And a good morning to you. I will probably not be writing much on this blog for the next day or so but I have some inventory material that will appear. I'm having some deadline problems that are being made deadlinier — a new word I just invented — by a touch of headache. Apart from posting here, I'm pretty much avoiding the Internet altogether for a bit so I have no idea what's going on in the world.
Last night, when I felt a little better and less pressured than I do now I watched Ricky Gervais's opening monologue for The Golden Globe Awards. I very much like Mr. Gervais as a talk show guest, a stand-up comic and as the star of some very good shows.
If this is indeed his last time hosting that awards program, great. It was kinda refreshing the first time he spoke some truth to power up there but in that gig, I think he's turned into what Joan Rivers became late in life: Someone who just says something nasty about people because that's their act…and it doesn't really matter if they really feel that way. It almost doesn't matter if it's funny as long as it's mean and outrageous.
The Golden Globes have always been a joke and it's sad to see Ricky Gervais — a man whose other work I greatly respect — become part of that joke. In politics, there's a saying that "the illusion of power is power." If others think you have it, that empowers you. It's the same way in show business: "The appearance of being important makes things important." That explains the Golden Globes.
No one knows who votes. No one cares who votes. But it's a splashy awards show and they throw a good party and biggies turn out for it — so if the unknown selection process says you're Best Actor…hey, it can't hurt to be there, accept and thank the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, whoever the hell they are, for that great, great honor. If I got an award from an entity of no consequence, I might well exaggerate the significance of it.
I didn't watch the rest of it and I only watched the monologue because I came across it on YouTube. I had something better to do last night, which was to go see Dick Van Dyke perform at the Catalina Bar & Grill in Hollywood…
He was great. He's always great. Even when he's not as great as he can be, he's still great. He was assisted ably by his fine vocal group The Vantastix, a great band and his lovely spouse, Arlene. I think I said last time they did this that Arlene was sensational. Well, she was even better last night and it was great to see the obvious mutual affection when she and her hubby did a duet. Boy, I'm glad those two found each other.
Mr. Van Dyke is 94, as he kept reminding us. He also said he was on some sort of medication that made him a bit high. If he hadn't told us, I wouldn't have known. He was charming and funny and all the things you'd expect Dick Van Dyke to be.
If and when I hear of them doing this again, I'll try to let you know before tickets sell out…but they seem to sell out an hour after they go on sale. I don't think there was one person at the Catalina last night who went away disappointed and I don't think there was one who didn't utter some sentence that began, "Boy, I hope when I'm that age…"