Guys Will Love This Video

Office Politics: Is The New Show Better?

Last Thursday's episode of The Office was written by Ricky Gervais, who created the original British series. The episode was a bit of a miss for me, and it wasn't nearly as funny as the terrific episode the week before.

I couldn't quite put my finger on it after the show was over, but TV critic James Poniewozik at Time magazine has an answer: Gervais was writing for the boss on the old series, David Brent (played so well by Gervais himself), and not for the boss on the new series, Michael Scott (Steve Carell).

He also argues that the NBC series has now become better than the original it came from.

Anybody else agree?

Gee Willikers, This Movie Was Naughty

This afternoon, we here at The Cup of Joe watched a television-friendly version (airing on AMC) of a film we had never seen before: Scarface, a 1983 Brian de Palma/Oliver Stone/Al Pacino film. Every single bad word in this American movie classic was freaking blipped out to make it AMC-acceptable.

YouTube, however, has no such restrictions.

Embedded below is a shortened version of Scarface, running one minute and 38 seconds, and containing every use of the word fuck in the film. At the time Scarface was made, this movie held the record for most fucks yelled, uttered, exclaimed, opined and belched in a single film. The record reportedly lasted for most of the 1980s.

I don't know who put this montage together, and uploaded it to YouTube, but I certainly wish I had this much friggin' free time.

At Least He Wasn't Arrested, Sugah

Danny Devito was on The Late Show with David Letterman last night. You may be wondering why Dave didn't ask Danny about his drunken appearance on The View Tuesday morning following a night of drinking with George Clooney.

The reason: Dave tapes two shows on Monday: One airs that night, and the other on Friday night.

And who was Dave's guest on the Monday show that aired the same day it was taped? Uh, George Clooney.

It won't take Christy Love to solve this riddle.

My Kind of David Bowie Song

Extra, Extra

Trivia: What actor or actress is the youngest person in history to reach four Oscar nominations?

Answer: The delightful and supremely talented Kate Winslet, who was on The Late Show With David Letterman earlier this week. (The second youngest, by the way, is Marlon Brando.)

Although Kate doesn't yet have an Oscar, she is deserving of an Emmy for this guest spot earlier this year on the Ricky Gervais show Extras on HBO.

The below clip makes me regret canceling HBO a few months ago. Don't watch if you're allergic to phone sex and/or perfect timing.

Be Wary Of People Whose Middle Name is Not Tom, Pete, Joe, Dick, Ed or George

Should someone alert Homeland Security?

We Really Liked Abe

We here at The Cup of Joe are thankful, very thankful, that U.S. News & World Report editors, in confidently declaring The Gettysburg Address to be "America's Greatest Speech" on its most recent cover, opted for this most eloquent and brilliant expression instead of, say, the Sally Field "you really like me" Oscar acceptance speech.

However, we also believe that many historians (and as a construction worker I can't count myself to be a historian) would argue that the Gettysburg Address can't possibly be "America's greatest speech" because it probably wasn't even Lincoln's greatest speech.

These historians would probably point to the extraordinary words (and historical context) of his Second Inaugural, and they might say that his famous "Address at Cooper Union" (Feb. 27, 1860) was so masterful that it propelled a failed politician and a relatively unknown country lawyer right into the White House, and that maybe these speeches are even more extraordinary than The Gettysburg Address, and that maybe declaring something as the "best ever" might sell magazines but is really a little silly and a little self-important.

When 1,500 New Yorkers listened to Lincoln for 45 minutes at Cooper Union, they really, really liked him, just as America would later embrace Sally Field.

***

You Can't Beat War Coverage Like This

With the situation in Iraq and the Middle East deadlier than ever, now is a good time to give pause and reflect on which major U.S. newsweekly does the best job of covering the American Civil War.

This would be U.S. News & World Report, of course. The magazine's latest issue, now on newstands and pictured at right, lends some insight into Lincoln at Gettysburg and promises on the cover to take a "new look at America's greatest speech."

Here's a suggestion for editor-in-chief Mortimer B. Zuckerman for what his cover should be next week: Do another Lincoln cover, and celebrate the 13th anniversary of Garry Wills winning the Pulitzer prize for Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America (1992), a superb and influential work that took a new look at America's greatest speech way back in the early 90s.

We wish U.S. News well, as well, in their future reporting on that other Civil War, the one going on in Iraq, and on reporting on the eloquent speeches (from 2006) that will shine a shimmering and welcome light on this happening-right-now blood bath.

***

The Cup of Joe Fall Movie Round-Up

Best movie we've seen lately: The Queen.

Most overrated: Borat.

Movie with an actor who has the best abs: Casino Royale.

Best men's swimsuit in a motion picture: Your guess is as good as mine.

Worst abs: Sorry Borat's manager, your movie loses again. But thanks for playing.

The Seventh Child

Bobby is a new film directed by Emilio Estevez. The most compelling scenes in the movie, however, had no director. And they were filmed more than three decades ago.

I'm referring to the extraordinary archival footage of Robert F. Kennedy himself.

And when this historical footage is paired so effectively with fictionalized scenes, especially the last 15 minutes of this film, the result is hard to forget.

The cast of this movie is a Hollywood who's who: Anthony Hopkins, Christian Slater, Martin Sheen, Sharon Stone, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, others. But the star is a man who has been dead for 38 years.

When he speaks, Kennedy has a seriousness and an undertone of sadness that somehow remains hopeful, not sullen. His words seem to spring from deep within himself, from his soul, and not from a speechwriter. It's the politics of conviction, and not the political rhetoric one arrives at based on polling. And it's so odd to hear.

Is there an American politician alive today who speaks with this same authenticity? It took me awhile, but I can only think of one.

The movie, like the man, has its flaws. I don't know if it was intentional, but I see the character in the movie played by William H. Macy an an appropriate parallel. He is, like Kennedy, a good man, a strong man, a flawed man and a philanderer.

It reminds me of the famous quote from Ted Kennedy at RFK's funeral: "My brother need not be idolized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life, to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it."

Mark the Date: Nov. 29

Next Wednesday, Richard Simmons will be on Late Night With David Letterman for the first time in six years.

Yesterday, in fact, was the six-year anniversary of his last appearance, when Richard dressed up in what looked like a chicken costume and was hosed with a fire extinguisher by Dave. We here at The Cup of Joe were watching this one live, and apparently there were some hurt feelings involved.

Must-see TV.

And tonight on Letterman, I'm predicting that Dave's mom, in her annual Thanksgiving day appearance, will have the stoves fired up with Pumpkin Walnut and Peach Pie, with a 40 percent chance of Apple Cranberry. This year's long shot: Rhubarb.

And Now It's a T-Shirt

A friend of mine just emailed me this. Middling minds think alike, no?

Madonna, Jesus Christ and Tucker Carlson

A couple months ago, Tucker Carlson, one of the great idiots of the world, went on a rant about the Madonna crucifixion imagery that was part of a song during her recent world tour.

It was clear that Tucker hadn't seen the concert in person, nor did he understand or seem aware of the context in which this powerful symbol was used. But it didn't stop him from wagging a heavy finger of shame at the pop singer.

Last night, even though the image of Madonna on the cross was censored out by NBC, Americans got to see what all the fuss was about when the "Confessions On a Dance Floor" concert video got its first TV airing.

So if you were able to watch this terrific concert, a concert we here at The Cup of Joe (along with Wally, Miles O'Mally and other friends) saw live this summer, you'd understand some things that the critics never saw, or bothered to understand.

It would be hard, I think, for any Christian to possibly object to the context in which this symbol was used. It wasn't mocking, nor was it merely trying to be shocking.

It was, however, a statement about how AIDS has ravaged the least of our brothers on the African continent, and how it has affected 12 million children who are now orphans because of AIDS.

It was an artistic statement to enlighten the public on an issue that should be of high interest and concern to all people who profess to be Christians.

If Jesus walked the earth today, he'd probably be a heck of a lot more concerned about the children of Africa and how a terrible disease has ravished a continent than he would be about gay marriage or, for that matter, what a pop singer does on stage.

Of course NBC censored out the image of Madonna being crucified, because they're pussies. This wasn't the only censorship. Watch closely, and you'll notice they also edited out a political statement she made about George Bush. You can easily read her lips, though. (She doesn't, er, like George Bush, but she put it a little stronger on stage.)

The truth is that the most powerful images from this "number" -- the photos of the children forgotten by America and the developed world -- were not edited out.

Twelve million children in Africa are without parents, and this number will grow to 20 million by 2010. Many of these children will not survive without our help.

Tucker Carlson, where is your outrage over this?

For I was hungry and you gave me food.
I was naked and you gave me clothing.
I was sick and you took care of me.
And God replied,
Whatever you did for one
of the least of my brothers,
you did it to me.

Prediction: Best Christmas Ever!

I'm delighted to report that we here at The Cup of Joe have concluded our Christmas shopping, and it's not yet Thanksgiving!

This is thanks, in large part, to the arrival in the mail yesterday of the latest International Male catalog. I don't really know why I'm on their mailing list, but I can admit (my legal advisors tell me) that I did buy a shirt from them back in 1998. Yes, I still wear it. No, people don't make fun of me (to my face) when I wear it. No, it doesn't have ruffles. No, it's not silky. Yes, Wally would look like one of the models in the catalog wearing it, if I ever loaned it to him. No, I'm not loaning the shirt to Wally.




But anyway, I'm happy to report that *all* my male friends will be getting the commander leather waistcoat along with the ultimate poet's shirt. And for those who have been good, I may even throw in a "london opera vest" or a "madison banded collar shirt." I'm hoping this will be just the impetus for all my friends to join forces and produce a local community theater production of The Pirates of Penzance sometime real soon.






The only exception to this, however, is Frenchy. Because he already owns a closet full of poet's shirts, he will instead be getting a leather lace-front-pant with low-rise waistband, genuine napa suede, brass grommets and (of course) an 11" flared hem.

In fact, I prefer to think of this pant as unisex, so think I may get all the ladies in my life the exact same thing.

I just hope my mom likes it.

KKK-Kramer

If I were Seinfeld, I'd start locking my apartment door.

Who would want this guy to show up unannounced?

Yikes.

Straight Questions For A Man of God

Is it a sin to watch Will and Grace?

Just because you repeatedly have sex with a hunky Brazilian guy, does it really mean you're gay?

"If Freddy Prinze Jr. crawled in here now on all fours, are you telling me that you wouldn't want to undress him?"

Is eating brunch morally acceptable?

These are puzzling questions from Bruno, aka Sasha Baron Cohen/Borat. What Would God Say? A minister has the answers..