I’ve always thought that Scott Brown benefitted from a Sam-Malone-versus-Diane-Chambers dynamic (I have an unhealthy relationship with that show, but that’s between me and my therapist) in his race against Martha Coakley, and that one might be developing in his race against Liz Warren, too.
But Sam Malone had class. Scott Brown comes across, increasingly, as just another angry right-wing douchebag:
Asked about the video (of his supporters doing “war whoops”), Brown said he hadn’t had time for YouTube yet today, but “if you’re saying that, certainly that’s not something I condone. It’s certainly something that, if I’m aware of it, I will tell that [staff] member never to do that again.” He also used the opportunity to reiterate his attack: “The apologies that need to be made and the offensiveness here is the fact that professor Warren took advantage of a claim, to be somebody – a Native American — and using that for an advantage, a tactical advantage.”
It’s one thing for Brown supporters to act like assholes, as ABL pointed out, but it’s quite another for Brown to back them up.
IMHO, btw, this is probably the best episode from the post-Shelly Long years:
Surreal American
Also true: Elizabeth Warren is no Diane Chambers.
DougJ
@Surreal American:
I love Diane Chambers.
ding dong
You think he wears a toupee like Ted Danson and, also his good friend and colleague Rand Paul. Actually I find it offensive people compare him to Sam Malone. He’s more like the Cliff who is a rightwinger IRL.
PigInZen
@Surreal American: She’s a helluva lot closer to Diane Chambers than Brown is to Sam Malone.
El Tiburon
Please, let’s discuss. Cheers is my sentimental favorite sitcom of all time and I would love to hear about your ‘unhealthy relationship’ with this show.
But your heresy in even mentioning Cheers post-Diane conveys a lack of seriousness on your part. Kind of like Scooby-Doo with the addtion Scrappy-Doo or Happy Days post Richie Cunningham or MASH in their later years or the Office post Michael.
Suffern ACE
@Surreal American: Nor was Coakley. I thought the whole point was that we wanted them to finally admit their attraction and sleep with each other.
Ewww on the whole romance in the Senate race thing.
Hunter Gathers
Whomever decided that he should say anything other than ‘noun, verb and a pick-up truck’ is a fucking moron. Which makes me think that Senator Cosmo Von Truck Nutz himself made that decision. The pick-up driving barn coat that makes campaign appearances could beat Warren. The entitled asshole currently appearing in the barn coat’s place is going to lose.
NonyNony
@ding dong:
I assume that you mean he’s more like the actor (John Ratzenberger) than the character of Cliff Claven.
Cliff Claven wasn’t very smart, but he was smarter than Scott Brown. What Brown has going for him is his aw-shucks charisma. It’s interesting to me that he seems to have decided this go-around that that isn’t his asset and that he should be acting like a douchebag instead.
ally
Re Brown v. Warren, my husband and I watched most of the debate the other night and thought he came off dim, hostile and over-programmed. She, on the other hand, seemed calm, smart and focused on what really matters. Before that I’d been a bit worried about her as a candidate, but thought she ran circles around him.
But perhaps more important, what exactly is the “babe kit?” Am I going to have to google that now?
Surreal American
@DougJ:
Understood. However before she entered Cheers, the character of Diane Chambers led a sheltered upper class existence. Aside from her academic credentials, that’s not the case with Warren.
DougJ
@El Tiburon:
I’ve seen every single Diane episode multiple times. I see all of my relationships through a Sam/Diane prism.
Suffern ACE
@DougJ: So can we call you Mayday DougJ?
Chyron HR
I don’t see what the big deal is. Scott Brown only got elected by pretending to be a human.
NonyNony
@DougJ:
Ah. I see what you mean by “unhealthy relationship” then.
DougJ
@Suffern ACE:
You know what, I’m going to get Hulu and start mainlining “Cheers” episodes and change my name to that for a while.
Warren Terra
Fixed that for you.
I’m not sure whether it’s funnier or less funny because Kelsey Grammer is such a right-wing hack.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Dood, c’mon: Rat Girl? Here’s Cliffy!? Serafina’s wedding featuring the return of Nick Tortelli? John Allen Hill’s heart attack? Rebecca loves Mr Gaines?
Violet
WTF does this even mean? Now he’s been told about it, is he aware of it or not? He’s not even good at speaking weasel.
Goblue72
@ally: Can’t recall what else but one item is his special cologne – a mix of Old Spice, Hai Karate and something that takes spots out.
TooManyJens
I will never forget the location
Chris
How surprising that the party of angry right-wing douchebags has conspired to produce so many candidates who are, in fact, angry right-wing douchebags.
dr. luba
@ally: Look here.
Jim Faith
My vote for best episode is Cliff on Jeopardy –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=botdmsQilnU
beltane
All those Obama/Brown voters thought Scott Brown was a different kind of Republican. Well, I’ve got news for them. There is only one kind of Republican, the asshole kind, and Scott Brown fits the description quite nicely.
28 Percent
It’s a little known fact that I have all of the episodes of I, Claudius on tape. That’s good, because I love gladiator movies.
I can’t see the clip – is it the one where Cliff is on Jeopardy? It is true that none of those three men were ever in his kitchen…
TooManyJens
I was just looking up Albania, and I don’t think its chief export is chrome anymore. My world is askew.
NonyNony
@DougJ:
Oh geez. Someone’s going to need an intervention.
Don’t blame us when you’re all strung out and looking for your next fix and all you have left are Kirstie Ally episodes…
Anya
It’s weird the number of shows I’ve never watched that got mentioned here. Thank FSM for Netflix.
Cassidy
Cheers: the prequal to Friends, but with more beer.
TooManyJens
WTF posting from the iPhone. Comments I didn’t hit “submit” on, I can’t edit … arg.
Brachiator
@DougJ:
Sadly, it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t change anyone’s mind or moves votes.
Brown will happily live with the shame if he wins. And clearly, Brown believes that he is immune to any negative consequences. If this is in fact the case, then none of the outrage over his behavior means a damn thing.
Earlier I think you suggested that your mother had noted that Warren just wasn’t getting any traction with many voters. This might give jerks extra room to be jerktastic.
Lev
I knew Brown was an asshole when he refused to shake Setti Warren’s hand at a parade, and practically ran away from him. (This is when the other Warren was one of the main candidates for the Dem nomination.)
There’s a clip of it that I’m too lazy to find, but how strange is it that a guy in a deep blue state has to duck a friendly moment with a mid-level Dem elected official? I knew then that this boy ain’t right, and that a full length Senate campaign (not an abbreviated fluke thing) would crush him. Increasingly that looks to have been right.
marianne19
I work with a couple Mass Dems who are voting for Brown and they still “like” him and find her “unlikeable.” It’s frustrating, but I think he’s going to keep a lot of his voters.
ally
@Goblue72:
Thanks!
Ah yes, Hai Karate…
Anya
@Violet: male Sarah Palin. The only thing missing from that is “common sense conservatism,” and “Lamestream Media.”
EconWatcher
No shame in being a Cheers fan. At its best, it was a heckuva show (particularly in the early period focusing on Sam and Diane). Funny and sometimes carried an emotional punch. I watch reruns very occasionally now, and the shot of the empty bar as they run the credits is oddly affecting.
El Tiburon
@DougJ:
A Very American Love Story. Some of the best writing ever in television.
Sadly, like so many other long-running TV shows, the later years were so tragic. Sam became a caricature and parody of himself.
But the first 5-6 years or so are pure gold.
schrodinger's cat
I have no idea of what you are talking about DougJ.
28 Percent
@TooManyJens: It is still mostly mountainous and it does still border on the Adriatic though, so that’s two out of three.
ally
@dr. luba:
Thanks!
I see it included a Members Only jacket? Perfect.
NonyNony
@Brachiator:
The thing is – these are “loser tactics”. Not tactics that cause someone to lose, but tactics you go to when you’re losing. Especially when you’re an incumbent and have a reputation for being a genial, likable fellow.
I wonder what Brown’s internal polls look like. I know last I heard Warren had pulled into a slight (though statistically insignificant) lead over Brown. I wonder if their own polling looks worse, or if they’re just spooked by the fact that they’re in a tied race when he’s the incumbent.
Lev
@EconWatcher: Exactly. Such a rare combination, though at its best Frasier channeled that tone as well.
Punchy
Fixed.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@marianne19: IT’s hard for us to accept, even if we know it, that there are a whole bunch of voters who vote regularly, but not on issues. I can’t figure out how people don’t get that we have a de facto parliamentary system, a vote for Brown is a vote for McConnell, Norquist and the Koch Brothers.
Charlie Pierce was talking this morning about the parallels between Ryan and Brown. Both good retail, small market politicians, both media-puffed frauds who absolutely believe their own press, and both thin-skinned. But Brown is panicking because the polls are even, where I think Ryan is supremely confident that the Romney campaign is his stepping stone to the big chair. Ryan is the GOP’s Evan Bayh.
FlipYrWhig
TV writer Ken Levine, who worked on MASH, Cheers, The Simpsons, and Frasier among others, has a great blog, too: kenlevine.blogspot.com.
beltane
@NonyNony: I do know that the vast majority of undecideds in the race are Democrats planning to vote for Obama. Running for president of the MA chapter of the He-Man Woman Hater’s club may not be the best way to appeal to these people. It also makes Brown look impotent in every sense of the word.
Maude
Is anyone gonna put up a thread about the Obama UN speech? I am trying not to go OT. It is very difficult for me. Thank you.
Violet
@marianne19:
Can you describe these Dems–gender, race, education level, etc. Curious what the demo is for these “Dems for Brown”.
the Conster
My daughter had to work with Brown and his staffers for years, so none of this is a surprise to me. Everyone who’s had to deal with him when he was a State Senator hates him and knows he’s a giant dick. Now everyone knows. It can’t help him with the undeclareds/independents, which is like 60% of the voters in this state. I don’t think he had a debate with Coakley, and I have to say that as much as I knew about him from being his constituent, his debate performance was eye-opening – he’s a belligerent dumbass, and it’s really unattractive.
FlipYrWhig
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Brown basically brands himself as the mirror image of McCaskill: a Republican who’s not totally comfortable with everything Republicans want to do, enough to stray from the fold a smattering of times, almost entirely symbolic.
JPL
Republicans are hell bent on wanting additional paperwork but refuse to show documentation themselves. What’s up with that?
The President had to produce his birth certificate and now Warren has to produce all her college records.
Is paperwork the new sexual fantasy for them?
kd bart
@Goblue72:
His Members Only jacket and a picture of him with Elvis were also in that kit.
peach flavored shampoo
Google sued them for copyright infrigement.
rlrr
@Maude:
Is he apologizing for America again?
Shawn in ShowMe
@Surreal American:
Yeah, there really was no regular female character on Cheers comparable to Elizabeth Warren. Sure, Diane was highly educated but so was Lilith. But Scott Brown’s nonsensical non-sequiturs definitely sound like something Real ‘Murican Cliff Claven would say.
Judas Escargot, Acerbic Prophet of the Mighty Potato God
@NonyNony:
Agreed.
Like I said in the other thread, I have no idea why he’s cashing in his most valuable career chit now.
The local GOP (such as it is) should be worried about brand damage, too. But not a peep.
BTW, Fun Fact: My own district is apparently now a toss up. Someone should ask Mr. Tisei if he condones the Brown campaign’s actions.
kd bart
In the end, Sam Malone’s one true love was the bar. Throughout the series, it was the one thing he always came back to.
KXB
It would be hard to pitch a show like “Cheers” today- the lead is a recovering alcoholic, two male sidekicks are Norm and Cliff, who cannot do interviews in GQ or Esquire given their looks. And not every episode revolves around some “relationship” issue.
BTW – my favorite post-Diane episode was when Woody and Sam competed to see who could kiss Rebecca first. Sam dresses up in a military uniform, says, “I don’t like what that Ayatollah is doing in the Persian Gulf. So, I’m off to Persia!” This is followed by the bar singing “Over There!!”
Best name for a drink – Screaming Viking.
KXB
@kd bart:
Best comedy finale ever!
Violet
@Lev: Never got into Cheers, but I just loved Frasier. Kelsey Grammer is okay, but the rest of the cast is just gold. David Hyde Pierce’s Niles leaves me howling. There’s one episode where Frasier goes to the opera with his dad that just leaves me in stitches ever time I see it in re-runs. “And I’m keeping the jewelry!”
kd bart
@KXB:
Do you like your Screaming Viking with or without a bruised cucumber?
Judas Escargot, Acerbic Prophet of the Mighty Potato God
@Violet:
(Personal anecdote follows)
The Obama/Brown splitters I know personally are all well off white/pink collar professionals. Also, some of the younger retirees seem to be splitting this way. Such a nice, handsome man he is.
All White but what I call ‘residual ethnic’ (ie Irish/Italian/French Catholic by extraction, but a few generations in).
I’ve had no conversations with any of these people since last week’s debate, but sadly none of them were the type to sit and watch a Senate debate, either.
Ash Can
@NonyNony: For the life of me, I can’t figure out why someone who won an extremely high-profile upset electoral victory largely on the basis of being perceived as moderate and personable would be taking this tactic. Needless to say, I want to see this tactic squander enough of that support that he gets dumped out of the Senate, but for cripe’s sake, who the fuck in his campaign is thinking that this is a good idea? With everything else to run on, he’s harping on this?
KXB
@kd bart:
Slightly bruised, of course. I’m not a newbie.
Punchy
I cant relate to Cheers as much as I can Seinfeld. However, I cannot say who’s character is most Brown-ish. Newman was the foil but a comically inept one. Maybe Frank Costanza?
WWStBreitbartD
I suspect the only “classy” move for the crowd here (ABL) would accept would be for him to drop out of the race and denounce on his knees everything negative said about Warren.
Imagine the butthurt from BJ/ABL if Brown released the following
My advice to Scott Brown on the Channel 5 video
Forum Transmitted Disease
@TooManyJens: I’ll take “stolen cars” for $1000, Alex.
Not a joke, BTW. Albania is the transshipment point for virtually every stolen car that comes out of Europe.
trollhattan
@Violet:
I think it means, “I’m so sorry they got caught, the scamps.”
Mnemosyne
@DougJ:
Obviously, the problem is that you still haven’t realized that you’re Diane, not Sam.
FlipYrWhig
@Punchy: Scott Brown could be David Puddy, or Lloyd Braun.
Judas Escargot, Acerbic Prophet of the Mighty Potato God
@WWStBreitbartD:
Tell you what, Bubba… we’ll trade you ten years of Warren’s “personnel rekkids” for ten years of Romney’s tax returns. Symmetry and all that.
Until then, you’re just a racism-enabling Gobshite.
beltane
@FlipYrWhig: Yes, those were the two I was thinking of also. And also the guy who always referred to himself as Jimmy in the 3rd-person.
Violet
@Judas Escargot, Acerbic Prophet of the Mighty Potato God: Maybe he won’t come across as so nice after this video gets airplay in MA. Will it get airplay on local news shows?
As for the “residual ethnic”, maybe they can relate to the “She doesn’t look Indian” comment. People whose heritage includes ancestors who were judged by skin color or name might find that kind of thing a bit off-putting.
I think he’s damaging his nice-guy persona with these sorts of things. If that’s one of the reason these Dems are voting for him, maybe it’ll get them to think twice.
FlipYrWhig
@WWStBreitbartD: Elizabeth Warren, like me, works in academia. When I applied for jobs, 10 or so years ago, there wasn’t some form with a box to check for racial and ethnic heritage. I don’t know if there’s any paperwork that would reveal anything either way.
Jay C
@NonyNony:
True, this. Scott Brown was holding a steady (if not commanding) lead in polling for the MA Senate race for months. Then, Elizabeth Warren gets two major exposures on a public stage: First, her prime speaking slot at the DNC in Charlotte, then, the televised debate with Brown. And now, the race is pretty much even/tilting to Warren, and what’s his response? Double down on the insult? Unleash even more of his Inner Masshole?
Not the campaign of a confident candidate….
@Judas Escargot, Acerbic Prophet of the Mighty Potato God:
Why does this sound like the comments made by bilked senior-citizens after said “nice boy” cons them out of their life savings and flees the country?
Turgidson
@Cassidy:
Psh, Cheers had more funny in its left buttcheek than Friends could have dreamed of, beer or no.
The Bobs
@Jim Faith: How about the one where Frasier wires up Cliff to a battery and shocks him whenever he says something obnoxious?
Lots of fans here, me included. The episodes are all on Netflix as well as Hulu.
The Bobs
@Turgidson: Friends was supposed to be funny? I though the show was about watching beautiful people be beautiful.
patrick II
@Punchy:
What, your friends are all dicks?
Maude
@rlrr:
The Repubs will say so. It was an upsetting speech. He was very tired and ad trouble wiht some words as you so when you’re tired. He spoke at least several times about Amb. Chris Stevens. He sounded heartbroken. He talked about big picture on extremists, religicos, tribes and it was impressive.
He talked about freedom of speech and one prt he said that awful things had been said about him, but he defended the right to say them.
This speech was way over the heads of the stupid in the R’s party.
mingo
@Judas Escargot, Acerbic Prophet of the Mighty Potato God:
to be really fair, he will be a racism-enabling gobshite after that, too.
EconWatcher
I’m not surprised that the Brown campaign is using the supposedly fake Native American heritage. I’m really surprised that Brown himself is the one doing it.
This is the kind of ugly thing you get surrogates to do, while maintaining some distance and plausible deniability–particularly if you’re depending on a “nice guy” image.
I don’t know how much of a price he will pay, but this is just stupid for Brown, even if he has no class.
NonyNony
@Jay C:
A confident team would have suggested that Warren’s “bounce” was a post-convention bounce, that things would settle down and in the meantime here’s a campaign ad with Scott Brown driving his truck, playing frisbee with some dogs, and smiling and chatting with some constituents. Just to remind you all what a great guy Scott Brown is.
The debate would also have been framed to try to frame Warren as an “egghead” but not in a cruel way – more of a “I’m a regular guy and she’s an ivory tower academic who means well but just doesn’t get it” sort of way.
That’s what a confident candidate whose public persona is based on him being a “good guy” does. The way he’s gone in the last few weeks, it seems like he’s trying to restructure his image into more of a Jim DeMint douchebag persona.
Roy G.
This reminds more of Seinfeld, the Cigar Store Indian episode:
“Let’s bury the hatchet, we smokum peace pipe! Heyahuaheyahua…”
The Cigar Store Indian
“Hey Jerry, awawawawawa!”
Kramer’s Indian Call
Except these Scott Brown Massholes aren’t joking and they aren’t funny.
KXB
@The Bobs:
It was a show about six women in an all-white NYC.
eemom
omg, the Diane character always annoyed the crap out of me. I MUCH preferred Kirstie Ally’s Rebecca.
Punchy
@patrick II: Not sure I understand your comments…
Violet
OT–even the President is weighing in on the NFL ref situation:
eemom
@Violet:
Same here — ADORE Frasier (the show) and especially Niles.
Kelsey Grammer’s a fucking wingnut asshole IRL, unfort — but David Hyde Pierce is quite cool.
Villago Delenda Est
@Judas Escargot, Acerbic Prophet of the Mighty Potato God:
The thing is, these people don’t know jack about “brand damage”. It’s all short term power for them. Long term? Nope.
They don’t have the vision of guys like the excreable Norquist, who does have long term vision, but it’s a vision of dismantling the Enlightenment. Recently, people like Bachmann have said that the Renaissance was a mistake.
These worshipers of an asshole invisible sky buddy want to drag us all back to the middle ages.
Dr. Loveless
Scott Brown reminds me more of Andy Andy.
Villago Delenda Est
@Jay C:
Or after he rapes and murders their daughter, ala Ted Bundy, GOP operative?
Joel
@WWStBreitbartD: lolwut?
Cassidy
@Turgidson: To be fair, I have so far made it without watching an episode of Friends. Sometimes it is hard to avoid.
Turgidson
@The Bobs:
I’m told it was supposed to be funny by people who found it funny. Maybe all the humor was too sophisticated for me to understand.
Shawn in ShowMe
@The Bobs:
I thought Friends was funny, in a misunderstanding-based, Three’s Company sort of way. Cheers had stronger acting across the board, so the writers could be more flexible in their storytelling.
rlrr
@Violet:
I predict Republicans will now support the scab officials…
ellie
I loved the “Andy Andy” episodes. Did you ever think your hands were claws?
Violet
@rlrr: Hope they do. Republicans coming out in support of the owners and scab officials will lose them more votes than they can imagine.
Hill Dweller
I’ve seen multiple people sing Brown’s praises as some sort of great politician, but every time I’ve seen him speak he comes off as a lightweight.
rlrr
@Violet:
If only Obama would publicly condemn drinking Drano®.
Cassidy
@Joel: I think the dummy missed wher the schools have already said that wasn’t the case (according to an earlier commenter and not something I care enough to look up).
Punchy
@Violet: Cue up the Outrage Machine(TM) that Obama has 13 seconds to tweet but didnt use those 13 seconds instead to get peace in the ME, cure baldness, and perfect X-ray vision.
Villago Delenda Est
@WWStBreitbartD:
The stupid. IT BURNS!
Turgidson
@eemom:
Diane’s annoyingness in isolation wasn’t funny, but in the bigger picture was essential. Carla’s merciless mocking was one of the best things about Diane.
I don’t think the show got that much worse post-Diane, though I agree it declined some.
marianne19
@Violet
Both white college-educated sales/marketing professionals. One is 50ish female and other is mid-forties male and both won’t vote for Romney because they didn’t “like” him as Gov. They claim to be registered Dems. They don’t seem too interested in politics, but I know they watched the 1st debate because I overheard them and aked why any self-identified Dems would vote for him.
Turgidson
@Violet:
My first reaction to your post: Obama with a little 11-dimensional chess to get the Romney campaign to rush out to a microphone stating on the record that they are supporting the scabs.
I’m probably overthinking it, but…
Violet
@marianne19: Thanks for the info. Did they indicate after watching the first debate that they were going to vote for Brown?
Violet
@Turgidson: Let’s hope Romney has “friends who are owners” and can weigh in from their perspective. I’m sure that would help.
burnspbesq
Apparently today is Alec McGillis Gets To Shove A Video Clip Up Mitt Romney’s Lying Ass Day.
http://www.tnr.com/blog/107685/when-romney-was-anti-anti-china-not-so-long-ago?utm_source=The+New+Republic&utm_campaign=630866bd3a-TNR_Daily_092512&utm_medium=email
Villago Delenda Est
@Turgidson:
Here’s the thing.
That’s usually their first reaction. Even though Obama’s statement is amazingly neutral.
Keep in mind that Scott Brown, of all people is complaining about this and not taking the side of the Jerry Jones faction.
Djur
Prove it.
Prove it, motherfucker.
Prove that Elizabeth Warren gained an advantage from claiming Native American heritage. I dare you. I double-dog dare you.
Otherwise, shut your face.
Judas Escargot, Acerbic Prophet of the Mighty Potato God
@EconWatcher:
Warren and Brown signed some sort of agreement earlier this year, to limit attack ads from outside PACs. They basically have to pay a ‘fine’ whenever they get caught.
There’s been speculation that Brown is doing his own dirty work because, in this rare instance, he can’t delegate to surrogates.
Mnemosyne
@WWStBreitbartD:
Fix’d. Your move, laughing boy.
patrick II
@Punchy:
Sorry Punchy, that was unnecessary.
Anyhow, Seinfeld was based on the premise that man is essentially selfish, and the humor came from the imperfect attempts to disguise that selfishness among friends. Cheers characters were essentially social or loving and the humor came from their fumbling attempts to find love or friendship.
As you might guess, I am a huge Cheers fan, but found Seinfeld to be as unlikable as the characters.
ThresherK
My nickname for him, “Fred Thompson Jr”, didn’t take. (Fake pickup truck drivin’ RealAmerican.)
Has anyone called Scott Brown “Macaca II” yet?
Thoughtcrime
@eemom:
I can attest to that. He (as well as Hank Azaria and Sara Ramirez) was quite charming when he exited to sign autographs and pose with fans after Spamalot.
Tim Curry, on the other hand, was a no-show.
ThresherK
BTW: I know Allen said “Macaca” himself and Brown didn’t.
My comparison is to how the Allen staffers tackled a journo on camera and Allen just shut his wussy mouth about it: A telling way for each of them to draw the slightest border around “conduct unbecoming” by their friends.
And “is not able to stand up to his friends” a Mass. GOP trait yet?
Legalize
Cheers is my favorite sitcom evar. My favorite bit was when Cliff and Norm, and someone else were discussing the “sweatiest” movies. Frasier walks in; they ask him his opinion; he considers for a moment, and just says “Alien”; and they all agree. That show was consistently funny from the first episode to the last.
KXB
@Legalize:
OK, maybe I’m just too much of a TV nerd, but the episode you are talking about is the very first episode, they are discussing the sweatiest movie ever made. Norm suggests Rocky II, Cliff suggests Body Heat. When Diane’s fiance Sumner comes into the bar, and she tells them of the topic, he replies, “Cool Hand Luke.”
Legalize
@KXB:
I’ll be damned. Are you sure about that? Not saying you’re wrong – just wondering why I’m remembering it differently.
DougJ
@The Bobs:
Joey, the dumb guy, was funny.
Legalize
Ah, its Norm who suggests Alien.
KXB
@patrick II:
The humor was also regional. I remember reading in either Time or Newsweek as Cheers was going off the air, and Seinfeld was set to take its place as comedy king, what some of the difference were. Cheers is set in Boston, with a primarily Irish Catholic cast of characters, although prominent WASPs such as Diane and Frasier are included. Plus the Italian Carla Tortelli. Seinfeld was Upper West Side Jewish humor. But, while all the characters displayed Jewish cultural ticks, only Jerry was identified as Jewish, because early NBC memos were worried the show was “too Jewish” to play across the country.
joes527
There where episodes in the post-Shelly Long years?
sherparick
The thing is once any of us make a decision (say vote for Brown), it is hard to admit we were wrong or made a mistake. However, at least Brown is giving women an excuse to change their mind. Also, Warren is doing something Coakley did not: 1. Just ask for their vote and 2. At least pointing out a vote for Brown is vote for Jim Demint and Mitch McConnell and reminding them how very bad that will be for them in Masschussetts.
In other news, please check out Duncan Black’s a/k/a Atrios of Eschaton) columnn in U.S.A. Today. http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/story/2012-09-25/ben-bernake-inflation-money/57840674/1
the more traffic the better.
KXB
@Legalize:
Sorry, still gotta disagree with you. From TV Rage
http://www.tvrage.com/Cheers/episodes/32493
Carla: You know there’s a group over there arguing about the sweatiest movie ever made?
Norm: The what?
Carla: What movie did people sweat the most in?
Norm: That’s easy (shouting to the group) Rocky II!
Cliff: No, no, not even close. (shouting) Body Heat! Sweat city.
Patron: (shouting) Ben Hur! The boys in that galley sweat like pigs.
Norm: That’s right. Alien. (shouting) Alien!
Diane: This is the night before my wedding and I’m in the middle of a sweat contest.
Diane: Oh, Sumner, I’m so glad to see you. (with obvious distaste) I’ve been sitting here listening to these men argue over the sweatiest movie ever made.
Sumner: Cool Hand Luke.
(several bar patrons shout and nod agreement)
KXB
@Legalize:
Oops, I did not see Norm made 2 recommendations.
stratplayer
@Djur:
Indeed. Why the fuck should she have to disprove this bullshit assertion when her opponents can’t even make a prima facie case for it? Burden of proof, people, burden of proof.
felonious
Cheers never failed to entertain, Coach or Woody, Diane or Rebecca of this there should be no argument. Now as for Scott Brown, he was elected because the state Democratic Party had a conflicted convention and Coakley ended up with the nomination by default. This during a time when corruption in the state government run by the Democratic Party was being exposed on talk radio including the knuckleheads on sports radio WEEI who promoted Brown and had him on their at that time highest rated morning drive program. Since then their program has been relegated to also ran and the state Democratic party has aligned behind Warren. The dynamics of this race are beyond Brown’s limited comprehension and when Crossroads and Rove instruct him to go negative he follows because he is at core a follower and a mean spirited one at that.
Brachiator
@KXB:
Great inside joke here, since Ted Danson played the dancing D.A. in Body Heat.
Darkrose
Meh. Cheers is like Friends and Seinfeld for me. To quote Alec Hardison in “The Tap-Out Job”, “White people doing white people things.”
scav
@Darkrose: TV people doing TV things.
chopper
@KXB:
yes, including one woman who worked as a waitress in a coffeehouse. yeah, that actually happens. oh, and apparently ‘coffeehouse waitress money’ is enough to afford rent in a nice apartment in the village.
slightly_peeved
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Was the episode where Sam plays a prank on the rest of the bar (resulting in them being shipped out to the desert by the witness protection program) in the post-Diane years? Because that one left my Dad rolling around on the floor with an asthma attack.
Uncle Ebeneezer
@ellie: I loved the feuds with Gary’s Olde Towne Tavern
Mike G
I have a big collection of favorite Cheers quotes —
Cliff: What a pathetic display. I’m ashamed God made me a man.
Carla: I don’t think God’s doing a lot of bragging either.
Norm: I have, on several occasions, been known to perspire a bit.
Carla: We could grow rice.
Norm: I wish I had time for a hobby.
Cliff: Norm, you’ve got time to make your own coal.
Frasier: Lilith is a good woman – strong, durable, reliable.
Norm: She’d make a helluva radial tire.
Cliff: Is it my imagination or does that chick like me?
Norm: Cliff, Walt Disney should have had your imagination.
Cliff: Step aside everyone, ’cause she’s gonna be Dr. Feelgood’s next patient!
Frasier Crane: Hello in there, Cliff. Tell me, what color is the sky in your world?
Norm: Hey, Frasier, you’re a doctor. What happens to old, dead skin?
Frasier: Apparently it sits on barstools and drinks beer all day.
Rebecca: (admiring flowers sent to Carla) Oh Carla, isn’t this gorgeous? Why can’t more men send flowers?
Sam: I didn’t know Mormons couldn’t send flowers.
Rebecca: I said “more men”, not “Mormons”.
Sam: I know they can’t dance.
Norm: No, Sammy, that’s the Amish.
Sam: So why can’t Mormons send flowers?
Rebecca: They can!
Sam: So what are you talking about?
Rebecca: I just wish someone would send me some damn roses!
Sam: Why does it have to be a Mormon?
Rebecca: Oh! (storms off)
Sam (to Norm): You just can’t discuss religion with some people.
Diane: Really, Sam? YOU watch PBS?
Sam: Well sure. I like that show where the two guys discuss the day’s events.
Diane: You mean McNeil-Lehrer?
Sam: No, Bert and Ernie. Wait, maybe that’s their last names.
Carla: This is great news! I gotta call my kids!
Sam: Carla, it’s 2AM.
Carla: Oh right, they’re probably not home yet.
justsayingthis
That you would use such an odious woman-hating show (ha ha ! she’s frigid; he’s a pick-up artist) pretty much reflects the people voting for Scott Brown. They are odious woman-hating assholes, of which MA has an endless supply. So you have this completely fucked-up thing about women. Brown is leveraging your mental models to convince you that somehow Elizabeth is fucked up too but he is real. He’s a dood like you. She has cooties. Like Diane!
I hated that show. It is and has been and always will be so fucking republican. Jesus, all that fucking and never ever anyone gets pregnant? Give me Maude, Roseanne, Friends, MTM, Sex in the City. Anything with actual human women. “babe kit”? ha hah ha. Every bit as charming as the lyrics to “Brown Sugar”. (Oh google them yourself)
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@slightly_peeved: that was definitely from the last season, Sam set it up as if the mob had bought Gary’s. One of my favorite random Cheers lines: “Norm choreographed the number!”