Giving Thanks

A lot's been on my mind for the last few weeks. Since tomorrow is the day of Turkey Gobbling, it looks like a good time to put my thoughts on paper, or in this case...pixels.

-For the first year I can remember, there's not much I really want for Christmas. I already got a new phone (LG Dare!) and a new pair of shoes that count as early gifts, but aside from them, my list honestly includes the following: New Super Mario Bros Wii, The Simpsons Game (Wii), the Leader-Class Jetfire figure from Revenge of The Fallen that finally came out, the 4th volume of American Dad on DVD, the 2nd volume DVD of Freakazoid, and my annual Hess Truck. That's pretty much it. But there's one other thing that I want, material-wise that would be absolutely awesome:



The audiobook of Tracy Morgan's autobiography "I Am The New Black." On print, it's a rambling sort of memoir through the unique eyes of Tracy Morgan. This version is that...but performed by Tracy himself. That alone makes it hilarious in conception, and I'd love to hear how it sounds.

-I've been in a depressive funk for the past year or so that I'm just now starting to get out of. I can blame my crippling social anxiety for that, but I'll admit, it's starting to improve. I hate people...yet I also hate being alone and doing nothing. A small portion of that improvement comes from daily readings of "My Life is G," the positive version of "F My Life."

-I've also come to realize that I don't need a relationship to make me happy...yet I would absolutely love to be able to share the holidays and my geekiness with somebody else.

-I got obsessed with The Big Bang Theory. Once you get past the annoying laugh track (filmed before a live studio audience, no less!), it's a very brilliant show. Hilarious, Geeky, and it gets more ratings than its lead in, Two and a Half Men. By the way, it's a hilarious geeky scripted show...on a network and not cable!

-Video game-wise, I got addicted to Pokemon Rumble, which was released on WiiWare last monday. A full week later, I'm one Battle Royale away from beating the entire game.

-Some things that I'm truly thankful for: My Friends, brothers, family, MLIG, and that I possess that talent of going up on a stage to a quiet crowd and through my stand-up comedy, turn them into an unruly mob.

-Since it's probably Thanksgiving or afterwards when you actually read this, here's a link for A Very Dennis Thanksgiving Special, which I produced last year. I'll make the following announcement: A VERY DENNIS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL IS A GO, AND ESTIMATED ETA IS MID-DECEMBER!

-I always wanted to try Turducken. And actually start a Twitter feed.

-Also, this video is awesome:



Don't care if the wide-screen goes off the margins, it's just that amazing. Every major Muppet Show Muppet as well as several modern ones perform Bohemian Rhapsody. As my (nick)name is Galileo, which just so happens to originate from this very song, that part of the song just happens to be the best part of the whole damn video. Also a plus: They've now cast a VERY good sound-alike for Scooter.

Sesame Street Turns 40!

I can't believe that it's been 40 years since Sesame Street first appeared on the airwaves. Elmo's been 3 1/2 for 25 of them, it's probably time for him to learn to not be so damn annoying.

Seriously, in forty year's time, Big Bird's head grew in size, Oscar The Grouch dyed his fur from Orange to Green, Grover went from Green to Blue, Cookie Monster improved his diet, and Snuffy was proven to exist. But then again, these all occurred when Jim Henson was still with us. The people that wrangle the show now seem to just keep around the young, energetic, annoying characters. And Telly.

I figured you all noticed Cookie Monster up on that list. His eating habits are nothing new. The song I linked to, "Healthy Food"



Is an old-school rap about...healthy food. Which was made in 1987. It sure explains why he looks like a member of Run DMC. Which is, of course, awesome. Also, did you know that most of the cookies we've seen him eat are actually rice cakes decorated to look like cookies? He's been deceiving us since the start! But I forgive him, I can't stay mad at that face.



Forty years is a long time, and the standards of education and the irrational fears of crazy soccer moms change over time, so Sesame Street changed with it. But with most members of the Old Guard either retired and/or dead, there doesn't seem to be much true wit anymore. Sure, it's still got some great punch and wit (Their parody of Mad Men is about Don Draper finding an ad agency that won't make him Mad. I find that brilliant.), but seriously, compare how Big Bird learns the alphabet:



With Elmo's method:



I pity children today. Elmo's video had ADD written all over it.

And now, because it's late and I'm tired, here's a smathering of videos of my (and most likely, your) favorite songs from Sesame Street:

C is for Cookie


I Love Trash


Honk Around The Clock


Monster in The Mirror (featuring loads of celebs, including an early appearance of the Simpsons!)


"O"klahoma


A New Way to Walk (Definitely a case of The Weird Al Effect™ in effect. The singers are The Oinker Sisters, a play on "The Pointer Sisters")


Put Down The Duckie


The Pinball Count


Ladybug's Picnic


Alligator King


Yip Yip...Phone


And, of course, The Song of The Count



I'd like to thank Muppet Wiki for, well, just being there! A big help for Muppaphiles such as myself. Here's an In 10 Words entry for Sesame Street, and one for The Count.

TV Confession

Okay, people, I have one hell of a confession to make with you all.

I like Glee. There, I said it.



And the thing is...I have no idea why. Seriously, I don't know any of the characters' names, nor why I should care about their Glee Club and their obnoxious rival Grown-Up-Cheerleader-Bitch-Who-Grew Up-Into-A Bitch who-now Coaches Cheerleaders.

But I think I do know why: It seems to be a Stealth Parody of other dumb dramas that have come by Fox and other networks. Everything about that show seems to intentionally BEG for Fox to cancel it, yet it's not going anywhere anytime soon. It's, well, a drama, but a comedy. The songs are current, so are probably notoriously expensive to license...and then horribly auto-tune the hell out of them. But perhaps the over-usage of the auto-tune is also intentional, as a parody of stuff like "High School Musical" and the like to have crappy singer massacre crappy songs and have the T-Pain Machine™ "fix" the problems away.

Then there's the characters themselves. Like I mentioned up there, I honestly have no idea what any of those characters in that picture are named. All I see are Old Bitchy Cheerleader, Young Bitchy Cheerleader, Sassy Black Chick, Guy Who's in Charge of Glee Club (who definitely reminds me of Michael Bluth), Asian Girl, Preppy Girl, Protagonist Girl, the Big Eyed Girl From Heroes, the Guy Jock who got Preppy Girl Pregnant, The Gay Kid, The Gay Kid That Came Out in Episode 2, and a Nerd in a Wheelchair. This is all some sort of parody on the quote/unquote "diversity" that shows up in these kind of shows. They are only defined by their archetypes and that's all they got going for them, and rarely do they have names worth remembering other than by the stereotypical roles I just mentioned. TV Tropes defines this as a "Five Token Band."

THERE'S A NERD. IN. A WHEELCHAIR. A character detail ignored by everyone except "Old Bitchy Cheerleader." That has to be some sort of satire.

Also, the show is shown in letterbox form, and is scripted. What does this all mean?

I really miss Pushing Daises.