MR. STEWART GOES TO WASHINGTON

    

This article probably should have been titled "Why I Miss Jon Stewart As Host Of The Daily Show"  but I thought twice about that, especially since the show has become an almost an entirely different entity under its current host Trevor Noah; much like the way the show transformed when Stewart took over for Craig Kilborn.  Everyone is bringing something different to the table.
     In Jon's case it was his critical and watchful lens on the television media and its tendency to wander off from its supposed journalistic integrity in its naked and shameful pursuit of giant ratings.  John Oliver has a little fun poking the eye of the local CBS affiliate in New York City (WCBS) from time to time but for Stewart it was a never ending battle.  The broadcast networks and later the cable news outlets have become neutered by their sponsors and shareholders in what stories they can and cannot tell and in some cases how they tell them.  To him, MSNBC was just as guilty as Fox News in how unashamedly crass they where in how they 'dumbed down' the events of the day, even though it was clear he leaned more than a little to the left.
     Recently, Stewart has been back on TV but not in his previously satirical pose.  He has been working with surviving first responders of the Twin Towers attacks in hopes getting the 9/11 Victims Bill extended so that it never runs out of money.  He is speaking for many of those who literally can't.
This is not a 'bit' or a 'gag.'  I happen to agree with his point of view on this subject and most who don't are currently holed up in Washington D.C. taking their orders from a man who probably never even volunteered a decent line of Peruvian marching powder up to a fellow partier at Studio 54 back in its heyday.  And one of the Congressmen he called out personally fired back by saying that he didn't think Stewart was 'funny anymore' and called him a member of the 'left-wing mob.'  First, the left wing is too unorganized and diverse to be even considered a 'mob' and, more importantly, sir, he wasn't trying to be humorous; especially after one of the survivors who testified in front of a governmental committee a little over six weeks ago is now dead and buried.
     Now let's try to get our facts down before we start vomiting up falsehoods, shall we?


UPDATE:  Can you guess how the vote went by this picture?

A MOST UNINSPIRATIONAL BUT HILARIOUS QUOTE

"The three purposes of the University?--To provide sex for the students, sports for the alumni, and parking for the faculty."

^{-Clark Kerr}
Former President of the University of California

MY REVIEW: 'LIVE BEFORE A STUDIO AUDIENCE'

    

It's no secret that Norman Lear is one of the true pioneers of television.  After years writing for other people's programs, he decided to branch out on his own.  He started directing a few motion pictures and then had a idea while watching a British sitcom called "Till Death Us Do Part" while on business in England.  He decided to buy the U.S. rights, Americanize it by very loosely basing the characters on people he knew and changing the title.  However, this was no overnight success.  After 2 failed pilots, a third titled "All In The Family" debuted in early 1971....to low ratings.  However, summer reruns caught viewers eyes and it eventually became the #1 show for several seasons.

     Lear quickly started to break minor characters off into to 'spinoff' shows.  Edith Bunker's cousin Maude got her own show.  Maude's housekeeper Florida Evans got her own show.  The Bunker's neighbor's the Jeffersons got their own show.  Suddenly Lear was a rich and successful mini mogul in his own right, cranking hit after hit of topical and often controversial in-your-face comedy based mainly on characters that were sometimes bigoted, sometimes ignorant, sometimes arrogant but deep where supposedly well meaning.  The language subject on these shows were raw and uncensored and many local affiliates refused to broadcast certain episodes, but a hit is a hit in showbiz so these refusals never lasted too long.  Most importantly the scripts were meticulously plotted by some of the best comedy writers and were almost always flat out hilarious.

     After ruling the 1970's Lear's interests lead him elsewhere but at the age of 94 he had an unexpected comeback with an all Latinx version of "One Day At A Time."  Suddenly Lear was hot again.  Jimmy Kimmel took note of this and wanted to team up with Lear and had a novel suggestion: "Why not take one classic episode each of 'All In The Family' and 'The Jeffersons' and use the exact same scripts but with new actors taking on the iconic roles?"  Lear was game and even threw in another twist:  Do them live just like many early television sitcoms were done.

     And so this happened a few weeks ago and, like many diehard fans of these classic shows, tuned in to see how these classic but somewhat topically dated scripts would fare in today's world.  Oh, and they got TV best sitcom director ever James Burrows to helm these episodes.

     How did it go?  First, the actors updating the iconic roles and their versions of the characters seemed a bit irrelevant to me as long as they didn't do anything too distracting like getting Christopher Walken to play Archie Bunker.  And because it was live there where a few mistakes here and there but to me that was part of the fun; to see if the actor could 'get back on the horse and keep riding' which thankfully never failed to happen.

     Of course, it was heaven to see the surprise casting of Marla Gibbs stepping back into the her role as the Jeffersons' maid Florence Johnston and she knocked it clean out of the park. I almost cried.

     But, of course, the main question was: would the original scripts which were not changed one word (causing one contentious word to be bleeped) be as funny as they were over 40 years ago.   Yes and yes to both episodes because they were impeccably structured originally and only a fool would try to change these Emmy Award winning writers words.  And some parts of these scripts are unfortunately just as relevant as ever.  People who say Lear was trying to change the world with these shows are missing the point.  Getting people with differences to have a meaningful dialogue is what was and still is desired.

     And, of course, it was refreshing to see characters having differences and then having them try to work them out with the people they disagreed with standing just a few feet away without any 'firewalls' between them.

     If Lear and company can find a way to this again with more daring episodes like 'Maude's Pregnancy' or  the "Good Times" classic 'Black Jesus' episode with as much care, I say 'bring it on!' 

MY OWN 'VANISHING POINT'

   

As hard it may be to say this, I can no longer in good conscience consider myself to be a regular Saturday Night Live viewer.  No, I am not going to call the show 'Saturday Night Dead' or any of that nonsense.  However, it simply amuses me when it tries to make me laugh or doesn't amuse me at all.
     Out of probably hundreds of sketches this year, only about four or five would be considered keepers and, honestly, I can't even remember what they are right now.  I understand that NBC is trying to reach a certain demographic and I bet I'm no longer a part of that club.  Hence my hands going for the remote to see what else is on when I shouldn't or all the time when they introduce the musical guest.
    There is a recent 90 minute video on YouTube of John Mulaney talking with Bill Hader.  This video made me laugh much more than any recent SNL episode.  It's very telling how much I laughed at their pitches for sketches that were rejected or didn't make it after dress rehearsal.
     I still like the Marx Brothers if that makes anyone happy.

MY REVIEW: BAXTER! (1973)

 

Okay, so this isn't even a golden oldie.  In fact, there are few reviews anywhere on the web about this movie.  It was probably a box office flop though I can't even confirm that.  "Baxter" was written by Reginald Rose ("12 Angry Men" and "Whose Life Is It Anyway") and based on a novel by Lin Platt who was best known for writing for Hanna-Barbera cartoons like "Top Cat" and "Jonny Quest" which explains why that company is listed as one of the co-producers of the film.  Whether this story is autobiographical in any way is also unknown.
     The story, of course, concerns a pre-teen boy whose parents have recently divorced after a messy marriage and the physical abuse of the kid.  Baxter, played by Scott Jacoby, ends up moving from California to England with his Mom.  Neither parent shows any love or affection for him as they are both very self-involved and selfish.  The boy is confused, angry and knows he's growing up faster than he should.  He talks like an adult except for the fact the he has never learned how to pronounce his R's.  Oddly enough, at the British school for Americans he attends, no one laughs or makes fun of him.  I think they know someone deeper is troubling this boy.
     He soon makes friends with a young married couple (one Brit gal and one French guy) who live in the same apartment complex and eventually becomes a surrogate child to the friendly couple who really take an interest in the child's life.  The French shows a scar on his face, caused by the Nazis in World War II, to make Baxter feel less self-conscious about his speech impediment which didn't really make sense to me but, hey, at least he tried, right?
     He later makes friends with a British girl who was spying on Baxter across the street with a telescope from a different apartment.  They're both unsure about how to friends as they both have been alone in their own ways.
     Later, Baxter starts seeing a school speech therapist played by Patricia Neal.  She soon learns how much Baxter is unwanted by both of his parents and get him to starts to get him to speak properly some of time.  She also learns that Baxter is beaten and left in a locked closet by his Mom after he breaks a telephone after being told by his Dad that a poker game is more important than him.  The speech therapist show up at Baxter's apartment to find him after he fails to show up for school and ends up decking his Mom and then says 'I hate violence, Mrs Baxter, and tomorrow I'm going to hate myself for this, but right now I warn you if you so much as move, I'm going to break you into little pieces.'
    Geez, was the Debbie Downer character based on this kid?  I didn't even tell you the part where he tries to die standing up after he decides he's not wanted anymore after his girlfriend moves away and the French man's young wife dies of pneumonia.  At the end of the movie, he decides to stay with his surrogate Dad who is still greiving for this loss of his young wife. Yikes!
     The movie was produced in England and directed by the Brit Lionel Jeffries and I suppose the story resonated more with the British as the country was going through an impoverished time with high unemployment and there have been many families like this.
     The acting is first rate but I'll be damned if I knew if there was a point to this film beyond the fact that all children deserve love and affection.  That subject was hammered home continually throughout the movie.  I still liked it for the subject matter even though I'm not sure I loved it.
     

I'M WHELMED

     It's been awhile since my last posting.  Sorry about that.  There have been some recent changes that have prevented me from having enough time to update this ol' blog of mine.  Don't fret;  there will most likely be more to come.....just at a slower pace (think of pouring molasses).   Meanwhile, just go outside and enjoy yourself.  God knows you've earned it after reading enough of my gobbledygook.

R.I.P. TO CRASHING

     I've just learned that HBO has cancelled the Pete Holmes semi-autobiographical series "Crashing."  I had a feeling that this was coming as the network barely promoted the show.  That's probably because the network couldn't rightly call the show 'sexy', 'edgy', 'haunting', or 'groundbreaking,'  It wasn't.  It was funny, sweet, realistic, and not cynical.  In other words, a real rarity for these times.
     I'll not say anything more than this except to watch all three seasons now.  Especially if you're looking for the exact opposite of "Big Little Lies" or "Succession." Thanks.