Name the Cartoon Contest

Presenting the first weekly contest for the blog,  the uncreatively titled "Name that Cartoon!"  The premise is quite simple.  Each week I will post a screen capture from a "classic" childhood cartoon.  The first person to provide the correct answer will win a prize.  What is that prize? Well, you'll just have to give it a go and find out later.

Of course, this entire contest will be limited by the quality and variety of screen captures for late 80s - 90s cartoons that I can find on the internet.  So who knows if we go more than three weeks.

Post your guesses in the comments.

Your Comedy Moment

Instead of a regular clip I thought I'd provide my readers with a nice compilation of one of my favorite Seinfeld characters.... NEWMAN! I think Jerry's mom gets the biggest laugh from me in this montage.

Top Ten 80s TV Themes - Midway Honorable Mention

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Narrowing my list down to ten themes was no easy task. The 80s were filled with entertaining theme songs.  Thus, at the midway point, here are a few of the themes that barely missed the cut.  Remember that to qualify for this set of rankings the majority of the show had to have been broadcast in the 1980s.

Reality Wrap - Cancelled

I was going to provide a detailed look at some of the crappy, summer reality TV I've watched in the last few days, but I was getting disgusted in myself for following that crap. Thus, no Reality Wrap. Instead, I'm going to give you a gift from the first time The Real World came to New Orleans.  Probably the best thing The Real World has ever produced:

Top Ten 80s TV Themes - Number 6

"In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... The A-Team."

Your Comedy Moment

Going the talkshow route for today's comedy moment.  Specifically, we're going to see the hilarious Norm Macdonald - sitting in the second chair - interact with Conan and other guest  Courtney Thorne-Smith.  Though he starts with a couple remarks early, Norm really picks up his commentary as the interview gets going and proceeds to riff on a number of subjects, including Courtney Thorne-Smith, herself.  At the very end is a clear example of why Norm is one of the best, off-the-cuff comedians out there.


ETA: Figured I'd throw a few more Norm clips below.  Just click read more to get to them.

Psych Season Five

As was mentioned in the summer preview, Psych starts its fifth season tonight at 9pm ct on the USA Network.  Here's a promo from last year that makes me crack up every time I see it.

Louie

Am sort of late on this one as the show debuted a few weeks back, but I just wanted to recommend that everyone check out Louie on FX (Tuesdays at 10pm CT, after Rescue Me) if you're interested in a hilariously dirty-at-times comedy starring the outstanding Louie CK.  I'm embedding a link to the first episode via Hulu to get you started if you haven't checked it out yet. I'd expect the third and fourth episode will be up there soon as well.

Note that in the second episode Louie participates in a card game that contains one of the most hilarious, uncomfortable conversations I've ever seen on television. This show is not for the easily embarrassed.

Top Ten 80s TV Themes - Number 7

After a rather extended delay from the countdown, the Top Ten 80s TV Themes is back with a vengeance.   Today we have a sitcom filling the number seven slot that once filled the number one spot in my heart.  As probably my favorite sitcom growing up, I remember all of the different variations on the original theme (including the less than good acapella version).  I also fondly remember how the new baby on the show turned into a young child seemingly overnight. And how the once raucous lead teen actor became an overly altruistic adult.  And the wedding that never happened. And the middle kid wearing way too many sweatshirts.

You know what show I'm talking about...

New Logo

For the two or three regulars of this site, you'll notice that the logo has been changed from Dr. Tobias Funke to the excellent Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoni) of Veronica Mars fame.  After the jump, I've embedded a great scene from the end of season 1. Note, if you haven't watched the excellent first season of Veronica Mars before, DO NOT CLICK READ MORE.  Instead, send me a line, and I will lend you the first season of the series.  You'll watch the first season, and then can click the link.

Porn Parody Profile

For our second week of the Porn Parody Profile, we're going to take a trip back to the 80s to that special watering hole where everybody knows you're name. Yes, that' right, its the Cheers XXX Porno trailer.

Your Comedy Moment

To further remember George Steinbrenner  and because today is the MLB All Star game, here's a mash-up of Don Mattingly's scenes in my all-time favorite Simpsons episode, "Homer at the Bat."

RIP Big Stein

In memoriam today for the former Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner.  Like many folks my age, I grew to love Steinbrenner not really for his place in the Yankees' organization but instead for "his" role in Seinfeld.  Though that George Steinbrenner was voiced by Larry David, the larger than life presentation of "Big Stein" endeared the real Steinbrenner to millions.  Here's a "lost" clip from Seinfeld featuring the real George Steinbrenner playing himself.