Sunday, May 25, 2008

Hi, I'm Old!


This coming week, Joe Namath -- one of the lions of my girlhood -- turns 65. Oh, how I loved him! It's hard to fathom how the rebel who outraged every adult I knew could possibly be a senior citizen.

Jake Gyllenhaal has been cast to play ol' Broadway Joe in an upcoming movie biography. I hope the movie is good. Joe Willie has had quite a life. He lent credibility to the AFL and single handedly turned the Super Bowl into an event. Yet I'm afraid if he's remembered at all, it's as the goofy drunk who hit on Suzy Kolber on national TV. That makes me sad.

There's no place like home, there's no place like home


After losing two extra-inning games in a row in Pittsburgh, my Cubs come home to the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field to host the Dodgers and the Rockies. I'm looking forward to these games because the Rockies suck, and because our record at home this season is very, very good.

Gloriously awful!

I am watching Divorce His, Divorce Hers. This 1973 Taylor-Burton made-for-TV is garish and overwrought. This story of a disintegrating marriage takes place in Italy and Africa and England (both London and "in the country"). Liz is backcombed and bejeweled. Dick talks about "massive investments" in "international conglomerates."

"You cahn't leave us!"
"I must."
"You hate me don't you?"
"You'd like to believe that, wouldn't you?"
"Beat me, loathe me if you must, but please don't leave me!"

A small part of me is genuinely appalled. This is the couple who did Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Early in their relationship, they brought daring realism to the depiction of domestic warfare. How did they get here? How did they sink to this?

But the bigger part of me is fascinated. Look at that enormous red headband holding her fall in place! Is that THE diamond she's wearing? I wonder how she'd look without all that eyeshadow. Why … does he … speak like … THIS? These odd pauses make him sound like the Welsh Captain Kirk.

In short, I'm enjoying this immensely.