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Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

An almost top 10,000 blog!

Bad news for Ron DeSantis is great news for America.

Republicans can’t even be trusted with their own money.

Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.

Prediction: the GOP will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

After roe, women are no longer free.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

No one could have predicted…

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

Innocent people don’t delay justice.

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

Nothing worth doing is easy.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

I wonder if trump will be tried as an adult.

“Squeaker” McCarthy

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

You are here: Home / TV & Movies / Movies / Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Surely…

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Surely…

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ballard street dogs watch teevee
(Ballard Street via GoComics.com)
.

In honor of discerning film criticism, NYMag interviews the creators of Airplane!:

What do you recall of filming the “Don’t call me Shirley” gag?
Abrahams: Well, Paramount Pictures was apprehensive about three first-time directors working together on a movie.
David Zucker: Our contract said they could fire us after one week.
Abrahams: As it turned out, the “Don’t call me Shirley” scene was filmed on the first day of shooting. When Paramount Pictures watched the dailies and saw that joke and the way it played, they were relieved. They finally understood the concept and were much more comfortable dealing with us.
Jerry Zucker: We got the call and it was kind of like, “Oh, now we get it.” I think they previously said, “Okay, fine, you can have [Robert] Stack, [Lloyd] Bridges, [Leslie] Nielsen, and [Peter] Graves,” but I don’t think very many people understood what we were doing by casting these serious, straight-men actors until they saw it.
David Zucker: It was a radical concept. We were doing a comedy without comedians. I think the studio most likely green-lit it thinking this was Animal House on an airplane, and it turned out to be totally different than what they imagined.
Jerry Zucker: It’s a line that a lot of different people could have said, and it would’ve been funny — people would’ve gotten it. But I don’t think it would be remembered in the same way if it hadn’t been said the way Leslie Nielsen says it.
David Zucker: That’s a good point. We love Bill Murray and people who do comedy well, but it wouldn’t have been the same if a comedian had said that line…

***********

Apart from homegrown MST3K jokes (Bill Murray is supposed to be a comedian, you say?), what’s on the agenda for the day?

Reader Interactions

148Comments

  4. 4.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    PublicPolicyPolling ‏@ppppolls

    Started a national poll tonight that we’ll release Thursday but already clear- Trump’s standing significantly diminished

    281 retweets 189 likes

    Ooops.

    Tulip mania bubble meet Trump mania bubble

    1 part of his rise was nativism and racism. 2 part was “vote for me, I’m a winner”.

    he had a 20-plus point lead in NH before Iowa. It will be interesting to see how much of that will melt.

  7. 7.

    Oatler.

    I checked out that Gocomics site because Yahoo dumped its comic section. “Classic Dilbert” from 1992?

  8. 8.

    Schlemazel

    @OzarkHillbilly:
    YAY! Hope that goes really well, it had to be a relief.

    To me the funniest thing about Bill Murray is that he has a career as a comedian & not as a McDonald’s manager.

  10. 10.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    New Hampshire Poll — UMass Lowell/7News — Jan 30 thur Feb 1

    Sanders…………….63%
    Clinton………………30%

    Not much of a race. He has his neighboring state locked up.

  12. 12.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    If Sanders doesn’t win his next door state by at least 30 points then he’ll fail to meet expectations.

  13. 13.

    Schlemazel

    @Oatler.:
    Yeah, they don’t carry the new stuff. I go to dilbert.com for that. Also gocomics does not carry “Zits” so I have to go to arcamax. They have a bunch of different comics but I don’t remember any others there I was interested on.

    BTW – I thought todays “Basic Instructions” was great for politicians, How to Apologize

  14. 14.

    Eric S.

    The impromptu Chicago meet up was a success I’d say. It was good to put faces and real names with some nyms. Satby and the girls made it from Michigan, Elmo and couple others who’s in human names I remember but not their nyms. The bar was pretty empty so it was easy to meet up even though I left the green balloons on my desk.

    Good times.

    Satby has some pics.

  18. 18.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    @Mustang Bobby: Lil’ Marco doesn’t lead a single state. Not even his home state.

    The only state he leads in is the state of mind of Beltway, who never met a Neo-Con they didn’t love.

  19. 19.

    SFAW

    @Mustang Bobby:

    I just hope that there’s as much digging into the shit he did when he was in the Florida legislature as they did on Hillary Clinton.

    Hunh. Until now, you had never came across as being delusional. Or as a wishing-for-unicorns type of guy.

    Of course, if you’re (somehow) right, perhaps they’ll investigate Rubio’s involvement in Benghaziii!!!!1!!2!, since he probably had almost as much as she did.

  20. 20.

    WereBear

    @OzarkHillbilly: Yay! But take it easy. Your body can still be clumsy adjusting to NOT having the boot.

    Haven’t slept well these past two nights. Whatever I have is now wreaking havoc in my chest. Maybe moving around will wear it out. Z-Pak still operational.

  23. 23.

    raven

    Starting Thursday the local community theater is putting on “The Graduate”. Mrs Robinson is being played by a friend of mine who I clearly recall being the perky young waitress at the vegetarian restaurant! Time is a thief.

  24. 24.

    OzarkHillbilly

    To all: Thanx.

    I’ve got a ways to go yet, I know. We’ll see what the Doc says and then I’ll decide how much of that I’ll ignore. Unless there is something funky on the x-rays, I won’t be seeing him again, at least not for this. The wife is fighting a bug so she won’t be coming with, which is nice because that will open the door to some creative evasions (not my fault if she doesn’t ask the right questions) For now at least, I can begin my morning walks again, and start working up to my previous daily 2 miles.

  28. 28.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    @Baud: Looks like I picked the wrong week to quite smoking.

    (I found out recently that Lloyd Bridges was a fellow alum of UCLA and he met his wife there when they were both students.)

    ETA: There was also another UCLA alum in “Airplane”.

  33. 33.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    @Baud: I didn’t go Cold Turkey, but I’m progressing. Under a pack yesterday, which is alot less than normal.

  34. 34.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @raven: The pics in the paper were fun. The wife and I weren’t going mostly because it would have involved a lot of walking. I have to work up to it.

  40. 40.

    JPL

    CBS Morning News is leading with a story about the tornadoes that moved across the south. The race for the presidency will be covered, but at least it wasn’t first.

  44. 44.

    Mustang Bobby

    @BillinGlendaleCA: I was going to say “break a leg,” but with OzarkHillbilly in the room, I’ll just say best wishes. I know it’s hard to quit, and my ex said it was easier for him to go through alcohol rehab and get sober than it was to stop smoking, which he couldn’t do.

  45. 45.

    BruceFromOhio

    @BillinGlendaleCA: Not yet.

    … you must be friends with Alfred …?

    ETA @BillinGlendaleCA: You will prevail. It was one of the hardest, best things I ever did. I was a deck of Marlboros a day for longer than I care to recall, and getting out from under that made everything so much better. It is totally worth the challenge, and I can only encourage you to keep up the fight.

  48. 48.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @BillinGlendaleCA: It ain’t easy. Keep at it. One thing I did to get myself down to the 4 cigs a day that last year, was pick 8 times in a day that I could smoke and have half a cig ( on the way to work, at morning break, at lunch, etc), then it was OK to not be able to light up ’cause I knew the time was coming when I could. I still needed the [email protected]!x at the end but I think it helped.

  49. 49.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    Heidi Cruz Hates Hicks

    “Heidi has repeatedly been complaining about how disgusting the voters and whole scene in Iowa is,” our source told Gawker. “She says everyone smokes cigarettes, eats horribly, and wants to hug and touch her all the time. She said that she has to go back to the hotel and take a shower multiple times a day due to this environment.”

    Doesn’t surprise me at all.

  53. 53.

    Another Holocene Human

    I’m surprised Anne Laurie missed last night’s tweet by JJ McNab of a militiaman who posts a link to the TOS episode “The Omega Glory” unironically:

    I have always deeply appreciated the pure fact and utter veracity as to the intent, meaning and purpose of the Constitution conveyed in this episode of [Star Trek].

    The episode ends with a scene of the barbaric “Yangs” worshipping texts on an altar that they don’t understand.

  55. 55.

    Mustang Bobby

    @OzarkHillbilly: There’s a video of Ted trying to kiss his own kid and she recoils like he was a cobra. All I could think of was “In the criminal justice system, sexually-based crimes are considered especially heinous…”

  56. 56.

    MomSense

    NPR airing a segment now interviewing a Trump supporter and a woman who can’t decide between Cruz and Fiorina. Then I hear that smarmy Cruz voice. Now Rubio, dear dog is going to walk right to the desk in the Oval Office and repeal all the tyranny. These people make me want to become a hermit.

  59. 59.

    MomSense

    The creep factor is strong in that one. I’m still recovering from his machine gun bacon stunt.

  64. 64.

    debbie

    @Mustang Bobby:

    I think I’ve seen the video you’re referring to (it was FP’ed a day or two ago). I thought it was some random kid, but it being his daughter makes it even worse. Eww, Daddy!

  65. 65.

    magurakurin

    @David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch:

    he had a 20-plus point lead in NH before Iowa. It will be interesting to see how much of that will melt.

    Almost none. Iowa, on the Republican side, is a stronghold of the Christian Fascists, the rest of the country more or less is Secular Fascist territory. Cruz is a Christian Fascist, Trump a Secular Fascist. Trump is going to start rockin’ and rollin’ from New Hampshire on down to Dixie. I hope to every deity high and low, real and imagined that Trump doesn’t get anywhere near the Whitehouse. But…a Secular Fascist is way better than a Christian Fascist.

    I just hope that either Clinton or Sanders can get it done when either one gets the nod. Neither one is a lock. I think Clinton is a stronger pick, but no one can say for sure.

  66. 66.

    bystander

    @David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch:

    “She said that she has to go back to the hotel and take a shower multiple times a day due to this environment.”

    Heidi may have merely been referring to being around Ted. Did you see how the daughter reacts to him?

    Watching a 1959 Wyatt Earp about a bunch of Confederates infesting Dodge City. They want to ride around town shooting their guns and Marshall Earp is having none of it. “It’s Kansas 1879. Can’t you people put the war behind you?” Incredible. Terrible acting (Hugh O’Brien?) but nobody on commercial tv today would take on 2nd Amendment nuts lie this.

  67. 67.

    NotMax

    Of course, the brothers Zucker, um, appropriated the plot and even chunks of dialogue from Zero Hour!, a 1950s B movie.

  68. 68.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    @debbie:

    “Heidi has repeatedly been complaining about how disgusting the voters and whole scene in Iowa is,” our source told Gawker.

    Yay Iowa!

    She really hates Radar O’Reilly

  69. 69.

    magurakurin

    @David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch:

    But the ARG poll from 1/31 has it Sanders 49 Clinton 43. Somebody is wrong. But Nate Silver has Sanders at 97% to win. With his own poll average line with Sanders at +18. Clinton has a long couple of weeks ahead of her before Nevada probably gives her some good news.

  70. 70.

    debbie

    @David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch:

    Sorry, still waking up. His daughter reacting as she does tells me he’s anything but an affectionate father. Bet he browbeats them to do their prayers. I also wonder if Heidi is as devout as Ted, considering her reaction to her fellow evangelicals.

  72. 72.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    Eli Stokols ✔ @EliStokols

    Jeb alum at last Iowa event tells me the campaign is HOPING for a FIFTH PLACE finish in the caucuses tonight.

    9:57 AM – 1 Feb 2016 · Des Moines, IA, United States

    *

    ¿Jeb? bumbling attempt to lower expectations failed – he finished 6th

  74. 74.

    SiubhanDuinne, Annoying Scoundrel

    @debbie:

    His daughter reacting as she does tells me he’s anything but an affectionate father. Bet he browbeats them to do their prayers.

    Well, he did boast on the campaign trail a few weeks ago that he spanks his daughters.

  82. 82.

    Elizabelle

    Good morning all.

    Could someone post a link to the tiny Cruz responding to her father? Would love to see it; will check back later. (If not; someone mentioned it was front paged recently.)

    Offline mostly for a day or two; looks like you’ve had some great threads, with Friedman units, yet.

    RE the TrustTed Cruz “smarmy” voice — yes it is, and if you’re not primed to like him (ie. you’re not a cruel type of religionist, rightwinger or have other severe issues), you will pick up on that right away.

    It’s like Cruella deVil trying to adopt a Disney heroine voice. The razorblade in the Barney hand puppet.

  83. 83.

    Randy P

    @raven: Anne Bancroft was only 6 years older than Dustin Hoffman. She was 35 or 36 when she did “The Graduate”, and had played a young thing in “The Miracle Worker” just a few years before.

  85. 85.

    Randy P

    @Sherparick: I’ve heard that many times from actors. And the good comic actors will tell you that you have to play a comic character straight. The character believes in him/herself.

    Having done some amateur comedy improv (where they give you the same advice) I can tell you that works. It’s amazing how much funny stuff pops out just from being true to a character. The big thing they keep telling you is not to focus on being funny or making a joke.

  87. 87.

    Germy

    @Elizabelle: Did Cole post an animated gif of The Recoiling From Daddy Ted, mixed with the scene from Alien, with Ripley recoiling from the monster? Or did I see it somewhere else?

  88. 88.

    SiubhanDuinne, Annoying Scoundrel

    O/T, but this is pretty cool. I know a lot of Juicers are fans of Jimmy Carter and may be interested in this:

    WEBCAST
    Jimmy Carter to Give Lecture at the House of Lords

    You are invited to watch former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s remarks to members of the U.K. Parliament and special guests as part of the Lord Speaker’s global lecture series. President Carter will address the Center’s continuing 30-year international campaign to eradicate Guinea worm disease, followed by audience Q&A. The event will be webcast live from the historic Robing Room, House of Lords, in the Palace of Westminster.

    It begins at 12:30 pm EST today. Details at the link.

  91. 91.

    Kathleen

    @Mustang Bobby: I’m addicted to that show along with Law and Order I have managed to delude myself into thinking I now have firm grasp of criminal justice system. I’m afraid this level of magical thinking is first step towards Rethuglicanism and I’m very afraid. Also too daughter’s reaction was starting in a way. She could be easily embarrassed but it was strange because we’re all so used to seeing stage managed families.

  92. 92.

    ThresherK

    @Randy P: Yeah, seriously this.

    I dated a number of older women before finding one to marry. My wife preceded the word cougar, but she certainly is one.

    @raven: I hope your friend remembers Roger Ebert on the subject. “Mrs. Robinson emerged as the most sympathetic and intelligent character in ‘The Graduate.’ ”

    And the interview:

    Ebert: “Mrs. Robinson was the most intriguing character in the movie”
    Bancroft: “Of course she is. Why do you think I took the role?”

  94. 94.

    FlyingToaster

    @Mustang Bobby: I just heard a Rubio ad on drivetime radio. If that’s how he’s going to persuade the New Hamsters, I don’t think we have anything to worry about. He was blasting Clinton and Bush for being old. Newsflash: the people who didn’t retire to Florida ARE old. And they’re not impressed with a Latino Dan Quayle.

    Trump hasn’t bought any ads that I’ve seen or heard. Public appearances are lovely, but his opponents are fully engaged in an air war. He needs to up his game. O’Malley’s slots are available, for a premium.

  98. 98.

    FlipYrWhig

    @FlyingToaster: Rubio, who exemplifies the term “shitweasel,” bragged in his 3rd place “victory” speech about how The Media Doubted Us, because I’m so youthful and outsider-y, but now look what we’ve done. Dude, you’re the darling of the media and the party is doing everything it can to lift you up. He’s pathetic.

  99. 99.

    Tommy

    @Germy: Wow., I am always confused more than a little if I should kiss or hug my niece of 6. Totally I know it is PC in the family to do both. I wonder what she thinks. Maybe she is a “big girl” this week. That is so cool with me. That young lady looked uncomfortable at about ten different levels. I would think as an adult and a FUCKING father (which I am not) you might notice this.

  100. 100.

    Vheidi

    @BillinGlendaleCA: good for you, so hard, but worth it, of course. Took me 3 tries. Are you doing any of the tricks? Switch brands, increase the time after eating, waking up, or whatever your trigger is?

  101. 101.

    BL

    Trump is whining on Twitter this morning that Cruz won because of fraud (telling voters that Carson had quit).

    Wonder how his fans will react to all the whining.

  103. 103.

    Germy

    @Tommy: Ted’s family is apparently NOT enjoying the campaign. The missus being groped by all the Regular Folks, and the daughter having to pretend to be affectionate all the time. It looks like they’ll be glad when it’s all over.

  105. 105.

    Germy

    @BL: Ted denied it yesterday and then today issued an apology, calling it “a mistake” but he’s got the dirty tricks thing down tight. Nixon looks up from the bowels of hell and says “A true professional.”

  106. 106.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    can any of youse who subject yourselves to morning Joe confirm that the dried up husk of Bob Woodward was saying HRC’s problem is she’s too loud? i guess we should be glad he didn’t go with ‘sounds like your ex-wife!”

  108. 108.

    Tommy

    @Germy: Which makes me think it will be good. Just jamming Miles now because of you. He is a bad ass man in a very good way.

  109. 109.

    Germy

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: I read an article about the biography Woodward wrote of John Belushi. All of Belushi’s friends; all of the people Woodward talked to for the book said he got everything wrong: “It’s like someone wrote a biography of Michael Jordan in which all the stats and scores are correct, but you come away with the impression that Michael Jordan wasn’t very good at playing basketball.”
    http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2013/03/bob_woodward_and_gene_sperling_what_woodward_s_john_belushi_book_can_tell.single.html

  112. 112.

    germy

    Are there any other Ted Cruz campaign tricks? I know about the voter grading mailer and the Carson quitting maneuver. Are there any others that have come to light?

  113. 113.

    rikyrah

    wait a minute!!!

    am I wrong, or did they NOT have the Kentucky Primary yet?

    He paid for them to change it, and he is bailing?

    BWA HA HA HA HA H HA HA HA HA

    ……………………………….

    darlene superville @dsupervilleap 2m2 minutes ago
    WASHINGTON (AP) — Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul says he is ending his bid for the Republican nomination for president .

  114. 114.

    germy

    Scott Brown has endorsed tRump.

    I’m shocked to see Rand quit. Just last night I saw him on the network news saying “We can win this,” to a tiny crowd of listless supporters.

  115. 115.

    raven

    @Germy: Funny, he was from Wheaton and good buddies with two of my high school pals (I never met him) but neither are even mentioned in that article. These are dudes who were close enough that he adopted their names in SNL skits.

  116. 116.

    germy

    HENNIKER, NH—Saying his performance in last night’s Iowa caucuses provided just the push he needed, advisors for Jeb Bush expressed their hope Tuesday that the Republican candidate has finally garnered enough momentum to end his presidential campaign. “If you look back across several weeks of polling data, you can see that Jeb is definitely starting to build a full head of steam and appears to be in an excellent position to exit the presidential race,” said campaign manager Danny Diaz, adding that Bush wasn’t just picking up speed in the early primary states but across the country as a whole, and appeared poised to retake the national spotlight by announcing the suspension of his campaign. “New Hampshire can be a significant turning point for this campaign if Jeb finishes similarly there. It feels like we could certainly keep following this trajectory and make a big move to call it quits. Let me tell you, there’s a certain energy in the Bush camp right now.” At press time, Bush’s campaign office was buzzing with dozens of staffers canceling accommodations and tour stops all across South Carolina and Nevada.

    – The Onion News

  121. 121.

    SiubhanDuinne, Annoying Scoundrel

    @Amir Khalid:

    For whatever reason, Bernstein doesn’t irritate me the way Woodward does. Or did.

    (Edit): Actually, they’re both younger than I am; I shouldn’t be quite so flippant.

  122. 122.

    ThresherK

    @Germy: Great article. Now I want to read the bio that Judy Belushi hired Tanner Colby to write.

    “The wrongness in Woodward’s reporting is always ever so subtle. “

    Sounds like an epitath in the making.

  124. 124.

    NotMax

    @Randy P

    Had the lead in a play one time and the reviewer described my performance thusly: “Comic timing that would put Groucho Marx to shame.”

    Believe you me, that was an invisible anvil to carry onstage for many performances after.

    @PaulW

    Good news for Jim Gilmore!

    :)

  135. 135.

    Iowa Old Lady

    Jesus. Trump is calling for a whole new R Iowa caucus because Cruz “cheated.” Alternatively they could nullify the results. Instead of winning he now offers whining.

  136. 136.

    Amir Khalid

    Loose cannon: Trump

    Jackhole: Cruz

    Damp Squibs of the Establishment: Bush, Christie, Graham, Gilmore, Jindal, Kasich, Pataki, Perry, Rubio, Walker

    Kooks/Wowsers: Carson, Fiorina, Huckabee, Paul, Santorum

    The kooks and wowsers are uninteresting candidates, and not really in contention. Of the DSEs, Gilmore is still in only because he’s been totally oblivious to his failure so far; Shelob won’t let Jeb quit; The Joisey Whale has too much hoodlum pride to quit so soon. The media has been bigging up Marco, and Kasich has that NYT endorsement to live up to, even though neither looks likely to catch up to the front two.

    It seems to me, if Trump fades in New Hampshire for lack of tactical/organising nous, as he seems to have done in Iowa, the Jackhole is going to be the Republican nominee.

  138. 138.

    Matt McIrvin

    Okay, at this point, I can actually see a possible mechanism for Trump losing the nomination. I can’t believe the guy is demanding nullification of the Iowa caucus because he gets 7 delegates instead of 8.

    It’s not like it matters whether he won or not. If he just does nothing, he’s going to score a crushing win in New Hampshire, and probably South Carolina too, and he can go on to romp on Super Tuesday! If he whines, he looks like a whiner. Does he not realize that?

  139. 139.

    Germy

    @Iowa Old Lady:

    I feel sorry for family dragged along on campaigns, especially kids. They’re not the ones running.

    Why do they do it? Why drag the wife and kids? Couldn’t they stay home and skype with dad? Is it so the candidate looks like a family man? Because it’s obvious torture for the kids, and the wife needs multiple showers…

    Why can’t a candidate go out alone and do the work of campaigning?

  141. 141.

    Paul in KY

    @Germy: Having a ‘Wholesome American Family ™’ is di rigeur on the Repub side, it seems.

    Probably doesn’t hurt you on our side, either.

  142. 142.

    Germy

    @Paul in KY:

    Having a ‘Wholesome American Family ™’ is di rigeur on the Repub side, it seems.

    It almost…. humanizes them.

    Someday a man or woman will be allowed to run for president without dragging his miserable family with him. If and when I decide to seek the nomination, I’ll leave the wife and kids home and bring only our cat.

  143. 143.

    Amir Khalid

    @Germy:
    Lindsay Graham hasn’t been dragging a wife and kids around on his campaign. You got to give him credit for that.

    @Germy:
    You’d wind up looking too much like Dr Evil.

  146. 146.

    Germy

    @Amir Khalid:

    You’d wind up looking too much like Dr Evil.

    would that guarantee me the GOP nomination?

    @Paul in KY:

    You have my vote! The cats ordered me to say that…

    The first video that came out of me trying to hug and kiss our cat, and the cat recoiling in disgust would make me a figure of fun on balloon-juice.

Comments are closed.