Thursday, May 18, 2006

The Past is Not Really As Good as we Remember It

Thaurloteion: mork and mindy was a spinoff from happy days?
Toast171: yes
Thaurloteion: the show about the 50s? with diners and motorcycles?
Toast171: eerrrrr... yes.
Toast171: also the show that invented the term "jump the shark"
Thaurloteion: how do these two relate?
Toast171: The Fonz fought Mork in a battle of psychokinetic prowess
Toast171: and won
Toast171: we dont speak of it
Thaurloteion: theres a part of me that doesnt believe you, but its fighting with the part of me that believes if a show goes on long enough, things like that will happen
Toast171: oh yes, it's all so horribly true
Toast171: and then there was the Happy Days Cartoon
Toast171: with the time machine
Toast171: and the magic-using ditz blonde from the 23rd century
Toast171: and some kind of pet
Toast171: that was also somehow magical
Thaurloteion: yes Mr. Cool
Thaurloteion: the fonz's dog
Toast171: hmmm.. she wasn't blonde
Thaurloteion: really, how was mork and mindy a spinoff?
Thaurloteion: because i thought it was set in the 70s
Toast171: it was as I said, and yes it was set in the late 70s/early 80s
Toast171: and later sported Johnathon Winters as a baby who aged backwatds
Toast171: TV is much better today
Toast171: even Stargate
Thaurloteion: so this
Thaurloteion: The character of Mork was introduced in an episode of Happy Days titled "My Favourite Orkan". Richie tells everyone he has seen a flying saucer but no one else believes him. Fonzie tells him that people make up stories about UFOs because their lives are "humdrum". Then, while Richie's at home, Mork walks in. He freezes everyone with his finger except Richie and says he was sent to Earth to find a "humdrum" human to take back to Ork. Richie runs to Fonzie for help. When Mork catches up to him, he freezes everyone but finds himself unable to freeze Fonzie due to The Fonz's famous and powerful thumbs. Mork challenges Fonzie to a duel: Finger vs. Thumb. After their duel, The Fonz admits defeat. But Mork decides to take Fonzie back to Ork instead of Richie. Then, Richie wakes up and realizes he was dreaming. There is a knock on the door and much to Richie's dismay, it is a man who looks exactly like Mork except in regular clothes asking for directions. When production on Mork & Mindy began, an extra scene was filmed and added to this episode for subsequent reruns. Mork contacts Orson and explains that he decided to let Fonzie go, and was going to travel to the year 1978 to continue his mission.
Thaurloteion: is accurate?
Thaurloteion: "famous and powerful thumbs?"
Toast171: eech... yes, every word is true
Thaurloteion: and people complain about Simpsons plots
Toast171: no matter how low you fall in life son, shows like this prove there really is no bottom to society. These guys were *paid* to write this. Someone thought it was a *good* idea. Be afraid.
Thaurloteion: but did they only think it was a good idea because they sold their souls to the devil for some cocaine and millions of dollars?
Toast171: dozens of dollars, but yes

2 comments:

MAH said...

For the small handful of new readers, Thaurlotein is my 20 year-old son.

Anonymous said...

"TV is much better today"

I don't know about that. Most of the prime time shows are questionably appropiriate for family viewing (I have a 12 yr. old and a 6 yr. old) and the shows we can watch as a family have shockingly graphic, sexually explicit commercials. Yes, TV in the 70's was vapid, rote and canned but at least it offered some escape.

Tara