EPISODE 445: MACLUNKEY+
A Muppet Baby I Can Get Behind; That's a Mandy Patinkin; Kung Fu Nuns
POP CULTURE SPIRIT WOW
So Disney launched its new streaming service this week and with it the very first ever original live-action Star Wars show, The Mandalorian.
(Don’t you even think of saying The Christmas Special counts as a live-action Star Wars show…)
If you haven’t seen the show yet, it is fantastic. A classic bounty hunter western, set in the Star Wars universe. Plus, it features this:
ATTENTION REALITY: FORGET YOU, ALL I WANT FOR XMAS IS BABY YODA.
Also, for anyone who feel like I just dropped a huge spoiler, I am sorry.
In my defense, IT IS BABY YODA.
Also, know that there are many other spoilers I could have mentioned and have not. Like for instance, underneath his armor it turns out this is what the Mandalorian actually looks like:
At some point on Tuesday after the show first dropped, someone tweeted this:
It led to great and unexpected joy:
And here we think Twitter is nothing but outrage and meanness and outrage.
Speaking of outrage: in addition to Mandalorian, over the weekend I watched Bambi for the first time. Seriously, this is me right now:
Can I just say, if Bambi were released today Disney would be absolutely pilloried for its portrayal of hunting. The film really is startling: 99% of the story presents this idyllic natural world where everyone gets along and there are adorable gay skunks. (True Fact: Flower is by far the most interesting character in the film.)
But then humanity shows up and they are absolute monsters, trying to kill pretty much everything, setting psychotic dogs loose and accidentally setting the entire forest on fire to boot. For real, the movie came out in 1942 but it’s like a parable of the world today.
One other crazy Disney+ story: the Han/Greedo scene in the original Star Wars has inexplicably been changed yet again. And not in the way we all would like, i.e. to allow Han, who shot first, to once again shoot first. No, instead Han and Greedo now shoot at each other at the same time *sigh*, and Greedo inexplicably shouts “Maclunkey”.
(Here’s a comparison of the different versions, starting with the newest.)
The term “Maclunkey” actually has a long and storied history in the Star Wars canon, having been said in scenes that do not exist in every film of the saga. The precise meaning of the term has never been revealed, but this is the finest translation I’ve seen so far.
People were um, shocked that Disney+ would have continued the Madness of King George. But it turns out this was actually one last act of vandalism by the man we all want to love IF HE WOULD JUST LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE before he sold the saga to Disney.
On the other hand, someone online suggested at some point we might as well just lean into it, and I kind of love what they came up with.
Basically Greedo is Han’s Stefon.
THREE TWEETS: THE DISNEY+ COLLECTION
One other outstanding interpretation of Maclunkey:
Also: Yes please.
And a Twitter’s Twitterer:
Worth noting: This is a parody account.
Also worth noting: The comments where people do not understand this. (Click on the tweet and you will see.)
TWO STORIES AND ONE VIDEO TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER ABOUT REALITY
There are Buddhist Kung Fu Nuns, they all share the first name “Fearless One”, and I feel like we should think of Catholic nuns the same way:
Also, Tom Hanks is not only playing Mister Rogers but sort of is just that good a guy.
Sally Field told me that Tom Hanks is so good that it actually makes her feel bad. She calls him “Once in a lifetime Tom.”
(The article also includes these four rules from Mister Rogers for journalists:
1. Journalists are human beings not stenographers, human beings not automatons. 2. Point out injustice when you have to. 3. Point out beauty when you can. 4. Be aware of celebrating the wonders of creation.
Lastly, David Byrne sings David Bowie’s Heroes with a choir made up of ordinary New Yorkers and it is wonderful.
It’s been a strange couple weeks in my neck of the woods, and also ear nose and throat. Last week I finished the last in a series of big articles that have been hanging over my head for a while and immediately got the flu. And it has stuck around – which was fun at first (I watched and read so many things!), but has now lost its lustre. Sick days are so not the same thing as snow days, you guys.
There’s maybe a silver lining, insofar as being knocked on my tail has helped me to realize this is kind of a useful Hit Pause moment for me, a time to stop and assess what I’m doing and what I want to do in the next 6-12 months.
Now if I can just coughing and regain the skill to breathe out of both sides of my nose I will be well and truly psyched.
(Btw: among the things I’ve read/watched, I’ve seen the first couple episodes of season 3 of The Crown, and wow are there some doozies. Keep your hankies at the ready.)
In the midst of everything else, comic book journalist Tom Spurgeon died last week at the age of 50. He was a remarkable person. A quote from him:
I want sloppy, beautiful, devastating art. I want experiences through art that are troubling and terrifying and joyful. I want to be desperate to catch up.
The object of my affection may not be the same as yours, and in fact I hope it isn’t. I want to die with my head on its shoulder.
Who knows what this week will have in store for any of us. (I pray that for you it does not involve spending time watching impeachment coverage, as 10 out of 10 psychologists have judged it will only break you.)
But wherever you find yourself, I hope you may have a few moments that are sloppy, beautiful and devastating. And may you fall asleep with your head on their shoulder.
See you next week.