Wanted: A crazy family

A major network is trying to cast one "fabulous, outrageous, funny" Minnesota family for a Docu-Series.

Just how CRAZY does LA casting agent Charisse Simonian need this family to be?

"We want a core family that is the traditional family: 2.5 kids, white picket fence, the golden retriever, Cub Scouts, gymnastics meet, but who also have the family members who live close by who aren't so traditional," Simonian said. "Maybe the crazy holistic vegan sister-in-law. The gay brother who's adopting a child with his partner. Different off-shoots that aren't so nutty. Despite it all, they still get along, they are all still pretty close and see each other frequently [as in 'Everybody Loves Raymond']. It's important that they live fairly close to each other."

The show, slated for one of the good cable channels, is first casting its net in Minneapolis, Chicago and Los Angeles. "We're hoping for Minneapolis because it's a great town to shoot in and you have the nice Midwestern values," said Simonian, who's from Michigan but comes to Minnesota as a board member for "One Heartland," a nonprofit for kids with HIV-AIDS. (They're having a 12-hour "Dance Your Heart Out" event at the MOA next Saturday.)

I asked Simonian about Joy Behar's "Jersey Shore" whine-a-thon. The co-host of ABC's "The View," who also has an eponymous weeknight program on HLN, has complained vociferously that as an Italian-American she feels "Jersey Shore" has "set us back further than the mafia and Joey Buttafuoco. When you keep hitting a stereotype about a group, it makes it harder for young Italian-Americans to be taken seriously, as doctors, as judges." Behar said "Jersey Shore" can't be compared with "'The Sopranos' and 'Godfather'-- those are art. This is just a bunch of snookies" being dopes.

Oh, boo-hoo, most reality TV stars aren't exactly Myron Rolle. Just about EVERY VH1 show makes blacks look stupid and insipid: "The Surreal Life" with Flava Flav; "For the Love of Ray J"; "I Love New York." Because humiliation from VH1 isn't enough, we must self-flagellate on BET with mortifying shows such as "Frankie & Neffe" and "Tina & Toya." Tap into your inner black-Italian-American, Joy, and get back to me!

Simonian just laughed and said Minnesotans can shoot her family names, brief bios of family members, a family photo and contact information at charisse@iconiccasting.com.

The 15-minute story about kids playing soccer in a war zone recently racked up another award, winning Best International short film from the "Foyle Film Festival" in Northern Ireland.

"We've been short-listed. [This] qualifies us to submit to the Academy for next year's award," said Howell, the director and writer of the movie. The recognition from Foyle is the most prestigious because, "It's sanctioned by the Academy," said Howell, who he keeps a running tally of honors -- six so far -- that the movie has garnered at Anasplayground.com.

"They are screening it for Olympic athletes and using it as a recruitment tool for them to become ambassadors around the world for 'Right to Play' [an international organization]," Howell said. Minnesotans will have an opportunity to see the film when it's featured March 4 at Augsburg College's Nobel Peace Prize Forum.

Mark Rosen, the WCCO-TV sports anchor, film buff and friend of Howell's, said: "It's a very riveting look at how kids are drawn into a world they are not ready to be part of. I don't want to give it away, but it's this cat-and-mouse game over a soccer ball."

Possible Favre-Nordegren tie "Perhaps the Brett Favre/Elin [Nordegren] connection comes through Ryan Longwell (Vikings kicker, formerly with the Packers) who is a neighbor and friend of the Woodses in Florida," read an e-mail from a Jerry Vandrovec. Vandrovec might be right. A 2008 Strib story by Sid Hartman said Longwell and Tiger Woods are "friends and neighbors." Sports.yahoo.com also has an item about Longwell's wife, Sarah, according to the media guide, being hassled since media arrived after Woods' car accident and the ensuing sex scandal.

"Other sources say she is renting a home in the area; Favre's rep didn't respond for comment," the magazine reported.