Hucklebug Episode 185: RIP Lena Horne, Doris Eaton Travis, Law & Order Original Recipe, shout-outs, movies (Bet: Iron Giant; Stennie: Big Fan), lowlights & highlights, fuck-offs and you-rules, Cabaret song suggestions for Siskita.
Music: “The Hucklebuck,” performed by Otis Redding, Lee Rocker, and Frank Sinatra. Station ID break by Shawn Galbraith (aka Plang Tang Hackensaw).
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Early comments:
1. “Mike wasn’t actually on WKRP In Cincinnati.” Geez, you really know how to hit a guy where it hurts.
2. The great thing about Jennifer is that she was just as smart as anybody else on the show. While it’s well documented that I would do anything for Bailey, I’d probably be just as happy with Jennifer. That’d be a WIN-win situation.
3. The Iron Giant is a great movie. Have you heard Pete Townshend’s album The Iron Man: A Musical? It’s based on the same source as The Iron Giant (Ted Hughes’ book The Iron Man). Great music, with cameo appearances by John Lee Hooker and Nina Simone. But I don’t know if it would have been any better had Pixar done it (it came out the same year as Toy Story 2).
And that’s as far as I’ve gotten.
Well, I’d forgotten you had to kill the frogs before they killed you. -1 to me for not listening.
Of course I don’t hate kittens. I’ve had cats for years. But I’m a cold, calculating realist, sorta like Elaine Benes as the executor of Kramer’s living will:
LAWYER: Situation number four. You’re breathing on your own, you’re conscious, but with no muscular function.
KRAMER: Well, would I be able to communicate?
LAWYER: I don’t see how.
ELAINE: Ach, I don’t like the sound of this one.
KRAMER: Huhh, yeah, let’s pull the cord.
ELAINE: Yank it like you’re starting a mower.
In reality, I probably couldn’t kill anything larger than a mouse. Even during that, I’d likely scream like a little girl.
On a related note, I recently had raccoons take up residence in my attic. They tore up our siding, demolished the insulation, crapped and peed all over and gave birth to a brood which followed in their parents’ pawprints, usually all between the hours of 1:00-5:00 am. We had a lot of trouble trapping them, and were mortified by the possibility of them scratching their way through the ceiling into the house. If we had as little sleep and thousands of dollars of damage to repair as we did then—hell, even my darling pacifist wife would’ve turned the mower on them. It resembled a horror movie where the characters see the horror that they’re capable of. During that length of time with no sleep every night—we saw the dark side.
Correct, Stennie! BIG FAN was written/directed by Robert Siegel, who was editor in chief for the Onion. He also wrote the screenplay for the comeback film for Mickey Rourke, THE WRESTLER.
Sir Patrick, Slayer of Kittens – you can’t be too careful with racoons. They look cute but are really mean as hell. I’ve seen a big male kill a 60 pound dog. They sure aren’t something you want wandering around your house at night to bump into.
The Iron Giant is a super good movie. Hard to believe that action movie hack Vin Diesel did his voice. He was excellent though. Jennifer Aniston was surprisingly good too.
Slightly unusual songs for that most wonderful Siskita? Humm, how about Magic Carpet Ride? or maybe You’re the Reason our Kids are Ugly? Those would be loads of fun done in cabaret style. Or how about I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Creedence?
Mike was right. The only true Robin Hood was Daffy Duck. Errol can just bite it. *parry, thrust, spin, dodge* BOING (beak flips up).
Here’s one for you – would you rather live in 1800 or 1900?
We’ve got to kick nick’s ass this year. Count me in. No, not Lily’s nick. He’s a sweetheart.
Well, you get off lucky this week cause that’s all I’ve got.
I know I’m behind; there is some kind of time distortion where I’m at.
Bet you had the best ever Monte Cristo at the Blue Bayou Restaurant in Disneyland. I know because I had one there also. Do you remember the moonlit ambience, fireflies, and Pirates of the Caribbean passenger boats drifting past? Damn fine sandwich!
Anger management; haven’t heard anything more about that. What is the name of the book Stennie? There’s a computer in the garage that says I might need that book.
Totally unrelated: How do the survivors’ on the Survivor TV show have such white teeth? Anyone else notice that?
http://effyou.org/post/614396823/beyond-petroleum-huh-this-weeks-effyou-goes-to <—here ya go.
I have written so much about the BP Oil Spill—not since the election of 2008 have I written more about a single topic! But the “eff you” to Tony Hayward, “executive director” of BP, is the culmination. What’s worse is that he didn’t even phrase it the way Stennie did—he literally said: “The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume.”
Hey Tony! When you’re facing the press after causing an environmental disaster—PRACTICE FIRST, so you don’t say something like “The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean” and sound like an IDIOT.
Right about now, no one should be surprised that accident happened with this moron in charge.
Sorry—just a little venting, there! I could go on, but I won’t.
In fact, I’m going to post this now in case my MacBook crashes before I finish the Hucklebug. I love Mac computers, but this one’s got a case of the crashies.
Bet, Mike is right—“Iron Giant” wasn’t pre-Pixar—it was competing with them. And if memory serves, “Iron Giant” was what they call “CG cell animation.” As in, traditional cells are printed by a computer after they are created, digitally. In fact, I believe it was just Iron Giant that was CG cell and everything else was traditional—it’s been so long since I saw it. I remember enjoying it, but it left me a little flat because it reminded me of a graphic novel called “Kingdom Come” in which Captain Marvel is treated almost identically as Iron Giant, story-wise (aka they meet the same fate). I remember the director of “Iron Giant” also including a number of homages to DC comics, so I felt like it was likely that he kinda lifted the ending off of “Kingdom Come.” I haven’t read “The Iron Man,” which Mike speaks off—I should check that out.
Half of the songs you two suggested sound like they’d be great if sung (sang?) by Siskita. I have a few songs I’d like to hear her sing, too—I should come up with a list.
Oh and if anyone is interested in hearing Sierra’s vocal group sing, check out http://marqueefive.com They’re AMAZING. Just hit their video page (link is up top) and you’ll see a couple videos to watch. Great stuff!
OK, I have to go finish Photoshopping a couple of “Ballpoint Adventure” comics for “Draw Muhammad Day.” Yay, free speech!
Okay, I’m behind this week, so based on a chat conversation here’s some suggested topics:
What belongs (or does not belong) on…
…a pizza?
…a hot dog?
…a hamburger?
…a salad?
…in chocolate?
Here’s my list of songs. I dunno how any of these would work in cabaret, but I sure would like to hear how Siskita approaches them. W/ handy audio and/or video links:
Withered And Died – Richard & Linda Thompson (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lgawCLfuiI)
The Band Wore Blue Shirts – Joe Jackson (30 second sample here: http://www.ilike.com/artist/Joe+Jackson/track/The+Band+Wore+Blue+Shirts?src=onebox)
Birds – Neil Young (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB9OjIC6nDk)
Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young – Faron Young (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmnQCb7nWVI)
Don’t Get Me Wrong – The Pretenders (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_Bj8wrXslk)
Statue Of Liberty – XTC (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjEuws9-HTM)
Don’t Let Us Get Sick – Warren Zevon (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOkAU9gOm0w, and already covered by Jill Sobule, so it works)
I Wish I Was Your Mother – Mott the Hoople (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FPx0orM_uM)
I Hope I Never – Split Enz (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABXcIsmyLJk)
They Don’t Know – Kirsty MacColl (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHnYJgjDQiw)
People Who Died – Jim Carroll (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bOjc70f4p8)
Right Here – The Go-Betweens (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqtTd_0oFU4)
Warm And Beautiful – Paul McCartney (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9R81a7MTCs)
Please Let Me Wonder – The Beach Boys (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TR7gVw9tIk)
Innocent When You Dream – Tom Waits (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6KkJ6-Ecxw)
Take It With Me – Tom Waits (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oGVDLcpXQ8, and already covered by Megan Mullally, so it works)
Til I Hear It From You – Gin Blossoms (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZK23sxkpk0, dunno if this fits, but it’s an absolutely perfect song)
Troubled Times – Fountains Of Wayne (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E54IEVk2gHk)
Makes No Sense At All – Husker Du (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1sYN0PuRs4)
I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever) – Stevie Wonder (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H—_-gPX3Nw)
We streamed the Iron Giant (via Netflix) for the man-cub when he was down with some stomach thing last week. I’ve never seen it all the way through, but was able to catch key bits of it, including a tear-jerking finale that would make even a robot cry.
While Pixar had nothing to do with making the movie, there is nevertheless a key connection between them in the person of director Brad Bird, whom savvy pop-watchers will recognize as the director of The Incredibles. That was, I believe, the first Pixar feature where they brought in an outsider—someone who hadn’t been with the company from the start—or who had directed traditional cell animation before switching over to CGI. Personally, I think it was a match made in feature-animation heaven, bringing out the best of both parties. (TI is my #2 Pixar after Monsters, Inc.)
It’s interesting to see how much Iron Giant and The Incredibles have in common stylistically and thematically. Hogarth could be Dash’s cousin, for example. And, of course, there’s the whole business regarding defense technology (robotics) run amok, as well as meditations on family, friendship, loyalty, and self-sacrifice.
As to my current legal status: Let’s just say I’m not longer a law student, but not yet a lawyer. I have a law degree, but until I pass the bar (which I sit for at the end of July), I’m not a licensed attorney and can’t practice law. (I suppose that, technically, having a J.D. makes me a lawyer, but until I’m admitted to the bar, it’s just a very expensive wall-hanging.)