A notorious but funny piss take on Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” from the punk era. Little Roger and the Goosebumps cover “Stairway to Heaven,” but substitute lyrics from “Gilligan’s Island” instead of the ones we all know … and maybe love … does it really even matter anymore?
Way funnier than it has a right to be, even though Zeppelin’s lawyers were not amused. They threatened to sue Little Roger and the Goosebumps and demanded that all remaining copies be destroyed back in the day. Maybe Robert Plant wasn’t informed … or maybe he came around … but according to Wikipedia, he said in a 2005 NPR interview that this was his favorite cover of “Stairway to Heaven.” Now thanks to the glory of YouTube, you can check it out.
Hands down, the funniest Triumph the Insult Comic Dog segment of all time. From Late Night with Conan O’Brien in 2002, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog (aka Robert Smigel) “interviews” Star Wars fanatics as they wait on line to be first to see “Attack of the Clones.” Albeit, this is a bit cruel, but hysterically funny.
Here’s the other infamous American compilation commercial from the 1980s. Yes, folks, this is the “Freedom Rock” ad … in all of its 2-minute glory. C’mon … you know the dril:
Opening chords of “Layla” ….
Hippie 1: Hey, man, is that Freedom Rock?
Hippie 2: Yeah, man.
Hippie 1: Well, turn it up!!!
And yes, like “Hey Love,” I kind of wish I had this album. “The ink is black … the page is white …”
Andy Kaufman’s best friend and co-conspirator Bob Zmuda had plenty of great stories when he sat down with Marc Maron for his WTF podcast. But arguably the best story Zmuda told was about the three weeks he worked for legendary screenwriter Norman Wexler (“Joe,” “Serpico,” “Saturday Night Fever”) in the early 1970s. Kaufman apparently got a lot of ideas (especially for his obnoxious Tony Clifton character) based on Zmuda’s tales of working for Wexler. Zmuda reveals how Wexler really got his knack for writing intense, gritty dialogue. Hilarious, jaw-dropping stuff, especially the tale about Wexler and Zmuda terrorizing a bakery. This incident sounds like it was lifted from a Lars Von Trier film starring Sacha Baron Cohen, but it really happened, according to Zmuda. Not safe for work. If you like what you hear, you really need to read Zmuda’s terrific 1999 book “Andy Kaufman Revealed” which delivers more Wexler tales, as well as tales about Kaufman.
Australian comedian Jim Jefferies provides a profane, but hysterically funny analogy of the inconsistencies of Biblical dogma by discussing God walking into a party and throwing his weight around like a drunken, power-mad Frank Sinatra in Vegas during the 1960s. Not safe for work, little ones, or for anyone who takes their religion too seriously. From his already classic comedy special “Fully Functional.”
Post-breakup songs can sometimes be mature and beautiful. “If You See Her Say Hello” by Bob Dylan and “I Remember You” by Steve Earle are probably the best of the “mature and beautiful” part of this genre.
And then … there’s this song by Sam Kinison … recorded for the conclusion of his legendary and infamous 1987 HBO comedy special “Breaking the Rules.” As you can imagine, not safe for work or little ones. But hysterically funny.
From Zappa and the Mothers’ classic 1968 skewering of the Beatles “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and hippie culture, “We’re Only In It For the Money.” Proof positive that you don’t have to be a card-carrying Conservative to consider hippie culture insipid and annoying. Used during a pivotal scene in director Haskell Wexler’s terrific and notorious 1969 countercultural film “Medium Cool.”
Here’s another in-depth interview with comic genius Phil Hendrie, this time by actor/comedian Kevin Pollak for his online talk show “The Kevin Pollak Chat Show.” I’m not sure when this interview was done, but it’s even more in-depth (and p–s your pants hysterical) than the terrific one I linked up last week that Marc Maron did with Hendrie.
For the uninitiated, Hendrie’s talk radio show is basically Hendrie playing himself as a frustrated straight-man radio host interviewing people who are … to put it kindly … some of the most repulsive, idiotic, insensitive, and delusional human beings who have ever existed. The catch is that Hendrie also plays the people he’s interviewing. The joke is on those in the audience who have no clue this is a joke and call in to mercilessly berate the interviewee. The show is comic gold and is the best parody of talk radio you’ll ever experience.
If you’ve never heard Hendrie, this is the place to begin. Hendrie discusses in-depth into why he does he does and goes into the background of several of the characters he’s created on his legendary radio show. If you have heard of Hendrie and especially if you love him, this will be a lot of fun.
The interview is long (approximately 2 hours) … and doesn’t really start until about 22:45 into the program … , but I promise, it’s very entertaining and extremely funny. I should warn you that if you’re sensitive about … well … almost anything … Phil WILL offend you. His job for the last 20 + years has been finding everyone’s sensitive spot and creating a character that will jab a knife in it. Not safe for work or little ones, but I guarantee that you won’t have a better time being offended anywhere else.
And finally … damn, Kevin Pollak is a kick-ass interviewer! But damn, that’s a LONG intro.
The terrific and gloriously politically incorrect opening of writer/director Christopher McQuarrie’s 2000 film “Way of the Gun” … McQuarrie’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning script for “The Usual Suspects.” The performance by Sarah Silverman as the obnoxious girlfriend is beyond perfect. The fact that the entire sequence is underscored by the Rolling Stones’ “Rip This Joint” makes it even more memorable. Be warned, though. The language (and action in the sequence) is beyond obscene … not safe for work, little ones, or those who are highly sensitive.
Dave's Strange World 