old expression without updating it as to gender. Commenting on the upcoming village election, Jackie tossed that time-honored line of the fight ring announcer — ‘May the best man win.’
“So what’s the first call on our telephone message recorder Thursday morning? A comment, from a man yet, pointing out that Jackie had overlooked the presence of a “girl” (his language) in the village race for commissioner and thus her ‘best man’ reference is discriminatory.
“He’s right, of course, and Jackie ought to know better. Even I know what we saw the kids doing after Wednesday’s blizzard. They were building snow persons.”
Jill Wagner