Not quite a year after marking his 90th birthday, we must now say goodbye to the truly legendary, one-of-a-kind pillar of “warmth” himself, Mr. Don Rickles. I can only dream of turning insults into a lucrative career, as others will certainly try. Still, no one will ever do it quite like he did.
After three tedious debates, in addition to their countless daily soundbites, our two currently most watched Americans finally showed their supposedly humorous sides– or at least we should say: they tried (one of them succeeding more than the other, as some of us will agree). Now in hindsight, this notable evening sounds all the better when summarized in two and a half minutes!
Dean Martin and Phyllis Diller they’re not, but I commend their efforts nonetheless. If only we heard this sort of banter from them more often, perhaps the process through which we’re all now living would be a bit more palatable. All the more reason to enjoy such a rare occasion, I say.
Photo Courtesy: WGN Radio
A truly special occasion falls upon “Mr. Warmth” himself on this Mother’s Day. The one-and-only Don Rickles has turned 90 years old!
Having outlived nearly all of his original pals of the stage and screen, while still remarkably pressing on with his unparalleled brand of insult comedy, “The Merchant of Venom” remains very much with us. You might say this legendary comedian owns yet another key to longevity, that is if hurling good-natured insults at all types and ethnicities of people happens to prolong life. (Let’s pretend it does.) In any case, Mr. Rickles has certainly mastered his craft, time and time again. Thankfully he’s not finished quite yet!
Plus, he remains in good company. After all, at least two other famous, accomplished male legends in their own rights are right behind him, both coming up on 90 very quickly themselves. Can you name them offhand?
In honor of baseball legend Yogi Berra, who passed away last week at age 90, a list of classic “Berra-isms” is well worth a thorough review– many of which warrant reuse (with proper attribution of course.) Below are five of 50, with the other 45 here. (Courtesy: USA Today)
1. When you come to a fork in the road, take it.
2. You can observe a lot by just watching.
3. It ain’t over till it’s over.
4. It’s like déjà vu all over again.
5. No one goes there nowadays, it’s too crowded.
And the lists abound! But then, did he ever say most of the things he said? I can certainly relate to such an insightful yet simple statement. How about you?
While I’m away from this site and not posting anything current, please feel free to immerse yourself here in this very non-current gem, a true classic of all classics, television as they sadly don’t make it anymore. Old in years as this great show now is, it simply never gets old in appeal– especially as I get ready to turn another year older, still waiting for my own dais.
Is it just me, or was this year’s lot of Super Bowl commercials rather bland and underwhelming? Wait, I can quickly answer my own question: It’s not just me. Never mind I seem to be saying the same thing every year; 2015 out-dulled itself. Oh sure, we were treated to everything from a JFK voiceover to Kardashian egocentrism, media history vis-a-vis a Couric-Gumbel reunion, celebrity appearances by the likes of Matt Damon and Chelsea Handler, and my personal favorite of the evening– the latest nostalgic nod to television sitcom history with the clever and winning union of “The Brady Bunch” and Snickers. Still, not enough I’m afraid.
(Courtesy: Shamburger/thebiglead.com)
Altogether, my favorite moment of the evening came not from an ad, but during the game itself. Imagine that! The final interception that sealed New England’s win– and Tom Brady’s immediate reaction to it– are far more memorable than any 30 or 60 second “break” from the action. Unlike last year, Super Bowl XLIX produced a close, unpredictable and truly exciting game to the very end, brawl included! The commercials will just have to keep trying.
The first time I watched this “behind-the-scenes” montage, late in 1987 I believe, it was a private piece for which you needed a connection to know it existed– which fortunately at the time I happened to have. Now all these years later, available online to the public, it’s just as funny. If you too are a “Knots Landing” fan and have never seen this, you’ll certainly appreciate it!
Seemingly a touch less energetic than last year, the Tina-Amy duo nevertheless worked well yet again. A certain someone however came between them, proving even funnier! (Photo: Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Needless to say, the passing of Thanksgiving leads us right into Christmastime. This means as trees go up and lights get strung, while parties kick into swing and egg nog flows, so comes the annual playing of my favorite classic Christmas duet performance. Here’s to old-school shtick, Dean-and-Frank style! Enjoy some other versions too, if you’re so inclined. 😉
“Exactly the irreverent show she would have wanted,” Geraldo Rivera aptly summarized. “More Broadway than Hollywood,” The New York Times put it, however sans a multiple-accent-crying Meryl Streep. Altogether– amidst Howard Stern’s “perfect” eulogy among all else— Joan Rivers got her final wish, her “showbiz” funeral proving as refreshingly over-the-top as she was.
So now we go on, commending her legacy while ideally putting her key lessons on life to practice. Leading them of course, on when not to laugh: “Never.”
There will be no “next Joan Rivers,” irreplaceable as she truly remains. Anyone who eventually manages to get closest to the title, however, will win in my book. Meanwhile, at least we can thank, and perhaps learn from, Joan for putting the “fun” back in funeral.
Really, truly, irreplaceable.
Don’t say she’s in a better place, because she probably had a house in the Hamptons. And the best line I heard all day: “Just keep on laughing.” Clearly, Joan Rivers wants us to do so.
The biggest missing piece of this bittersweet event du jour— Joan is not here to make jokes about her own passing. Or is she? Her funeral is yet to come, and may it be everything she wishes it to be, as she described in her recent book, “I Hate Everyone, Starting With Me.”
Joan was everything that made her fabulously one of a kind: opinionated, irreverent and irreplaceable, just to pick a few of so many apt descriptors. Altogether, I’m sorry she had to go, perhaps in a less-interesting manner than she was hoping, no less! At the same time, one of many life lessons with which she’s leaving us is that we needn’t take death too seriously. After all, “funeral” does begin with “fun.” And given the way Joan has outlined hers, we all should be looking forward to a good show– set for this Sunday. May we indeed “keep on laughing.”
Who says Russia doesn’t have a sense of humor?
(in addition to the final medal count, of course!)
From end to beginning, there’s ultimately humor in error–
encouraged perhaps by The Daily Currant.
(Click on images for full story.)
Good one, Matt, however scripted it might have been!
Click image to see video clip. Photo: perezhilton.com
She joined a big list of celebrities in welcoming Jimmy Fallon to his new job. And with this quick cameo after so very many years, 80-year-old Joan Rivers has been publicly welcomed back to “The Tonight Show,” hereby un-banished!
Photo Courtesy: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for The Tonight Show
If you go in expecting it to be absolutely ridiculous– funny in a few places yet just downright stupid in more– then you won’t be disappointed. The storyline just can’t seem to stay on track, if ever there was an intended track from the outset. Through ups and downs, along with a scattering of chuckles among just as many eye rolls, it’s quite a ride! Because I for one really like the main characters– the “team” if you will– I was excited to see them again. The many celebrity cameos are commendable, a close second to my number one reason for sitting through the entire rudderless production. A big fan of all things ’70s as I am, it’s like looking in the mirror– or wishing I was, that is! With your expectations properly calibrated as mine quickly became, you too should enjoy Anchorman 2. It’s silly, it’s tired, and most of all of course, it’s all about the fabulous wardrobe!
Well into December, with the 25th fast upon us, it’s time once again for the annual playing of my very favorite Christmas song performance of all time. They sure don’t make them like this anymore!
Any TV commercial that makes me laugh out loud simply has to be good, and this one takes the lead– starring one of my all-time favorite fictional comedy characters in a series of such spots. Not to mention, to my satisfaction there’s an automobile involved here of course, while perhaps these new laughs will indeed trigger some sales– we’ll see. Meanwhile, if only I can figure out where to score myself that fantastic suit!
If the question were: “Is ‘Modern Family’ the funniest new show on television?”, then indeed the answer would be a solid yes! (“30 Rock” is no longer, after all.) This might not be the promo’s pressing question, however, but rather a fan’s obvious takeaway. In any case, it seems we’ll be hearing a lot of “yes” this season!
Anyone like myself who grew up in Southern California during the 1970s and 80s– in earshot of a TV set that is– surely can hum the unmistakable jingle. As a child in Woodland Hills, I could not have told you how to get to Long Beach. However, having seen enough wacky car commercials with his dog Spot— again and again as intended– I knew that to “go see Cal” on Bellflower Boulevard meant a hot deal on a ’79 Cutlass Supreme.
Decades later I distinctly recall these iconic spots, unmatched in style, creativity and– to borrow the term– “exuberant cheesiness.” They came from a man whose personality flourished in the right time and place, defining a bygone era of advertising firsts. And now, after a long life memorably lived, he too has departed at age 92. With a few chuckles along memory lane, we bid farewell to the one-and-only Cal Worthington.
Click image above or link below to watch video.
Nation Annoyed About Having To Spend Long Weekend Away From Work
It can’t be me– I wasn’t born after all. While I’ve always assumed the attractive, likable and allegedly self-absorbed Warren Beatty was the honoree, we’ve just been reminded once again that the mystery has never quite been solved. Nonetheless, one of my all-time favorite, now-classic songs is back in the news this week– Jeannie Moos-style to boot– prompting that same old question that Carly Simon has yet to answer after more than 40 years! You probably think this song is about… well, someone worth revealing, don’t you?
On this second rest day of the 100th Tour de France, here’s a look at a special yet sometimes vexing thread of the race’s overall fabric: The spectators. Year after year, thousands upon thousands of colorful fans decorate the roadsides of France, at times problematically so but typically in good form and often laughingly creative.
I hope in years to come we see this many spectators along race routes here in the U.S., ideally less of a danger to riders of course, but definitely just as “spirited.” Surely some of them need the rest today as well!
Sunbathing TDF fans in 1965.
Typically huge spectator crowds in the Alps.
The fashionably fabulous reigning queen of one-liners turns 80 years old today, propelled no doubt by the effective combination of her razor-sharp tongue and the proven talents of her cosmetic surgeon(s). The wonderfully one-and-only Joan Rivers hereby joins the octogenarian club, armed with her successfully manufactured appearance and a never-failing mouth that should carry her to at least 100. She sees this day in equally (if not more, dare I say) attractive company, as another famous and relatively flawless Joan marked the same milestone only 16 days ago! Apparently there’s plenty of 80-year-old glamour to go around, and naturally this Joan will have much to say about it for months to come! Next up: Senator Dianne Feinstein.
From domestic changes, professional challenges and unplanned adjustments, to exciting meals, picturesque cocktails and memorable dress-up events, this past year earns its chapter in my personal history as one of, shall we say, unique growth– literally and otherwise! Suffice to say, no two 365-day increments are exactly alike, thankfully enough. While a grand total of 4708 miles in the bicycle saddle call out to be surpassed in the coming months, various opportunities, strategies and decisions– those unmistakable elements that constitute overall life satisfaction– will only get better. “The best is yet to come,” after all. Altogether, taking the good with the not-so, may we all toast with a smile to our better moments of 2012. Happy New Year & Cheers!
If anything in common exists between the two national political conventions of 2012, it falls under the heading of spousal devotion to our presidential nominees– so at least one editorial in The New York Times might lead us to believe. This, or for what our never-failing satirist friends at The Onion label Michelle, the same may just get pinned on Ann. Bipartisan ground could flourish yet– if we dig for it– in strategy if nothing else.
Not everyone can be a “life-of-the-party type” as she once described herself, nor will anyone ever be quite like her. Still, may those she inspired keep her fabulous wit, wisecracks and energy alive and strong. For an impressive life 95 years long, Phyllis Diller lived hers more than well. She will forever remain a true original.
In light of one refreshingly frank rhetorical question from President Lyndon Johnson almost 50 years ago, President Obama might very well be asking himself the same thing today. Considering Mr. Obama’s now-clarified support of same-sex marriage, it seems a very solid question on which to base his announcement.
In addition to the expected widespread liberal praise, agreement with the president’s viewpoint is coming even from conservative sources. Former Bush Solicitor General Ted Olson, who more than two years ago wrote the conservative case for gay marriage, wasted no time yesterday in reminding us Mr. Obama has it right. In fact, Mr. Olson goes on to articulate precisely the argument that too often seems to be forgotten:
“How many citizens would have voted to continue separate-but-equal schools, if you’d put that to a vote in 1954? In fact, in 1967, there were 14 states that prohibited interracial marriages, indeed made interracial marriages a felony, and the Supreme Court struck down those laws unanimously in 1967.” (Avlon, DB 5/9/12)
It’s been said before and will be said again: Civil rights, for any group at any time, need not be put to a popular vote. Why gay marriage continues to be left to “the will of the people” certainly baffles many of us. Nevertheless, President Obama has now placed himself in the position of initiating some real and permanent change on this matter, while perhaps drawing on the experience of LBJ. After all, the question that rang true in 1963 should certainly carry its weight in most any circumstance.
Regardless of what comes next, at least Mr. Obama is no longer “evolving.” And in spite of all the tension, argument and debate, we always need a good chuckle!
We knew it would happen sooner or later; it just happened to come a little later than sooner. Whether or not Rick Santorum’s departure from the presidential race really pleases Jesus, at least now– as I discussed here not too long ago– the Republican nomination might proceed more logically. At the same time, we can always count on another fitting “text from Hillary” to sum up the situation with a humorous one-liner!
Ryan R. Sanderson 