Little Fury

In case you were ever wondering what happened to Ian Ziering, I saw him sitting in the corner last night in the green room at the taping of American Gladiators, the Next Generation. His foot was all bandaged up like a cotton ball, propped on a scooter for extra elevation.

I didn't tell him that he was always my least favorite of the hunky Beverly Hills 90210 boys (Steve was the one who got Brandon to try coke in the bathroom). But I did offer my condolences for his injury and brought down his washed-up ego by having no apparent knowledge of his Dancing with the Stars stint. Sorry, Ian Ziering.

Yes, even though I do not have the connections necessary to find a job right off the bat in this town, I can secure backstage Gladiators passes when need be. Growing up with two older brothers, I used to watch that show religiously, mostly in preparation for how to defend myself when they took it upon themselves to dog pile me at the end of each episode. So I jumped at the chance when an invitation was extended to watch the show being taped.

From what I could see, the new American Gladiators is revamped to excess for the 21st Century, with a multimillion dollar set that stretches out on top of a 20-foot deep pool. But, most importantly, Hulk Hogan (also a recurring character in my childhood) is hosting the show, and you could not ask for a more charismatic muscle man.

The Gladiators, on the other hand, seem more revved up than the stars of the first generation. One Gladiator in particular looked like he busted out of the womb popping steroids and listening to Motorhead. To me, though, they just look like juiced up circus freaks. It was pretty awesome.