Friday, June 16, 2006

Facing the Truthiness

Ira Matetsky points out in an e-mail that Congressman Lynn Westmoreland of Georgia has a photo on his official website of himself with Stephen Colbert.

So what do we think? Did he not get that the interview he did with Colbert (this one) made him look like a clueless politico who can't get anything done? Or did someone in his office perhaps not watch it and put the pic on his website? Maybe they just think, "Heck, a celebrity's a celebrity." Beats me. All I know is if I were Congressguy Westmoreland, I'd want everyone to forget a.s.a.p. about that Colbert interview.

• Posted at 1:51 PM · LINK

Stan

116 years ago today in Ulverston, England, a couple named Arthur and Madge Jefferson celebrated the birth of their son, Arthur Stanley Jefferson. When he turned to performing, he became Stan Jefferson and later, Stan Laurel. When he teamed up with a man named Oliver Norvell Hardy, he became immortal.

As I've written many times on this site (here, for instance), there's really nothing I enjoy watching more than Laurel and Hardy in their natural state, which is on film. And I don't even like slapstick all that much. I just like watching them: The way they move, the way they gesture, the way they react, the way they talk (if they talk), everything about them. Their gag men, with Laurel as lead gag man, crafted brilliant jokes and situations for them...but Stan and Ollie are even fascinating to watch when they're standing still.

Nothing I'm writing in this item is new or unique or unusual. Audiences have loved Laurel and Hardy since they first teamed and people yet to be born will love their films well into the future. But I noticed today was Stan's birthday and I thought I'd note it here. Because even writing about these guys is fun.

• Posted at 10:04 AM · LINK

Today's Video Link

Jim Henson graduated from the University of Maryland. Not long ago, that institution decided to erect a statue of Henson and his froggy alter-ego on campus, and they produced a little fourteen minute documentary about it and him. Parts of this film are more about the statue than about Henson but it features a lot of people at the school and some of the Muppeteers talking about Jim and what his work meant to them. And the statue looks pretty neat.

• Posted at 12:05 AM · LINK