Frivolity Break: Snappy Comebacks Via Video

I have an collection of pop-culture quotes (from movies, TV, wherever) that run through my brain, and I'm likely to use them in response to a highly varied assortment of scenarios.

If you have a mini-meltdown about something, I might respond with Rizzo from Grease's "some people are so touchy." If you complain about having mice or roaches, I might respond as Newt from Aliens: "They mostly come out at night. Mostly." And I'll use "I'll change you from a rooster to a hen with one shot!" (Doralee from 9 to 5) or "When you're telling these little stories, here's a good idea. Have a point, it makes is so much more interesting for the listener." (Steve Martin in Planes, Trains and Automobiles) or "Maybe I'll make a bundt cake. I love a good bundt cake!" (character from The Stepford Children)* for almost anything, whether it makes sense in context or not.

If you're lucky, you can find your favorite quotes online to use on your blog or FaceBook page, for just those occasions when they're a perfect fit. The benefit of this is that unlike in real life, you don't lose the moment if you don't think of a snappy comeback right away. Since the words you might be responding to are just hanging there, it is always like they were just spoken. One of my favorite ways to do that is to put in a video response on my blog to a story item of the day. But it is rare to find only the quote. I wish I had more knowledge of how to edit video to get just the part I need. Still, occasionally I'll find just the thing. Here are a few of my favorites.






#1 - Fonzie Jumps the Shark - From Happy Days, this clip is the ultimate response to anybody who has crossed the line into ridiculousness, and has lost all credibility.

#2 - Damn, Damn, Damn! - From Good Times. Florida Evans (Esther Rolle) has just lost her husband, James. Can be used to express any extreme disappointment.

#3 - Bad news tuba - From The Price is Right, this is the perfect sound effect for, "you lose!"

#4 - You keep using that word. . . - from The Princess Bride, the perfect antidote to the politician or celebrity who has said something stupid.

#5 - Stupid Answer - Here's a prime example of a scene I'd like to trim down to its final moments, when the game show host in Billy Madison chastises the title character for his stupid answer to a question. Fantastic.

*Hat-tip to my friend Keith, the Dallas Dandy, for the inspirational quote that inspired this post.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Cancelled

Image from source, TV by the Numbers

Exasperatingly, this is not 100% confirmed, but the writing has been on the wall for some time. I had high hopes for the 1-2 punch of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Dollhouse, and they both became my favorite shows. The irony is, both shows became insanely good in their last few episodes. The good news is (again, not 100%) that Dollhouse did make the cut.

I've written a lot about both shows, and there is no need to rehash here. I had my fingers crossed pretty hard, and I got half of what I wanted. Still, this following video clip from the 70s series Good Times will give you an idea of how this cancellation makes me feel.

[Excerpt]

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles canceled

Sources confirm that not only has FOX officially passed on renewing Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, it’s even dead as far as Warner Brothers is concerned and they are no longer shopping it to other networks. . .

Read more at: TV by the Numbers