Mailbag (originally posted 11/5/2010)

From John J Odbody, New Jersey:


I noticed your blog on It's a Wonderful Life, and since I have a rather unhealthy obsession with that film, I had to read it, and share my thoughts.

I well remember when it was on non-stop on multiple channels every December; having more to do with something about the copyright running out and being a cheap show for the independent stations to run, than with the quality of the story. It also became an in-joke for recent Christmas movies to show somebody watching Wonderful Life on TV (Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Gremlins, and the first Home Alone). Then, NBC bought exclusive rights, and now they show it 2 or 3 times between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Watching it multiple times, I picked up on things that a dense person like myself missed on preliminary viewings, like the fact that the people George knows as adults are in the scenes with him as a kid: Sammy (Wainwright) at the frozen pond, Mary & Vi at the drugstore. Like I said, pretty obvious stuff, but I didn't get it until multiple viewings. And, yes, it takes George a little too long to catch on to what Clarence is doing, but if he figured it out right away, the movie would have been a lot shorter. One of my favorite parts is when Clarence tells George "I shouldn't tell you this, but Mary's about to close up the library!” in a tone of voice that would be more appropriate for, "I shouldn't tell you this, but she's downtown peddling pussy and pushing crack!" I also like that fact that in the alternative universe, when Mary is a spinster librarian, she needs glasses, but she doesn't need them when she's married. I guess sex is good for your eyesight.

Other than the "science fiction" element, the moral of "you've accomplished more than you realize" carries through to Mr. Holland's Opus, about a teacher, and the Fred McMurry movie about a Boy Scout leader, Follow Me, Boys. The conclusion of all three movies is strikingly similar.

Following the Science Fiction theme, you also see how changing the past can really alter the present & future (the Back to the Future franchise, Frequency). I also like Nicholas Cage in The Family Man, which, if not George Bailey in reverse, is George Bailey sideways.

Also, as a analyst, I find it interesting that George wanted to end it all over $8,000, which is less than the average American is carrying on his credit card in 2009 (I know, I know, inflation. . .)

I also like the Saturday Night Live "lost ending" with Dana Carvey, but we'll save that story.

However, for your consideration, here is the biggest hole in the Wonderful Life plot:
remember how Harry wasn't there to be a war hero because George wasn't there to save Harry at the ice pond? Didn't anybody notice it was George who took Harry to the pond that day, and dared his younger brother to slide on the ice?
In other words, if George wasn't there, Harry wouldn't have been there either, and the whole thing wouldn't have happened!!

And I can't wrap up without a question:
Who turned the key to open the gymnasium floor over the pool;
and what other Christmas movie did he make a very brief appearance in?


In the words of Sam Wainwright, Hee Haw and Merry Christmas.



Dear Mr. Odbody:


Thank you very much for a well-thought out letter. Your take on Clarence revealing Mary's fate without George Bailey in her life still cracks me up to this day. For fans of It's a Wonderful Life, I can wholeheartedly recommend the Beavis and Butthead parody of the movie. (BTW, as I found out on Google, the person who turned the key to open the gymnasium floor over the pool was the same actor who played Alfalfa in the Little Rascals series.)





Apparently, some people could relate to my hatred of the Uncle Billy character. Louise May, Rockford, WA writes (grammar tidied up):




Uncle Billy is an idiot. The only reason he could survive and live is because of George. The bumbling fool would have no job and nothing to do but waste away if it wasn't for good ol' George. And that's the thanks he gives him-- taking his eyes off the money?! I get angry all over again every time I watch.



Dear Ms. May:




I totally agree with what you say on Uncle Billy. Even during the climactic scene of It's a Wonderful Life, when I am in the throes of tears, I turn a rage of red when I see Uncle Billy count the money the townsfolk of Bedford Falls are dumping on the table- the useless jerk would probably lose THAT money as well, leading to It's a Wonderful Life II- the Sequel: George Bailey Mass Murderer. Even as I am typing this, I am becoming enraged.



My blog, the Greatest Country on Earth, touched a nerve with several people. It was even whispered to me that one reader got so riled up that she and her fiancée were contemplating leaving the country! A more rational response is presented for your consideration:



DAISY CAT, Newark, DE writes:



My stupid owner received a solicitation from a group named AAAS (Advancing Science. Serving Society), which alluded to several published reports stating the United States ranked 25th in math and 21st in science out of 30 industrialized nations. Clearly, the nation is declining at a cancerous rate. What we need are less Americans wasting their time on social network sites and writing blogs and more Americans studying real disciplines, as you pointed out. Cats are so much smarter than humans. I'll bet my stupid owner sent some money to this group- he is such a suckerfish.



Dear Daisy Cat:




Of course, the statistic you referenced would have fit quite snugly into that blog. That said, did you know that American domesticated cats only ranked 14th out of 30 industrialized nations based upon the criteria of self-reliance, intelligence, and alertness?



My various blogs on 60's music apparently inspired this letter.



MIKE HAWKE, Lawton, OK:



I read in all of your profiles that you are a Monkees fan. What are some of the lesser-known Monkees songs that you like?




Dear Mike Hawke:




Oh, my goodness, I could write an entire blog on Monkees music! In fact, I probably will. As a sampler, here are some classic Monkees songs that the casual fan will not know: "Someday Man," the B-side to "Listen to the Band," one of Davy's strongest vocals; "Good Clean Fun," Nesmith's final great Monkees tune, and a personal favorite of the aforementioned Mr. Odbody; "Love to Love"- first released on the invaluable Rhino 1982 compilation Monkee Business, the song has since been released as "remastered" on many collections since, but the version released in 1982 is the best. “What Am I Doin’ Hangin’ ‘Round?”, perhaps Nesmith’s finest hour as a Monkee, and “Love Is Only Sleeping”, both on their fourth album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, and Jones, Ltd, are fantastic songs.



My travelogue blogs tend to get the most positive reactions. Here is an out-of-the blue, dissenting opinion:



I am annoyed by the arrogant tone of your Maine 2010 blog, especially the section where you say the following: “One discussion revolved around someone (not me!) who said that people in Maine do not know what the “real world” is like, a very arrogant opinion, to say the least. Pete (my cousin-editor’s note) agrees with my assertion that the “real world” is not so much where you live, but whether you can survive on your own.” You sound just like those conservative jerks on radio who tell every poor person that we can get out of poverty by just pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps and be self-reliant and get a job. What you and those jerks don’t get is that not everybody can just go out and do that. What about the single mother who cannot hold down a full-time job because one of their kids is constantly sick, or has to stay at home because their youngest child has school off on days when his siblings have school? What do you propose that mother do? It’s not easy for everyone just to go out and get a job.

And how dare you flaunt your vacation to those who cannot afford to go on those jaunts? That trip must have cost a fortune on food and gas alone! How thoughtless! 90% of the people in the real world do not worry only about planning trips, or on what overpriced food to buy at a health food store. Those people in the real world worry about surviving, not about what you occupy your mind with.

Off the Bandwagon, MacArthur, TX

Dear Off the Bandwagon:


I must apologize for the very poor wording of this anecdote, but am still surprised that you attributed conservative leanings to me in this arena of thought, given the slant of some of my blogs. The original context of the discussion was someone stating that, in essence, location alone determines who lives and does not live in the so-called Real World. My attitude then, as it is now, is that you do not reside in the Real World until you try (my italics) to survive on your own. Whether you succeed in this effort is, of course, subjective, but the struggle itself makes one discover what life is all about. However, just as location should not determine whether you reside in the Real World, so, too, how easy or difficult it is making it on your own should also not determine this. I mean, should people purposely live from paycheck-to-paycheck if they do not have to or purposely deprive themselves of the fruits of hard work and making responsible choices in life just to live in the real world? I think not. Also, isn’t a primary concept of being a good parent (and I’m assuming by your letter that you are a parent) is to want your kids to have a better life than yourself? The people I admire most in this regard are those who try to make it on their own without using people by lying or stealing.

With regards to “flaunting my vacation,” travelogues have been a regular feature on my MySpace profile for several years, and people belonging to all social strata have responded favorably to them. No flaunting intended. BTW, the trip was fairly low-budget. It’s not as if I went on an expensive trip to Hawaii or something. Smile.


The negative reactions do not end. Here’s reader Jenny Till, from Lawton, OK:

Your blogs have gotten very lazy, and they are on the same ponderous topics. You write about wrestling, music, and wrestling and music again. One blog even “featured” you copying and pasting something you had written five years ago. The one time you write about something even marginally interesting, such as your Invoking Hitler blog, you shy away from real analysis and, instead, make it into a comedy bit (although I appreciate the irony of a blog titled Invoking Hitler having comedy). Your travelogues are WAY too long. You should write something with substance. You do have some talent. USE IT!!!!!