Hola, Sneakers! Welcome to Episode 557 of Sneaky Dragon – you like us, you really, really like us!
This week: why try harder; your own personal Sneaky; droopy tools; flamboyant outlaws; alien sex fiends; stretching it out; oral foods; wrong nostalgia; the right level of fame; the taming of the Streep; awards season; method vs. spontaneity; the write off stuff; the fantastic flop; Scooby doo-doos; celebrity ghost chasers; disturbing talkiing heads; creative envy; the autobio trinity; reflected glory; swamped by polemics; a rubber-stamped life; unhappy clown fans; still recording, unfortunately; trick yourself; the price of monomania; the curse of facility; Top 5 Songs with False Endings; too much praise; Question of the Week – Sneakers respond; ugh to live music; sparse crowds; hooray for printing; the comforting sounds of munching; raccoon squad; actual tube size; naked yard work; missed opportunities; forced fun; and, finally, the pan and scan generation.
Top 5 Songs with False Endings!
- King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – “The Fourth Colour” – Polygondwanaland, 2017 – 1:46:23
- La Peste – “Better Off Dead” – Black Records single b/w “Black”, 1978 – 1:49:13
- Naima Bock – “Campervan” – Giant Palm, 2022 – 1:53:56
- The Monochrome Set – “The Etcetera Stroll” – Strange Boutique, 1980 – 2:01:06
- Modern Lovers – “Ice Cream Man” – Live, 1977 – 2:09:13
Question of the Week: Who is your favourite outlaw/outcast artist?
Sub-question of the Week: What is your favourite time of year?
Thanks for listening.
Pictures!
We had listeners send in some sweet pics this week!
First, we have Brent with a picture of a very useful set of fencing pliers. They’ve been around forever and no one had improved on them yet!
Next, Louise weighs in with some amusing packaging seen at a local grocery store:
One is so rarely honest about one’s actual tube size.
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Hello gents! I listen to most of my podcasts at work, which is during the graveyard shift. When I get home I go to bed and have forgotten all of the correspondence that I wanted to send to the many podcasts I listened to that morning. Lucky for you, I’m home and awake, so I’ll try to remember some of the past things I wanted to tell you.
Such as, my wife is an elementary school (K-3) librarian, and she had her first Scholastic book fair in more than 2 years this past May. Maybe Sparks is for an older age group, because she never got them in. There’s always lots of Raina Telgemeier books there though, you should look into that. You can order books online and her library benefits from that, but they only had the 3rd Sparks book, which I’m sorry, I haven’t read yet. I will soon though, I promise.
My favorite time of year is October to December. Christmas is my favorite holiday, and I can usually muster up a little of the magic I felt as a child. Not last year though, first Mike Nesmith died and then our sweet kitty Ruby was gradually losing her ability to walk. I’m already depressive so these things did not help. I’m really looking forward to the season this year. Ruby is much better now in case you were wondering, she just started walking one day in spring after a few months of not being able to stand up by herself.
The only artist I could come up with for outcast is maybe Big Star. They made some amazing records that didn’t sell and are really only lauded by those in the know. Emmitt Rhodes would be good for this category as well but I’m not as familiar with his music.
I’ll leave you alone now, except to say that I love you guys and your conversations, they always make me laugh and feel good. Lastly, I would like to submit this 1967 Paul Revere and the Raiders track for Louise’s (and your) approval (I love the bass on this): https://youtu.be/BKJkeRs-Aos
PS – I enjoyed the top 4 this week very much, especially the Naima Bock tune. I will be checking out more of her music for sure. At first blush, Ice Cream Man was very reminiscent of a 50s doo-wop tune. Shortly after it began I wanted to disembowel myself.
Thanks for the link, Ferg! It’s always nice to be sung about. The bassist’s fingers are really moving in that chorus. In choir, the lowest voices are often given a very thankless and unimaginative line that our conductor calls a “one-note party.”
Favourite outcast artist: Vincent Van Gogh. But I do wonder, did his tragic story contribute to the current value of his paintings? I love the vibrancy of his more famous works, but are they that much greater than those of other Impressionists?
Now I’m very curious about Batgirl and why the Warner Bros. execs thought it wasn’t worth finishing and promoting. Before the turn of the century, a movie that tested poorly – or just wasn’t jelling – would quietly go straight to video so the producers could recoup some of their investment. Even now, so-so movies will show up on cable movie channels and streaming services eventually. But I guess with social media and online reviews, you’re going to encounter intense instant ridicule if your project falls short of expectations or is “too woke” for the trolls.
I’m curious about Batgirl too now Louise, part of me wants to see it because I can’t have it and the other part of me wonders if they did us a favor. I’ve read too many varied viewpoints to know what the bottom line is, my guess is that when Warner/Discovery formulates a plan for their comic films, we’ll know more. Up until the cancellation of Batgirl, I didn’t even know anything about it, so I’m still on even ground with it, just curious if anything.
As I’m typing this, I’m watching huge sheets of rain fall outside my office window, the most significant amount we’ve had in months. The thunder is rolling, temperatures are falling and animals are pairing up. It’s almost Biblical.
Dave mentioned an invention last week that has personally made our lives easier, so if I walk that back from an invention that benifitted mankind globally I’d have go with Photoshop. Actually all the fine Adobe applications have made my life easier and fun to learn at the same time. I’ll still never discount taking a pencil to paper which still gives me great joy. A mentor of mine once said, “There’s no difference between a simple pencil and a computer, they both achieve the same result….only that one is much more expensive and complicated.” So thanks to the Knoll Brothers at Industrial Light & Magic for selling Photoshop to Adobe and making my life easier yet more complicated than a pencil.
Back later with answers to this week’d questions, I’m going to go watch the rain like a dumbass.
Not that they were necessarily outlaws or outcasts, but I’ve always been fascinated with the era of the “Red Scare” in Hollywood. As an American, McCarthy’s Communist witch hunt isn’t exactly anything to be proud of during his reign in post war Hollywood, but how it forced the hand of filmmakers and actors across the industry makes for some interesting stories. I admire and celebrate the lengths at which these artists went through to deliver their craft and stick by what they did best. Artists like Dalton Trumbo and the rest of the Hollywood Ten faced overwhelming odds during those years and were outcast not only by McCarthy but those who believed his rhetoric. Fortunately, after blacklisting, hearings and imprisonment, the era ended in the 60’s.
The Hollywood Ten were controversial figures at the time they launched their protest, and their actions continue to inspire debate decades later. Some tend to view their punishment as justified, since the individuals were admitted communists, while others generally view them as heroic figures who spoke out against the abuses of the Red Scare–and in defense of the U.S. Constitution–when many of their colleagues remained silent.
Discuss.
I love the Fall down here in Texas. I’d have to say that October is the perfect month as far as weather and activity goes. We have our famous State Fair in October and everything cools down s-l-o-w-l-y…. I can remember a singular day from when I was little and going outside to play just as Fall arrived, it sticks in my mind with a very familiar abstract feel for me. Fall just delivers the greatest memories for me.
Hey, if you need a question for next week, “What comic character from any company (not just Marvel or DC) still needs a film or a series based on their book?” or “Who would you like to see in this series?”
My answer: Alan Moore’s Miracleman.
Best to all my fellow Sneakers! Best to You Ian and David! Have a Great Weekend and an even better week!