I avoided reunions of the people who were also banged up in my vile school by moving to another country as soon as I could. Nothing against most of my fellow inmates but the thought of revisiting the place revulsed me.
Happy Thanksgiving to Mr Zorn and all. Not to breach the spirit of goodwill and thanks, but Trump, Bondi, Hegseth, and the rest of the MAGA canaille can go to Hell.
Thank you. I sometimes have admired the turns of phrase of others who write in this space, but, though very old, I am not as gracious as you in acknowledging them.
I have praised the respondents in this forum many times for being infinitely smarter than me in many areas. They are definitely more well read than I am, as they continually make references to books and other pieces where I have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. I'll give my thanks, not only to EZ for creating this forum, but to the wonderful and creative respondents that have so much enriched my education and experience.
i wish i were so lucky to have received and kept such letters from my mother. she too was stricken by alzheimer's, almost as severe [it seems] as mrs zorn's, before she passed in 2009.
i was both saddened and uplifted by EZ's essay this morning.
100% with you re: Mom's letters. I recently came across a bunch of letters my mom wrote to my aunt in the '70s. Wonderful reminders of what was going on. And I have every letter I ever received when I was in college and law school (and a few that I sent, amazingly). Talk about Memory Lane. I only dip into them when I have limited time; otherwise the day would be shot.
As for high school reunions, I've been to all 9 of mine (#10--50 years--is coming up next year). At first they were a little awkward, as I was not super popular in high school. But the last few have been great fun, as we all connect as the people we are now.
re free buses in Iowa City - can someone please explain the relevance of free buses in college town iowa city [population 77,159] to mamdani's proposal for 'free' buses [actually, 'no fare buses - they would not be free] in NYC?
one estimate of NYC bus fare revenues for 2023 [most recent yr i cd find] was $687.6M - how does that get replaced? tax the wealthy more? good luck on that - not within mamdami's authority.
Afraid I agree. I used to drive for the public bus system down here. Before I was hired, they allowed free rides not only to low income but all youth. They stopped soon before I was hired. They discovered that too many free riders took no responsibility for their bus conduct and often damaged the buses. When they charged all eligible free riders full fare - $1- they discovered that behavior improved and vandalism dropped to almost zero. Admittedly, I didn't see a whole lot of youth make use of the bus the entire time I was employed. But charging as many as possible remarked changed the behavior of riders. Now if Iowa City is having success with their program, God bless them. But how can Iowa City be compared with NYC or the CTA? You also point out that nothing is free. Bus companies don't get free busses from manufacturers. Someone pays drivers and me panics and the people that run the operations. Guess who.
Also missing Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, could easily replace a couple on the list that I wouldn't even categorize as comedies. Mel Brooks and Charlie Chaplin very underrepresented. Also, a couple on the list are stand-up specials, I wouldn't consider them movies proper and leave them off the list. International movies sorely underrepresented. Flawed list to say the least LOL
Mel Brooks' The Twelve Chairs is one of the best comedies ever made and always takes a back seat to Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein; the latter is overrated.
I grew up on the Soviet TV mini-series adaptation, which starred two of the biggest giants of Soviet comedy acting, Andrei Mironov and Anatoly Papanov, some songs and quotes from that are still stuck in my head. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Chairs_(1976_film)
Also, it's directed by Mark Zakharov, an important Soviet film director. One of his movies called "To Kill a Dragon" from the late 80's is an important anti-totalitarian satire, extremely relevant to today's world, available free on youtube with English subs (12 chairs also, I think).
What about Pulp Fiction? It’s one of the most famous movies ever made, and I never laughed harder at a movie than when I first saw it, but it’s not even on the list?
Absolutely, great and ground breaking and no less a comedy than a few of the entries included, although I might classify it as more of a crime thriller, it's definitely not a pure comedy.
Same with Fargo, I'd put O, Brother Where Art Thou in its place on the list.
Life of Brian is my favorite Monty Python movie, and one of my favorite movies overall. In addition to being silly, it has a point, which is no matter what we will be petty can care too much about our standing in our small group.
I have a box containing the letters my mother wrote to me - daily - during my first year at college. Thanks to your column, I'm going to get them out and read them.
I am in a similar stage of life with my mom and I appreciate you sharing your experience and perspective, my thoughts are with you and your family.
I've also kept all of the letters and birthday cards my mom sent me over the years. She also kept a diary for a few years. However, I only read a few entries and wary of going deeper into them. I will just say that her life was very hard and leave it at that.
If I can respond to one line specifically: "It’s bittersweet to “hear” her voice again and be reminded of what we’ve lost." If I can suggest as a coping mechanism that I try very hard to employ for myself - I try to reframe these memories as gifts to be grateful for, not losses to be lamented. The arrow of time points inexorably in one direction. Loss is universal and inevitable. The way to cope is to cherish the gifts we have the fortune to experience. At least that's how I try to get through this.
I've enjoyed my high school reunions--just curious how people's lives have turned out. I grew up in a small Iowa town with one high school; my graduating class included 166 kids. So I had shared experiences with a high percentage of my class mates. We had the same teachers, played baseball together, attended the same churches, etc.
But also so many surprises. I did not predict that the wild, alcoholic kid would become the safety manager for a trucking firm (he didn't believe it either). Nor that the couples who married right out of high school would remain married for 50 years. Nor that several people have moved far left politically. If I were a novelist, I would have plenty of storylines.
My wife graduated from a tiny high school in Indiana and most of the kids had been in school together their whole lives. We went to those reunions and enjoyed them every time. I was surprised that most had stayed in the area.
Regarding the Variety list, I have to discount it completely as it is missing the best comedy film of all time, Animal House. They mention it in the Caddyshack writeup, but between the two, AH is the Goat of juvenile humor, and it was first. I can hardly watch Caddyshack all the way through. It has the plot of a 1970's porn film with none of the porn. Sure, it has great moments, but not like AH. The food fight, the ladder, the opening where the misfits are seated together, Otter's general insouciance, and much more. Everything around the horse!!!
I don't take these lists too seriously anymore, but this omission is comedic.
another one i forgot - doh! 'was it over when the germans bombed pearl harbor?' john belushi may have been the best comic actor of the latter half of the 20th century.
i lived, and lived in, animal house in the early '70s - and most of it, like the movie, was a laugh riot - an orgy of fun.
I went to only a few reunions, but my experience was like that of Eric. I was treated poorly as a kid, particularly in Junior High. Watching shows like the Wonder Years was not rewarding in the least. By the time I was a senior, things had changed, but the pain lingers. Still, as survivors of 50 years post high school, it's been good to see the people I liked and interesting to see those that I found difficult then. Most are gracious, some apologetic and some still odd. I'd find a key friend to go with and see what happens. Just like DJT.
mixed bag on HS reunions. i went to a school with a lot of guys [all-guys school] from wealthy families - so there was a lot of classism at the school. also a fair amt of bullying, and turf domination. and altho our school in gen'l, and my class in particular had stellar academic achievements, the jocks [esp'ly FB and basketball, at which we were mostly mediocre] were preening pretenders.
nonetheless, i developed a corps of friends, 4 of whom [1 has died] have been good friends ever since, for which i am deeply grateful.
so, reunions - i went to the 10th, with 3 of these friends from HS. summary - the a-holes were still a-holes.
skipped all intervening HS reunions until the 40th. light turnout - <10% of the graduating class. but i reconnected with 2 guys i hadn't spoken with since HS graduation, or maybe a cpl times during college. we agreed to get together.
and we have gotten together 2-3 times every year since. so that's been good, and makes me happy.
i missed my 50th, and later regretted it. got a covid vax booster the day before, and it left me weak and sick. i shd have known better - the prior covid booster had also left me weak and sick.
to my great good fortune, a fellow grad returned to the Chgo area after living 40+ yrs in OH, and dove into reconnecting with as many guys from the class as possible. last year he organized a 53rd year reunion [sic], which i attended. i thoroughly enjoyed it - spent more time talking with several guys than i had while at the school, or ever since.
the good lord willing and the tide don't rise, i will attend the 60th.
Count me as pro reunions. We just had our 60th and this time we did Storyworth so that folks who wanted to could share their thoughts about high school as well as what they've done since. It was fascinating and enlightening. The guy you thought was a snob was desperately insecure. The quiet kid who seemed awkward went home to immigrant parents struggling to get by. The girl who always had a hickey ended up running a charitable organization. Eye opening and fun!
For our 10th reunion we printed people’s memories of HS. But one person wrote how they had lost their virginity with another student, and the spouses saw the write ups. We haven’t had the memories written up since then.
You mentioned your mom’s letters. That reminds me of when I went thru my in-law’s house to clean it out. It was like an archeological site, with layer upon layer. Every week I’d fill two garbage cans for collection. But I found some gems. The letters that family had written to her when my wife was born over 60 years ago. But the most interesting was a letter my father-in-law wrote to his parents from Germany in 1956 where he was in the Army. He excitedly wrote all about the first dead body he saw. He was an MP, and it was from an American serviceman hitting a German with a car. He included the German language newspaper. I rarely saw my FIL so animated.
Blazing Saddles is a movie that I liked when it came out. But when my family gave me the video for a gift 10 or 20 years ago I couldn’t enjoy it. I’m not a prude, but I’ve been reading about not saying the N word, so the use of it in the movie was jolting, and uncomfortable. Anyone else have that reaction?
My reaction to most of Brooks’s movies is that they don’t age that well, not because of PC, per se, but because so much of the humour is cornball and juvenile. I found all of his films to be riotous when I was a kid, but when I look at them now, they’re kind of lame.
As far as the “N-word” issue (again, imbuing a single word with the mystical power of “Yahweh” in the Old Testament), I saw an interview with Brooks in which he addressed this by saying that Blazing Saddles could never be made today, and though he didn’t come right out and say it, he strongly implied that he did not consider that to be progress. I would agree with him.
Blazing Saddles certainly couldn't be made today but Brooks is part of the reason why. In the movie, the repeated, casual use of the word by racists (regular folk) - which people were revealed as ignorant and craven - helped show the stupidity of racism itself. (It's stupid people who say racist sh**, revealing their stupidity.) I still think think that Blazing Saddles is brilliant, because it helped undermine the still-widespresd open racism of the '70s.
The Sun Times giving a disclaimer on its recipes seems suss. If you follow the recipes and end up poisoning your family they can point to the disclaimer?
Reminds me of some of my very early culinary attempts: not soaking beans long enough for chili; not realizing that the spaghetti in spaghetti casserole needed to be boiled first. I can easily image typos of that level.
I suggest that humor and comedy shows be outlawed. Much humor is based on making fun of somebody or something, no matter how gentle. We are becoming the most sensitive society in the history of man. I am short. Many times in my life have I been described as having the ability to play handball against the curb. Once in high school, a speech teacher addressed me as I was preparing to give speech in front of the class. He said "C'mon Siegel- stand up!" I somehow managed to give a speech that earned an A. In today's atmosphere, I could probably get him fired. Would it have been worth it?
One Christmas, my dad transcribed all his letters home from World War II that my grandmother had saved, and bound them into books for us kids. It was fascinating to "meet" my dad as a very young man. Perhaps helpful that he was drafted just before Japan surrendered so his service was an adventure in the Pacific and not horrors of war.
Regarding the question “When will it happen?” It’s Trump World. The obvious answer is “2 weeks.”
I avoided reunions of the people who were also banged up in my vile school by moving to another country as soon as I could. Nothing against most of my fellow inmates but the thought of revisiting the place revulsed me.
Happy Thanksgiving to Mr Zorn and all. Not to breach the spirit of goodwill and thanks, but Trump, Bondi, Hegseth, and the rest of the MAGA canaille can go to Hell.
thanks, M, for helping to expand this elder's vocabulary - as a fellow observer of the canaille.
Thank you. I sometimes have admired the turns of phrase of others who write in this space, but, though very old, I am not as gracious as you in acknowledging them.
I have praised the respondents in this forum many times for being infinitely smarter than me in many areas. They are definitely more well read than I am, as they continually make references to books and other pieces where I have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. I'll give my thanks, not only to EZ for creating this forum, but to the wonderful and creative respondents that have so much enriched my education and experience.
Enjoyed the story of your Mother’s letters.
Happy Thanksgiving to Mr. Zorn and all.
i wish i were so lucky to have received and kept such letters from my mother. she too was stricken by alzheimer's, almost as severe [it seems] as mrs zorn's, before she passed in 2009.
i was both saddened and uplifted by EZ's essay this morning.
Agreed
Me too.
100% with you re: Mom's letters. I recently came across a bunch of letters my mom wrote to my aunt in the '70s. Wonderful reminders of what was going on. And I have every letter I ever received when I was in college and law school (and a few that I sent, amazingly). Talk about Memory Lane. I only dip into them when I have limited time; otherwise the day would be shot.
As for high school reunions, I've been to all 9 of mine (#10--50 years--is coming up next year). At first they were a little awkward, as I was not super popular in high school. But the last few have been great fun, as we all connect as the people we are now.
re free buses in Iowa City - can someone please explain the relevance of free buses in college town iowa city [population 77,159] to mamdani's proposal for 'free' buses [actually, 'no fare buses - they would not be free] in NYC?
one estimate of NYC bus fare revenues for 2023 [most recent yr i cd find] was $687.6M - how does that get replaced? tax the wealthy more? good luck on that - not within mamdami's authority.
Afraid I agree. I used to drive for the public bus system down here. Before I was hired, they allowed free rides not only to low income but all youth. They stopped soon before I was hired. They discovered that too many free riders took no responsibility for their bus conduct and often damaged the buses. When they charged all eligible free riders full fare - $1- they discovered that behavior improved and vandalism dropped to almost zero. Admittedly, I didn't see a whole lot of youth make use of the bus the entire time I was employed. But charging as many as possible remarked changed the behavior of riders. Now if Iowa City is having success with their program, God bless them. But how can Iowa City be compared with NYC or the CTA? You also point out that nothing is free. Bus companies don't get free busses from manufacturers. Someone pays drivers and me panics and the people that run the operations. Guess who.
Comedies on Variety’s list that are among my faves [acknowledging that I haven’t seen most of the others] –
#98 Pretty Woman (1990)
#78 A Night at the Opera (1935)
#77 Blazing Saddles (1974) [WAY underrated here]
#62 Airplane! (1980)
#46 Coming to America (1988)
#41 A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
#26 Borat [not top 10?!?!]
#25 M*A*S*H (1970)
#13 Dr. Strangelove
#9 Young Frankenstein (1974)
#7 Duck Soup (1933)
#6 Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
#1 The Naked Gun [VG, very funny – but #1? nah]
And what about Trading Places, Blues Brothers, Ghostbusters?
Also missing Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, could easily replace a couple on the list that I wouldn't even categorize as comedies. Mel Brooks and Charlie Chaplin very underrepresented. Also, a couple on the list are stand-up specials, I wouldn't consider them movies proper and leave them off the list. International movies sorely underrepresented. Flawed list to say the least LOL
And what about Home Alone?
Mel Brooks' The Twelve Chairs is one of the best comedies ever made and always takes a back seat to Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein; the latter is overrated.
I grew up on the Soviet TV mini-series adaptation, which starred two of the biggest giants of Soviet comedy acting, Andrei Mironov and Anatoly Papanov, some songs and quotes from that are still stuck in my head. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Chairs_(1976_film)
Also, it's directed by Mark Zakharov, an important Soviet film director. One of his movies called "To Kill a Dragon" from the late 80's is an important anti-totalitarian satire, extremely relevant to today's world, available free on youtube with English subs (12 chairs also, I think).
The entire Cornetto Trilogy should have been included. Hot Fuzz is my favorite.
Our nerd family also loves "Paul," which stars Frost and Pegg but different director.
The new John Candy documentary is definitely worth a watch.
I watched part of it on Amazon Prime, thanks for reminding me to finish it! What I've seen so far was very good, a green light for sure.
And how about The Full Monty? Simultaneously warm, silly, and sweet.
I cannot believe this list did not include "The Thin Man" (1934). If you like sophisticated comedy with excellent acting, check it out.
What about Pulp Fiction? It’s one of the most famous movies ever made, and I never laughed harder at a movie than when I first saw it, but it’s not even on the list?
yes, absolutely - totally forgot. hilarious + macabre.
Absolutely, great and ground breaking and no less a comedy than a few of the entries included, although I might classify it as more of a crime thriller, it's definitely not a pure comedy.
Same with Fargo, I'd put O, Brother Where Art Thou in its place on the list.
I also would have put Lebowski in the top 5.
Life of Brian is my favorite Monty Python movie, and one of my favorite movies overall. In addition to being silly, it has a point, which is no matter what we will be petty can care too much about our standing in our small group.
Local Hero
I have a box containing the letters my mother wrote to me - daily - during my first year at college. Thanks to your column, I'm going to get them out and read them.
I am in a similar stage of life with my mom and I appreciate you sharing your experience and perspective, my thoughts are with you and your family.
I've also kept all of the letters and birthday cards my mom sent me over the years. She also kept a diary for a few years. However, I only read a few entries and wary of going deeper into them. I will just say that her life was very hard and leave it at that.
If I can respond to one line specifically: "It’s bittersweet to “hear” her voice again and be reminded of what we’ve lost." If I can suggest as a coping mechanism that I try very hard to employ for myself - I try to reframe these memories as gifts to be grateful for, not losses to be lamented. The arrow of time points inexorably in one direction. Loss is universal and inevitable. The way to cope is to cherish the gifts we have the fortune to experience. At least that's how I try to get through this.
I've enjoyed my high school reunions--just curious how people's lives have turned out. I grew up in a small Iowa town with one high school; my graduating class included 166 kids. So I had shared experiences with a high percentage of my class mates. We had the same teachers, played baseball together, attended the same churches, etc.
But also so many surprises. I did not predict that the wild, alcoholic kid would become the safety manager for a trucking firm (he didn't believe it either). Nor that the couples who married right out of high school would remain married for 50 years. Nor that several people have moved far left politically. If I were a novelist, I would have plenty of storylines.
My wife graduated from a tiny high school in Indiana and most of the kids had been in school together their whole lives. We went to those reunions and enjoyed them every time. I was surprised that most had stayed in the area.
Regarding the Variety list, I have to discount it completely as it is missing the best comedy film of all time, Animal House. They mention it in the Caddyshack writeup, but between the two, AH is the Goat of juvenile humor, and it was first. I can hardly watch Caddyshack all the way through. It has the plot of a 1970's porn film with none of the porn. Sure, it has great moments, but not like AH. The food fight, the ladder, the opening where the misfits are seated together, Otter's general insouciance, and much more. Everything around the horse!!!
I don't take these lists too seriously anymore, but this omission is comedic.
another one i forgot - doh! 'was it over when the germans bombed pearl harbor?' john belushi may have been the best comic actor of the latter half of the 20th century.
i lived, and lived in, animal house in the early '70s - and most of it, like the movie, was a laugh riot - an orgy of fun.
I'll bet you also enjoyed "1941", which also featured John Belushi.
I went to only a few reunions, but my experience was like that of Eric. I was treated poorly as a kid, particularly in Junior High. Watching shows like the Wonder Years was not rewarding in the least. By the time I was a senior, things had changed, but the pain lingers. Still, as survivors of 50 years post high school, it's been good to see the people I liked and interesting to see those that I found difficult then. Most are gracious, some apologetic and some still odd. I'd find a key friend to go with and see what happens. Just like DJT.
mixed bag on HS reunions. i went to a school with a lot of guys [all-guys school] from wealthy families - so there was a lot of classism at the school. also a fair amt of bullying, and turf domination. and altho our school in gen'l, and my class in particular had stellar academic achievements, the jocks [esp'ly FB and basketball, at which we were mostly mediocre] were preening pretenders.
nonetheless, i developed a corps of friends, 4 of whom [1 has died] have been good friends ever since, for which i am deeply grateful.
so, reunions - i went to the 10th, with 3 of these friends from HS. summary - the a-holes were still a-holes.
skipped all intervening HS reunions until the 40th. light turnout - <10% of the graduating class. but i reconnected with 2 guys i hadn't spoken with since HS graduation, or maybe a cpl times during college. we agreed to get together.
and we have gotten together 2-3 times every year since. so that's been good, and makes me happy.
i missed my 50th, and later regretted it. got a covid vax booster the day before, and it left me weak and sick. i shd have known better - the prior covid booster had also left me weak and sick.
to my great good fortune, a fellow grad returned to the Chgo area after living 40+ yrs in OH, and dove into reconnecting with as many guys from the class as possible. last year he organized a 53rd year reunion [sic], which i attended. i thoroughly enjoyed it - spent more time talking with several guys than i had while at the school, or ever since.
the good lord willing and the tide don't rise, i will attend the 60th.
Count me as pro reunions. We just had our 60th and this time we did Storyworth so that folks who wanted to could share their thoughts about high school as well as what they've done since. It was fascinating and enlightening. The guy you thought was a snob was desperately insecure. The quiet kid who seemed awkward went home to immigrant parents struggling to get by. The girl who always had a hickey ended up running a charitable organization. Eye opening and fun!
For our 10th reunion we printed people’s memories of HS. But one person wrote how they had lost their virginity with another student, and the spouses saw the write ups. We haven’t had the memories written up since then.
You mentioned your mom’s letters. That reminds me of when I went thru my in-law’s house to clean it out. It was like an archeological site, with layer upon layer. Every week I’d fill two garbage cans for collection. But I found some gems. The letters that family had written to her when my wife was born over 60 years ago. But the most interesting was a letter my father-in-law wrote to his parents from Germany in 1956 where he was in the Army. He excitedly wrote all about the first dead body he saw. He was an MP, and it was from an American serviceman hitting a German with a car. He included the German language newspaper. I rarely saw my FIL so animated.
Blazing Saddles is a movie that I liked when it came out. But when my family gave me the video for a gift 10 or 20 years ago I couldn’t enjoy it. I’m not a prude, but I’ve been reading about not saying the N word, so the use of it in the movie was jolting, and uncomfortable. Anyone else have that reaction?
My reaction to most of Brooks’s movies is that they don’t age that well, not because of PC, per se, but because so much of the humour is cornball and juvenile. I found all of his films to be riotous when I was a kid, but when I look at them now, they’re kind of lame.
As far as the “N-word” issue (again, imbuing a single word with the mystical power of “Yahweh” in the Old Testament), I saw an interview with Brooks in which he addressed this by saying that Blazing Saddles could never be made today, and though he didn’t come right out and say it, he strongly implied that he did not consider that to be progress. I would agree with him.
Blazing Saddles certainly couldn't be made today but Brooks is part of the reason why. In the movie, the repeated, casual use of the word by racists (regular folk) - which people were revealed as ignorant and craven - helped show the stupidity of racism itself. (It's stupid people who say racist sh**, revealing their stupidity.) I still think think that Blazing Saddles is brilliant, because it helped undermine the still-widespresd open racism of the '70s.
Never forget it was Richard Pryor & Cleavon Little that insisted on the N word being in the script!
Yes! They realized the power that if idiots freely used the word, others would associate idiocy with the use of the word. Humor is powerful force.
The Sun Times giving a disclaimer on its recipes seems suss. If you follow the recipes and end up poisoning your family they can point to the disclaimer?
Reminds me of some of my very early culinary attempts: not soaking beans long enough for chili; not realizing that the spaghetti in spaghetti casserole needed to be boiled first. I can easily image typos of that level.
I suggest that humor and comedy shows be outlawed. Much humor is based on making fun of somebody or something, no matter how gentle. We are becoming the most sensitive society in the history of man. I am short. Many times in my life have I been described as having the ability to play handball against the curb. Once in high school, a speech teacher addressed me as I was preparing to give speech in front of the class. He said "C'mon Siegel- stand up!" I somehow managed to give a speech that earned an A. In today's atmosphere, I could probably get him fired. Would it have been worth it?
One Christmas, my dad transcribed all his letters home from World War II that my grandmother had saved, and bound them into books for us kids. It was fascinating to "meet" my dad as a very young man. Perhaps helpful that he was drafted just before Japan surrendered so his service was an adventure in the Pacific and not horrors of war.