This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2005, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Add former child star and ex-"NYPD Blue" actor Rick Schroder to the list of celebrities who have converted to Mormonism. And now, thanks to shock jock Howard Stern, we know that Schroder has the temple garments to prove it.
Perhaps better known as little Ricky from "Silver Spoons" and "The Champ," Schroder joined the LDS Church several years ago under coaxing from his wife, Andrea, who is Mormon. The couple have four children and live in Scottsdale, Ariz.
With acting roles fewer and farther between, Schroder just wrote and directed his first film, "Black Cloud," about an American Indian boxer. It opened last month in New York, L.A., and a handful of other cities. His next directing project, according to the Los Angeles Times, will be a feature film, "The Principle Wife," about polygamous Mormons in the 1870s. The newspaper says Schroder has sought help from his fellow LDS Church members in financing the movie.
Last month Schroder found himself in the awkward position of discussing his religion on Stern's radio show. The actor-director offered earnest explanations of LDS doctrine and practices, but Stern - surprise! - kept dragging him into the gutter.
The radio host peppered Schroder with typically tasteful questions about polygamy, drinking and sex before fixating upon the temple garments, which he referred to repeatedly as "magic underwear."
"Do they come in G-string style?" Stern asked.
"No," replied Schroder, who tried patiently to explain the garments' role as a symbol of faith.
Stern persisted. "Is there such thing as a magic bra? Magic thong?"
Instead of deterring Stern, the conversation only seemed to pique his curiosity.
"I would like to wear some magic underwear," he said. "I want to convert. Send me some literature, will ya?"
Schroder didn't miss a beat. "I can send missionaries over to talk to you."
Can't we all just get along? Online surfers looking for info on the Utah Symphony & Opera might be surprised upon visiting http://www.utah symphony.com to find a posted message about the orchestra's "imminent" prospect of "financial collapse" along with newspaper articles about the US&O's fiscal troubles.
That's because the Web site utahsymphony.com is for the orchestra's musicians, who have been locked in a labor dispute with US&O management. The US&O's official site is http://www.utahsymphony.org.
Oops.
Although the feuding sides agreed on a new contract last month, the musicians' confusing site continues to post negative commentary while burying the US&O's Web site link in a hard-to-find spot.
At least the musicians acknowledge the online existence of the US&O.
Even on its "Related Sites" link, utahsymphony.org makes no mention of the musicians' site.
Slackers and stoners, unite! It was only a matter of time before the runaway success of those yellow rubber "Live Strong" bracelets spawned copycats.
Like the Live Strong bracelets, which benefit cyclist Lance Armstrong's foundation for cancer research, many of the colored bracelets purport to fight diseases such as AIDS (red) and muscular dystrophy (lime green). Others support such causes as Christianity, the Democratic party and the Chicago Cubs.
Then there are the inevitable satirical bracelets that don't benefit anyone but the entrepreneurs who made them. My personal favorite: The black ones that read, "Live Wrong."
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