Review

That's Florida, baby!

From superstars to men from Mars, this wacky state's got it all.

By GINA VIVINETTO

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 23, 2000

POP CULTURE FLORIDA By James P. Goss Pineapple Press $9.95

Think about Florida in regard to popular culture and the usual suspects come to mind: serial killers Ted Bundy and Aileen Wuornos. Versace murderer Andrew Cunanan.

The hipper -- and less macabre -- among us may recall Beat writer Jack Kerouac's final days watching the Beverly Hillbillies in St. Petersburg. Tennessee Williams -- he made Key West his favorite haunt, right? Novelist Harry Crews still lives in Gainesville. Dave Barry in Miami.

Ah, but there's more to the Sunshine State than serial killers and nutty writers. At least that's James P. Goss's stance with the delightful Pop Culture Florida, a slim but informative collection of anecdotes about famous folks in Florida.

Goss says it's the state's subtropical climate that makes it a "playground" for the rich and famous. What else but palm trees and sandy beaches lured John Lennon and Yoko Ono to the El Salano, a Palm Beach mansion the couple rented on vacation in 1979. Ono loved the cozy, nine-bedroom, seven-bathroom home so much that she persuaded Lennon to buy it. Ono even had the house and grounds photographed so her New York psychic could scan the Polaroids to ascertain El Salano's "vibes." (Lennon was shot to death before the sale was final.)

Sure, sure Pop Culture Florida offers all the usual stories about Jimmy Buffett, Tom Petty and other noteworthy Floridians. You get the dirt on the Doors' Jim Morrison attending St. Petersburg Junior College.

But Goss also includes lesser known items of sunshine lore such as the proposal of one South Florida radio station to have part-time Coconut Grove resident Madonna run for mayor of Miami.

Goss does an admirable job representing sports figures (Shaquille O' Neal, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer), politicians (Bob Martinez, all those naughty Kennedys in Palm Beach) and entertainers (Sylvester Stallone, Burt Reynolds, supermodel Niki Taylor).

Goss sticks with stories from the last half of the past century from 1945 to the present. Unfortunately, Goss leaves out some more recent Florida phenomena. For instance, there's no mention of famous Fort Lauderdale export Marilyn Manson. (Then again, is that such a bad thing?) Still, the late Hollywood actor River Phoenix's entire family, including actors Joaquin and Rain, is a well-known Gainesville commodity. What about Orlando, the teen pop breeding ground responsible for spawning both Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync?

Goss also notes wacky Florida pastimes, including everything from alligator wrestling to Bike Week, the annual motorcycle fest in Daytona. Bingo, UFO sightings, the National Enquirer headquarters in Lantana. We've got it all.

Want to know the history of Old Sparky, Florida's notoriously busy electric chair? It's in here. Need to brush up on the origins of Walt Disney World? Pages 110-111.

And, really, what other state can pull off such a dichotomous book? Wyoming? Nevada? Eat our dust, baby.

That's the aim of Pop Culture Florida, to make us Floridians stop and take note of our wacky home, with all its tropical beaches, pink sunsets, serial killers and southern rock.

-- Gina Vivinetto is the Times pop music critic.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.