[tws]

I just had one random recent memory to share.

Before I do, let me recommend the music of Ezra Furman. He and his Tufts band The Harpoons are outstanding. I say this because most college bands, comedians, sketch comedy groups, improv troupes, writers, and even sometimes athletes, are generally not that outstanding. But Furman’s debut album Banging Down the Doors is spectacular. It even beat out Of Montreal is a recent 2007 poll. Yes, it was my friend’s poll of herself, but she’s got a fairly expert taste, so dig in and enjoy.

Anyway, here’s my memory. I was on a plane a couple of weeks ago, flying back from Florida. The in-flight entertainment didn’t pull me away from Screeching Weasel, Orange Juice, or whatever I had filling my eardrums at the moment. Some episode of “How I Met Your Mother” passed by, then an episode of the Simpsons came on. Being a classic Simpsons fan, I perked up and watched, sans audio for a few minutes. I realized I’d already seen this episode. It waw the one where Homer’s Ice Cream Man dies (HABF22), and he winds up taking over the truck (of course…just like in the Trucking episode “Maximum Homerdrive”…except without all of that marginally good writing). I had seen “Ice Cream of Margie (with the Light Blue Hair)” before, and nothing about it really made me want to see it again. It included one particularly dumb homage to Ali G as Homer gets dressed to be the Ice Cream Man. That gag is good on Ali G. That’s the only place. Remember when The Simpsons used to be the best show on television, and probably of all time? Twelve years ago, they were the ones who pinned the quotes and drew the allusions, not the other way around. Now, I’m surrounded by people chuckling, for some reason, at a dumb ploy for cheap laughs.

Suddenly, I remembered one particular episode of the Simpsons. "HOMR" (BABF22). Homer has a crayon pulled from his brain, increasing his IQ to a MENSA level. At one point, the intelligent Homer goes to see some prototypical Julia Roberts schlockfest with nothing but predictable, hackneyed jokes and stupid pop-culture references. Everyone around Homer, for some reason he can't comprehend, is cracking up at this crap.

I know I'm not MENSA material, but still...life imitates art, my friend. Life imitates art.