Betty Fraser: The 'Rack' is Stacked and Packed

Or, as Siskel & Ebert used to say, perhaps in reference to Betty "Spice Rack" Fraser's battery of keyhole tops and decollete blouses, the balcony is closed.

As happy as we were to be 'name-checked,' albeit indirectly, in her Sirius interview with Larry Flick yesterday (and we thought that the fact she was going to be interviewed at all was an indication that she would be sent packing that very night), we were quite dissatisfied with one aspect of the interview. Larry Flick never asked, and we never found out the answer to, the question we have been brooding on for ages: Does she crunch or does she munch? With her combination of stevedore and 'bar wench' (her words, ladies), we thought she would make a wonderful addition to the cast of The L Word, but, aLas, we wiLL never know.

Though she is gone, her influence will live on, as was evident last night. When, at the fixtures store and with the largest crowd possible (for purposes of maximum impact), Sam Talbot went all Sicilian on Marcel's ass (see? we told you he was Keyser Soze), the one thing that struck us and had us a-cackle was his use of the word "gnat" to describe Marcel.

Let's see, where had we heard that before? Oh yes, from Spice Rack herself during the TGIFriday's challenge in the fire station. Let's face it, whatever his virtues, Sammy the Sicilian isn't nearly clever enough to come up with "gnat." If we remember aright, during his last attempt at shit-stirring, trying to get fellow Sicilian Frankie the Bull to beat Marcel so badly his own mother wouldn't recognize him, the best ole Sammy could come up with was "kid," i.e., "if that kid was my room mate, etc." So next time you hear the word "gnat" being thrown at Marcel, remember the Spice Rack.