Does anyone else think that "Californication" is bizarre, a kind of wish fulfillment for writers? The Hank Moody character is seen as glamourous and cool, and every female, from teenagers to fortysomethings, practically drops to her knees when meeting him (often literally).
The worst example was when a beautiful blonde in a convertible pulls up to Hank's battered Porshe at a red light and asks him what he does. He responds by telling her he's a writer.
The girl then writes down her phone number, says "read this," and kites the piece of paper over to Hank.
You would think that Hank is Justin Timberlake, or at least John Grisham, or somebody famous. He is not, except by a small group of fans (hey, wait a minute, that must sound familiar to some of you reader(s)). Instead, he's the Fonzie of writers, and I've heard that like the Fonz would have it, there is an episode featuring twins or sisters or something.
Wait, there's a group of co-eds at my door. They're constantly harassing me, asking me to sign various parts of their pert bodies. The writing life is tough.
Showing posts with label Observations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Observations. Show all posts
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Got a Free T-Shirt
The Democratic National Committee is wasting no time in their constant haranguing of people to support the organization. Here it is not even a week from the party's triumph, they have just put out an e-mail that offers anyone contributing $30 or more a 2008 commemorative election T-Shirt.
Hey, the Chinese and other countries that still actually produce real things need the labor.
Don't underestimate the lure such a seemingly humble garment. I was walking through Times Square a few years ago, and there was a line of muttonheads stretching around the block for a free premiere of some wretched and long-forgotten movie.
The crowd was getting restless, so whatever firm that was handling the circus decided to give away, that's right, the ultimate gift - free T-Shirts
The crowd went wild, with people in line shouting out and flailing their arms. "Oooh, free T-shirt, over here, over here!" You would have thought that they were giving away bricks of gold bullion.
As for the DNC, go back to pumping Hollywood and Upper East Side socialites for money. Their nannies might look good in those shirts.
Hey, the Chinese and other countries that still actually produce real things need the labor.
Don't underestimate the lure such a seemingly humble garment. I was walking through Times Square a few years ago, and there was a line of muttonheads stretching around the block for a free premiere of some wretched and long-forgotten movie.
The crowd was getting restless, so whatever firm that was handling the circus decided to give away, that's right, the ultimate gift - free T-Shirts
The crowd went wild, with people in line shouting out and flailing their arms. "Oooh, free T-shirt, over here, over here!" You would have thought that they were giving away bricks of gold bullion.
As for the DNC, go back to pumping Hollywood and Upper East Side socialites for money. Their nannies might look good in those shirts.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Street-Fighting Women
It looked for all the world like one of those fat-suit wrestling competitions. Two rather large Puerto Rican women in a roly-poly catfight on a sidewalk on Broadway in the 30s. Nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd, but maybe 10 bored people looked on when me and a friend passed by. Even the cops treated it like a joke.
I never quite know what to do in those situations, and I hate gawkers looking on for cheap entertainment, yet of course have to fight my remaining journalistic instincts to witness violence.
In DC once some moronic kid in Mt. Pleasant was firing a gun northward at the end of the street. Instead of ducking back in to my bar, I started following the kid. A restaurant owner in his entryway looked at me like a was a lunatic and said "are you crazy?" and told me to stand back.
As PJ O'Rourke once said, violence is interesting. Unfortunately, he's right. The question is what is the moral thing to do in such situations? Do you have a moral obligation to do something?
It is like the case of people rescuing drowning swimmers even though it places them in harm's way. I think way back to the jet that hit the 14th Street bridge in DC in the early 80s. As you might remember, a man on the banks of the Potomac jumped out and saved a passenger in freezing, ice-choked water.
Then there's the guy who rescued someone on the subway tracks in NY by leaping onto the tracks and pinning both under the undercarriage of the cars.
They say that people do these kind of things because they want others to react the same way if they were in trouble. The question comes down to more than guts. As the subway savior said, he just didn't think about it, he just did it.
I never quite know what to do in those situations, and I hate gawkers looking on for cheap entertainment, yet of course have to fight my remaining journalistic instincts to witness violence.
In DC once some moronic kid in Mt. Pleasant was firing a gun northward at the end of the street. Instead of ducking back in to my bar, I started following the kid. A restaurant owner in his entryway looked at me like a was a lunatic and said "are you crazy?" and told me to stand back.
As PJ O'Rourke once said, violence is interesting. Unfortunately, he's right. The question is what is the moral thing to do in such situations? Do you have a moral obligation to do something?
It is like the case of people rescuing drowning swimmers even though it places them in harm's way. I think way back to the jet that hit the 14th Street bridge in DC in the early 80s. As you might remember, a man on the banks of the Potomac jumped out and saved a passenger in freezing, ice-choked water.
Then there's the guy who rescued someone on the subway tracks in NY by leaping onto the tracks and pinning both under the undercarriage of the cars.
They say that people do these kind of things because they want others to react the same way if they were in trouble. The question comes down to more than guts. As the subway savior said, he just didn't think about it, he just did it.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Everyday is Like Monday (Night Football)
Yes, it was an in ad for the NFL yesterday , and it is a song about Nuclear Armageddon. Morrisey's song "Everyday is Like Sunday." They just played that line over and over again on TV.
Mainly because the rest of the lyrics go "everyday is silent and gray," and "come Armageddon come Armageddon come."
Let's wait for the refrain for "God Save the Queen," to be played incessantly,in an incessant loop, without the accompanying lyrics to give it meaning.
This is like what's known in media as a "pull quote" for a movie. The film in a review could be something like "so horrible it sets a new standard for wretchedness" and the ads for it would be that it "sets a new standard."
And what do Englishmen know about football anyway?
PS. The Skins actually beat Dallas at their stadium. Is that a signal of the coming of the Antichrist?
Mainly because the rest of the lyrics go "everyday is silent and gray," and "come Armageddon come Armageddon come."
Let's wait for the refrain for "God Save the Queen," to be played incessantly,in an incessant loop, without the accompanying lyrics to give it meaning.
This is like what's known in media as a "pull quote" for a movie. The film in a review could be something like "so horrible it sets a new standard for wretchedness" and the ads for it would be that it "sets a new standard."
And what do Englishmen know about football anyway?
PS. The Skins actually beat Dallas at their stadium. Is that a signal of the coming of the Antichrist?
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