Archives For Culture

David Kirkpatrick explores the intoxicating and ambiguous nature of modern culture.

The 2000 Year Old Man – Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner

June 16, 2013 —  Comments

This is Father’s Day and there is probably no father older than the 2000 year old man. The character was created by comics Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner  in the late 50s and early 60s. The 2000 year old man is older now than he was then. This is such a  brilliantly funny   audio track, produced in 1960,  that I thought I would share it here today on Father’s Day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI7wDpBRqjo

According to Carl Reiner’s son , Rob Reiner, in a 2008 interview, the character was originally established while Reiner and Brooks were  fooling  around at  cocktail parties with friends.

Apparently, fellow comic Steve Allen, thought the 2000 year old man was so hilarious, he convinced Reiner and Brooks to try a recording. This was the first sketch of that recording. The record went on to  spawn several records, an animated piece and books .

I remember first hearing this with my Dad when it first came out. I was 8 or 9 at the time. My Dad  put the “vinyl” record on his new “hi fi” stereo.  We sat back and proceeded to laugh our heads off together.

Please note: The completed video master of this material is believed to still be under copyright to Capital Records. This segment, which is less than 5 % of the running time of the completed series is being used for educational purposes.Title 17: Chapter 1 / 107 of the United States Code provides for special instances in which copyrighted materials can legally be used without permission from the owner.

 Section 107, “Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use,” says in part: “The fair use of a copyrighted work … for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.”
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A Place in Heaven at $100,000 Is Taken Down by eBay as being “Intangible”

June 6, 2013 —  Comments

ebay and heaven.001

SELLING HEAVEN ON EBAY

The 181 bids on eBay had brought the total for a place in heaven to a whopping $100,000.

At that point, the bidding has suspended. EBay’s reasoning? They had a policy of not selling the “intangible”. A place in heaven was considered such.

This was said to be a prank by a self-proclaimed atheist, Ari Mandel, 31, of Teaneck, New Jersey. Mr. Mandel was selling more than the intangible. He was selling something he did not really believe in.

Nevertheless, despite the ephemeral nature of the product, some 181 bids were placed on Mr. Mandel’s “portion of heaven” , before eBay’s suspension .

The bid was at $99,900 and there were still six days left in the bidding! Who knows how heavenward the price could have gone?

Screenshot of bid page before the eBay take down

Screenshot of bid page before the eBay take down.

SELLING THE VIRGIN MARY ON EBAY

This reminds me of the significant sale back in 2004 of the Virgin Mary on eBay.

In this, case however, eBay did not order a take down on the Blessed Mother. Apparently, she was viewed as “tangible”. According to sources, the Blessed Mother had actually manifest her face on a very real top of a grilled cheese sandwich.

The sandwich apparently was partially eaten and was some ten years old.

The bidding was not suspended. The winning bid, $28,000., was from the Golden Palace Casino, an online gambling portal.

The owner, Diana Duyser of  Hollywood, Florida, had claimed that she had kept the Virgin-Mary- grilled-cheese-manifestation in her nightstand drawer for ten years.

During they time, Ms. Duyer did quite well at the casinos, proof  of the divine powers of the sandwich.

Also considered tangible was the fact that the sandwich has remained mold-free for its ten years in a bedroom drawer.

Apparently, the Golden Palace are now selling "The Virgin Mary Grilled Cheese" - "The Passion Of The Toast"

Apparently, the Golden Palace is now selling “The Virgin Mary Grilled Cheese” – “The Passion Of The Toast”

NOTE TO HEAVEN:

If you or any participants up there are going to be sold, make sure the miracle has traction.

In other words, consider something in cheese.

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