Sunday, June 19, 2011

Happy Father's Day!!

Especially to my own father, Cliff, who is both my hero and role model.

Note to those wives and kids planning to celebrate: no brunches. That’s Mother’s Day stuff. Let the old man sit in front of the TV and watch NASCAR or the WNBA. 

Or watch FIELD OF DREAMS.

And now, as a public service, here are some movies NOT to watch on Father’s Day:

FEAR STRIKES OUT
CHINATOWN
SHINE
WALK THE LINE
OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN
DEAD POETS SOCIETY
STAR WARS

Some TV shows and telefilms NOT to watch:

THE MARVIN GAYE STORY
THE BEACH BOYS STORY
Any CBS family comedy

Some unfriendly father plays:

ALL MY SONS
DEATH OF A SALESMAN (any Arthur Miller, actually)
LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT

Some books to avoid:

Any Bing Crosby biography
Any Frank Sinatra biography
LOVE STORY (for so many reasons)

Records to skip:

PAPA WAS A ROLLING STONE by the Temptations
BOY NAMED SUE by Johnny Cash
MY DAD by Paul Peterson

Any other suggestions are welcome.

Again, happy Father’s Day – the most sacred of the bullshit Hallmark holidays.

28 comments :

YibbleGuy said...

Hmmm ... how about:

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. ("Happy Father's Day, Big Daddy--it's just a 'spastic colon'!")

Absolom, Absolom!

The Color Purple.

King Lear.

Huckleberry Finn.

And, of course, OEDIPUS REX.

Paul Duca said...

But a song you have to include is "Color Him Father" by the Winstons.

Paul Duca said...

I hope you realized I meant include as "not to avoid"...

Also...my dad was a big high school jock. But he saw what happened to Jimmy Piersall (the subject of FEAR STRIKES OUT), so he didn't try to make us play if we didn't want..

Rob said...

The Shining

The Stepfather

Everybody Loves Raymond

Bryon inFlate White said...

Holy Crap!! Just so nobody gets the wrong idea, or just because I like him so much...Jimmy Piersall is a hell of a good guy. I know he gets a lot of crap due to his early troubles, but having encountered him many times while he was doing the White Sox games w/Harry Caray, he was always a gentleman, always took it upon himself to learn names of those he was dealing with regularly - and has a great sense of humor.

Paul Peterson, what a freakin' memory you have! Spawned from the same TV genetics, how about "Norman?" Wasn't that Shelly's song?

Who'd a thunk, M's and Phils would score 12 runs in 2 games? 16 still looks possible for the total o/u, but we'll need a BIG effort from Vargas today. Fortunately, he's a Dirtbag and thoroughly capable.

pops mcgee said...

Don't watch LOST.

They all have daddy issues...

Mike Botula said...

How about "Father of the Bride?"

Phillip B said...

Avoid, as so many other have, "High on Arrival" by
MacKenzie Phillips.

And am I the only one who thinks "Fear Strikes Out" would make a great sitcom?

@IFeedUrTV said...

1 more father-unfriendly song: Father Of Mine by Everclear.

PS to Bryon: Norman was by Sue Thompson. Shelley Fabares's song was Johnny Angel. I've had to play them both on occasion.

estiv said...

You might add TREE OF LIFE to the list. For one thing, none of the other movies have dinosaurs, which somehow no one had ever before connected with abusive fathers.

Paul Duca said...

Byron...I am not blaming Mr. Piersall for the actions of his father (for those who don't know, Papa's demands for him to succeed led Jimmy to a nervous breakdown).

BethB said...

At my behest, my kids bought their dad Superman on DVD. His two dads DIE in the first 25 minutes. Sorry dads of the world.
On another note, I am very excited by the idea of a Superman/My Two Dads mashup.

Tim W. said...

I'd MUCH rather go to brunch with my wife and kids than sit in front of the TV and watch Nascar or the WNBA. That sounds SOOOOO boring.

emily said...

Dads:

All of us still remember your favorite game -- "Stop Hitting Yourself."

Oh, and the horrible whisker rub thing that turned our faces beet red.

And we all remember you "wore the pants in the family," but didn't mom always pick out which pair you put on?

Anyway,
Thanks Pop

Donora Pa said...

Interesting bit of baseball/Fathers Day trivia: this is the first Fathers Day since 1973 that at least one Griffey is not playing major league baseball.

Well, it was interesting to me!

Kirk said...

Don't watch The X-Files. Neither father was all that great.

WV imput: Um, I guess what I'm right now typing.

Rory L. Aronsky said...

And, of course, don't watch The Great Santini.

Johnny Walker said...

Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire

Also not good for mother's dad:

Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire

Dan in Missouri said...

I still love My Dad. The 45 is on my jukebox

Catherine said...

I told friends (who hadn't yet seen it) that the way they were likely to respond to "Field of Dreams" (apart from the acting, of course) would be based on how they felt about their fathers, and how they felt about baseball (and, if they knew the history, perhaps how they felt about the Black Sox "scandal.") Is there anyone who can watch the film through without weeping?

Thanks for the photo, Ken. And Happy Father's Day to you.

Sylvia Plath said...

This boys life...
The Shaggs...
The Jacksons...

Buttermilk Sky said...

EAST OF EDEN

REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE

THE SHINING

Any biography of the Jackson 5 or the Beach Boys

The Milner Coupe said...

I like 'My Dad' by Paul Peterson.

Happy walker said...

Happy Father's Day !!! Have a Nice Day !!! Best Regards from Mr Lonely at http://www.lonelyreload.com .. do visits my blog when free.. XD

50 is the new 35 said...

"Cat's In The Cradle": The timeless anthem for Type A dads everywhere ...


"'When you coming home dad?' 'I don't know when, but we'll get together then, son, you know we'll have a good time then' ..."

Brian Phillips said...

Telefilm:

Something About Amelia

Brian Phillips said...

There is at least one character in "The World According to Garp" that won't be a father by natural means...

Paul Duca said...

To go with the one that won't be a mother by natural means, despite the wardrobe.