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I have just spent the last hour watching an infommercial, I am kind of embarrassed to make that statement, but there it is. It was a commercial for a series of video tapes documenting the Dean Martin Celebrity Roast. Damn, those people were funny. Since I'm 37, I remember watching these shows as a kid. I didn't actually understand more than 25% of what was going on, but I did watch. But watching this stuff now is hilarious. Dean Martin was the coolest f-ing guy on the planet. Once the Rat Pack happened to him he became an "entertainer" rather than an just an actor or singer. I really don't know how to explain that distinction but he basically became this larger-than-life figure even if just in his own head.
For those of you who have never seen this or don't remember it, let me set the scene. There was a large dias holding 10 to 14 celebrities in front of a live audience. There was a large circular graphic behind the podium that said "Man of the Year with the honoree's picture in the center of the circle. Dean was sitting to the left of the podium and the honoree was sitting to the right. Everyone was dressed in tuxedos and evening gowns (well... except for Ruth Buzzi... she was always dressed as that "old woman with hair net" character). And remember, this was the 70s, so these were some serious tuxes. Big ruffled shirts with large floppy bow ties. Also, because it was the 70s, these people were actually smoking and drinking... ON CAMERA! Before TV became America's babysitter. The list of people roasted include: Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Mohammed Ali, Johnny Carson, Lucille Ball, "Governor" Ronald Reagan, and George Burns. Then there were the "regulars", these were the guys who did the roasting every week. Don Rickles, Milton Burle, Rich Little, the aformentioned Ruth Buzzi, Foster Brooks, Orsen Wells. I don't know if time has made them funnier or it's just that I have gotten older. Actually who cares?
While I was typing this entry, the next infommercial came on, this one selling the "GreatWok" (one word, of course). And they actually use this quote: "cook foods that are high in vitamins and low in fat because millions of Asians can't be wrong." Even though it seems to be actually praising the people of the Orient, I somehow found this terribly offensive. And funny.
While wathcing MTV, I saw an interview with Moby. The interviewer somehow was discussing the drummer for Veruca Salt. Moby said something about Veruca Salt being from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." The stupid MTV drone corrected Moby and said, "no, it was called Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." And Moby just kind of stared at the guy and gave a funny little smile. Because, you MTV IDIOT, the book was called Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!! He was referring to the book!! You know, books... the things with the pages in them. Uuch.. it was scary.
Claudine took Jake to see the movie Spy Kids last night. Jake didn't last through the whole thing. He got scared and demanded to bolt. Claudine said there is a part in the movie where the songs of these happy, singing, mutant creatures who serve the villian, are played backwards. Backwards, the song is a plantive cry for help to be restored to their normal state. That was all Jake needed to freak him out. I knid of understand that, because I remember watching The Exorcist and being freaked out when the backward messages were played in that movie. And besides, he IS only 4 years old and has never been to a live-action movie before. If these mutants were animated, I think he would have had no problem. But the fact that this was live-action made it more "real" to him.
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