1 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:05,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, a production of 2 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:11,200 Speaker 1: My Heart Radio. Hey, welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind. 3 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:14,520 Speaker 1: Listener mail on. My name is Robert Lamb and I'm 4 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:17,479 Speaker 1: Joe McCormick. And bells are ringing, but they are the 5 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,320 Speaker 1: bells of doom. Because today we're going to start off 6 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:24,760 Speaker 1: with some responses to our rerun of the Crampus episode 7 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: from a few years ago. Are you ready to jump in, Rob, Yeah, 8 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 1: let's do it, okay. So this message comes to us 9 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 1: from Colleen. Colleen says, hi, I listened to your episode 10 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:42,960 Speaker 1: about Crampus the other day and since then have seen 11 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: several posts about it slash hymn slash her on Facebook. 12 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: Unfortunately I missed the event. But here's a story from 13 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: NOLA dot com. So I guess Colleen must be must 14 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 1: live somewhere around the New Orleans area. And uh. She 15 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 1: attached a link to a NOLA dot com article told 16 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: by Doug mccash from December six that I looked up 17 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 1: and was pretty great. So, so I want to read 18 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:09,040 Speaker 1: some parts from this article. You ready, Rob, Yeah, let's 19 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:13,399 Speaker 1: do it okay. So uh, the article begins. A reverse 20 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: parade took place in Gentilly on Saturday night. Instead of 21 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 1: costumed marchers passing a curbside crowd, eight performers covorted on 22 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:25,319 Speaker 1: the side of the long curving driveway at the New 23 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 1: Orleans Recreation Development Commission headquarters on Franklin Avenue while a 24 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:33,680 Speaker 1: steady stream of four hundred cars rolled slowly past. It 25 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:36,560 Speaker 1: was a Christmas time event with a twist because the 26 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: star of the show wasn't Santa, it was Crampus. So 27 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:44,119 Speaker 1: apparently New Orleans has been having Crampus events since maybe 28 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: ten or so. Yeah, this was something we talked about 29 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:50,280 Speaker 1: in the Crampus episode. We talked about sort of the 30 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: Crampus revival that has been sweeping the world and uh 31 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 1: And in particular, I think at the time I this 32 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: was in I had just come back from New Orleans 33 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: because up until for several years there it was my 34 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 1: family's tradition to go down and visit some family in 35 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:11,919 Speaker 1: southern Mississippi and then go over to New Orleans for 36 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: a couple of days, you know, go to uh beach Bumberri's, 37 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 1: get a get a tiki drink, etcetera. And at the 38 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:20,919 Speaker 1: time I remember seeing like, oh, there's gonna be a 39 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 1: Crampus parade oh, and it either begins or ends. I 40 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,200 Speaker 1: forget which at this this German restaurant that looked pretty interesting, 41 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 1: and so I was talking about that in our Crampus episode. 42 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 1: A German restaurant in New Orleans. Well, yeah, no, okay, 43 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,280 Speaker 1: I can see it. I mean New Orleans has amazing restaurants. 44 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: New Orleans is if wherever back in the Traveling Times, 45 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: New Orleans is such an amazing city to visit. It's 46 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: like it's got to be like the most unique city 47 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 1: in the world, right, I mean it's just like, yeah, yeah, 48 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 1: there's there are a few places like it for sure, 49 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 1: especially in the United States. I mean it is New 50 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 1: Orleans is New Orleans. Yeah, But so anyway, going on. Uh. 51 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:01,840 Speaker 1: The annual crew of Rampus Foot Parade couldn't take to 52 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: the streets as usual this year because of coronavirus concerns, 53 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 1: but founder Mike as Sordi, a director of web strategy 54 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 1: for the University of New Orleans, and fellow crew members 55 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 1: figured out how to conduct a COVID conscious alternative. The 56 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: Crampus Drive through Parade blended elements of the Yule Tide 57 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 1: season with Halloween and Mardi Gras. The experience for passing viewers. 58 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 1: Began with rows of dancers from the well known pussy 59 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:31,680 Speaker 1: Footer's Carnival Troupe and a cluster of led lit drummers. 60 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 1: Then came a lavishly costumed st Nick surrounded by members 61 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: of the Crescent City Faye Marching Club, followed by strange 62 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: snowy witches known as the Silent Sisters of s. After 63 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: that appeared one incarnation of Crampus after another, with glowing 64 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 1: red eyes, unkempt coats of fur, serpentine tongues, and malevolent intentions. 65 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: The Christmas Tree decorated with human skull, the Bad Child, 66 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 1: the Bad Child pleading to be freed, and the eerie 67 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 1: shadow puppet show. We're all uh nice touches. I liked 68 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 1: the momentum, said automobile born audience member Gina Murphy. At 69 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 1: first you said, oh, this is going to be fun 70 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 1: and light, but then it got heavy quick uh And 71 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:23,280 Speaker 1: then later in the article, UH. Car passenger Carly Frankitch 72 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:27,799 Speaker 1: said her favorite part of the presentation were the weird fairies. Sure, 73 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 1: she said, they were taking souls, but they looked pretty 74 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 1: well they were doing it. Frankitch's young son, Miro coats 75 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: safe in his car seat, said that the ride had 76 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 1: provided a mixture of fun and fright. This is awesome. 77 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 1: I really have to salute the Crampus crew based on this, 78 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 1: because I have to say it's as it was, suddenly 79 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: cramps knocked here in. I was initially was like, oh great, 80 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 1: it's Crampas time again. And I was like, oh wait, 81 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 1: I hope I hope that the Crampuses of the world 82 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:00,720 Speaker 1: can handle it, because sometimes, as we discussed in that episode, 83 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:03,960 Speaker 1: Crampus traditions can get a little out of hand. They 84 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 1: can they can create the sort of like animalistic, lawless 85 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 1: uh sort of atmosphere that might encourage rule breaking, and 86 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 1: I really didn't want that for the cramps um Uh 87 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 1: devotes this year. So it's nice to see that the 88 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:22,920 Speaker 1: Crampus crew was keeping it safe but also keeping it 89 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:26,720 Speaker 1: authentically disturbingly weird. You know. I gotta say, normally I'm 90 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 1: kind of a fan of rule breaking, but I guess 91 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 1: not when it's public health rules. Yeah, and you and 92 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:34,039 Speaker 1: with the and also you know that big tongue and 93 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:37,240 Speaker 1: you know, a wide mouth. You know, Crampus needs to 94 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:39,040 Speaker 1: to mask up if he's actually going to go out 95 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 1: among the people. So it's good that there's a car 96 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 1: window between what he's doing and what we're doing. I mean, 97 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 1: Crampus is inherently unsanitary, like can you imagine Crampus wearing 98 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 1: a mask, keeping his distance, wiping down the basket between 99 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 1: each child. Yeah, spraying the this is the switches and whatnot? 100 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:06,839 Speaker 1: All right? Should we go into this message from Chris. Yeah, 101 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: this is Chris Chris Wrightson and says, high fellows, just 102 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 1: listen to your great Crampus episode. Here's the topic you 103 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:15,279 Speaker 1: may find interesting in the future. Many cultures have a 104 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:18,279 Speaker 1: creature like Crampus or St. Nicholas that visits every house 105 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:21,839 Speaker 1: at the end of the year with different purposes. Gumang 106 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:29,039 Speaker 1: from China, uh, Sylvester Clause from Switzerland, Olga Namahanga from Japan. 107 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 1: Japan has many different haga. I said, Hey, I'm not 108 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: sure if it's hajor hag a um but anyway, but 109 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:40,120 Speaker 1: all with the same purpose. And Kukiri from Bulgaria. Just 110 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 1: a thought, take care and keep up the great work, Chris. 111 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:46,279 Speaker 1: I wanted to include this email because I had to 112 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 1: look up images of what Sylvester Klaus looks like, and 113 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 1: Sylvester Claus is scarier than any crampus at least the 114 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:57,120 Speaker 1: versions I found are a guy with some buckles almost 115 00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 1: like uh like a like a a slip knot member 116 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:04,240 Speaker 1: number of buckles on his costume, and then foliage all 117 00:07:04,279 --> 00:07:06,279 Speaker 1: over his body, on the top of his head like 118 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: a big wreath of some kind of evergreen limbs. But 119 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 1: then just the face of rattle shirt, just bone bone 120 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 1: lord face with weird bone teeth and googly eyes. Yeah, 121 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 1: I get it's kind of a sense of a pagan 122 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: holiday gar cost him from the Yeah, you know. Our 123 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 1: next listener mail that our our mail body here has 124 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:36,920 Speaker 1: for us also happens to relate to a forest dwelling 125 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:42,120 Speaker 1: be steel creature. Very nice transition. So this is a 126 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:44,440 Speaker 1: straggler message that we found. I think this actually did 127 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: come in back in October, but this is about our 128 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 1: Halloween episode on The Leshy and it comes from Laura. 129 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 1: Laura says, hey, guys, longtime fan of your show. I 130 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 1: recently listened to The Leshy and I'm taking you up 131 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: on your offer to share my own, luckily brief experience 132 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:04,000 Speaker 1: of being lost in the woods. It was during a 133 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 1: solo through hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. I was 134 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 1: halfway through Oregon, when a handwritten sign on the trail 135 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:13,640 Speaker 1: notified me of a ground nest of wasps up ahead, 136 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:16,800 Speaker 1: so I scrambled up the steep mountain side about ten 137 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 1: meters off the densely wooded trail to avoid it. Because 138 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:23,880 Speaker 1: of the steepness and thick vegetation, I immediately lost sight 139 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:26,680 Speaker 1: of the trail only a few paces into the woods. 140 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 1: Not wanting to get stung, I kept moving off a 141 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 1: little ways until I felt safe from the hornets and 142 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:35,840 Speaker 1: started to parallel the trail. What I didn't realize was 143 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 1: that at some point it switched back beneath me and 144 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 1: went downhill in the opposite direction that I was traveling. 145 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 1: It was only after bushwhacking for five minutes that I 146 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:48,679 Speaker 1: realized I had missed the trail. Even though I had 147 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 1: a sense of where I was on the slope by 148 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 1: referencing my map, I could not find the trail. Given 149 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:57,120 Speaker 1: the rolling and forested nature of the mountain side. I 150 00:08:57,200 --> 00:08:59,920 Speaker 1: knew that it would be difficult to know where even 151 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:03,040 Speaker 1: my relative position was if I kept moving, and it 152 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:06,319 Speaker 1: would be easy to follow the wrong drainage that would 153 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:09,559 Speaker 1: take me deeper into the back country. So I think 154 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:11,280 Speaker 1: the idea there is if you just try to like 155 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 1: follow a ditch or a stream or something downhill, it 156 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:16,160 Speaker 1: might be leading you down the wrong side of the mountain. 157 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 1: I guess Laura goes on. Once I realized I was lost, 158 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:22,960 Speaker 1: I had a wave of panic hit me that had 159 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 1: my legs twitching to run as fast as I could, 160 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 1: so I tried to calm down and listen for other 161 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 1: hikers that might be in the area. Within minutes, I 162 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:33,680 Speaker 1: realized that I could convince myself that I heard faint 163 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:37,719 Speaker 1: voices in every direction. I think my brain was so 164 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:40,120 Speaker 1: desperate for a human voice that it was trying hard 165 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:44,079 Speaker 1: to interpret the sounds of the forest as voices. At 166 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:46,320 Speaker 1: that point, my reason kicked in and I did an 167 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 1: inventory of my food and water. I had about two 168 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:51,440 Speaker 1: days worth, but could stretch it to a desperate week 169 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:54,320 Speaker 1: if I didn't move. Knowing that I was probably within 170 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:56,760 Speaker 1: earshot of the trail, I knew my best bet was 171 00:09:56,840 --> 00:09:59,040 Speaker 1: to stay as calm as I could where I was, 172 00:09:59,559 --> 00:10:02,200 Speaker 1: so me being a religious person, I got down on 173 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:04,800 Speaker 1: my knees and prayed as hard as I could for peace. 174 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 1: When I opened my eyes, I told myself that I 175 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: was going to only move a dozen feet downhill from 176 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:12,560 Speaker 1: where I was, so that I could try to find 177 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:15,200 Speaker 1: a flatter spot to set up camp, at which point 178 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 1: I was going to blow on my whistle and hope 179 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:19,440 Speaker 1: that someone would hear me before my food ran out. 180 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:22,160 Speaker 1: If I hadn't been found by then, I would activate 181 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 1: my personal locator beacon as a last resort. LO and behold, 182 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 1: only about three steps downhill had me back on the trail. 183 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:32,360 Speaker 1: I was truly terrified for the rest of the day. 184 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 1: From that point on, whenever I camped or napped off 185 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:37,960 Speaker 1: the trail, I kept one of my trekking poles pointed 186 00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 1: back towards it. In total, I was only lost for 187 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:42,880 Speaker 1: about an hour, and it was by the grace of 188 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:45,280 Speaker 1: God and dumb luck that I managed to cross the 189 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:48,680 Speaker 1: trail again. I had considered myself an experienced hiker up 190 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:51,160 Speaker 1: until that point, but since then I am humbled by 191 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:54,360 Speaker 1: my experience. Laura, excellent. I mean that lines up with 192 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:56,839 Speaker 1: a lot of what we were talking about, um and 193 00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 1: also getting into some of the sensory deprivation shoes that 194 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: we we didn't really dwell on. Yeah, it ends up 195 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 1: with a ton of the things like from some of 196 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:09,000 Speaker 1: those studies about how just people are have trouble anticipating 197 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:12,720 Speaker 1: how disorienting being lost in the woods can be. You 198 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: you think, not actually being in the situation, it would 199 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:17,280 Speaker 1: be easy. I just walked back the direction I came, 200 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:20,880 Speaker 1: you know, But but yeah, often doesn't work out that way. 201 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:23,880 Speaker 1: So glad you found your way back, Laura. Yeah. Oh, 202 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:26,439 Speaker 1: and uh, you know earlier we mentioned a straggler email. 203 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:29,600 Speaker 1: I do want to drive home never hesitated to send 204 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:31,600 Speaker 1: us a straggler email. If you listen to an old 205 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:33,880 Speaker 1: episode or you know, even if it's not one that's 206 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 1: been featured in the Vault, and you have something interesting 207 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:38,760 Speaker 1: to share, do reach out to us because, especially now 208 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:41,240 Speaker 1: that we're taking uh stuff to blew your mind listener 209 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:44,559 Speaker 1: mail more of a more of a weekly route, we'd 210 00:11:44,559 --> 00:11:46,680 Speaker 1: love to hear from everybody. We have more space now 211 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:50,920 Speaker 1: than ever before to share interesting listener mails with everybody totally. 212 00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:53,400 Speaker 1: And actually I think we were straggling on this one, 213 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 1: not not Laura. So I think this one came in 214 00:11:56,400 --> 00:11:59,240 Speaker 1: during October or something and we missed it until I 215 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:01,440 Speaker 1: went back and found that got you. Yeah, we we've 216 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 1: managed to trace our way back to the path. All right, Well, 217 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 1: so many of you know, we're also putting out these 218 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:16,560 Speaker 1: weird House Cinema episodes on Friday's. Uh it's you know, 219 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:19,559 Speaker 1: normally the show is science and culture, but they're on 220 00:12:19,559 --> 00:12:21,640 Speaker 1: on Friday evenings. I like to think of it as 221 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 1: a midnight Friday show and we talk about weird movies 222 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:26,400 Speaker 1: and maybe we talk a little bit about science and culture, 223 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:28,920 Speaker 1: but mostly it's about the film. So we've heard from 224 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:31,520 Speaker 1: people about these episodes, and most of it's been very positive. 225 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 1: Here's one that comes to us from Jesse. Okay, guys, 226 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:38,000 Speaker 1: you will have to first put up with some gushing. 227 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:39,959 Speaker 1: I cannot tell you how much I love you guys 228 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:42,640 Speaker 1: and your show. I recommend you at every opportunity. I 229 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:44,680 Speaker 1: work a lot in life, and for years now, you 230 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:47,480 Speaker 1: guys have turned what would otherwise be excruciating commutes to 231 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:51,280 Speaker 1: absolute pleasures. I have wanted to email you just just 232 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:54,320 Speaker 1: this for a long time, but I figure you get 233 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:56,320 Speaker 1: mail like this all the time, So finally I have 234 00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:58,959 Speaker 1: a real good reason to write in. I was about 235 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:01,400 Speaker 1: to start the dishes when I saw you were covering 236 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:04,240 Speaker 1: the Battle for Indoor and I almost dropped my phone. 237 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:06,320 Speaker 1: Such a random, crazy thing for you to cover, and 238 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:08,679 Speaker 1: it happens to be a super important movie to me. 239 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:11,160 Speaker 1: Like Robert was saying, I was one of those kids 240 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 1: who had it on a recorded VHS, one possible difference 241 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:17,160 Speaker 1: being that it was one of only maybe five or 242 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:20,200 Speaker 1: six VHS tapes that I had, one of them being 243 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:22,760 Speaker 1: Caravan of Courage. I was born in eighty two, so 244 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:26,320 Speaker 1: the Ewoks movies fell perfectly into my wheelhouse. While I 245 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 1: was all but ignorant of the Star Wars movies themselves. 246 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 1: I must have watched Battle for Indoor a hundred times, 247 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:34,120 Speaker 1: but I didn't notice the reason why I am writing 248 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:37,480 Speaker 1: you until recently. Passing the Ewoks movies onto my four 249 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 1: year old just this year was such a pleasure. I digress. 250 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:43,840 Speaker 1: None of this is why I am writing. I have 251 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:46,240 Speaker 1: a really cool little tidbit. See. I am not a 252 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 1: Star Wars fan by any real measure, even loving the 253 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:51,240 Speaker 1: Walks and of course having seen all of the Star 254 00:13:51,280 --> 00:13:54,600 Speaker 1: Wars movies. I also live and grew up in Marin 255 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:57,760 Speaker 1: in Lucas Valley, so I do not partake in the 256 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:00,440 Speaker 1: meticulous Star Wars fandom. But I do have something that 257 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:03,680 Speaker 1: I don't think many people have realized. Battle for Indoor 258 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 1: is special in that it is the only Star Wars 259 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 1: movie that I am aware of that contains a swear word. 260 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:13,319 Speaker 1: I lift it up before writing you, and fandom says fandom. 261 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:17,640 Speaker 1: I think they're referring to like the the Wikipedia realm quote. 262 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:20,800 Speaker 1: A rumor circulated that Noah swears under his breath while 263 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:24,360 Speaker 1: trying to power up his star Cruiser during the movie's climax. However, 264 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:27,040 Speaker 1: it was debunked in the eighty nine issue of the 265 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:31,200 Speaker 1: Star Wars Insider magazine, which cites the subtitles of two 266 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 1: thousand four Walks the Battle for Indoor DVD release as 267 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:37,480 Speaker 1: proving that the that the line is in fact, Ah, 268 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:40,520 Speaker 1: come on now, Just to be clear, the character know 269 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:43,400 Speaker 1: what we're talking about, For a reminder, is played by 270 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:46,800 Speaker 1: Wilford Brimley in the movie. Did we not mention that already? Uh? 271 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:50,040 Speaker 1: We did not mention that in this listener, So imagine, yes, 272 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:53,000 Speaker 1: it's it's Wilfred Brimley. Uh. And Wilfred Brimley is in 273 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:55,920 Speaker 1: the scene like struggling with the controls of his spaceship 274 00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:57,920 Speaker 1: that's up on cinder blocks in his yard. He's trying 275 00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:00,920 Speaker 1: to get it going again. Yeah. I have to admit 276 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:02,680 Speaker 1: when I watched it. There were a couple of times 277 00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:05,120 Speaker 1: when I kind of had this this feeling like I 278 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:07,920 Speaker 1: feel like things are being said that are very close 279 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:11,240 Speaker 1: to curse words, either things that are grumbled by Wilford 280 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:14,960 Speaker 1: Brimley's character or things that you know, are yabbered by 281 00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:18,280 Speaker 1: e Walks. Then and then they're clearly you know, not 282 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:21,600 Speaker 1: supposed to be um, you know, English or basic, but 283 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 1: but certainly sound a little cussy. You know, Wicket is 284 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:27,840 Speaker 1: swearing up a storm, but you wouldn't know it. But 285 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:31,840 Speaker 1: what Jesse is saying here is that it apparently the 286 00:15:31,840 --> 00:15:35,000 Speaker 1: Star Wars Insider magazine says no, Wilfred Brimley does not 287 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:38,800 Speaker 1: swear in this movie. And it's based on the subtitles 288 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 1: from one DVD release of this which I did not 289 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:45,840 Speaker 1: know there had been. They're not really readily available right now, 290 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:49,080 Speaker 1: but there there was like a DVD double pack of these. Okay, 291 00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:52,520 Speaker 1: I see and what again? What they said Wilford Brimley's 292 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:58,040 Speaker 1: actual line was was all come on, um. They continue. However, 293 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:01,080 Speaker 1: in the version I have you, and very clearly and 294 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 1: naturally hear him saying the F word in reaction to 295 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 1: the sparks. It's so funny because he's Wilfred Brimley. I 296 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:10,960 Speaker 1: invite you to check the version you have at this 297 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 1: scene and decide for yourself. Though I could easily see 298 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:17,600 Speaker 1: the DVD and subsequent releases being quote unquote fixed. I 299 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:19,880 Speaker 1: am not sure this is a this is listener mail worthy, 300 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:21,760 Speaker 1: but I thought it was at the very least an 301 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:23,560 Speaker 1: excuse to give you my thanks and tell you how 302 00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:26,480 Speaker 1: much YouTube can really mean to someone who doesn't always 303 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:28,720 Speaker 1: have a good time. Please keep doing exactly what you 304 00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:31,200 Speaker 1: were doing, exactly the way you were doing it, forever 305 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 1: and ever. All my best and keep at it. Jesse ps. 306 00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:38,880 Speaker 1: My favorite episodes are the Boltzman Brain episodes. Well, thanks 307 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:42,560 Speaker 1: so much, Jesse. I really appreciate the kind words. And no, 308 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 1: this is absolutely listener mail worthy because we always want 309 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:50,080 Speaker 1: to hear about Wilfred Brimley swearing in children's movies. It 310 00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 1: also does seem like the kind of thing that if 311 00:16:51,760 --> 00:16:55,080 Speaker 1: they ever give this a proper, real, you know, remaster rerelease, 312 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 1: they're gonna edit it out and that's just get out 313 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 1: of here with that. Yeah. Um, but I do hope 314 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:03,880 Speaker 1: they make it widely available again, because a lot of 315 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:06,680 Speaker 1: us are nostalgic for this film and it's it's predecessor, 316 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:08,119 Speaker 1: and I think I think it should be out there. 317 00:17:08,119 --> 00:17:12,480 Speaker 1: I mean the same with other important Star Wars UM 318 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:16,879 Speaker 1: pieces of media, such as um the original Clone Wars 319 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 1: animated version that came out prior to the computer animated version. 320 00:17:21,600 --> 00:17:24,320 Speaker 1: Like that's that's great fun, and it should be available 321 00:17:24,359 --> 00:17:27,160 Speaker 1: to people in formats that are not just random YouTube 322 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:31,840 Speaker 1: uploads in my opinion. Uh. Somebody did right in and 323 00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 1: mentioned the Star Wars Holiday special though, and I do 324 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:37,119 Speaker 1: have to say I'm kind of I'm cool with that 325 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:40,159 Speaker 1: one remaining lost. Uh for the most part, it's I 326 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:43,520 Speaker 1: tried to rewatch it this year and my eyes were 327 00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:45,479 Speaker 1: bigger than my stomach on that one. We'll save it. 328 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 1: This is coming up in a in a couple of 329 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:48,960 Speaker 1: males from now. Okay, okay, we'll talk about it then. 330 00:17:57,240 --> 00:18:00,640 Speaker 1: Next one here from Eric. Eric says, Hey, Robert and Joe, 331 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:03,879 Speaker 1: longtime listener, first time writing in. I wanted to chime 332 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:08,520 Speaker 1: in on two recent topics. First, gravy. I was fascinated 333 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:11,960 Speaker 1: by the gravy death ritual in the recent Turkey episode. 334 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:16,240 Speaker 1: Robert mentioned not knowing of any religious ritual involving gravy, 335 00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:19,560 Speaker 1: but I think at least for myself. The making of 336 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:23,120 Speaker 1: the gravy on Thanksgiving is a spiritual exercise in its 337 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:26,119 Speaker 1: own right. This year, due to COVID nineteen, my wife 338 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:28,680 Speaker 1: and I stayed home and didn't cook a whole turkey, 339 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:31,479 Speaker 1: so I didn't get to perform my sacred duties. For 340 00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:36,240 Speaker 1: some good gravy is all about the giblets, meaning the liver, heart, kidneys, 341 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:39,840 Speaker 1: and gizzard, which reinforces Joe's point about gravy being the 342 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:43,120 Speaker 1: essence of the animal it's made from. It's a celebration 343 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:46,119 Speaker 1: of this awesome bird. Just like a good rare steak 344 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:48,959 Speaker 1: can give you that primal zing up the back of 345 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:52,160 Speaker 1: your brain stem, the organs of an animal can carry 346 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:55,040 Speaker 1: the same effect, and that's why a true giblet gravy 347 00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:59,680 Speaker 1: is so good. Making gravy is a methodical, ritualistic process 348 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:02,159 Speaker 1: with several steps that you have to time properly. It 349 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:05,159 Speaker 1: can be stressful will there be enough juices? Do I 350 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:07,879 Speaker 1: have enough time? Will the rue come out right? But 351 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:11,360 Speaker 1: completing each step is a triumph leading to the transcendent 352 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:16,320 Speaker 1: experience of the final product that literally parentheses figuratively uh 353 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:19,040 Speaker 1: ties it all together. All the food on your plate 354 00:19:19,119 --> 00:19:21,199 Speaker 1: and all the people at your table, it can be 355 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:24,960 Speaker 1: mind blowing. This is this is a great point. Okay, yeah, 356 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:27,480 Speaker 1: I was just gonna say, I just a brief thought 357 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:30,159 Speaker 1: here is that. Yeah, when food is meaningful, Like, there 358 00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:32,320 Speaker 1: are a few things like it. You know, like when 359 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:35,560 Speaker 1: food doesn't have meaning, when it's just fast and and 360 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:37,600 Speaker 1: you're you're not thinking about it and you're not like 361 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:40,360 Speaker 1: really experiencing it, you know, that's one thing. But when 362 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:43,360 Speaker 1: you when you do get to have this real attachment 363 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:47,520 Speaker 1: to the organisms that you're consuming and to the practices 364 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:50,080 Speaker 1: and the history of what's going into it. Yeah, there 365 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:52,159 Speaker 1: there are a few things like it. Oh yeah, I 366 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:54,919 Speaker 1: mean food. Food is obviously so much more than just 367 00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:58,240 Speaker 1: the experience of eating it, the taste and the nutrition 368 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:03,720 Speaker 1: for your body. It's it's very, ah, a deeply interwoven cultural, 369 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:06,560 Speaker 1: traditional thing. And this is why, like if you watch 370 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:09,879 Speaker 1: recipe videos on the internet, you'll often see in the 371 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:12,920 Speaker 1: comments people freaking out that somebody didn't do it right. 372 00:20:13,119 --> 00:20:15,560 Speaker 1: You know, like if if you want any Italian recipe 373 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:18,160 Speaker 1: or something, people will be saying like, that's not how 374 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:20,919 Speaker 1: you make that, saw us or something, And and you 375 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:25,080 Speaker 1: get sense that it's because people's memories of the traditions 376 00:20:25,119 --> 00:20:28,359 Speaker 1: of their their their dishes are often tied up in 377 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:31,520 Speaker 1: people's like family and cultural identity, to the point where 378 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:34,000 Speaker 1: when somebody does it a different way, it almost feels 379 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:37,120 Speaker 1: like a violation of some sacred ritual. You're not doing 380 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:40,640 Speaker 1: it right, and this is a blasphemy. Okay, Eric goes 381 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:43,600 Speaker 1: on before I lose it talking about gravy. Here's the 382 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:47,560 Speaker 1: other thing. I loved Robert's postulating about the Force and 383 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:51,120 Speaker 1: the lore of Ewok's Battle of Indoor. As a kid, 384 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:53,320 Speaker 1: one of the things I loved about Star Wars was 385 00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:57,440 Speaker 1: that it was fantastic but believable. It felt real, tangible, 386 00:20:57,480 --> 00:21:02,080 Speaker 1: and immersive. Even the Force, essentially space magic, felt plausible. 387 00:21:02,359 --> 00:21:04,480 Speaker 1: So when I think of the Ewoks movie, the thing 388 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:07,200 Speaker 1: I remember most was what my seven year old self 389 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:10,560 Speaker 1: was thinking while seeing it. I laugh at how even 390 00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:13,720 Speaker 1: then I was really hung up on things feeling real 391 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:18,280 Speaker 1: and believable. I remember taking issue with the horses of 392 00:21:18,320 --> 00:21:21,679 Speaker 1: all things, even with no established canon for what the 393 00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:24,480 Speaker 1: Force can do. I remember thinking that it was too 394 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:27,840 Speaker 1: fantastic and magical, that it felt like an Earth movie, 395 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:33,880 Speaker 1: shape shifting, magic, rings, turbo running, not in Star Wars. 396 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:36,760 Speaker 1: And it may be a testament to the purity and 397 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:40,359 Speaker 1: greatness of the original trilogy that even then, the style 398 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:43,280 Speaker 1: and feel of Star Wars had permeated me so thoroughly 399 00:21:43,359 --> 00:21:46,840 Speaker 1: that my standards as a seven year old were really high. 400 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:50,600 Speaker 1: Or maybe it's just a funny note on memory. We 401 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:55,240 Speaker 1: remember the thing itself less than what we remember thinking 402 00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:59,080 Speaker 1: about the thing. Thanks for all your good work, Eric, Oh, 403 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:01,600 Speaker 1: that's that's all very resting. Yeah, I can definitely relate 404 00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:05,639 Speaker 1: to feeling that way about the magic versus the Force 405 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:08,920 Speaker 1: as presented in the Battle for Indoor. Uh. Though I 406 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:13,359 Speaker 1: feel like some viewers had a similar issue in the 407 00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:17,520 Speaker 1: sequel trilogy, especially um The Last Jedi and The Rise 408 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:21,119 Speaker 1: of Skywalker, because the Force suddenly they're they're sort of 409 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:24,840 Speaker 1: new force abilities that become evident, like like physical matter 410 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:28,240 Speaker 1: transferring from one point to another in space and time, 411 00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:31,640 Speaker 1: stuff like that, which maybe leans even more heavily into 412 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:36,040 Speaker 1: the magical interpretation of the Force. Yeah. Wait, when we 413 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:38,359 Speaker 1: talked about e wats did we talk about horses? I 414 00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:40,560 Speaker 1: don't know if I remember that coming up, but yeah, 415 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:43,000 Speaker 1: why are their horses? I don't think there were any 416 00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:46,239 Speaker 1: horses in the original trilogy, were there? There were not 417 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:47,879 Speaker 1: that I remember. No, I don't think there were horses 418 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:49,919 Speaker 1: in the original trilogy. Some horses show up in the 419 00:22:49,960 --> 00:22:53,800 Speaker 1: sequel trilogy, but they've been kind of like augmented with 420 00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:56,320 Speaker 1: computer effects to make them like alien horses, which is 421 00:22:56,359 --> 00:22:59,440 Speaker 1: pretty cool. But I don't know. I didn't really have 422 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:01,879 Speaker 1: any problem with horses in the Indoor movie. I figure 423 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 1: at some point somebody introduced the indoor pony, and it 424 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:07,840 Speaker 1: makes as much sense as humans being all over this 425 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:16,159 Speaker 1: distant galaxy, so I will allow it. Okay, do you 426 00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:18,960 Speaker 1: want to go onto this message from Raj? Yeah, let's 427 00:23:18,960 --> 00:23:22,480 Speaker 1: do it, all right. Raj writes, Hello, stuff to blow 428 00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:24,879 Speaker 1: your mind. In the Star Wars edition of Weird House Cinema, 429 00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:27,359 Speaker 1: you were talking about the notion of Star Wars canon. 430 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:30,280 Speaker 1: You mentioned that the three films of the then original 431 00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:33,919 Speaker 1: trilogy plus the two Indoor movies constituted as part of 432 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:36,919 Speaker 1: the Star Wars canon, meaning that the two Indoor movies 433 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 1: make up the Star Wars films. I am curious about 434 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:43,800 Speaker 1: how the Star Wars Holiday special fits into this. You 435 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:46,440 Speaker 1: hadn't mentioned this film in the podcast. I'm not sure 436 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:48,880 Speaker 1: it was intentional, since many regard that film to be 437 00:23:49,119 --> 00:23:51,719 Speaker 1: not good, or if it's something you just happened to forget. 438 00:23:52,119 --> 00:23:54,080 Speaker 1: I'm not trying to start a fight or anything like that. 439 00:23:54,119 --> 00:23:56,440 Speaker 1: I'm just wondering if you consider the Holiday Special canon 440 00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:59,879 Speaker 1: or not love the podcast cheers Raj. I mean, so 441 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:04,680 Speaker 1: if the if the main films are a cannon for me, um, 442 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:09,040 Speaker 1: Holiday Special is like a prime canon. It's it's like 443 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:12,000 Speaker 1: the cannon above all other cannons. If something doesn't agree 444 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:15,480 Speaker 1: with the Holiday Special, then it's not cannon. Which which 445 00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:21,320 Speaker 1: cannon grade is mostly circus animals, because that's that's kind 446 00:24:21,320 --> 00:24:23,880 Speaker 1: of the grade. I think the Holidays the Star Wars 447 00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:27,920 Speaker 1: Special probably fits in a um. Yeah. As I mentioned earlier, 448 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:31,960 Speaker 1: I tried to rewatch this with the riff tracks um 449 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:34,520 Speaker 1: this year and I ended up turning away for a 450 00:24:34,520 --> 00:24:37,720 Speaker 1: couple of reasons. One I I love riff tracks. I 451 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:40,120 Speaker 1: love those guys. I think they do great work. But 452 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:43,160 Speaker 1: the riff on this one was like an earlier riff 453 00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 1: and just felt a little mean spirited a lot of 454 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:48,359 Speaker 1: the time. UM So I didn't love that. It just 455 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:51,520 Speaker 1: it felt like it wasn't having as much fun as 456 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:54,760 Speaker 1: it was. Just kind of grumpy with the picture, uh, 457 00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:56,919 Speaker 1: which you know isn't the case in a lot of 458 00:24:56,920 --> 00:25:00,199 Speaker 1: their other work. Again, I love riff tracks, but the 459 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:03,359 Speaker 1: Holiday Special makes people unhappy. I mean I've watched it 460 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:07,280 Speaker 1: many times and showed it too many people, and it 461 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:10,199 Speaker 1: it has a tendency to kind of send people into 462 00:25:10,240 --> 00:25:14,320 Speaker 1: a into a dark spiral. Yeah, yeah, I think that 463 00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:16,920 Speaker 1: is That is a valid point because the the other 464 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:19,320 Speaker 1: part of not digging the experience is that it is 465 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:26,080 Speaker 1: dreadfully boring and irritating. Uh with with the only with 466 00:25:26,160 --> 00:25:29,920 Speaker 1: only a few really bright spots. For instance, the original 467 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:33,040 Speaker 1: the introduction of Bob a fette in that wonderful like 468 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:34,680 Speaker 1: sort of I think it was a Canadian production, but 469 00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:36,840 Speaker 1: it has this kind of French animation feel to it, 470 00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:39,800 Speaker 1: like that is a great little segment. Um. I love that. 471 00:25:40,160 --> 00:25:44,480 Speaker 1: The cartoon. Yeah, the cartoon. I also enjoy some of 472 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:50,960 Speaker 1: the Wookie stuff, you know, getting to see their little world. Yeah, 473 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:55,159 Speaker 1: because you know, it's it certainly creates a world and 474 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:59,000 Speaker 1: and it is like a setting like in this small respect, 475 00:25:59,119 --> 00:26:02,320 Speaker 1: it is cannon because the version of Kashik that they 476 00:26:02,320 --> 00:26:05,959 Speaker 1: create in this Holiday Special is essentially the same version 477 00:26:06,200 --> 00:26:11,200 Speaker 1: that pops up again in um um Um in Revenge 478 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:14,280 Speaker 1: of the Sith that pops up in various video games 479 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:18,480 Speaker 1: such as um Um, you know, like the Battlefield what 480 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:21,680 Speaker 1: is it, uh not Battlefield, maybe it is Battlefield whatever 481 00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:24,400 Speaker 1: the shooter is that they play, also the recent Jedi 482 00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:28,040 Speaker 1: Outcast game. Basically they're all using the same version of 483 00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:32,439 Speaker 1: kik that the Holiday Special gives us. Yes, I mean so, 484 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 1: I've probably seen the Star Wars Holiday Special at least, 485 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:37,320 Speaker 1: you know, ten or a dozen times, but I will 486 00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:41,280 Speaker 1: admit it is brutally boring and grading, and it has 487 00:26:41,359 --> 00:26:47,200 Speaker 1: these repeated comedy skits with Harvey Corman that are interminable. 488 00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:50,800 Speaker 1: There's one where he's, uh, where the gag is that 489 00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:53,080 Speaker 1: he is, I guess some kind of robot and he's 490 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:56,760 Speaker 1: like repeatedly breaking down and going into slow motion. And 491 00:26:56,880 --> 00:27:01,639 Speaker 1: that skit lasts about ten billion years. It is, it 492 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:04,479 Speaker 1: is older than the Earth. The weird thing is that 493 00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:07,080 Speaker 1: you can look back at it and see how it 494 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:08,920 Speaker 1: made sense, like you. I think that one of the 495 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:10,719 Speaker 1: key things you have to keep in mind is that 496 00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:15,000 Speaker 1: this was the heyday of the original Muppet Show, and 497 00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:17,520 Speaker 1: on paper, it sounds great like the Muppet Show is 498 00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:21,359 Speaker 1: doing this great variety show with puppets and fantastic characters 499 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:25,040 Speaker 1: and and celebrity cameos. We could do that with the 500 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:27,480 Speaker 1: Star Wars universe and it would We could do it 501 00:27:27,520 --> 00:27:31,359 Speaker 1: in a way that wouldn't hurt anybody. It's be Arthur 502 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:37,720 Speaker 1: and Art Carney. Yeah, but yeah, the result just doesn't 503 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:40,080 Speaker 1: really work. There's just so many, so many things wrong 504 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:43,040 Speaker 1: with it. They really should have brought in Tim Conway 505 00:27:43,119 --> 00:27:49,080 Speaker 1: and Paul Lynde. I would start, oh wait, wait, wait, okay, 506 00:27:49,119 --> 00:27:51,199 Speaker 1: here's my idea that they could take it to the 507 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:55,359 Speaker 1: next level. They should have just done Hollywood squares in 508 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:59,520 Speaker 1: universe Star Wars and it's cannon So like the squares 509 00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:05,280 Speaker 1: are Chewbacca and Chewbacca's family, the really nasty old Wookie, 510 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:10,320 Speaker 1: Han Solo looking sad, Princess Leia on a mystical journey 511 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:12,960 Speaker 1: like all of them doing the tic tac toe. Yeah, 512 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:16,480 Speaker 1: I don't forget the look Skywalker wearing an absurd amount 513 00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:19,440 Speaker 1: of makeup where he looks like he's basically in kabuky 514 00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:22,480 Speaker 1: makeup in that one. It's huge amounts of makeup. It 515 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:26,000 Speaker 1: is astonishing. However, I will say I might feel differently 516 00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:28,159 Speaker 1: about it if I had actually watched this back in 517 00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:30,480 Speaker 1: the day. But the Star Wars Holiday Special is something 518 00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:32,800 Speaker 1: I wasn't even aware of until I was an adult. 519 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:36,520 Speaker 1: So wait, wait, wait, wait, sorry, I have one more, 520 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:38,880 Speaker 1: one more Star Wars Holiday special thing to bring up, 521 00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:42,520 Speaker 1: which is that there's a great scene where where Han 522 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:46,960 Speaker 1: Solo saves Chewy's family by faking out an Imperial stormtrooper 523 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:50,600 Speaker 1: who's approaching their house on the you know, like wooden catwalk, 524 00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:53,160 Speaker 1: I guess, up to the front door. He fakes them out, 525 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:56,400 Speaker 1: the stormtrooper falls over the edge, presumably falls to his 526 00:28:56,560 --> 00:28:59,680 Speaker 1: death on the ground below the house, and then it's like, hey, 527 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:03,440 Speaker 1: pblem solved. But if you think about the logic of it, Okay, 528 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:06,320 Speaker 1: so now the Imperial troops are marching around and there 529 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:09,280 Speaker 1: is a dead one of them on the ground below 530 00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:12,240 Speaker 1: your front door, and then they just don't seem to 531 00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:15,040 Speaker 1: regard this as a problem. Well, you have to remember 532 00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:20,040 Speaker 1: the the the amount of training that your average stormtrooper 533 00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:24,200 Speaker 1: is probably receiving. Uh, it's not great. They're not really 534 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:27,480 Speaker 1: going to be good detectives in that respect, right, And 535 00:29:27,520 --> 00:29:31,480 Speaker 1: plus they're occupying a planet occupied by um you know, 536 00:29:31,760 --> 00:29:34,840 Speaker 1: with the with the dominant species are these enormous fierce 537 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:38,240 Speaker 1: um wookies, So you know, it makes sense that you're 538 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:42,240 Speaker 1: probably losing a like there's an acceptable loss for Stormtroopers 539 00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:44,760 Speaker 1: per day, and they're just like, well, you know that 540 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:53,040 Speaker 1: that guy clearly is an acceptable loss. All right, we 541 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:57,360 Speaker 1: got one more message. This comes in from Ali. Ali says, Hi, Robert, 542 00:29:57,400 --> 00:29:59,680 Speaker 1: and Joe. I have listened to Stuff to Blow your 543 00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:02,320 Speaker 1: Mind for many years and have really enjoyed the podcast. 544 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:05,440 Speaker 1: I just finished listening to the Weird House Cinema episode 545 00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:08,040 Speaker 1: on Ghost in the Machine, and I loved it. I 546 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:10,520 Speaker 1: watched the movie over the weekend before listening, and I 547 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:13,959 Speaker 1: enjoyed that movie immensely. It was so awesomely bad, with 548 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:17,040 Speaker 1: so much nostalgic nineties style. I don't know if I 549 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:20,040 Speaker 1: ever would have known that that movie existed if you 550 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:22,480 Speaker 1: guys hadn't decided to watch it. Well, I'm glad we 551 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:25,320 Speaker 1: could bring that weirdness into your life. Over the years, 552 00:30:25,320 --> 00:30:27,280 Speaker 1: Stuff to Blow Your Mind has taught me so much 553 00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:29,760 Speaker 1: and got me thinking about so many different things. There 554 00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:32,480 Speaker 1: was an episode where, if I remember this correctly, you 555 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:35,120 Speaker 1: tried to get listeners to remember to fact check things, 556 00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:40,040 Speaker 1: especially if the things feel almost right. You guys repeated 557 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:43,480 Speaker 1: the phrase if it feels familiar, check the facts over 558 00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:46,400 Speaker 1: and over and whenever my BS meter goes off for 559 00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:49,800 Speaker 1: some fact doesn't feel quite right. I hear you tube 560 00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:53,600 Speaker 1: repeating that phrase, and it reminds me to look into stuff. Anyway. 561 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:57,120 Speaker 1: I just wanted to say hi and thank you. Happy holidays, Ali. 562 00:30:57,400 --> 00:30:59,960 Speaker 1: I think that was from the Illusory Truth Effect episode 563 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:03,160 Speaker 1: where we talked about the dangers of thinking something is 564 00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:06,600 Speaker 1: right because it's sounds Yeah, that sounds right. That that 565 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:10,520 Speaker 1: that that's often the danger zone. Yeah, yeah, for sure. 566 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:13,280 Speaker 1: All right. You know, we've I think we've reached the 567 00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:16,840 Speaker 1: end of this particular episode of listener Mail. We have 568 00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:19,040 Speaker 1: more listener mail to do, and we will do that 569 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:21,560 Speaker 1: in future episodes. But you know, I thought I also 570 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:24,120 Speaker 1: might we might just occasionally just throw out a question 571 00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:28,680 Speaker 1: here to to see what everyone out there thinks. One 572 00:31:28,680 --> 00:31:32,800 Speaker 1: thing that was on my mind is that during twenty twenty, 573 00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:35,680 Speaker 1: due to the pandemic, I think a lot of us 574 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:40,600 Speaker 1: have spent spent more time by ourselves, perhaps more time 575 00:31:40,640 --> 00:31:44,280 Speaker 1: with ourselves. So here's the here's a question. What have 576 00:31:44,320 --> 00:31:48,080 Speaker 1: you learned about yourself in UH? And then how do 577 00:31:48,160 --> 00:31:52,760 Speaker 1: you think you're going to bring that knowledge into one um? 578 00:31:52,840 --> 00:31:54,520 Speaker 1: If you have any thoughts on that we'd love to 579 00:31:54,560 --> 00:31:56,440 Speaker 1: hear from you. In the meantime. If you want to 580 00:31:56,480 --> 00:31:58,320 Speaker 1: check out other episodes of Stuff to Blow your Mind, 581 00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:00,440 Speaker 1: you can find us wherever you get your podcast, wherever 582 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:04,080 Speaker 1: that happens to be. Just rate, review, and subscribe. And 583 00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:06,200 Speaker 1: I don't even care what order you do those things in. 584 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:09,960 Speaker 1: Um you know, if you can even do them wherever 585 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:11,640 Speaker 1: you're listening to this podcast. Sometimes you don't have all 586 00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:14,880 Speaker 1: those powers at your disposal. But yeah, let us know. 587 00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:17,800 Speaker 1: Listener mail episodes will continue to go out on Monday's 588 00:32:18,440 --> 00:32:20,320 Speaker 1: unless we run out of listener mails, and then I 589 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:22,360 Speaker 1: guess we'll do something else on on a Monday here 590 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:23,960 Speaker 1: and there. I don't know. We'll see. It's a grand 591 00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:27,320 Speaker 1: adventure and you guys are long for the ride with us. 592 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:30,600 Speaker 1: We will be having flaming barrel chats with or without 593 00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:32,960 Speaker 1: your help, but we assume the help will keep coming in. 594 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:36,640 Speaker 1: Um okay, So anyway, huge thanks as always to our 595 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:40,000 Speaker 1: excellent audio producer Seth Nicholas Johnson. If you would like 596 00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:41,880 Speaker 1: to get in touch with us with feedback on this 597 00:32:41,920 --> 00:32:44,480 Speaker 1: episode or any other, to suggest a topic for the future, 598 00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:47,120 Speaker 1: or just to say hello, you can email us at 599 00:32:47,280 --> 00:32:57,560 Speaker 1: contact That's Stuff to Blow Your Mind dot com. Stuff 600 00:32:57,600 --> 00:32:59,800 Speaker 1: to Blow Your Mind is a production of I heart Radio. 601 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:02,480 Speaker 1: For more podcasts for my heart Radio, visit the iHeart 602 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:05,280 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 603 00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:06,000 Speaker 1: favorite shows.