Reader Bricko revealed the identity of the journalist who filed a story on 24-Hour Fitness from his hospital bed: It's Marvin Zindler, beloved Houston TV personality, whose consumer reports often focus on rat and roach droppings, and "slime in the ice machine," found in local restaurants. [Wikipedia, YouTube]
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Ah, I remember Friday evening news growing up with Marvin Zindler's reports, always ending his restaurant health reviews with "Slime in the ice machine." The even had a jingle and graphics for a while.
He said, "slime in the ice machine,"
He said, "slime in the ice machine,"
Wow, this really makes me miss Houston. Marvin Zindler was something me and my grandmother would sit around to wait and watch for at nights. It's sad to say.
From the, You Know You're A Houstonian When...
"You see nothing unusual about an 80-something former sheriff's deputy who wears a white toupee and blue sunglasses, mispronounces names, allows televising of his frequent plastic surgeries, seems unnaturally obsessed with slime in the ice machine, and screams, "MAR-VIN ZIND-ler, EYE-witness news" into a television camera every night."
The delightful Marvin Zindler is a Houston (indeed a Texas) institution. He is the reported who broke the story, later made into the movie "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas." They should have let him star in it as he has more personality than can be contained on a small TV screen. Mr. Zindler is suffering from cancer these days. All of us wish him well. He is a treasure.
Huh? Revealed the iden
Huh? Revealed the identity? The anchors said it was Marvin Zindler reporting right there on the frickin clip.
Marvin is a Houston legend.
The things you think you would never miss...
THIS JUST IN: Ben Popken published this blog! More at 10.
Without intending to be sycophantic, I had never heard of Marvin Zindler until Ben linked his report and certainly did not know of his illness (which is why he reported from a hospital bed.) Indeed he's a legend and I hate that I didn't see more of him before now.
And please help me understand why only Marvin - from his hospital bed - can introduce this clip?
I believer Marvin is also the reporter who broke the real story (years ago) about a local brothel. The story eventually led to the Movie/Play "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas."
Maaaaaaaarvin Zindler, Eyyyyyyyye Witness News
@jburland: Marvin is a Houston institution and legend. He has had several bouts with bad health, even one with cancer, and has stuck with his job every step of the way. This time he has pancreatic cancer that has spread to his liver...this type of cancer has a less than 4% survival rate when caught EARLY. And his was caught much later.
For those of us living in Houston, we tune in every night to see how Marvin is doing...and it does out heart good to see him doing his report and hearing his familiar signoff. It may sound funny to those who don't live here, but his never-give-up attitude and commitment to the consumer is something that has been lost as we all become numbers instead of names in today's world.
So let's lay off Marvin...as eccentric as he is, he's ours.
Would you consider re-writing this story in English?