Michael Gross, National Lampoon alum, artist, and designer, has died of cancer at the age of 70. Gross expressed his desire for a reunion. He celebrated his birthday on January 8, however this year, like many since August 1977, would have seen his family . Michael J. Michael Jackson is alive! Main Menu. [11] He is also the spokesman for the World's Greatest Hobby campaign sponsored by the Model Railroad Industry Association that promotes the hobby of model railroading. By all accounts, the 88-year-old is still alive and was living in Philadelphia when she agreed to an interview with the Philadelphia Daily News in 2010. ', Related X-Men: First Class Actor Kevin Bacon Loves The Idea of Toddlers Marching For Black Lives Matter. DK. We got to stick with the original QAnon guys. And this idea, obviously, as ridiculous as it sounds, it catches on across Europe and inspires these pogroms where Jewish people are murdered in the thousands, at least, to the extent that one of the popes had to come out and say, just, everyone, stop believing in this. He is regarded to be one of the 20th century's most influential cultural icons. (read more) He has aired in four projects in 2019, two in 2020, and likely to appear in more in 2021 and after. I mean, we think about Ron DeSantis pushing this idea that every gay teacher is a groomer or that - or now we see Donald Trump revving up and sort of implying that DeSantis is a pedophile. So after Biden's inauguration, I think QAnon believers were really shocked. He's, like, Alex Jones' QAnon correspondent. . Why do you - what makes you say that? But, you know, it is funny they - if they believe in adrenochrome, they sort of play it into real world events. The 4chan people say - this is a bit weird even by our standards - and they kick it off. Gross was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Virginia Ruth, a telephone operator, and William Oscar Gross, a tool . Yes, prominent Jewish people in Hollywood. And so that was striking to me as how - and I see this over and over - is how this thing that I think the average person dismisses as just internet weirdness and a bunch of - maybe not that many sort of unhinged people really has managed to amass so much influence in American politics that it - that someone - you know, Supreme Court justice's wife is advising the president's chief of staff about it. And then that was really the start of it for him, as his son sort of withdrew from the world and became obsessed with QAnon. People dressed like him on Halloween. But it really is a huge thing there. And so in that way, both the book and then the movie starring Johnny Depp really popularized this idea of adrenochrome and this link with pedophiles. And so I've run into him repeatedly, and he'll say, well, you know, I'd actually love to talk with you about that; can we meet up in an hour? With a body hight of 2.13 meters and an incredible arm span of 2.27 meters, he seemed to have been perfectly made for his passion swimming. But increasingly, as they started to suspect that it was not really a high-ranking intelligence official, they started to distance themselves from Q. After the Cubs won the 2016 World Series, Gross suggested his character Burt Gummer switch to a Cubs cap for Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell, replacing the Atlanta Hawks cap he had worn in the first five films of the series. GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. And so suddenly, you know, there will be this moment where - you know, I kept in touch with a family who lost their adult son to QAnon over a year. He is notable for playing Steven Keaton on the sitcom Family Ties (198289) and survivalist Burt Gummer in the Tremors film franchise, being the only actor to appear in all the films, show and a canceled pilot. Im out of here.'. You just mentioned Guantanamo Bay. I mean, look, Biden does not look young. All rights reserved. Tremors has had a long life, and appears to have many years ahead, but Gross believes there are several reasons behind the franchise's longevity. But even within the movement, you have people who say, well, that group's looking - making us look silly; we're a serious operation here. And there are some obvious similarities here. With three New York Times bestsellers to his credit, Michael Gross is recognized as one of America's most provocative writers "a premier chronicler of the rich," in the words of Gay Talese. Michael Edward Gross (born June 21, 1947) is an American television, film, and stage actor. GROSS: Caitlin Dickerson is a staff writer at The Atlantic. I saw a woman wearing a JFK Jr. mask, and I said, you know, excuse me, what's the significance of this mask? He discussed what gives the eccentric survivalist staying power and what keeps the actor coming back for more. He was involved with a gang for a couple of years during high school before becoming a better student. So initially, Alex Jones and QAnon are best friends. What impression did you take away from this guy? In the case of the family I mentioned, they took their son to a psychologist, and they said, you know, he's really into QAnon. And this would go for $5,000, $10,000. 2, it draws on so many of the tropes and the plotlines, if you will, that he's been promoting for decades. But basically SOMMER: There is an internal logic to it because the idea is that the deep state, the people who are out to get Donald Trump, the cabal, assassinated John F. Kennedy, the president. So I had that sense of this really unsettled anger that QAnon had caused that ultimately did help end up driving the riot. And that's why in 2024, we'll just have to work extra hard to elect him. He's hanging out with them in their chatrooms. GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. Michael Gross is known for two things (and more to those who know his voice from Batman cartoons), being the dad on Family Ties and Burt Gummer in the unlikely, still going Tremors series. SOMMER: Sure. There's a moment when Q is on 8chan where the administrators appear to hijack the account. Why do they do all this bad stuff? It has committed crimes. And suddenly, QAnon splits from Alex Jones, and they become bitter enemies. This is a list of the highest-paid dead celebrities in the world as ranked by Forbes magazine since October 2001. Updated March 29, 2021. And that is taken as a criticism of Jerome Corsi and Alex Jones. And I got in there. He's the author of the new book "Trust The Plan: The Rise Of QAnon And The Conspiracy That Unhinged America." Michael Gross Death Fact Check. Michael J. Fox's age is 61 years old as of today's date 2nd March 2023 having been born on 9 June 1961. Sommer says he has an unusual passion for consuming huge amounts of right-wing media after having been raised in a conservative Texas family where road trips meant listening to Rush Limbaugh's talk radio show. In a film that sees the veteran survivalist tell another character that there's no winning against the monsters he fights, "just survival," Gross takes on a version of Burt that is looking backward (including potentially reuniting with old flame Jas (Caroline Langrishe). ucla sash 2021; flava fm hosts. Let's get back to my interview with Will Sommer, author of the new book "Trust The Plan: The Rise Of QAnon And The Conspiracy That Unhinged America." GROSS: You end your book by saying that QAnon isn't a one-time phenomenon. I wound up as the default center of these films because everybody else dropped away, said Gross. So two of the biggest conspiracy theorists in America were also two of the biggest promoters of QAnon and its conspiracy theories. But when that happened, they got really concerned. So nobody can chase him.". I always said, if Kevin Bacon or Fred or Reba or anybody [wanted to return], Id be there in a minute, he shared. However, it is not recommended that a "Family Ties" reunion be brought up to the actor as his answer to that question remains as: He made his money as a government . He was wearing a lot of QAnon paraphernalia. So I think this conspiratorial nature of QAnon has really gone mainstream in the GOP. So it is just a deluge of content, a lot of it pornographic. Gross talked about nothing but that and Burt with ComicBook.com recently. It's just the start of the all-consuming conspiracy theory movements to come. You know, JFK Jr. died in 1999 in a plane crash. It's just the start of the all-consuming conspiracy theory movements to come. And I think you're making the mistake of (laughter) trying to make sense of it. Pinterest. - he would say, well, I don't know what you're talking about, so a very slippery character. He's a politics reporter for The Daily Beast. And particularly in [Shrieker Island], I said, Its time for him to deal with a woman. Gross was first seen by a broad audience in his role as Steven Keaton in the 1980s sitcom Family Ties; he and his co-star Meredith Baxter, who played his wife Elyse Keaton, were born on the same day, June 21, 1947. We'll be right back. Since his release from prison on bond in 2011 and his official release in 2017, Peterson has returned to his passion for writing . I'm going to have to Google this QAnon thing. He even survived through . He sold a QAnon quilt for thousands of dollars. Paul Furber denies that he's Q. The anonymous figure Q had gone silent shortly before that and said, hey, everyone, stop identifying as QAnon believers. Can you explain what's going on there? And it's just - it's a lot to ask of people. Tremors: Shrieker Island is now available on DVD, Blu-ray, and digital. Michael Nesmith, who rocketed to fame as the contemplative, wool-cap-wearing member of the Monkees in 1966, then went on to a diverse career that included making . Michael C. Gross, an artist, illustrator, film producer and personal designer who created two of the most iconic pop culture images of the 20th century the enduring Ghostbusters logo and a dog . Arrow Video US Announces December 2020 Release Schedule by Sarah Jae Leiber - Dec 1, 2020. It wasnt like I thought, Oh, Ive got to be in charge. No, everybody else left!, I truly am a survivalist, in more ways than one. And ultimately, she would face charges for her role in the riot. Lin Wood, who was - briefly worked for the Trump campaign got up there, this lawyer, and he gave a speech that was this - this is in front of thousands of people. Yes, Katherine's total net worth is $120 million as of February 2023. MICHAEL Jackson is alive and well and preparing to make a massive comeback, according to a group of his friends and collaborators. So what is the blood libel, and how does it connect to the whole adrenochrome conspiracy? He looks a little shabby. He's been reporting on QAnon from its start, which has led him to become a target of the group. It was sort of a fringe person who other QAnon believers think is a kook. In a conversation with Mike Birbiglia's for his "Working It Out" podcast . And it's almost all Jewish people. And it goes from this thing where you really have to be just really devoted to to conspiracy theories to find this stuff online. He signed off on it, saying that he assumed the series was done after four, so who's to argue with seven? The trustees of George Michael 's estate have now agreed a financial settlement with Kenny Goss, after the art dealer had demanded payments of 15,000 a month. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. ELVIS SEEN AT GRACELAND ON HIS 85th BIRTHDAY! GROSS: So now there's a new development. SOMMER: Sure. Well, I look at the state of the right right now and the way that QAnon really thrived and the way that no one who could have stopped QAnon's growth bothered to do it. But, you know, it's very difficult. Michael Gross was born in 1947 in Chicago, Illinois, to Virginia Ruth (Cahill), a telephone operator, and William Oscar Gross, a tool designer. He lived long enough to make love with his new bride, Jane, the virgin mother. It's hard to understand. And if you're just joining us, my guest is Will Sommer. Others claim that Jackson really faked his own death, perhaps in order to escape the public scrutiny he had endured for his whole life. And so when you look at, you know, "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas" YouTube clips about adrenochrome, all up and down in the comments, it's QAnon people saying, you know, Q sent me here and things like that. Appearing in countless television classics, including Baywatch and Knight Rider, the actor was all anyone could talk about throughout the 90s. SOMMER: Right. I mean, so much of QAnon is about saying don't trust independent sources of truth - the media, the government, academia, scientists - because all of those people are lying, and they're conspiring to trick you. Investigators swiftly [] . He's still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet, " they said.