Sic transit gloria mundi
Tuesday May 29, 2007
Victor Morton observes the death of a great American: Charles Nelson Reilly, one of the crown princes of '70s trash TV. He quotes yours truly thus:I've got on my refrigerator a yellowed newspaper photo of Charles Nelson Reilly, Brett Somers...
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Rod Dreher is an editorial columnist for the Dallas Morning News, and author of "Crunchy Cons" (Crown Forum), a nonfiction book about conservatives, most of them religious, whose faith and political convictions sometimes put them at odds with mainstream conservatives. The views expressed in this blog are his own.
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A friend of mine's father once told me that the worst thing about getting old was watching the world you knew as a child slowly get whittled away.
CNR R.I.P.
The only reason to watch Match Game was for CNR and Brett Sommers (who looked EXACTLY like a lady who lived down the street from us at that time, swear to God.) Just a campy, over the top, fun persona (unlike Richard Dawson, who left you wanting to bathe in Lysol after exposure to him.) Also loved him on Lidsville. (Anyone on here 'fessin up to being THAT old) ;) God Bless and RIP, my friend.
It's Brett SOMERS, not Sommers. My bad.
Rod -- Breathe, buddy; inhale, exhale, sloooowly. Breathe. It's gonna be OK . . . We all watched Match Game as our mother's darned socks, didn't we? And didn't quite get the jokes Fannie Flagg was making. See? Even when Richard moves on to his reward, Fannie will be with us. Breathe, breathe.
You and me both, Rod.
Some kids spent their summers soaking up the sun. I spent my summers soaking up double entendres from a half-dozen professional celebrities. And I spent way too much time last night watching Match Game clips on YouTube.
Rod: The death of Richard will not leave your blank completely blank. Brett still soldiers on ... the 82-year-old queen.
Match Game was an absolutely terrific show, and I enjoyed it immensely as a kid. Gene Rayburn was a terrific host, and the banter between Charles Nelson Reilly and Brett Somers was a scream. Thankfully, many of these clips survive on YouTube. And yeah, I'm old enough to remember Lidsville, too...it was one of my favourite shows in the early 70s. Rest in peace, Mr. Reilly.
Wow, Match Game clips are on YouTube? thanks for the heads up! Now I'll never get off my computer! Charles Nelson Reilly was actually a very talented individual. He was a voice coach for a number of opera stars, including Beverly Sills from what I've been told. he also did a lot of Broadway directing, and one a Tony award. I, too, remember Lidsville. I told my college age daughter about it, so she rented an old Lidsville video, and later asked me "Mom, what were you smoking?" It was definitely a bizarre little show.
It's infuriating how much you enjoy the work of gay entertainers and writers but persist in cherry picking the Bible to "believe"* that their inborn parameters for love are sinful. * I don't think you really believe it.
What a ridiculous non sequitur. I think Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are supremely talented, and I adore their work (well, everything they did prior to and including "Some Girls"), but that implies no judgment on their personal morality. What serious person believes that recognizing and admiring artistic talent does, or should, imply approving of the lifestyle of the artist?
And didn't quite get the jokes Fannie Flagg was making. Do you remember the day she showed up wearing a t-shirt with a fried egg decal over each breast? Ah, the Seventies. Do you remember those great, leering "Match Game" words, e.g., "tinkle"?
And don't even get me started on "Tattle Tales," Bert Convy and the Banana Section... .
I share your sense of loss with the passing of CNR. My childhood was graced also by the glory that was the Match Game, a memory fused forever with the image of three moms standing sentry at their ironing boards as they ironed out the wrinkles in their husbands' shirts and each others lives. Between sips of vodka-spiked lemonade they talked and laughed their way through the afternoon, the three happiest moms on our block.
Does anybody remember "Uncle Croc's Block?" It was a great kid show that made fun of other kid shows, but I don't think it was on for very long. CNR played the part of a bitter host who acted like he wanted to be somewhere else!
Thank God I am not the only one who is getting old.
The world owes a lot to gay people who created so much art, music and literature, especially within Christianity. However, I reluctantly agree with Rod on his right to be able to like CNR (and the Glimmer Twins) despite his disapproval of their lifestyles. I still like Woody Allen movies...
I don't remember Fanny Flag's t-shirt bearing the fried egg decals, but I do remember the one with similarly placed "hands." And I too remember not wanting to miss the New Year's Day sign change.
I remember a Fannie Flagg sweater with the sequins in the pattern of the Confederate rebel flag. My how times HAVE changed.
I remember the Fannie Flagg hands and eggs t - shirts. There was a girl in my high school that had the exact same shirts, and she just happened to be wearing the hands one the day the entire school board was there with some pr flacks from the state education commission, and you'd have thought the entire world was at end, the reaction when they saw her. Priceless. :-)
Anyone feeling too productive? This'll put an end to that: http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=SuperPAC&p=r
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