The Chris Moeller Archives

The shock jock of wholesomeness

I haven't told you yet that I saw "A Prairie Home Companion" on the big screen last weekend. It was sort of a revelation. I've been vaguely aware of Garrison Keillor, Lake Woebegon, and their presence on public radio for years, but I'd been going about my life expending no energy towards exploring what that whole world was all about. Now I know. It's this sort of gentle and imaginative alternate reality where Midwestern people and principles are idealized, their heritage secure, and all of the feelings warm. I had no idea the radio show and live performances had been around so long... better than 30 years.

My theater companion grew up with it. Her parents had a couple of the early records. She recognized, for example, the "North Country" schtick, the buttermilk biscuits, and some of the stock characters, such as private detective "Guy Noir," played by Kevin Kline in the film. I expected the variety show, but one with more of the Vaudeville or Catskills-style comedy and crooning. It's a different ethnic tradition, naturally, but because of films and television, I'm actually more familiar with the Jewish/New York sensibility than this one taking place right under my German Lutheran nose up amongst the 50,000 lakes.

I thought the film was actually quite similar to Woody Allen's "Radio Days" from 1987, especially in terms of the radio broadcasts and the "community-as-family" theme. Instead of borscht belt humor, though, you have Woody Harrelson and John C. Reilly as comical singing cowboys, and you have to substitute the Sinatra and Crosby tunes with Midwestern folk songs. I really enjoyed it.

A Garrison Keillor profile was posted this afternoon on Slate. The tone is a tad snide, but it seemed like a useful preface to "A Prairie Home" if you're planning to see it.

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I can't remember now where I read it, but someone on-line was trashing "The Da Vinci Code," saying that even its title revealed its stupidity. (Disclaimer: I've neither read the book nor seen the movie.) Leonardo da Vinci was so named because his name was Leonardo and he hailed from Vinci, Italy. The title would be the equivalent of naming a similar project about Jesus "The Of Nazareth Code."

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This morning on "King of the Hill" (FX, 9-10 cst,) the boys in the alley were discussing what they would choose for their last meal if they were on death row. Bill was won over by each one of the famous final meals they were reading about in the newspaper, but if Dale had the choice, he would select the world's rarest truffle. Then while the guards were searching for it, he would tunnel his way to freedom. But by escaping, of course, he would then miss the opportunity to eat the world's rarest truffle. Such a conundrum....

posted by CM @ 4:16 PM