John Ratzenberger Donates $1 Million To Bring Shop Classes To Schools
Actor John Ratzenberger is donating one million dollars from his foundation to bring back “shop” classes into schools to teach students how to work with their hands and learn a trade. The initiative is designed to help young people learn to be self-reliant and self-sufficient. Ratzenberger stated that, “tradespeople should be given the same amount of respect as doctors or scholars.” He promotes the German model: “Whether you take shop classes or go into academics, you’re given the same amount of dignity and respect. Whether you’re a brain surgeon or a plumber doesn’t make any difference. And that’s crucial,” said Ratzenberger. Mr. Ratzenberger said that it is important for people to learn a skill “that nobody can take away from you.” This empowers a person to earn a living anywhere on the planet. The actor’s non-profit organization, Foundation For America, believes that economic freedom and innovation is possible by investing in America’s people by providing educational resources. The Foundation for America is dedicated to educating the public and policymakers on the growing decline of skilled labor in the United States. Ratzenberger also informs the public about the crisis of American manufacturing’s lack of skilled workers to replace retiring baby boomers through the Center for America, also a nonprofit organization that brings people face-to-face with issues that affect the future quality of life, economic prosperity and freedom in...
‘The Santa Con’ Star Is a Favorite of Sitcoms & Pixar
On Bustle online, Kayla Hawkins asks: What Is John Ratzenberger From? She says: …if you’re wondering what roles John Ratzenberger has played, the answer is: all of them. Or at least, more than you’d think. In the time he doesn’t spend acting, Ratzenberger stumps for more goods and services to be made in the USA. His reality show, Made in America, covered his journey around the country to profile different American manufacturers. And on his website, Ratzenberger sells gift baskets made up of household goods that are produced on American soil. So enjoy The Santa Con and look forward to whatever animated character Ratzenberger will undoubtedly be adding to the cast of Inside Out. Click here to read the full article by Kayla Hawkins...
USA Today: Made in America Gift Boxes
Ask an Expert: Turning a hobby into business Published on USA Today, December 8, 2014, by Steve Strauss. Today’s tip: One of the best advocates out there for American made products and manufacturing is actor John Ratzenberger, who not only of course played Cliff on Cheers, but is the only actor to be in every Pixar film (he’s shooting Toy Story 4 right now.) This year, John has teamed up with the Made in America Store to offer some great holiday gift boxes as a “way to bring attention to this critical issue of putting our country back to work, keeping manufacturing alive and buying domestic made merchandise.” You can support this great cause, and buy some quality made in American-made products, by going here. Steve Strauss, @Steve Strauss on Twitter, is a lawyer specializing in small business and entrepreneurship. E-mail Steve at: [email protected]. His website...
Cheers Vet John Ratzenberger to Play Ball With CBS’ The McCarthys
John Ratzenberger is saying “Cheers” to The McCarthys. The TV vet has landed a potentially recurring role on CBS’ freshman sitcom, TVLine has learned exclusively. The McCarthys centers on openly gay (and athletically challenged) Ronny, who is hired as the assistant to his father, a high-school basketball coach. Ratzenberger will play Charlie Ellis, the school’s athletics director. In addition to playing Cliff Clavin on Cheers from 1982 to 1993, Ratzenberger has also landed recurring roles on 8 Simple Rules, Legit and Drop Dead Diva. The McCarthys premieres Thursday, Oct. 30, at 9:30/8:30c on...
The Making of Radio Shack’s “The Phone Call”
It was a blast to see all those famous folks from the 1980s—we’re talking everyone from Mary Lou Retton to Erik Estrada—burst into a Radio Shack store and clear the shelves in the Super Bowl spot “The Phone Call.” But the :30 created by Austin-based GSD&M and directed by Frank Todaro of bicoastal Moxie Pictures offered much more than a trip down memory lane. It was a self-effacing admission by the struggling electronics retailer that it needs to get with the times, and Super Bowl viewers and ad critics appreciated the humor and the honesty. “The concept was the most appealing thing about it,” said Todaro when asked why he chose to direct this spot (he also helmed this year’s Hyundai Super Bowl ad “Dad’s Sixth Sense”), noting, “It wasn’t that it was going to be some spectacular bit of cinema. It was just that it was really funny and incredibly smart and self aware.” The agency had fun coming up with a list of ’80s stars and references to fill the spot, according to GSD&M executive creative director Jay Russell, who recounted, “There were seven or eight people that sat in a room and had this wall of photographs that looked like it was from a scene out of A Beautiful Mind.” Read the full article titled Top Spot: Todaro, GSD&M Storm A Radio Shack With Icons From The 1980s In “The Phone Call” by Christine Champagne...