EPISODE 543: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BOSOM BUDDIES?
In which the author discovers that "Thanking the baked potato" means something different in the U.K.
POP CULTURE SPIRIT WOW
It’s been a big week in pop culture. First of all The Crown is back, or as I call it, If You Think Your Family Has Troubles…. It might be my favorite show. It’s consistently the best written piece of television out today.
It’s also kind of a long form horror movie. It’s the story of a group of good people whose lives are slowly and empathically destroyed by an institution that once touched they cannot ever escape.
(I’ve watched the first two episodes. Diana figures prominently, she’s filled with hope and I kept begging her to run away while she can. WHY WON’T SHE LISTEN?)
Also, for those who Mandalorian, the show just created a crazy bold bridge between its live action and animated universes, and like pretty much everything that show does it worked really well.
And, out of the blue, Buffy the Vampire Slayer returned to its rightful place in the conversation when U.S. Saver of Democracy Stacey Abrams took a break to express her opinions about the series--
--which led to the cast and crew of Buffy fanboying out on both Buffy and Angel, and that is for me what the universe is supposed to look like when things are going well, so yeah, it was pretty great.
How are you doing? It’s been another crazy week. Kind of a scary one too. I check the latest figures from the U.S. each night before I go to bed, just to see where we are. Then I don’t go to bed. But who needs bed anyway? There’s always tomorrow, or falling asleep at my desk.
Look, it doesn’t seem great out there right now. At airports in other countries where they list arriving and departing flights they’ve created a third category for American cities: “Hot Zone :(”. Which people from Phoenix and Palm Springs were really happy about – finally someone recognizes what we go through! – but the rest of us not so much.
On the upside, it’s not like Jason’s mom is chasing us through an abandoned summer camp because some counselors twenty years ago didn’t look out for him. At least I hope not; if you’re reading this and you’re at a campgrounds and it feels like you’re suddenly all alone STOP READING THIS AND GET OUT NOW.
(Did I mention I recently saw Friday the 13th for the first time?)
I don’t mean to be flip. None of this is great news. But the strangest part about it all is also our greatest asset – its capacity to spread is completely determined by us. Stay home and you won’t get it, and it’ll die out.
That’s where I’m choosing to place my energy. I know, there’s a lot of anti-maskers out there. But seems like more states and cities are wising up to the need to demand more measures, and hopefully that’ll change things.
We have to keep looking up, keep going. Or this may very well happen to us.
This song, performed by British actor Matt Lucas, is from a twenty year old variety show which he for some reason has now updated to find our current circumstances. Because why wouldn’t a song about an anthropomorphized potato be the right vehicle to encourage people to be safe?
Lucas is using it to raise money for the UK’s National Health Service. Again, not sure how exactly that tracks – Dear, the potato song is on, we should venmo the hospital. But it’s a great idea. And the song has definitely gotten some traction --
--aka everyone in the UK has lost their minds, but I am not judging because their version of insanity seems to involve safety and that seems like a great novelty right now.
In my own version of self-soothing rocking I’ve continued watching movies everyone says you’re supposed to see and I never have.
Hot takes:
From Here to Eternity – Loved it, but how do you rolling around in the surf with all the salt?
All Quiet on the Western Front – Full Metal Jacket, but so much more raw.
Shadow of a Doubt – Amazing Hitchcock story of a young woman infatuated with the uncle she’s named after who discovers he’s maybe a serial killer. I’m sending it to all my nephews and nieces for Christmas. (Heh heh heh.)
An Affair to Remember – I spent the first half of the movie remembering Meg Ryan and Rosie O’Donnell in Sleepless in Seattle crying about this movie, and the second half crying myself. So good.
Priscilla Queen of the Desert – Okay this one I had seen, but so worth watching again. A movie filled with courage, choreography and lip-syncing.
On the short list for the next few weeks: Carrie; The Raid; Easy Rider; Funny Girl.
I’m also getting ready for holiday movies. Tell me your favorites and I will watch them!
My mom was telling my niece has started doing Christmas decorations already. A friend on Twitter was also saying he’s already listening to Christmas songs. I find myself at about the same place. Christmas is a beautiful season of lights and warmth and reflection, and honestly at this point why wait on that.
Love Letter to My Gen X’ers, Part 347
Are there going to be Oscars this year? There have been movies. On streaming services mostly, but still…?
I don’t really know what that event could possibly look like, but I do have some ideas I’d like to share with you right now from short (very short) films I’ve stumbled on in various categories.
Best Picture
Best Horror Movie – which should definitely be its own Oscar category.
Best Actress
Best Documentary (If you Watch One Thing Today…)
Best Foreign Film
Best American Film that Uses Foreign Language and/or Juliette Binoche to try and win Best Foreign Film
Best Song
Well, I’m going to go try to watch part of Sleepless in Seattle now. (I can’t get Affair to Remember out of my head. Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant are amazing you guys.)
Do the things that feed your hope and your spirits. We will get through these hard days.
(A picture from Ballarat Australia. It’s spring there.)