In this episode:
- Rob’s favorite adjective “weird,”
- Frank Nora’s doppelganger/clone theory,
- George Lucas and Lionel Richie look-alikes at NAVA,
- John Carpenter’s Vampires (1998),
- classic 1990s science fiction series SLIDERS,
- The Beatles’ lousy movie Magical Mystery Tour (1967),
- Paul McCartney teaching Steven Spielberg how to make movies,
- Yoko Ono’s solo career,
- wannabe Beatle Jeff Lynne,
- musicians embarrassing themselves past their primes,
- the Rolling Stones,
- Phil Collins’s rumored retirement,
- “Land of Confusion” music video by Genesis,
- Jon Bon Jovi blaming Steve Jobs for ruining music sales,
- Jersey Shore Snooki wrestling in the WWE,
- dummies getting famous (Does the cream really rise to the top?),
- Dr. Phil being sued yet again,
- Aflac firing Gilbert Gottfried for his jokes about Japan,
- Norm MacDonald’s Twitter,
- and Charlie Sheen going nuts.
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Boy this one really hit home for me. It really sucks being nothing and having amounted to nothing. And I’m taking college classes right now where I really wonder if these barely literate teenagers are college material but I’m sure they’ll go on to become millionaires. Because that’s how it works-the stupid and the cutthroats and the ruthless end up winning. This goes in direct contradiction to every feel good, good guys always win, cream will rise to the top movie ever. The mass media programs us to be docile goody goody sheep and we eat it up and wonder why we get nowhere. If I was really so smart like the tests tell me, why is it that my life has ended up a big fat zero? So I’m right with you there, Rob.
I think what happens is there is no real direct correlation between talent and fame. It also takes luck and being in the right environment. That means either knowing the right people or living where you are most likely to be found by those who decide who gets to be famous. We’re all just chips on a gigantic Plinko board of chaos that is life and nobody really knows where they’re gonna land and it doesn’t matter really anyways. Fame just ends up turning people crazy anyways so I don’t know if that’s even wroth striving for.
Esteban, all the tests told Greg and me we were supposed to be smarter (and therefore more successful, we assumed) than everyone else, yet here we are waking up every morning dragging ourselves to jobs for 40+ hours a week, having to beg for annual raises and time off, just like everyone else.
Is it our own fault for not living up to our supposed potential and/or not thinking up the next big great idea? Maybe…but I agree with you that it’s because fame has as much to do with timing and luck as it does talent and creativity.
And regarding fame turning everyone crazy- I promise you, if I ever become famous, I will never turn crazy and waste my money on foolish nonsense like mansions, $1k handbags, diamond necklaces, solid gold cars, etc. Instead, I’d use my fame and money to help families, animals, and our environment… so I guess most people would say I’ve already turned crazy.
genesis’ ‘land of confusion’ video was made at the height of the success of british satire show ‘spitting image’ – where the band got all the puppets from. the show aired at 10pm on sunday nights and lampooned news stories using caricature puppets voiced by impressionists. the show even had a record out; ‘the chicken song‘. hilarious when i was 11. not so much now…
David, I’ve been amazed at how often you can chime in with an explanation that only someone in Britain would know. I guess Americans don’t give you guys credit for anything.