From the Archives: My challenge to the makers of nasty comedies

(Originally posted Oct. 3, 2008)

1972's "What's Up, Doc?"--not a nasty comedy

Yes, you, Judd Apatow and all the other film makers of your ilk. Here's my challenge:

Make a comedy--just ONE comedy--that doesn't rely on vulgarity, sex, and profane language to get a laugh. Think you could do that?

Hmmm...I'm hearing crickets. Not only are Judd and the others not listening, but even if they were, there's zero chance they would ever take anyone up on that challenge. I honestly don't think there's any way they could make an entire movie like that, and furthermore, I don't think they would want to.

What brought all this up?

Well, several days ago the 1972 movie, "What's Up, Doc?" aired on cable. I taped it for later viewing with my 21-year-old daughter, who had never seen it.

Now, I don't think I had seen the movie since the seventies, so I was curious as to how it would hold up. Actually, it holds up VERY well. The humor is still fresh and clever, the actors truly fun to watch, the dialogue snappy, the slapstick really funny (and I'm not usually a big fan of slapstick, but this is done very well).

The bottom line, it makes you laugh...and without resorting to filth.

After we watched it, my daughter bemoaned the fact that there are so few movies like that anymore. Even the milder, less offensive ones tend to fall back on sexual situations and bad language. What happened to good, clean, classy, LAUGH OUT LOUD comedies?

Watch "What's Up, Doc?" and tell me if you miss the degrading, cesspool humor. Tell me if you thought, "Drat it, I sure could have used a way-too-much information sex scene or a million F-words. It would have made the movie SO much funnier..."

Am I the only one who feels this way? If you're with me on this, movie-maker Kevin Smith thinks you and I are in the minority. Smith recently said: "[Profanity] turns some people off, but that's how mostly everybody I know speaks. It's kind of strange. Whenever somebody goes, 'That offends me,' I'm like, wow, what kind of weird, opposite, bizarro frame of mind do you live in? Cursing is just so second nature, you don't even think of it as cursing anymore. It's just your lexicon."

Smith, by the way, is the producer of an upcoming new movie about two friends who kill some time by making a porn movie.

So, any suggestions?

Got any recommendations for movies that are funny AND relatively clean? Even if they're old ones, let me know in my comments section!

(Originally posted Oct. 3, 2008)

From the Archives: My Interview with Drop Dead Diva's Brooke Elliott

Brooke Elliott dishes about body image, working with icons, and NOT being pressured to lose weight

Note: This post was originally published in August 2010, but since "Drop Dead Diva" is back for another season, I thought I'd reprise it!--Cindy

Television being what it is, I never give a blanket endorsement to a TV show. However, I've seen "Drop Dead Diva" several times now, and I've really enjoyed it so far.

OK, it's one of those someone-comes-back-to-life-after-dying premises. We all know you have to suspend disbelief there, so just enjoy the show for what it is: light-hearted fun with some occasionally serious things to say about the weight issues that most women live with.

The best thing about the show? Its star, the delightful Brooke Elliott.

Deb is a slim, air-headed woman brought back in the body of a brilliant but dumpy and overweight lawyer, Jane. Somehow they merge--with Deb getting Jane's overweight exterior and brilliant mind, but keeping her own ditzy personality. Plus, Deb can't seem to remember that she doesn't look like a babe anymore, so she still acts like one.

The lovely Brooke Elliott is absolutely convincing portraying this paradox, and as I told her, it makes me believe that all overweight women should just act beautiful...then maybe it would become a self-fulfilling reality!

I asked Brooke about having a job in which she feels NO pressure to lose weight...what it's like working with famous guest stars like Delta Burke, Paula Abdul and Liza Minelli..and what about the guardian angel, Fred--will we ever see him again?

You can listen to my 8-minute interview with Drop Dead Diva's Brooke Elliott here.

Check out my book blog today, where the question is: Do you like movies made from books?

From the Archives: Gotta Love Those TV Theme Songs!

"We're gonna make it after all!"

One of the most popular things Darren Marlar ever did on his morning show was TV Theme Song Day. The lines were jammed with people making their requests, and Darren valiantly tried to find each and every song. This was originally posted on March 29th, 2005:

Every once in a while, we just do something silly and fun on the Marlar in the Morning show on101qfl. Yesterday, we talked about TV theme songs, and the phones rang off the hook as listeners requested their favorites. It ended up being a wonderfully nostalgic walk down memory lane.

However, I have a quibble with the "official" list of the top 10 TV theme songs of all time. Any list that doesn't include the themes to Mary Tyler Moore, the Beverly Hillbillies or M*A*S*H has really got a problem!

Here's the list compiled by Robert Berry of RetroCrush:

1) Sanford and Son
2) The Brady Bunch
3) Gilligan's Island
4) Batman
5) The Jeffersons
6) Mission: Impossible
7) Star Trek
8) Twin Peaks
9) Spongebob Squarepants
10 Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids

OK, I can agree with seven out of 10 of those (although not necessarily in the order Berry ranked them.) But, Twin Peaks?!? And SpongeBob Squarepants has NOT been around long enough to achieve "best of all time" status. I don't think Fat Albert belongs in the top 10, either.

Oh, and wait! Where's Andy Griffith's familiar whistle?

I can think of a few that, while not classic enough to be on the top 10, deserve a brief mention. Who can resist Will Smith's catchy "Fresh Prince of BelAir" rap? And for sheer novelty, there's always the Garry Shandling Show theme from several years ago:

"This is the theme to Garry's show.
The theme to Garry's show.
Garry called me up and asked
Would I write his theme song?
I'm almost half-way finished,
How do you like it so far?
How do you like the theme to Garry's show?

This is the theme to Garry's show.
The opening theme to Garry's show.
This is the music that you hear
As you watch the credits.
We're almost at the part
Where I will start to whistle..."

And I'm pretty sure I could come up with all the lyrics for "Petticoat Junction" and "Green Acres"!

Listeners called in requests for their own favorites; everything from "The Dukes of Hazzard" to "I Love Lucy" to "Welcome Back, Kotter."

How about you? Do you have any favorites? Let me know in my comments section.

Thursday 13: Thirteen Stars of Old Hollywood

Here are pictures of 13 stars of Hollywood's Golden Age. How many of them can you identify?

I'm participating in the Thursday 13 meme! Go here to participate.

Answers:

Glenn Ford, Grace Kelly, Humphrey Bogart, June Allyson, Judy Garland, Elizabeth Taylor, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Gary Cooper, Ginger Rogers, Gregory Peck, Barbara Stanwyck, Fred Astaire

A Big Event is Coming Up Tonight

Jason Ritter of NBC's The Event

"The Event has the potential to be a very satisfying viewing experience because it contains three essential qualities that I require in a show for both a time and an emotional commitment: cast, chemistry and compelling creative."--Jo "jopinionated" Garfein

Ever since it ended its six-year run back in May, I've wondered if I will ever like another TV show as much as I liked--make that loved--Lost.

I've pretty much thought I wouldn't. However, tonight I'll give a new show a chance to maybe, just maybe,captivate me the way Lost did.

It's called The Event.

What is the show about? Mmmm, I'm not sure. I just know that my son Jonathan told me a few months ago that he had heard it combined elements of both Lost and 24.

The blogger known as Jopinionated was a Lost fanatic, and I agreed with most of what she blogged about that show. She has been able to preview the first episode of The Event, and here's some of what she had to say in her spoiler-free review:

"Despite what you might have heard otherwise, The Event is not Lost – nor is it trying to be. If anything, this new series has extracted a few of the more successful elements from Lost and integrated them in quickly and smoothly....

The Event ... establishes itself as a must-watch series and my top pick for best new show of the 2010 fall season."

I'm not a big TV watcher, and one of my few favorite shows is gone now. But I do enjoy some television viewing, as I think some decent entertainment is what keeps Cindy from being a dull girl.

So I'm giving The Event a chance. If you watch it, please tell me what you think!

Thursday 13: Thirteen Stars of Old Hollywood

Here are pictures of 13 stars of Hollywood's Golden Age. How many of them can you identify?

I'm participating in the Thursday 13 meme! Go here to participate.

Answers:

Glenn Ford, Grace Kelly, Humphrey Bogart, June Allyson, Judy Garland, Elizabeth Taylor, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Gary Cooper, Ginger Rogers, Gregory Peck, Barbara Stanwyck, Fred Astaire