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Of Love, Grease, and The Big Bopper. (Sounds dirty, just a little.)

13 Nov

from February 4, 2008

It is so hard writing a blog when you want to write about your coworkers but they all read the blog. How can I declare all my innermost loves and hates if they are all reading this? How can I bare my heart to the one who means the most to me, alas, from afar? To look at her, to desire her, to want her and need her. For my heart yearns, my soul searches, my ass itches. This is all bullshit by the way, but you get the point. How can I write shit about people when they are going to read it?

I could go down the X Y Z route:

So I was talking to X in the hallway about Z when Y came up and said blah blah blah…

Unbelievably, using A B and C gives the same poor result:

A came up to me and we were talking about how I need to talk to B about her fat ass when C came in and belched salami gas and …

 And J K and L would just give it all away since my coworker’s names begin with J K and L.

So I experimented with codenames: Super Quark, Captain Peacock, and Lady Woman. “Who,” I figured, “would put two and two together and figure out who I was talking about?” Turns out I couldn’t put two and two together. I actually forgot who was who! Even worse, I forgot who I was supposed to be because I even gave myself a codename. For the record, I was either McMurdo Sound or The Big Bopper Jr. (“Helllooooo baaaaabbbbyyyyy.”) Oh baby that’s what I like! (Of course you know this song- Chantilly Lace, written by the Big Bopper and performed some time before he died (duh) in that plane crash.

FEBRUARY 3rd, 1959:

RITCHIE VALENS: I don’t think this plane is safe. That wing is held together by duct tape.

BUDDY HOLLY: I’m with Ritchie. Maybe we should catch a flight in the morning.

THE BIG BOPPER: What!? Don’t you know who I am, bitches? I am The Fucking Big Bopper! King of the world! I am rich and young and I’m never going to die! Now get on that plane and find me some hoes! I need some stank on my hang low!

BUDDY HOLLY: Don’t hit me again, Mr. Bopper!

(Is it insensitive of me to write this almost 60 years to the day after they died? Yeah, probably. So what?)

Anyway, few people are aware of the sheer arrogance of J.P. “Big Bopper” Richardson. He was the first porn star to make it in the music industry and he kept performing under his porn name. What, you thought he called himself the Big Bopper because of his music?  Yeah, right, and they call me “Mr. Big Pants” because of my waist.

The Big Bopper was a thug who routinely beat Ritchie Valens both off- and on-stage. Valens was regularly hospitalized and missed the entire tour of Tupelo Mississippi because of a fractured pelvis inflicted upon him when the Big Bopper threw him an amplifier on top of him as he slept. During a stop in New Orleans the Big Flopper, Chopper, whatever, pounded Valens with a saxophone to the tune of Dixie. In the summer of 1958 The Big Stopper threatened to cut off Valen’s tongue and make him sing out of his butt.

Buddy Holly was a classic example of “beaten spouse syndrome” and often simply cowered when in the presence of the Bopper.

CHANTILLY LACE LYRICS:

(The Big Whopper, or whatever he called himself, performed most of this song while pretending to be on the phone. This is supposed to be his side of a conversation.)

Hello baby, yeah, this is the Big Bopper speaking
Oh you sweet thing
Do I what
Will I what
Oh baby you know what I like

Yes, he refers to himself as “The Big Bopper.” What a dick!

But you have the genius and sheer poetry of lyrics like “Do I what? Will I what?” What the Hell is he talking about?

 Chantilly lace and a pretty face
And a pony tail hanging down
That wiggle in the walk and giggle in the talk
Makes the world go round
There ain’t nothing in the world like a big eyed girl
That makes me act so funny, make me spend my money
Make me feel real loose like a long necked goose
Like a girl, oh baby that’s what I like

Ah, I get it- he likes girls. No homo.

 What’s that baby
But, but, but, oh honey
But, oh baby you know what I like

Ah, now the subtext is clear. The girl won’t do something he wants her to do. This is the 1950’s. He must mean “heavy petting.” If this were 2008 it would mean anal sex.

 Chorus

What’s that honey
Pick you up at 8 and don’t be late
But baby I ain’t got no money honey
Oh alright baby you know what I like

Chorus

Compare this with the 2005 Kanye West classic, “Gold digger”:

“Now I ain’t saying she a gold digger, but she ain’t messin with no broke niggers.”

 From Wikipedia, which I personally detest but use it when I am too lazy to do real research and don’t care if the info is right or horribly horribly wrong:

The first verse describes the protagonist being sucked in by a lady’s beauty, and unable to resist when the costs of being with her escalate.

The description of the ‘gold digger’ hints at her taste for the finer things (but oddly enough the protagonist is attracted to her for it, showing that the ‘victims’ here aren’t so unwilling after all).

 Later, we see the charm wear off as he is being taken advantage of.  She obliges him to help out all of her kids and all of their friends at his expense.

 

 

The second verse generalizes and discusses the long-term ‘trap’ where a gold digger gets a man to father a child, locking him in for child support to spend on herself, while not having to actually stay with the man.

In the third verse, West addresses himself to a female listener, first assuring her that he isn’t talking about HER, of course (I ain’t sayin’ you a gold digger, you got needs). West tells the ‘gold-digger’ that when that hopeful and ambitious broke man finally “gets on,” he is very likely to “leave your ass for a white girl.”

Can anyone argue that Kanye West ripped off The Big Plopper, Limp Whopper, whatever?

But I digressed again. As I usually do. I better reread this to see what I was talking about. Gimme a second……………………… got it. “It is so hard writing a blog when you want to write about your coworkers but they all read the blog.”

But I’d rather make fun of dead rock stars.

Elvis once said “Only the only thing worse than watching a bad movie is being in one.”

And he should know.

In “Change of Habit,” 1969, he starred as “Dr. Edward Pelvis,” a hip psychotherapist simultaneously wooing a nun played totally unconvincingly by Mary Tyler Moore and curing a young autistic girl by slapping her around. Yes, by slapping her around. There are plenty of scenes of Moore and her hip nun friends getting involved in civic events, scenes of Pelvis and Moore picnicking, and plenty of scenes of Pelvis slapping the poor autistic girl while saying “I love you.” Slap! “I love you.” Slap! I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP! SEE FOR YOURSELF!

TRIVIA: This is the only feature film starring Elvis Presley which wasn’t released theatrically in Finland. Those Fins, always getting left out. Did you know that only last week they found out that Rosebud was Citizen Kane’s sled?

Regular readers of this blog know that I love the movie Grease. What isn’t to love? I still have a poster of Didi Conn under a pile of oily rags in my trunk.

Here are samples of dialogue from Grease:

Vince: Hi, I’m Vince Fontaine, I’m judging the dance contest.
Marty: I don’t think I’m entered.
Vince: A knockout like you? What’s your name?
Marty: Marty.
Vince: Marty what?
Marty: Maraschino. You know, as in cherry.

Danny: Oh, bite the weenie, Riz.
Rizzo: With relish.

Sandy: My parents want to invite you over for tea on Sunday.
Danny: I don’t like tea.
Sandy: [laughing] You don’t have to drink tea.
Danny: I don’t like parents.

CLASSIC!!!!!!!!! BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!

But I’m really riffing on Grease because of Jeff Conaway. (That and the fact that this is one of Super Quark’s favorite films. Or was it Lady Woman? See why I dropped the codenames?)

Jeff Conaway is best known as Bobby Wheeler from Taxi, the guy who portrayed a struggling actor. This while Tony Danza was around. Go figure. Anyway, while performing the song Go Greasy Lightening! Jeff Conaway suffered an injury.

GO GREASY LIGHTENING LYRICS: (Warning! Explicit Homosexual Content)

Well this car is systematic, hydromatic, ultramatic
Why, it could be Greasey Lightnin’!
We’ll get some overhead lifters and some four barrel quads, oh yeah
Keep thrustin’! Keep pelvis thrustin’!
Fuel injection cut off and chrome plated rods, oh yeah
I’ll get her ready, I need to go to beddy!
With a four-speed on the floor, they’ll be waitin’ at the door
You know that ain’t rocks when we’ll be gettin’ lots of cocks

Go Greasy Lightnin’!

We’ll get some purple pitched tail lights and thirty inch fins, oh yeah
A palomina dashboard and duel-muffler twins, oh yeah
With new boosters, plates and shocks

The guys’ll want to please us with a big huge penis
I can finally get a job!
Go Greasy Lightnin’!

It was during this song that Jeff Conway was dropped on the floor and injured his back. This led to a dependence on pain killers and then a crippling addiction that got him a gig on Celebrity Rehab, which also features such “stars” as wrestler Joanie Laurer and some guy named “Shifty.” It doesn’t seem to take much to be a celebrity when someone who came in fourth on American Idol is also on the bill.

The Grease Curse claims another victim! First was Olivia Newton-John, who was deported back to Australia shortly after the premiere. She was followed by Dinah Manoff, who was killed in an underwater skiing accident (don’t ask) and was replaced by a clone on Empty Nest. John Travolta became a scientologist because of this curse.

And now with more from The Big Bopper:

THE BIG BOPPER’S WEDDING:

And the man keeps sayin´ ´Do you take this woman
to be your awful wedded wife?´ Heh, heh

And then I started thinkin´ about no more winkin´
At the pretty little gals a-boppin´ by.
No more dancin´ and new romancin´
Lord, it made me want to sit down and cry.
Aw, no pool shootin´ and a rootin´ and a-tootin´
With the boys if I take you for my wife.
I can´t go no place, I gotta look at your face
For the rest of my dog gone life.
This is it!

Ah, honey, what am I doin´ here in the first place?
You knooooooow I don´t go for this marraige bit!
I was only kiddin´! Hahahahahahaha
And there´s your daddy sittin´ over there with a shotgun
layin´ across his lap
And a big smile on his ugly face.
And the man keeps sayin´ ´Are you gonna take this woman or aintcha?´

Well, then I started thinkin´ about no more winkin´
At the pretty little gals a-boppin´ by.
No more dancin´ and new romancin´
Lord, it made me want to sit down and cry.
Aw, no pool shootin´ and a rootin´ and a-tootin´
With the boys if I take you for my wife.
I can´t go no place, I gotta look at your face
For the rest of my dog gone life.
This is it!

Honey, what´s this jazz about Love, Honor, and Obey?
That cat´s talkin´ to me! Heheheh
And look at all these good lookin´ bride maids standin´ around, heh
Hellllllo, baaaby!
And the man in charge keeps sayin´ ´Looky here,
do you take this woman or dontcha?´

Well, then I started thinkin´ about no more winkin´
At the pretty little gals a-boppin´ by.
No more dancin´ and new romancin´
Lord, it made me want to sit down and cry.
Aw, no pool shootin´ and a rootin´ and a-tootin´
With the boys if I take you for my wife.
I can´t go no place, I gotta look at your face
For the rest of my dog gone life.
This is it!

And the man keeps sayin´ ´Look here, do you take this woman or dontcha?´
And I say ´Partnah, I don´t believe I do. Let me outa here

That plane didn’t go down fast enough! New forensic evidence shows that the Flip Flopper was at the controls of the plane, sans pants, as it crashed. Buddy Holly was trying to make a parachute out of used ketchup packets and Ritchie Valens was unconscious due to being whacked on the head with the Fig Focker’s guitar, El Kabong style. As Detective Parker Simmons noted, “it was a wild scene in that airplane.”

And for the record, J K and L, it is up to you to work out which was Lady Woman, Captain Peacock, and Super Quark. As for me, I think I’ll stick with “Dr. Edward Pelvis.”

MR. BLOG’S OBSCURE REFERENCES

It is 2008. Who else would write about The Big Bopper?

“Change of Habit” is one of the worst Elvis films. It is not nearly as fun as “Clambake,” which features the hit “Do the Clam.”

And lastly, did you guys really expect me to know Kanye West?

This Is The Future, Right?

11 Nov

from May 12, 2007

This is the future, right? I mean, when we were little kids, the 21st century was it. IT. Flying cars, robots, atomic supermen, that sort of thing. Criswell said it best- “We are all interested in the future, for that is where we shall spend the rest of our lives.” And damn if he wasn’t right, ’cause I haven’t managed yet to live in the past, at least not for real.

I was reading an old Ray Bradbury story that was set in the far-off future year of 1978, and I hate to complain and pick on such a “legend,” but man, was he wrong. I’m sorry Mr. Sci-Fi Legend Guy, but I’m not living on a Mars colony. And my “atomic-powered short-wave radio” doesn’t exist. So what’s the deal?

I’m very well-read and I’ve seen tons of movies. I know what I’m talking about. I want my ray gun! I want my personal robot! I want my own jet pack, flying car, and combination space radio-slash-TV! My hat is supposed to protect me from atomic fallout and my food is supposed to be in pill form. I should commute to work by rocket and my personal computer should be about the size of my bedroom and have the computing power of thirteen abacuses.

But I know that old movies and TV shows can be somewhat unreliable when it comes to showing things as they are. You just have to be selective. For example, I don’t really take The Jetsons seriously. How can you? It is so phony. I think that show has the worst special effects I have ever seen. That car folding into a briefcase? I can see the CGI. And the actors? I don’t know who played George Jetson but he was so weird looking! He had a head that was about as big as his torso. I’ve tried reading the credits, but they don’t tell you who played any of the Jetsons. It may be for their safety- can you imagine how many stalkers Judy Jetson had? I must have written her thirty or forty letters when I was a kid and she never wrote back. I was so stupid back then- it took me until I was 23 to realize that she lives in the future! She hasn’t gotten the letters yet!

Movies do a little better job. I like Abbott and Costello Go to Mars. These two goofy delivery guys get mixed up for scientists and, somehow, end up piloting a ship to Mars, with two bumbling crooks along for the ride. Now it may sound silly, but the film has a rather complex inner-logic and the use of soft-focus cinematography is particularly effective, especially in the sublimely genius sequence when Costello is blasting people with his freeze ray. If any film could be held up as proof of the auteur theory of filmmaking, this is certainly it. Subtle in its satire and carefully nuanced in the use of pre-Marxist Soviet propaganda, my only problem is that how can these be the same guys who played janitors who met Frankenstein and Dracula in a previous film? That part I could never figure out- when did they change careers from janitors to delivery men?

At any rate, that future was clear- men would travel to Mars and meet a race of giant dogs, as well as mechanizing the Statue of Liberty so it can duck when a rocket flies too close overhead. We would all have freeze rays and we would wear spiffy space suits. I want my spiffy space suit!

So far the future is not all it was cracked up to be. I blame Congress. They keep holding up all those laws I want them to enact. Just last month I sent Congress my Bill For The Construction Of Lunar Radium Mines. And what did they do? Sent an FBI guy with a search warrant to my house. It’s like they don’t appreciate all my help.

I sent Congress my ideas for a Rocket-Man Brigade to protect us from Interstellar Plutonian Ice Hounds and all they did was pass some sort of dopey Iraq troop-funding bill.

So as I get older I’m resigning myself to the fact that maybe I won’t be getting that robot any time soon. I may not live on the moon or have a Martian space-dog as my pet, but at least I have my fifth-grade imagination. And maybe I don’t have a jet pack or own a space-yacht, but I know that I will someday. Flash Gordon said so!