What's Up, Doc?

I’ve been under some pressure from my wife and son to see my doctor.

 

All because it hurts when I do things.

 

Like walk. 

Or stand up.

Or sit down.  

 

“David, you need to go to the doctor.”

 

“Dad, you need to go to the doctor.”

 

I saw no need to go to my doctor because I knew what he would tell me.

 

“You’re overweight and you need to exercise.” 

 

Why do I need to pay good money to hear what I already know.  

 

I used to be big on going on walks. I would take a loop or two around the block.  Those walks were good therapy, both physical and mental.

 

But it started to hurt to take those walks. I would feel excruciating pain in my lower back and in my hips.  

 

Mostly because my frame is carrying about 1/6th of a metric ton of weight. 

 

I don’t eat right, I don’t sleep right, I don’t get enough physical activity.  My body is royally fuckked up and it’s all my fault for not taking better care of it.  

Gee, I really thought I would be dead by now.

If I was a horse, I would've been put out my misery by now. 

But my family seems to think otherwise.  As Jed Leland said in Citizen Kane, "They've got some dang fool idea about keeping me alive."  

 

A recent measurement of my blood pressure convinced even me into making an appointment to see the doctor. 

 

I’m not sure exactly how blood pressure works but I’ve seen enough medical shows on TV to know that both numbers are not supposed to be triple digits.  I called the doctor’s office but I made it a point not to see my regular doctor who has become cranky in his old age. I was more than willing to see any of the other doctors at that practice.    

 

Here’s what the younger doctor had to say: “You’re overweight and you need to exercise.” 

 

Well, duh!

 

But the doctor was sufficiently alarmed by my blood pressure to seek medicinal relief. 

 

I’m on a prescription for blood pressure medication. 

 

The doctor, bless ‘em, also tried to get me a medicinal leg up on my weight loss with a prescription for a generic version of Ozempic on the basis that I am very close being diabetic.

 

My insurance will not pay for it because I’m not actually diabetic yet.

 

Go figure. 

 

So I am making a renewed effort to pull down some pounds the old fashioned way.  

 

Even it feels like my hips are going to break off.  

To that end, I'm hooked up with a free app provided through my employer called "Hinge Health" which guides me through a series of exercises to promote better performance in my hips, knees and back. I've been on this program for a week and I can sense some small amount of improvement. It still hurts to walk, stand and sit but just a little bit less. 

Anyway, I will not be relying on the medical miracles of big pharma to shed myself of the extra person affixed to my frame. 

I'm going to have to do this the long way around. 

Napoleon Complex

I hoped to let a day or so go by without a post about that god damn moron Donald Trump but his recent post on Twitter (fuck you, Elon, I'm not calling it "X"!) was most disturbing and demanded my attention.

"He who saves his Country does not violate any Law."

If that sounds too articulate and too poetic for Trump's normal grade school syntax, it is a quote attributed to Napoleon.  

The quote in French is "Celui qui sauve sa patrie ne viole aucune loi" which translates to "He who saves his fatherland violates no law."

Presumably this quote was said right before Napoleon declared himself as Emperor of France and gave a big old "Fuck you" to any government or law that said otherwise.  

(There is some question if Napoelon ever actually said that.  The quote can be found in a book called Maximes et pensées de Napoléon by French author Honoré de Balzac. Published in 1838, 23 years after Napoleon's death in exile, the book is a compilation of aphorisms Balzac attributed to France's former emperor. But there is no direct independent confirmation Napoleon said it. And Balzac was a pro-Napoleon propagandist.)   

Whatever it's validity, the message of the quote is clear, that a leader should NOT feel compelled or constrained by the rule of law if they act in service to save their country. 

The White House felt good enough about Li'l Donnie's quote on Twitter to add it to his official photo and post it to the White House Twitter account.  

Below are some validated quotes from dictators through history and dang if they don't fall in line with Trump's post.   

But what the fuck exactly does Donald Trump think he's saving the country from? 

We know from his unhinged rantings at his rallies and his late night Truth Social posts that he sees America as some kind of continous post apocalyptic dumpster fire that only he can save us from.  

It is a Napoleon Complex of the highest order that Trump is contemplating to usurp power to save us from the demons of his own deranged delusions. 

His delusions may well have a real cost for the rest of us. 

Tuesday TV Touchbase: Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special

Today's Tuesday TV Touchbase will be about this past Sunday's TV special celebrating the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live. 

Before we get to the special itself, a few words about the lead up to it.

Starting last year during NBC's coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympics where so much broadcasting real estate was given to remind anyone and everyone that SNL's 50th anniversary was nigh upon us.

Interviews with athletes shared space with appearances by SNL cast members who were flown to Paris to comment on the Olympics and to be asked questions about SNL's 50th anniversary which was nigh upon us.

Over the intervening months, the build up to the SNL 50th anniversary special kept increasing in intensity and ubiquity.  News shows and talk shows not just at NBC featured SNL cast members past and present.  

Friday night featured a 4 hour concert event including a medley of Lonely Island tunes led by Andy Samberg and Lady Gaga.

In the absence of Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga performed his half of the classic "Dick In a Box".

That's her in the photo below with the gift box prop strapped to her waist.

If the link below is still active, you can see the whole medley including a returning  Chris Parnell joining Andy for "Lazy Sunday" as they convey via a very aggressive rap just where the best cupcakes can be found in NYC.

On Sunday just before the show itself, there was a red carpet event as celebrities arrive for the big show.

Oh my God! This is way too much attention!  

As for the show itself....

Instead of a sketch, the cold open is a performance of "Homeward Bound" by Paul Simon who performed that song on SNL in 1976 with George Harrison.  This time Paul is joined by Sabrina Carpenter whose vocals were very welcome as Paul was clearly struggling. (Paul Simon has admitted to hearing loss which makes it hard for him to sing.)   

Steve Martin does the monologue ("traditionally the weakest part of the show") where Martin Short does what he always does to insert himself in someone else's spotlight.  A problem Steve deftly solves by summoning ICE agents to deport Marty back to Canada.  

John Mulaney joins Steve to comment on the many people who have hosted SNL and out of just under 900, only 2 have committed murder.  (Mulaney clearly meant long ago hosts Robert Blake and O.J. Simpson but since Alec Baldwin was in the audience, well...  awkward!)  

Time to get busy with some sketches.   

We got another bizarre "Domingo" sketch and the return of "Black Jeopardy" with Tracy Morgan on hand as a contestant named Darius and Eddie Murphy as "Tracy Morgan" whose impression of Morgan was scarily spot on.

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler did one of those standard Q&A bits with the audience where conveniently place celebrities ask questions.  

This bit includes an appearance by that steely eyed smoldering sexy man beast known to us mere mortals as Adam Driver.  

And a DOG!!!! (Oh, who's a good dog!!!) 

Weekend Update anchors Michael Che and Colin Jost were joined by Seth Meyers and Bill Murray.

Murray ranked every anchor in “SNL” history — in front of Jost. (Spoiler: Jost didn’t make the list.) 

The segment also saw the return of a very-pregnant Cecily Strong (I think her due date is right this very minute) as the very pregnant “Girl You Wish Hadn’t Started a Conversation at a Party". Who's the father of Party Girl's baby?   Bobby Moynihan's Drunk Uncle, of course.  

We got a new "Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey" still using that perfect melodious narration by the late Phil Hartman

If John Mulaney's around, we've got oursevles a musical sketch.  And this one is a time travelling epic that begins with a hot dog vendor (Mulaney) in 1975 greeting a couple of newcomers (Pete Davidson and David Space) who have arrived in NYC to make their dreams come true. Mulaney leads them through a musical journey forward in time with songs derived from The Lion King (with Nathan Lane), Little Shop of Horrors (with Scarlett Johansen and Paul Rudd) and Hamilton (featuring my good friend Lin Manuel Miranda).  We even get a reprise from Les Miserables with Keenan Thompson as the Diner Lobster and Cecily Strong as the waitress.  

Aubrey Plaza has been largely absent since the January 3rd death of her husband. So it was an emotionally fraught moment to see her introduce Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard's cover of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U.” 

Andy Samberg joined with Bowen Yang to for a Digital Short to demonstrate the ubiquity of anxiety among SNL cast members over 5 decades. 

We got a sweet pre-taped bit with  original cast member Laraine Newman visiting stage 8H and wistfully reflecting on those early years of the show, a poignant moment punctuated by the clueless ineptitude of Pete Davidson's Chad.  

Just like a regular 90 minute episode of SNL, this double size special (3 hours and 23 minutes! Whoa!) was hit or miss with other sketches. 

The return of "Scared Straight" (with Keenan Thompson, Jason Sudeikis, Eddie Murphy and Will Ferrell) and "Debbie Downer" (with Rachel Dratch, Jimmy Fallon and Robert DeNiro) came late in the show when we're all exhausted and these sketches seemed to be trying too hard to create a viral moment.   

We're back with some sweet nostalgia as Garrett Morris introduces Tom Schiller’s "Don't Look Back in Anger", the classic black and white short film that posits an elderly Jim Belushi who has outlived the entire original cast.  (The cruel irony was that Belushi was the first original cast member to die.)  

The show ends with a powerful if flawed musical performance by Paul McCartney.  

Did the 50th anniversary special of Saturday Night Live live upon to the hype? I will say "no" in that NOTHING could live up to that level of hype.  

But all in all, I will count the SNL50 special as a win with genuine laughs and heartfelt emotion and if it wasn't always good, well, over 50 years, that's also part of the deal for SNL on any given Saturday night. 

Well, that is that for this week's Tuesday TV Touchbase.

Next week, it's the first season finale for High Potential.   (For real this time.)

Until next time, remember to be good to one another and try to keep it down in there, would ya? I'm trying to watch TV over here.  

He Did WHAT?!?

The political cartoon below is very much indicative of life here in the Fortress of Ineptitude.

My wife Andrea's daily routine of terror begins with an immediate check of her phone and as the litany of headlines pass by her eyes, she will exclaim, "He did WHAT?!?!"😱

The "he" of course is Donald Trump in his 2nd go round of pretending to be President.  I say "pretending" because as he demonstrated so effectively in his first term, he really has no idea what the job means and how to do it.  So he's just strong arming his way through his agenda of hate and ignorance via a flurry of executive orders.  

Apparently an agenda that involves killing children and young adults?

Li'l Donnie signed an executive order to ban federal funding to any school or university that requires students to be vaccinated against COVID 19.  

That's just one thing and there are so many other things that Trump has done that is counter to the welfare of this country's citizens.  

Meanwhile, Li'l Donnie is letting Elon Musk run amuck with his Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) summarily closing agencies and firing hundreds, even thousands of employees with no notice.

It would be funny except it isn't.

For example, a bunch of government employees got fired whose job it is to oversee America's nuclear arsenal.

 

He did WHAT?!?! 😱

Then those employees were begged to return because apparently Trump and Musk did not know what their particular agency did!

😛Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! ......Ha! ...... Ha ..... Ha? .....

Why aren't you laughing?  😟

Oh yeah. I get it.

Trump terminated half of the IRS.

Just when millions of Americans are looking for their tax refunds.

He did WHAT?!?!😱

Trump banned the Associated Press from the White House because they refuses to say that the Gulf of Mexico is the Gulf of America.

He did WHAT?!?!😱

Look, we could do this all day.  Because Trump, Musk and all the snivelling synchophants are busy every minute of every day doing shit like this.

Which means 4 more years of Andrea waking up in the morning, checking her phone and....

He did WHAT?!?!😱

He did WHAT?!?!😱

He did WHAT?!?!😱

Dave-El's Weekend Movie Post: Saturday Night

Tonight on NBC is the live special celebrating the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live.

(This week's Tueday TV Touchbase will post my thoughts on that special.)

Today's edition of Dave-El's Weekend Movie Post takes a look at a movie called Saturday Night that came out in the Fall of 2024 that looked back to  the October 11, 1975 premiere of NBC's Saturday Night, later known as Saturday Night Live. 

A disclaimer upfront:  if anyone is looking to this movie for 100% accuracy about the events leading up to 11:30 PM Eastern Time on October 11, 1975, that ain't this movie.  

Events in Saturday Night can be classified the following ways:

• scenes in the movie that recount exactly what happened in the hours leading up to 11:30 PM Eastern Time on October 11, 1975
• scenes in the movie that recount events that really did happen but NOT in the hours leading up to 11:30 PM Eastern Time on October 11, 1975
• scenes in the movie that recount events that may have happened at some point or another but we have no proof

And....

• shit the filmmakers completely made up.  

Before we get underway, it's pays to remember Murphy's Law: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong."

The movie opens with newbie producer Lorne Michaels arriving at NBC Studios in New York City for the debut of the first episode of NBC's Saturday Night.

(The show was not called Saturday Night Live because ABC already had a prime time series hosted by Howard Cosell called Saturday Night Live. After that show was cancelled, then NBC's Saturday Night became Saturday Night Live.)   

There is a LOT of shit going on.  

Michaels' boss, Dick Ebersol, warns him that NBC executive David Tebet has brought executives from across the country to come and view the broadcast. 

Despite Tebet' encouraging words to Michaels, Ebersol makes it known that Tebet has no faith in the show and is ready to replay an episode of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson to fill the time.

Garrett Morris, a veteran of operatic theater, wonders why the hell he is on this show.

John Belushi is irritable, detached and picks fights with everyone. He wonders why he's there.

Jim Henson complains his Muppets segment is being mistreated by the writers and questions why he's on this show.

The writers themselves are at war with censor Joan Carbunkle and her demands. 

Host George Carlin thinks the whole show is a sham and vehemently disputes why he's part of this thing.  

Milton Berle is hanging around for some damn reason to remind anyone who will listen that be was known as "Mr. Television", what kind of ratings his show got back in the 1950's and disputes why any of these young punks are there now. 

Chevy Chase confronts Milton Berle when "Mr. Television" hits on his girlfriend, Jacqueline. Berle tells Chevy he's a big nobody and questions what he's even doing here now. And for good measure, "Uncle Milty" pulls out his penis.  

Michaels gets a call from Johnny Carson who is not calling to wish him luck but warns him his little show is doomed and questions what he's doing there.

A lighting fixture falls down, narrowly missing Jonn Belushi. And NOW, John is in a REALLY BAD mood!  

Super stressed out, Michaels heads to a local bar, where he comes across comedy writer Alan Zweibel and hires him on the spot to become a writer on the show. 

After one more threat by Tebet to cut to the Carson rerun, the live show proceeds on air. 

Michael O'Donoghue and John Belushi perform the Wolverine sketch, which is well received by the audience. 

In the film’s final moments, Chase enters the scene and announces, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!"

And that is that.

Some of that stuff really happened. 

Some of it even happened that night.  

Some it really happened but later in the season or the series. For example, we see Dan Akroyd working on his "Julia Child bleeding to death" sketch which wouldn't be a thing until the 3rd season.

There is no evidence Milton Berle was hanging around NBC on that October night in 1975 but he would be there later in the series as an extraordinarily bad guest host who did treat the cast horribly behind the scenes.  (And Berle's was known to be very "well endowed" and would whip out his penis in case there were any doubters.) 

Under the heading of "shit the filmmakers completely made up" was a sweet poignant scene of John Belushi ice skating in his Bee costume at the Rockerfeller Plaza ice rink while Lorne Michaels and Gilda Radner look on.  Gilda has a great monologue about being nostalgic for a moment as it's happening, an observation made more bittersweet by our knowledge that of this original cast, Gilda and John will not survive.   

Also under "shit the filmmakers completely made up" is the tension that the NBC executive Tebets holds the show hostage right up to the last second. Whatever misgivings NBC had about this crazy ass show Lorne Michaels cooked up, by the time Saturday night rolled around, it was a given the show was going to go on.

The movie opens with a quote from Lorne Michaels and it's one my favorite quotes: "We don't go on because the show is ready. We go on because it's 11:30."  

I've read a lot about the history of Saturday Night Live. While Saturday Night takes a lot of liberties with certain facts, I feel this movie still accurately reflects the spirit of those crazy moments that lead up to 11:30 on the night of October 11, 1975 and it was time, ready or not, for the show to go on.  

And it has gone on for 50 years. I'll be back with more SNL stuff for this week's Tuesday TV Touchbase.  

Dave-El's Weekend Movie Post: The Goodbye Girl

Yesterday was Valentine's Day and I hope you were able to be with the one you love or love the one you're with (per a song from the 1970's.)  

In the spirit of romance and love and all that other stuff, today's edition of Dave-El's Weekend Movie Post is a romantic comedy-drama from 1977 written by Neil Simon called The Goodbye Girl.  

At the core of our story are three people.

Elliot Garfield (Richard Deyfus) is a struggling actor with a starring role in a play that will hopefully make his career. Arriving in Manhattan, he has sublet an apartment from an actor friend, Tony DeForrest.  Tony has gone off to Italy to make a movie and failed to mention that the apartment is already occupied.  

Dancer and divorcee Paula McFadden (Marsha Mason) and her ten-year-old daughter Lucy (Quinn Cummings) have just discoverd that Tony has abandonded them running off to Italy with no prior notice or warning. And Tony certainly left Paula no clue whatsovever that he had subletted the apartment out from under her.  

Elliot is annoyed that there's a strange woman and her child in his apartment.

Paula is frustrated that there's a strange man in what he insists is his apartment. 

Elliot and Paula both concede to let the other stay in the apartment.

Paula doesn't like Ellliot who insists on living his life as if other people aren't in the apartment. He will play his guitar at 3 in the morning if he feels compelled do so.  

Elliot doesn't care much for Paula who can be quite stern and demanding. 

They're both cynical and neurotic so hey, maybe these crazy kids can make this work? (They also both got screwed over by Tony who we can agree is the real enemy here, right?) 

And both are facing career struggles. Paula is getting back in shape to resume her career as a dancer but finding it difficult. She's been away from the stage for awhile and she's not a young ingenue any more. 

It's tough out there for a dancer.  

Meanwhile, Elliot's starring role in a Broadway play is not the dream he hoped it would be. The play is not Broadway or even off-Broadway but off-off-Broadway. The play is a production of Richard III and Mark the director has a disturbing direction for how he wants Elliot to approach the role of the troubled Shakespearan king. Mark wants Elliot to play RIchard as an exaggerated homosexual stereotype or as Mark puts it, "the queen who wanted to be king." 

Elliot knows this approach is a mistake on so many levels including Elliot will be laughed out of town by every New York theater critic. It's either comply with the director's edict or get fired and Elliot can't afford to be fired. 

Long story made short: the play opens, critics trash it, Elliot is singled out for his performance (as he feared) and the play closes. 

Meanwhile back at the apartment...

Elliot and Paula are still clashing with each other but they are starting to get used to each other's quirks and what not. Elliot has a growing fondness for Lucy and Lucy likes Elliot but is worried that, like Tony, Elliot will abandon them too.

The correlation with Tony isn't helped when Paula and Elliot sleep together.  

Elliot loves this demanding dancer. 

Paula loves this annoying actor.

Awwwww!!!  

But....  Paula shares Lucy's concerns that Elliot will abandon them like Tony did.

Elliot explains how much he cares for Lucy and Paula and that he wouldn't do anything to hurt them.

But...

Guess what? 

Elliot lands a role in a film that is shooting in Seattle.

Paula is worried she's going to be the goodbye girl again. 

Elliot promises he will return.

And there's a clue that he really means it. 

The film became the first romantic comedy to earn $100 million in box-office grosses which is pretty damn good for 1970's money.   

Last week I wrote I would be doing a post about a romance between a dancer and the most annoying man in the world.  While the introduction to Elliot gives a person who is pushy and prickly, to be fair, Elliot's evolution to a more caring and empathetic being is remarkable. Richard Dreyfuss deserves the 1977 Academy Award for Best Actor he won for his performance as Elliot Garfield. At the time, Dreyfuss was the youngest man (at age 30) to win an Oscar for Best Actor.

Both Mason and Cummings were nominated for Oscars and they had some tough roles to play. While we see Elliot softening in his attitudes towards Paula and Lucy, Paula is more recalcitrant to change, having been betrayed by men who abandoned her. 

Quinn Cummings take on Lucy avoids overly sweet and precocious but she feels real and endearing; her scenes with Elliot are especially remarkable.  (Quinn is now 57 years old and retired from acting. She is an entrepreneur, author, humorist and  inventor.) 

While I didn't see The Goodbye Girl for over 4 decades until after it's release, the film was still a part of my life in the '70's with the title song from the film by David Gates in nearly perpetual rotation on Top 40 radio. 

Tomorrow, we have another edition of Dave-El's Weekend Movie Post and we stay in 1970's. 

It's a movie that came out last fall about the origin of Saturday Night Live. 

Your Friday Video Link: Lois Lane Gets Married!

 ❤ Today is Valentine's Day and today's edition of Your Friday Video Link turns towards the topic of love and marriage.

❤ Specifically the marriage of a certain intrepid female investigative Daily Planet reporter and the caped super hero that makes her heart go a flutter and her knees all wobbly.

😍Yes, we're talking about the wedding of Lois Lane and...  Batman?

Sasha Wood of Casually Comics will explain.

Sasha has whole bunch of videos on the subject "Lois Lane Marries.... Somebody".

If you're old school and think Lois should only marry Superman, well check out this second link where Superman marries Lois Lane.

❤ Oh, that's sweet.

After she's dead.

💔 What the fuck?

Also the devil is involved?

Happy Valentine's Day, y'all!  ❤❤❤❤❤❤