You Need to Sit Down For This
Spoiler Alert: This post contains content from the October 8, 2014 episode of The Goldbergs:
“You can have a second wedding?!”
Expressing love is a beautiful thing. This is especially true with regal pomp and circumstance, as best demonstrated by the British Royal Family in 1981 (and 2011). One of the mesmerized Americans across the pond was none other than Beverly Goldberg, admiring the exquisite attention paid to the blushing bride on her most special day in colorful clothes and a giant hat fit for a 1980-something American princess. And by Diana’s side was Charles, her strapping, romantic prince.
Then, there was Murray Goldberg, who literally sat down on a chair during his nuptials. Yes, that happened and it was recorded for all to see with perplexed wonder. But Murray is a simple man who is not a fan of wearing pants, or so he’d have you believe…
Inspired by the Royal Wedding, Beverly took her close friend’s advice and coaxed/strong-armed Murray into renewing their vows. This is when things got very interesting around the Goldberg household, specifically around the television set.
Meanwhile, Adam and his best bro Barry were busy rocking to classic ’80s hair band tunes in full ’80s hair band clothes in their garage (as it’s intended to be!). Despite the fact the one song they knew (by Barry standards) was by Twisted Sister, the top choices for their band’s name seemed to revolve around one word or name. Can you guess what it was? Here’s a hint: it rhymes with “marry” (had to). One of the suggestions was literally, “Little House on the Barry.” Actually, that is incredible! Still, it seems quite logical that their band name would have been Twisted Brothers, but maybe that was too obvious for a killer band name? It was a spectacularly awesome train wreck that, despite it’s lack of musical talent, was a show worthy of an early morning gig in the suburbs of Philadelphia.
Then, chaos slowly started to brew: Girls in a band (sister Erica and friend Lainey), a husband reciting a sitcom theme song as his wedding vows (Family Ties) and then having his wife hilariously confront her husband by claiming the theme song from The Facts of Life as her !#^%*! wedding vows.
After Barry failed again to sweep his crush Lainey off her feet, Murray (feeling guilty about his effort on his vows) consoled his oldest son by showing him the video of his nuptials…sitting down in a chair. Beverly thought it was because of a low blood sugar-type issue, but as Murray revealed to Barry, he was sitting because he was so overwhelmed by his blushing bride’s beauty and how she was completely out of his league. This was how I felt at the end of an amazing first date in the year 2000-something. We sat on a bench late at night, amusingly people watched, spoke for a little bit and then kissed under a romantic, glowing street light. The setting was perfect and so was she. Like Murray, sometimes us guys need the support of a seat to gain the strength to have an unforgettable moment with a girl who is out of our league.
Knowing deep down what he needed and wanted to do for his gorgeous wife, Murray prepared a sweet, formal ceremony at 4:00 a.m. (when Beverly set her alarm to watch the Royal Wedding) and had Pops lead her down into the backyard decorated with suburban Philadelphia style-pomp and circumstance and the family band playing “Eternal Flame” by The Bangles. He then proceeded to say his vows, from his heart, sans the help of a popular ’80s sitcom.
It was moment that, quite honestly, was out of the Royal Wedding’s league.
Here’s to every Twisted Family out there, sha-la-la-la-la!
(The Goldbergs Twitter)
It’s Live and From New York, But Is It New?
“New York’s hottest new club is called, ‘Copycat.’ And it has everything: Glow sticks, red bouncy balls, women dressed like Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne, Spud Webb and a Ground Mine.
What’s a Ground Mine?
It’s when someone watches a funny sketch by The Groundlings and they say ‘mine!'”
There have been reports this week that sketch giants Saturday Night Live (SNL) stole a Tina Turner routine they performed last weekend from the famed Los Angeles sketch comedy group The Groundlings. After watching the skits side-by-side, it seems virtually indisputable that SNL didn’t lift the sketch. In normal circumstances, it could possibly be a coincidence. Well, actually, not true. But the reason why this is such a big deal right now is that SNL (celebrating its 40th anniversary) has been barely treading water the past couple years. This creative comedy problem has been exacerbated by the departures of Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, Jason Sudeikis, Fred Armisen, Nasim Pedrad and head writer/Weekend Update anchor Seth Meyers.
Plus, the co-creator of Stefon and veteran SNL writer John Mulaney left the show to write and star in his Sunday night FOX sitcom Mulaney with SNL alum Pedrad.
Despite the major cast shakeup following the end of last season, SNL still has some quality performers, like Kenan Thompson, Jay Pharoah, Taran Killam, Vanessa Bayer, Bobby Moynihan and Aidy Bryant. However, Weekend Update newcomer Michael Che is far too amused by his own jokes and the cast (in a broad sense) is lacking that special spark that fans tune in for on a late Saturday night. The expectation for gut-busting laughs is at a very low, low level. The writing has also been geared more towards flat-out opinions with an agenda about certain topics and people instead of playful, cleverly disguised comedic jabs at anybody and everybody.
Fortunately, impressionist extraordinaire Bill Hader is hosting this Saturday night with musical guest Hozier. This means (in 99.99% likelihood) a return of Stefon to the Weekend Update desk. Thank goodness! And it also means that the sketches including Hader should be laugh-out-loud hilarious, with a possible surprise guest star or two (cough-cough, his movie co-star Kristen Wiig…)?
Unfortunately, such a quick return from Hader indicates that SNL is trying to rejuvenate its audience with a past favorite. To be fair, Hader did just release a critically acclaimed drama, The Skeleton Twins, so the booking is legit and appropriate timing wise. However, like the sketch scandal, it just appears like SNL wants to stop treading water for a couple hours and instead climb into Samberg’s nearby boat with its recently departed cast members for some relaxed laughs for a change.
And judging by SNL’s current struggles, they have to be hoping that 40 turns out to be the new 30.
(P.S. Look for Saturday Night Live to lampoon itself over the scandal with The Groundlings this weekend)
The Carlton: Defining the Unusual
Carlton’s log: I’m about to dance America back to the ’90s!
Jimmy’s Daily Planet is a big fan of the 1990s sitcom hit, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The acting and the writing was fantastic. Plus, it was a show that achieved the right tone with teenagers and parents alike in terms of the appropriateness of the jokes and the content in general. And it was coupled with valuable life lessons.
Of the many memorable scenes, episodes, zings and lessons learned, there is one particular dance that remains a treasured favorite. It’s iconic. “The Carlton” expresses a love not only for the smooth voice of singer Tom Jones, but also a feeling that allows anyone to literally throw caution to the wind and move like no one’s watching.
Except people are always watching (and doing) that dance with ecstatic delight, especially when it’s performed by its original sitcom lead on prime-time television on a major network.
Alfonso Carlton, you know what to do:
Thank You Alfonso!
Happy Monday!
The sudden (and rare) splendor of serendipity should never be questioned, but rather admired for its quintessence. It can be defined as the most purposeful and glorious instance of randomness with an imaginative energy that overwhelms every one of our senses in that split-second moment. We see something, or someone, in a sea of people or a scene of chaos with a special clarity that stops everything. And if that moment truly is exceptional, then it could be the beginning of the greatest journey of your life.
Visually, it may look like this:
Dream Big This Week…Like a Big Fish!
Jimmy's Daily Planet 