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This isn't my usual fare, but we gotta mix it up a bit from time to time to keep this place fresh and not always so serious.
Added bonus: a ten minute video of Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese with legendary comedian Don Rickles. In it, Rickles reminisces about his heyday in the Vegas of the 50s and 60s, and how the mafiosos treated him and other talent wonderfully.
Rickles owed much of his career to the incredible amount of support that he received from Frank Sinatra. The first time that he ever saw Sinatra was when the singer was in the audience at one of his early shows. Rickles went for it on stage and said "Hi Frank. Make yourself at home and hit somebody". The audience loved it, and so did Frank.. An lifelong friendship was born that night.
Fun fact: back in the day, Phil was a graphic artist, and designed the album cover for Poco (formed by ex-members of Buffalo Springfield, sans Neil Young).
SNL was terrible from the drop. There aren’t any golden years or many cast members who got out untainted (hot, hot hot take: Bill Murray and Phil Hartman. Fin.)
Fond memories of Joe Piscopo though. Always seemed like a nice enough guy.
Joe Piscopo not being able to call Sinatra by his first name even after all the adulation reminds me of when Taleb was asked about Skallas and said to ignore half of what he says
Nick Land is way more dismissive of his peers than he is of fans of anime. When he was still a professional philosopher Land wrote that academic prose inspired dreams of cities burnt to ash. Insight like that makes Land worth reading in the first place.
I am disappointed that he turned down your request for an interview, Niccolo, but also reassured that Land did so.
An interview would not do him justice. While alive he deserves a cameo appearance in a film by David Lynch. When he dies Land deserves a viking funeral with academics chained to the deck of the ship burning alongside him so that they can serve him in the afterlife.
A friend of mine who worked in the entertainment industry once met Sinatra briefly when the singer toured Australia. He said Sinatra was a genuine gentleman, always considerate towards the support staff in the industry and a pleasure to meet.
You were right, I didn't understand this until I got to the part about Nick Land. Then it clicked. It's sad because it show and terminally online I am.
Late 80s - early 90s SNL is my vintage too. Sprockets, Lothar of the Hill People, John Malkovich as Johnny Canal (https://youtu.be/F42qmFHNM-M?si=yg9X_njjbzSD7cxg), Weekend Update with Dennis Miller, Church Lady...and anything with Phil Hartman. Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer...
Hit the like button at the top or bottom of this page to like this entry. Use the share and/or re-stack buttons to share this across social media. Leave a comment if the mood strikes you to do so. And don't forget to subscribe if you haven't done so already.
This isn't my usual fare, but we gotta mix it up a bit from time to time to keep this place fresh and not always so serious.
Added bonus: a ten minute video of Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese with legendary comedian Don Rickles. In it, Rickles reminisces about his heyday in the Vegas of the 50s and 60s, and how the mafiosos treated him and other talent wonderfully.
Rickles owed much of his career to the incredible amount of support that he received from Frank Sinatra. The first time that he ever saw Sinatra was when the singer was in the audience at one of his early shows. Rickles went for it on stage and said "Hi Frank. Make yourself at home and hit somebody". The audience loved it, and so did Frank.. An lifelong friendship was born that night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebCgfiUI7Vo
Definitely up there with best all-time sketches.
Sinatra: "Steve, kick his ass."
Steve (Mike Myers): (Momentarily confused, but immediately regains composure) "Okay!"
"Milli Vanilli, what is this faggot crap" is an all-time line
Thanks, Nic. As a NJ guy who grew up in the 70s/80s. this is gold!
Thank you for the entertaining essay. I'm afraid I never saw a minute of SNL after 1980 because WHY WOULD I?
Phil Hartman was a genius...
Fun fact: back in the day, Phil was a graphic artist, and designed the album cover for Poco (formed by ex-members of Buffalo Springfield, sans Neil Young).
Speaking of organized crime and Phil Hartman, his one-scene appearance in So I Married an Axe Murderer is hilarious https://youtu.be/QOYeW864w3Q?si=K-i2YTili12JzfBk
“i got chunks of guys like you in my stool” phil hartman as sinatra to sting’s billy idol. ☠️
Hot take:
SNL was terrible from the drop. There aren’t any golden years or many cast members who got out untainted (hot, hot hot take: Bill Murray and Phil Hartman. Fin.)
Fond memories of Joe Piscopo though. Always seemed like a nice enough guy.
Joe Piscopo not being able to call Sinatra by his first name even after all the adulation reminds me of when Taleb was asked about Skallas and said to ignore half of what he says
Nick Land is way more dismissive of his peers than he is of fans of anime. When he was still a professional philosopher Land wrote that academic prose inspired dreams of cities burnt to ash. Insight like that makes Land worth reading in the first place.
I am disappointed that he turned down your request for an interview, Niccolo, but also reassured that Land did so.
An interview would not do him justice. While alive he deserves a cameo appearance in a film by David Lynch. When he dies Land deserves a viking funeral with academics chained to the deck of the ship burning alongside him so that they can serve him in the afterlife.
A friend of mine who worked in the entertainment industry once met Sinatra briefly when the singer toured Australia. He said Sinatra was a genuine gentleman, always considerate towards the support staff in the industry and a pleasure to meet.
You were right, I didn't understand this until I got to the part about Nick Land. Then it clicked. It's sad because it show and terminally online I am.
Late 80s - early 90s SNL is my vintage too. Sprockets, Lothar of the Hill People, John Malkovich as Johnny Canal (https://youtu.be/F42qmFHNM-M?si=yg9X_njjbzSD7cxg), Weekend Update with Dennis Miller, Church Lady...and anything with Phil Hartman. Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer...
Is Land on substack ?
The best part of Black and White is 345-350 “I am black and you are white...’
(Frank/Joe)’ You are blind as a bat and I have sight.”
🤣