RIP Tommy Smothers
Tommy Smothers has died at the age of 86. I was an early fan, having seen him and his brother on some variety show or other, doing their number, “Chocolate.” I was a kid and I howled with laughter. They … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Theater and TV
Critiquing AI’s song lyric efforts
Commenter “huxley” had AI perform an interesting exercise. He asked ChatGPT 3.5 to do the following: Write song lyrics like “Why Can’t a Woman Be More like a Man” based on “Why can’t a Nothing be more like a Something.” … Continue reading →
Boston’s POC Christmas Party echoes Eddie Murphy’s famous SNL bus sketch in reverse
First, the old Eddie Murphy sketch. On watching it again after many years, I’m struck by the fact that, although I had remembered the first two bits – in the store; and the party on the bus – I had … Continue reading →
Academics and artists for Palestinian terror
If the horrific situation in the Middle East can be said to have any pluses, probably the only one would be that it has underlined the destructive state of academia in the US today. I use the word “underlined” rather … Continue reading →
Loverly Audrey Hepburn
For a change of pace, here’s Audrey Hepburn singing “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” and “Show Me” for the My Fair Lady film. I understand why she was dubbed instead; there’s a lot of strain in her voice. But I like … Continue reading →
RIP David McCallum
David McCallum was one of my favorite actors when I was young. I only saw him in two things, but I loved him in both. I’m not sure I could explain why, either. I found his blond looks exotic and … Continue reading →
When is a view not a view?
When it’s counted on Twitter – that is, on X. Here’s the scoop: I've probably "viewed" Trump's interview a dozen times when I when to Tucker's profile page and it auto played or saw it playing in the feed and … Continue reading →
Mr. Rogers has a message from 52 years ago about boys and girls
I’m too old to have watched Mr. Rogers as a child. But as I watched him forty years ago with my own child, I found some of his messages a little obscure. For example, there was the song that follows, … Continue reading →
That “Life of Brian” trans scene: brilliant, prescient, and now forbidden
In an odd coincidence, two days ago I sent a friend a video of one of my favorite comic scenes from “Life of Brian,” made in 1979: And last night I saw this article about a new stage production based … Continue reading →
The very best woman is a biological man
It seems to be the case in athletics. Mediocre male athletes can become champs by declaring themselves female. A man who has passed puberty has a lifelong advantage that doesn’t end even if that person starts taking female hormones. One … Continue reading →
The Good Place
I finally got around to watching a Netflix series someone close to me had recommended: “The Good Place,” which premiered between 2016 and 2020. I don’t tend to watch much TV, but I felt the need for some distraction, and … Continue reading →
It gets harder and harder to shock people
Sam Smith went Satanic at the Grammys. But that’s probably not going to shock most people’s actual Grammy and Grampy: I regret to inform you that singing in a devil costume may not have the intended shock value on your … Continue reading →