Pop Culture (part 5) - There's a Light...

 

Oakly Court/wikipedia.com

Many traditions have evolved around Halloween.

And about this time of year--late fall--many movies of horror and science fiction genre debut to catch the spirit of the scary holiday.

One was an offbeat musical comedy horror that has become a cult classic,  

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

When it premiered in the US, the movie was a flop; and hence, it pulled from many theaters. 

But when it played at midnight showings, the musical caught on fire, garnering an international cult following.

Reference: The Rocky Horror Picture Show

This offbeat musical presents rock 'n roll style, precursor to punk rock, and even spiritual-like songs throughout its parody of the horror and 1930s-1960s SciFi B movie plots. And its music became popular--part of Pop Culture (the title of this thread.)

Richard O'Brien composed, in my opinion, this beautiful spiritual-like song:

There's a Light (Over at the Frankenstein Place)

(reference: https://youtu.be/i4G-hjfMR4U )

I love this song as it speaks to my soul and spirit.

In times of trouble and dark and scary times, like Brad and Janet getting lost and stranded with a flat tire on a cold and rainy night, there is hope... 

There's a light,
light in the darkness
of everybody's life.

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Previous Post in the series:

Pop Culture (part 1) - Only Time and 9/11 (2015)

Pop Culture (part 2) - Halloween Martian Invasion (2015)
   
Pop Culture (part 3) - It's Gonna Be All Right  (2016)

Pop Culture (part 4) - Brrrr! ... California Dreamin' (2018)

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Photo:  Oakly Court/wikipedia.com

Americana (part 2) - What a Country!

 

wikipedia/Motherhood and apple pie

What a Country!

That is the catch phrase of Russian immigrant comedian,  Yakov Smirnoff. 

Yakov had been an art teacher in Ukraine, then in the 1970s, he made it to the US from the former USSR. Later, in America, he earned a Masters in psychology and Ph.D. in Global Leadership. In between, he did his comedy acts, acted on TV shows and in movies. (reference: IMDb )

After Yakov became an American citizen on July 4, 1986, he starred in a show about immigrants taking classes to pass the American citizen test: What a Country (1986-1987):

( reference: https://youtu.be/IxCzAVuwdFg )

Yakov's acting art on a TV series imitated life.

Many immigrants (like my grandparents) had entered the United States from New York City, so the comedy speaks to many of us. Many came for a better life...freedom...opportunity.

Fifteen years after What a Country! ended, there came the attacks on the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and a hijacking that ended in a plane crash. September 11, 2001.

And here's the rest of  Yakov's story as the artist:

Paul Harvey - The Rest of the Story from Yakov Smirnoff on Vimeo.

"After the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade centers, he began working on a mural to commemorate the event. Just in time for the first anniversary of the event, the mural was printed on a huge banner, with the quote 

The human spirit is not measured
by the size of the act,
but by the size of the heart. 

It was hung from a nearby building where it was clearly visible from Ground Zero for over a year. Yakov financed the banner with $100,000 of his own money, but kept his donation anonymous, for fear that people would see it as a joke because of his reputation as a comedian." 

Reference: Imdb.com trivia

Yakov Smirnoff made us laugh,
then shared his art
to help us heal during a traumatic time.

Here's to a Russian immigrant
who loves his adopted country! 

What a country!

God bless him.

And God Bless America!

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Previous post in the series:

Americana (part 1) - Seinfeld, Superman, and Wyoming (2020)

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Photo: wikipedia/Motherhood and apple pie

Americana (part 1) - Seinfeld, Superman, and Wyoming

Wyoming/wikipedia.com

Americana....

Definition
 
1: materials concerning or characteristic of America, its civilization,
    or its culture
  broadly : things typical of America
2: American culture
3: a genre of American music having roots in early folk and country music
 
“Americana.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, 
Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Americana .

And what better way to start a thread of that name than an American Express commercial from the turn of the century.

The 21st century, that is.

Mix in with American Express two American icons: comic book superhero and beloved comedian.

Enter the dynamic duo: Superman and Seinfeld.

(reference: https://youtu.be/Ao-Lj2x-yRE )

And their adventures continue...

(reference: https://youtu.be/VLuPTg8HcMY )

And the punch line.....

Oh Yes Wyoming!

(reference: https://youtu.be/ssdazVDcrb8 )

Wyoming.
Smallest state in the Union, population wise.

Great little parks: Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Devil's Tower...
Great places to live.

There's no place I'd rather be roaming.
Social distances since 1890.

A slice of Americana of what America used to be.

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Related article:

Superman meets Seinfeld

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Photo:
Wyoming/wikipedia.com

LOL (part 4) - The First Female Doctor Who?

Current TARDIS/wikipedia.com

Ahoy, Doctor Who fans. 

Season 11 of this long running (50+ year)  SciFi show is coming soon. And with it, a new Doctor.  The 13th Doctor. The first Female Doctor.

Here she is...

(reference:  https://youtu.be/5ZJcS_NbmZE )

Indeed. She broke the Doctor Who glass ceiling. A first.

But did she?

Last century-last millennium, Comic Relief, a major UK charity, raised (and still raises) funds through comedy, Red Nose Day, with help from many well known British celebrities. In 1999, one of their skits starred Rowan Atkinson, as the 9th Doctor, in the Doctor Who parody, The Curse of Fatal Death (1999).

The 9th Doctor, after saving every planet in the universe 27 times, decides to retire, settle down, and marry his lovely time traveling assistant Emma.  But they run into their archenemy, The Master, who puts a wrinkle in their wedding plans.

At first, the Doctor and Emma thwart The Master. But The Master prevails with help from the enemy of all living things. The Daleks. But with this deal with the tin can devil, The Master will be double-crossed and also exterminated by the Daleks.

The enemy of the my enemy is my friend, right?

The Doctor, The Master, and Emma quickly become allies to survive Dalek extermination. In the struggle, Doctor 9 is fatally wounded and regenerates into the "lick-the-mirror" handsome Doctor 10. Soon, 10 gets fatally wounded and regenerates into the homely, bumbling Doctor 11. Shortly, 11 gets fatally wounded to regenerated into Doctor 12, played by Hugh Grant.

The Doctor has more lives than cats!

Then Doctor 12 is fatally wounded and regenerates into the 13th Doctor. The lucky number.

Wait for it...

(reference: https://youtu.be/tp_Fw5oDMao )

1999: The 13th Doctor is Female!

Wait a minute. 

Let's go back to the future.

2018: The 13th Doctor is Female!

Let's Do the Time Warp Again!

Back to 1999: 

As the assistant says to Doctor 13: You're just not the man I fell in love with.

Then the female Doctor 13 asks her archenemy (they find each other mutually attractive): Why do they call you the Master?

His answer: I'll explain later.

Doctor 13 and the Master walk off together, leaving Emma behind, as The Master lets rip his diabolical laugh.

Red Nose Day did the first female Doctor Who first!

And comedy has the last laugh.

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Previous Posts in this series:

LOL (part 1) - Olympic dreaming on such a winter's day (2014)
 
LOL (part 2) - International Talk Like William Shatner Day (2014) 

LOL (part 3) - Year in the Life of a Teacher  (2017)

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Photo: Current TARDIS/wikipedia.com

Poetry (part 2) - The Fool's Prayer

Polski/Wikipedia.com

April Fools' Day.

Also known as All Fools' Day is observed on April 1st.  It's become a day of practical jokes. It's origin and history is a bit hazy, as seen here:  infoplease: April Fools' Day: Origin and History

A poem for this day

In high school literature, one of the poems we studied resonated with me. So much so, it was one I choose to memorize it.  The Fool's Prayer.  And it's recited beautifully in this clip below:

( reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp4_fGRNjCY )

The text can be found here:  The Fool's Prayer, by Edward Rowland Sill (1841 - 1887) and a good interpretation: here

As for literature, Shakespeare made great use of the fool, the King's jester, who was one court member who spoke the truth behind the mask of comedy. [reference: Shakespeare's Clowns and Fools ]

Same is true today, as it seems all great comedy has its roots in a truth or it really isn't funny. But Shakespeare said it first:

A fool thinks himself to be wise, 

but a wise man knows himself to be a fool. 

William Shakespeare

Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/williamsha109517.html

Wise or foolish!  It's our day!

Lord have mercy.

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Previous Post in this series:
   

Poetry (part 1) - Snow (2016) 

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Photo: Polski/Wikipedia.com