Tag Archives: comedy

Rosie O’Donnell Returns to TV and Billy Joel Returns a Favor

You didn’t really think she would stay away forever, did you? The rumors that have been flying around for months have finally been confirmed: Rosie O’Donnell is returning to the airwaves as host of her own TV variety show titled “Rosie’s Variety Hour.” (Original, huh?) According to Variety, O’Donnell’s new show will debut on November 26th on NBC. Right now the peacock network is airing the pre-Thanksgiving show as a network special, but execs say if the ratings are strong the hour-long show could become a permanent part of NBC’s primetime line-up. Producers say the comedian plans to fill her … Continue reading →

Weight a Minute! Interview with a Gila Monster

Today we are joined by Mr. G. M. Jones (pictured, left) president of The Society for the Prevention of the Exploitation of Lizard Secretions. Mr. Jones contacted me after reading my last blog here in weight loss, about the use of Gila monster saliva in weight loss formulations. Mr. Jones was born and raised in the Gila monster community and has devoted his life to forwarding the cause of his species. Me: Mr. Jones, thank you for contacting me. You mentioned in your e-mail that you are very concerned about what this recent medical discovery will mean for members of … Continue reading →

Steve Martin’s Comedic Genius

I just got through reading Steve Martin’s biography, Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life. The book was a good, easy read, but it also gave some insight into Steve’s life. I guess I usually think of a comedian as being outgoing and the life of the party, but that is not always the case. In fact, it seems that it was Steve’s desire to impress his emotionally distant father. Steve seems to be a rather reserved, private person in real life. Steve started out at a magic shop at Disneyland before moving on to the Bird Cage Theater at Knott’s … Continue reading →

Babe: Pig in the City (1998)

“Babe: Pig in the City” picks up immediately after the original movie, “Babe,” leaves off. Babe has just won the sheepdog competition and returns home to much cheering and acclaim. All in all, he and the boss (James Cromwell) are pleased to return to the quiet of the farm, where the boss picks up on things left undone, including the fixing of the water pump attached to the well. But when Babe gets curious and wants to see just what the boss is doing down in the well, he causes an accident that leaves the boss injured, and the boss’s … Continue reading →

Mike Myers: The Bomb or Just Bombing?

What’s up with Mike Myers? Have you seen the papers recently? The media has unleashed a litany of negative articles on the actor with headlines ranging from “Mike Myers: Cooked or Just Simmering?” to “Mike Myers all Washed Up.” And in the current issue of Rolling Stone, a reporter asks: “Is the failure of The Love Guru merely a slip or a sign of dire things to come?” Which leads to my question: Is the failure of “The Love Guru” really to blame for this media massacre? Sure, critics called Myers latest movie “reprehensible,” while others considered it a “critical … Continue reading →

The Best of George Carlin

Michele just wrote a blog of George Carlin’s life, but I feel that he was such a big part of pop culture for so long (5 decades!), that Families could stand two blogs. George and I had very little in common – he was a hippie type who liked to rag on the government and the president. I am a Republican yuppie who strongly supports most things our government does. However, somewhere in between, we found a common ground and more times than not, George had me laughing so hard, I cried. Like him or not, the world truly lost … Continue reading →

Desk Set (1957)

Over the course of their careers, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn made a heap of movies together. All were enjoyable, and one of my favorites is “Desk Set.” Hepburn is Bunny Watson, head of the research department at a television studio. As persons all throughout the building prepare the upcoming shows, they call down to research to verify facts and figures, and Bunny and her team of three other women look that information up for them. With a small library at their disposal, but also with a lot of memorized knowledge, they keep that station up and running, often having … Continue reading →

Comedian Dick Martin Dead at 86

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It is the end of a groovy, cool era man – “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In” comedian Dick Martin died yesterday of respiratory complications at the age of 86. I didn’t know it until I read his obituary, but Martin lost the use of one of his lungs when he was a teenager and needed oxygen most of the day in later years. Martin met Dan Rowan in 1952 and they quickly formed their comedy team. They worked their way up the standup circuit, appearing in New York, Miami, and Las Vegas. Rowan always played the straight man while Martin was … Continue reading →

27 Dresses (2008)

In the new DVD release “27 Dresses,” Jane (Katherine Heigl) is in love with the idea of love. She’s also in love with the idea of being needed, being important, and being there for everyone in her life. She has a huge crush on George (Edward Burns)her boss, but can’t get up the nerve to tell him, choosing instead to be indispensable in the hopes that he’ll realize how important she is to him. One night, while literally dashing back and forth between two weddings where she is bridesmaid, she meets Kevin (James Marsden) a cynical young man who asks … Continue reading →

Enchanted (2007)

I love a good fairy tale and I love a good spoof, so when the movie “Enchanted” came out, I knew I’d enjoy it. However, I didn’t get to see it until this last weekend. Why, oh why, did I wait? I loved it! We begin our film in an animated land called Anadalasia. It’s ruled by Queen Narissa, an evil woman who can’t stand the thought of anyone taking over her throne. We also meet Giselle, a lovely young woman who talks to animals and never loses her temper. One day, she meets Prince Edward, and after singing a … Continue reading →