An idiosyncratic blog dedicated to the precursors, the practioners, and the descendants of power pop.
All suggestions for postings and sidebar links welcome, contact any of us.
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Your Thursday Moment of Words Fail Me: Special OH LADY!!!!!! Edition
The great Martin Short, obviously.
I should that add that the real Jerry Lewis -- or, as the French so reverently call him, L'Idiot Stupide -- turned 90 yesterday. There's probably a lesson in this, but I'm not sure what it is.
There is no better example of the differences in cultural taste than Jerry Lewis. The American audience grew tired of his mugging and miming, but the French see it as a validation of their traditional clowning. Undercurrent: Idolizing a Red Sea Pedestrian assuages their nagging guilt over Dreyfus and Vichy.
There is no other comic artist associated with as much genius AND as much dreck as Jerry Lewis. How is it possible for one person to do so much of both?
I'd say the scale tips heavily on the insufferable dreck side. Buddy Love and Stella Purdy are kinda watchable.
Never saw a Jerry Lewis film in a theater. Once, Sandy's parents dropped us off at the United Artists Theater where "The Family Jewels" was playing. We had no intention of going to the movie and had arranged for a couple of older guys to pick us up in the parking lot. Ended up seeing "The Sandpiper" which was playing a couple of blocks away. I liked Liz Taylor's character. But the guy I was with kept awkwardly trying to cop feels. I whispered a future promise in his ear to get him to stop. I never delivered.
There is no better example of the differences in cultural taste than Jerry Lewis. The American audience grew tired of his mugging and miming, but the French see it as a validation of their traditional clowning. Undercurrent: Idolizing a Red Sea Pedestrian assuages their nagging guilt over Dreyfus and Vichy.
ReplyDeleteI liked Lewis until I was around 8 years old.
ReplyDeleteCheck this out (h/t to Gummo). My boy Keef and his mates were not fans of t Rump asa far back as 1989.
http://tinyurl.com/hfz2w3m
There is no other comic artist associated with as much genius AND as much dreck as Jerry Lewis. How is it possible for one person to do so much of both?
ReplyDeleteI'd say the scale tips heavily on the insufferable dreck side. Buddy Love and Stella Purdy are kinda watchable.
ReplyDeleteNever saw a Jerry Lewis film in a theater. Once, Sandy's parents dropped us off at the United Artists Theater where "The Family Jewels" was playing. We had no intention of going to the movie and had arranged for a couple of older guys to pick us up in the parking lot. Ended up seeing "The Sandpiper" which was playing a couple of blocks away. I liked Liz Taylor's character. But the guy I was with kept awkwardly trying to cop feels. I whispered a future promise in his ear to get him to stop. I never delivered.
VR
How have I never seen this before? Very Funny
ReplyDeleteMartin Short clearly loves Lewis at the same time he's making fun of him.
ReplyDelete