Eddie Murphy on SNL

It's hard to believe but it's almost been thirty years since Brooklyn-native Eddie Murphy first outraged America on Saturday Night Live. He was only 19 years old or something at the time and had been found by the SNL producers working the comedy clubs, his talent obvious to all.

If you ever read the definitive book on SNL, Live from New York, Eddie first appeared as a minor featured player during the 1980-81 season. He almost never appeared in sketches and, when he did, had little to do. This season has gone down as one of the worst in the show's history but it was obvious to everyone that Eddie was super-funny and had been criminally under used.

After that disastrous season, nearly all of the cast members (including Gilbert Gottfried) were fired save Eddie and Joe Piscopo. The new cast and the next three seasons were largely built around these two, and Eddie etched some of his most memorable characters that have become pop culture icons: Gumby ("I'm Gumby dammit!"), Mr Robinson's Neighborhood ("Hello little chidrin'"), Buckwheat ("Oh-tay!"), Velvet Jones ("Do you wanna be a ho?"), as well as such brilliant celebrity impression as Stevie Wonder and, seen here, James Brown.

Eddie Murphy left SNL mid-season in 1984 (twenty-five years ago!) and went on to have a rather up-and-down movie career (mostly down in my humble opinion). He also had a bad falling out with SNL in the 1990s when David Spade made a joke on "Weekend Update" about Eddie's flailing movie career at the time. Apparently Eddie is very thin-skinned and was so angry that he swore that he'd never again have anything to do with Saturday Night Live ever again.

Poor us.

Since then both Eddie and the show have basically jumped the shark but thankfully we can always watch the old episodes and remember that great time when Eddie and SNL were dangerously funny -- New York institutions both at their zenith.

Back in Civilization

After a magical wedding and glorious honeymoon, Mr NYC is back and can't wait to get blogging again. Lots to do, so much going on.

First, the wedding was amazing and everyone loved it. All the credit for making it so beautiful and moving so perfectly goes to my incredible wife. We then headed off to a resort spa in Arizona where we lounged next to multiple swimming pools and were copiously supplied with fresh towels, ice water, and good food. Now we're home, all tanned and, in some cases, burned, but very, very happy.

Second, I plan to do two significant posts on 1) the wedding night (NO! NOT THAT!) but on an amazing hotel upgrade we got that we still can't believe and 2) President Obama's nomination of a Sonia Sotomayor, an NYC native, to the Supreme Court.

All that and more! Stay tuned ...

Goin' Fishin'

I'll be out of town next week.

Might as well tell you why: Mr NYC is getting married to a wonderful, amazing woman and we'll be on our honeymoon.

I'm not planning to blog while enjoying my first days of marital bliss but, if I have the time, opportunity, and something interesting comes up, I may check in. Otherwise -- see you in June!

Bomb Scare!

Or not.

Four losers were arrested for planting what turned out to be fake bombs in order to blow up a Jewish temple and nursing home in Riverdale before going on to shoot down aircraft with a Stinger missile. However, before they could plant these "bombs" these bums were busted -- in the Bronx.

Thank God!

Big victory in the fight against terrorism -- or is it? These morons (who, btw, are not from NYC but from upstate in Newburgh) are four very angry, sad, pathetic men. Apparently they had converted to Islam in prison and became radicalized. What's unclear from all the reports I've read, however, is whether or not these guys had actually planned to commit these acts or were conned into it by this FBI informant.

If these guys were planning terrorist acts and this informant dropped the dime on them, then thank the Lord almighty and this guy is a hero. If, on the other hand, they were convinced into doing these things by this guy, then they're too stupid to remain in society and were justifiably arrested. Still, I get a little quesy when law encforcement goes out of its way to pressure people into almost committing crimes just so they can arrest people. That is, of course, if this was the case.

Anyway, our fair city can rest a little easier tonight.

Roosevelt Island Tram

You probably know there is a tram or "Red Bus" to Roosevelt Island that soars high above the city and gives people sweeping views of the Big Apple.

You can get on board on 59h street and literally fly over NYC for five minutes, all for only $2.

If you've never done it, this video gives you a good idea of what the ride is like. And if you want more info on how to get on board, go here.

Interesting side note: the Roosevelt Island tram is the only aerial lift in any city in the country. Yet another unique thing about this most unique of cities.

What's Happening?

There's something always going on in NYC, even if it's not necessarily grabbing the headlines.

The big news in town today is that we now have our first confirmed death from swine flu -- Mitchell Wiener, an assistant principal from Queens. Obviously Mr NYC extends his deepest sympathies to his family and to all those who are suffering from this terrible thing. Let's hope this is the only death our city will experience and that everyone recovers from swine flu.

But there's more going on in NYC beneath the media glare. This Sunday, right before Memorial Day, the city will implement its new traffic strategies in Times Square. Several blocks are going to be blocked off to cars and trucks and, by this fall, Times Square (and eventually Herald Square and Madison Square) will be transformed from traffic clogged intersections into pedestrian plazas.

This week New York magazine has a great profile of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan who is overseeing this and other changes to the way New Yorkers get around town. What's great about her is that she is determined to make this city less dependent on cars and make alternative transportation more appealing. Some critics says she is some kind of hippie-crunchy elitist who doesn't understand how "real" New Yorkers live but, if you see how she wants to make moving around this city easier, I don't know how you can object to what she's doing. I know I knock Bloomberg a lot on here but Janette is really one of his best hires.

Finally, if you want to better understand how the economic recession is affecting average (and not so average) New Yorkers, check out Downsize NYC which gives first-person stories about how some people are coping with their changes of fortune.

No, it's never dull in NYC.

Memo from NYC

Not long ago I wrote about what a whiny little bee-otch Dick Cheney has become -- blasting President Obama every time someone sticks a microphone before the former VP's creepy frog-like face. This week Timothy Noah has a great article in Slate that explains why Republicans are such sore losers in general.

His conclusions?

Since Republicans have won more elections then they've lost in the last 40 years, losses are a "shock" to the collective GOP "system" while, when Democrats lose, it confirms their "tragic view of life." Also, and I think this is his best point, Democrats view elections as a means to an end while Republicans view them as an end unto themselves: Democrats want power so they can use it to help people; Republicans just want power so that Democrats don't have it.

I agree completely with Mr Noah, but I have another theory as well: Republicans generally have a more paranoid, apocalyptic, fearful view of the world. In their minds, everyone and everything is under constant threat from dangerous, unseen forces.

OBAMA IS A SECRET MUSLIM WHO WILL DESTROY AMERICA FROM WITHIN!

HIGHER TAXES WILL DESTROY THE ECONOMY!

IF WE DON'T INVADE IRAQ THEN SADDAM WILL DESTROY US!

UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE WILL DESTROY OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM!

GAY MARRIAGE WILL DESTROY THE INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE!

And on and on. You get the idea.

Republicans believe Democrats want to "destroy" everything good about the United States (even the United States itself) and turn us into some kind of weird totalitarian Islamic socialist caliphate -- one that, strangely enough, also recognizes gay marriage and gives everyone health care.

Go figure.

So, whenever these evil Democrats get power, Republicans feel the apocalypse is nigh. And they, the super-patriotic Republicans, must save the USA from the unpatriotic Democrats. Thus Republicans believe that making life miserable and hellish for Democratic Presidents is a necessary, just, and patriotic cause -- but, of course, if Democrats dare criticize Republican presidents, then Republicans accuse Democrats of being "unpatriotic" -- and, of course, of trying to destroy America.

Got it?

Well, you won't see me accusing Republicans of being unpatriotic. I firmly believe that Republicans love America.

They just don't like Americans very much.

Health care, living wages, environmental standards, worker protections, reproductive freedom, fair taxation? All these things that might help people's lives? Nope! American's can't have those things!

But sending Americans to die in stupid, mismanaged, unwinnable wars? Preventing gay Americans from having full civil rights? Growing the gap between rich and poor? Lying about the heroism and sacrifices of veterans who happen to be Democrats? Yes to all that!

The logic behind Republican patriotism might seem a bit bizarre but remember, these are the same people who love guns, executions, war, and torture but really are ... pro-life!

But then, when I think about it, Republicans seem to be angry and sore even when they win. Have Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh and all those creeps ever seemed happy to you? They're perennial, constant hate machines. Being so full of hate all the time must be exhausting. I can't even imagine it.

Well, Mr NYC wishes the Republicans the best of luck with all their hatred. Happy hating. The American people don't seem to be in hating mood right now. They support Obama and are optimistic about our future. But, politics are always cyclical and I'm sure the Republicans will be sore winners once again. And when they are, I'm sure their hatred will continue to flow, unabated.

Remember Richard Bey?

There once was a local NYC talk show, broadcast on Channel 9 from 1987 to 1996, that was so trashy, so bizarre, so over the top wild, that you hated it but couldn't look away.

The Richard Bey Show was a direct influence on shows like Jerry Springer and, in many ways, laid the groundwork for people like Howard Stern to become mainstream (this is perhaps a dubious honor but there's no question about their impact on the culture).

Richard Bey would interview people about their sex lives and stuff like that but the show's funniest gags would be things like the Mr Punyverse Contest (skinny white men tethered to fat black women who would then race each other) or Queen of the Trailer Park (trailer park women competing for the title based on who had the most miserable trailer park living conditions).

This was freak show entertainment at its lowest -- or maybe its finest? -- level and, considering what our presidential elections have become, who's to say that shows like Richard Bey were that bad? Talking about presidential elections, allegedly, the Richard Bey show was canceled in 1996 because he interviewed Gennifer Flowers around the time of Clinton's re-election and the powers that be were angry and pulled the plug.

After his show was canceled, Bey had a short career in radio but was fired in 2003 because he openly opposed the Iraq War.

Talking about getting it from both sides!

Richard Bey disappeared from the media spotlight for a while but it sounds like he's mounting some kind of comeback. There's a long article about him in the New York Observer and he'll be appearing as himself in the new Bruno movie. It'll be interesting to see if he becomes cool again. I sure hope he does.

Headless Body in Topless Bar

Here's another classic headline from a NYC paper -- this one from 1982.

Take Me Back to Funky Town

Mr NYC is nothing if not nostalgic. If you read this blog regularly then you know that plumbing the depths of New York's collective memory is one of my favorite things to do.

I'm not alone. For some reason, in the last few years, there's been a little boomlette of movies, TV shows, and other stuff that seeks to remember NYC back in what Tom Wolfe called the Me Decade -- the 1970s. Movies like 54, American Gangster, Summer of Sam, and the coming remake of The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3; TV shows like Life on Mars and The Bronx is Burning (based on the book "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx is Burning"); and a new exhibit about John Lennon in NYC, all bring back memories of the city in that most of tumultuous of decades.

Call this anti-, or ironic, nostalgia.

NYC in the 1970s was supposedly not a pretty place. Literally and figuratively. According to history, the city was a horror show back then. You couldn't go outside without getting raped, mugged, molested, beaten up, or kept out of Studio 54. Robert Caro wrote in The Power Broker that the city was in "chaos and despair." Annie Hall in Annie Hall said it was "a dying city." That's when the city almost went bankrupt and President Ford told it to "drop dead" (he never actually said it but it made for one of the greatest headlines ever).

Apparently, NYC in the seventies just sucked.

Or maybe not. Maybe it wasn't so bad. Maybe it was actually kinda great. Some people are looking back at this low, dishonest decade and thinking that for all the misery, there was something special about it. They want to go back to funky town.

One of these people is James Walcott of Vanity Fair. He has a great article and a slide show in this month's issue about NYC in the 1970s that remembers the city as a strange, exciting place. It hadn't totally and completely sold out to money like it would in the 80s, 90s, and the oughts. NYC back then was still a place that embraced funky people more so than now. This includes the band The New York Dolls and Walcott has another great short article about this band and the late, great CBGBs.

Reading this, I couldn't help but sigh a little. I don't remember NYC in the 1970s at all -- I spent the three years I was alive in it crawling and running around my parents apartment. All of the exciting stuff was happening downtown, far away. And while the city has in no doubt improved since then, for everything we've gained, no doubt, as Walcott says, we've lost something to.

So all we have now is nostalgia.

P.S. I managed to write two blog posts in a row with "funky" in the title. Good for me. Mr NYC vows to keep it (whatever "it" is, presumably this blog) quite funky indeed.