SUZANNE STONE
in
"It's nice to live in a country where life, liberty...
and all the rest of it, still stand for something."
Name: Suzanne Stone (aka. Suzanne Maretto)
Occupation: On-Air Correspondent of the WWEN Weather Center in Little Hope, NY
Nickname: Gangbusters
On using her "Professional Name"...
"It's not like I have negative feelings about the name Maretto. Maretto was the name after all of my husband who I loved very, very much. It's also the name of his parents, Joe and Angela Maretto, and his lovely and talented sister Janice Maretto, who have been like a second family to me, and who I regard as I do my own family. Particularly since my recent tragedy... And who, just through knowing and being related to them, have given me what I think is a very precious and valuable insight into the different kind of ethnic relationships that are a part of the very things that I've been trying to explore as a member of the professional media."
On branding...
"The point is that, for instance, Connie Chung -- who is married I believe to Maury Povich, the well-known interviewer -- doesn't say, "Hello, this is Connie Povich with the news," now does she? And I don't think she would be embarrassed by it or anything like that because she's already pretty ethnic when you think about it... Or, to take another example, someone who doesn't appear to have an ethnic bone in their body... there's Jane Pauley. Who I strongly relate to because, you know, when you have... similar physical traits. Although I think we don't have to struggle with the weight problem like she does... And she also, to the best of my knowledge, has never identified herself audience-wise as Jane Trudeau, even though her husband, Mr. Trudeau, is a prominent cartoonist of some kind, and not as so many people believe, the ex-president of Canada. So what I'm saying is this... There are some people who never know who they are or who they want to be, until it's too late. And that is a real tragedy in my book. Because I always knew who I was and who I wanted to be. Always."
On being in the public eye...
"Of course if you're actively seeking a career in the professional ice skating field -- in the spotlight, so to speak -- I think you have to maximize your positive features. So what I'm saying is, a qualified plastic surgeon could snip away those little... beauty spots, or facial blemishes - whatever you want to call 'em - and you'd see how much better you feel about yourself! I believe that Mr. Gorbachev -- y'know, the man who ran Russia for so long? I believe that he would still be in power today if he'd done what so many people suggested and had that big purple thing taken off his forehead. I firmly believe that. Someday I hope to interview him and we would discuss that along with more pertinent, international things."
On balancing career and family...
"I love kids! I absolutely love them! But a woman in my field with a baby has two strikes against her. Say I'm in New York, right? And I'm called to go on some foreign assignment -- like a royal wedding or... a revolution in South America! You can't run from place to place with your crew following you and conduct SERIOUS interviews with a big fat stomach! Or say you've already had the baby and you've got this blubber, these boobs out to here... It's just so gross."
On media influence...
"You're not anybody in America unless you're on TV. On TV is where we learn about who we really are. Because what's the point of doing anything worthwhile if nobody's watching? And if people are watching? It makes you a better person."
"I believe that in our fast moving computer age it is the medium of television that joins together the global community. And it is the television journalist who serves as messenger. Bringing the world into our homes and our homes into the world. It has always been my dream to become such a messenger. I look to you gentlemen now to make that dream a reality."
On her personal influences...
"Barbara (Walters) does have many admirable qualities. Wide range of knowledge of current events, and a deep sympathy for people's inner feelings -- which is a trait so many people have of the Jewish persuasion."
"Everyone has to start somewhere! Do you know where Edward R. Murrow started? ... No. Well... Neither do I offhand. But I don't think it was at the top, do you?"
In the words of her friends and colleagues...
"Suzanne Maretto was a beautiful human being with real dreams and aspirations."
"She's like one of those porcelain dolls that mom collects. She is so pure and delicate and innocent, you just have to look at her and you want to take care of her for the rest of your life."
"I never really gave a rat's ass about the weather until I got to know Ms. Moretto. Now I take it very seriously. If it rains, or there's lightning or thunder, or if it snows... I have to jack off."
"Four letters. Begins with C... "
"Cold. C-O-L-D. Cold. "
