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A Tribute to Ed Koch

14 Feb

February 14, 2013

Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch died last week. He was Mayor for three terms, from 1978 to 1989.

I am old enough to remember NYC back in the 70’s. It was crime ridden and dirty. The city had no money. Sanitation workers went on strike. Things were not good. But Mayor Koch turned things around. And he was a true people person. He loved not only New York but the people of New York. He loved to be among the people and of course, even more so, he loved the spotlight. Growing up, he was the first mayor I was old enough to be politically interested in and I thought he was great. Even today, long after he left office, I still consider all the Mayors who followed him to be sitting in Ed Koch’s office. The man cast a long shadow.

After his term in office, he hosted a radio show and did movie reviews. He always kept in front of the microphone or the camera and always stayed in the news. Did he have an ego? Sure, a big one, but he was one of us.

One thing that the tributes and obituaries mention only in passing is that, from September 8, 1997 to June 25, 1999 (with reruns airing until September 10), Ed Koch hosted The People’s Court. There are not many clips of him on the TV bench on the internet. The show has not aired anywhere since 1999, long before any and every scene put to film ended up on YouTube.

Luckily, I was- and still am- a big People’s Court fan and as I cleaned out a closet this week I found an old videotape and what was on it? An episode of The People’s Court featuring Ed Koch. And what an episode it was! Koch was presiding over the case of Titanic Tony, a wannabe wrestler, suing The Behemoth, his trainer. The best part? They are all in costume and demonstrate their moves in the courtroom. Little wonder that toward the end of the clip Koch tells Titanic Tony he needs to see a psychiatrist. (Ed Koch was not one to mince words.)

I won’t say any more, the clip speaks for itself, though Allan Keyes has a few things to say on this subject next week. So right now, sit back and enjoy.

I also need to mention that this is the first video on the brand new Mr. Blog’s Tepid Ride YouTube channel! Stay tuned for more great stuff!

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Tuneful Tuesday: Music for Lovers Only

12 Feb

February 12, 2013

I had a snowday on Friday due to the huge storm that hit the Northeastern US. Technically I was supposed to be working from home but you know what that really means: I was on the couch watching War of the Gargantuas.

This is a really good old Japanese monster movie in which a giant hairy brown monster fights a giant hairy green monster, with Russ Tamblyn thrown in for American audiences. Hmm, rereading that last sentence, I realize that I may have a different definition of “good” than you do.

Anyway, somewhere in the first third of the film, the scene shifts for no apparent reason to an outdoor nightclub (no apparent reason other than the reason apparent to all of the viewers that it is about to be attacked by the monster) where a lounge singer is about to take the stage. This is a highpoint of the film and the singer is given a really large spotlight and an inordinate amount of time onscreen. The thing is though, the song stinks and the singer is awful.

Wow, she can really belt out a tune. And I love the way she somehow manages to make the song fade out as if she was dubbed.

That song is stuck in my head. And I am not the only one. I mentioned this film to my brother and he said “the one with the lousy ‘words get stuck in my throat’ song?” and he hasn’t seen that film in years.

We are not the only ones to have that unforgettable tune caught in the steel traps of  our minds. Check out this recent Scooby Doo cartoon:

Have to admit, that is totally cool. It is almost (but not quite) enough to get me to watch Scooby Doo.

But it gets worse. You never know what you are going to find on YouTube. This song was so influential that none other than Devo, not the most stable of folks themselves, covered it too. This is a short clip of them doing the song live in France, where presumably, like Jerry Lewis before them, they are revered as comedy gods.

And it gets still worse.  (Or better, depending on how you like the film.) If you plug War of the Gargantuas into Amazon.con you will find this:

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2013 split EP from Pantera/Down vocalist Phil Anselmo and Metal warriors Warbeast. War Of The Gargantuas includes two songs from each artist. This album serves as the first release of any solo work by Philip Anselmo during the span of his nearly 30-year legacy. Also, the two Warbeast tracks on the split feature former bassist Alan Bovee before his amicable departure from the band.

Not bad for a movie known for a lousy song and this guy:

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Before I go, I’d like to leave you with these parting words of wisdom:

If my lips could only say the pretty words
That I feel in my heart.

If my voice could make the sound,
I would tell you how I love you
And we’d never be apart.

But with just one look into your face,
My mind starts to drift right into space,
And the words get stuck in my throat.
The words get stuck in my throat.

If I had a hidden microphone inside of my heart,
I would turn the power on.

It would amplify my love for you, and swear to always love you,
And you’d never be gone.

But with just one look into your eyes
I become excited and it’s no surprise
That the words get stuck in my throat.
The words get stuck in my throat.

And every time I try to call,
I can’t speak at all
Because the words get stuck in my throat
The words get stuck in my throat.
The words get stuck in my throat.

Doo Doooooo Doo Doo-Doo-Doo-Doo

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