Farr rah rah rah rah, rah rah rah rah!

Ah, what a fine ending to a fine Christmas movie…

Of course I’m talking about the classic “A Christmas Story”.  If you haven’t seen the movie, then you’ve been living under a rock for the past 25 years.  Get with the program.

I’m talking about Ralphie and his Red Ryder BB Gun who is bound and determined to “shoot his eye out” with the damn thing.  Now who doesn’t love this movie?

Apparently some old biddy twit in Rhode Island doesn’t because she called the radio station the other day to complain about it!  OMG!  How can you NOT love “A Christmas Story”?  You may as well say you can’t stand “It’s A Wonderful Life” because George Bailey runs through town yelling “Hello Bedford Falls!”. 

From the opening credits when the kids are all standing oohing and aahing over the toys in the store window (and when we first are exposed to the Red Ryder BB Gun) to Ralphie’s little “fudge” scene to the end when the turkey is destroyed by the Bumpus’ dogs and the family is forced to have “Chinese turkey”–farr rah rah rah rah, rah rah rah rah!  There isn’t a part of the movie I DON’T like!  I have even seen the play!  And the play was just as good as the movie!  I would love to own a leg lamp (although I wouldn’t put it in my window) and I wouldn’t mind a pair of fuzzy pink bunny jammies (although I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing them)!  But those are just some of the many precious moments that make this movie a classic.  Which is why it is shown for 24 hours on Christmas Eve.  I could watch it for 24 hours too!

So to that old biddy twit in Rhode Island who apparently has nothing better to complain about, I say “Bah Humbug” to you, be sure to drink your Ovaltine and make sure you don’t shoot your eye out!

Did you see Aretha’s new hat?

Aretha was all done up in style for tonight’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting.  And the thing on her head made the Inauguration Hat look tame.  Tonight’s head gear looked like she had a bear wrapped around her head!

I figured she must’ve been the highlight of the show (other than the actual tree being lit) so I didn’t stick around to watch Barry, Rod or the Muppets and switched to “Rudolph” instead.  Funny, Rudy had the same outcome it always does…:)

Have a sunny day!

Today marked the start of the 40th season for “Sesame Street” and with it finally came the squashing of the forever-lived rumor of Bert and Ernie being gay.  Well, now I can sleep!

How unrealistic can some people be to actually believe that two muppets can have a sexuality of any kind?  Anyone who thinks this must be a moron!  Bert and Ernie are there on “Sesame Street” to teach children about letters, numbers, getting along and life in general.  If adults read further into that, then they just have too much time on their hands and need to get lives.

Forty years and counting!

Wednesday marked the 40th anniversary of “Sesame Street”.  Now I feel really old!

Here’s hoping this classic kids show stays around for at least another 40 years, continuing to help youngsters in learning this ABCs and 123’s, preparing them for school, preparing them for life.  It’s no surprise it has won so many Emmy awards.  Even after all these years, I’m still watching it and I’m still being entertained (of course, having a preschool-age child does help!).

May Big Bird live forever…

The week of lust…and blackmail…on Letterman

The story about Letterman’s interoffice “fling” didn’t surprise me.  In the world of entertainment, you’d be shocked to learn who is doing who, when and where.  I don’t condone what he did but I don”t agree with him being blackmailed.

I’ve seen this same thing happen to an artist I knew.  Some celebrities seem to think they become invincible when they are given fame.  They feel all powerful, like they can have it all and not have to answer to anyone about what they do.  But they forget who put them where they are and they forget the ones they allegedly love.  A lot of people get hurt.

Letterman’s case is no exception.  And the most guilty party is Letterman himself.  No amount of apologies will ever erase what he did.

Johnny lives forever…

Like his character Johnny in “Dirty Dancing”, Patrick Swayze did not walk away without a fight. 

Almost two years of battling pancreatic cancer.  Not giving up that easily.  Having the determination to live on, as long as there was life to live.  Working through it all.  That’s courage.  A lot more courage than most people have.

I want to share this personal memory I have of Swayze.  Not from having ever met Swayze but from having had the priviledge of meeting someone who worked with Swayze.  I once met the producer or director (can’t remember which he was) of the movie “Dirty Dancing” (his name Jeff Hayes is actually the first name you see in the credits at the end of the movie; Jeff went on to do work on “Law & Order”).  I actually met him at a funeral of a distant relative.  This was in the early 90’s and we had been told by a family member many times before of Jeff’s having worked with Patrick Swayze on “Dirty Dancing”.  So of course a few of us had to ask him the obvious question:  “What is Patrick Swayze like”?

I remember Jeff telling us that Swayze was a great person to work with, he was very dedicated and hard-working. 

I recalled that statement after I learned Swayze was sick.  So I guess I wasn’t too surprised by how long he lived after his diagnosis. 

I looked back on what I had posted on this blog in January shortly after I saw Swayze’s interview with Barbara Walters and I want to repost part of that blog posting here:

I don’t usually watch much TV.   However, the other night I did make  a point to take an hour and watch Barbara Walters’ interview with Patrick Swayze.

When I was through watching I couldn’t help but feel so inspired by this man’s strength and desire for LIFE!  Here is a guy who is dealing with one of the worst kinds of cancers a person can have, he has no idea how much longer he has to live and he is living, DOING more than most healthy people I know.  If only we ALL could be as determined as Swayze to LIVE life to its fullest, day in and day out.  Think how much we would accomplish!

He made a good point when he stated “we’re all going to die”.  That is so true.  So why shouldn’t we all LIVE while life is still there to live it?

I’m sure if Swayze hadn’t committed himself to his project “The Beast” he wouldn’t have been sitting there talking to Barbara Walters.  His desire to do that TV show is a big part of what has kept him living.

Whether it be two minutes, two hours, two days, two weeks, two months or two years to live..we should all try to get out there and live it.

May we always remember him for his strength, his talent, and his courage.  Patrick Swayze may have passed away today but his movies and music live on forever…RIP

The man who taught us to keep reaching for the stars

I like to remember Ed McMahon as the large, boisterous guy who announced “Heeeeeeeere’s Johnny” every night.  He was the same guy who sat on Johnny Carson’s couch and yucked it up every time Johnny told a joke.  That’s the Ed I like to remember.

I like to remember the Ed who did Publisher’s Clearinghouse commercials or made us laugh with Dick Clark on the “Blooper” shows.  I like to remember Ed McMahon as the host of “Star Search” and one of the emcee’s for the Jerry Lewis MDA telethon.

What I don’t like to remember about Ed is how he managed to get into financial trouble and barely got out of it, even if he spoofed it in a Free Credit Report.com spot.

Ah, Ed, there will never be another one like you. 

RIP, EM

Remembering Farrah

Having seen my own loved ones suffer with and die from cancer, I can only sense what Farrah’s family and friends are feeling tonight–relief and peace.

It is difficult to say good-bye, especially after a long illness.  But it’s comforting to know that the one who has left us is no longer suffering and is really in a better place. 

I can only vaguely remember Farrah Fawcett from her days on “Charlie’s Angels” and I briefly saw bits and pieces of “The Burning Bed”.  But Farrah was more than just an actress or a pretty face on a poster.  She was a mother.  A lover.  A daughter.  A friend. 

In a way it’s sad that Michael Jackson’s untimely death overshadows her remembrance somewhat but I think Farrah was a private person and would’ve liked it this way–to be overshadowed in death but remembered always.

RIP, FF

He was like my generation’s Elvis…

When I heard the news about Michael Jackson passing away on my way home from work tonight, the first thing I thought was “he was like my generation’s Elvis”.

Growing up in the 80’s the hippest radio station to listen to in the Boston area was WHTT 103.3.  And ninety percent of what they played on there was Michael Jackson.  It was usually “Billie Jean”; when it wasn’t “Billie Jean” it was “Beat It”.  Ironically I still listen to 103.3 but now it’s called Oldies 103.3.  And I was comforted tonight when I turned that station on and heard my two favorite radio personalities, Zito and Karen Blake, reminiscing along with the listeners about The King of Pop’s notorious life and music.  Thank you, Zito and KB, for being there tonight.

Would I consider myself a Michael Jackson fan?  Not really.  Although I will say I do own a lot of his music, including “Thriller” and I like a lot of his music.  I was not crazy about him as a person.  He was a bit too odd for me to like as a person, a bit too bizarre for me to understand, I guess.  But as a songwriter and performer, Michael Jackson was a class act in my eyes.  I will miss that part of him and that is the part I wish to remember.

Watching the news bits and seeing the crowds emerge on the hospital and just at various places throughout L.A. tonight really does make me believe he was like my generation’s Elvis.

RIP, MJ.

The REAL reality

I finally get reality TV.

All you have to do is pop out six to eight kids, set up a few cameras in your house for the world to watch your every move, and you’re good to go.  The problem is, nobody ever asks the kids what they think.  Oh, I forgot.  They’re too little to understand their potty training era is going to be splashed all over the boob tube for all to see.

What I’m mainly referring to here is those parental idiots Jon and Kate and their eight poor kids who are going to grow up to become horrible parents themselves.  I think these two missed the big picture when the dollar signs got in their lines of vision.

I’ve watched an entire 30 seconds of this stupid show.  Yet just from reading the headlines at the supermarket or getting a briefing from the entertainment portion of my fave radio show, I know enough about this family (mainly the parents) to realize they aren’t going to win Parents of the Year anytime soon.  What kind of parent just ups and leaves their eight kids to go traipsing around to do talk shows and seminars?  And apparently their marriage wasn’t too solid to begin with.  Did these two ever work?  Why aren’t they working now?  Oh, I get it.  This “reality show” thing IS their job! 

I just wonder where the kids will be five or even ten years from now.  What are these kids going to think?  Do their parents even know how much humility the children  may have to live with because their selfishness opened up their private lives to the world?

If the television gurus want “reality” they need to come to my house for a week.  I’ll have their heads swimming.  They’ll never want to do another reality show ever again

I know another reality show will be replacing Jon and Kate soon enough.  There is a family with sextuplets scheduled to be making a reality show.  This one seems more focused on how to give Mommy and Daddy more free time.  From what I know of this family so far, I have to give them credit.  At least Mommy and Daddy have real jobs.

So this must be the new phase for “reality” TV.  People must be really into watching dirty diapers being changed these days.  Well, I guess it beats being voted off an island.