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mencken's chrestomathy The Actor’s Studio guy - James Lipton, host of Bravo’s Inside the Actor’s Studio, is the son of Lawrence Lipton, author of Holy Barbarians. (Ep. 14) Adrian Zmed - Star of TJ Hooker and the host of Dance Fever. (Ep. 13) Amazing Kreskin - Television magician and mentalist. (Ep. 8) Andy Griffith - Title character in the The Andy Griffith Show, a TV series set in the provincial town of Mayberry. (Ep. 6) Annie Oakley - An Old West markswoman who gained notoriety with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. (Ep. 2) Art of War - Book by Sun Tzu, whose military strategy and tactics have been adopted for use in the world of business, sports, and politics. (Ep. 10) Audrey Hepburn - Actress who appeared in Roman Holiday and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. (Ep. 21) The Banger Sisters - 2002 film starring Susan Sarandon and Goldie Hawn as middle-aged former rock groupies. (Ep. 9) Billy Carter - Controversial outspoken younger brother of former President Jimmy Carter. (Ep. 16) Biosphere - Glass enclosed complex designed to simulate the Earth’s environment. (Ep. 18) Blue Crush - 2002 film about female surfers, starring Kate Bosworth. (Ep. 5) Blue Velvet - David Lynch film heralded for its unflinching weirdness. (Ep. 7) Bobby Brady - Character played by Mike Lookinland in The Brady Bunch. (Ep. 7) Bohemian Rhapsody - Operatic rock song by Queen. (Ep. 4) Boo Radley - Strange, lurking loner character from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. (Ep. 6) Boxing Helena - 1993 film directed by David Lynch’s daughter, about a surgeon who cuts off a former girlfriend’s arms and legs and imprisons her in his home. (Ep. 7) Brat Pack - Group of young actors in the eighties, including Rob Lowe, Ally Sheedy, and Emilio Estevez. (Ep. 3) Brazil - Futuristic film directed and co-written by Monty Python member Terry Gilliam. (Ep. 18) Bunny Ranch - A legal brothel in Nevada. (Ep. 14) Amy: “I proudly wear their ‘I feel whore-a ble’ tee-shirt to every family establishment I can find.” Charo - Latin American singer/dancer/actress and recent cast member of VH1’s reality series The Surreal Life. (Ep. 13) Cheech and Chong - Comedy team of Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong. (Ep. 10) Cinemax at Night - Subscription cable channel known for broadcasting racier fare. (Ep. 19) Columbo - Slovenly detective played by Peter Falk on the series of the same name. (Ep. 14) “Come back, Shane”- Little boy’s plea in the 1950’s western Shane. (Ep. 2) Connie Chung - TV personality known for her softball interviews, was once Dan Rather’s co-anchor on the CBS Evening News, and is married to Maury Povich. (Ep. 1) “Cousins, identical cousins...” - The theme song to The Patty Duke Show. (Ep. 6) Daisy Buchanan - Object of Jay Gatsby’s affection. (Ep. 11) Daniel Day Lewis cobbling shoes - Daniel Day Lewis had quit acting to become a cobbler before appearing in Gangs of New York. (Ep. 16) Danny Gans - Comedian, impressionist, and entertainment staple in Las Vegas. (Ep. 3) Dead Kennedys - San Francisco punk band formed in 1978 known for their political beliefs mixed with humor. (Ep. 3) Deenie - Judy Blume novel about a young girl diagnosed with scoliosis. (Ep. 6) Amy: “Judy Blume was my Tolstoy. ‘Deenie’ was my ‘Anna Karenina.’ And ‘Forever’ was the first pseudo dirty book I ever read.” Dick Van Dyke - Actor of stage, film and TV, his credits include Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Dick Van Dyke Show and Diagnosis Murder. (Ep. 18) Dogtown - Skateboarders’ nickname for the rough neighborhood of Venice Beach, California. (Ep. 3) Don Ho - Hawaiian performer known for the song Tiny Bubbles. (Ep. 13) The Donner Party - Group of settlers who were trapped in a blizzard in the Sierra Nevada mountains and resorted to cannibalism to survive. (Ep. 8) Duane from Annie Hall - Christopher Walken plays Duane, a strange man who confides in Woody Allen his desire to drive into oncoming traffic. (Ep. 6) Ed McMahon - Television personality known from The Tonight Show, Star Search, and Alpo commercials. (Ep. 22) Edgar Degas - 19th century French painter and sculptor. (Ep. 2) Elaine Stritch - Broadway actress who won a Tony in 2002 for her one-woman show, Elaine Stritch at Liberty. (Ep. 14) The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test - Book by Tom Wolfe about the psychedelic adventures of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters. (Ep. 6) Encyclopedia Brown - Boy detective of juvenile literature who solves cases in the town of Idaville. (Ep. 14) Epilady - Grooming device for women that rips hair out by the roots. (Ep. 13) Evening at the Improv - Television program featuring stand-up comedians. (Ep. 4) Farrelly Brothers - Directors of gross-out comedies There’s Something About Mary and Kingpin. (Ep. 20) Felicity - Television drama series about a plucky young girl of the same name and her adventures as she attends college at a fictional university in New York City. (Ep. 21) Footloose - 1984 film starring Kevin Bacon in a town without dancing. (Ep. 20) For Keeps - In this 1988 film, Molly Ringwald faced the trouble of teenage pregnancy. (Ep. 6) Frank at the Sands - Frank Sinatra released a record of a 1966 concert at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, backed up by Quincy Jones and Count Basie. (Ep. 9) French Skating Judges - At the 2002 Winter Olympics, a French judge was accused of misconduct over a decision in the Pairs ice skating competition. (Ep. 2) Amy:“The next best thing to Tonya Harding.” George Michael - Pop star arrested for engaging in a lewd act in a Beverly Hills, CA public restroom. (Ep. 8) Gidget and Moondoggie - In a series of popular films, Gidget was a girl surfer who dated beach bum Moondoggie. (Ep. 10) Ginger Rogers - Actress and dancer known for her musicals with Fred Astaire. (Ep. 21) The Glad Man - Glad garbage bags commercial, featured a man known as “The Glad Man.” (Ep. 9) Gloria Estefan - Pop singer and former lead singer for The Miami Sound Machine. (Ep. 8) Gore Vidal - Novelist and essayist who, at the time, lived in Italy. (Ep. 21) Graydon Carter - Editor of Vanity Fair. (Ep. 13) The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel about Jay Gatsby, who throws glamorous parties while pining for a married woman. (Ep. 11) Haight-Ashbury - Intersection in San Francisco that became a gathering place for the growing mid-sixties youth culture. (Ep. 6) Hank Williams - Influential country singer known for writing songs about his troubled life. (Ep. 17) Harry Thomason - Hollywood producer and close friend of Bill Clinton. (Ep. 1) Heather Mills -Wife of Paul McCartney, and an amputee,Mills is known for her charity work involving supplying prosthetics to the needy. (Ep. 8) Hee-Haw Honeys- Spin-off of the country music comedy show Hee Haw, Honeys was set in a truckstop and starred Kathie Lee Johnson (aka Kathie Lee Gifford). (Ep. 3) Helmut Newton - German fashion photographer known for his work in Vogue magazine. (Ep. 2) Hirschfeld - Famed cartoonist who would hide the name of his daughter, Nina, in his black & white drawings. (Ep. 16) Holmes and Yo-Yo - 1976 television series about a cop and his robot partner. (Ep. 3) Holy Barbarians - Book by Lawrence Lipton about the Beatnik culture of Venice Beach in the fifties. (Ep. 14) Howard Roark - The unflinchingly ambitious, brilliant architect is a lead character in Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead. (Ep. 7) Howard Stern - Sherry: “Maureen told me that Howard Stern said he heard if you squat it makes the baby come out faster.” Lorelai: “Okay. As long as you have a sane reason from a reliable source.” Radio “shock jock” who co-starred in Private Parts with Kelly Bishop. (Ep. 13) Daniel: “Howard Stern really did give this advice on his radio show, then later played the clip from our show of us referencing him on his show. I believe the whole exchange tore a hole in the space/time continuum." Into the Woods - Stephen Sondheim musical based on the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. Adam Wylie, who plays Chilton student Brad Langford, starred in the 2002 Broadway revival. (Ep. 16) Ish Kabibble - Nickname of trumpeter Merwyn Bogue who played with big band leader Kay Kyser. (Ep. 3) Jan & Dean - 1960’s surf rock duo known for the songs Little Old Lady From Pasadena and Dead Man’s Curve. (Ep. 6) Jayne Mansfield - Blonde bombshell actress of the fifties/sixties who died in a car crash. (Ep. 12) Jerome Robbins - Broadway choreographer of West Side Story, The King and I, and Fiddler on the Roof. (Ep. 16) Jimmy Stewart - Star of the films Vertigo and The Philadelphia Story. (Ep. 21) John Entwistle - The Who’s bass player from its founding until his death in 2002. (Ep. 19) John Williams - Composer of film scores, including Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. (Ep. 11) Johnny Bravo - Animated series on the Cartoon Network about a blonde pompadoured tough guy. (Ep. 3) Johnny Depp - Edward Scissorhands actor who lives in France. (Ep. 21) Jonas Salk - Medical Scientist who invented the Polio vaccine in the 50s, first testing it on himself, his wife and his three sons. (Ep. 14) Judy and Vincente - Actress Judy Garland married her Meet Me In St. Louis director Vincente Minnelli. Their six-year marriage produced daughter Liza Minnelli. (Ep. 1) Kenny G - Successful saxophonist who is known for his smooth jazz albums. (Ep. 19) Kierkegaard - 19th century Danish existential philosopher. (Ep. 8) Korn - Nineties nü metal band known for the songs Freak on a Leash and Got the Life. (Ep. 10) Laura Mercier - Line of cosmetics launched in 1996, designed by makeup artist Laura Mercier. (Ep. 13) Lawrence Welk - Big Band leader, hosted an easy-listening variety show on television beginning in the fifties, which is still running in repeats on public television. (Ep. 4) Daniel: “Whenever Amy and I stumble upon Th e Welk Show, we are compelled to watch: the old people, the disturbing accent, the muted trumpets...mesmerizing.“ Lazar Wolf - Wealthy butcher in Fiddler on the Roof who wanted to marry Tevye’s daughter. (Ep. 3) Leif Garrett - Actor and singer who had a huge female teenage following in the 70s. (Ep. 19) Leopold & Loeb - Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, two well-educated 19-year-olds from upper-class Chicago families, caused a scandal when they were tried and convicted of the 1924 murder of Bobby Franks. (Ep. 1) Lord of the Rings DVD - Each film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy has been released in a two-disc version, and an extended four-disc version filled with extra behind-the-scenes features. (Ep. 14) Amy: “The reason I went to see ‘Hidalgo.’ Peter Jackson owes me seven bucks.“ Louis Armstrong - Innovator of American Jazz, known for his gravelly singing voice. (Ep. 4) Love Story - 1970 tearjerker starring Ryan O’Neal and Ali MacGraw. McGraw’s character dies at the end. (Ep. 8) Lyndon Johnson with the Senate - Former President of the United States and Senator known for his powers of persuasion. (Ep. 14) Marathon Man - 1976 film starring Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier. Olivier plays a Nazi dentist who performs excruciating dental torture. (Ep. 5) Margaret Thatcher - Britain’s Conservative Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990. (Ep. 2) Mark Twain’s House - Beloved house of the beloved author, it is currently open to the public. (Ep. 15) Daniel: “It was while driving to visit Twain’s house in Connecticut that we discovered the location for the show.“ Marlo Thomas - Actress known from the television series That Girl. (Ep. 10) Marshall Stacks - Pete Townshend’s desire to have the loudest amplifiers is credited with inspiring Jim Marshall to build the first 100-watt amplifiers, known as the Marshall Stack. (Ep. 14) Martha Graham - American dancer and choreographer who is widely regarded as an innovator of modern dance. (Ep. 7) Mary Martin - Broadway performer and star of South Pacific and Peter Pan, she is also the mother of actor Larry Hagman. (Ep. 16) Meyer Lansky - Lansky was a mobster who was instrumental in the rise to power of mobsters like Lucky Luciano and Bugsy Siegel. (Ep. 2) Michael Moore’s speech - At the 2003 Oscars, Moore, upon receiving the Oscar for Best Documentary Film, caused controversy by protesting the Bush administration’s invasion of Iraq in his acceptance speech. (Ep. 21) Michelle Kwan - Olympic figure skater who won Silver and Bronze medals, but never a Gold medal. (Ep. 9) Milli Vanilli - Pop duo who created a huge scandal when it was discovered that they did not really sing on their own recordings. (Ep. 19) Minnie Pearl - Hee Haw comedienne known for her trademark hat and country jokes. (Ep. 10) Molière - 17th century French playwright and satirist, known for his farcical story twists and turns. (Ep. 15) Mr. Christian- Fletcher Christian was the sailor who took control of the ship the HMS Bounty in 1789, as documented in the 1932 book Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall. (Ep. 11) Natalie Wood - Actress in West Side Story and Rebel Without a Cause. (Ep. 21) Nathan Lane - Star of the Broadway production of The Producers. (Ep. 16) Nell - 1994 film in which Jodie Foster plays a woman living in the woods who speaks her own made-up language. (Ep. 1) Neville Chamberlain - Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1937 to 1940, he is associated with the policy of appeasement toward Nazi Germany that resulted in the 1938 Munich Agreement. (Ep. 19) Nicholas Nickleby - Charles Dickens’ sixty-five chapter novel about a young man who has to support his family. It was also adapted as a nine-hour stage play. (Ep. 17) Noam Chomsky - MIT linguist known internationally for his bold analysis of politics and the media. (Ep. 2) Daniel: “Noam Chomsky, brilliant gadfly anarchist, was close friends all his life with Noam Pitlik, a sitcom director I’ve worked with.That always amused me...If no one else.“ Norma Desmond - Movie star who lived a life of opulence, as played by Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard. (Ep. 14) Norton Critical Edition - Publisher W.W. Norton & Company has released a series of great books with comprehensive supplementary material. (Ep. 5) Olivia deHavilland - Actress in Gone with the Wind. (Ep. 21) Oompa Loompas - Factory workers for Willy Wonka in his Chocolate Factory. (Ep. 18) “Oprah, Uma” - Hosting the Academy Awards, David Letterman made a joke about introducing talk show host Oprah Winfrey to actress Uma Thurman. “Oprah, Uma. Uma, Oprah.” (Ep. 6) Oscar Wilde - Flamboyant Irish author whose final words are said to be, “Either that wallpaper goes or I do.” (Ep. 1) Othello - Shakespearean tragedy about a nobleman driven to kill his wife after he believes she’s been unfaithful. (Ep. 15) Pamela Des Barres - Author and rock groupie known for having relationships with Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, and Jim Morrison. (Ep. 12) Peaches & Herb - Husband and wife R&B duo known for the song Reunited. (Ep. 1) Pete Best- Original drummer of The Beatles who was replaced by Ringo Starr a few weeks before they recorded their debut single. (Ep. 4) Petey the dog - Dog from The Little Rascals, who sported a distinctive black circle around his eye. (Ep. 14) Phil Spector - Influential music producer who changed pop music history when he created a new style of production known as the “Wall of Sound.” In 2003, he was charged with the murder of actress Lana Clarkson. (Ep. 17) Polonius- Character in Shakespeare’s Hamlet who offered these words of wisdom to his son: “Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loseth both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.” (Ep. 18) Quasimodo - Titular hunchback in Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame. (Ep. 9) Quincy - 1976 television series starring Jack Klugman as a coroner who investigates murders. (Eps. 6 and 13) The rabbit in Monty Python - In Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the most foul, cruel, bad-tempered rabbit with a vicious streak a mile wide was the protector of the grail. (Ep. 14) Rain Man - 1988 Barry Levinson film starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. Hoffman plays a savant in this film, capable of remembering obscure details. (Ep. 10) Rand McNally - Publisher of road maps, atlases, and travel planning software. (Ep. 6) Reader’s Digest - Popular magazine known for its abridged version of articles and stories. (Ep. 2) “Ride with Clemenza” - Reference to the character Clemenza in The Godfather. Clemenza takes another character for a ride. Only Clemenza returns. (Ep. 2) Rosa Parks - Alabama seamstress who became a civil rights figure for refusing to give her seat on a bus to a white man. (Ep. 6) Sabrina - 1954 Billy Wilder film starring Audrey Hepburn, William Holden, and Humphrey Bogart. (Ep. 21) Sanford and Son- Television series starring Redd Foxx as a junkyard dealer. (Ep. 12) Sara Moulton - Executive chef of Gourmet magazine and host of Sara’s Secrets on the Food Network. (Ep. 13) Sardi’s - Restaurant in the heart of New York’s theater district where actors and actresses would go after performances, often to await their newspaper reviews. (Ep. 4) Señor Wences - Ventriloquist born Wenceslao Moreno, known for his character “Johnny,” who was a face drawn on his hand. (Ep. 7) Shamu - Killer whale mascot of the Sea World theme parks. (Ep. 5) Shari Lewis - Star and creator of The Shari Lewis Show, best known for creating the character Lamb Chop, a sock puppet. (Ep. 17) Shields and Yarnell - Pair of mimes who began as performers on the streets of San Francisco and became known for appearances on seventies variety shows. (Ep. 11) Simone De Beauvoir - French feminist philosopher and author of The Second Sex. (Ep. 22) Solomon - In the Bible, Solomon was known for his great judicial wisdom, and his “baby-splitting” suggestion. (Ep. 5) Spicoli - Surfer dude character played by Sean Penn in the 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. (Ep. 7) “Stella!” - Name famously yelled out by Marlon Brandon in A Streetcar Named Desire. (Ep. 17) Sundance - Film festival founded by Robert Redford and held annually in Park City, Utah. (Ep. 12) Sunny von Bülow played by Glenn Close - Sunny von Bülow was a socialite who slipped into a coma, which was blamed on an insulin injection from husband Claus von Bülow. She was portrayed by Glenn Close in the 1990 film Reversal of Fortune. (Ep. 1) Susan Faludi - Feminist author who has explored feminism and gender roles in her books Backlash and Stiffed. (Ep. 15) Tasmanian Devil - Character from the Looney Tunes cartoons. (Ep. 16) Tattoo - Character played by diminutive actor Herve Villechaize in the television series Fantasy Island. (Ep. 10) Ted Bundy - Serial killer who was known to be handsome and charming. (Ep. 7) Ted Williams - Legendary Boston Red Sox baseball player who, upon his death in 2002, was cryogenically frozen by his son. (Ep. 3) “That’ll do, pig” - In the 1995 talking pig film Babe, Farmer Hoggett speaks this line to the titular pig. (Ep. 10) Amy:“What I want on my tombstone.” Thunderdome - Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome was a 1985 film starring Mel Gibson and Tina Turner in a post-apocalyptic future. (Ep. 9) Timex - Makers of watches and other timepieces since the 1850s. (Ep. 12) Tina Louise - Actress known for playing Ginger, “the movie star,” on Gilligan’s Island. (Ep. 10) Tiny Tim - Crippled son of Bob Cratchitt in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. (Ep. 7) Tipper Gore -Wife of former Vice President Al Gore, formed Parents Music Resource Center to fight immorality in popular music. (Ep. 12) Titian - 16th century Renaissance painter. (Ep. 8) Tommy Tune - Unusually tall Broadway actor/dancer/singer/ choreographer who has been involved with The Will Rogers Follies, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and Grease. (Ep. 7) Tovah Borgnine -Wife of actor Ernest Borgnine. (Ep. 21) Urkel - Jaleel White played the nerdy teenage neighbor Steve Urkel on the television series Family Matters. (Ep. 3) Vince Foster - Assistant D.A. in the Clinton Administration who died of a gunshot wound in 1993. His death was ruled a suicide, although conspiracy theorists believed that there were more sinister forces at play. (Ep. 2) Walter Cronkite - Former host of the CBS evening news broadcast. (Ep. 21) Ward Cleaver, Eddie and Lumpy -Ward Cleaver was father to Wally and the Beav in the television series Leave it to Beaver. Eddie Haskell and Clarence “Lumpy” Rutherford were Wally and the Beav’s friends. (Ep. 4) Wes Craven - Director of films such as Scream, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and The People Under the Stairs. (Ep. 9) Wild & Crazy Guys - Steve Martin and Dan Ackroyd played Jorge and Yortuk Festrunk, Saturday Night Live’s “swinging” Czech brothers whose catchphrase was “We are two wild and crazy guys.” (Ep. 5) Williams Sisters - Venus and Serena Williams, sisters, are both champion tennis players. (Ep. 1) Woodward & Bernstein - Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein: Washington Post reporters who broke the Watergate scandal. (Ep. 1) Xanadu - 1980 rollerdisco film starring Olivia Newton John and Gene Kelly. (Ep. 11) Z-Boys - Nickname for the Zephyr Team of skateboarders, as featured in the documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys. (Ep. 3) main [x] |
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