MOLI VIEW™

I was stunned the other night when my significant other suggested that it might be a good idea if we became "fishetarians." The concept doesn't constitute much of a challenge for me; I could easily give up red meat and fowl. But he's the kind of carnivore that barely gets the feathers off the carcass before it's going down the hatch.

The only sensible reason I can come up with for this radical dietary change-of-heart is the influence of Santa Monica's skating vegan guru, Debbie Merrill. Even though we only stumbled across Merrill once, whilst channel surfing on some cable access, she made a big impression. "Health nut" doesn't even begin to describe it.

The Debbie Merrill Show: Raw on the Roll, which can be seen in full episodes on You Tube, is a bizarre, rolling, raw-foods review. The opening theme song, a karaoke version of "Boogie Oogie Oogie" where Merrill substitutes lyrics about "snacking on fruit and staying cute," is the harbinger of weird as the petite, blond, 50-ish(?) host, a one-time silver-medal figure skater (according to her website bio) rollerblades around the small, Stars ‘n' Stripes-adorned studio in a barely there tu-tu, pirouetting and pontificating on the wonders of a raw diet.

Though she appears to be nutty as a fruitcake, Merrill looks fantastic — her long sinewy limbs waving about as she flits around the studio. And, just to drive her point home, she recruits young, lovely bikini-clad women (some frequently appearing in showgirl costumes) to dance around with her as she shouts mantras like "Do it for the health of it! Otherwise, you'll spend your health chasing wealth and your wealth chasing health!" Occasional celebrity guests like Andy Dick spice things up, as does an endless parade of chefs, fellow raw-foods nuts, and non-celebrity musical guests who revel in the opportunity to make complete asses of themselves.

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