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Why I love The Onion.

Last night was the season premiere of SNL–which Sara and I watched while Miriam slept on the couch–and though the rest of the show was rock bottom unfunny, the opening was an instant classic that will be talked about for years to come.

UPDATE: Yes, this video will probably not work when you go to play it.  That’s copyright for you.

This morning, during a five minute break in one of my classes, the girl who was sitting next to me turned and asked, “Do you like Chuck Norris jokes?”

“What?”

“You know Chuck Norris?  Do you like jokes about him?”

“I guess.  I know the one about his tears curing cancer, and another I can’t really remember, something about ‘another fist’.”

“Behind his chin is another fist.”

“That’s the one.”

“I love Chuck Norris.  I got this new folder with Chuck Norris on it.”

Sure enough, she had a folder with Chuck Norris and a horse, and the words “Chuck Norris can lead a horse to water…and make him drink.”

My local Fox affiliate shows an hour of The Simpsons each night at seven o’clock, and tonight were two astoundingly great episodes: the legendary “Brother from the Same Planet” and a forgotten gem, “The President Wore Pearls”.

“Brother from the Same Planet” was the 14th episode from Season 4 (1992-1993) - surely The Simpsons‘ golden age.  Among countless hilarious lines, I particularly like when Homer and Pepi (”I love you, too, Pepsi”) are star-gazing and Pepi asks Homer to name some of the constellations.  “…And that Big Dipper looking thing is Alex…the Cowboy”.

“The President Wore Pearls” is an against-the-odds masterpiece from the otherwise lackluster Season 15 (2003-2004).  Watching it tonight I was inclined to believe it was from Season 5, so strong is the writing.  In fact, I’ll go out on a limb and say it’s in my Simpsons Top 10.  It even has several songs, which I contend are the zenith of entertainment.

On a similar topic, a few nights ago, they replayed another top drawer episode, “Homer’s Barbershop Quartet”, and it made me feel very old.   Towards the beginning, when Homer is explaining to the kids why they had never heard of his fame, he explains that it was eight years before, in 1985.  Now 1985 is 23 years ago!

Mrs. Hill went to the theater Friday night and saw Walk Hard on opening night.  A synopsis isn’t necessary, but the highlights for me were definitely the songs, especially “Life Without You”, “Dewey Cox Died”, the Marshall Crenshaw-composed “Walk Hard” and the cleverly suggestive “Let’s Duet”.  Kudos to John C. Reilly for being a genuinely great singer with a ringing high F#.  And Tim Meadows has some of the funniest material.

Also note: everybody in the world was in this movie, including people you have seen before in lots other things, but whose names you don’t know; and tons of other people with big names who have small parts.  Now, I am sure you’re wondering, “but, Dana, does it have Jackson Browne?”  Hell yes, it does.  It even has butterscotch blonde Fender Telecasters.  So, something for everybody, specifically me.