Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Up to Eleven

CULT CLASSIC: One thing we don't do much around MPA is watch movies. When the TV is on (which really isn't all that often), it's almost always sports, news, or a documentary of some sort. 

 We have talked lots about at least watching some of the classics with CJ and Annabelle. This weekend, we finally managed a movie night. The classic we had to watch?

 No, it wasn't "On the Waterfront. Or "Casablanca." Or "Gone with the Wind." 

 It was "This is Spinal Tap." :)
As the Internet Movie Database describes it, the 1984 film is about "one of England's loudest bands ... chronicled by film director Marty DiBergi on what proves to be a fateful tour."  (The film was really directed brilliantly by Rob Reiner.)

 The movie is responsible for a number of enduring laughs. I'll have CJ tell you a bit more about that.
In the nearly 35 years since its release, the mockumentary (meaning fiction in the style of a documentary) This Is Spinal Tap has become a cult classic, and is often considered one of the best films in the mockumentary genre. The film follows "Spinal Tap," a fictional British hair metal band on a tour in 1982. This Is Spinal Tap is the source of many memes, most notably "these go up to eleven," originally said in reference to an amplifier used by the band's guitarist, as well as the "eighteen-inch Stonehenge" (an absurdly small model of the British landmark.)
As to why This Is Spinal Tap is a cult classic, my guess would be that it is largely due to the humorous and distinctive improvisation of nearly all the actors involved. In addition, This Is Spinal Tap had elements that resonated with many famous musicians (for example: Losing direction in a confusing backstage, while attempting to get to the front-stage.)
The movie made me laugh as much this weekend as it did in 1984. I think Spinal Tap might be the most famous 'mockumentary' ever made. It strikes me "Best in Show" is right up there, too. it strikes me that's another movie the kids need to see. ...

COURTSIDE: Last night we were watching a fantastic college basketball game (#1 Duke v. unranked Syracuse). What else were we supposed to do? There's no Monday Night Football any more this season, and baseball hasn't started yet. 

 Anyway, because most every moment is a teachable moment, we weren't just watching hoops, but were also talking geography and history. For instance, where are Duke and Syracuse universities located, are the public or private, and so on. And then it occurred to me that Syracuse has one of the stranger team nicknames in college sports: The Orangemen. 

 What, pray tell, is *that* all about, I wondered aloud. The kids were quickly off to the Google and we learned a bit about the moniker's surprising history. Annabelle can explain. ...
The Syracuse Orange, originally known as the Orangemen and Orangewomen, have had a drastic change in mascot over the years. They started with the "Saltine Warrior," a Native American caricature, in the mid-1950s. This character was based on the hoax that the corpse of an Onondagan tribal chief was found while digging the lot for the women's gymnasium. This mascot was changed in as 1978, after much backlash from the school's Native American students, claiming it was derogatory.
The new mascot, which was a Spartan warrior, lasted for less than a year. This was possibly foretold in the first game the warrior appeared, where the Orangemen lost 28-0. For years afterwards, the university drifted between ideas and concepts for new mascots and didn't settle on anything until 1995, when Otto the Orange was officially appointed the face of the university. The Orange has been the true mascot ever since, and will continue to be until further notice.
You can even follow Otto the Orange on Twitter, it turns out.  Below is a recent Tweet of his, so you can see what he looks like.


 
MLK TODAY: Though the federal holiday is officially recognized on the third Monday in January, Martin Luther King Jr's birthday is actually on January 15. We watched this video today. Powerful stuff.



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