Beem Weeks's Blog - Posts Tagged "comedy"
SNL
I'm just amazed that Saturday Night Live is still on the air. It lost it's mojo a long time ago. I remember those glory days of the 1970s, when John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Chevy Chase, and Laraine Newman actually made viewers laugh. They were fresh and relevant.
Politics ran sharp and smart, fads were lampooned, and characters became cultural icons. Rosanne Rosannadanna, The Blues Brothers, Samurai Warrior, Mr. Bill, Father Guido Sarducci; those were the best.
Even into the eighties the humor remained. But this version that hobbles around from week to week these days just isn't funny. The characters lack creativity, and Seth Myers is just plain awful doing Weekend Update. It's like that drunken uncle who used to be funny and wild, somebody you sort of looked up to. You know, he's your parents' age yet hip and easy to relate to. But now he's just pathetic, always coughing, laughs at his own jokes because nobody else will, and is in need of hip replacement surgery.
The mojo went bye-bye when they let Adam Sandler and other no-talent morons take to the air. That's when the standards went. And yet here we are, another Saturday night, and this dreck is occupying my TV. I don't know why or how I continue to watch. Habit, I suppose. Or maybe it's hope that still draws me in. Hope that this week will be the week where somebody steps up and writes a really funny sketch, creates a memorable character, and makes the world laugh again. Or maybe not.
Politics ran sharp and smart, fads were lampooned, and characters became cultural icons. Rosanne Rosannadanna, The Blues Brothers, Samurai Warrior, Mr. Bill, Father Guido Sarducci; those were the best.
Even into the eighties the humor remained. But this version that hobbles around from week to week these days just isn't funny. The characters lack creativity, and Seth Myers is just plain awful doing Weekend Update. It's like that drunken uncle who used to be funny and wild, somebody you sort of looked up to. You know, he's your parents' age yet hip and easy to relate to. But now he's just pathetic, always coughing, laughs at his own jokes because nobody else will, and is in need of hip replacement surgery.
The mojo went bye-bye when they let Adam Sandler and other no-talent morons take to the air. That's when the standards went. And yet here we are, another Saturday night, and this dreck is occupying my TV. I don't know why or how I continue to watch. Habit, I suppose. Or maybe it's hope that still draws me in. Hope that this week will be the week where somebody steps up and writes a really funny sketch, creates a memorable character, and makes the world laugh again. Or maybe not.
A True Original
The Village Idiots Ebay Club by Charlie BrayMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
If you’ve ever felt that unmistakable lure of E-bay, this is a book for you. If you just enjoy a good laugh-out-loud sort of read, The Village Idiots Ebay Club is just what you need. I found this hilarious story on the Indie Tribe web site and took a chance on it. I’ve never used E-bay personally, but I know many who seem to be addicted to the site. Author Charlie Bray has managed to capture the silliness of those who find themselves hopelessly caught in the pull of the online bidding web site.
Set up like an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, the story gives readers a fly-on-the-wall listen as a cast characters birthed from the mind of the author tell their tales of woefully idiotic behavior seemingly instigated by the bidding web site. Members of this group spill the beans on themselves, discussing the uselessness of the items purchased, the foolishness of prices paid for worthless objects, and the pure additive rush of a winning bid. Author Bray uses humor and wickedly creative dialogue like a true master, drawing laughs from readers with the ease of a classic storyteller. This book is unique, quite original, and deserving of a wide audience. I highly recommend it to anybody who appreciates a good, funny read.
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