W.C. Fields once said, “Never work with animals or children.” Perhaps this is one reason why: Have you ever tried to negotiate a contract with a dog?
Little Jordan – of “LJ” as we like to call him – has gone missing. Or, at least he’s been missing from his spot on a Las Vegas TV station’s weather reports.
His master, TV weather guesser John Fredericks, knows where he is – in Fredericks’ home.
But why hasn’t he been on air?
Fredericks says LJ “was removed from the broadcast … pending resolution of contractual terms.”
Not exactly, according to a KVBC-TV spokeswoman, who says it was Fredericks choice to take the dog off the air, pending “contractual issues.”
(If LJ mysteriously reappears on air toward the end of this month, HR Blunders will be tempted to suggest that this is all a ratings stunt in advance of the May ratings sweeps, the most important ratings period of the year.)
LJ, an eight-month-old golden retriever, replaced Jordan, another dog who shared the airwaves with Fredericks for weather-casts for many years. Jordan passed away last summer.
So, just what does a puppy try to negotiate in his work contract? Some ideas:
• A personal groomer to do his “make-up” before each show.
• Performance incentives for when he gets the forecast right. One bark for rain, two barks for sunshine.
• Station must stock bottled toilet water in beverage machine.
