For Valentines Day I submitted a story about my wacky parents’ two marriages (both to each other) to the Huffington Post.  It was posted, and for a few days hundreds of people clicked the ‘like’ button and wrote comments.  It was really fun and rewarding.  I was once an actress — we love applause.  And the likes are like applause. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/fredrica-duke/opposites-attract_1_b_2729063.html

A few weeks later I get a call from someone with a familiar voice.  The guy asks if I’m Fredrica Duke and he says he is calling from The Ricki Lake Show.  I think it’s my friend Desi playing a prank on me, so I keep saying “Yes, Desi.”   He stays with it asking if I am the Fredrica Duke who wrote the piece in the Huffington Post.  I say “Yes, Desi,” in a more sarcastic, I-know-who-you-are kind of voice.  The man stays calm and says his producer loved my story and would like to have me on the show.  I say, “Uh-huh, sure.” Now the guy senses I’m not buying this at all because I clearly think I’m being punked.  He offers to have me call him back.  I say, “No, go on, tell me more.”  He tells me that the story is very compelling and the show would like to have me on as a guest the following week.  Would I consider it? (more…)