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Sunday, November 13, 2011

Sunday Jukebox - Do The Bartman

In the world of music, have you noticed that certain dance crazes can start up in the blink of an eye?

The Hustle. The Moonwalk. The Macarena. All three of these dances were once the cream of the pop culture crop, and at some point, everyone was trying to learn the dance steps.

Certainly, the Hustle was very popular during the disco-heavy culture of the mid-1970s. Michael Jackson aced the Moonwalk during a 1983 performance which later became his signature move. And I already talked about how the Macarena was the dance craze of 1996.

I'm sure many of you over the years have hustled, moonwalked, and did the Macarena with the best of them?



But, can any of you do the Bartman?

No, I mean, really. Can you?

I am sure that for quite a few of you reading this blog entry, the answer would probably be no. Or, maybe you do know how to do it, and are just too embarrassed to admit it. Or, maybe you've completely forgotten how to do it.



That's okay though. I admit that I never learned how to do the Bartman either. Of course, my dancing skills in general are not exactly what I would call great. Picture a monkey who just downed an entire pitcher of beer trying to go up a down escalator, and you've pretty much seen a perfect dramatization of how well I do on a dance floor.

Oh, I suck. I really do suck. That guy who keeps crashing those auditions for 'So You Think You Can Dance' who goes by the stage name of 'Sex' is probably a better dancer than I am. And, if you've ever seen him in action, that's a pretty bold statement. In fact, here's proof below.



Ah, what can I say? At least the guy refuses to give up on his dream, even though his dream might be somewhat misguided. And besides, I just gave him a compliment as he can dance better than I can!

I used to always hate going to school dances, and whenever possible, I would just skip out on them entirely. Whether it was a typical grade eight dance, or a Muchmusic video dance party, or even my high school prom (which I proudly admit to skipping), I would never make an appearance. And for the few dances that I did attend, unless I was doing a slow dance (the one and only dance I KNOW I can do), I usually warmed one of the benches in the school gym.

I just didn't have any rhythm. There's plenty of us out there. In fact, I hate to admit this, but the only way that I can probably get out on a dance floor is if I down a couple of alcoholic beverages!

Needless to say, the 'liquid courage' comes in handy now. But before I turned 19 (which in Canada is the legal drinking age), all I had was chocolate milk and soda pop...and needless to say, neither of those worked.



I guess in a way, I kind of admire Bart Simpson for being the loud, boisterous, not afraid of anything 10-year-old boy that I knew I wasn't. Sure, he got in a lot of trouble for his actions, but he was fearless. And deep down, I think we all want to be regarded as such when we were kids.

By 1990, the Simpsons had been on the air for one full season and were getting ready to shoot season number two. Around this time, David Geffen, the founder of Geffen Records, had the idea to further capitalize on the popularity of the Simpsons. What if they recorded an album, just in time for the 1990 holiday season?



That's how the album The Simpsons Sing The Blues first came into production. The album, which was recorded just two weeks before the start of the second season was reportedly chaotic, and difficult to produce, but the end result was worth all the hard work. The album was released in stores on December 4, 1990, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Sales.

And it was decided that the lead-off single from the album would be 'Do The Bartman'.



ARTIST: Bart Simpson (as voiced by Nancy Cartwright)
SONG: Do The Bartman
ALBUM: The Simpsons Sing The Blues
RELEASE DATE: November 20, 1990
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS: N/A

You may notice that this isn't the real music video up above. It's because I couldn't find a decent copy to post directly on the blog itself. But, I did some digging around, and if you click HERE, you can watch the animated video that debuted on December 6, 1990, after the airing of the Simpsons episode “Bart The Daredevil”.

Secondly, you may notice that there is no chart info present for how well the song did on the charts. That's because it was never released as a single in the United States (which probably was a key factor in why the album did so well in sales throughout late 1990 and 1991). However, the song was released as a single in other countries, and ended up being a being a number one hit in the UK, Australia, Norway, New Zealand, and Ireland!

It's hard to deny what popularity the song had. Millions of albums were sold, and the video for 'Do The Bartman' became one of MTV's most requested songs of early 1991. The success of the album also prompted other record companies to put a rush with making albums for other animated characters, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Barbie, and others to...well...lesser success. But the album also prompted the release of the Little Mermaid soundtrack, and this began Disney's success with soundtrack albums based off of their animated movies. Whether you think that it was a good thing or a bad thing, the song did change the face of the music industry, even if for a little while.



The origins of 'Do The Bartman' had an interesting story in itself really. Did you know that Michael Jackson co-wrote the song for the album?

Only, it was meant to have been a surprise, and it would have been if Simpsons creator Matt Groening had his way.

The rumours began circulating about Jackson's involvement with the single right around the time that the announcement of the album was released. The rumours were that Michael Jackson was to write a song specifically for the Bart Simpson character, and that the song 'Do The Bartman' was that song. The producers did attempt to do some damage control though, and long standing producer, James L. Brooks issued a press release in September 1990 stating that the song was actually written by one of Jackson's friends, a songwriter by the name of Bryan Loren.

The truth was eventually released almost a decade later by Groening himself at the World Animation Celebration convention of 1998. He admitted that, yes, Jackson did co-write and co-produce 'Do The Bartman'. The reason why he couldn't get credit for it was because he was already under contract with a competing record label, and it would have caused a conflict of interest if the truth were revealed at that point in time.

Turns out, Michael Jackson was a huge fan of The Simpsons, and that his favourite character was Bart Simpson. He actually called the producers of the show to make a pitch for writing a number one single for Bart, and to appear as a guest voice for an episode. That's how 'Do The Bartman' ended up coming to be.

And during season three, Michael Jackson did get his wish to be a guest voice on The Simpsons, although he was credited as John Jay Smith in the closing credits. If you watch the episode 'Stark Raving Dad', you can see Jackson playing the role of Leon Kompowsky, the fat, bald, guy who is locked up in a mental institution because he thinks he's Michael Jackson. Great episode, you should really check it out.

So there you have it. The story behind 'Do The Bartman'. As well as my own admission that I can't dance to save my life!  

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Saturday Morning: Punky Brewster

This is an entry that begins in the present day, and it starts off with a rather interesting story.

I would think that it would be a fair assessment to say that I do not like cyberbullying at all. I think it's a really cheap way to try and insult someone else's feelings online, and in some cases, a bit cowardly. Especially if one hides behind a screenname, as most of us online tend to do.

I believe that there is a major difference between constructive criticism, and simply being mean because you want to get glee from ruining someone else's day. The first one, I can handle. The second option, not so much.

I'm going to talk about an instance in which cyberbullying kind of lead to a personal story, which looking back on now, I find kind of silly that it even spawned such foolishness. And the only reason why I bring this up is because it is linked to today's Saturday topic.

About a year ago, I was on an internet forum which, like this blog, was a forum where people could talk about all things pop culture. I would like to say that we were mostly a tight knit group, and as we reminisced about things while walking down memory lane, there were times in which we sometimes clashed, or had differing opinions of a certain topic than someone else did. But, that was fine. What kind of boring world would it be if we all looked, acted, and liked the same things every hour of every day? Pretty dull.

The key thing is that for the most part, we hashed out our differences as maturely as we could, and most of the time, the resolution was met in a calm and rational manner. I mean, nine out of ten of us were all over the age of eighteen, so it should be a fair assumption that all of us would handle conflict resolution in a timely and practical manner.

Until one day when a member posted this picture.



I know what some of you are thinking. Some of you might not even know who this is. Well, this picture happens to be of actress Soleil Moon Frye, current age, 35. This was a picture that she snapped and posted online in a Punky Brewster outfit, the character that she played on television. The caption read 'Punky Brewster All Grown Up'.

Now, my personal opinion was that I thought it was awesome that she had done this. In a world where so many established actors and actresses act as though their past work was beneath them, and are almost embarrassed to admit where they got their big breaks, Soleil wasn't that sort of person. No, she may not be as well-known as A-list actresses like Julia Roberts, or Jennifer Aniston, or Cameron Diaz, but at least she's not afraid to revisit her past. Soleil really seemed to embrace her past as Punky, and I applaud her for it. I'm sure that any fan of Punky Brewster probably appreciates the fact that Soleil Moon Frye could be a great sport about dressing up as Punky once again, and probably got a kick out of it.

Now, here's where the cyberbullying aspect comes in. And, yeah, I'll readily admit that I may have got the ball rolling in some manner, but one thing that I won't apologize for is standing up for something that I believe in.

For the most part, the comments in the picture were harmless, and most people commented on it politely. There were a few jeers and thumbs down comments mixed in, but hardly anything worth getting stressed out about.

But then one person from the site crossed the line a bit. It was bad enough that she had claimed that Punky had aged like an old bag, but at this point, it wasn't like Punky was a member of the site anyways, so it was doubtful that she could see it. But then when other members stood up and tried to defend the actress and the photo she took, and tried to explain that she looked better at 35 than they did, for some reason, she started to take it somewhat on the personal side, and started to personally insult them right out in plain view.

And that caused me to tell her to politely knock it off.

Which then caused her to call me every nasty name in the book. Some which were so disgusting that it really wouldn't be very nice to post in public...well, unless of course, I made this blog rated NC-17...which will NEVER happen. :D

I mean, it was just ridiculous how it snowballed out of control. It seemed like the more we reasoned with her, the more personal she took it until she got so angry she decided to leave the site and not come back. But the fact that she had to resort to bullying someone else online instead of trying to talk it out calmly was just plain unnecessary.

And for what? A photo of a 1980s child actress all grown up? Sheesh. Even the problems that Miss Penelope Brewster had to go through in her rough and tumble, but highly fictional upbringing seemed more dire and frightening, and yet she handled her own problems with much more strength and courage than...well...our anti-Punky rebel.



And I think that's why I chose to do my blog entry on Punky Brewster this Saturday.

Now, before I go on, I think I know what you're going to say. Wasn't yesterday the sitcom day? Shouldn't this have been talked about yesterday? True enough, this entry probably could have fit in a TGIF day. But what some don't know is that the show was later developed into a cartoon series called 'It's Punky Brewster'. Here's the opening below.



I will say that I do remember the cartoon quite well, and one of the perks that the cartoon had going for it was the fact that the actors who were in the live-action version of the program did the voices for their respective characters on the cartoon show. But, I didn't quite understand why they had to add that fuzzy Glomer character in the cartoon, and while it was a cute cartoon, I didn't like it as well as the live-action show.

So, I'll be mostly talking about the live-action program in this entry, but just wanted to briefly bring up the cartoon so I could justify talking about Punky Brewster on a Saturday.



The show Punky Brewster was like a lot of shows that aired during the 1980s. It originally aired on a major network, was cancelled due to low ratings, and brought back in syndication. From its debut in 1984 to 1986, it aired on NBC every Sunday night paired up with Silver Spoons. Problem was that it aired directly opposite 60 Minutes on CBS, and and NBC made the decision to cancel both shows, feeling that neither one could compete. But both Silver Spoons and Punky Brewster managed to find new life in syndication, and in the case of Punky Brewster, managed to continue airing until the spring of 1988.

As I eluded to earlier, the title character of Punky Brewster had one of those hard knock lives that Annie sang about back in 1982. Actually, I would bet that Punky's life was a little more hard knock than Annie's could ever be. By the time Punky was eight years old, she was basically abandoned by her parents. Her father walked out on the family when she was a baby, and then her mother left her alone at a Chicago shopping center along with her puppy, Brandon (who was actually named after then president of NBC Brandon Tartikoff, who developed the Punky Brewster sitcom).

I can't even imagine being eight years old and basically living on the streets by myself. Looking back on how I was at the age of eight, I probably wouldn't have lasted an hour. Yet, Punky seemed to be amazingly resourceful at her young age, and soon found herself stowing away inside a vacant apartment inside a Chicago building.



Punky quickly became friends with a young girl named Cherie (played by actress Cherie Johnson), who lived upstairs from where Punky was staying with her grandmother, Betty (Susie Garrett). But Punky is also discovered by the manager of the apartment building, the grouchy, cantankerous, 60-year-old Henry Warnimont (George Gaynes). Henry takes pity on Punky, and invites her and Brandon to his apartment across the hall for dinner, where Punky fills Henry in on what happened to her, and how Cherie and Betty took her food for her to share with Brandon. Henry takes Punky to his photography studio where he takes pictures of her with Betty and Cherie, and he starts to lose his grouchy exterior the closer he and Punky got.

At some point, Punky decides that she wants Henry to look after her as a foster father, and Henry is eager to make it happen. But the fact that Henry is in his sixties causes shadows of doubt for the social workers involved in the case, as they don't feel that he can handle the responsibility of taking care of an eight-year-old girl. But Punky is desperate to convince them that Henry is the best person to raise her, even escaping from the group home she was placed in to prove it. Eventually, Henry became Punky's foster father, and after a crisis in which Henry's photography studio burns down and Punky is temporarily taken away again, Henry legally adopts Punky as his own.



Of course, having Punky as a child could be a handful for Henry, as Punky's well-intentioned ideas usually ended with her getting herself and Henry by association into trouble. Still, I think we could all argue that Punky was better off having a caring, kind father figure like Henry Warnimont in her life.

Actually, for a show that was aimed at a younger demographic, Punky Brewster dealt with some very huge subject matter back in the day. Punky Brewster was one of the first examples on a sitcom that I can recollect in which they talked about the issue of peer pressure, and how kids believed that they needed to do drugs in order to be popular. Punky and Cherie wanted to join a club known as the Chicklets, and Punky even offered up the use of her treehouse for the club to have their meetings. But when Punky discovered that the Chicklets all did drugs and were pressuring Punky to use them too, Punky decided that the Chicklets weren't worth it anymore, and she started up the 'Just Say No' club with Cherie and a Chicklet who defected from the group. Watch a clip of this episode below.



That last part of the clip was filmed in Atlanta, Georgia at a Just Say No march, in which Soleil-Moon Frye took part in.

The show also tackled the subject of learning CPR to save a life, the danger of abusing prescription drugs, and even had an episode where Henry had to buy Punky her first bra!

And in a tragic case of life imitating art, a very special episode was filmed in 1986. The episode was called 'Accidents Happen', and if you click on the links in this paragraph you can watch it. The episode started off innocently enough, as Punky was telling the class all about how when she grew up, she wanted to be an astronaut, and as a special treat, her teacher, knowing about an upcoming space shuttle launch, had arranged for the class to watch it live on television.

That space shuttle launch ended up being that of the Challenger, which as you all know exploded during its take-off on January 28, 1986, killing everyone on board, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. The episode was obviously based on the tragedy, and the episode dealt with Punky coming to terms with watching the whole thing unfold right in front of her eyes. It really was a great episode to watch, and honestly, I could go on about how much of an impact that it had, especially since it aired just a few weeks after the event happened. But, really, I think you guys should watch it instead to form your own opinion.

The point is that Punky Brewster was very much appreciated growing up. At a time now where many shows try to dumb things down for children, I really liked the fact that Punky Brewster didn't try to do that. In fact, I think it remains a great show for kids to watch because of how they handled such matters. I know if I have kids, I'll probably let them watch it.

Who knows? Soleil Moon Frye is now a mother of two herself, and she very well could let her children watch her as Punky. She had a lot of fans who enjoyed what she did, and I know that she was very much appreciative of every fan. That's why she decided to don the Punky costume once more as an adult. She wanted to have fun with it, but she also sent the message that she wasn't ashamed of her child actor past. Rather, she embraced it.

And I think that's awesome...no matter what random internet pot-stirrers say otherwise.


Friday, November 11, 2011

TGIF Episode Spotlight: "Abyssinia, Henry" from M*A*S*H

Today happens to be the eleventh day of the eleventh month in the year 2011. Written numerically, the date would read 11/11/11. Neat, isn't it?

Today also happens to be a day of remembrance in the world. November 11 is a day reserved for all of us to remember those soldiers and veterans of various wars fought all over the world who died trying to protect our rights and our freedom. All over the world, people will be holding ceremonies and memorial services dedicated to those brave soldiers and war heroes who fought with all their might, and certainly, I'm going to try and make this blog entry do exactly that.

Whether you refer to today as Armistice Day, Veterans Day, or Remembrance Day, the meaning is the same. So, in today's blog entry question of the day, I ask all of you, what does the eleventh of November mean to all of you?

Growing up, November 11 was always regarded as an important day. In history class, we learned that on November 11, 1918, at eleven o'clock in the morning, World War I was officially declared over. Since 1918, we have set aside November 11 as a date in which we remember all the sacrifices that those who fought in that war, and all other wars since. Over the past ninety-three years, thousands upon thousands of soldiers risked their lives to fight for our freedom in both World Wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, and the current war going on against terrorism that commenced just a year and a half after 9/11.

And, in my hometown, we did this a number of ways.



The most common way that all of us could remember those who sacrificed everything for us is by wearing a red poppy pin, similar to the one posted up above. The poppy is a symbol linked to November 11 ceremonies, influenced by the poem 'In Flanders Fields' written by John McCrae, a lieutenant colonel who died of pneumonia during World War I, less than a year before the war officially ended. Below is the poem that he wrote in memory of a friend who died during the Second Battle of Ypres, in 1915.



At school, Remembrance Day was a day that was a really big deal. As far back as I can remember, our classes would always leave the school during the morning, and walk down to the cenotaph which was located in the middle of our town square (which was named Court House Square, as most of the law offices in town were set up in the surrounding areas at the time). There, we would watch the Remembrance Day ceremonies, and watch as various wreaths were laid down at the foot of the cenotaph. From there, we would stand quietly as we all observed the moment of silence, to remember those who we lost.

Sometimes, our school would even have assemblies during the week of Remembrance Day, and in fifth grade, I ended up having a role in the Remembrance Day assembly. It was November 1991. Myself and six other kids from my fifth grade class were asked to hold up a letter in the word BRAVERY, and recite what each of the letters in bravery stood for, and then we would all have a line to say simultaneously. Again, nothing really major, as all of our parts lasted a grand total of thirty seconds at the most.

But the fact that I played the B in Bravery did make me somewhat happy, as I was the one who went first!

The point is that Remembrance/Veterans/Armistice Day is a very big deal, as it really should be. So, it is here that I am going to post a video, and from here, I ask that you watch it, and reflect on those who fought and lost their lives for all of us out there before continuing on with this entry.



Now we can continue.

All right, so seeing as how today is November 11th, I really wanted to find an example that linked today to a television show. Initially, I found it quite difficult to do, because on a somber occasion as today, the last thing that I thought would be appropriate would be a funny sitcom. So, it took a while for me to think it through, and come up with a show that would fit for today's topic.

And then it hit me.



The television show M*A*S*H had an episode that illustrates this brilliantly. And although the subject of this blog note was a fictional character, it still was considered to be one of the most shocking moments in television history, and coincidentally one of the saddest endings of a television show.

Now, you all know how much of a ratings powerhouse M*A*S*H was. The show started off as a 1970 movie, (which stemmed from a 1968 novel written by Richard Hooker), that became a television series two years later. From 1972-1983, M*A*S*H aired on CBS, and became an instant success, ranking in the Top 10 viewed shows in the Nielsen ratings for nine of its eleven seasons on air. In fact, when the show aired its final episode on February 28, 1983, the show managed to attract 125 MILLION viewers, the most watched television broadcast of all time! A record that as of right now has not yet been broken.

The television show was an ensemble piece was was considered to be a 'dramedy'. The subject matter was often dramatic in nature, but was presented in a humourous manner. The show was about a United States Army Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (where the name M*A*S*H came from). The show focused on the various staff of the unit which was set up as a surgical unit during the Korean War (1950-1953). The stories were both plot and character driven, and the show used the laugh track function sparingly (notably being absent during the scenes which were shot as the staff performed an operation on someone).



The original cast of the series when it debuted in September 1972 included the following;

Alan Alda played Captain Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce, the chief surgeon of the 4077th MASH.
Loretta Swit played Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan, the head nurse.
Jamie Farr played Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger, a corpsman (recurring role until 1975).
William Christopher played First Lieutenant John Patrick Francis Mulcahy, a chaplain. He is also referred to as Father Mulcahy in the show.
Wayne Rogers played Captain John Francis Xavier “Trapper” McIntyre, a surgeon.
Larry Linville played Major Franklin Marion Burns, a surgeon.
Gary Burghoff played Corporal Walter Eugene “Radar” O'Reilly, company clerk and bugler of the 4077th.

Now, most of these people changed their ranks over the course of the show. Klinger, for instance went from the rank of Corporal to Sergeant, and some people even changed job titles. Some even left the show after a few seasons.

But some of you M*A*S*H fans might notice that I purposely left out one name from the original cast list. The reason is because this name is the subject of today's blog.



That name is Lieutenant Colonel Henry Braymore Blake, commanding officer and surgeon of the 4077th MASH unit, played by the late McLean Stevenson.

And, the way that Henry Blake left the show was one that was talked about for years. McLean Stevenson's departure from the show changed the course of the show for years to come.



The episode in which we said goodbye to Henry Blake aired on March 18, 1975. The title of the show was “Abyssinia, Henry”, and it aired as the finale of the show's third season.

Henry Blake wasn't exactly the most forceful, or even most competent commanding officer, but he made up for that by being a great surgeon. His laid-back manner and personality made him very well-liked by his colleagues, and he always managed to exhibit a happy-go-lucky attitude around the 4077th. This earned him great accolades from Hawkeye and Trapper John, but scorn from the more serious minded staffers, such as Frank and Hot Lips. His subordinate, Radar, had probably the closest direct relationship with Henry, as Radar could almost anticipate Blake's wishes and turn them into military orders.

But by 1975, McLean Stevenson had decided that he wanted to be written out of M*A*S*H, as he was feeling disenchanted with the way things were going. It was rumoured that he was growing tired of his character playing second fiddle to Alan Alda's character of Hawkeye. He asked to be released from his contract after the third season, and the writers, and producers Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds had to scramble to write out the character.

The episode “Abyssinia, Henry” began just like any other episode of the series. The staff of the 4077th were having lighthearted fun, playing a rousing game of Name That Tune while in the operating room, when Radar comes in to inform Blake that his discharge from duty has been approved, having received all of the needed Army service points needed to go home. Blake is overjoyed at hearing the news, and excitedly plans his trip back home to Bloomington, Illinois, where he looks forward to seeing his wife and family again.

The changes to the 4077th are almost immediate following the news. Frank prepares to take over in his new role as commanding officer, as Radar helps Henry clear out his office. The two share a moment of bonding, and even exchange gifts. Radar gives Blake an inscribed Winchester cartridge, and surprised by Radar's kind gesture, he spontaneously gives Radar a rectal thermometer that belonged to his father.

The night before Henry's departure, Radar, Hawkeye, and Trapper John take him out to Rosie's Bar and Grill for a going-away party. Under the influence of many, many drinks, the four reminisce about the good times they shared. When Henry excuses himself to go to the bathroom, the other three men plot out a ceremony designed to 'drum Henry out of the army', but one of the gifts the men give him is a brand new suit for Henry to wear on his flight home to the United States.

The next morning, with Frank in charge, it becomes clear that the rest of the unit don't seem to have as much respect for him as they did with Blake, with Klinger (known for dressing in some rather unusual outfits) going out of his way to dress to unimpress. But the moment Blake surfaces, wearing the brand new suit that was given to him the night before, everyone gives him a round of applause and a rousing chorus of “For He's A Jolly Good Fellow” as he approaches the helicopter that will take him home.



A poignant scene occurs just before Henry leaves, as Radar emotionally salutes the departing Blake. Blake runs over to Radar, salutes him right back, hugs him, and leaves him with these final words.

You behave yourself, or I'm gonna come back and kick your butt!”

And, that's the last that we see of Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake.

But if you think that he had a happy ending, you would be tragically wrong. This was the final scene of the episode, with Radar having the very last line. (And, I apologize for the silliness that appears at the end, spoiling the clip, but it's the only one I can find...just stop the video at the 1:03 mark.)



There you have it. Henry Blake, on his way home from Korea never made it home. His plane being shot down over the sea of Japan. One of the first instances of a main character being killed off of a television show.

To make the reaction of the cast as believable as possible, the last page of the script was purposely kept from them until the day of shooting, so that the producers could get the maximum impact of shock and sadness from the members of the cast. Reportedly, only cast member Alan Alda had seen the last page of the script prior to it being distributed, and because of this, McLean Stevenson was on set to watch the scene play out. The scene was so emotional that the cast felt drained afterwards, and as a result, a planned farewell party for Stevenson was cancelled. A few months later, Wayne Rogers would also leave the show, and both Rogers and Stevenson were replaced with Mike Farrell and Harry Morgan for the 1975/76 season.

Still, though, the episode garnered a lot of public reaction, and not all of it was good. It was reported by Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds that after the initial airing of Abyssinia, Henry, they received more than one thousand letters from angry viewers who were upset that Henry Blake was killed off. Some said that Blake's death was a cheap move, and didn't belong in a show like M*A*S*H, while others said that his death was just unnecessary. Some threatened never to watch the show again (which reflected in the following season's ratings, which only peaked at #15 from the #5 spot it held the year before).

It wasn't just home viewers that didn't like the way the show ended. CBS was also unhappy with the ending, as were 20th Century Fox, the company that produced M*A*S*H. CBS was reportedly so unhappy with the ending that when it was rebroadcast in reruns later that year, the final operating room scene was cut out entirely! It has since been restored in syndication airings and the season three DVD set for the show. Even McLean Stevenson himself reflected on the exit, saying that it was disappointing that the show chose to kill his character off, effectively nixing any chance of him coming back to the show in the future. He later admitted in an interview that leaving M*A*S*H the way he did was a mistake.

So why did they kill off Henry Blake?

Basically, it was to send out a message.

Keep in mind that during the first three seasons of M*A*S*H, the Vietnam War was in full swing, and you don't need me to tell you just how that war affected American citizens at the time. With news outlets broadcasting more and more footage of people dying each day during the war, the producers felt that they had to bring up the subject in the television show.

By having Henry Blake's plane shot down in the Korean War, it really struck an emotional chord, given the time period. I think Gene Reynolds described it best in this excerpt of an interview he gave around the time of the show first airing;

...if we turned on the television, we would see fifteen people [killed in Vietnam every night]. They don't complain about that because it is unfelt violence, it is unfelt trauma. And that's not good. I think that if there is such a thing as the loss of life there should be some connection. And we did make a connection. It was a surprise, it was somebody they loved. They didn't expect it, but it made the point. People like Henry Blake are lost in the war.”

In a rather ironic sense, the Abyssinia, Henry episode was broadcast the same year that the Vietnam War officially ended.

Nevertheless, I can get the grasp of what Reynolds was trying to say. When people were seeing the images of war on television (even now during the war on terrorism currently going on), they didn't necessarily feel emotion for what was going on. But when M*A*S*H killed off Henry Blake, although he was a fictional representation of a soldier, it still resonated with viewers, as he was someone that they knew. Millions of viewers tuned in to watch M*A*S*H, and they all grew to know and love the characters in the show, and many were saddened to know that Blake never got his happy ending.

And that was a fictional program. Imagine all of the families out there whose loved ones never came home from the war that they fought in. I imagine that for those families, those wounds will never heal, and they won't ever forget what these men and women who died fighting for their countries did for them.

Which is why we remember them every November 11th.


Thursday, November 10, 2011

Thursday Night At The Arcade: Worst. Games. EVER.

I wouldn't exactly classify myself as a gamer in the strictest sense of the word.
Quite possibly, I was when I was growing up, as video games were a huge part of my childhood. I mean, I probably rented every Nintendo game from the local video store at least once during the days that I had gotten a Nintendo, had a couple of dozen games for the Intellivision, played several games for the Sony PlayStation and PlayStation 2, own a Nintendo DS, and have the Sega Genesis Collection.

I was a hardcore gamer back in those days.

Now that I am in my thirties, I still play the odd video game, but I don't nearly have as much time to play them these days. I guess one could say that I relinquished my gamer membership the day I entered my thirties in some form.

But that could be because I don't find a whole lot of current games being the sort that I would actively play. In fact, the older I get, the more out of touch I feel that I am with video games.

Take the newest game in the Call Of Duty series, which I believe was only released a couple of days ago. Reports were that the game's release was quite huge, and I have heard that several people waited in line outside of retailers that sold video games to get their hands on the game.

Personally, I find the idea of anyone waiting in line (in some cases making their wait an overnight affair) for a video game to be something that I would never do. Aside from the fact that some of the first copies of games and software can be filled with gaming bugs and the like, I wouldn't do it just because the Call Of Duty video game series is not my cup of tea.

That's not to say that it's necessarily a bad game...just not my taste.

But then again, video games, like any other form of media out there, are subjective to a whole slew of personal opinions. Some games might be critically acclaimed, but completely rejected by the public, while other games are such that the public loves it, but parent groups may want it banned for excessive gore. It's all a matter of personal taste, really.

So, before I go on with this blog entry, I would just like to state that the opinions expressed in this blog entry DO reflect my own beliefs, but may not necessarily be the same beliefs as other peoples.

Because for this blog entry, I figure I would take a trip back through the various consoles over the years, and pick and choose some of the video games that I deem to be some of the worst waste of microchips and pixels that I have ever had the displeasure of playing.

The list of games spans a period of thirty years, and several consoles are represented in this list from the Atari 2600 all the way to the Nintendo DS.

This list is in no particular order here, and while there are technically twelve games in this list, as you'll see, some of them are compilations that really should never have been made. So, let's see what my version of the dirty dozen in video gaming is made up of. Will you agree, or have your own opinions?



E.T. THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL (1982, Atari 2600)

I myself have never played this game, as I never owned an Atari 2600. But reports are that it is easily considered to be one of the worst video games ever made, and was one of the key games blamed for the great video game crash of 1983. The game initially did very well in sales, with it being the third most sold video game cartridge of 1982. Based on the very popular movie which had come out that summer, it was expected to do quite well.

It's just a shame the game was so terrible that it ended up being one of the most returned games to retail stores just months after appearing on the market.

Check out this video of the game that I found on YouTube.



To be honest with you, the green blob that is supposed to look like E.T...looks like, well, I don't know exactly. I don't even understand how you're supposed to play the video game. And the ending of the game? I mean, Paperboy had a better ending, and everyone who has ever beaten Paperboy knows that the ending is very anti-climactic.

It's rumoured that Atari was so embarrassed by the game that they buried thousands of copies of the game in a desert in New Mexico. It's unlikely that this is the truth, but you never know. I know I'm certainly in no rush to unearth a copy.



THE GREAT WALDO SEARCH (1992, Super Nintendo Entertainment System)

I have a confession for you. I hated those stupid Where's Waldo books. I found them not challenging at all. If I were to grab a book that had hidden objects games in it, I could come up with some better, more challenging options. Nevertheless, one day when I was at the video store, renting a video game, I decided to try renting The Great Waldo Search for the SNES, as the other games that I really wanted to play were already rented out.

Biggest waste of four dollars I had ever spent in my life.

You want to know how long it took me to beat the game in total? Eight minutes. On the EXPERT level. The only pluses I can give for this game is that I managed to complete it a whopping eighty times during the time I had the game rented out, but more importantly, it only served to confirm my hatred of Waldo even more.



BACK TO THE FUTURE (1989, Nintendo Entertainment System)



Seriously, Nintendo, why did you let LJN Toys (a company synonymous with some of the worst video games of the late eighties) go near this game? I also rented this game and immediately returned it to the store just a few hours later. Why? Because of the fact that the poorly remixed 8-bit music tune (which I believe was supposed to be Huey Lewis and the News' Power Of Love) was terrible, the game itself made it almost impossible to make it through the game in one piece, and the minigames were so awkwardly done. In short, it really wasn't worth playing. But then again, most video games based on movies didn't seem to do well, as evidenced by the first game in the list, and the one directly below.



HOME ALONE (1991, Nintendo Entertainment System)

Okay, here's the deal. The Nintendo version was absolutely horrible. The entire game lasted only twenty minutes. Maybe even less than that if you ended up getting caught by the poorly drawn Wet Bandits. You basically ran around a house, setting traps, and avoiding getting caught by the crooks for twenty minutes, because that's how long that it would take for the police to arrive. If this sounds boring, it's because it was, and by the seven minute mark, I was like, 'I don't care, catch me if you like, put me out of my misery'. I WILL say that the Super Nintendo version of the game is slightly better, and has more of a plot than the NES version.



STRETCH PANIC (2001, PlayStation 2)

I feel bad for putting this game on this list, as it was a Christmas present from a relative. And, I really, really did try to like the game, which had a little girl trying to rescue her vain sisters from the demons who have possessed them. The music was pretty decent, and the game had very colourful graphics. The problem is that the controls were wonky, the enemies were quite hard to defeat, and after a while, it got incredibly dull. The guys may enjoy the women walking around the level as fodder enemies though, as they have some rather...ample bosoms.



ARMOR BATTLE (1979, Intellivision)

Last week, I talked about how the Intellivision was my very first console, and how despite the fact that Nintendo was the top dog during that time period, I enjoyed most of the games that came with the console.

Well, all except Armor Battle, which was so dull it bored me to tears. The object of the game was to try and place land mines and shoot at your opponents tanks to destroy them, but the courses were so barren and open that there really wasn't any challenge whatsoever. But, hey, it was one of the first games made for the system, so I guess we can MAYBE forgive them...



THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS SPACE EXPLORATION GAME (1995, Sega Genesis)

Maybe it's because I was 14 at the time this game came out and already knew what the planets were in the solar system, or maybe it's because I was too old for the Magic School Bus that influenced my opinion somewhat, but this game just didn't measure up. The controls were awkward, and honestly, I have to say it...Ms. Frizzle just doesn't translate well as a video game character. At all.



WALL $TREET KID (1990, Nintendo Entertainment System)

Whoever came up with the bright idea to have a video game about the stock market? I mean, I suppose maybe now that I'm older and actually know how the stock market works, I may find this game more interesting if I were to replay it.  I highly doubt it though. Or, maybe I just wanted to get rid of the whiny spoiled rotten girlfriend that the character was forced to take to the carnival or the mall every few days. Believe me, if you ever play this game, this girl will drive you nuts!



ACTION 52 (1991, Nintendo Entertainment System; 1993, Sega Genesis)



It seemed like a good idea at the time. Put 52 different games inside one cartridge, and that would lead to hours of fun. If it had been successful, that is. Almost each game had severe glitches...some of which were so bad, you were forced to turn off the game console and start all over again. The music was plagiarized from other video games, and there was actually a contest held where if you reached a certain level in the game, you could win a cash prize. Problem was, the contest couldn't be won due to a glitch that prevented the player from even getting to that level. A game with great intentions that ended up being one gigantic mess.



VIDEO GAMES THAT ARE BASED OFF OF REALITY SHOWS



Video games based on television shows are usually not terrible. Some of The Simpsons games are hit and miss, but I do have my favourites. And video games based on game shows like Jeopardy and Wheel Of Fortune are generally well done. But video games based on reality shows like America's Next Top Model, Hell's Kitchen, and even The Bachelor, I just have one thing to say. WHY?



MUPPET ADVENTURE: CHAOS AT THE CARNIVAL (1989, Apple II, Commodore 64)

I never played the computer game version, but I did play the one for Nintendo, and all I have to say is that if the two games are the same, then I am greatly disappointed in Jim Henson for allowing such a game to be produced just months before his death. It's just not that great of a game. The plus is that the levels are brightly coloured. The minus? It's got faulty controls, badly drawn muppet characters, and some of the worst music I've heard on a game. Just terrible.



KING GAMES (2006, XBOX 360)

Okay, the first thing wrong here is that the games could only be purchased at Burger King restaurants. That should have been the first clue that something was wrong. The second thing wrong is that the star of the games was this creepy dude.



Yeah...can you see why I have these games listed as some of the worst ever. I won't even play them because the Burger King mascot scares the hell out of me.

The general opinion of the games though varies. The game Big Bumpin', which is a bumper car type game, was generally well-received, and got the best reviews of the trio. PocketBike Racer, on the other hand, didn't do so well. Sneak King, a game that is based on the commercials where the King tries to sneak sandwiches on unsuspecting people is just plain creepy.

So, there you have it. My own personal list of what I consider to be the worst video games ever made. Got any more to add? I'd love to hear from you!