Tag Archives: writing

Daily Countdown: Weird Al Songs #84

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#84

The White Stuff

Title: “The White Stuff”

Album: Off the Deep End

Release: 1992

Parody: “You Got It (The Right Stuff)” by New Kids on the Block. 

Written: Maurice Starr/Al Yankovic

Style: Pop/Boy Band

There have been plenty of original songs that Weird Al parodied that I have either did not like or did not know. You Got It (The Right Stuff) is a perfect example of a song that I disliked that Weird Al made better with his parody.

And what can be a better topic for a song than the white stuff in an Oreo cookie?

Lyrics

The white stuff
The white stuff

The first one was a sweet one
Second one was a blast
Soon I finished off the bag, ate ’em up real fast
You can see ’em in my teeth
Tell it when I talk
Had so many my pancreas just went into shock

I love the white stuff, baby
In the middle of an Oreo
I love the white stuff, baby
It’s the most delicious thing I know

I’ve had a zillion or two
In my life, they’re so right
My teeth are all rotted clear through
But who cares? What else am I supposed to do?

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh Oreo
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, the white stuff
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh Oreo
What’s in the middle? The white stuff

The first time that I tried it
Got a big sugar buzz
Nothing gets me high as that sandwhich cookie does
But I love the filling most
I rub it on my roast
Mix it in with my coffee and spread it on my toast

I love the white stuff, baby
In the middle of an Oreo
I love the white stuff, baby
Take some with me everywhere I go

Might get a pimple or two
Well, so what? It’s all right
Now Twinkies and Ding Dongs won’t do
All I need… You know what it is

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh Oreo
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, the white stuff
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, Oreo
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, the white stuff
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh Oreo
What’s in the middle? The white stuff

Source: Musixmatch

Sunday Morning Sidewalk #63

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Spoilers

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

“The Hedge Knight”

The new show on the Sunday Morning Sidewalk is the Game of Thrones prequel. I have only watched one episode of Game of Thrones (season 8, episode one… I was hopelessly confused), but I had heard that the show, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, did not require a knowledge of Game of Thrones to enjoy, so I added it to the Sunday Morning Sidewalk. There are six episodes, averaging around thirty minutes or so.

The show is an adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s novella series Tales of Dunk and Egg.

I’m not sure what I expected from this show, but this first episode was nowhere near it. That was not a bad thing. I thought the show was extremely charming. I felt a real connection to Ser Dunk as he attempted to enter a tournament. He was awkward and gawky, and anything like one would expect a knight to be. Meeting with the bald-headed boy named Egg, Egg would eventually convince Dunk to allow him to be his squire.

No bravado or arrogance as most knights show, Dunk was an uncommon character to lead this type of series. Again, I am not sure what I expected from a Game of Thrones prequel, but I really did enjoy this slice of imagination.

Peter Claffey played Ser Dunk. Dunk is an extremely tall person, especially in comparison to the others around him. Dexter Sol Ansell played Egg. I liked the dynamic between these two characters and I expect that they will be an important part of whether or not I continue ot enjoy this show.

It had a much more comedic feel to it than I expected. While not an out and out comedy, the tone of the show had that light-hearted humor feel which is, perhaps, why I did not expect this to be in the Game of Thrones world.

This was an interesting start to the next show in the Sunday Morning Sidewalk. We will see how it progresses in the upcoming weeks.

Jury Duty: Company Retreat E6, E7, E8

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Spoilers

When I started watching this season of Jury Duty: Company Retreat, I was unsure how I felt about it. By the end, I found myself absolutely lovoing it.

The last two episodes continued the storyline of the purchase of Rockin’ Grandma’s by the Triukas group and the reveal that they had a sinister motive behind the deal, giving Anthony a chance to come in at the end as a hero to stop the deal.

The Talent Show section of the show was absolutely amazing, and bringing in Sia as a guest star in the talent show was such a ridiculous, over-the-top moment, but worked so well.

Anthony Norman was such a wonderful man, and the perfect piece for the heart of the show. He was willing to take on all sorts of craziness from the collection of characters around him and he did it with such leadership and empathy. I did not think this show could top Ronald Gladden from season one of Jury Duty, but I think maybe Anthony was able to do it.

The final episode of Jury Duty has been when they go behind the scenes after the final reveal to the non-actor and it has always been one of my favorite episodes of the season because you get to see how intricate things have to be and to what lengths they take things to make this show work. Being able to see Anthony with his eyes finally open to what was going on around him is so much fun.

It also truly showed how much of a bond he had made with the actors, how connected he was with these fictional characters in real life and how much of an effect he had on them is so sweet and heart-warming. It gives you the message that if you are respectful and kind to people, good things will happen. I would be curious to see what would happen if they guy they bring in to the series would just freak out or not go to the extremes that they required him to do.

I am sure they spent all kinds of time researching their non-actor, making sure they would find the strongest possible candidate. They truly succeeded in that aspect this year.

I was iffy on the show at first, but it quickly turned into one of my favorite shows. It was easy to watch, always funny and entertaining and had a fabulous message. Jury Duty ahs had two stellar seasons of TV on Amazon Prime so far. Here’s hoping for a season three down the line.

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters S2 E6

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Spoilers

“Requiem”

I guess Skull Island is taking place at Jurassic Park now.

What was that opening scene meant to convey? It was a huge nothing. I guess there had not been many scenes between Kentaro and Hiroshi so the writers felt they needed something to show the audience. Or maybe they needed to throw a Kong cameo in to justify the name.

I don’t know how much more of this show I can take.

I did like how Kentaro ripped into Cate with her ridiculousness. The Cate character does the same thing every episode and it feels like they could just take her dialogue and copy it every scene.

What has been true about this show since day one is that the flashbacks are heads and shoulders above the present day material. That remains to be true. We follow Shaw in his reassignment and we come to meet his father. It didn’t make me feel much better when his father asked him why he was here, and he said was it a fight or fornication. Fornication? Who uses that word in their daily dialogue?

It was interesting to see how Lee’s flashback to his father was similar to the way Lee was thinking in the present. It is meant to show that Lee is not thinking clearly, but if he is on the opposite side of Cate then I am all down with it.

The Godzilla cameo in Kentaro’s dream was ridiculous. It was not as superficial as the Kong cameo, but it wasn’t much above it.

Then, as Lee was attempting to see if it was possible to open a rift to summon Godzilla to fight Titan X, something wonky happened and present day Lee started talking to young Lee on the walkie talkie.

Has the show added a time travel element to it? That ending was an interesting tidbit that maybe becomes something to help the show out. I have found this to be quite the sludge to get through each week, and I hope that the second half of the season would bring more to intrigue me than what it has done before.

Daily Countdown: Weird Al Songs #86

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#86

Polka on 45

Title: “Polka on 45”

Album: In 3D

Genre: Polka medley

Release: 1984

Parody: The idea was a style parody of “Stars on 45” from 1918.

Songs in polka: “Jocko Homo,” “Smoke on the Water,” “Sex (I’m A…),” “Hey Jude,” “L.A. Woman,” “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” “Hey Joe,” “Burning Down the House,” “Hot Blooded,” “Bubbles in the Wine,” “Every Breath You Take,” “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “My Generation.”

Polka on 45 was the first polka medley on a long list of polkas done by Weird Al. This is the second polka to appear in the Top 100, following #99 The Hot Rocks Polka. The polka medleys are some of my favorite things done by Al and they only continued to get better.

Lyrics

They tell us that we lost our tails
Evolving up from little snails
I say it’s all just wind and sails
Are we not men? We are Devo
Are we not men? D-E-V-O

Smoke on the water
And fire in the sky
Smoke on the water

I’m a boy
(I’m a man) well, I’m your mother
(I’m a man) I’m a one-night stand
(I’m a man) am I bi?
(I’m a man) I’m your slave
(I’m a man) I’m a little girl when we make love together

Hey, hey, hey!
Jude, don’t make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it
Better, better, better, better, better, better, yeah

L.A. woman
You’re my woman
Got my mojo risin’
Mr. Mojo Risin’
Hey!

In-a-gadda-da-vida, honey
Don’t you know that I love you?
In-a-gadda-da-vida, baby
Don’t you know that I’ll always be true?

Hey, Joe, where you goin’ with that gun in your hand?
Hey, Joe, where you goin’ with that gun in your hand?
Gonna shoot my old lady
Caught her messin’ ’round with another man

Yodel-ay-ee, yodel-ay-he-hoo, yodel-ay-ee, yodel-ay-he-hoo
Yodel-ay-ee, yodel-ay-he-hoo, yodel-ay he-hoo
Yodel-ay-ee, yodel-ay-he-hoo, yodel-ay-ee, yodel-ay-he-hoo
I’m an ordinary guy burnin’ down the house

I’m hot-blooded, check it and see
Got a fever of a 103
Come on, baby, do you do more than dance?
I’m hot-blooded, hot-blooded

Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every bond you break, every step you take
I’ll be watchin’ you

Darling, you gotta let me know
Should I stay or should I go?
If you say that you are mine
I’ll be here ’til the end of time
But you gotta let me know, whoa, whoa, whoa
Should I stay or should I go?

But it’s all right now, in fact, it’s a gas
But it’s all right, Jumpin’ Jack Flash, it’s a gas, gas, gas

People try to put us down (talkin’ ’bout my generation)
Just because we get around (talkin’ ’bout my generation)
Things they do look awful c-c-cold (talkin’ ’bout my generation)
Hope I die before I get old (talkin’ ’bout my generation)
This is my generation (talkin’ ’bout my generation)
This is my generation, baby (talkin’ ’bout my generation)
(Talkin’ ’bout my generation)
My, my, my, my, my, my generation (my generation)
Well, I’m talkin’ ’bout my g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-generation
Hey!

Source: Musixmatch

Shrinking S3 E10

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Spoilers

“The Bodyguard of Sadness”

Woof. This one packed a punch.

It was graduation day for Alice and the emotions are all over the place for poor Jimmy, with his father departing for a deep sea fishing trip instead of attending graduation, Paul getting ready to move to Connecticut and the fact that Alice is graduating is really crushing Jimmy’s spirit.

Jason Segal gave one of his best performances of the series in this episode as he confronted Paul about a myriad of issues, some of which were directed toward Paul and others that were directed toward his own father. It was devastating to see Jimmy rip into Paul like he did, especially since a lot of the anger was actually directed to his father and his childhood trauma, the fact that everyone was leaving him, and that he was feeling alone.

Harrison Ford has been brilliant in this series, and this episode was no exception. He was so subtle throughout, but you could tell how much Jimmy’s attack affected him. He sat in his home, waiting for the car to take him to Connecticut, and you can see how much he was suffering from the rejection of Jimmy, who Paul had invited for a goodbye breakfast.

The line: “I get it now. I’m not as important to you as you are to me. I just feel stupid it took me that long to realize it. I’m just not that sensitive, Paul. I’ll survive” dropped by Jimmy was like a dagger and put in words they way that Jimmy was feeling.

This was the penultimate episode of season three, but man did it feel like a finale. Everyone was finding their path over the next several months, and Jimmy was there all on his own.

It makes me worried for Jimmy as his mental health seems to have taken a huge back step from the positive areas that it had reached since the loss of Tia.

One more episode of the season next week. The finale should be fire.

Daily Countdown: Weird Al Songs #87

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#87

Lame Claim to Fame

Title: “Lame Claim to Fame”

Album: Mandatory Fun

Release: 2014

Written: Al Yankovic

Style Parody: Southern Culture on the Skids

Lyrics

One time I was in the checkout line
Behind Steven Seagal
Once I’m pretty sure Mr. Jonah Hill
Was in the very next bathroom stall
My best friend’s brother
Well, he was an extra in Wayne’s World 2
My neighbour’s baby sitter
Dated three of the guys in Motley Crue
I swear Jack Nicholson
Looked right at me at a Laker’s game

I got a lame
Lame claim to fame

Check it out, I bought a second hand toaster
From a guy who says he knows Brad Pitt
I got me an email from the prince of Nigeria
Well, he sure sounded legit
My sister used to take piano lessons
From the second cousin of Ralph Nader
Last year I threw up in an elevator
Next to Christian Slater
Well guess what, my birthday and Kim Kardashian’s
Are exactly the same

I got a lame
Lame claim to fame
A really lame
Lame claim to fame

Once at a party, my dentist accidentally
Sneezed on Russell Crowe
I posted first in the comments
On a YouTube video
I tried to sit by Steve Buscemi
But he told me this seat’s taken
I know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy
Who know a guy who knows a guy who know Kevin Bacon

I had a car that used to belong
To Cuba Gooding Jr.’s uncle
A friend of mine in high school
Had jury duty with Art Garfunkel
One time I was staying in the same hotel
As Zooey Deschanel
I used the same napkin dispenser
As Steve Carell at a Taco Bell
Well I don’t mean to brag but
Paul Giamatti’s plumber knows me by name

I got a lame
Lame claim to fame
A really lame
Lame claim to fame
I’m talking lame
Lame claim to fame
A really really really lame
Lame claim to fame

Ow, let’s get lame boys

Source: LyricFind

Daily Countdown: Weird Al Songs #88

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#88

Mr. Popeil

Title: “Mr. Popeil”

Album: Weird Al Yankovic In 3D

Written: Al Yankovic

Released: 1984

Style Pastiche: B-52s

Fact: Background vocals were provided by Lisa Popeil, the daughter of Sam Popeil, who this song was about.

Lyrics

I need a vegematic!
I need a pocket fisherman!
I need a handy appliance
That’ll scramble an egg while it’s still inside its shell!
(Operators are standing by.
How does that make you feel?)
Help me.
Mr. Popeil!

I wanna shine some pennies!
I wanna mend some leather!
I wanna Krazy-glue my head to the bottom of a big steel girder!
(Please, no c.o.d.’s.
Don’t miss out on this deal.)
Ah, help me.
Mr. Popeil!

Help me.
Mr. Popeil!
Mr. Popeil!
Mr. Popeil!

It slices. it dices.
Look at that tomato!
You could even cut a tin can with it,
But you wouldn’t want to!

Mr. Popeil, I’m in trouble.
Need your assistance on the double.
Oh no! now how am I gonna make
My old vinyl car top look like new?
Mr. Popeil!
Tell me, what am I s’posed to do?

Mr. Popeil!
Mr. Popeil!

But wait, there’s more!
It’s not sold in any store!
(Now how much would you pay?)
Don’t answer yet,
Just look what else you get!
(Now how much would you pay?)
If you order today,
You get a ginsu knife and a smokeless ashtray!
(Now how much would you pay?)
Now how much would you pay?
Mr. Popeil, Mr. Popeil.
Mr. Popeil, Mr. Popeil.
Mr. Popeil, Mr. Popeil.
Mr. Popeil, Mr. Popeil.

Make me buy a garden weasel!
Make me buy a bamboo steamer!
Make me take advantage
Of this amazing tv offer!
(Call our toll-free number,
We’ll make you such a deal.)
Aw, help me!
Mr. Popeil. I want it!
(Mr. Popeil.) well, I need it!
(Mr. Popeil.) I got to got to got to have it!
Mr. Popeil!
Mr. Popeil!
Hey!

Source: LyricFind

Daily Countdown: Weird Al Songs #89

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#89

You Don’t Love Me Anymore

Title: “You Don’t Love Me Anymore”

Written: Al Yankovic

Album: Off the Deep End

Release: 1992

Style: Acoustic ballad/Comedy

Style Parody: Soft rock break-up songs -inspired by Nicolette Larson’s “Still You Linger On”

Fact: The music video to the song is a parody of “More Than Words” by Extreme.

Lyrics

We’ve been together for so very long
But now things are changing, oh I wonder what’s wrong?
Seems you don’t want me around
The passion is gone and the flame’s died down

I guess I lost a little bit of self-esteem
That time that you made it with the whole hockey team
You used to think I was nice
Now you tell all your friends that I’m the Antichrist

Oh, why did you disconnect the brakes on my car?
That kind of thing is hard to ignore
Got a funny feeling you don’t love me anymore

I knew that we were having problems when
You put those piranhas in my bathtub again
You’re still the light of my life
Oh darling, I’m beggin’, won’t you put down that knife?

You know, I even think it’s kinda cute the way
You poison my coffee just a little each day
I still remember the way that you laughed
When you pushed me down the elevator shaft

Oh, if you don’t mind me asking, what’s this poisonous cobra
Doing in my underwear drawer?
Sometime I get to thinking you don’t love me any more

You slammed my face down on the barbecue grill
Now my scars are all healing, but my heart never will
You set my house on fire
You pulled out my chest hairs with an old pair of pliers

Oh, you think I’m ugly and you say I’m cheap
You shaved off my eyebrows while I was asleep
You drilled a hole in my head
Then you dumped me in a drainage ditch and left me for dead

Oh, you know this really isn’t like you at all
You never acted this way before
Honey, something tells me you don’t love me any more, oh no no
Got a funny feeling you don’t love me anymore

Source: LyricFind

Daily Countdown: Weird Al Songs #90

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#90

Achy Breaky Song

Title: “Achy Breaky Heart”

Written: Don Von Tress/Al Yankovic

Album: Alapalooza

Style: Country/Comedy

Parody: “Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus

This is a song that is famously about music that bugs some people. There are mentions of Donny and Marie, Barry Manilow, The Bee Gees etc. But above them all was the Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus which inspired the whole song.

Lyrics

You can torture me
With Donnie & Marie
You can play some Barry Manilow
Or you can play some schlock
Like New Kids On The Block
Or any Village People song you know
Or play Vanilla Ice
Hey, you can play him twice
And you can play the Bee Gees any day
But Mr. DJ, please
I’m beggin’ on my knees
I just can’t take no more of Billy Ray

Don’t play that song
That “Achy Breaky” song
The most annoying song I know
And if you play that song
That “Achy Breaky” song
I might blow up my radio, ooo…

You can clear the room
By playind Debbie Boon
Or crank your Abba records until dawn
Oh, I can even hear
Slim Whitman or Zamfir
Don’t mind a Yoko Ono marathon
Or play some Tiffany
On 8-track or CD
Or scrape your fingernails across the board
Or tie me to a chair
And kick me down the stairs
Just please don’t play that stupid song no more

Don’t play that song
That “Achy Breaky” song
You know I hate that song a bunch
And if you play that song
That nauseating song
It might just make me lose my lunch, oh-

Don’t play that song
That “Achy Breaky” song
I think it’s driving me insane
Oh, please don’t play that song
That irritating song
I’d rather have a pitchfork in my brain

Don’t play that song
That “Achy Breaky” song
The most annoying song I know
And if you play that song
That “Achy Breaky” song
I might blow up my radio, ooo-woo

Source: Musixmatch

An Elegy for the Clown

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My 8th grade classes just read Walt Whitman’s “Oh Captain, My Captain.” I love that poem as it used an extended metaphor to talk about Abraham Lincoln and his death after the Civil War ended.

So I assigned my students a poem to write. They were to write an elegy, which, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is a poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead.

I decdied that I wanted to write a poem too. I chose Robin Williams because how impactful he was to my life. I remember where I was when I heard the news… I was at a movie theater watching a live premiere of the movie “The Giver.” The news hit like a sledgehammer to my gut.

I wrote this poem I titled “An Elegy for the Clown” and I really love how it came out. I wanted to share it here.

An Elegy for the Clown

It was as if it happened yesterday.

Awaiting the curtain to be drawn

An atmosphere of electricity crackled away

Signaling the debut of a new dawn.

……….. A sudden cry came from far and wide

……….. Divulging that our clown had died

*

The circus was overwhelmed by the rain

Pounding upon the souls of the grieving

A painted-on smile obscured his pain

The facade of facepaint deceiving.

…………The fans beneath the big-top cried

…………Discovering that our clown had died

*

The clown was a master of his craft

Perfromances unlike but a few

We laughed, we laughed, we laughed, we laughed

Every act, every joke wholeheartedly through.

……………The tears of his peers flowed as they tried

……………To understand why our clown had died.

*

Time after time, our clown changed his face

To therapist, nanny, DJ, or genie.

Make-up morphed him into each role he’d embrace

Magically even more than Harry Houdini.

…………….. Each role a bandage; make-up applied.

……………..Leading to the reason why our clown died

*

They say pain and loss subsides over time

Good days, laughter, memories of him.

His acting, his improv and even his mime,

Can push aside feelings of sadness or grim.

………..To clowns, young and old, an inspiration bona fide.

………..Artistry abound after our clown had died.

Daily Countdown: Weird Al Songs #91

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#91

Isle Thing

Title: “Isle Thing”

Written: Young MC/Matt Dike/Michael Ross/Al Yankovic

Album: UHF

Released: 1989

Genre: rap/comedy

Parody: “Wild Thing” by Tone Loc (Weird Al’s first parody of a rap song)

Weird Al has an affinity for classic TV shows, as he has done songs about the Beverly Hillbillies and The Brady Bunch among others. This song is a spoof on the TV show Gilligan’s Island.

Lyrics

Met this fine young thing
At the local Circle K
She made a date for a half past eight
And I said, “What the hey?”

So I journeyed to her crib
And I let myself inside
That chick was slouched down on the couch
I think her brain was fried

Couldn’t figure it out
She wouldn’t even look at me
Then I saw her eyes, she was hypnotized
Cold glued to her TV

“Hey, what’s your problem baby doll
Let’s have a little fling”
She said, “Hey you fool, now just be cool
I’m watchin’ that Gilligan’s Isle thing”

Isle thing
Isle thing

Watchin’ all night
Musta been a marathon
I was bummin’, those shows kept comin’
Here’s what was goin’ on

These Castaways were stranded
On this island out at the sea
One of them called Gilligan
So let’s name him after me

He’d mess up every rescue
Man, that first mate was illin’
If I was one of those Castaways
I think I’d probably kill him

Just about that time
Telephone began to ring
She said, “Just let it, my machine’ll get
We’re watchin’ the Gilligan’s Isle thing

Isle thing
She loves that Gilligan’s Isle thing
Isle thing
Please, baby, baby, please

I like the professor
He always saves their butts
He could build a nuclear reactor
From a clouple’ of coconuts

She said, “That guy’s a genius”
I shook my head and laughed
I said, “If he’s so fly, they tell me why
He couldn’t build a lousy raft”

And while we’re on the subject
I’ll tell you one thing for sure
Those homeboys brought an awful lot
For just a three hour tour

Then her mom came in the room
It was kind of embarrasing
She said, “Hey you two, I was once like you
And I loved that Gilligan’s Isle thing”

Isle thing
She’d watch that Gilligan’s Isle thing
Please, baby, baby, please

Skipper’s in a hammock
He’s looking kinda fat
He’d throw a fit and then he’d hit
Old Gilligan with his hat

Mrs. Hal had it goin’ on
But Mr. Hal was meaner
Ginger and Mary Anne could’ve used
Some funky cold medina

I was really diggin’ this show
I didn’t know what to do
It kinda looked like I was hooked
Now I’m an addict too

I know each episode by heart
Now I’m the rerun king
And on every date, we both stay up late
And we watch the Gilligan’s Isle thing

Isle thing
Hasta la vista, little buddy
Gilligan’s Isle thing (isle thing)

Source: Musixmatch

Sha Na Na S4 E14, E15, E16, E17, E18

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The series of Sha Na Na is coming close to an end as I am in the middle of season 4. Season 4 has not been my most favorite season of this show. I think a big part of that is that they have been doing a bunch of songs that I have never heard before. Part of the fun of Sha Na Na is that they were singing songs that I recognized form the 1950s and 1960s. While I appreciate that they do not repeat songs very often, a lot of these songs did not appeal to that nostalgia. They did them fine, but I just was not engaged as I should have been.

Some of these guests were scrapping the bottom of the barrel too. See if you can figure out which one of these is not like the others: Lacy J. Dalton, Joey Travolta, The Currie Sisters, Jackie DeShannon and James Brown. Yep, I said James Brown. It was a strange performance though. He did not seem to get much reaction from the Sha Na Na crowd and it seemed to bother him. I think he probably fed off the energy of the crowd a lot, and there was not much energy in the crowd.

One of the comedy bits was with the song Istanbul (Not Constantinople) and I remember learning about that country name change from this song.

They played the song “Rock ‘N Roll Music” but it was sung by Chico. While I enjoy Chico’s songs usually, it just felt like the wrong Sha Na Na singer for this song. It was originally recorded by Chuck Barry and I think it would have been better with Donny singing it. Or maybe Screamin’ Scott. Chico’s version was fine, but it just did not feel right.

There were actually several songs that felt a little off during these episodes. I wonder if they were realizing that the end was near and that the overall energy was starting to lack a bit.

Sunday Morning Sidewalk #62

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Spoilers

His & Hers

“Episode Six”

Well, what do you know.

I was right.

Well, kind of…

I had speculated after the third episode that Anna’s mother, Alice, was the killer and that she had killed Rachel in a state of confusion. When the second body showed up, I figured that my twist suspect was innocent.

Nope. I was right. Alice was the killer. However, I was wrong in that she did it in a state of confusion. No, she planned it out and executed all three of the killings as retribution for an attack that Anna suffered at her 16th birthday party when she was raped by a bunch of men and these girls just sat back and watched. The whole dementia thing was faked as part of her plan to get away with the murders.

She confesses in a letter she wrote to Anna, who was pregnant and had reunited with Jack.

For awhile, the show hinted that maybe the killer was actually Kathryn, and I was guessing that she had faked her own death, but that was also a theory that was quickly dropped in this finale. Turned out that Lexy Jones was actually Kathryn. Lexy and her husband was the patsies here because Alice was planning on framing Lexy for the murders, but Priya shot her before that could happen. Poor Richard the camera guy got totally f-ed up during this whole thing, and he did not do anything,

It always felt as if there was something missing. I stated it last week that it felt as if there were some pieces that did not fit together and that I was hoping that the show would fill those gaps in in the finale. It sure did that.

The video tape that Alice found that showed the assault on Anna at her 16th birthday, and it inspired her to go after the others. That twist made a lot of the missing gaps go away. At first, I was not sure about the twist, but as it continued on, I found it to be a neat way to wrap up the limited series.

I enjoyed the six episodes and it does feel like it was a satisfying conclusion to an intense series. I am not sure how I feel about the ending as things are left fairly up in the air. And poor Richard…

So with that, another series during the Sunday Morning Sidewalk comes to a close. Next week, we start the new series, the Game of Thrones prequel series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms on HBO Max. I never watched Game of Thrones, but I heard that you do not need to have seen the original to enjoy this show. I hope they are right.

Jury Duty Presents Company Retreat E1, E2

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Spoilers

“Onboarding”

“Team Building”

I started a new program on Amazon Prime today, watching the first two episodes of Jury Duty Presents Company Retreat.

This is the second season of Jury Duty, which was one of the best surprise series from 2023. It was a hilarious series that was one of the most intriguing concepts on television. The idea for the first Jury Duty, a real person is called for Jury Duty and every other person involved in the show is an actor.

In this season, instead of being called for jury duty, our real person who is unaware that this is really a TV show is named Anthony Norman and he is a temp worker applying for a job at a company called “Rockin’ Grandma’s Hot Sauce” and he goes with the workers on a company retreat.

He was set up as the assistant to Kevin, who winds up leaving the retreat in embarrassment, leaving Anthony in his stead.

I have to say, the first episode was feeling too over the top and I was not sure if I wanted to watch the rest of the series. The second issue was better for me and started to pick up the story better.

It just felt as if there was just too much ridiculousness to accept that Anthony would still be going along with it.

The excuse for why there is a documentary crew in tow and everyone speaks to a camera at times is that the owner Doug was retiring and passing the CEO seat to his son, Dougie. That made sense, but there is a limit to what one could expect someone to react to.

Of course, last season, the “winner” received a huge cash prize for succeeding and being a good person, and Anthony certainly feels like a solid person too. Seeing how he will react to the craziness coming might be worth sticking out. There are only a total of 8 episodes, so I plan on finishing this up.