Ba da da da da da da, Feelin'-Not-So-Groovy

With apologies to Simon & Garfunkel, and their classic The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)...

One of the main reasons I'm feeling a bit annoyed today is that I stayed up later than usual to watch the newly-Netflix'd Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic. Usually my wife plugs in the Netflix choices, but I added this one myself. For me, 'cause I really like Sarah Silverman. From her under-used days at SNL to work she has done on Comedy Central (didya see the Pamela Sue Anderson Roast?), she is consistently funny, edgy and smart.

Uh...Except in this flick.

Sure, part of her charm is that she is vulgar. I even like vulgar. I prefer it in a comic, in fact. As long as it has meaning. Jon Steward using crass language and visuals to drive home a satirical point is brilliant; but Andrew Dice Clay using profanity to get a reactionary laugh from the audience? Not so much. And in Jesus Is Magic, Silverman is more Andrew Dice Clay than she is Jon Stewart, Lenny Bruce or George Carlin.

After each joke, I waited for the common theme that would tie the jokes about race, ethnicity, disability and age together into a point or message. That theme was never delivered, at least that I could hear. So, that left me with the conclusion she used those topics for shock value alone, which I just don't find that funny. The live audience for which she was performing seemed uncomfortable, too. It's laughter was uneven, and sometimes uncomfortable. That may also be due to her uneven delivery, and the (seemingly) random manner in which she delivered material.

Too bad. I was expecting better.


Another reason for my less-than-groovy vibe is that I read that retired NBA player Rick Fox is gonna have a recurring role in the new FX series, Dirt. The USA Today article mentions Fox has appeared in several movies and TV shows, including: Oz, Holes, Eddie, He Got Game, The Collectors, and most recently Minnie's First Time.
Sure, he spent 12 years in the NBA. But as a former Laker fan, I wish he had worked on his game with as much enthusiasm as he seemed to work on his image and the acting gigs.



Finally, I'm a bit down over the death of one of my favorite character actors, Bruno Kirby. Kirby died Monday in Los Angeles from complications related to leukemia, with which he had recently been diagnosed.

Kirby may be best known for his work in the very funny movie City Slickers, and the very good film When Harry Met Sally. But, he worked pretty steadily in his thirty-plus years in the industry. Roles were varied, and included everything from This Is Spinal Tap to It's Gary Shandling's Show to the HBO series Entourage. Check out his body of work here.