Kardashian matriarch / TUE 5-1-12 / Child prodigy of Heroes / It's stolen in Austin Powers movie / Pompom on skullcap

Constructor: Zoe Wheeler and Aimee Lucido

Relative difficulty: Easy

THEME: ADDIE — familiar two-word phrases have -IE added to the end of the first word, creating wacky answers, clued "?"-style

Word of the Day: KRIS Jenner (21A: Kardashian matriarch) —

Kristen Mary "Kris" Jenner (née Houghton; formerly Kardashian; born November 5, 1955) is an American television personality, socialite and businesswoman. She also is the manager for all of her family members, including Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian and Khloé Kardashian. She is the current wife of 1976 Summer Olympic Games Decathlon gold medalist Bruce Jenner and was married previously to lawyer Robert Kardashian; they divorced in 1990. (wikipedia)

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KRIS Jenner used to be married to Robert Kardashian. Robert Kardashian was a friend of O.J. SIMPSON. Just a few minutes before I did this Aimee Lucido puzzle, I did a different Aimee Lucido puzzle that had O.J. SIMPSON as an answer. So she's clearly celebrity-obsessed and needs help. Help her. Please. Somebody.

Kidding. I liked this puzzle. The only thing I didn't like was that it felt like it was trying maybe a little Too hard (TTH!) to be current by being hyper-pop-cultural. MICAH (1A: Child prodigy of "Heroes") and KRIS probably shouldn't be in the same puzzle, let alone that close to each other, because the former is already showing its non-staying power (I watched two seasons of "Heroes" and *I* couldn't remember his name), and the latter ... is famous for nothing. For being famous, I guess. Anyway, the point is, these two answers aren't just pop culture (which I love); they're the slightest, thinnest, weakest stuff that pop culture has to offer. At least the PARIS clue went in a non-Hilton direction (37D: "Midnight in ___" (2011 Woody Allen film). TREY Parker's also pop-culturey, but at least he has (co-)created something iconic, something of lasting cultural importance (64A: "South Park" writer Parker). Two things, if you count "The Book of Mormon." Three things, if you count "BASEketball."


Theme answers:

• 17A: Package full of syringes? (JUNKIE MAIL) 
• 23A: Thesis topic for sex ed? (QUICKIE STUDY) — Love this one. Actually, both these first two theme answers are pleasingly edgy.
• 36A: Cameras taking pictures of permanent markers? (SHARPIE SHOOTERS) — I like the word SHARPIE when used to describe a "shrewd, cunning person, esp. a cheat"

• 46A: Pompom on a skullcap? (BEANIE SPROUT) — I don't really get the "sprout" part here. Because the pompom ... sprouts? ... from the top of the beanie?
• 57A: Police investigation of a betting house? (BOOKIE CASE)

Puzzle really does have a nice, contemporary feel, even if it is a bit celeb-obsessed (celebsessed). I know there hasn't been a new Austin Powers movie in a while, but MOJO still feels reasonably current (1D: It's stolen in an Austin Powers movie), as does the ubiquitous AÇAI berry (30A: Berry for the health-conscious). PARIS gets the recent Woody Allen movie treatment. Even OREO gets an ultra-current clue (56A: Cookie celebrating its centennial in 2012). Plus, my daughter's name is in the puzzle, so it's a good day all around (yes, we named our daughter TSAR—don't judge). I'll leave you to contemplate the RING-wearing PROBE that's covered with LUBE. Good day.

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld

Odysseus savior / WED 4-4-12 / Irish equivalent of Edward / Furbys yo-yos once / Romance/thriller novelist Hoag / 1982 sci-fi film with 2010 sequel

Constructor: Zoe Wheeler

Relative difficulty: Medium-Challenging

THEME: Z sounds — phrases with "Z" sounds in them have "Z"-containing words changed to homophones, creating wacky phrases, which are clued "?"-style

Word of the Day: John BONHAM (11D: John of Led Zeppelin) —

John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock music by many drummers, other musicians, and commentators in the industry. Over 30 years after his death, Bonham continues to garner awards and praise, including a Rolling Stone readers' pick in 2011 placing him in first place of the magazine's "best drummers of all time". (wikipedia)

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Couldn't find the handle on this one at all. Just floundered. Everywhere. [Frankenstein's monster had one on his forehead]? BOLT? No? Uh, OK, then ... I don't know. [Lumps] are BLOBS? No ... uh ... [Irish equivalent of Edward]? $^%& if I know. EAMONN? With two Ns? Alrighty. Flashing sign in a TV studio is ON AIR ... oh, guess not. So ... no idea. Many crosses later ... still no idea. Furbys and yo-yos were ... FADS ... or ... don't know. [Crop circle, some believe] is a SIGN? Of? ... pfft, don't know. Baseball Hall-of-Famer who ... damn it, that info is not revealing At All. Three letters, so probably OTT, but: not helpful. Moving on. BLUSH is a "bit" of makeup? "Bit???" That makes no sense. "Que sera sera" means "whatever will be will be," but ... not here. [Quick smells] are SNIFFS, right? Yes, yes, yes, yes ... no? Ugh. OK, [Less than social sorts]. Gotta be NERDS. No? GEEKS? Dang. I mean, the whole puzzle was like this. Theme was pretty loose (not in a bad way, just ... no vowel progression, no respelling consistency, etc.), so I didn't really get it for a while.

Only two real complaints about this puzzle. First, STAR. It's in here twice. And in intersecting answers, for *$&%'s sake. That's a Back-to-the-Drawing-Board problem. Stop. Refill the grid. Set standards to "Higher"! Second ... well, here, it's complicated. The most daring (yay) theme answer is also the one that makes me cringe a tiny bit. Not a big fan of "gays" as a noun. "He's a GAY!" Yuck. I have heard gay-friendly folks use it that way, but usually only ironically, i.e. semi-making fun of the way gay-uncomfortable or gay-unfriendly people talk. "He's a black." No. No. "The blacks are riled up about Trayvon." Yes, someone might say that, but not someone who likes "blacks" too much. So STAR GAYS, while undoubtedly well meaning and undeniably clever, just missed the mark with me, sensibility-wise. Also, by far the hardest theme answer to get. I couldn't accept it—mostly because of the STAR repeat, though, to be honest. That's certainly the worse offense. Also ... I mean really, is Ricky Martin a "STAR" any more?



That "A" in GAYS was the last letter I got (WIZARDRY! ... dear lord, that was hard) (39D: Spelling, e.g.?).

Theme answers:

• 18A: Acts the heckler at the Westminster dog show? (BOOS HOUNDS)
• 24A: Cheeses manufactured in the Mediterranean? (SEA BRIES)
• 37A: Entourages for Odysseus's faithful wife? (PENELOPE CREWS) — he only had one wife. You don't really need "faithful" here (though, yes, she is a paragon of fidelity)
• 53A: Ricky Martin and Neil Patrick Harris? (STAR GAYS)
• 59A: Expressions of regret from apartment building managers? (SUPER SIGHS)

Bullets:

• 65A: Romance/thriller novelist Hoag (TAMI) — useful to know for both her first and her last names. 
• 6D: Odysseus' savior (INO) — always forget her name. INU. Shiba INU? I think that's a dog.
• 68A: 1982 sci-fi film with a 2010 sequel ("TRON") — you can stop at "film." Got it. Nerdy old-skool props for getting "TRON" and "STAR WARS" into the same grid (though, again, "STAR Wars" probably shouldn't be here at all).

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld