Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

I like you, you’re my kind of trouble.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

The willow is too close to the house.

This really is a full service blog.

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

The GOP couldn’t organize an orgy in a whorehouse with a fist full of 50s.

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace.

“But what about the lurkers?”

I did not have telepathic declassification on my 2022 bingo card.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Optimism opens the door to great things.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

A Senator Walker would also be an insult to reason, rationality, and decency.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

You are here: Home / TV & Movies / Movies / Open Thread: Send In the Clowns

Open Thread: Send In the Clowns

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Because I couldn’t find a clip of Collins singing
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You can’t win, and you can’t break even
You can’t get out of the game;
You shouldn’t stay, but you ain’t leaving
‘Cause your luck… could change again…

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And besides, who doesn’t love Muppets?
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Speaking of which, I am not quite the target demographic for Elizabeth Stevens’ Weekend At Kermie’s: The Muppets’ Strange Life After Death (too old for Sesame Street; but Muppets in Space and Muppet Xmas Carol are among my favorite movies) but I found it both informative and enjoyable nonetheless…

Reader Interactions

37Comments

  1. 1.

    JPL

    Thanks for the open thread. I was ready to post a comment asking about the Steelers and Tunch because that might cause some reaction with the boss man.

  3. 3.

    tesslibrarian

    I can’t hear that song anymore without thinking of this version by Stephen Colbert.

    You just can’t trust clowns…
    That’s why they’re called clowns

    (ETA: it’s near the end of the interview w/Sondheim)

  4. 4.

    JPL

    Where did all the posters come from on Kay’s thread below? They are similar to one disturbing a yellow jacket nest in the way they attack from all sides. Is there a blog that says let’s go to Cole’s and sting or what?

  5. 5.

    burnspbesq

    Crazy deja vu: five nights until the New York Cosmos come back from the dead, providing the opposition in the Paul Scholes testimonial match at Old Trafford.

    I was at Pele’s first match for the Cosmos, and the match on Fathers’ Day in 1977 when they planned for 25,000 attendance and 77,000 showed up at Giants Stadium.

    I don’t think I will go back to being a Cosmos supporter if, as is possible, they become the 20th team in MLS in 2013; fifteen years as a Galaxy supporter precludes that. But the Cosmos brand is an important part of the heritage of football in this country, and it will be cool to see that green kit again. Not to mention the indescribable coolness of seeing Eric Cantona managing against Sir Alex.

  6. 6.

    lamh34

    I have nothing to say about the debt ceiling per se, but as for politics in general, I’m about ready to take a vacation from political discussions in general over the intertubes at this point. Mentally, I think I’ve already checked out, but I find that I enjoy reading the various post and blogs that I frequent, but I’ll tell ya the truth, I’m a little tired of all the drama. I’ll be honest, I did not become dialed into politics until 2008. I’ve always tried to pay attention to the “issues of the day” and what not, and I’ve always voted Dem since I turned 18, but I did not really pay attention to the underbelly of politics until now. Is it a new thing that everything is a crisis, or is that some new phenomenon? Not being dialed in before then, I don’t know if it is normally so neurotic.

    I hate this much drama and neurosis in my own personal interactions with people, forget about trying to do it over the anonymity that is the internet where I can’t at least have eye contact or physical interaction and context available to read and react the way I would like to situations

    This debt fight and all the other fights has really opened my eyes to the other side and I hate to say it, but I can honestly understand why most people just decide to tune all politics out and just go to the booth and vote

    Am I making sense…probably not. That’s probably my cue to go to bed now. I’m babbling…lol

    BTW, I love the Muppets and can’t wait for the movie Muppets Movie Trailer. I would have probably seen this movie anyway since the Muppets are in it, but Jason Seagal is the icing on the cake…lol

  8. 8.

    Comrade Luke

    Is it a new thing that everything is a crisis, or is that some new phenomenon?

    Between the 24/7 “news” networks and the internet, things have gotten much, much worse in the last decade or so. The signal-to-noise ratio is out of control.

  9. 9.

    Violet

    I’ve been out enjoying myself all day and have returned to see there seems to be some kind of resolution to this debt mess. Is that right? Is there any guarantee that if the Senate passes it, the House will also pass it? Or are the Teabaggers going to hold it hostage?

    Anyone know?

  13. 13.

    JPL

    @lamh34: I’ve always followed politics and until the last 5 or 6 years, I have never voted straight party line except while living in LA in 74/76. In LA during that time, there was only one party, the democrats. If you didn’t vote in the primary, you lost your voice.
    At this point in time, I can’t imagine ever voting for another republican.
    btw..The muppets rule.

  15. 15.

    burnspbesq

    @Violet:

    Nobody knows anything.

    What I’d like to see:

    (1) Pelosi signals that Boehner has to pass it with only Republican votes.

    (2) Boehner tries and fails.

    (3) Pelosi asks that it be brought up for a second vote, and persuades just enough Democrats to vote for it that it passes but still bears the Republican brand.

  16. 16.

    Violet

    @burnspbesq:
    Thanks for replying. I really have been out having a great day and made a point of not looking at news at all after a quick check this morning. I’ve been wine tasting and am happily tipsy.

    Anyway, why would Boehner do that? It would make him look even less competent than he looks now, which is pretty bad. I don’t think he’d go for it.

  18. 18.

    lamh34

    @JPL: I have never voted Republican. I honestly don’t think I ever will, unless the GOP all of a sudden becomes more acclimated to AA and minorities, so that’s not really an option. I also don’t think I could vote 3rd party just because maybe it’s just a Black thing, but I don’t ever want to feel I “wasted” my vote so I don’t think I could

    Still, like I said, I just understand now why people prefer to just not even deal with politics and just go into the booth and vote. No blog reading, no crazy editorials, no stupid and purposely aggravating, rude and ridiculous commentary. Just tell me the election date and point me to the polling stations and that’s it.

  20. 20.

    burnspbesq

    @lamh34:

    I voted for Marge Roukema for Congress three times, in 1980, 1982, and 1984. She was way saner than the Democratic opposition, plus I knew her personally (her kid was a year behind me in high school). Other than that, no Republicans for me, thank you very much.

  21. 21.

    Mnemosyne

    @efgoldman:

    I still have a strange affection for the work of Paul Williams. If you ever see DePalma’s Phantom of the Paradise, you can see that Williams’ range was actually pretty broad (and he wasn’t a bad actor, either — he’s actually pretty fucking scary as Swan).

  22. 22.

    Yutsano

    The whining about the Henson/Whitmire voice change is an old stupid argument. What she ignores is that indeed Kermit is the first Muppet. To simply move on without him would create an inexplainable hole. And Henson simply died too young.

    I haven’t looked since dinner arrived: is the teef gnashing still going on below?

  23. 23.

    Splitting Image

    I’m totally the demographic Stevens is talking about. I spent two weeks in the hospital in ’88 with the same bug that killed Jim Henson. I can’t hear the man’s voice without tearing up, and I miss him horribly in anything Muppet-related that he isn’t in.

    Such a wonderful and talented man. The older I get, the more flabbergasted I am that he, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, and the rest of the gang actually strong-armed a Hollywood studio into making a movie about puppets.

    Here is a video of the Muppet crew appearing on the Tonight Show in 1965:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOvfXvQygrk

  24. 24.

    MikeJ

    @Splitting Image:

    the rest of the gang actually strong-armed a Hollywood studio into making a movie about puppets.

    Wiggling dolls? I seem to recall Fozzie was not impressed by Edgar Bergen’s wiggling of dolls.

  25. 25.

    Valdivia

    Love The Muppets. And like Violet I was trying most of the day to enjoy myself without paying attention to the news. I’ll probably do that for a few more days, too much drama!

  27. 27.

    John Weiss

    I don’t love muppets. Never did. But my kid did, so Sesame Street was on every morning.

    Kids.

    He and I, however, hate clowns. And mimes. Go figure.

    JW

  28. 28.

    Jewish Steel

    @efgoldman: Goldman! Curses!

    All right, you’ve won this round. (grumbles)

    I was was young enough to be 100% enchanted with the Muppet Show when it first aired. The pure craftsmanship of it all just blows me away now. Such attention to detail, it would’ve been entertaining even it wasn’t so cleverly written and funny.

  29. 29.

    scav

    The Swedish Chef! Although he may be edged slightly by Beaker for me some days. His Ode to Joy as it seems apt the thread.

    There are days we should just put up a big “Biohazard” sign on the entire web and go somewhere else. Certainly got me through today although who turned the temp up again? Stop that.

  30. 30.

    Redshift

    @Yutsano: Yeah, I found the ideas about some of the things that made the Muppets special interesting, but the whole “it’s not the real Kermit” line was just idiotic. I love Kermit (though I’m a Gonzo guy first), but he’s a character, he’s not your mother, and sometimes characters get portrayed by different people. You may like one or another’s portrayal better, but that doesn’t make change impossible.

    I like Jason Segal, and I’m willing to give his attempt a chance.

  31. 31.

    burnspbesq

    @efgoldman:

    I would have had no qualms about voting for Clifford Case for the Senate in 1972 if I had been eligible. He lost in the Republican primary in 1978, and voting for Bill Bradley against Jeffrey Bell was a no-brainer.

  32. 32.

    Jewish Steel

    @Yutsano:

    is the teef gnashing still going on below?

    cleek is slapping a few chumps around in the 280s in an entertaining fashion.

  33. 33.

    LarsThorwald

    In 2000 I took a vow never to watch cable news again, and except for 9/11 and Katrina, and a couple of election night returns, I haven’t. I’ll bet I have not watched more than 20 hours total of cable news in the last decade. And it has made me a saner person.

    I am thinking I am getting near that time with some websites (not this one). I left DKOS a while ago, because it has become an ideological battle, like that Goya painting of the two guiys, hipdeep in silt unable to move themselves, unable to move each other, but destined to fight nevertheless.

    I am disappointed that Obama couldn’t do something to overtly advance progressive principles. But I also appreciate and understand that against the avalanche of absolute, pure, unalloyed insanity coming from Congress, he is just trying to save the base camp from destruction. There are more parallels to Lincoln with Obama than progressives would like to hear.

    We are rapidly nearing a point where something’s got to give. I don’t know what, and I don’t know how, but the next 5 years are going to be interesting. We are either on the cusp of a new 1968 or a new 1860. Hell, who knows.

    All I know is it appears my Gubmint job is safe (although I distinctly doubt I will see a meaningful pay increase for the next three years), and I have vacation lined up in a week, and I cannot wait to leave this fucking miserable, humid, intransigent, ideologically-skewed, douche-ridden hellhole of a city for a while.

  34. 34.

    Jewish Steel

    No CGI, either. old-fashioned props and camera angles.
    If I had .01% of Henson’s creativity, I might have been able to write music for a living.

    Amen to that.

  35. 35.

    Yutsano

    @Jewish Steel: I just peeked. Then I got bored. Faked terrible Supreme Court justices tend to do that.

    @efgoldman: When I learned the story of how the bicycle scene was done, I was flabbergasted. And it still amazes me now because it took a TON of patience to get right. From what I understand it took the longest to do in that whole movie.

  36. 36.

    skippy

    too old for sesame street? no such thing.

    i was in college when it came on, watched it, loved it, and i still check in occassionally. aside from bert & ernie, big bird, the count (one litltle piggie! two little piggies! ah ha haaaa!) and oscar the grouch, there are inumerable instaces of famous people joining in for songs and dances. nora jones sang “don’t know y” and smokey robinson sang “u really got a hold on me” as the letters y and u, respectively, danced the sketch. who could ever forget the beetles singing “letter b”? (my mother whipsers b words, letter b…)

    not only are/were the muppets spectacular on it, i still have fond memories as early street days as one of the last places to hear original tom lehrer songs:

    who can turn a can
    into a cane?
    who can turn a man
    into a mane?
    it’s elementary
    it’s silent ‘e’!

    nobody is ever too old to watch sesame street…only too busy, alas.

  37. 37.

    skippy

    ps, @efgoldman:

    aside from the occasional ed sullivan appearaces, i remember enjoying rowlf the dog as a semi-regular on the jimmy dean show.

    @mnemosyne:

    ditto on phantom, a movie that still holds up today. i was luckily enough to meet paul williams in my agent’s lobby, shake his hand and personally thank him for phantom.

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