Tuesday, January 5, 2016

On You're Out of Your Element, Donny


I’m going to cheat a little bit tonight, in part because I’m tired, and in part because any time I can redistribute a video involving Walter Sobchak, I’m going to do it.

I think the reason I enjoy The Big Lebowski so much is because, even though the circumstances that the Dude, Walter and Donny wind up in are absolutely absurd, the characters themselves are still tethered to reality, though the tether itself may be a mile long. I don’t mean that any of the characters’ worldviews are normal in any way, and I don’t mean that I know anyone like them in my own life. I mean that I know five people in my life who could combine to be Walter, or the Dude. Because of that, it’s not completely inconceivable that an aviator-wearing ‘nam vet in a bowling league would dress up in a shirt and tie to smash out a sports car with a crowbar because he thought it belonged to the father of a high school kid named Larry.

Also, it is somehow eminently quotable to this day, to the point that even the censored version of the aforementioned scene is well-known. (“You see what happens, Larry? You see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?”)


Thus, it makes complete sense that John Goodman’s ticking time bomb, Walter, has a lot to say about Donald Trump. This came out in October and is far from the first time Walter’s berating of Donnie has been used in this way – an Adam Carolla listener made one for then-show personality Donny Misraje years ago – but it might finally be the best. Enjoy.

(Side note: if you're still not sure that Trump's catering to the conservative base is anything but business-like political positioning/pandering, just read or listen to anything he's ever said about Christianity and the Bible. He's been asked about his faith dozens of times at this point and still answers each question about it like Ren Stevens' presentation on the first moon landing.)


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