Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.trends From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: trends Wed, Mar 4 1992 Date: Wed, 4 Mar 92 05:50:52 EST Message-ID: 03-04 0000 DECISIONLINE: Trends & Marketing USA TODAY Update March 4, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network HOLLYWOOD SEES A PSYCHIATRIST: Hollywood's gone couch crazy. While psychiatrist characters have been a part of Hollywood's collective unconscious for decades, there's a whole crop of such films out now. Anthony Hopkins plays Dr. Hannibal Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs." Richard Gere sleeps with patient Kim Basinger's sister in "Final Analysis." Barbra Streisand and Nick Nolte hit it off in "Prince of Tides." CANCER DEATHS ON THE RISE: Cancer deaths are up in people ages 45-84 in many industrialized countries, says a study in Wednesday's Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Trends from 1969 to 1986 show deaths continue to rise in most age groups for cancers of the breast, prostate and lung. The increase can't be explained just by changes in smoking or by an aging population. One possible explanation: The environment. MORE JOIN IDITAROD RACE: The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, a 1,100-mile course from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska, is under way. There were just 38 entrants in the first Iditarod in 1973. The number went up and down a little but mostly has increased, especially in recent years. In 1989 there were 49 entrants; in 1990, 70. This year: 76. NBC DROPS `OLDER' SHOWS: NBC appears to be turning its back on older viewers. Tuesday the network axed "Matlock." Earlier, it lost "In the Heat of the Night" to CBS. "Matlock," No. 40 in the ratings, is No. 3 among viewers 50 and older. "Heat," No. 28 overall, is No. 5 among older audiences. "The Cosby Show," "Golden Girls" and "Night Court" retire this season. HELP-WANTED ADS DECLINE: Employment advertising volume in U.S. newspapers fell in January to the lowest level in nearly nine years, the Conference Board business research group said Tuesday. The board's help-wanted index provided new evidence that employers are refraining from rehiring or expanding work forces because of the uncertainty created by the weak economy. It was at 85 in January, down from 90 in December. LOGOS DECORATE YARMULKES: Yarmulkes in the Detroit area are sporting Mickey Mouse, Ninja Turtles and sports logos for the Red Wings and Pistons. A yarmulke is a head covering worn by religiously Jewish males. The standard yarmulke is black. "It's catching on like crazy," says Avram Plotnik of Spitzer's Hebrew Book and Gift Center. He said an owner of the Palace of Auburn Hills bought all their Pistons yarmulkes. ELECTRIC VEHICLES TAKE OFF: Politics, technology and Detroit's automakers are sparking a rebirth for electric vehicles, which quietly died at the turn of the century. Prodded by California clean-air law and concerns of Japan, the Big Three are racing to build the car of the future. A new California law says that by the 1998 model year, at least 2% of each automaker's sales must be of "zero-emission vehicles." SALES COULD TOP 1 MILLION: Ten-year sales projections for electric vehicles range from a couple hundred thousand in California to more than 1 million if other states adopt California's law requiring a percentage of car sales to be of zero-emission vehicles. Some states are mulling tax breaks and other incentives to spur sales. Proponents are pushing legislation that would stimulate research. SMALL FIRMS USE CONFERENCING: Videoconferencing, once an exclusive high-tech tool for Fortune 500 companies, is increasingly being used by small businesses. That has helped improve the potential for the videoconferencing market to grow. It had less than $200 million in annual sales in 1991. A recent report by Goldman Sachs securities analyst Mary C. Henry puts the market at $1 billion or more by 1995. TIMELESS SHIRT'S A WINNER: For the fashion-conscious, the most important buy this season will be the plain white shirt. They're versatile, timeless and flattering. Trends for spring include provincial, western, nautical and flamenco, according to Diane Smith of Glamour magazine. She prefers the men's versions; they're "fresher and crisper." T-CLIP SOLVES TIE PROBLEM: The bolo tie was a hot trend for the past three years. Now there's a new tie alternative: the T-clip, an ornamental clip that solves the open shirt collar problem but is less constricting than a necktie. The clips, from jewelry designer John Fouquart, sell for $25-$50. Ones with stones work better for dressy evenings; plain metal ones work at the office. Call 516-757-4724. FIDO DIDO APPEARS ON TV: That weird little black and white doodle dude, Fido Dido (kind of a '90s Kilroy), is popping up all over prime time. Among the recent sightings: Darlene wore a Fido Dido T-shirt on "Roseanne." On "Beverly Hills, 90210," David Silver (Brian Austin Green) wore an FD T-shirt. "He's one of the few licensed characters that appeals to an older audience," says spokeswoman Sara Stern. Trends & Marketing Editor: Beth Mann. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM