Scotch & Politics

While this doesn’t quite fit our typical mold for Comedy Friday, this video is intense, yet hilarious.

Radio show host Kevin James went on Hardball yesterday and Chris Matthews (who I am not a huge fan of) baited him brilliantly to reveal his ignorance of… apparently… all history beyond the words “Nazi” and “Hitler.”

If you watch nothing else, fast forward to around 4 minutes. But, honestly, it gets better the second and third times you watch it all the way through to really pinpoint the moments Matthews turns the rhetorical knife to fillet him amid the shouting. I don’t think I need to say anymore. Have a look:

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Hey folks! For this week’s comedy Friday, we’re bringing you a clip from the Virginian Patton Oswalt. Enjoy!

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We’ve got a late comedy Friday for y’alls tonight. This week brings you clip from Mr. Fear Factor himself, Joe Rogan. Personally, I can’t stand that show, but Rogan’s stand-up is effin’ funny. While, he’s become famous for hosting the bug-eating phenomenon, others may remember him for his stints on The Man Show and NewsRadio (a seriously quality show with Phil Hartman in his prime).

Enjoy a clip from the Boston native after the fold…

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I have got to be more consistent with this darn comedy Friday bit, otherwise our beloved readers might begin to question my devotion. Alas, now is not the time for lament…

This week’s installment of Comedy Friday brings you a man who is described as a comedian, author and vigilante pundit. His progressive leanings and penchant for skewering Fox News and the Bush Administration make him a cult favorite among the DailyKos crowd (ahem, yours truly included). But limiting him to merely a funny mouthpiece of the left would be quite unfair. Check out his site and make your own conclusions.

It also seems I have some things in common with Mr. Thurston. He hails from my adopted city, Washington D.C. and was educated in philosophy in the great city of Boston (sadly from the lesser college across the Charles from where my philosophical education took place… GO BU). Uhh, I think that’s it, but whatever… on to today’s clip!

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So I officially dropped the ball on my comedy Friday idea. I did it once and then forgot about it for a couple of weeks, but I haven’t given up on it! No sir, not at all. For this week, I bring you a killer clip of Richard Pryor talking about his run in with the mafia. Pryor’s work transcended comedy at the time, much like Lenny Bruce did before him. His superfluous use of vulgarity buried much deeper meanings in his routine, but did so in a way that brought levity to the subject… not to mention hilarity.

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The Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike is almost three months old and hard core television watchers (of course I’m not one of them) are starting to feel the effects. Fan favorites like Heroes and House haven’t returned since they went on hiatus in the fall and there is no sign that they will be back any time soon. The whole situation sucks for viewers and it certainly sucks for the networks, but it is a decidedly un-sucky position for the writers.

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Howdy Folks – We starting a new weekly thing here on S&P. Each Friday we’ll post a clip of some killer stand-up. Nothing like a good laugh to end the week!

This week I present to you the phenomenal (and sadly late) Mitch Hedburg. Mitch’s style and delivery were unlike anybody else. Unfortunately, and like many other talented people before and most likely after, he overflowed himself with drugs (note to the kiddies: don’t do heroin). But alas, let’s not focus on that…

The writer’s strike sucks. It sucks for lots of reasons… absolutely no decent TV, cancellation of awards shows (I admit, I actually quasi-enjoy the major movie and TV award shows…yes, I know I suck), the loss of Jon Stewart for 9 weeks, and reality shows… LOTS of reality shows. Oh, and of course hordes of talented writers out of work fighting for a decent cut. I guess all the reasons aren’t about me.

However, I’ve begun to notice some good has come out of this strike (for me, mainly… because why should I care about anybody else?). My wife and I have recently discovered the awesomeness that is Arrested Development thanks to the goading of some good people (save your snarky comments about me being way behind, know-it-alls are annoying). My wife also became obsessed with The Office, tearing through the first two seasons in roughly two weeks. I tell you, if the TV has to be on, its so much better to come home to old episodes of The Office than “Who’s Wedding Is It Anyway?”

Along with this, I’ve dusted off some of my old hobbies (the calluses on my fingers are finally starting to come back!), done more non-commute reading, and, of course, blogged! The funny thing is I thought I didn’t watch that much TV in the first place. I guess the lesson is that, like the rest of you lazy bumpkins, I need to be more selective with my tube watching. Other things in life aren’t that boring, they shouldn’t be shoved aside for a crappy half hour with Kelsey Grammar.

Huzzah!

I’m sitting here watching my wife and her sisters absolutely rock out to the Motley Crue stalwart “Shout at the Devil.” It’s not resonating from the stereo or somebody’s iPod. It’s not inducing any awesome air guitar riffs, or fake mosh pits. No, this is completely derived from Guitar Hero. I don’t know whether to be happy that my wife and in-laws are enjoying such kick ass music, or to be angry that this goofy (yet extremely fun) game is making people think they can play music.

To help explain my quandary, I’ll pose a question. Is this guy, extremely talented, or just a nerdy gamer? As a musician and a purist, I vote for the latter. It must be stated that I am an absolute music snob, so take that as you will.

Back to my quandary… I see so many people, especially college kids, rockin’ out to Shadows Fall, Rage Against the Machine, and (ughh) Kiss. I love hard rock and am enjoying this quasi resurgence. (It would have been nice when I was the dude with the In Flames shirt walking around my college campus). But is this taking away from people ACTUALLY PLAYING music?

When I was a freshman and sophmore in college, I lived on an all-male floor in the dorm. There were a few of us who brought our guitars and would play more than study… a lot more. Within the first few months a number of my floormates were clamoring to be taught, or had procured there own disheveled guitar. By winter you could walk around the halls and hear guitar from all over the place. Most of it sucked, but it was seriously fantastic.

Now? Well, I haven’t lived in a dorm for over 5 years, but from speaking with my wife’s younger sister it seems that Guitar Hero has taken over. It’s ridiculously popular. Are the budding musicians being pushed out by a guitar with five buttons (vs. the traditional six string, 21-24 frets rock machine)? Is this just another piece of an already virtufied world?

Meh, I don’t know. I think I’m going to go get outplayed by my 18 year old sister in law (who’s never touched a real guitar) on Sweet Child O’ Mine (a song I once spent a full two days learning on a REAL guitar).

This Friday marks the start of the final season series between the Yankees and the Red Sox, but I could honestly care less. Even if the Yankees sweep, its doubtful it will be enough to topple the Sox’s stranglehold on first place in the division, and even if they manage to do that, we’re still going to the playoffs. But its Sox-Yankees at Fenway, it’s topical, and its an excuse for me to blog. Not so much about the teams themselves, but rather what the Sox-Yankees rivalry represents, how they’re portrayed in the media today, and how they should be portrayed in the future.

I got to thinking about the Red Sox – Yankees dynamic after reading this column by Bill Simmons at ESPN.com. Simmons argues that the Sox are no longer baseball’s loveable underdog doing battle against the Evil Empire. In fact, the Red Sox have effectively become that which they fought against so long – the New England Yankees, just as powerful, just as popular, and just as overexposed.

When Larry Luccino coined the phrase “Evil Empire,” and started playing Darth Vader’s theme from “Star Wars” whenever the Yankees took the field at Fenway, he started a revolution. The Sox had become the Rebel Alliance, valiantly attacking the Death Star. We were David, they were Goliath on HGH. Everyone loves an underdog, and since 2003, the Red Sox have surged in popularity, going from a New England institution to an international brand. Along the way they won the World Series, ended their “curse,” and vanquished their rival Yankees. The dramatic story – complete with bloody socks, come-from-behind victories, and Big Papi captivated the country and created thousands of new Red Sox fans.

Since the Glorious Year of 2004 the Sox have increased their payroll and ticket prices, expanded marketing and merchandise lines (Pink hats? Lottery tickets? Red Sox Nation?), and made some high profile bonehead signings – all traits usually reserved for the Yankees. Now they’re shooting for the division title to hopefully topple the Yankees from their last perch of superiority. Simmons is right, we are their equals, and its changing everything. This is why the Red Sox’s image needs to be changed as well; we’ll look foolish if we keep pretending that George Steinbrenner is the Emperor and Derek Jeter his gay Darth Vader. “David vs. Goliath” is over, its time to find a new storyline, a new dynamic.

Luckily, I figured this out for us. I even found a new sci-fi allusion we can rip off to sell it to the rest of the world to boot.

That’s right, Transformers. I’m talking about the Red Sox’s Autobots to the Yankees’ Decepticons – I’m talking about Good vs. Evil – the epic struggle that resonates with us all. Two equally matched foes in constant battle, like Ying and Yang…only with laser cannons.

The Yankees obviously fulfill the role of Megatron in our story. The dreaded leader of the evil Decepticons, Megatron was dominating, devious, and tough - he was regularly kicking the Autobot’s asses all over the planet Cybertron. The Yankees-Megatron parallels are immediately apparent – not only do they share the same color scheme, but they’re both evil bastards: Steroid scandals, bloated payroll, a heartless owner that was banned in the 80’s, the 26 World Series rings, Roger Clemens - its plainly obvious the Yankees have been a devastating, malevolent force in baseball. The bill fits almost too well. So what’s the only thing that can stop Megatron?

Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, the noble general who selflessly protects the Earth and fought the Decepticons every week in the late 1980s. Optimus and Megatron used to face off almost every episode with surprisingly back and forth results. In the end they were pretty evenly matched, and wound up killing each other in their climactic final battle.

The Yankees have existed as the Megatron of MLB for some time now – probably since the 1920’s. But before 2003, there was no Optimus Prime to counteract their evil. No team that regularly challenged the Yankees, especially the Sox. To be honest, the Red Sox were nowhere near the level of Optimus Prime, really they were more like this guy:

Ironhide, Prime’s second-in-command, is a perfect allegorical figure for the pre-2003 Sox. Ironhide was tough and resilient, but he was a bit on the slow side…plus he transformed into a minivan. There was no way he was beating Megatron. That’s the story of the Boston Red Sox – 1918-2003. I’m just going to start calling it the “Ironhide Era” from here on out.

I’m convinced this will be a good thing for Sox fans, Yankees fans, and baseball as a whole. First of all, the Yankees and their fanbase already relish being the most evil team in baseball. I can assure you any Yankees fans reading this find these Megatron comparisons incredibly flattering. Secondly, this also reinforces Red Sox fans inflated sense of superiority – after all, we’re the good guys here – we deserve to act like jerks around the Yankees. I’m sure if the Decepticons signed another overpriced robot to their team the Autobots would be the first people in the press bitching about it.

So it makes perfect sense. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go buy an Autobots baseball cap. I suggest you all do the same.

It It is with great trepidation that I post this.

People write “Songs I’m Embarrassed to Love” lists all the time – but most of the time it’s a rundown of Journey, Poison, and Beaver Brown Band staples that people are suddenly “embarrassed” about. Being embarrassed about liking pop music is like being embarrassed about going to the bathroom – everyone does it, and the fact that its kind of gross is universally accepted.

My list doesn’t contain one hit single – no Timberlake, no Madonna, no “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” These are songs you discovered on your own, enjoy very much, and would hide from friends as if they were hardcore dungeon movies. I’m talking about songs that reflect the polar opposite of your outward persona - songs that change people’s understanding of you as a man. Behold – the songs I am truly embarrassed to love…

Before I start, let me preface by saying I absolutely love the Black Crowes – they’re the best rock n’ roll band alive. Also, I saw the White Stripes last month and they absolutely rocked. Oh, and Nine Inch Nails is easily one of the best live rock bands ever, I highly recommend them. Rock.

Ok so the list of songs…

Wait, one more thing – I just want to say I listen to Bob Dylan almost every single day. And Prince. And Pearl Jam. And the Street Dogs are awesome. Ok…ok I’m ready…

1. Bruce Springsteen – “My Lover Man” (Tracks – 1998) Its Bruce Springsteen singing a love song about a woman who’s reconciling with her ex…in other words, it’s the Boss singing about how much he loves a dude. It’s a good tune if you’re into Springsteen - a very soulful, artistic departure for the guy who once told girls to “strap your hands ‘cross my engines.”

2. The Transplants – “Diamonds and Guns” (Transplants – 2002) You may have heard of this song before, but you probably didn’t know the band or title. “Diamonds and Guns” is the theme song for the Garnier Fructis commercials (woo wooo!). I’m not even going to lie and say I knew the Transplants before they were on TV, leaving me in the untenable position of liking a band from a shampoo commercial. Whatever. The song’s got a catchy beat, a great hook, and fun lyrics…Hey, would it be worse if I actually own the shampoo too?

3. Blink 182 – “Carousel” (Buddha - 1993,1998) I hate Blink 182 so much. To me they are a complete corporate sham - take the Backstreet boys, teach them two chords, tattoo the crap out of them, and there’s Blink 182: 35 year-old idiots singing about high school. That being said, Carousel, in this very early demo disc cut, is absolutely awesome. It’s a bad-ass, stripped down punk song bitching about girls. It’s the closest thing to Punk this band has ever achieved – and I hate them even more because this song is so good.

4. The Icarus Line – “Feed a Cat to your Cobra” (mono - 2001) Andrew and I discovered this shockingly psychotic underground rock/punk/hardcore band last year. Their first album, “mono,” is a conflagration of hysterical guitar, ultra-fast drums, and screeching lyrics. In other words – its awful and scares my friends. But I think this song is great because the title line “FEED A CAT TO YOUR COBRA” is the only lyric you can understand on the whole CD…and cats suck.

5. Frou Frou – “Let Go” (Details – 2002) This is the song from the end credits of “Garden State.” Making it triply, or even quadruply embarrassing because not only did I see Garden State, but I also liked it, and then I looked up one of Zach Braff’s alt-rock bands, and then I listened to their whole album, and then I kept a song. Actually this revelation is quintuply embarrassing – quite an achievement.

6. Bif Naked – Lucky (I, Bificus – 1998) It’s a depressed, strung out alcoholic singing about a really screwed up relationship with her dead boyfriend (possibly girlfriend). Its sad, it’s a mess, and it makes you think Bif is completely crazy. I have listened to this song over 200 times.

7. Tracy Chapman – “Change” (Where You Live – 2005) Maybe its because she’s from Tufts University (right down the street from me), maybe its because I am a sucker for good acoustic guitar, or maybe its because I’m secretly a lesbian. I don’t know. But this is a good song: a great piece of poetry sung by a very soulful, classy lady.

8. Mazzy Star – “Into Dust” (So Tonight That I Might See - 1998) I must admit, I have a thing for the SGS’s (Sad Girl Singers). And Mazzy’s Hope Sandoval may be the saddest SGS ever. “Into Dust” is an abstract, surreal song that’s either about dying, being trapped in a failed relationship or maybe being poisoned to death – it’s a total downer. Despite that, it’s beautiful and comes across as a really quiet version of “The End.”

So there it is – 8 songs I never wanted anyone to ever associate with me…and now I’ve gone and put them on the Internet. I have inexorably linked myself with Frou Frou – all for the sake of S&P.

Anyone else have any songs they’re really embarrassed to listen to? Post them in the comments below.