A small group of english farmers, led by a celebrity chef, has made headlines around the world staging a picturesque protest against the term "couch potato", a term they claim slanders the reputation of the ordinary spud.

It took a celebrity chef to figure out that if Paris Hilton can make a splash with suds, he can do the same thing with spuds.

Paris Hilton doesn't look anything like a spud, but she doesn't need an IQ higher than the average spud to cause a world-wide sensation.

I predict "celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson" is about to become the next Wolfgang Puck.

Farming bid to get 'couch potatoes' scrapped
ITV.com, Mon Jun 20 2005

Extract:

"Celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson, who is backing the campaign, said: "Not only are they healthy, they are versatile, convenient and taste great too. Life without potato is like a sandwich without a filling."

http://www.itv.com/news/britain_100438.html

"And why the potato emblem for the couch lifestyle? Lumpy, heavy, and inert, the tuber lounges on its soft divan, training its many eyes on the television screen, for endless hours."

http://wordsmithradio.org/scripts/couchpotato.html

"As far as anyone can tell, the term was first used in July 1976 when Tom Iacino, one of a group of self-described "indiscriminate TV viewers," coined the word couch potato, applying it to one of his indolent Southern California chums.

Taken with the name and the concept, the group of TV addicts got off the couch to appear in the 1979 "Doo-Dah Parade," a parody of the Tournament of Roses event held in Pasadena. Assembing themselves on a float carrying TVs and "ceremonial couches," the couch potatoes lounged passively, unashamedly watching television for the duration of the parade."

Body of Steelers Fan Viewed in Recliner
San Francisco Chronicle,
Wednesday, July 6, 2005

Extract:

"The Samuel E. Coston Funeral Home erected a small stage in a viewing room, and arranged furniture on it much as it was in Smith's home on game day Sundays.

Smith's body was on the recliner, his feet crossed and a remote in his hand. He wore black and gold silk pajamas, slippers and a robe. A pack of cigarettes and a beer were at his side, while a high-definition TV played a continuous loop of Steelers highlights.

"I couldn't stop crying after looking at the Steeler blanket in his lap," said his sister, MaryAnn Nails, 58. "He loved football and nobody did (anything) until the game went off. It was just like he was at home."

http://snipurl.com/g4sr