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You are here: Home / Open Threads / ‘Like sacks of wet cement!’

‘Like sacks of wet cement!’

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Item from the Huffington Post:

After his initial Tuesday shipment of MyPillow products was denied entry into Canada, Mike Lindell now has a backup plan to get free pillows to Canadian truckers: drop them from the sky via a helicopter. The pillow maven told The Daily Beast late Wednesday night that he intends to drop his pillows into Canada from a helicopter “with little parachutes” attached. “We need to get the MyPillows to the people!” he continued.

When I read that, I immediately thought of this, which fellow old farts might remember as one of the funniest episodes of television — ever:*

The terminal velocity speeds of turkeys and pillows would vary, one assumes. But Lindell is the drum major of the Trump fuck-up fail parade, so the pillows he drops will probably pass through the fabled Canadian mist and grow heavy enough to knock so-called truckers below on their asses. Or maybe pillows will get blown into the tail rotor somehow and bring the chopper down.

The ultimate outcome is unknown, but it is destined to be stupid.

Open thread.

*Oh my God, the HAIR! Not just Loni Anderson’s — everyone’s!

Reader Interactions

103Comments

  1. 1.

    MagdaInBlack

    Having watched “Mike Pillow” on his multiple appearances on Bannon’s show I’m not surprised. The guy is ( drug fueled) nuts.

  3. 3.

    dmsilev

    The terminal velocity speeds of turkeys and pillows would vary, one assumes.

    “What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen pillow?”

    Also, would the answer differ if the pillows were stuffed with turkey feathers?

  4. 4.

    Baud

    I’m still confused as to how he will gain access to Canadian airspace when he couldn’t get land entry.

  7. 7.

    Ocotillo

    Jeez, everything is performance with these guys.  On the other hand, if he were to run for President in the GOP primaries (if TFG doesn’t), does anyone doubt he wouldn’t be the front runner at some point?  He’s a successful businessman they say.

  8. 8.

    Doug R

    Transport Canada won’t be impressed. Canadian prisons are nicer than American prisons, but it’s still prison.

  9. 9.

    K488

    I remember seeing that episode when it first ran, and have uttered “As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly” several times a year ever since.  It nearly took them off the air, but audience support was so strong they were back in a couple of weeks.

  12. 12.

    mrmoshpotato

    @MagdaInBlack:

    Having watched “Mike Pillow” on his multiple appearances on Bannon’s show I’m not surprised. The guy is ( drug fueled) nuts. 

    Dump Jr is even more of a mess. :)

  13. 13.

    NotMax

    Swear out a warrant for a thousand counts of littering, public endangerment and obstruction of traffic, demand extradition.

    //

  18. 18.

    scav

    Bringing pillows to a federal emergency powers armed international dispute.  On the unpopular side.  Wonder what he thinks that will prove?

    Do these people even see themselves in a mirror?

  19. 19.

    lowtechcyclist

    @dmsilev: “What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen pillow?”

    “Do you mean a Pillowfight pillow or a Mypillow pillow?”

    Since my sense of humor runs more in the Python vein, I must admit that I didn’t find that WKRP clip all that funny, but to each his own.

  23. 23.

    Roger Moore

    @Baud:

    I’m still confused as to how he will gain access to Canadian airspace when he couldn’t get land entry.

    It sounds like the first batch of pillows was turned back at the border for the very on-point reason that the truck drivers weren’t vaccinated.  So in principle he could have a helicopter fly across the border, drop the pillows, and then fly right back.  As long as they don’t touch down in Canada, it shouldn’t matter whether they’re vaccinated or not.

  24. 24.

    K488

    @Betty Cracker: They were indeed!  Just after it aired I got a call from a friend asking if I’d seen it, and wondering if he’d just hallucinated it.  We were in grad school, so that was a distinct possibility.  WKRP in Cincinnati was off the air for a couple of weeks, as I remember, and when they came back they repeated the joke at the beginning of the new episode.

  28. 28.

    3letterjon

    It’s like the Berlin Airlift, only so much moar dumbber!

    Maybe he can get his hands on some giant versions of those t-shirt cannons instead? PROJECT BABYLON, PARTE DEUX!!!

  29. 29.

    Betty Cracker

    @Baud: I saw the exploding whale video for the first time when Aimai posted a link to it here. Good lord, it’s funny!

  31. 31.

    JaneE

    Without the parachutes, the pillows and turkeys would fall at the same speed, assuming they were dropped from the same height.  Less mass to the pillow, and squishy not hard, so probably no serious damage.

    Can Canada charge him with littering?  Importation of undocumented goods?  Sheer stupidity?

  32. 32.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @scav: Do these people even see themselves in a mirror?

    As it’s been noted Lindell is a drug addict, he’s chemically incapable of that.

  33. 33.

    trollhattan

    Somehow sending boxes of dildos to the Oregon Nazi Bundys made more sense then lobbing pillows at “truckers.” Or at least more worth the effort. (Best unboxing video ever.)

  34. 34.

    MagdaInBlack

    …..so he can’t get his pillows to his beloved patriot truckers, because his beloved patriot truckers are blocking his shipments……..

    I was a wee bit slow in seeing this head scratcher.

  35. 35.

    JoyceH

    Where is Lindell’s next of kin? Seems to me they should easily be able to have him committed for observation by now.

  36. 36.

    germy

    Mike has expanded beyond pillows.  I see his commercials on TV sometimes…  he’s selling MySlippers, bedsheets, foam mattresses, all kinds of junk.

    I mean, how many pillows can a person buy?  Mike is right to branch out.

  37. 37.

    oatler

    Dan Harmon could have had a field day with this. See the “Blanketsburg vs. Pillowtown” ep from “Community”.

  38. 38.

    oatler

    Dan Harmon could have had a field day with this. See the “Blanketsburg vs. Pillowtown” ep from “Community”.

  42. 42.

    Kay

    So funny. I have never heard the My Pillow man speak and I hope I never do. I feel like it’s an achievable goal.

  47. 47.

    Miss Bianca

    Oh dear God, nothing like a reminder of just how fucking funny WKRP in Cincinnati really was. That segment in particular.

  49. 49.

    Gravenstone

    @MattF: I remember the first episode of Taxi. Thought it was amusing, interesting enough. Then Louie stepped down from the dispatcher’s cage to continue an argument – and I completely lost it. Was hooked from there.

  53. 53.

    Ruckus

    @dmsilev:

    Wouldn’t they have to have feathers in the first place?

    I’m thinking that feathers are more expensive than scrap foam pieces. Maybe if the feathers skipped the wash cycle the price might be less….

  56. 56.

    Jeffro

    2022, I expected better scriptwriting out of you.

    Lindell dropping pillows to truckers is soooo ‘Fonzie jumping the shark’

  57. 57.

    Ruckus

    @scav:

    Do these people even see themselves in a mirror?

    Yes.

    But it is a fun house mirror, so the impression is far better than reality. Factor in their gross stupidity and overburdened sense of self…….

  58. 58.

    lowtechcyclist

    @JaneE: Without the parachutes, the pillows and turkeys would fall at the same speed, assuming they were dropped from the same height.

    In a vacuum, yes.

    In an atmosphere, density and air resistance make a difference.

  60. 60.

    Ruckus

    @JaneE:

    Can Canada charge him with littering?  Importation of undocumented goods?  Sheer stupidity?

    Yes, yes they can. Although I’m not sure sheer stupidity is an offense of the law. If it were would SFB been able to be elected?

    They can also charge him with illegal entry, it is after all a separate sovereign nation.

  62. 62.

    JoyceH

    Have any of these truckers (maybe that should be “truckers”) even expressed a wish for these pillows? If they came there prepared for a multi-day camp out, presumably they brought their own pillows.

  65. 65.

    delk

    Lindell’s commercials have it all: cancel culture, the cross, an American flag, picture of the last supper, and a giant lion with crown of thorns.

    oh, and a bunch of shitty products.

  70. 70.

    Yarrow

    @Kay:  For awhile it seemed like MyPillow ran commercials on everything. I didn’t want to see him talk but there he was with his weird blue shirt and cross on a chain hanging outside the shirt showing up in people’s medicine cabinets when they opened the door. So bizarre. Seems like everyone involved in the company is on drugs.

  74. 74.

    dmsilev

    @germy:

    Fischetti also hinted that Trump may make the same mistake he’s made in the past and say too much.

    “I can’t even represent him in a situation like that, because he’ll want to testify,” said Fischetti, who was later seen squeezing a stress ball at his desk.

    I would feel sorry for him, except well he decided to represent Trump so most likely is a horrible person.

  77. 77.

    Ohio Mom

    When My Pillow first became a thing, I saw a display as I was browsing Bed, Bath and Beyond. So I took a look and a squeeze. They were lumpy! I already had lumpy pillows at home.

  78. 78.

    Kay

    @Yarrow:

    I hate cable news so the only people I actually hear are local broadcasters and the people I go out of my way to hear. I just read all wingnuts. I was suprised when I first heard the Florida governor. He sounds whiny. I expected a fake tough guy. But, no. No My Pillow man for me. I want to keep my streak going.

  79. 79.

    Kay

    @Betty Cracker:

    Now I’m interested! But not enough to listen. It might seem less crazy though. Basically what I’ve been doing is reading transcripts of crazed conservatives for 4 years, which is not healthy.

  82. 82.

    Kay

    Equality Florida
    @equalityfl
    · 14m
    Rep. @josephbharding acknowledges that his bill is not limited to K-3 because the “or” clause extends it to K-12 education

    An important concession. They were all claiming the “don’t say gay” bill was only for K-3. It’s not true.
    I love how we all read their piece of shit bills and they don’t even bother.

  83. 83.

    Yarrow

    @Kay:  I don’t watch cable news at all unless there’s something really big happening so I didn’t see them there. MyPillow commercials turned up everywhere for awhile. I watched the weird one where he was in the medicine cabinet because it was just so odd I was wondering what in the world was going on. I hadn’t heard of him before that but he creeped me the hell out. Who wants a guy in their medicine cabinet? What even is that?

  85. 85.

    laura

    Do none of these shite-bags (jestures broadly in the direction of public figures) have any friends, family, physicians to stop them from this obviously troubling public conduct? Sheesh, if I was gacked to rafters (djtj), stalking my soon to be ex (ye), stuck in an unending but well financed manic phase (pillow guy), there’d be a conga line of concerned family/friends/colleagues who would put the kibosh on my public spectacle and get me the help that I would obviously need. As little as I care about these Tom fools and their Tom foolery, I am stunned by the absence of anybody who could/should care. I dont know what explains it, but it makes me ache for the absence of human decency from those who orbit this nonsense.

  87. 87.

    Kay

    @Yarrow:

    I don’t really understand tying your brand so closely to the far Right. It seems stupid. Why alienate half your customers right out of the box? I don’t have time for crazy pillow salesman. That’s too much for me. I just buy a mid priced pillow at Macys online and I’m done! They have all the non crazy pillows one could want. I don’t want a personal relationship with him.

  88. 88.

    Martin

    @andy: Man, domesticated turkeys and wild turkeys are almost like two different species now. Domesticated turkeys most definitely cannot fly.

  90. 90.

    MagdaInBlack

    @laura: They are surrounded by enablers who are making bank on them. And they’ve alienated anyone who could or would help them.

    I admit feeling a vague sense of guilt as I watch their very public displays. It is a slo-mo train wreck.

    The (kan)Ye thing is, as you say, flat out stalking.

  91. 91.

    prostratedragon

    @laura:  It must be hard if there’s no spouse willing to take action. Consider the case of Paul Gosar and his frustrated relatives who have told the world that he’s off his nut. I bet publicity was a last resort for them.

  92. 92.

    Martin

    @MagdaInBlack: Yeah. Ironically, it’s different for celebs in a key way. The paparazzi and tabloids and all the others need the celebs to not implode to stay in business, so they run a surprising amount of interference for them, hiding their additions and worst behavior and trying to get them help. There’s nothing to report if they’re in rehab, so they actively help to keep them out. So their job is really to keep them in a state of enough drama to make you want to read about them, but not so much drama that the whole show comes crashing down.

    Trump had money from day one, and his parents solution was to send him to military school, but once he got his own money, you’re right, everyone goes on his payroll and nobody is willing to drop the dime on the guy. Ironically, it’s Don Jr that walked away for a while due to how Trump was treating Don’s mom, but eventually he decided to go after the money instead. I don’t blame Trump too much – he’s a busted person. He needed help 60 years ago and never got it, and now it’s just too late. Its his family and his kids that failed him. And now of course all of his supporters that feed into his worst impulses.

  93. 93.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    @Martin: ​  A Newsweek photographer serendipitously saw the green eyed blonde on the beach one day and was so taken he did a cover story (photo)​

  94. 94.

    trollhattan

    @bjacques: ​
    @MagdaInBlack: ​
    [Raises hand] Yep, we were supposed to fall for Loni Anderson but because Jennifer was unobtanium, Bailey was the girl next door if your folks happened to move into just the right neighborhood. Similar with “Buffalo Bill” and Wendy, who grabbed the attention from co-lead Jo-Jo. Wonder what happened to her?

  95. 95.

    Jinchi

    @K488: Really? They took the show off the air for that?

    It’s not like they actually threw turkeys out if a helicopter….. Right?

  97. 97.

    Geoduck

    @trollhattan: Re: Jennifer vs. Bailey on WKRP: the show’s producers have claimed that it was very intentional making Jennifer the center of the endless in-show frenzy, while Bailey was actually the more attractive of the two. (Not that Loni Anderson was bad looking.)  And to their ever-lasting credit, they never had the two characters snipe or catfight with each other.

  98. 98.

    Phein63

    @K488: Wild turkeys can fly.  They roost in trees at night for safety.  About two dozen roost in my daughter’s backyard in northern illinois.  They will sometimes fly up to her roof, and use that as a runway to fly high up into the trees, but often they’ll take off from a neighbor’s yard and fly a couple hundred feet up to their perch.

  99. 99.

    louc

    We’ve been on a WKRP on youtube kick with the passing of the late, great Howard Hesseman. Besides the turkey episode, there are so many side-splitting scenes in the show.

    The cast had a reunion at the Paley Center for Media in LA someone taped about 8 years ago. Jan Smithers said she got her start by posing on a motorcycle while in high school.

  102. 102.

    Mousebumples

    Late to the thread, but much love for WKRP. My parents bought a copy of the DVD set from Canada so it would have the original music. Contacts for the music (unsurprisingly) didn’t include the DVD rights.

    Such a great show. Thanks for the clip! ❤️

  103. 103.

    J R in WV

    @andy:

    the thing is, IRL turkeys can fly, unlike this ridiculous idea.

    Back in the 1990s, while we were building our house in the deep woods, we were on the back deck with a big welder on a truck out front, running loud, grinders working to smooth the welds, on the railing for the deck.

    When a wild turkey flies over head, a huge thing, soaring between the close spaced trees. We stopped work for at least a couple of minutes, with Holy Shit kinds of remarks. It was maybe 15 or 20 feet above the deck we were on, flying from one side of the hollow the house sits in (west to east) to the other side.

    We have a LOT of wild life around our location. Owls, deer, foxes, turkeys, skunks, weasels and minks, maybe fishers and otter, which are slowly recovering here in WV. But that giant turkey flying overhead was amazing.

    More recently we have had a barred owl sit on a tree just outside the kitchen solarium watching Wife watching the Owl, watch Wife. Right there, a few feet away on a branch. We have a ton of owls. Bats, did I mention the bats? While waking home from neighbors by starllight, I once got to watch a pair of bats, uh, copulating! They fell from the sky in a torrid embrace, thrashing together. Then one flew away… amazing. Nature in all its raw glory. So cute…

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