Monday, July 30, 2007

Am I mature enough to adopt?

A strange thing has been happening to me for the last few weeks. I love Turner Classic Movies and I tune in often, maybe not to see a whole film, confessionally I will tell you that I love old movies for ... set design!!! Bla bla plot, bla bla star, bla bla relevence. Screwa thata, I want to see how people's kitchens looked in the 1930's.

Okay then, as I am watching these set pieces (5-10-15 minutes at a time mind you) I have been on the lookout for my star to adopt. I, Splotchy thinks it's a good idea and many fellow bloggers agree.

I think I need to adopt a dead actor and a living actor. I would like to adopt many actors and give them all a classification, but for now I'll go for live and dead.

Here they are, my actors:

Dead.Mary Wickes

Mary Wickes was in everything and you know you know her. Apparently the last big thing she was in was "Sister Act" but then she died. Well, though she was a lifelong republican, I want her home to be here, at maison de Wundrun. Welcome Mary. Talk to the hubby, Ben Wundrun, he's a republican, too.

For the living:Paul Reubens.

That's right, Pee Wee. I love you and I don't care about what happened in the Florida movie theatre like, twenty years ago, what! You gave me the best Saturday mornings of my life--all hungover on Saturday mornings at college, my good friend without benefits, Edsel and me in my dorm, hanging and watching Pee Wee's playhouse. Word of the day? Dude, word! Sorry to all you people at that somewhat nice but now defunct supper club in Oshkosh where I was the cocktail waitress who would scream if you said 'cake' on the day 'cake' was the word of the day. Now that you are a character actor, Paul, you not only shine in your smallish roles, those of us who have a cultish devotion to you always go 'Waaaaaay' when you show up on film. Plus YOU gave a break to Laurence Fishburne, Phil Hartman, S. Epatha Merkerson, and Jimmy Smits. Cripes, Rob Zombie worked for you.

Glad they all had your back when you got caught being a wanker. Not.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jess!!!! I love Pee Wee Herman. Like you, I spent Saturday mornings lying around my dorm room or apartment watching Pee Wee's Playhouse, shouting when the word was said and holding up my friends who wanted to go to breakfast until the show was over.

Also, like you, I love old movies and watch them for set design, costumes, hairstyle and makeup. I love black and white.

Mary Wickes was always good for a wisecrack in her roles - many which I can remember, but none I can name immediately without looking it up on a website.

Fun post. Yes, you're mature enough to adopt!

Splotchy said...

Congrats!

I'll have to school myself in the work of Mary Wickes, but I need no introduction to Mr. Reubens.

I remember seeing his stage show on HBO before he got the Saturday morning show, I gleefully point out the cameo appearances he has made, and thought he was the best (and possibly the only worthwhile) thing about the movie Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

I'll add you to the big board!

Jess Wundrun said...

dcup were your friends too tired from having 'Young Ones' parties? (Actually not possible, Young Ones were on a weeknight)

splotchy I don't really remember the HBO show, but I remember that I knew it (what?) On my highschool soccer team our huddle break cheer was "Mecca Lecca Hi Mecca Hiney Ho" Thanks to Moi. (And this was before the tv show).

Fran said...

Such an excellent idea and YES, you have all the maturity you need. I am certain of that after reading all of your fine work here on the blog!

And such fine, fine choices!

I do recall the HBO PeeWee specials. I am not sure how many there were though, but I don't think it was a series.


Ok, back to vacationing for me.

DING DING DING DING DING-- did you all not know that the secret word for today was VACATION???

Anonymous said...

AAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! Fran said vacation. AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!

You nailed me on another love from the days when my wrinkles were fewer and many of my mistakes were ahead of me!

Young Ones were on Sunday nights on MTV just before 120 Minutes came on.

And natch, we have almost all of them taped on VHS.

Splotchy said...

Jambi was one of my favorite characters on Pee Wee's Playhouse.

He was played by John Paragon, who I believe was in the Groundlings with Reubens.

Paragon actually had a great (well, I remember it fondly) one-off show called The Paragon of Comedy, which I believe had some appearances by Reubens.

Dr. Monkey Von Monkerstein said...

Excellent choices. I may have to adopt a dead one.

Suzy said...

Pee Wee's Playhouse was brilliantly subversive and the best kids' programming almost ever (and those are not mutually exclusive.) I had a regular Saturday morning date with one of my friends to watch it.

My favorite episode was the one where Pee Wee has a pajama party, and Cowboy Curtis doesn't know what to do because he doesn't wear pajamas.

Excellent choice, Jess.