Great PSA, or greatest?
If Petunia doesn’t show up to the Pete & Pete reunion show, I’m going to flip.
The show reportedly sold out in five minutes today, but thanks to my diligent and thoughtful husband, we scored tickets (as did my fellow Pete & Pete super-fans Ramsey, Mo, Adam and Frank).
I know it’s corny and nostalgic, but as I mentioned on Facebook today, I wish I could travel back in time and tell my third grade self, “Hey, girl, not only will you see Pee-wee from the second row of a Broadway theater, in NEW YORK CITY, your HOME, you’re going to be in the same room with Artie, the Strongest Man in the World, and the rest of the Pete & Pete gang. WITH TWO DELINEATED EYEBROWS.”
This is maybe the first time in four years something has made me sad about no longer living in New York. That includes all y’all’s time-lapse videos of the sun setting over the Brooklyn Bridge and shit. I love “Pete & Pete” so much, and I can’t think of another show that had as big of an impact on my creative/comedic sensibilities during my teen years (while also helping me to see redheads as something other than human monsters, an awakening which has served me well). Not only do I love it for how weird and funny it was, I love the fact that it was allowed to exist at all. Looking at the landscape of tween/teen comedies now, it is BANANAS to me that this show — about two weird brothers, their totally-normal-looking female friend, and the freaks and misfits that populated their town — ever got on the air, let alone lasted for three seasons. There was a kid who was covered in paper cuts, another whose name was “Pit Stain,” and a creepy ice cream vendor played by this guy. ON TELEVISION. FOR KIDS.
So, have fun at that reunion Bennett, while I seethe with jealousy on the other (in all other ways superior) coast!
FINALLY!!! I don’t have to sit in my rattan rocking chair and polish my dream-catchers in the nude anymore!
I’ve gone on auditions where the call was put out for “funny women” and then you read the script and not one funny thing was written and then a model gets the role anyway.
This whole thing is great but this bit especially resonated with me. I was so happy when I booked some writing work that prevented me from going on commercial auditions because I was sick of getting called in for for “funny woman” or “female improviser” and then having the audition consist of me rolling my eyes silently as my “boyfriend” built a fort out of Dominos pizzas or whatever. WHY CAN’T I BUILD THE PIZZA FORT?!?
Tangent Time: I think commercials are this little microcosm of Everything That’s Wrong With Hollywood. How many commercials do you see where 1) there are any female characters to begin with 2) that aren’t commercials for cleaning supplies/feminine products 3) where the woman is not a model and 4) is the one being funny/doing something weird or interesting? Ad people: please stop doing the same boring shit over and over (pairing a freaky fuggo with a disapproving/nagging supermodel wife) and maybe your lame products will actually stand out.
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
In this episode, we discuss Joyful Noise. Our guest is the charming Susannah Becket. Topics include: Sussypants, Kris Kristofferson, choir tunes, a capella groups, Dolly Parton, Queen Latifah, Mr. Pamook, Dollywood, plastic surgery, closet lesbians, Save the Cat, cat women, and MLK.
If you liked this, please write a review on iTunes! And subscribe!
Sussybuckets is our guest! She has a very biased and heartwarming view of this movie that is different from mine! (Hint: go see Footloose! Have you not seen Footloose yet? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU (WILL BE FIXED BY THIS MOVIE)?!!)
“Joyful Noise” was a great movie. I think history will prove me right on this one. Let’s all meet up 20 years from now and discuss!
Matt Adams has started a Kickstarter campaign to complete the documentary he’s making about Improv Everywhere. To kick off the campaign, Matt created a teaser for the film, embedded above. Enjoy! And if you can help him out, donate to the project. There are lots of great rewards for donors.
The IE documentary Kickstarter campaign is in the home stretch. Now is the time to donate if you haven’t already! Do it while the Internet still works! If an Improv Everywhere video has ever made you smile, or lightened your mood on a crappy day, or provided you with 10-15 minutes of argument-free conversation during a holiday dinner with your Republican family, repay the favor with a donation! I was going to say “small donation” but I don’t want to tell you how to live your life.
