His real name is Edward Muscare and he’s a registered sex offender.

On topix.net, the user “ABleedingCorpse” from Saint Louis, MO sheds a little more light:

He is a former KC tv host who did kid shows, interviews, and a late night horror show. He was well known in the late 70′s and early 80′s before disappearing for over a decade. He has returned to fame on YouTube posting video’s of his everyday life from painting and lip syncing songs.

In 1987 he was arrested for sexually beating a 14 year old boy. He spent 12 years in prision and was released in 1998 only to be charged for breaking his probation in 2007.

Curiously, “ABleedingCorpse” posts on SuperHeroHype forums with an avatar picture of Edward Muscare that looks to be a mugshot we haven’t seen.

Wikipedia lists a similar background on his page:

In the 1980s he used to present a children’s show on KNXV-TV called “Friday Night At The Frights” with the stage name “Edmus Scarey”. He had previously hosted shows for KNXV’s Scripps owned sister station KSHB-TV in Kansas City, namely 41 Treehouse Lane, and All Night Live. Stuart Powell, General Manager of KNXV in the eighties, coaxed Mr. Muscare out of retirement, however Muscare abruptly left the air under cloudy circumstances, which eventually became a front page story for the Phoenix based New Times weekly newspaper.

Edward Muscare in 1967. (link)

He’s listed on South Carolina’s sex offender registration under the name Edward Vianney for the charges involving the 14 year old boy:

Here’s his listing on the Florida sex offender registration for breaking parole:

A poster called “chimrichalds” on MetaFilter wrote to Ed, and this was his response:

This letter I wrote to TV stations in 2005 might explain…

__________________________

What can be done about the growing number of sex offenders?

Here’s one possible solution – a way for Law Enforcement to remove hundreds, possibly thousands of sex offenders from their watch-lists.

Grant amnesty to those offenders who have shown they are no longer a threat to society. It’s as simple as that.

Let’s face it; ninety-nine percent of all the males in this country have “sexually offended” someone – at one time or another. The majority of them just never got caught.

Of those that did get caught, most will never offend again. They realized their mistake and want no part of returning to prison. It is this group of non-threatening, one-time sex offenders that should be considered for release.

Amnesty. It makes sense.

Who would qualify?

The obvious answer is – first-time offenders who served their time in jail and completed their probation with good conduct – and have stayed out of trouble since. The chances of their re-offending are practically nil. And, in releasing them, thousands of man-hours could be saved and used to monitor those felons who need closer supervision.

I, myself, am a one-time sex offender. I was arrested almost 20 years ago for an offense committed while on vacation in Florida. Because of my arrest, I lost my car, my house, my job, my career.

I did not kidnap, rape or kill anyone.

I was caught engaging in consensual sex with a minor under 16. I pled ‘no contest’ to the charge of sexual battery and was sentenced to a 18 months in jail and 10 years probation.

Upon my release from jail in early 1988, I settled in Lake County and lived on my savings. I managed to survive with no income until 1994 when my Social Security checks started at age 62.

In 1997, just months before I was to finish my probation, and get on with my life, Megan’s Law went into effect. That law stated that all sex offenders currently in jail or on probation had to register with the County Sheriff every year for the rest of their lives and have their photographs posted on the internet as a sex offender.

I was devastated. That ki lled any chance I had of returning to my profession as an announcer on radio and television.

Ever since that law came out, I’ve worried that a friend or a neighbor or a church member would come across my photo on a sex offender web-site.

I’ve lived at the same address in Lake County for 6 years and have been a member of a local church since that time, For many years, I’ve visited area nursing homes every week to entertain the residents playing the piano. In other words, I’ve been a model citizen for the past 19 years.

But, guess what?

I recently received notification from Florida Law Enforcement stating that, henceforth, until further notice, I had to register in person twice a year (instead of once) with the County Sheriff, and I could not live near a school, library or day-care center.

These additional restrictions came about because of the kidnapping/murder of little Jessica Lundsford. This new law was passed to tighten the screws on Sex Offenders. Somehow, because I was jailed for a sex offense almost 20 years ago, I’ve become as dangerous as a rapist/murderer. That is ridiculous and it’s extremely unjust.

Recently, I was invited to become a board member of my church. I reluctantly declined. Reluctant because I knew there is always a chance that someone could discover my photo on a sex offender web-site, which, if made public, could damage the church’s reputation.

And, that is the point of this letter.

Why punish those of us who have paid for our crime and have proven ourselves harmless by years of good conduct? Why waste the State’s money, time and manpower on those of us who are not a threat to anyone?

Why not, instead, concentrate on those offenders who have shown they can’t be trusted? Maybe if the State of Florida had thought of this sensible solution a year ago, little Jessica Lundsford might be alive today.

Grant amnesty to those who deserve it. This will greatly increase time and manpower which can be then be used to govern those felons who have shown they are dangerous and cannot be trusted.

The list of sex offenders is growing daily across this nation. It’s bad…and it’s getting worse.

Something has to be done – and soon.

(signed)
Name withheld for obvious reasons
Lake County, FL

You can watch more of his videos at his YouTube channel.

A strange media circus is coming to an end with the death of UK celebrity Jade Goody, who succumbed to cervical cancer at the age of 27 on March 22. Goody became famous after her appearance on the reality TV show ‘Big Brother’ in 2002, earning ridicule for her seeming lack of intelligence after making comments not unlike those made by American celebrity Jessica Simpson. Goody complained of being made into an “escape goat,” and though she had spent her entire life in England, she thought that Cambridge was located in London.

She capitalized off her fame, penning an autobiography and a weekly column for Now magazine. She launched her own perfume, which went on to become one of the biggest celebrity fragrances sold by the chain Superdrug (only Kylie Minogue’s and Victoria Beckham’s sold more), until it was abruptly pulled from shelves following allegations of racism leveled at Goody.

In 2007, she appeared on ‘Celebrity Big Brother’, where she further angered the public by hurling racist remarks towards Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty, who was also competing on the program. (For all the gory details on the controversy, visit this page on Wikipedia.) Goody later admitted that her comments were racist and innappropriate and apologized to Shetty, who forgave her.

The two met up again in August 2008, when Shetty was hosting India’s version of ‘Big Brother’ (a show called ‘Big Boss’) and Goody was appearing as a contestant. But on the second day of filming, Goody found out on camera that she had cancer. She left the show and returned to the UK to begin treatment.

But in February of this year, she learned that the cancer was terminal – it had spread to her liver, bowel, and groin, and she was told she had only months to live. Upon finding out, she decided to live out the rest of her life in front of the cameras, now capitalizing on her own death. She sold exclusive interviews and photographs in a bid to make sure her sons (4 and 5 years old) will be financially secure, but the media exposure sought out by Goody and her controversial publicist Max Clifford disturbed many.

On February 22, she married her boyfriend Jack Tweed, a 21-year old model facing legal troubles stemming from an incident where he assaulted a teen with a golf club. Pending sentencing for the crime, Tweed was out on curfew, and just days before their wedding, the Ministry of Justice announced they were loosening his curfew to allow him to spend evenings with his dying wife.

The rights to the wedding were sold to OK!, reportedly netting her almost £700,000. The deal also covered the rights to what she called her last public appearance, which took place on March 7 as Goody and her sons were baptized at the hospital.

Between that appearance and her death two weeks later, the public was treated to daily updates from Clifford on her condition, as well as photographs and reports from the paparazzi camped outside her Essex home of the comings and goings of family and friends. A bizarre incident occured on March 9, when a disturbed woman wielding a hammer managed to gain access to Goody’s hospital room and stood over her bedside “muttering or praying.” She was arrested and later released without charge.

In a move generating public outrage, OK! magazine published a tribute issue (which boasted of having “her final words”) while Goody was still alive.

Many speculated it was a hoax when it first appeared online, and the fact that issue had the unfortunate coincidence of being their 666th issue didn’t help matters. While OK! claimed that Goody’s family supported the tribute, other reports said Goody’s mother was “not happy” with it. She was even photographed reading the issue outside Goody’s home.

As a testament to their friendship, Goody had invited Shetty to her wedding, but she was unable to attend due to filming commitments. Shortly before Goody’s death, Shetty flew to London hoping to see her one last time, but was unable to as Goody was heavily sedated.

Goody died in the early morning hours of Mother’s Day in the UK, and tributes began pouring in from every level of celebrity.

Via the BBC:

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was “deeply saddened” by the news and described Goody as “a courageous woman both in life and death.”

Writing on Twitter, Stephen Fry called her “a kind of Princess D from the wrong side of the tracks” and made this keen observation:

Jade lived life under a magnifying glass. Magnifying glasses magnify (obviously), but they distort and they burn.

Russel Brand wrote a tribute to her on his blog, noting that he was around the same age Goody’s oldest son is when his own mother was diagnosed with cancer – she, however, survived. Even though their meeting occurred years before Goody’s diagnosis, Brand saw parallels between the two:

Most of all though I was impressed with how she formed an immediate and genuinely sweet bond with my Mother, chuckling and chatting with the effortless intimacy that strong yet tender women frequently conjure and which has umbrellad me from anxiety throughout my life.

Preparations are underway for Goody’s funeral, which is set to take place on April 4th and is predicted to receive the same level of attention as Princess Diana’s did. (One article even described her body as presently “lying in state.”) It will be open to the public (with giant TV screens broadcasting what is going on inside the church to those outside), and Goody’s mother is having her teeth fixed in preparation. Thousands are expected to pay their respects.

Tweed’s sentencing was originally scheduled to take place on Thursday of this week, sparking fears he would be unable to attend Goody’s funeral. But it was pushed back to April 16, ensuring his presence.

Despite Goody’s mother’s request for privacy to grieve, the invasive media coverage continues (partially at the hands of her family, who are still reaching out to them). Three days after her death, her husband was photographed picking her sons up from school. We’re even being treated to details of the contents of her coffin (for the record, she’ll be wearing her wedding dress, and accompanied by these photos of her and her sons). Her mother viewed the body and told the Mirror that Goody “looks like Sleeping Beauty.”

A book chroniciling her final months titled ‘Forever In My Heart’ is set to be released later this year, and there’s talk of a biographical film. But as for her final legacy, it seems to be a toss-up between the awareness her illness raised amongst young women in the UK, or the very modern way in which she died.

In an op-ed published on WalesOnline, Darren Devine explores the parallels between Princess Diana’s death and Goody’s death, proposing that the appetite for what he calls “unrestrainted public mourning” comes in waves, and that Goody is simply benefiting from such a time. TimesOnline has a piece up looking at the economics of Goody – why she was able to make the amount of money she did, and what it means.

(Related: Telegraph claims Goody’s wedding saved her sons a £1 million inheritance tax bill.)

Informercial pitchman Vince Offer (real name: Offer Shlomi – his father is Israeli), the face of ShamWow and Slap Chop, was arrested last month for allegedly assaulting a prostitute.

Via The Smoking Gun:

Shlomi told cops he paid Harris about $1000 in cash after she “propositioned him for straight sex.” Shlomi said that when he kissed Harris, she suddenly “bit his tongue and would not let go.” Shlomi then punched Harris several times until she released his tongue. [...] During the 4 AM fight, Harris sustained facial fractures and lacerations all over her face. [...] After freeing his tongue, a bleeding Shlomi ran to the lobby, where security summoned cops. Harris refused to cooperate with officers, who recovered $930 from her purse.

And the requisite mug shot:

Though both were arrested, prosectors have decided not to file criminal charges against either of them. Harris says she is considering a lawsuit. Given that Shlomi has proven himself to be rather litigious in the past, it’s possible he is considering one as well.

Shlomi is an interesting character. He was born in Israel in 1964, and while I can’t find much more about his early years, we do know that he is not just a pitchman – he and friend Chris Watson started out selling vegetable choppers in malls and swap meets across the U.S. to fund the production of their film ‘The Underground Comedy Movie.’

While he was selling those vegetable choppers, Shlomi was also dabbling in Scientology. He joined the church in 1982, and according to the website The Truth About Scientology, Shlomi completed 10 courses over the course of a decade, from 1986 to 1996. (Two additional courses are listed here, under his stage name.)

In 1999, ‘The Underground Comedy Movie’ was released. Shlomi co-wrote the film, as well as directed it and starred in many of the roles. Unfortunately, it was universally panned by critics. FilmCritic.com rated it 1.5/5 stars and described it as “crass, disgusting, and vile,” while EW gave it an F and offered up one of the best descriptions of Shlomi’s looks:

Vince Offer looks like one of those L.A. jerks who thinks that he’s in show business because he shows up at auditions.

According to BoxOfficeMojo, it made only $856 in one theater over the course of 3 days.

Shlomi later filed a lawsuit against the Farrelly brothers, alleging that they’d seen a promotional copy of the film in 1997 and had stolen his ideas and used them in their film ‘There’s Something About Mary.’ In fact, at the end of ‘The Underground Comedy Movie’ on DVD, there’s even a special note directed at the brothers:

via Informercial Hell

But in the end, a judge dismissed the case and ordered Shlomi to pay over $66,000 in attorney fees to Twentieth Century Fox.

Shlomi was “ruined financially” within a few years of the film’s release, and went back to selling vegetable choppers. He took time out to file a $4 million breach of contract lawsuit against Anna Nicole Smith in 2000, alleging that she had agreed to be in the film but had later backed out, claiming it would hurt her career. (Smith said she dropped out due to a breast implant-related infection.)

By 2002, he had earned enough money from his vegetable choppers to market the film. The medium he chose? Informercials. (He says he was inspired upon seeing a ‘Girls Gone Wild’ commercial one night.) ‘The Underground Comedy Movie’ was the first film ever marketed using informercials, and despite the bad reviews, it went on to sell around 100,000 copies.

Shlomi used the proceeds to file yet another lawsuit, this time against the Church of Scientology, claiming they’d orchestrated a “propaganda campaign” against him.

Via Religion News Blog:

He claims illegally selected shots of the movie were taken from a rough cut copy, placed in a report accompanied by scarring comments and distributed within the church. [...] then recruited dozens of his Scientology friends, associates and actors that worked on Underground Comedy to write false and malicious reports against him. If individuals refused to write these reports, they were threatened with condemnation and punishment that could be lethal to their career.

If you want a laugh, check out the press release Shlomi put out to announce the lawsuit. Chock full of ego and paranoia! He even refers to his “artistic expression” in the byline. By “artistic expression,” is this what he means?

vince offer in blackface, via Informercial Hell

In January of this year, Shlomi gave his first interview since achieving fame through his infomercials. In it, Shlomi insists he is still in the film business and does not want to be considered as a Billy Mays-type character. This admission gives new weight to Informercial Hell‘s final impression of him:

It seems to me that Vince Offer thought The Underground Comedy Movie would catapult him into legitimate stardom; when it failed to do so he blamed Anna Nicole Smith, the Farrelley brothers, and the Church of Scientology—overlooking the more obvious explanation that his movie never became a hit because it just plain sucked.

Time will only tell whether or not Vince will go the way of Ben Curtis and disappear from the airwaves, so sit back and enjoy this terrible clip from ‘The Underground Comedy Movie’:

UPDATE 3/31: Gawker has obtained a copy of Offer’s lawsuit against the Church of Scientology.