Actress Bertinelli: Coupon site Veebow's 'muse'
— -- TV veteran Valerie Bertinelli, a staple of the small screen since the 1970s, co-stars in TV Land's Hot in Cleveland, commuting to the set in an electric golf car. She's a frequent tweeter on Twitter (@wolfiesmom) and the self-styled "muse" for the new shopping app, Veebow, which is a twist on Groupon, Living Social and the like in that it offers daily deals without upfront charges.
We met up with Bertinelli at the set of Hot in Cleveland, where we talked in the living room normally shared with on-screen co-stars Betty White, Jane Leeves and Wendi Malick.
Why Veebow
"I've been clipping coupons my whole life. I go to these group buying sites, and say, `wait a minute. You don't go to a coupon site and have to pay for a coupon. Coupons are supposed to be free.'" She "bitched about it" so long husband Tom Vitale and partner Ed Loew created the app in response.
How it works
Instead of checking your e-mail for the daily deal, paying for it and printing out a coupon to bring to the merchant, you download the iPhone or Android app and check out the deals. Then you go to the physical location, open the app and show it to the merchant to get your deal.
"Everything is free," she says, "the way coupons are supposed to be."
What Veebow means
Husband Tom's nickname for her, using her initials. The were married in Malibu in January 2011.
Being green
She only drives the golf cart a mile and half from home to the set, but "I figured I've saved about two gallons of gas…I feel I'm making my footprint a little smaller."
Digital reading
She likes her Amazon Kindle for in-flight reading, and the Apple iPad for reading drafts of scripts of Cleveland, which are sent to her each night.
TV watching
Loves the big flat-screen at home,which replaced the old tube-based projector wall TV.
"The pictures are a lot better, especially for football. I like the HD, but not for me, I'd rather it be a little more fuzzy."
@wolfiesmom
Her website is full of social media, but she likes Twitter best, where her screen name honors her son with first husband Edward Van Halen, Wolfgang (Wolfie). "I have a Facebook page, but Twitter is easier, because I can just do it. Twitter is simple. There it is, in black and white, and I can connect with people."
She tweets two or three times a day — hoping to hype episodes of Hot in Cleveland and the new app.
"Someone will ask me a question if I happen to be on and I can answer them right back. It's not waiting forever, for them to send in a letter, get an autograph back…it's instantaneous and I like that."
