Mike’s Soapbox- It’s been awhile since I’ve written poetry, but I did just that this weekend and wow, did my rustiness show. I saw that over in the forums they were having a poetry contest, a little slam among friends, and I figured why not dust off the poetic part of my mind that’s been dormant for so long. I used to write a lot of poetry and performed at various slams and open mike nights. It was rather fun, if not frustrating, considering that poetry is essentially a dying art (publicly speaking, at least) and is often misunderstood (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to tell people that poetry doesn’t always have to rhyme). There were always the one or two people that appreciated what I did, but for the most part people either didn’t get it, or didn’t even want to try. It’s really frustrating putting your heart into something that people don’t respond to, although I suppose that’s not the reason you should be writing poetry in the first place.
I have many wonderful and awful memories of performing poetry. I think what stopped my creative streak was the double whammy of having my computer break down (thus losing a lot of my work), followed by getting a job with a paper writing entertainment columns and reviews. Of course without that, I probably wouldn’t have that, though I enjoy doing both.
So go read my poems and tell me what you think. I’ll be adding more as time passes. I’m ultron_6 in the forums by the way so feel free to say hi in there or you could always IM me on POET18IC if you’d like to discuss poetry in general, whether it’s writing it or reading it. Poetry will always be some part of my life, as I plan on teaching English (less than two years left!!).
Also, as you may know, voting registration has ended, and instead of trying to make you feel guilty, I’d like to know why you didn’t. I’ve discussed this with several people and find the answers riveting. I registered this year as an independent which is rather inconvenient in a swing state like Florida, since you get sent letters by the different parties trying to sway you. I got one from the Republican party last week. It might as well have been drawn in blood with the words “Join Us!!”. I don’t like Kerry too much, but I don’t think he’s nearly as evil as Bush. This truly will be an embarrassment in our history. I’m saddened by the loss of troops and jobs. I think George Carlin said it best on last week’s episode of Real Time With Bill Maher: Wars are caused by rich old men squabbling over property who decide to send poor men to fight and die for it. As if any more proof was needed that George Carlin is the most brilliant man to walk the earth .
This is a weird time to be an American. It’s actually cool to care about your country for once.
And finally- R.IP. Rodney Dangerfield, a really funny, nice guy. My mother used to do stand-up, and once had the honor of opening for Rodney, who was kind enough to give her advice. Here’s hoping you finally got that respect you deserve Rodney. In loving tribute, lets all watch “Burns, Baby Burns” in his honor. The episode was essentially just a showcase for Rodney to do his material, but it works and I’ve always liked it. Just not enough to put it on this list. For the backstory on the list look in the archives where I explain everything in the And speaking of the list. Here’s Number 4 on my top seven favorite episodes-
“Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(ANNOYED GRUNT)cious”
Originally aired Feburary 7th, 1997
Written by Al Jean and Mike Reiss, Directed by Chuck Sheetz
The gist of it- Marge starts losing her hair due to stress, so the family decides to get her a nanny. After some failed auditions,
Favorite Moments- There’s too many to choose from, and I know I’ll remember something I should’ve added later. Just watch the episode if you haven’t seen it be prepared to laugh.
What flat out sucked- Marge losing her hair is pretty disgusting, as were some of the sight gags that went along with it.
Personal Thoughts- I remember this episode originally aired on a Friday night, and for once I was thankful to be at home as I usually am on Friday nights. This episode was much like “A Star is Burns”, but even better. Rapid-fire joke after rapid-fire joke and most them are side-splitters. I think I was passed out after seeing this from laughing so far. The musical numbers were top-notch, and much credit needs to go to the musicians who work on the show on a regular basis. These guys are like WWE’s production crew. No matter how fantastic or poor the writing might be, they’re always doing a good job.
M.V.C.- Mr. Burns. I miss Mr. Burns, and don’t know why they’ve downplayed his role in the show so much in the passing years. He’s the perfect villain, and the chemistry between him and Smithers is always enjoyable. Watching his surprising spurt of enthusiasm and subsequent knock-out from lightning was great.
Top 3 Simpson’s Musical Moments
3. “The Monorail Song” from “Marge Vs. The Monorail”- Phil Hartman was the man and his voice was always appreciated, such as this episode when he plays Lyle Lanley, a con-man who seems to be invoking the huckster from “The Music Man” to crafty perfection. This also happens to be one of three episodes Conan O’Brien wrote, along with “New Kid on the Block” and “Homer Goes to College”.
2. “Kicking It: A musical journey from the Betty Ford Center”- From “The City of New York Vs. Homer Simpson”- After 911 there was a rumor going around that this episode would be banned from syndication due to the insensitivity that might come from seeing Homer take a piss in one of the twin towers. Thankfully that didn’t pan out, as it’s a hilarious episode with it’s top moment being the musical Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie see. Drugs were never so much fun!
1. “Planet of the Apes the Musical” from “A Fish Called Selma”- An ingenious musical number saves an otherwise sub-par episode. Anything that parodies Falco whilst tying monkies into it deserves some type of award. Just as funny as Tim Burton’s mockery of Planet of the Apes, but for the right reasons.
We’re winding down, with the top three ahead of us!! Don’t forget to write. This week’s question: What’s your favorite Simpson musical number?
