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Posts Tagged ‘culture’

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Ed McMahon likes Craig Ferguson

Posted by Richard on February 27, 2007

I’ve expressed my admiration for Craig Ferguson before. I’m pleased to discover that the legendary Carson sidekick, Ed McMahon, shares my opinion:

Johnny Carson‘s former sidekick, Ed McMahon, says he still watches some of today’s late-night talk show hosts, but only one guy comes close to being as good as the late Carson.

"Johnny certainly set the standard and raised the bar very high for anybody else to follow," notes McMahon, who many remember for his catch-phrase "Heeere’s Johnny!"

"I don’t think there’s anyone who even approaches Johnny. The closest thing I think is Craig Ferguson," he states. "He’s got that self-deprecating humor that Johnny had. He really does a very lively monologue, which he seems to make up as he goes along. He gets one subject matter and then goes with that. I really like his show, and I like him."

I couldn’t agree more. Ferguson is down-to-earth, genuine, and funny. For example, here’s Craig Ferguson talking about cars:

You know what’s amazing? It’s NASCAR. Anybody who criticizes NASCAR has never been there. Forget watching it on TV, it’s not the same. You have to be there. If you have even the tiniest amount of testosterone in you — the tiniest amount — and you hear one of those engines — BRRRRRWRRRRR! — all of a sudden, you’ve got a mullet.

Craig Ferguson on dental care:

The dental hygienist — I just lie to her. "Have you been flossing?" I just lie. It’s the only two times I lie — to the dental hygienist and when I’m in a relationship. That’s why I can’t date a lady dentist. The lies would mash together — and the truth could come out.

On the Welsh:

I’ve gotten drunk with every ethnic group on earth. You can’t outdrink a Welshman. The Welsh make Australians look like Mormons.

On MTV’s 25th:

I"m so old, I remember when MTV showed music videos.

MTV gave us Real World… Hats off to them. They figured out how to make reality TV more boring than reality.

McMahon is right — Ferguson is by far the best. As McMahon noted (along with Walter in Denver, commenting here), Ferguson’s monologues are remarkably spontaneous and inventive. I wish to hell that the increasingly tiresome Letterman would retire and let Ferguson take his slot.
 

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Who cares about Oscars?

Posted by Richard on February 26, 2007

Ed Driscoll borrowed Orrin Judd’s wonderful title, “The Unspeakable Toast The Unwatchable,” for his observations about last night’s Academy Awards show:

Regarding the Oscars, Orrin Judd writes, “When we were kids everyone used to watch them–they used to celebrate the movies. Know anyone who still does now that they celebrate Hollywood’s politics?”

Drudge has the early ratings:

ABC PULLS 27.4 RATING/42 SHARE IN EARLY OVERNIGHTS AT ‘OSCARS’… MORE… IF NUMBERS HOLD, WOULD BE 3RD LEAST- WATCHED OSCARS, JOINING LOW 2006, 2003… MORE…

In 2006, Hollywood switched from a mass industry serving the public to a niche market for blue/green activists. It invented a strategy that junks the Red States. But every year flyover country gets to remind Hollywood that the loss is reciprocal, at least for one Sunday.

If the Drudge numbers are correct, at some point in the future, just as C-SPAN covers the bulk of national political conventions, watch for the Oscars to move up the dial, out of the over-the-air networks and into the realm of cable. Maybe E! or HBO could host them. Or Current TV.

I remember watching the Oscars — in fact, I remember looking forward to the show and caring about who won.

But I haven’t seen it in years.

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Family matters

Posted by Richard on February 16, 2007

Also from Solomonia: Stanley Kurtz has some terribly important information about an essential cultural difference that helps explain Islamic terrorism. It’s a theory that Kurtz began exploring in his review — and rejection — of Dinesh D’Souza’s The Enemy at Home. In fact, you should probably read that review first

You’ll also want to read Root Causes, Kurtz’s review of Bernard Lewis’ book, What Went Wrong? After all that prefatory material, you’re ready for Kurz’s initial essay about Islamic cousin marriage and its consequences:

In this first in a series of essays on Muslim cousin-marriage, I want to begin to make the case that Muslim kinship structure is an unexamined key to the war on terror. While the character of Islam itself is unquestionably one of the critical forces driving our global conflict, the nature of Islamic kinship and social structure is at least as important a factor — although this latter cluster of issues has received relatively little attention in public debate. Understanding the role of Middle Eastern kinship and social structure in driving the war not only throws light on the weaknesses of arguments like D’Souza’s, it may also help us devise a new long-term strategy for victory in the war on terror.

Read the whole thing. Please. As Sol said, it’s tough to excerpt, but it’s incredibly important information. It just blew me away.
 

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Stop snickering

Posted by Richard on February 8, 2007

I heard last night that Mars pulled the Super Bowl Snickers ad (which showed two mechanics sharing a Snickers bar and accidently kissing) because of complaints. I assumed that the complaints came from Focus on the Family, the Christian Coalition, Don Wildmon, Ralph Reed, Pat Robertson, and the like. I figured all the usual Christian-right folks would complain that this ad furthered the "gay agenda" and undermined "traditional values."

Boy, was I wrong:

… Three gay rights organizations condemned the commercial as homophobic, arguing that the men’s reaction (they tear out their chest hair to prove they’re really "manly") demeans gay men.

Worse, the groups said, were the alternative endings that Snickers included on its Web site as part of a contest to determine which version would air during the Daytona 500 later this month.

In one ending, one of the characters grabs a wrench to beat the other, who responds by slamming a car hood down on the other guy’s head. A second ending shows members of the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears reacting with amusement and disgust to the "kiss."

"I don’t know what kind of mind-set it takes to think it’s okay to slug another guy because of a mistaken kiss," said Neil G. Giuliano, president of Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, which objected to the ad. "It’s just unacceptable."

This strikes me as just way, way off base. How in the world does the men’s reaction demean gay men? If the ad demeaned anybody, it was blue-collar rednecks!

Memo to the humor-impaired: the ad clearly poked fun at these guys for being so insecure and silly and homophobic! Ripping out their chest hair or beating on each other to prove they’re "manly"? We aren’t supposed to emulate these guys, for crying out loud! We’re supposed to laugh at them for being such yahoos, and I’m astonished that people in the gay rights community don’t get that.
 

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Brown and Ford

Posted by Richard on December 29, 2006

Two very different men of significance died this week: James Brown and Gerald Ford. I’m sorry to see them both go. I must confess, though, that my most vivid memories regarding both are actually of their impersonators. Beyond WIN buttons, I don’t recall much of anything Ford did or said, but I can still see Chevy Chase playing Ford as a bumbling, stumbling simpleton on SNL. Pretty unfair (of both Chase and me) — Ford was third in his class at Yale Law School.

Likewise, although I can hear snatches of Brown’s music in my mind, the image that I remember is a Brown impersonator (I can’t recall who, but I don’t think it was Eddie Murphy) caricaturing Brown’s shtick of starting to leave the stage seemingly exhausted, then suddenly regaining his strength, shrugging off the coat draped over him by an assistant, and storming back to the microphone.

Like most of us, both men had their pluses and minuses. Interestingly, they were opposites in that regard. By all accounts, Gerald Ford was a very nice man, but he wasn’t a very good president. James Brown, on the other hand, was a terrific performer, but apparently wasn’t a very nice man. Since we’re supposed to speak well of the dead, I’ll recast their weaknesses in a more positive light. I’m pretty sure James Brown didn’t mistreat women as much as Bobby Brown. And I’m certain the country would have been better off if Gerald Ford had won in 1976.
 

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Lou Rawls

Posted by Richard on December 1, 2006

Last January, I noted the passing of Lou Rawls with sadness, and suggested:

You youngsters who aren’t familiar with Rawls really ought to check out some of his music. Try Stormy Monday, which is an astonishingly polished, professional, and enduring first album, recorded in 1962 when he was 21. Then check out the more pop 70s recordings, the 80s Blue Note stuff, the love songs…

Listen to songs like St. James Infirmary, Good Intentions, Unforgettable  — compare them to the crap put out by Kanye West, and tell me which is real music that moves the soul.

Well, today is Lou Rawls’ birthday, and Scott at Power Line remembered. He’s posted a couple of YouTube videos so you can hear some "real music that moves the soul." The first is a very young Rawls singing "Love Is a Hurtin’ Thing." The second is a more mature Rawls performing "You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine," and it’s the best investment of four minutes you can make. I guarantee you’ll feel better for the rest of the day after listening to that song.
 

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New Stossel special tonight

Posted by Richard on November 30, 2006

Here’s a heads-up for fans of ABC News 20/20 host John Stossel (and if you’re not a fan yet, here’s an opportunity to become one): Stossel’s new 20/20 special, Cheap in America, is airing tonight at 10 PM Eastern Time (9 Central and Mountain, 8 Pacific) on your local ABC station:

John Stossel looks at the state of charity in the U.S. Who gives and who doesn’t? Some surprising answers, plus why doing good deeds can be good for your health.

Here’s a teaser from the findings: the average conservative-headed household earns 6% less, but gives 30% more than the average liberal-headed household.

By the way, a book or video by the informative, entertaining, and very libertarian Stossel would make a great Christmas gift for someone — maybe even yourself!
 

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Perpetual adolescence

Posted by Richard on November 25, 2006

Stanley Crouch recently spent some time surrounded by young (18-35) black men and was appalled. So he wrote this column telling them to grow up. He acknowledged that the phenomenon isn’t restricted to the black community, but was quick to "disrespect" the hip hop culture with a particularly biting metaphor:

As a father with a daughter nearly 30 years old who has never been close to marrying anyone, I was once more struck by what my offspring describes as "a lack of suitable men." She has complained often about the adolescent tendencies of young black men, as will just about any young black woman when the subject comes up.

Those who believe that America is perpetually adolescent will point at the dominance of frat-boy attitudes among successful white men and will say of the black hip-hop generation, "So what? How could they not be adolescent? They are not surrounded by examples of celebrated maturity. The society worships movie stars, wealthy athletes and talk show hosts. These are not the wisest and most mature of people."

There is more than a little bit right about that. Our culture has been overwhelmed by the adolescent cult of rebellion that emerges in a particularly stunted way from the world of rock ‘n’ roll. That simpleminded sense of rebelling against authority descended even further when hip hop fell upon us from the bottom of the cultural slop bucket in which punk rock curdled.

Both Crouch and a woman writer with whom he discussed the phenomenon had thoughtful comments on the nature of the problem. Neither proposed a solution. Since I’m white, I can’t say much without being called ignorant and insensitive at best and racist at worst.

Crouch, being black, risks the same fate as Bill Cosby, Juan Williams, Ward Connerly, and others who dared challenge the orthodoxy about helplessness, oppression, and victimhood — being called an Uncle Tom, oreo, or traitor, being accused of "acting white," and being rejected, ridiculed, and reviled, instead of being praised as the examples and role models they should be.
 

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Jews don’t matter to mainstream media

Posted by Richard on September 21, 2006

There was a rally in New York on Tuesday protesting the Iraq war. About 2,000 people attended. Apparently, nobody of any significance spoke (well, Jesse Jackson). But Reuters, AP, NBC, and other mainstream media organizations all covered the rally. The wire service stories were widely picked up throughout the world. AP and Reuters did mention that at the same time, about 200 Iranian-Americans protested against Ahmadinejad.

On Wednesday, there was another rally in New York. Across the street from the UN headquarters, 35,000 people rallied in support of Israel and to protest the man who wants to "wipe Israel from the map." Speakers included Gov. George Pataki, Nobel laureate Eli Wiesel, Ambassador John Bolton, and Professor Alan Dershowitz. Did you see anything about it on the TV news or in your morning paper? Me neither. Meryl Yourish searched widely for coverage:

Can you find a news source for the rally against Ahmadinejad at the UN yesterday? Correction: Can you find a non-Jewish media source, or a non-blogger source, for the rally?

I can’t. Except for the New York Sun.

I checked AP. Nothing. Reuters. Nada. I checked Google News. Nothing. 1010WINS. Nothing. I checked WABC, NY1, all the New York media sites. Gridlock alerts are the only thing you can find about the march. After all, it’s not newsworthy. The fact that 2,000 people marched a day earlier to protest the Iraq war? Oh, yeah, that made the news.
…

If you want to read about the rally, it appears that you have to go to the bloggers who were there, or whose readers sent in pictures. Or the Israeli press. Or the Jewish media. But nowhere else can you find any evidence that 35,000 people protested the Iranian president’s message of hate.

I think some in the media ignored this rally for political reasons — calling attention to it might benefit Bush and the Republicans. But I think there’s something else going on as well.

The mainstream media and the left (but I repeat myself) don’t see Jews as victims anymore they way they used to. Jews aren’t excluded from jobs, schools, and clubs anymore. As a group, they tend to be highly educated and successful. The Holocaust was long ago. Israel is a dynamic, vibrant, successful nation whose very existence is a reproach to its dysfunctional neighbors.

The mainstream media and the left love victims, underdogs, failures, fools, and incompetents — anyone who exhibits the highly desirable (to them) characteristics of dependency and dysfunctionality. But they are at best indifferent — and frequently hate-filled, contemptuous, and resentful — toward those who are competent, successful, high-achieving, and independent.

You know how folks on the left are always reminding us that they — the whole world, in fact — were united behind America immediately after 9/11? True, most of them were — but it only lasted until U.S. troops headed for Afghanistan. While smoke was still rising from Lower Manhattan and the nation was still on its knees and dazed, leftists throughout the world were brimming with sympathy. As soon as we got back on our feet and acted with strength and determination against the scum who attacked us, the sympathy began draining away and the criticism and denunciations began.

Most leftists feel the same way about the U.S. and Israel that they feel about rich and successful individuals — they despise them for their virtues.
 

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Avast! September 19 is Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Posted by Richard on September 20, 2006

Arrr, what a bilge rat I be! I forgot to celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day today! Well, I’m off to quickly quaff some grog. I leave you with the link to the official site, me hearties, and with a quick riddle:

Q: Who is the favorite singer/songwriter of many pirates?

A: Arrr-t Garrr-funkel

Arrr! International Talk Like a Pirate Day September 19

 
UPDATE: Craig Ferguson on CBS’ Late Late Show remembered Talk Like a Pirate Day. That’s appropriate, I suppose, since having a Scottish accent gets you a long way toward talking like a pirate — Scotsmen are good at rrrolling their arrrs. As a thanks to Craig, here’s a joke from tonight’s monologue (from memory):

Deal or No Deal is back. … This has to be the dumbest game show ever. "Do you want money or more money?" … It’s like "Let’s Make a Deal" for stupid people.

 I just love the Ferguson monologues. For more reasons why, see this earlier post. Mmm, good grog.
 

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Competing cats

Posted by Richard on June 14, 2006

I don’t think much of "reality" TV — the contrived competitions in particular. In fact, I pride myself on never having watched Fear Factor, Survivor Whatever, the Trump thing, the "weird people living together" thing, or any of the competitive singing, dancing, skating, and traveling things.

But the latest idea for a reality TV show sounds purrr-fectly delightful:

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Ten cats in search of owners will spend the next 10 days in a New York store window, their every move caught on camera for a reality TV show on which they will compete for best sleeper and mouse-catcher.

The show is the creation of a petfood company and will be shown on cable channel Animal Planet, as well as on the Web site www.MeowMixHouse.com where viewers will be asked to vote off one feline contestant each day.

The cats, chosen from shelters around the country, will compete for loudest purr, most prolific sleeper and who can catch the most toy mice. Kitties who get the boot will be adopted into permanent homes.
…

In the tradition of reality shows, the company will hire the top cat as "Feline Vice President of Research and Development," responsible for taste testing and product feedback.

I suppose I’ll have to check it out. Although I have to wonder about the long-term entertainment value of a show that features cats competitively sleeping.

 

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Craig Ferguson on vegetarianism and other stuff

Posted by Richard on May 27, 2006

Gee, I wish someone had a site that provided streaming videos plus transcripts of the monologues from The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

Wait a minute… OK, maybe CBS has videos. It’s not clear what they’re offering, it’s just labeled "Comedy." It may have the monologues, but they’re on a two-day delay, and it requires you to install Real Player. Yuck. I haven’t tolerated any Real software on my computer in 5 or 6 years — they’re authoritarian, spyware-installing, arrogant, fascist scum. So screw that.

Anyway, if you can figure out a way to watch Craig Ferguson’s monologues regularly, I strongly recommend them. I just see them occasionally in real time, and they’re always terrific — by far the best comedy of any of the late night TV hosts. Here’s a brief snippet (from memory) of tonight’s monologue:

I was a vegetarian once. Well, not really a vegetarian. I was veggie-curious. … One day, I was in the Glasgow airport, and I smelled a bacon sandwich. …"

Even the most die-hard vegetarians admit that bacon is dangerous. … Bacon is, like, a gateway meat.

I swear to you, this is the funniest, most entertaining and genuine person on TV today. You want more evidence? OK, I’ve been saving some. Here’s Craig Ferguson with the best brief characterization of NASCAR ever:

You know what’s amazing? It’s NASCAR. Anybody who criticizes NASCAR has never been there. Forget watching it on TV, it’s not the same. You have to be there. If you have even the tiniest amount of testosterone in you — the tiniest amount — and you hear one of those engines — BRRRRRWRRRRR! — all of a sudden, you’ve got a mullet.

Craig Ferguson on dental care:

The dental hygienist — I just lie to her. "Have you been flossing?" I just lie. It’s the only two times I lie — to the dental hygienist and when I’m in a relationship. That’s why I can’t date a lady dentist. The lies would mash together — and the truth could come out.

Ferguson on the Welsh:

I’ve gotten drunk with every ethnic group on earth. You can’t outdrink a Welshman. The Welsh make Australians look like Mormons.

The quotes are great, but you don’t realize what you’re missing — delivery, timing, subtle touches and related comments I’ve forgotten or omitted. Maybe it’s worth installing Real Player — that’s up to you. Or, if you’re a night owl, you could just watch it when it’s broadcast (after Letterman, who increasingly sucks). Believe me, it’s great stuff. Craig Ferguson is a national treasure, and I’m very glad this Scotsman got a "grrrreen carrrrd."
 

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CBS’ The Unit achieves greatness

Posted by Richard on May 17, 2006

The Unit is an action-oriented drama about a top secret military special operations unit. It stars Dennis Haysbert (President Palmer on 24), whom I really like. I’ve liked some episodes of the series, but others … not so much.

Tonight’s season finale, though, made me a big fan. I can’t help but love a show that portrays a Frenchman commanding U.N. troops as an arrogant, incompetent, slimy, mendacious piece of pond scum.

Here’s one of the great moments in TV history, as best as I can recall it:

Col. Leclerq: "Stand at attention in my presence, soldier!"

Bob Brown: "I’m not in your army. I’m not in your chain of command. And you’re about a half second from a poor state of health."

Col. Leclerq: "And that would be worth your career?"

Brown: "You bet your French ass."

[Cut to commercial]

Yeee-haaaw! Now, that calls for a beer!

That’s from Episode 13, "The Wall." Watch for the rerun if you missed it (I don’t know if downloads are available for The Unit; there’s no indication on the CBS website, or on this one, or this one).
 

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Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s resignation statement

Posted by Richard on May 16, 2006

Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s statement resigning from the Dutch Parliament is a an absolute must-read. Thanks to Little Green Footballs for the link to the English version at the Dutch news site Trouw. It begins thus:

I came to Holland in the summer of 1992 because I wanted to be able to determine my own future. I didn’t want to be forced into a destiny that other people had chosen for me, so I opted for the protection of the rule of law. Here in Holland, I found freedom and opportunities, and I took those opportunities to speak out against religious terror.

In January 2003, at the invitation of the VVD party, I became a member of parliament. I accepted the VVD’s invitation on the condition that I would be the party’s spokesman for the emancipation of women and the integration of immigrants.

What exactly did I want to achieve?

First of all I wanted to put the oppression of immigrant women — especially Muslim women – squarely on the Dutch political agenda. Second, I wanted Holland to pay attention to the specific cultural and religious issues that were holding back many ethnic minorities, instead of always taking a one-sided approach that focused only on their socio-economic circumstances. Lastly, I wanted politicians to grasp the fact that major aspects of Islamic doctrine and tradition, as practiced today, are incompatible with the open society.

Now I have to ask myself, have I accomplished that task?

Go read the whole thing. It’s a compelling and uplifting statement, which makes it even clearer how lucky we are that Ayaan Hirsi Ali is coming to the United States. Assuming that the anti-immigrant crowd doesn’t block her entry.

Oh, and you might want to make a note to yourself about this (emphasis added):

… For those who are interested in the intimate details of my transition from a pre-modern society to a modern one, and how I came to love what the West stands for, please read my memoir, which is due to be published this fall.

Speaking of must-reads!
 

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Good parenting

Posted by Richard on May 16, 2006

I hereby nominate the Friday, May 12, Baby Blues strip for Comic Strip of the Year. It’s a spot-on perfect comparison of good parenting then and now. Check it out — I know you’ll like it.

(Copying the strip here appears to be prohibited by King Features Syndicate. The link I’ve provided should be good through May; after that, I suspect you’ll have to subscribe to their Daily Ink service in order to access the King Features Syndicate archives.)
 

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