Entertainment Weekly – ok, so I still really don’t believe someone has the nerve out there to make “Smurfs – the movie” (rendering the little blue guys into CGI), but EW suggested a list of old 1980’s cartoons that ought to be made into movies: Thundercats, Gummi Bears (EW all but printing the theme song, which was kind of catchy and cute in the first place), the Snorks (good grief! I barely remember those Smurf ripoffs), and … Kidd Video! Ohmigod, now that’s just nuts – combining live action and cartoony goodness as the teen band zapped into the alternate universe to fight Master Blaster and singing ’80’s like pop tunes. EW really reached into the past…
I still don’t understand the purpose of the Dukes of Hazzard movie. I mean, it was a pointless tv show (apologies to Tom Wopat and John Schneider, but, the show was just to watch the car get into stupid stuff and listening to the Duke cousins yell “yee haw”). But, oh well. It’s that kind of summer, I guess.
Slate.com explains how Ranch dressing became the Number 1 dressing of the USA. Uh hmm.
Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick argues why the so-called “out-of-touch” judiciary ain’t worth bashing, and is in fact integral to American style democracy.
I’m a comic strip reader, or at least I haven’t given up reading the comics. But, reading the latest edition of “Funky Winkerbean” comic strip is depressing stuff. Wally, Funky’s cousin, is about to step on a landmine in Afghanistan. He may lose a limb or die. But, the comic strip artist is dragging out the suspense, tracking Wally’s each step for the past two days; today’s cliffhanger – Wally’s foot is just inches about the landmine that only the comic strip reader sees. I mean, really – Wally survived his original military service in Afghanistan; just married his high school sweetheart (who lost her arm in an accident he caused several years ago); and took his bride to Afghanistan for their honeymoon (during which he joined an NGO to help remove the landmines that instead threatens his life). Jeez. Wally don’t you have any sense?
Plus, is this plot really necessary? Can’t some comic strip creators just cut to the chase, rather than drag out the pain and suffering? Take a lesson from Doonesbury’s Garry Trudeau – B.D.’s injury itself may be short and sudden; it’s his recovery that is the drama and suspense. Then again, the Funky Winkerbean creator makes no sense – he had Funky bouncing back from his nasty divorce rather too easily. There are reasons why I ought to avoid some comics strips.
Looks like I’ll miss this year’s APA alumni picnic; have fun to those who are going…
