January 17, 2014

"A small-town Red State girl goes to work in the Big City, but finds everyone there whiny, shallow, and unlikeable..."

"... in secret she keeps alive her swampblood roots by hunting ducks in Central Park Lake by night. Eventually she meets a young man who poses as an independent film critic for the Village Voice but covertly is a massive NASCAR fan. Together they convert a former 'communal garden' into a combination gun range and outdoor smoking pavilion."

A commenter Instapundit brainstorms a new TV show to be called "Dux And The City" after reading about my practice of watching an episode of "Duck Dynasty" after an episode of "Girls" as a counterbalance. The commenter's combination of the 2 shows into one makes the new show a "fish out of water" story, like those old 60s favorites, "Beverly Hillbillies" and "Green Acres." Since he's bringing the country person to the city, it's the "Beverly Hillbillies." Put a "Girls" girl out in the swamp for the "Green Acres" counterpart.

Sidenote on TV: Are you watching "American Idol"? Consider that "Family friendly judges may breathe life back into 'American Idol.'" Family friendly and pulchritudinous. Especially, for me, Harry Connick, Jr.

How great is he?
1) He has, quite possibly, the bluest eyes on earth. ...

2) He is remarkably astute and actually knows what he's talking about...

3) He is irreverent and hilarious. Unlike Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler, who spent an entire season mooning over how beautiful Jennifer Lopez was, Harry Connick Jr. frequently disagrees with her and uttered the best eight words spoken in thirteen years of Idol: "Jennifer, I will slap you on national television."
This is important because: 1. He's beautiful (and it's harder to find a man as beautiful as he is than a woman as beautiful as Lopez), and 2. He's married and he's modeling good married-man behavior (which makes him even sexier to me). (But I don't think it was right to say "I will slap you"!)
4) He effortlessly cradles contestants and Keith Urban in his arms, as if they were mere babes.
He makes Keith more beautiful! Last year Keith was overshadowed, but Harry brings out what's best about Keith (who's also a wholesomely married man).
5) He isn't afraid to be honest. While Harry isn't needlessly cruel toward contestants, he doesn't coddle them either.
Here are a bunch of clips from Wednesday's snow.

40 comments:

Kelly said...

I liked the fact that Harry got on the 17 year old for having a tattoo and the fifteen year old girl for singing inappropriate lyrics for her age. He said it creeped him out.

pdug said...

Isn't that Big Bang Theory to a degree? But the shallow city folk are geeks?

Bob Ellison said...

What has Connick got? So he plays the the piano fantastically well, sings ditto, acts, and makes edgy and astute comments. What, he's OK-looking, too? That doesn't sound like much to me.

Nonapod said...

I'm surprised that it took American Idol so long to concede that veiwers enjoy watching people who are actually telegenic rather than carny folk or reanimated corpses.

Larry Davis said...

What a breath of fresh air the "new" American Idol is! My wife and I can enjoy it again.

Carol said...

we're all supposed to go for edgy and quirky ya know

paul a'barge said...

Harry Connick Jr - New Orleans boy. Like me.

Hawt.

jr565 said...

He's a judge, who' seen in music, who can actually tell you what notes in a scale are being used. J Lo probably thinks that a scale is for measuring your weight.
Not that you need to know all the ins and out so of music, to make music. (The beatles supposedly couldn't read music for example) but its nice when someone knows that stuff.

When the Beatles came out with Not A second time a critic said it made expert use of aeolian cadences. And John Lennon had no idea what he was talking about.

Harry Connick probably would know.
And similarly I love how he points out the flaw in most modern singing.

Now, I maybe have listened to two Coonic songs in my life. But I won't deny his talent. And he's a pretty good actor too.

kimsch said...

Last year was such a train wreck. We stopped watching after they picked their finalists, and it was totally obvious that they chose "bad" boys to push for a girl to win.

It's looking good so far this year. I love Harry Connick, Jr. For all the reasons Althouse stated above.

jr565 said...

Not sure how good looking he is though. Not being gay, I couldn't Reilly's ay what women or gay men find attractive, but he wouldn't be my go to guy for hotness.
Then again, maybe I'm thinking of him in the role in Copycat, where he played a really creepy serial killer in jail with a stereotypical back woods southern accent. And his portrayals as so sleazy I might have that etched in my mind as harry Connick's look.

Scott M said...

Harry C is by far and away one of the best talents that never quite broke huge.

jacksonjay said...


Fake hair NEVER looks good.

Beta Rube said...

Harry reminds me of the judges and lesson teachers my kids played in front of when they were younger. Honest, knowledgeable, and frank without being cruel.

I like American Idol again too.

jr565 said...

As for Althouse's idea for a TV show, I like it. A fish out of water show, where stereotypically conservative couple come to New York and prove to be authentic and fun, while the people around them are like the girls on Girl, inauthentic and shallow. And offer the counterpoint.
The duck dynasty guys really feel like they like their lives. The girls on Girls seem like they don't like each other as friends even, can't be honest, and have no clue what to do with their lives.
I have doubts that many of the Girls on Girls could ever truly fall in love for example. I think those that are in love on Duck Dynasty are in love. They get each other, they know their place and roles and are ok with them. Etc.

Ann Althouse said...

"I liked the fact that Harry got on the 17 year old for having a tattoo and the fifteen year old girl for singing inappropriate lyrics for her age. He said it creeped him out."

Me too.

I also liked that when one boy said his mother loved JLo and then they invited the mother into the room (after the boy got accepted) as if she was going to be excited to meet JLo, who got up and was walking over to the door, the mother rushed into the arms of her son and hugged and hugged him, and JLo subtly retreated.

Ann Althouse said...

"As for Althouse's idea for a TV show…"

That wasn't my idea. I was quoting somebody.

traditionalguy said...

Sounds like a Christianist plot to me. Connick is a practicing Catholic who also does Christmas music in public to torture athiests.

James Wolf said...

There were plans to do a 'reality' version of the Beverly Hillbillies. A Congrescritter from the south denounced the show, so the execs came up with 'The Simple Life' which propelled Paris Hilton into stardom.

Stoutcat said...

What, nobody ever heard of McCloud?

Brennan said...

I like the Instapundit commenter's show idea. Let's produce it.

Starring America Ferrera as the small town girl.

...aaaannnd it's cancelled.

Julie C said...

I loved it when the contestant was swooning over J Lo and how much s/he idolized her and Keith Urban said something funny along the lines of what about Harry? And the girl (I think) said, Oh my mother loves him!"

And all three of them seem to genuinely be having a good time together. Keith Urban always has astute comments to make - I like him a lot better than I thought I would.

Wince said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Smilin' Jack said...

"A small-town Red State girl goes to work in the Big City, but finds everyone there whiny, shallow, and unlikeable..."
"... in secret she keeps alive her swampblood roots by hunting ducks in Central Park Lake by night."


Because nothing shows how thoughtful and likable you are as much as killing small tame defenseless animals at night for fun.

Wince said...

A lot of people beside Althouse have a thing for Connick Jr (didn't his father beat Jim "JFK" Garrison for NOLA DA?).

Before he went to jail "after pleading no contest to assaulting a Bristol, Rhode Island contractor with a lit cigarette, an ashtray and a fireplace log", the mayor of Providence threatened to have us beaten if he wasn't allowed on Connick's tour bus without an invitation.

Good times. I love Rhode Island.

SGT Ted said...

Because nothing shows how thoughtful and likable you are as much as killing small tame defenseless animals at night for fun.

You poor, sensitive dear.

She'd be eating them if she was shooting them. Which is the point of shooting them in the first place.

In fact, a good episode could be made around one of her city boy dates she serves him Peking Duck at home from one of her takes in Central Park, revealing it to him in the course of the meal and he gets all squeamish and "ewww". Hilarity ensues.

SGT Ted said...

You'd think a guy with a manly nom deplume like "Smilin' Jack" would be have no problem with duck hunting.

The Godfather said...

To make Dux in the City a commercial success you've got to figure out a way that the characters get marooned on an island in the middle of Central Park.

Smilin' Jack said...

She'd be eating them if she was shooting them. Which is the point of shooting them in the first place.

Yeah, hunters get up at 3 AM and hike miles into a swamp and sit there for hours waiting for a chance to shoot birds because they're hungry. Do not suspect that they are just sick fucks who enjoy killing things.

CB9 said...

"He's married and he's modeling good married-man behavior (which makes him even sexier to me")

YES, as a woman I find that tremendously sexy! Never heard anyone else express that!

Larry J said...

Maybe instead of shooting ducks, she shoots geese. This week saw the 5th anniversary of the Miracle on the Hudson, a graphic example of the dangers geese inflict on us. Besides, while they're beautiful, they're also flying crap factories with a nasty attitude. Geese are assholes. She'll kill the geese and give them to homeless shelters and help make the skies safer at the same time.

Smilin' Jack said...

Harry Connick Jr. frequently disagrees with her and uttered the best eight words spoken in thirteen years of Idol: "Jennifer, I will slap you on national television."

I hope he does. Jennifer would slap him back and put that pussy in in a coma for weeks. I'd almost be willing to watch the show to see that.

SGT Ted said...

Do not suspect that they are just sick fucks who enjoy killing things.

Everybody knows that the black folk like fried chicken, watermelon and tap dancing.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

A young niece of mine left the almost non-existent rural community of Cinebar for the bustling metropolis of Olympia. After a year she decided to return home. Asked why, she replied, "It's the guys. They don't know how to do anything. Can't ride a horse, can't build a fence line, can't change their oil...".

RecChief said...

sorry not a fan of jennifer lopez. not impressed by her. although, she seems impressed with herself enough for the two of us

Pamela said...

Harry disappointed me.

Alex said...

There is something downright ghoulish about the characters and actors of Girls. Is this the final sign of the Apocalypse?

Paddy O said...

Loving American Idol. For the first time in a decade, they're taking the music seriously again. Simon was good but the producers shaped the show to egg him on.

They have 3 serious performers on now, with distinct demographics. And rather than aging stars who want publicity, they have folks who are still on top. Harry Connick Jr. is a phenomenal judge because he has a great sense of humor while being absolutely serious about the craft. Plus, he knows music deeply and brings that in.

This weeks shows have been the first have kept me interested for a while. The producers are making it about the music. Only 2 joke candidates or so we're meant to laugh at, and one we were meant to be sad about.

It's about the music again. It feels real and worthwhile.

Paddy O said...

And Nikki McKibbin and son! That was great!

iowan2 said...

"... in secret she keeps alive her swampblood roots by hunting ducks in Central Park Lake by night."

Art imitating life??

http://deadspin.com/5962567/university-of-iowa-suspends-two-members-of-wrestling-team-after-they-were-caught-hunting-rabbits-on-campus

This story always makes me smile, I guess for the same reason the fake premise makes me smile.

People just doing what makes them happy, and throwing the supposed sophisticates in a snobish tail spin.


JoyD said...

Yes, Harry!! I haven't watched Idol for five years or so, and even then it was just because EVERYBODY was talking about it, even my dentist used it for small-talk, and I wanted to be able to join in.
I used to have Harry's Christmas special on VHS and he was delightful. translation: so hot.
I'm going over to the PORTAL, Althouse, and see if it is available on DVD.