Saturday, October 13, 2012

"He's makin' a list, and checkin' it twice......."

Alex Karras, the actor, passed away last week. Although, I hadn't thought about him for quite a while, I was still sorry to hear of his passing. You might remember that he was a former Chicago Bears great, and later the star of a really cute TV series. Karras also played a leading role in one of my all-time favorite movies.
As movies go, "Blazing Saddles" is not what anyone would call a classic. But, it is classic Mel Brooks. It is totally irreverant, crude, full of vulgar nonsense, really bad puns and at the same time, totally hilarious. My type of cinema.
"Blazing Saddles" contains one of my all-time favorite movie lines. Given my 40 plus years, as a United Methodist, I have known the best and the worst of the breed. So, I was not the least little bit surprised with the choices of Hedley Lamarr, the evil saloon owner, as he makes a list of the folks he wants in his dastardly gang. Hedley says: "I want rustlers, cut throats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswogglers, horse thieves, bull dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, ass-kickers, shit-kickers and Methodists.
That is just so bad, for all kinds of reasons. But very funny. I suggest you rent the movie or watch it on the Internet.

Good God: I believe that you have a sense of humor. You created us and allowed us free will. You have to get a chuckle out of mess we make of our lives. Thank you giving us the sense to laugh, when things are funny. Please, don't let us take ourselves to seriously. Teach us to be kind and caring residents of your bountiful Earth. In all things, we praise your Name.

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