Category Archives: Videocracy

YouTubery Friday: Soupy Sales and Jon Mulaney

It’s Friday! Procrastinate and countdown to happy hour with these lovely bits!

Comedian Soupy Sales passed away yesterday, which immediately made me nostalgic. Soupy hosted a kids’ show in the 1950s and 1960s, probably one of the first to make any attempt to appeal to adults at the same time as children. It actually gathered something of a hip following at one point, particularly when production moved from New York to Los Angeles.

I wasn’t old enough to have seen that show, but my grandparents had a couple of old Soupy Sales records at their house, which I remember listening to and enjoying many times. They were kind of corny, even to a little kids’ ears, full of bad puns and the like, but fun. One of the record, Spy with a Pie, was a full-length James Bond parody, inexplicably featuring a Bela Lugosi-esque vampire puppet and a come-on from a Mae West honey trap. (“I’d like to run mah finger through your black, wavy hair.” “No thanks, I got a comb.”)

When I heard that he died, I figured I’d go online and try to find some clips of his old show, which I’d actually never seen. You can see a direct line from him to Pee-wee’s Playhouse, definitely, in the free, anarchic universe they both inhabited in their shows.

If anything, Soupy’s world is a little too free; I seriously doubt there was any kind of script. And you can totally see the sets shake every time somebody moves. But I admire the cheapness (although I doubt it was a conscious aesthetic choice) because cheapness is funny.

Plus, Soupy played some kickin’ tunes on his show. Check out this clip, where his pal Pookie dances/lip syncs to Oscar Peterson’s “Mumbles” and John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom Boom” (not the John Lee Hooker version, though).

Can you imagine a kids show playing music like that nowadays? Well, maybe Yo Gabba Gabba. Interesting side note: Two of Soupy’s kids, Hunt and Tony, formed Iggy Pop’s rhythm section for Lust for Life. Seriously.

And speaking of swingin’ tunes, check out this lengthy clip in which Soupy serves dinner to som brat and his dad, and members of The Rat Pack. I can’t say this all that funny or exactly classic TV, but you do get to see Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Joey Bishop get hit in the face with a pie.

As for the modern funny, my brother recently sent me this video in which John Mulaney talks about The Best Meal ever. I have to admit I was largely ignorant of Mr. Mulaney until he appeared in studio on The Best Show earlier this year. But me likey, definitely. I know this isn’t really a video per se, but seriously, if this story does not make you bust a gut, you are dead inside.

Glenn Beck Will Save America with Classic Commercials

glennbeck.jpgDo you remember that simpler time in America? Do you remember how that felt? Do you remember this commercial?

glennbeck.jpgYes, there was a time when tow-headed young boys could give Cokes to famous defensive linemen. And the linemen would give the children sweaty souvenirs! When was the last time you saw that in Obama’s America? What has happened to our nation? Or how about this, do you remember this?

glennbeck.jpgWe were all Peppers back then! No one saw color! It didn’t
matter if you were a boatin’ Pepper, a totin’ Pepper, a cookin’ Pepper,
or a good lookin’ Pepper! It didn’t even matter if you were Popeye! We
all danced on the deck of a Staten Island Ferry boat! Only when I look
at ads like this do I realize how much we’ve lost! Still not convinced?
How about this, do you remember this?
Continue reading Glenn Beck Will Save America with Classic Commercials

YouTubery Friday: Won’t You Try Extra Dry?

It’s Friday! Procrastinate and countdown to happy hour with these lovely bits!

As 5 o’clock nears, my fancy turns to thoughts of beer. Whilst working on the 1999 Project and listening to old WFAN audio, I’ve heard many ads for Rheingold, the Brooklyn-based brew revived in the late 90s.

I love old beer commercials. They’re so festive and fun, without being aimed at the Complete Slob Market. And yet, they’re clearly advocating that you enjoy their product constantly. Check out this commercial from 1950. I can’t imagine how many man-hours this reqiured in the pre-CGI era. And how many cans and bottles of brew were sacrificed to make it a reality.

Rheingold also some great ads during its latter day phase, such as this one from 2004, which struck against some of the ridiculous Giuliani/Bloomberg “quality of life” crusades.

Sadly, Rheingold is no longer with us. So pour some on the curb for it tonight. Oh wait, you can’t. Dammit.