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May 2008
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songspeak
When the fish hits your eye
Stephan Pastis draws Pearls Before Swine, a syndicated cartoon running in over 150 newspapers. Heather recently came across this one that really illustrates (har har har) what songspeak is.
This terrible pun (that sounds like a typical something out of the Matt catalog of jokes) is a reference to the song, That’s Amore, written in 1952 and made popular by Dean Martin.
Tags: 50s music, 90s comics, dean martin, moray, pearls before swine, stephan pastis, that's amore
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songspeak
It’s always the same, it’s just a shame, that’s awl
When we used to work at the Smith College bookstore, we would get sent out to run errands from time to time. Upon arriving back at the bookstore after a trip to the hardware store, Matt walked over to where I was (behind the register) and calmly said, “It’s always the same, it’s just a shame… that’s awl”, holding out the awl for me to see when getting to the last two words. He was referencing That’s All by Genesis. The great thing is– I have no idea why we ever needed an awl in the bookstore.Tags: 80s music, awl, genesis, grecourt bookshop, hardware store, phil collins, smith college bookstore
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songspeak
The wading is the hardest part
Back in our college-ish days, a group of us would go camping each year near Lake George in the Adirondack Region in Upstate New York. Sometime during the trip, Jamie, myself, and some other friends decided we should go whitewater rafting. The rafting trip was pretty tame by whitewater standards, but it still was a challenge getting into the boat with how fast the river current was moving. Our friend Kevin started singing “the wading is the hardest part” in tune to The Waiting Is The Hardest Part by Tom Petty.
We had a bunch of traditions during our many visits to Lake George. Whitewater rafting wasn’t actually one of them. Our visits typically included a visit to Goony Golf, splitting a bucket of KFC on the common in the center of town, making s’mores, burning Jiffy Pop, writing gross Mad Libs, getting yelled at ‘for noise’ by the park rangers, and burning the deck of cards we used at the end of the weekend. Sounds like we were twelve, doesn’t it? We weren’t.Tags: 80s music, adirondacks, camping, goony golf, kfc, lake george, the waiting, tom petty, tom petty and the heartbreakers, upstate new york
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songspeak
New Kids On The Block perform on The Today Show
OMG! It’s like, totally really happening! So many people have been waiting for years and years for the NKOTB reunion. The reunion was on April 4, 2008, but the performance happened on the Today show on May 16, 2008. And though we don’t really see what the big deal is, many of our friends, wives, fiances, etc. are absolutely crazy about them. They could ace a quiz about them, in fact. These guys DO look rather suave in their old age, we must say. Get your money ready now, ladies, New Kids On The Block are embarking on a world tour.Here’s video from the big reunion on April 4, 2008:
Here’s video of New Kids On The Block performing a medley of their hits on the Today Show on May 16, 2008
Here’s some new video of them performing some new stuff from their new album, Summertime (after the jump). (more…)
Tags: 00s tv, 80s music, new kids on the block, NKOTB, reunion
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songspeak
Do Daryl Hall and John Oates play poker?
(1:56:51 PM) Jamie Bousquet: because there’s so many people and they’re such a diverse group, poker nights at the VFW are ripe with songspeak and “that’s what she said”
(1:57:12 PM) Matt Larsen: you should introduce them to the concept of songspeak then
(2:01:18 PM) Jamie Bousquet: I don’t think this crowd is gonna go for that
(2:01:36 PM) Matt Larsen: no can do?There’s nothing quite like an IM reference to I Can’t Go For That by Hall & Oates to get one through the day. Actually, maybe it’s Holland Oates.
Tags: 80s music, hall and oates, holland oates, poker, that's what she said, vfw
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songspeak
Strangers in my pants
I have to attend/work NACA shows from time to time. The Mid-Atlantic Regional NACA Regional Conference happens to be in Lancaster, PA most years. My wife Jo and daughter Quinn come along with me.
Getting ready to leave for the big road trip from Massachusetts to Lancaster, PA we stopped by Cumberland Farms so Jo could get some chocolate milk and water for the trip. While she was inside and I was in the car with our daughter Quinn, I had my window open. A guy wearing a baseball cap and jeans (very Joe Schmo looking) was getting into a pickup truck parked nearby and sang, “Strangers in my pants” to the tune of Strangers In The Night by Frank Sinatra. One of the most random songspeaks I’ve ever experienced.Tags: 60s music, cumberland farms, frank sinatra, joe schmo, lancaster, naca, pennsylvania
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songspeak
It’s gonna take a montage
In anything where you need to go from just a beginner to a pro, you need a montage. This tidbit of wisdom comes from possibly the greatest action / puppet flick I’ve seen, Team America: World Police.
The two dorks who created South Park, Matt Parker and Trey Stone, annoyed about what they considered to be the U.S. tendency to want to “police the world”, made this satirical move about a group of militants trying to destroy a plot by Kim Jong-il to deploy weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). Rather than make an animated feature, they somehow decided to make an action movie using a cast of marionettes.
The music is particularly awesome, featuring songs like America, Fuck Yeah, and Freedom Isn’t Free, but my favorite is probably the Rocky-inspired Montage. Here’s a clip of it (a treat especially for those who are trying to learn Spanish!).
Also, it’s pretty awesome that these hooligans are so talented as musicians. Their band, DVDA performs a lot of the music in their various productions.
Tags: 00s movies, matt parker, montage, south park, team america, trey stone
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songspeak
Every single holiday, a dick in a box
Since I posted about Lazy Sunday, there’s been some debate between Jamie and I about whether or not Saturday Night Live has had an SNL Digital Short better than Lazy Sunday. I have to say, I think that Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg’s Dick In A Box might actually trump Lazy Sunday as the funniest SNL Digital Short ever.
One: Cut a whole in a box
Two: Put your junk in that box
Three: Make her open the box
And that’s the way you do it.
Tags: 00s tv, andy samberg, dick in a box, justin timberlake, saturday night live, snl
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songspeak
That’s what she said
To be fair, this is TVspeak and not really songspeak, but songspeak is large enough to encompass all of pop culture. One of our favorite pop culture catch phrases is “that’s what she said”. It’s pretty low class humor, but it’s awesome. I believe it originated on Wayne’s World, but it has become exceedingly prominent on The Office as one of Michael Scott’s favorite sayings.
We use it quite frequently, and we’ve found that poker night is ripe with opportunities to use this gem. Here are some memorable examples of things that have been said preceding our usage:
“I had a small pair”
“Sometimes you just have to shove it in”
“It only looks big because it’s all red”
“I’ve got the nuts”
“You’re big” (in reference to the blind)
“I’ve got a dirty stack”There are so many more times we’ve said it in so many more situations, but you get the idea. And here is a wonderful montage from The Office of some classic moments:
Tags: 00s tv, nbc, that's what she said, the office, wayne's world
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songspeak
You’re my lady of the morning
Kristen and I recently borrowed the Freaks and Geeks dvds from Jamie and Jo. It is just plain oss. This Judd Apatow produced show starred people like Jason Segel, Seth Rogen, James Franco, Busy Phillips, Linda Cardinelli, and of course Martin Starr as Bill. NBC really screwed the pooch on this one in the 1999-2000 season by constantly changing the schedule, pre-empting it with other programming, etc. Eventually, due to low ratings, the show was cancelled. By then though, it had quite a cult following. All 15 episodes are now on dvd for all to enjoy… or borrow from Jamie and Jo.
The music in this entire series, which takes place in the late 70s / early 80s is absolute gold. There’s never been such a brilliant homage to the Styx classic, Lady as when Nick (Jason Segel) expresses his true feelings towards Lindsey (Linda Cardellini). The magical words of Dennis DeYoung and the music of Styx say it all. About 1:40 into the video, you’ll see/hear what I mean.
Tags: 00s tv, 70s music, 80s music, 90s tv, busy phillips, freaks and geeks, james franco, jason segel, judd apatow, lady, linda cardinelli, martin starr, nbc, seth rogen, styx
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