sk.cujo-第7部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e　real　hooker。　Vic　and　Roger　had　wanted　it　to　read　I　DON't　SCREW　AROUND；　but　they　hadn't　been　able　to　sell　the　Voit　people　on　that。　Pity；　Vic　was　fond　of　saying　over　drinks。　They　could　have　sold　a　lot　more　swimfins。
Then　there　was　Sharp。
The　Sharp　pany　of　Cleveland　had　stood　twelfth　in　the　Great　American　Bakestakes　when　old　man　Sharp　reluctantly　came　to　the　Ellison　Agency　in　New　York　after　more　than　twenty　years　with　a　hometown　ad　agency。　Sharp　had　been　bigger　than　Nabisco　before　World　War　II；　the　old　man　was　fond　of　pointing　out。　His　son　was　just　as　fond　of　pointing　out　that　World　War　II　had　ended　thirty　years　ago。
The　account　…　on　a　six…month　trial　basis　at　first　…　had　been　handed　over　to　Vic　Trenton　and　Roger　Breakstone。　At　the　end　of　the　trial　period；　Sharp　had　vaulted　from　twelfth　in　the　cookies…cakes…and…cereals　market　to　ninth。　A　year　later；　when　Vic　and　Roger　pulled　up　stakes　and　moved　to　Maine　to　open　up　their　own　business；　the　Sharp　pany　had　climbed　to　seventh。
Their　campaign　had　been　a　sweeping　one。　For　Sharp　Cookies；　Vic　and　Roger　had　developed　the　Cookie　Sharpshooter；　a　bumbling　Western　peace　officer　whose　six…guns　shot　cookies　instead　of　bullets；　courtesy　of　the　special…effects　people　…　Chocka　Chippers　in　some　spots；　Ginger　Snappies　in　others；　Oh　Those　Oatmeals　in　still　others。　The　spots　always　ended　with　the　Sharpshooter　standing　sadly　in　a　pile　of　cookies　with　his　guns　out。　'Well；
the　bad　guys　got　away；'　he'd　tell　millions　of　Americans　every　day　or　so；　'but　I　got　the　cookies。　Best　cookies　in　the　West。。。　or　anywhere　else；　I　reckon。'　The　Sharpshooter　bites　into　a　cookie。　His　expression　suggests　that　he　is　experiencing　the　gastronomic　equivalent　of　a　boy's　first　orgasm。　Fadeout。
For　the　prepared　cakes　…　sixteen　different　varieties　ranging　from　pound　to　crumb　to　cheese　…　there　was　what　Vic　called　the　George　and　Gracie　spot。　We　fade　in　on　George　and　Gracie　leaving　a　posh　dinner　party　where　the　buffet　table　groans　with　every　possible　delicacy。　We　dissolve　to　a　dingy　little　cold…water　flat；　starkly　lighted。　George　is　sitting　at　a　plain　kitchen　table　with　a　checked　tablecloth。　Gracie　takes　a　Sharp　Pound　Cake　（or　Cheese　Cake　or　Crumb　Cake）　from　the　freezer　of　their　old　refrigerator　and　sets　it　on　the　table。　They　are　both　still　in　their　evening　clothes。　They　smile　into　each　other's　eyes　with　warmth　and　love　and　understanding；　two　people　who　are　utterly　in　sync　with　each　other。　Fade　to　these　words；　on　black：　SOMETIMES　ALL　YOU　WANT　IS　A　SHARP　CAKE。　Not　a　word　spoken　in　the　entire　spot。That　one　had　won　a　Clio。　
As　had　the　Sharp　Cereal　Professor'；　hailed　in　the　trades　as　'the　most　responsible　advertisement　ever　produced　for　children's　programming。'　Vic　and　Roger　had　considered　it　their　crowning　achievement　。。。　but　now　it　was　the　Sharp　Cereal　Professor　who　had　e　back　to　haunt　them。
Played　by　a　character　actor　in　late　middle　age；　the　Sharp　Cereal　Professor　was　a　low…key　and　daringly　adult　advertisement　in　a　sea　of　animated　kiddie…vid　ads　selling　bubble　gum；　adventure　toys；　dolls；　action　figures　。。。　and　rival　cereals。
The　ad　faded　in　on　a　deserted　fourth…　or　fifth…grade　classroom；　a　scene　Saturday…morning　viewers　of　The　Bugs　Bunny/Roadrunner　Hour　and　The　Drac　Pack　could　readily　identify　with。　The　Sharp　Cereal　Professor　was　wearing　a　suit；　a　V…necked　sweater；　and　a　shirt　open　at　the　collar。　Both　in　looks　and　in　speech　he　was　mildly　authoritarian；　Vic　and　Roger　had　talked　to　some　forty　teachers　and　half　a　dozen　child　psychiatrists　and　had　discovered　that　this　was　the　sort　of　parental　role　model　that　the　majority　of　kids　feel　most　fortable　with；　and　the　sort　that　so　few　actually　have　in　their　homes。
The　Cereal　Professor　was　sitting　on　a　teacher's　desk；　hinting　at　some　informality　…　the　soul　of　a　real　pal　hidden　somewhere　beneath　that　gray…green　tweed；　the　young　viewer　might　assume　…　but　he　spoke　slowly　and　gravely。　He　did　not　mand。　He　did　not　talk　down。　He　did　not　wheedle。　He　did　not　cajole　or　extol。　He　spoke　to　the　millions　of　T…shirted；　cereal…slurping；　cartoon…watching　Saturday…morning　viewers　as　though　they　were　real　people。
'Good　morning；　children；'　the　Professor　said　quietly。　'This　is　a　mercial　for　cereal。　Listen　to　me　carefully；　please。　I　know　a　lot　about　cereals；　because　I'm　the　Sharp　Cereal　Professor。　Sharp　Cereals　…　Twinkles；　Cocoa　Bears；　Bran…　16；　and　Sharp　All…Grain　Blend　…　are　the　best…tasting　cereals　in　America。　And　they're　good　for　you。'　A　beat　of　silence；　and　then　the　Sharp　Cereal　Professor　grinned　。。。　and　when　he　grinned；　you　knew　there　was　the　soul　of　a　real　pal　in　there。　'Believe　me；　because　I　know。　Your　mom　knows；　I　just　thought　you'd　like　to　know　too。'
A　young　man　came　into　the　ad　at　that　point；　and　he　handed　the　Sharp　Cereal　Professor　a　bowl　of　Twinkles　or　Cocoa　Bears　or　whatever。　The　Sharp　Cereal　Professor　dug　in；　then　looked　straight　into　every　living　room　in　the　country　and　said。。　'Nope；　nothing　wrong　here。'
Old　man　Sharp　hadn't　cared　for　that　last　line；　or　the　idea　that　anything　could　be　wrong　with　one　of　his　cereals。　Eventually　Vic　and　Roger　had　worn　him　down；　but　not　with　rational　arguments。　Making　ads　was　not　a　rational　business。　You　often　did　what　felt　right；　but　that　didn't　mean　you　could　understand　why　it　felt　right。　Both　Vic　and　Roger　felt　that　the　Professor's　final　line　had　a　power　which　was　both　simple　and　enormous。　ing　from　the　Cereal　Professor；　it　was　the　final；　total　fort；　a　plete　security　blanket。　I'll　never　hurt　you；　it　implied。　In　a　world　where　parents　get　divorced；　where　older　kids　sometimes　beat　the　shit　out　of　you　for　no　rational　reason；　where　the　rival　Little　League　team　sometimes　racks　the　crap　out　of　your　pitching；　where　the　good　guys　don't　always　win　like　they　do　on　TV；　where　you　don't　always　get　invited　to　the　good　birthday　party；　in　a　world　where　so　much　goes　wrong；　there　will　always　be　Twinkles　and　Cocoa　Bears　and　All…Grain　Blend；　and　they'll　always　taste　good。　'Nope；　nothing　wrong　here。'
With　a　little　help　from　Sharp's　son　（later　on；　Roger　said；　you　would　have　believed　the　kid　thought　the　ad　up　and　wrote　it　himself）；　the　Cereal　Professor　concept　was　approved　and　saturated　Saturday…morning　TV；　plus　such　weekly　syndicated　programs　as　Star　Blazers；　U。S。　of　Archie；　Hogan's　Heroes；　and　Gilligan's　Island。　Sharp　Cereals　surged　even　more　powerfully　than　the　rest　of　the　Sharp　line；　and　the　Cereal　Professor　became　an　American　institution。　His　tag　line；　'Nope；　nothing　wrong　here；'　became　one　of　those　national　catch　phrases；　meaning　roughly　the　same　thing　as　'Stay　cool'　and　'No　sweat'。
When　Vic　and　Roger　decided　to　go　their　own　way；　they　had　observed　strict　protocol　and　had　not　gone　to　any　of　their　previous　clients　until　their　connections　with　the　Ellison　Agency　were　formally　…　and　amicably　…　severed。　Their　first　six　months　in　Portland　had　been　a　scary；　pressure…cooker　time　for　all　of　them。　Vic　and　Donna's　boy；　Tad；　was　only　a　year　old。　Donna；　who　missed　New　York　badly；　was　by　turns　sullen；　petulant；　and　just　plain　scared。　Roger　had　an　old　ulcer　…　a　battle　scar　from　his　years　in　the　Big　Apple　advertising　wars　…and　when　he　and　Althea　lost　the　baby　the　ulcer　had　flared　up　again；　turning　him　into　a　closet　Gelusil　chugger。　Althea　bounced　back　as　well　as　possible　under　the　circumstances；　Vic　thought；　it　was　Donna　who　pointed　out　to　him　that　placid　Althea's　single　weak　drink　before　dinner　had　turned　into　two　before　and　three　after。　The　two　couples　had　vacationed　in　Maine；　separately　and　together；　but　neither　Vic　nor　Roger　had　realized　how　many　doors　are　initially　closed　to　folks　who　have　moved　in；　as　Mainers　say；　from　'outta　state'。
They　would　indeed　have　gone　under；　as　Roger　pointed　out；　if　Sharp　hadn't　decided　to　stay　with　them。　And　at　the　pany's　Cleveland　headquarters；　positions　had　done　an　ironic　flip…flop。　Now　it　was　the　old　man　who　wanted　to　stick　with　Vic　and　Roger　and　it　was　the　kid　（by　this　time　forty　years　old）　who　wanted　to　jettison　them；　arguing　with　some　logic　that　it　would　be　madness　to　hand　their　account　over　to　a　two…bit　ad　agency　six　hundred　miles　north　of　the　New　York　pulsebeat。　The　fact　that　Ad　Worx　was　affiliated　with　a　New　York　market…analysis　firm　cut　zero　ice　with　the　kid；　as　it　had　cut　zero　ice　with　the　other　firms　for　which　they　had　put　together　campaigns　in　the　pa