Many times in movies and other forms of entertainment, the contriving plot demands someone dress like a woman and fool other people, ostensibly people who aren’t blind.  OMG Lists compiled ten of the worst offenders, from White Chicks to Bosom Buddies.  It’s a pretty accurate list, despite my affection for Tootsie.

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Sesame Street premiered on November 10th, 1969, which makes it 40 years old today! The above clip is from a promotional show aired to introduce the series two days before the premiere. Sesame Street was originally intended for inner-city children, but became a hit with the preschool set all over the globe. Many people don’t realize how much the show has changed in 40 years. The early seasons are available on DVD with a disclaimer that says:

“These early ‘Sesame Street’ episodes are intended for grown-ups, and may not suit the needs of today’s preschool child.”

In those early days, Cookie Monster smoked a pipe. He also ate things that weren’t edible, much less nutritious. Oscar the Grouch was much grouchier. And children rode bicycles without helmets! You won’t see those things on this season’s Sesame Street. Link

More Sesame Street Links

Today’s anniversary episode features guest star Michelle Obama.

Caroll Spinney, who plays Big Bird, is still going strong at almost 76 years old.

8 Memorable Sesame Street Celebrity Cameos.

Sesame Street videos on YouTube.

The 101 Muppets of Sesame Street.

The Cookie Monster Interview.

Big Bird Sings at Jim Henson’s Funeral.

It’s hard to believe 26 years have passed since the TV series M*A*S*H aired its final episode. Today’s Lunchtime Quiz at mental_floss will test how much you remember about the series. I was embarrassed to score only 80%. Some of the questions are hard! Link

Interestingly enough, many of the actors in these pieces, when interviewed decades after the fact, confessed that they weren’t particularly proud of their performances. The Twilight Zone had a budget, just like any other series, and often the bulk of the money per episode had to be spent on sets and special effects. There was no luxury of multiple retakes until the actor felt just right about a particular scene. A sub-par performance wasn’t a matter of concern in most episodic television of that era, but, as William Shatner later mentioned in an interview, at that time a Twilight Zone appearance was just another job – no one ever suspected that these episodes would be aired over and over (and over!) again for years to come.

There’s more about your favorite episodes and about host Rod Serling. Link

Sometimes the stories of what might have been are just as fascinating as what really happened. Kara Kovalchik of mental_floss dug up actors and actresses that turned down TV roles that may have turned out quite different. Michael Richards as Adrian Monk? Paul Shaffer as George Costanza? Or Jayne Mansfield as Ginger? That may have put a whole different face on the “Ginger or Mary Anne?” debate! Link

Located at the Corner of Bedford and Grove in Manhattan, the Friends apartment building houses many New Yorkers who pay way too much money to brag about living in the Friends apartment building.

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Today’s Lunchtime Quiz at mental_floss is for Seinfeld fans. The character of George Costanza held many different jobs during the run of the show. How well do you remember them? I scored abysmally by guessing, so you will of course do better. Link

Imagine it from a TV executive’s point of view: a weekly variety show, in an old vaudeville theater, featuring puppets, and a mix of A, B and C-list celebrities that catered to both kids and adults. That’s not a pitch… it’s a just list of random words that don’t go together. Unfortunately, it’s that weirdness that’s been lost to the ages, as these days the Muppets are remembered more as a kids’ show instead of the more adult, primetime comedy it was.

The Muppet Show’s 10 Weirdest Moments has video clips of sexual innuendo, violence, and surreal guest stars that bring back fond memories. Link -via Look At This

Andrea and Simon Bean, aka Fred and Wilma Flinstone, and Richard and Jill Noble, aka Barney and Betty Rubble, celebrated their double wedding at Weston Park Golf Club on Saturday by taking a quick trip to the next door dinosaur park for some spectacular wedding photographs sure to raise eyebrows on any mantelpiece.

With 165 guests dressed as cavemen and women, two best men dressed as dinosaurs, and a spectacular tiered wedding rock cake, both Wilma and Betty entered the ceremony to the traditional organ sound of Wagner’s Bridal March.

However, this was quickly replaced by an organ version of The Flintstones theme tune.

All of the participants had been married before and felt no need for a tradition wedding. In lieu of gifts, the couples received donations for the Children’s Liver Disease Foundation. Link -via Arbroath

(image credit: James Bass)

In the world of radio journalism, there’s nothing better than “This American Life.” With their remarkable focus on everyday people and their indescribable story selection, the hipster-friendly show is a unique radio magazine.

Try your luck on ten questions about the PRI show and its television counterpart in this Lunchtime Quiz from mental_floss. Link

One-year-old Tango became the star of the discussion programme after finding his way into the school hall where it was being recorded.

He ducked under a desk and headed towards the panel. At first, Dimbleby and guests including employment minister Jim Knight and Tory security spokesman Dame Pauline Neville-Jones were oblivious to his presence.

But as he pawed under the table he caught the eye of LibDem MP Julia Goldsworthy, who in astonishment mouthed the word ‘cat’ at the production team.

Meanwhile, Jackie Ellery of Newquay, England hadn’t seen her cat Tango in hours. As she wondered about his whereabouts, she sat down to watch TV.

She said: ‘My friend phoned me to say, “Have you seen your cat on the telly?” And there he was.

‘It’s lovely – he’s a mischievous cat anyway and because we live so close to the school he’s often in the school grounds.’

Tango, who returned to his owner that night, has since become something of a celebrity. Mrs Ellery said: ‘I’ve even been asked for his paw-tograph.’

Link – via Arbroath

The video:

[YouTube Clip]

Ah, the pop culture dad. Is anyone more bumbling? Film and TV have provided us with a bevy of memorable dads, all perpetuating the stereotype of the well-meaning, but dim-witted (or borderline psychotic) pop. (Actually, sometimes it isn’t borderline.) In honor of Father’s Day, we salute a few of the greatest moments in pop culture dad-itude. They all deserve a "Father of the Year" novelty award … and possibly psychiatric counseling.

From martini-mixing lessons to murdering mobsters, see some of the best moments [of pop culture fatherhood]

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1. "Suicide is Painless" - M*A*S*H*

The song was written by Robert Altman's son, Mike Altman, when he was only 14 years old. The tune was written by Johnny Mandel, a musician who worked with Count Basie, Frank Sinatra and Peggy Lee (among others). Mandel sings the song as well. When Altman wrote the lyrics, he told producer Ingo Preminger that he just wanted a guitar in return, but Preminger insisted that he be paid the regular way and set up a contract that would give Altman royalties. He ended up making more than a million dollars, at least according to his dad, who directed the movie. Incidentally, Robert only received $75,000 for directing it.

2. "Those Were The Days" - All in the Family

According to series producer Norman Lear, the reason Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton sang the theme song themselves was simply to save costs. Although it was the same thing at the beginning of every episode, there were a few different versions. In one, Archie hugs Edith at the end. In another, Edith smiles at Archie and he returns the look with one of irritation. And we shouldn't be surprised that the lyrics and music were so memorable: songwriting duo Charles Strouse and Lee Adams were very good at their jobs, having already won a couple of Tony Awards (Bye Bye Birdie and Applause). Another interesting tidbit: after the theme song aired for the first few times, viewers wrote in and complained that they couldn't understand what the actors were supposed to be saying, especially the line "Gee our old LaSalle ran great." If you've ever wondered why that line is so clearly enunciated in the theme song, that's why - Jean Stapleton recorded her part again and made sure to speak ridiculously clearly during those words.

3. "The Addams Family Theme" - The Addams Family

Composer Vic Mizzy wrote the theme song, which is pretty well known, but what isn't as commonly known is that he wrote the theme song for another very popular sitcom from the same era. "The Munsters?" you might be wondering. Nope - the other theme song is a true testament to Mizzy's versatility - it was Green Acres. Mizzy also contributed parts to the Mr. Ed and Petticoat Junction theme songs. He still receives royalties every time The Addams Family theme is played, even when it's on an organ at a baseball game. (Photo from VicMizzy.com)

4. "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" - The Beverly Hillbillies

This tune joins the elite group of T.V. theme songs that were so popular they actually ended up on the mainstream music charts. The song was written and composed by Paul Henning, who was also the series' creator. The man who sang the song, Jerry Scoggins, was a stockbroker trying to break into the music business when he landed "The Ballad of Jed Clampett." This luck break paired him with the legendary Foggy Mountain Boys, who played the music that backed him. The Foggy Mountain Boys, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, were already well established in the country and bluegrass world and had been members of the Grand Ole Opry for years... which probably helped the theme song reach #44 on the charts in 1962.

5. "The Ballad of Gilligan's Isle" - Gilligan's Island

What ended up being one of the most recognizable theme songs of all time started out as a very amateur recording done in a noisy house. Sherwood Schwartz, the show's creator, couldn't afford to rent a recording studio to get the theme down, so he called in a favor from a friend with the necessary equipment. The only day they could all do it in time for the pilot was a day that his friends were preparing for a big charity event at their house, so the song had to be recorded when waiters weren't clattering silverware and plates and serving trays around. It took forever to adjust the levels just right; they finally got a usable take just as guests were arriving for the event. It's not exactly the one we know today - Sherwood had injected a sort of calypso solo that didn't make the cut - but it's the general theme. And for the first season, the portion of the lyrics that served as a roll call completely neglected poor Mary Ann and the professor, saying, "The movie star and the rest, here on Gilligan's Isle!" Schwartz said he never had an inkling that the professor and Mary Ann would become such popular characters and therefore didn't think to name them in the theme song. Although this changed by the second season, Dawn Wells and Russell Johnson liked to send each other birthday cards and presents with the signature "The Rest" as a nod to the first theme song.

6. "Happy Days" - Happy Days

For the first two seasons of the show, the theme song was simply an oldie but goodie - Bill Haley and the Comets' "Rock Around the Clock." And it served the purpose just fine - it was so popular, in fact, that the song recharted after nearly 20 years. After season two, though, they decided to use an original song instead of Bill Haley's, and fans were already familiar with it since it was being used as the closing theme music. "Happy Days" got bumped up from the end of the show to the front, and the song has been stuck in our heads ever since. It was written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel, who gave us the lyrics and music to a ton of other memorable theme songs: Laverne and Shirley, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Wonder Woman and the score for H.R. Pufnstuf. "Happy Days" was performed by a roster of studio musicians, including some of the same guys who sang The Partridge Family theme song. As popular as the Happy Days theme song was, they decided to record a new version of it for the show's final season. It didn't go over as well, and I can see why... check it out for yourself:

7. "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" - Cheers

The famous theme song was nearly just a recycled song from a Broadway musical called Preppies. The producers of Cheers heard it and thought it would be perfect for their new show if the lyrics were just changed up a little. Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo, the songwriters, were understandably thrilled - but the producers of Preppies weren't. They refused to give up rights to the song. Portnoy and Angelo were devastated, but the producers of Cheers told them not to worry - they should just take a shot at writing something totally new. The first version, a pretty blatant rip-off of their first song, was quickly rejected. After reading a script, the duo took a third shot, which was closer - the producers loved some of the lyrics - but still no cigar. Version #3 was rejected. Portnoy and Hart were getting a little dejected and concerned that they were going to get fired any second, and to make matters worse, Gary and his girlfriend had just broken up. This set the mood for version #4, a melancholy little tune about the Red Sox losing, being too poor to pay the electric bill and needy girlfriends who wanted to get married. They almost decided it was too depressing for a sitcom, when they came up with the line "Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name," and the whole song turned from depressing to hopeful. The folks at Cheers loved it, but changed the opening lines from "Singing the blues when the Red Sox lose, it's a crisis in your life," to the now-famous, "Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got." The rest is history.

8. "Jeannie" - I Dream of Jeannie

There were three theme songs composed for the show about a blonde genie and her Master - the first season featured an instrumental waltz over the opening credits. And no less than Carole King wrote a theme song for the series, but Sidney Sheldon rejected it. The winning song that we know as the I Dream of Jeannie theme song today was composed by Hugo Montenegro. And, believe it or not, there were lyrics to the song. Written by Buddy Kaye, this gem was never used for the show:

Jeannie, fresh as a daisy. Just love how she obeys me, Does things that just amaze me so. She smiles, Presto the rain goes. She blinks, up come the rainbows. Cars stop, even the train goes slow. When she goes by, she paints sunshine on every rafter, sprinkles the air with laughter, we're close as a quarter after three. There's no one like Jeannie. I'll introduce her to you, but it's no use sir, cause my Jeannie's in love with me.

9. "Thank You For Being a Friend" - Golden Girls

Unbeknownst to me, this song wasn't original to our four happening grannies. It was first recorded in 1978 by Andrew Gold, who hit #25 on the Billboard charts the same year. Cynthia Fee sang it for the show, though.

The song was later reworked a third time for the opening credits to The Golden Palace. I hate it. But check it out! Don Cheadle!

10. "The Facts of Life" - The Facts of Life

If you didn't already know this, prepared to be floored: Alan Thicke, better known as Jason Seaver to legions of kids who grew up in the late '80s and early '90s, co-wrote "The Facts of Life." He also co-wrote and sang the theme song to Diff'rent Strokes. At the time, Thicke was married to his co-writer Gloria Loring, who sang the "Facts" song you probably remember. There was also an earlier version that featured the cast of the show singing the wise lyrics, but it was only used for the first season.

We often forget about how iconic the "hangout" is to the TV sitcoms.  In a lot of ways, the hangout becomes a character.  Anyway, this list of 10 most celebrated TV show hangouts includes the Bluth’s Banana Stand. How awesome is that!? "The big yellow joint…" 

We tend to get drawn into our favorite TV shows; we know what the characters do for a living and are privy to their groups of friends. But in order to really love a sitcom or dramatic series, it must be set to perfection—in other words, it’s all about the hangout spots. From the Three’s Company bar, Regal Beagle, to Beverly Hills, 90210’s diner, the Peach Pit, these renowned places—where our favorite small-screen characters gathered—ignite big memories for those of us who loyally tuned in. Reminisce with us as you check out these 10 famous spots where love, laughs and drama all unfolded—and where everyone definitely knew one another’s names.

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From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by ahammel.

In this edition of Spellbound, you’ll have to key in the first names of each female TV star mentioned. Capital letters don’t matter, but spelling does – so be careful. And good luck!

I only scored 40% because I are a bad spellar. Link

Link – via mikediluigi

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by SoccM84.

Sex, Drugs and Science

If this first group of studies show us anything, it’s that scientists are as drugged up and crazy as the junkies up the street from me.

Elephants on Acid:

If you were going to see the effects of LSD on an elephant, wouldn’t you start with smaller doses and progressively increase the dosage until there was a noticeable change in their behavior? I sure would. But the researchers on this one aren’t like you and me.

Instead the researchers working on this one started off by injecting the poor beast with 3000 times the dosage needed for an average human, despite the fact that elephants weigh around 50 times what the average human weighs. Within two hours, the animal died. The scientists defended their actions by saying they had used LSD plenty of times and were sure it was safe. They then concluded, “elephants are highly sensitive to LSD.”

Apparently another scientist found their results to be suspicious, so he gave elephants LSD in their water. In his study, the elephants acted a little funny, but were totally fine.

Source

Turkey Arousal:

We’ve all heard stories detailing how stupid turkeys are -like the one that says they’ll drown if you leave them in the rain. Well, some of those turkey stories may be bogus, but two Penn State researchers discovered that turkeys are so stupid they can be trained to be aroused by little more than sticks.

Their experiment consisted of creating a model female turkey that could be progressively deconstructed. The scientists would then gauge the turkey’s interest in the “female” and then remove some parts of her body and try again. They were expecting the birds would lose interest after is was stripped down enough. Surprisingly, the turkeys were aroused even when the model became little more than a stick with a head. I guess this not only shows how stupid turkeys are, but how perverse they are too.

Source | Photo Via Vicki’s Nature [Flickr]

Semen As an Anti-depressant?

I always thought scientists were supposed to be unbiased. I mean, if you’re hoping for certain results, might that affect your research? Obviously these researchers bypassed that concept, by attempting to prove that semen works as an antidepressant. They decided to study this theory by interviewing college women who were sexually active. Their conclusions proved that women who had sex without condoms were less depressed than women who used them.

Of course, their research was extremely preliminary and they didn’t even bother to take into account additional factors, like the fact that women not using condoms are more likely to be in serious

relationships. It doesn’t take a scientist to figure out that this might play into someone’s relative level of happiness. But like I said, this study was about as unbiased as all those tobacco company ones that couldn’t connect smoking with cancer.

Source | Photo Via Zen [Flickr]

Paging Dr. Obvious

The rest of these studies are amazing -in that someone actually bothered to research things so obvious:

Head Banging is Bad For You:

Who would have ever thought that aggressively and repeatedly throwing your head up and down would be bad for you? Gee, I never would have imagined that spinal damage and brain trauma could have resulted from head banging. Obviously, I’m being sarcastic. After years of dating a metal head, I can assure you that head banging can certainly make you retarded…or at least, it doesn’t help your intelligence at all.

The only good thing researchers found was that head banging is unlikely to leave you unconscious. What is really funny is the researcher’s suggestions for the metal genre. They suggest metal bands play more

mellow tunes and less “beat oriented” music. They also urged label to place anti-head banging warnings on their cds. Oh, and listeners were advised to start listening to “adult-oriented rock” instead of heavy metal. Yeah, that’s gonna happen real soon.

Source | Photo Via Cayusa [Flickr]

Male science nerds likely to be virgins:

Hmmm, who is most likely to be a virgin, a party-girl, a jock, or a nerd? Think about it. No surprise here; male science nerds between 16 and 25 are the most likely to not have had sex.

At least the study provided some legitimate reasons for this statistic, rather than the typical “nerds are pimply and boring” theories of popular media. The study reasoned that these nerds were the population segment least likely to be in situations where they would meet potential lovers. Apparently, doing homework and going to the library doesn’t help you meet chicks. Hey, at least they’re being productive. Interestingly, female art students were the most sexually active.

Source | Photo Via Miss604 [Flickr]

Bullies Like Seeing Pain:

If bullies were compassionate they would sit around crying whenever they picked on people. The fact that they don’t do so might just indicate that they are mean. Why did anyone need to set up a study to confirm that bullies enjoy seeing other people in pain?

An interesting thing about this study is that it was the first time anyone used fMRI to evaluate how respondents reacted to different emotions. Instead of being empathetic like the brain of a normal person, bullies mind’s activate their reward centers when they see videos of other people being picked on.

Source | Photo Via ZZClef [Flickr]

Television Viewers Are Unhappy:

It’s common knowledge that television and other forms of entertainment are a way for people to escape their problems. If you run home to watch tv instead rather than hanging out with friends, you might be unhappy. Did we really need a scientist to tell us that people who socialize are generally more happy than people who sit at home watching tv all day? What’s more crazy is that they needed over 30 years of data to back up their claims. The only unique thing the study discovered was that many viewers are actually addicted. (Marx was right about television, is this evidence that the scientists are commies?):

“Addictive activities produce momentary pleasure and long-term misery and regret,” said Steven Martin, co-author of the study. “People most vulnerable to addiction tend to be socially or personally disadvantaged. For this kind of person, TV can become a kind of opiate in a way. It’s habitual, and tuning in can be an easy way of tuning out.”

Funny, I’ve was using the audio/visual equivalent of heroin the whole time I was researching this. I swear I could quit any time.

Source

Now that I’ve written this, I think I’ve got a couple of ideas I could get funded. For example, are people happier when they’re warm at home or cold in the middle of nowhere? Or maybe I could find out if donkeys really die when they take a bunch of cocaine and other drugs at a bachelor party. Do you guys have any ideas for awesome studies?

The folks at Eden TV, a new UK-based natural history television network, celebrated its launch by building a 16-foot-tall of a polar bear and cub stranded on an iceberg. The sculpture was then set free to float down the Thames in an attempt to bring attention to the new network and to raise awareness about the polar bear’s dwindling habitat. 

– via inhabitat

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by whitespace.