By Ashley Rhodebeck
Beloit Daily News staff writer

2/27/07 

Former star of comedy serious about America

“Cheers” actor John Ratzenberger may not know everyone's name at tonight's 80th Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce annual dinner and meeting, but the crowd is sure to know his.

Most people will remember him as Cliff Clavin on the hit television series and the voices of “Toy Story,” “Monster's Inc.” and “Cars” characters, but it is unlikely he'll speak about his acting career.

Over the years, Ratzenberger's passion has shifted to promoting American-made goods and the manual arts, which is fitting for the dinner's theme, “Made in America.”

Since becoming host and producer of the Travel Channel show “John Ratzenberger's Made in America,” which highlights American companies and the importance of working men and women, Ratzenberger said he's been stopped on the street more about that rather than his acting work.

“It touches more of a reality,” Ratzenberger said of the attention the show receives, noting “everyone's affected” by the manual arts.

The manual arts, or work done by hand, is an important craft because it always takes precedent over the fine arts, he said, explaining someone had to build the ceiling before Michelangelo could paint on it.

“Nothing happens until someone builds something,” Ratzenberger said.

Unfortunately, Ratzenberger said, today's children aren't thinking about careers in the manual arts. Instead, they're focused on technology such as video games and television. That trend, he said, raises the question of what will happen once the current factory workers and laborers retire.

“We're losing a workforce,” he said.

Besides mentioning the diminishing crop of manual workers at the Chamber of Commerce dinner, Ratzenberger said he'll probably talk about some observations he's made while traveling the country.

For example, he's noticed many journalists during World War II would refer to the soldiers as “our boys” or “we.” Now, Ratzenberger said, the media calls them “American troops.” Why do journalists feel the need to distance themselves from the very people who are fighting for their freedom of the press, he asked.

Today won't be the first time Ratzenberger visits Beloit. He stayed in the Beloit Inn at the end of last October while he filmed a segment for “Made in America” elsewhere. He and his crew agreed the hotel was one of the finest they've stayed in, Ratzenberger said, but admitted he didn't get a chance to see much of the city.

Before stopping in Beloit today, Ratzenberger announced the national winners of the manufacturing camp grants in Rockford Monday. The camp introduces youth aged 12 to 16 to careers in manufacturing. The 19 grants were jointly awarded by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Foundation and the Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs Foundation, which was co-founded by Ratzenberger.