Keepin’ it real

Modern times demand modern attitudes, so we are now keeping it real, heeding the admonition of the same name.

Reality TV shows us rich people mingling with hoi polloi, irascible chefs humiliating novice cooks, people who can’t sing singing, and people choosing life partners from an assorted cast of casting-couch castoffs.

Fast food joints now post calorie and ingredient information about the arterial sludge they sling.

For a while, products proudly displayed a “real” logo if the cheese they used was in fact real cheese cheese and not fake cheese made from who knows what.

I think this all started with Bruce Boxleitner.

“Who, now?” I hear you asking.

You know, Bruce BOXleitner. He was in tv shows such as

“How the West Was Won '', ''Bring 'Em Back Alive'', ''Scarecrow and Mrs. King’’, and ''Babylon 5.''

He has appeared in made-for-TV movies, done voiceovers for science-fiction cartoons, written several science-fiction novels that were set in the Old West (?!) and is even a member of the Board of Governors of the National Space Society, a “nonprofit, educational space advocacy organization founded by Dr. Wernher von Braun.”

And heaven knows, space needs its advocates.

Anyhow, Boxleitner, married since 1995 to Melissa “1/2 Pint” Gilbert, was the first actor I can remember to forego having a stage name and using his own unwieldy moniker for professional purposes. Before he took this bold stance, Hollywood would have forced him to take the name “Bryce Boxx” or something similarly fakey.

There was a day in show biz when Tula Finklea changed her name and rocketed to mid-level success as "Cyd Charisse," when Vera Jayne Palmer became "Jayne Mansfield," Maurice Micklewhite, "Michael Caine" and Aaron Chwatt, "Red Buttons."

Those days were numbered, and we ran out of numbers, so now the woman who might have been "Karen Chesterfield" reads the news on CNN under her real name, Kiran Chetry, and I guess we’ll have to get used to seeing Scarlett Johansson and Keanu Reeves in more movies instead of "Jo Scarlet" and "Reef Keene," which is what Tinseltown might have done to their names.

I just have this terrific urge to change my name to Chwatt. Aaron Chwatt.