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Wagga Comedian Dane Simpson had never seen National Lampoon’s Vacation, until now! Was it a laugh-filled travel adventure or a fast track to a Clark Griswold meltdown? Who does he think would enjoy the chaos, and which scene had him calling total nonsense? Feel free to drop us some comments, feedback or ideas on the speakpipe (link below). Keep it fun and under a minute and you may get on the show. https://www.speakpipe.com/YASNYSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week the guys start with some conversation about paying attention to financial news and mostly bungling our way through money conversation. Foo is noticing that there's good news regarding how his employer did this year which reflects on potential bonuses. Do you count on bonuses as part of your salary like Clark Griswold? Gym, once again, repairs a toilet. Are you on board for a bidet? How many finger touches does it take to get to the bottom of a toilet flush lever? Gym talks about The Stanley Parable, a game which is currently free from Playstation Network. Gym is not a gamer. Foo takes Zander to Sac Anime show. Plus more!
This week on Mix Tape we discuss the following topics. Luigi Mangione and the incredible luck involved in his arrest at McDonalds. Mysterious drones over New Jersey. Mitch Mcconnell and Clark Griswold join the black eye club. The origins of the ouija board. Bill Maher makes Neil Degrasse Tyson look stupid. Britney thinks she's 5 years old. Chris Rock and Disney club 33. Kevin Hart sold his soul. The real life aquaman? ALL THAT AND MORE! If you want to submit videos for us to review on future episodes tweet at me on X and hastag #jtsmixtape Ancient Angels Podcast Episode 2: https://youtu.be/UGW2bIEXSE0?si=apyMEKCEckeBDLff JT's X: https://x.com/jtfollowsjc Bryan's Links: Ancient Angels: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/demonerasers/ Bryan's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@demonerasers?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc Bryan's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demonerasers/ JT's Links: Ancient Angels: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/demonerasers/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@jtfollowsjc JT's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jtfollowsjc JT's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jt_follows_jc?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JTFOLLOWSJC Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/jtfollowsjc Discord: https://discord.com/invite/UCetDA65
This week's pick is the turn of one of our longest supporters, Kent! And he's chosen THE road trip movie that spawned a franchise and influenced all that came after. It's the 1983 black comedy, National Lampoon's Vacation! The movie began as an adaptation of John Hughes's short story, “Vacation '58,” published in National Lampoon magazine. The screenplay was penned by Hughes himself, marking one of his early ventures into Hollywood comedy. Directed by Harold Ramis, the film starred Chevy Chase as the hapless family patriarch, Clark Griswold. Chase's improvisational comedy style helped shape the film's humor, with Beverly D'Angelo, Anthony Michael Hall, and Dana Barron rounding out the Griswold family. The road trip concept, centered on the Griswold family's disastrous journey to the fictional Wally World amusement park, resonated with audiences, blending slapstick humor with relatable family dynamics. Principal photography took place across various U.S. locations, including Arizona, California, Colorado, and Missouri, to capture the authentic feel of a cross-country road trip. Notable challenges included shooting in sweltering heat during desert scenes and the logistical complexities of filming with a live moose at the park. The film also saw some creative last-minute changes, such as altering the original ending (where Wally World was closed indefinitely) after test audiences found it too dark. The film's mix of irreverent comedy, Hughes's sharp writing, and Ramis's deft direction made it a critical and commercial success. If you enjoy the show we have a Patreon, so become a supporter. www.patreon.com/thevhsstrikesback Plot Summary: Clark Griswold is an overenthusiastic father, determined to take his family on the ultimate cross-country road trip to the Wally World amusement park. Along the way, Clark, his wife Ellen, and their children, Rusty and Audrey, face a series of increasingly absurd and catastrophic setbacks, including a car breakdown, disastrous stays with relatives, a flirtation with a mysterious woman in a Ferrari, and the tragic demise of their aunt's dog. Despite the chaos, Clark's relentless optimism drives the family to press on, culminating in a hilariously chaotic finale at Wally World that underscores the unpredictable and often hilarious nature of family vacations. thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com https://linktr.ee/vhsstrikesback
Clark Griswold was determined to have a “fun, old-fashioned family Christmas,” only to have his expectations dashed over and over again. Much like the Griswold Family Christmas, the very first Christmas took some unexpected turns. Though the Jewish people knew the prophecies of Micah and Isaiah, never could they have expected what God had planned. But, into the unexpected circumstances of Christmas came what we all needed most.
Send us a textJoin us for an incredible conversation with Ellen Latzen, the talented actress best known as Ruby Sue in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and for her role in Fatal Attraction!
Send us a textIn this special interview, we sit down with Nicholas Guest, the actor who brought the hilariously uptight Todd Chester to life in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation!
"Jack Riccardi talked about the attempts to pass a House spending bill, the disqualification of DA Fani Willis, the gotcha questions about deportation, the Biden infirmity coverup, Throwback Thursday 1985 and "naughty-or-nice" JR POLL about doing Christmas light like Clark Griswold."
And there went Ron's sheetrock..
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation: A Hilarious Holiday Classic DissectedJoin the hosts of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast as they unwrap the comedic genius of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, the 1989 holiday comedy that has become a beloved family tradition for millions. Featuring special guests Adam and Megan Hughes Rini, this episode offers a deep dive into one of the most iconic Christmas movies of all time.The Griswold Family Christmas: Chaos, Comedy, and NostalgiaChevy Chase stars as Clark Griswold, the well-intentioned but disaster-prone father determined to create the perfect family Christmas. The podcast breaks down the film's most memorable moments, from the epic Christmas tree hunt to the legendary light display that threatens to burn down the neighborhood. Hosts highlight how the movie captures the quintessential 80s family comedy, complete with John Hughes' signature touch of suburban humor and heart.The episode explores the film's enduring appeal, discussing how the characters - from Beverly D'Angelo's patient Ellen to Randy Quaid's unforgettable Cousin Eddie - have become cultural touchstones. The guests share personal memories of watching the movie, revealing why it has become a holiday tradition for so many families.Key Topics Discussed:The evolution of the National Lampoon's Vacation franchiseMemorable scene breakdowns, including the infamous sledding sequenceBehind-the-scenes trivia about the cast and productionThe film's representation of 1980s suburban family dynamicsWhy the movie continues to resonate with audiences decades laterOther Fascinating Moments Covered:The bizarre turkey dinner sceneClark's workplace bonus dramaThe hilarious interactions with yuppie neighbors Todd and MargoThe legendary squirrel sceneComparing Christmas Vacation to other holiday comediesThe podcast wraps up with the hosts rating the movie - a near-perfect 9 out of 10 squirrels - and offering their personal deep-cut movie recommendations. Whether you're a die-hard fan or a first-time viewer, this episode offers a nostalgic and laugh-filled exploration of a true holiday comedy classic.Don't miss this ultimate Christmas Vacation deep dive - it's the gift that keeps on giving! --We couldn't do this without your support of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast! Thank you!Join now for: $5/Month • $55/year • Learn More
In this special holiday episode of Bubbler Podcast, Mick and Kerri unwrap the magic—and the mayhem—of Christmas in the ‘80s and ‘90s, exploring how those over-the-top holidays shaped their family traditions today. So spike your eggnog, finish wrestling that 10-foot inflatable Santa into submission, and get ready for a nostalgia trip brighter than Clark Griswold's front yard. It's time for Bubbler's Gen X Tales of Holidays Past! Contact Us: bubblerpodcast@gmail.com Social Media Twitter: @hr_hours Instagram: hrafterhours Facebook: @HRafterhours Tumblr: hrafterhours.tumblr.com
In this final episode of 2024, with the Christmas season upon us, we discuss the concluding words of Jesus' most famous sermon, while also talking a bit about Clark Griswold, Christmas lights, and the birth of Jesus. We also introduce our new book that just hit Amazon and Barnes and Noble this month called "Repairers of the Breach." Click here to learn more about our new book:https://www.amazon.com/Repairers-Breach-pilgrimage-heart-Kingdom/dp/B0DM9K6K1N
Send us a textJoin me, as we wander through the echoes of the 1980s and revisit "Do They Know It's Christmas" by Band-Aid. We reminisce about this iconic charity single that, despite limited US airplay, became a hallmark of Christmas for many. We touch on the powerhouse lineup that included Bono, Sting, and Phil Collins, and explore why this heartfelt anthem still resonates today, alongside timeless holiday films like "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."I can't get enough of 'Christmas Vacation', with Clark Griswold, the Christmas tree, Cousin Eddie, Snots the dog, Margo the next-door neighbor and of course Aunt Bethany.As we journey through musical history, we look back at 'Beatles 65' and a salute to The Clash's game-changing album "London Calling" on its 45th anniversary. Discover the backstory of The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star" and unravel the enigma of Yes's "Leave It" music video. Wrapping up from my childhood bedroom in Levittown, New York and with Jimmy in Atlanta, Georgia, we hope you enjoy the memories and insights we've shared."Music in My Shoes" where music and memories intertwine.Learn Something New orRemember Something OldPlease Like and Follow our Facebook and Instagram page at Music In My Shoes. You can contact us at musicinmyshoes@gmail.com.
They Gave You What? - Holiday Injuries - Ted Ray: Clark Griswold House 12/11/24 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A good, old fashioned, family Christmas is all Clark Griswold wanted. What he gets is an ever unfolding disaster in 1989's “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.”
Da er jula her igjen og på tide at vi tar for oss en julefilm. Denne gangen er blod og gørr byttet ut med crazykomedie og slapstick når vi tar for oss klassikeren Christmas Vacation aka Hjelp, det er juleferie! med Chevy Chase i rollen som Clark Griswold som har et eneste ønske: Å skape en uforglemmelig jul for familien, noe han forsåvidt lykkes i. Christmas Vacation er en film som mange har et varmt, nostalgisk forhold til, inkludert oss. Men er den fortsatt morsom og gir den oss fortsatt den samme, gode julestemningen?Med: Chris og KurtVignett fremført av: Filmjunkiene v/Ivar Nikolai Fallet & Aleksander U. Serigstad
Has your Christmas season ever consisted of a squirrel terrorizing your family, a rusty eyesore flea-bitten RV parked out in front of your house, putting up so many Christmas lights you blackout the rest of the city, a SWAT team attacking your house during a kidnapping, etc., etc.? That's just what's in the stockings, not to mention what's under the Christmas tree, in this week's movie, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Thanksgiving is over, Black Friday black eyes are healing and the leftovers are stale so it's time to get some Christmas movies under our belt this season. Christmas Vacation was the Vacation franchise rebound from the utter failure that was European Vacation. Chevy Chase returns as the dim-witted Clark Griswold, who this time is just trying to put together the perfect Christmas for his family. It's a beautiful plan on paper until you put a guy named Clark Griswold in charge of it, and add in Cousin Eddie played by the perfect for the role, Randy Quaid. Of course Clark, as he always does, tries too hard and things get burnt, soaked, maimed, etc. You know, like your traditional Christmas. This movie is a go-to Christmas classic for many and it deserves a deeper dive into. So let's tear the gift wrapping off this movie and dig in! Christmas Vacation also stars Beverly D'Angelo, Johnny Galecki, Juliette Lewis, John Randolph, Diane Ladd, E.G. Marshall, Doris Roberts, Miriam Flynn, William Hickey, Sam McMurray, Nicholas Guest, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Brian Doyle-Murray and Nicollete Scorsese. Support the showFeel free to reach out to me via:@MoviesMerica on Twitter @moviesmerica on InstagramMovies Merica on Facebook
Christmas is calling and our heroes have failed to decorate Grapple HQ. That doesn't stop them from loading up on the jolly joy of the yuletide season with a tinsel laden extravaganza of sporting analysis and insight, as this Graptacular podcast edges toward the conclusion of its exceptionally merry first season. Santa's workshop is abuzz with speculation about the contract of Ben Hunt and the Broncos, and these two little Elves just can't help but remind one and all that THEY TOLD YOU SO. How does he fit, who goes, who stays? It's a puzzle that would have even Clark Griswold struggling to bullshit his way out of, and our noses are shining red with all the intrigue. Also stuffed under the Christmas Tree is a veritable sprawl of rugby league players vying to take one of QLD's 4 NRL teams to the North Pole of Premiership glory. The Grapplers run the rule over the top 30 squad's of each club, and speculate wildly on who fits where, when, how and what they might need to do to actually take that coveted step underneath the mistletoe of Rugby League's ultimate gift. Laurie Daley is the Marty McFly of State of Origin coaching, call us Grinches but we're not entirely sure this trip back to the future is in the spirit of the season. A semi-rare reappointment for the Blues gig has our heroes pondering if the Bellamy/Daley combo can deliver the gifts like the OG Santa, or if it's more like some old dude making a bit of pocket money by dressing up in a suit and posing for pics at the local Westfield. The NFL is a long way from Ballymore, and it's well worth a stuff into the speculative stocking to work out just what Jordy Pataia is up against in his quest to slide down the chimney of talent identification and stick the landing. Can this ultra talented Wallaby and Red wrap himself up and nestle snugly under the proverbial tree of glory? The numbers suggest he's driving the sleigh into a blizzard, but isn't Christmas all about belief? Also on the lunch table: Why are the Matildas the Kamala Harris of Aussie sport? And let's pop a christmas cracker to celebrate the career of Fatty Vautin, and pay tribute to the life of Neale Fraser, who becomes a spirit of Christmas past and leaves a sizeable bootprint in the snow of Australian tennis. It's merry, it's bright, it's the Grapple Podcast. Dig it.
JJ and Alec dive into a lively discussion about the classic holiday film, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, highlighting the comedic elements that make it a beloved staple for many during the holiday season. They reflect on the character of Clark Griswold, played by Chevy Chase, emphasizing his relentless pursuit of a perfect family Christmas amidst a series of absurd mishaps. One host shares their initial skepticism about the film, having never seen it before, and expresses surprise at finding humor in the subtle and relatable moments that resonate with the challenges of family gatherings during the holidays. The conversation also touches on the film's enduring appeal, despite its predictable tropes, and how it captures the essence of holiday chaos that many can relate to, making it a memorable viewing experience for both new and returning audiences.Support us:https://www.patreon.com/whatsourverdictEmail us: hosts@whatsourverdict.comFollow us:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatsourverdictTwitter: @whatsourverdictInstagram: @whatsourverdictYouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC-K_E-ofs3b85BnoU4R6liAVisit us:www.whatsourverdict.com
We look ahead to next week and the debut of SKELETON CREW. Who's going to see the premiere in the theater? As our way of saying “thanks”, the RFR switchboard is open the entire show for caller conversation and topics including the “Christmas in the Stars” LP, STAR WARS action figures, Grand Admiral Thrawn, praise for ANDOR season one and anticipation for season two, broadcast TV vs streaming, THE ACOLYTE's bloated budget and elusive merch. Kid Blake pitches us on his idea for a Darth Vader film, and someone asks the question of the year: Who from Star Wars could stand in for Clark Griswold and Cousin Eddie in “Christmas Vacation”? Get full show video, ad-free shows, bonus exclusive podcasts, early bird releases and more with RFR on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/RebelForceRadio OFFICIAL WEBSITE: https://www.rebelforceradio.com FACEBOOK - Like RFR! https://www.facebook.com/rebelforceradio TWITTER - Follow RFR! https://twitter.com/RFRRebelForce INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/rebelforceradio YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/rebelforceradio THREADS: https://www.threads.net/@rebelforceradio
Welcome to Episode 108 of "Unsportsmanlike Conduct," where Farace and Tim take the wheel while Anthony tours Europe, likely mistaking Big Ben for a football field as he channels his inner Clark Griswold. Melo remains a wild card, but we're keeping his chair warm—just in case.It's a lightning-fast episode ahead of Week 12 action, and we've got plenty to tackle:Week 11 NFL Recap Farace and Tim break down the highlights and surprises from Week 11. Farace is riding high with an 11-3 record, and Tim trails just behind at 10-4, both trying to keep pace with Anthony's ridiculous 12-2 record—proving he can dominate NFL picks even while gallivanting across Europe. Expect some playful jabs about Tim's "gut picks" and Farace's self-proclaimed “expert insight.”World Famous Week 12 Picks It wouldn't be an episode without the *World Famous* NFL Picks segment! Farace and Tim deliver their predictions for Week 12, taking their best shots at outsmarting Anthony's European hot streak. With bold picks and questionable reasoning, this segment is guaranteed to bring plenty of laughs (and maybe a few regrets by Sunday).Woody Johnson & Daniel Jones Drama Rumors have surfaced that Jets owner Woody Johnson wanted to bench Aaron Rodgers earlier in the season after a rough start. Meanwhile, over in New York's other football mess, the Giants have finally benched Daniel Jones after six turbulent seasons. Farace and Tim weigh in on these benching sagas, from Johnson's (possibly wise) hindsight to the Giants finally pulling the plug on Jones. Is this the beginning of a turnaround for New York football, or just more chaos ahead?Join us for this quick-hit episode filled with NFL insights, banter, and just enough chaos to keep you entertained. Whether you're here for the picks, the hot takes, or just to see how Tim defends his Week 11 misses, this episode has something for everyone!
Stephen Maitzen argues that the world is deterministic. But if all of our choices are determined, how should we understand free will, the meaning of life, and regret? Read Maitzen's Book here: https://www.routledge.com/Determinism-Death-and-Meaning/Maitzen/p/book/9781032134185 [00:00] Introduction to Determinism and Thought Experiment [00:15] Clark Griswold's Christmas Lights: A Lesson in Determinism [04:01] Probabilistic Explanations vs. Deterministic Explanations [05:06] The Limits of Probabilistic Explanations [12:47] Human Behavior and Determinism [17:26] Infinite Regress and Brute Facts [20:31 ] Time Travel and Determinism [28:20] The Role of Deliberation in Determinism [29:24] Forward-Looking Rationality and Regret [30:50] Libertarian vs. Determinist Deliberation [32:00] Compatibilism and the Illusion of Free Will [33:53] The Rationality of Regret in Determinism [37:41] Counterfactuals and Deterministic Implications [44:40] Determinism and the Meaning of Life [47:56] Libertarianism and Disrupting the Causal Chain [55:13] Compatibilist Responses to Libertarian Objections [59:22] Final Thoughts
Murphy turns into Clark Griswold for Thanksgiving, and he's already underway. Share your recent personal WOWS with us - it's Keep the Wow Wednesday!How much deadlines at work really matter. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Radio Ronin!!!!! Get yer super fresh Radio Ronin here!!!! Chandler and Panda can't wait anymore! They say it's time for a Halloween "soft opening"!!!! What do YOU think!?!Chunga says he has finally crossed the line. A line every dude crosses. At some point we all become Clark Griswold and his time has come!! Have you been watching the Summer Olympics?! What do you think?All 4 Ronin have really struggled with it this time around. Chunga can't really seem to pinpoint an exact reason why!!!Wait... A new Alien movie is coming out?!? What the?!?! When did this become a thing!?! YES!!!!!!!CHUNGA POLL: What song do you listen to, to get "hyped up"?!! Post your answers below!!Another movie based on a video game is coming out this week!!! This one is based on a legendary video game!!!! It's all so has everyone very worried!!!Plus, Gregg has the very first Halloween movie of 2024!!!! WOOOOO HOOOOOOOO!!!! Listen NOW!!! It's on www.radioronin.com and everywhere you get your podcasts!!!
Radio Ronin!!!!! Get yer super fresh Radio Ronin here!!!! Chandler and Panda can't wait anymore! They say it's time for a Halloween "soft opening"!!!! What do YOU think!?!Chunga says he has finally crossed the line. A line every dude crosses. At some point we all become Clark Griswold and his time has come!! Have you been watching the Summer Olympics?! What do you think?All 4 Ronin have really struggled with it this time around. Chunga can't really seem to pinpoint an exact reason why!!!Wait... A new Alien movie is coming out?!? What the?!?! When did this become a thing!?! YES!!!!!!!CHUNGA POLL: What song do you listen to, to get "hyped up"?!! Post your answers below!!Another movie based on a video game is coming out this week!!! This one is based on a legendary video game!!!! It's all so has everyone very worried!!!Plus, Gregg has the very first Halloween movie of 2024!!!! WOOOOO HOOOOOOOO!!!! Listen NOW!!! It's on www.radioronin.com and everywhere you get your podcasts!!!
This week on The Last Row Podcast, Drew and Badway survive the dry desert heat, as the Summer of Sequels 2: Heat Wave series continues with the 1997 comedy, Vegas Vacation. The guys delve into Clark Griswold's ill-fated gambling spree, the questionable sex appeal of Wayne Newton, and Nick Papagiorgio's epic run. They also discuss the tease of bringing teenagers to Sin City, Clark's visit to the cheapo casino, Cousin Eddie's top trashy beer choices, and Badway's gambling strategy that “guarantees” profits. -- Summer of Sequels 2: Heat Wave Schedule June 6 - Scream 2 June 20 - Die Hard With A Vengeance July 4 - The Mummy Returns July 18 - Vegas Vacation August 1 - Bride of Chucky August 15 - Lethal Weapon 2 August 29 - Wayne's World 2 September 12 - Final Destination 2 September 26 - Crank: High Voltage Subscribe & Follow Us: Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube X/Twitter Facebook Instagram
Dennis and Diana went on a European vacation. It went slightly better than Clark Griswold's family vacation to Europe, but it wasn't without incident. Lord willing, Dennis and I will get this party re-started once he's back on his feet. Thanks to our exclusive media partner, KVRE • Join Our Free Email Newsletter • Subscribe To The Podcast Anyway You Want • Subscribe To Our YouTube Channel (click that bell icon, too) • Join Our Facebook Group • Tell Your Friends About Our Show • Support Our Sponsors (click on the images below to visit their websites) __________________________________________
We start with Christmas recaps where Neil realizes that he's the true patron of his family now, passing him the torch to be a real Clark Griswold. Neil and I argue about calendars and when the Gregorian Calendar replaced the Julian Calendar for some reason. This brings us to Lent and our Lenten struggles for some reason led us into talking about why Millennials and Gen Xers are so overprotective of their kids and into a segment that we would like to call random story time. In this episode of random story time we tell the story of how my daughter and Neil's son ran over a three year old in cold blood in a power wheels car. We end the conversation by giving a couple of sneak peaks at some (hopefully) upcoming new Among Wolves episodes and since we don't know how to land the plan we spend the last 20 minutes talking about the Oscars and Oppenheimer. Gratuitous Sound Clips * Highlander TV Intro (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnJt9p-sHho) Bartok (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72U-m7qAz0s) * Die Hard Ellis Negotiation Scene (HD) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irTozIjeqFM) John Mulaney's Governors Awards Monologue | 14th Governors Awards (2024 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8uIHsiZ-og)) The ring - 7 days (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im03GUnw1qE)
On this episode, we are spring break and family vacation traditions. We are telling stories of Clark Griswold moments in Europe with Laura and prompt dinner times with Claire at the beach... and the idea of throwing all of your expectations out the window and maybe just trying to enjoy yourself!!! But if you don't enjoy yourself, it might be because you convinced yourself to do a hike because Oprah did it. Oh, and no surprise, Will has never had any drama on a vacation.
Welcome to the best part of your day! This week on Buckets of Duckets Chase and Josh talk the comedy drama in Seattle, Josh makes his Amazon Prime debut, and Chase goes full Clark Griswold on the slopes. Subscribe and Share! Hosted by Chase Mayers & Josh Watts
The 5 best Clark's of all time
Next episode will feature a deep dive on "Better Off Dead" and conclude the Van Halen saga. But until then, please enjoy: A very well-rounded view of VH history by Eddie Van Halen in 1990 Sammy Hagar's arguably sketchy claims about Van Halen's numbers before and after he joined Eddie producing and promoting a band called "Private Life" who obviously did not go on to amazing things (but hey, even if you or I never heard their songs, they still accomplished more than most of us, eh?) Eve Clarke interviewing me about my "Perfect 10" VH tunes of the David Lee Roth era Sammy's tale of meeting Eddie for the first time and joining Van Halen The final installments of my real-time (and space-time) reactions to the Art Linson/Cameron Crowe teen epic that had a lot going for it even if it didn't come out fully cooked - "The Wild Life," starring Nice Guy Eddie, Marty McFly's mom, Vincent Vega's heroin dealer, Clark Griswold's cousin Eddie, and the "Wanna take a bath?" gal from Pink Floyd's Wall film adaptation. Monthly exclusive Rock History bonus feed here https://www.patreon.com/rockfilmrock Choose your preferred method of supporting the show for no money or maybe some money: PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/whatsamatta Shirt designs with defeatist messaging delivered via bright colors and childish graphics: https://www.bonfire.com/store/justtheworstshirtsever/ Subscribe to me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV4Up7xGgjioEC07bjwu4mQ Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justtheworstever/ Send me an email with show suggestions: Justtheworstever@gmail.com Suicide Prevention, Text/Call: 988 https://afsp.org/ National Sexual Assault Hotline 1-800-656-4673 https://www.rainn.org/resources
In this festive episode, Dr. Addison Killeen expresses his love for the Christmas movie "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," highlighting the comedic chaos as Clark Griswold strives for the perfect family holiday. The story follows Clark's relentless pursuit of perfection, which takes a hilarious turn when his eccentric cousin Eddie unexpectedly arrives with his family. Dr. Killeen draws a parallel to dental office experiences and humorously likens the chaos to scenes from the iconic film. Despite the challenges, your host encourages embracing the memories, finding laughter, and enjoying the holiday with family and friends.
Welcome back to Analyze Scripts, where a psychiatrist and a therapist analyze what Hollywood gets right and wrong about mental health. Today, we wrap up 2023 with a special Christmas-themed episode analzying the Griswold family in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." We have a lot of fun revisiting this holiday classic and trying to figure out what exactly is going on with Clark Griswold!! And building on our holiday theme this month, we end the episode with our top tips for maintaining your boundaries and sanity during this cheerful (and stressful!) time of year. We hope you enjoy! WATCH PAST EPISODES NOW ON YOUTUBE! https://www.instagram.com/analyzescriptspodcast/ TikTok Website Unknown Speaker: Hi, I'm Dr. Katrina Fieri, a psychiatrist. And I'm Portia Pendleton, a licensed clinical social worker. And this is analyze Scripts, a podcast where two shrinks analyze the depiction of mental health in movies and TV shows. Our hope is that you learn some legit info about mental health while feeling like you're chatting with your girlfriends. There is so much misinformation out there, and it drives us nuts. And if someday we pay off our student loans or land a sponsorship, like with a lay flat airline or a major beauty brand, even better. So sit back, relax, grab some popcorn and your DSM five, and enjoy. Ho, ho, ho. Welcome back to this very special Christmas episode of Analyze scripts, where we're going to be covering the 1989 classic National Lampoon Christmas vacation. Portia, you have seen this movie? I have, many times. It's my favorite Silly Christmas movie. Okay, good. Yeah. Okay, good. It's a must watch. No, I have to say, watching it once again, I was like, I would be Clark Griswold with my crazy family, and you and Brian would be, like, over there. Happy, Margot. Yeah. Thank you. I love Margot, and I also just love Julie. Drive us so much. I just like how they're know, having their Margaritas. They're having their know. They don't have kids. They're just, like, hot trotting, know. And then there I am trying to hang Christmas lights. Well, I would say as a couple, sure. But then the family chaos, right? True. We do deck our halls here. So we are the brightest house in the neighborhood. I'm excited to see that this year. It's very fun. We do love the holidays. Invite everyone over. So I feel like Margot's a little, know, colder. I love when her and Tod are talking about, like, should we have gotten a, like, it's a little late, but go for not. I don't know. It's just like, the two houses are so paralleled opposite. Yeah. And the fact that they're, like, neighbors, like, they just must hate each know. Seems like there's a lot of. Oh, so we wanted to cover this episode because with the holidays, like, spoiler alert. Holidays are stressful. Did you guys know? But I looked up some quick stats because we're professional podcasters now. And NaMi, the National alliance of Mental Illness, estimates that 24% of people with a diagnosed mental illness find the holidays make their condition a lot worse and 40% somewhat worse. Let's talk about why that is. Yeah. Why do you think? I think that families often highlight things that are wrong, typically because there's so many people. Right? I'm going to use, I guess, depression. Maybe for an example, if you were going home for the holidays and you had pretty significant depression, but you were just going home to your parents and they were relatively supportive, it would be fine because it's just them cooked me. You're going home. You can chill on the couch. You don't have to really do anything. But it's like, no. If you're going to Aunt Sue's house and there's going to be 20 people there, it's overwhelming. Everyone is heightened. There's always tension. There's always some family member that someone's not getting along with, which impacts everyone. There's always stress, oh, we need to clean everything. I love that video. I don't know what social media site it's been on for years. It's like this guy dressed up as a mom and he's like cleaning everything and saying, we have to make it look like we don't live here. Like, oh, it's dirty, throw it away. It's like these people get so intense about patience are so high, so high. And we see that with Clark Grisml just like really wanting this unbelievably high, perfect version of the holidays, which is just impossible. Right. But I mean, just the expectations for the cooking, the cleaning, the finances, the gifts, like the travel behavior. Yeah. Children behaving like all of that. And then let's throw in some alcohol. Right. Which flows freely at most holiday events. And so then everyone's a little bit more loose lipped and we miss things, I think, when we're intoxicated. Right. So we make assumptions. It's kind of a recipe for diSaster. And I think, right, or the perfect SNL skip. Well, that's true. Or the perfect show, like the Bear. Right. So the Bear did an excellent portrayal of chaos on a holiday. If you haven't seen that show, please do watch it and then listen to our episodes about it. So I think, isn't it Thanksgiving or the 4 July or one of them that has the most, like, er visits? Maybe it's Thanksgiving because of the frying, the turkeys. People get stabbed. Like, there's family together. There's so much drinking, there's football. It's like Thanksgiving, I've heard, has like a higher ER rate. I know 4 July does for firework injuries, fire blowing, stuff like that. But yeah. And then, so you just add to it. That's just like baseline stressors, I guess. And then if you add into it, like, someone's struggling with a substance use disorder or anxiety, depression, eating disorder. Eating disorder. Like any of this stuff, grief around the holidays is really hard, especially if you've experienced significant loss around a holiday or let's say you don't have a lot of family. It's a reminder. Isolated. Yeah. It's a reminder of what you've lost. So holidays are really stressful, and it can be really hard to set healthy limits and have healthy boundaries with yourself, both in terms of concrete things, like how much money you're spending on gifts or stuff like that, and then also just, like, emotional boundaries with interacting with people in the family who might be hard to interact with. No, totally. The scene that the movie kind of, like, opens up with is them getting their Christmas tree. Right. So Clark, Ellen, and then the two kids, Audrey and Russ. So John Paulecki, who is in, you know, is little Russ. And then we have Juliet Lewis, who is now in one of our newer favorite shows, Yellow Jackets. Great cast. And then Ellen Griswold, Beverly Angelo. She was a bigger star at a reoccurring role in Entourage as herself now. And she's kind of this rough woman who's like a boss of a competing company. Nice. So obviously, Chevy Chase has been a lot of things, but we immediately see just, like, Chevy Chase's Clark Road rage and just, like, reactivity. Yeah. And, like, selfish streak. You're putting your family in danger. Yeah, exactly. And just, like, impulsivity, too, like, not thinking ahead or thinking things through. Like, they get there and no one has anything to cut the tree down with. And then they get it home and it doesn't really fit. Then we just cut it in half and we get the chainsaw out. It's just really interesting. He's an interesting character, to say the least. Yeah. Ellen seems to be always kind of trying to level head in, make him more aware of what's happening and his choices. And one of my favorite scenes for just comedic reason is when they're in bed that night and they have the sap stuck to their fingers and everything is sticking and just pulling like I just did. They're pulling the lamps and touching paper, and it's just so ridiculous. But if you've ever touched sap, it is impossible to get off. You can get it off with sugar. Oh, good to know. Yeah. Hot tip. But even then he's struggling. He can't do it himself. So he grabs it and takes it on, and then she gets to stop on her. And that's, like a perfect metaphor, I feel like, for that relationship, I don't know how she puts up with him. No, it's a lot. Yeah. All the characters kept saying, like, you're such a good dad. Just calm down. He needed a lot of reassurance. He did need a lot of reassurance, which I don't know what that's about. It seemed like he had some happy memories of childhood. Right. So he has two, you know, still married. They seem. Of the two sets of grandparents, they seem nicer and, like, less. Yeah. So Ellen's parents are very judgy. Francis and. What is his name? Frank. So Francis is played by Doris Roberts. So we've seen her in many, many things over the years. Like, something. Raymond. Everybody loves Raymond. Yep. The mom in that. So she's just like, immediately like, oh, you cut your hair. Oh, you smoking again? And we see Ellen responding to strEss, so she starts smoking. She also, before they even got here, was, like, in bed. In that scene in bed at the beginning, like, I heard everyone's coming. We could tell them all not to. And I was like, listen to that instant. Yeah. Would it be rude to ask them to stay in a hotel? You could just tell they were, like, bracing for it. I loved when all the grandparents got there, how they're just filling everyone in on their physical ailments. I got a bunion. Can you rub my feet? And Russ is like, ew, he wants to die. And then Audrey being like, I don't want to share bed with my brother. It's just, like, so funny. But, like, classic having everyone under the same roof. Oh, my gosh, the grandparents. I just love grandparents. And I personally can't wait to be older, I think. I don't know if I've told you, but I have three careers lined up in my mind. Tell our audience an elder one is to be an actress and be like the elderly grandma in all the movies. Like Doris, right? That's her name, yes. Another is to go hold babies at the hospital. Just be the person, like, in the NICU holding the babies. And the third, my favorite idea is I want to go sit at wedding dress shops and just tell all the brides, like, how beautiful they look every time they come out, just like, really sweet. That's either going to be creepy or sweet, right? Yeah. We'll depend on the bride. Yeah. And their personal history. Right. And I think if I can just be, like, the token loving grandmother with, like, muffins. You look beautiful. Cottage core, your little sweaters. Yeah, exactly. That'll be very nice. But watching this movie, I was like, ooh, I don't know. Yeah. All the grandma a little rough, and they seem to not like each other. It seems like the two grandparents don't get along. Yeah. And that creates a lot of stress for everyone, which I would imagine that being stressful. And also, I think it's lovely to invite people to stay at your house if you have the space, but if people have the means and if you don't, sometimes we got to make things work, and that's lovely, too. But if people have the means, we don't need to sleep on the floor. I don't know. I mean, I know that it's fun to wake up on holidays in the morning with people, but just come over. But is it fun? Yeah. Well, I think you really have to ask yourself that question. I think in this household, it's a no. Yeah. What about, like, Cousin Eddie showing up in the RV? So that was a twist. You could see, like, almost trauma. He's like. He can't believe it. He's just, like, speechless. He's kind of turning his head back and forth, back and forth. So they're all admiring the lights, which seems like it was a very stressful situation for Russ, who's one of his favorite lines of mind that I say frequently when, like, don't want to do something. So he's like, yeah, Dad, I got to do my homework. I got to feed the hog. He recites all these things that they don't have, and I just say that with my partner. We say it all the time. We don't want to do something. So he kind of backs out. And you see Clark lose his mind when the lights are not turning on. Right. He's kicking the Santa. He's having this big reaction, a little childlike. Right. It's kind of a temper tantrum, which makes me think that he doesn't have a lot of distress tolerance or, like, coping. Emotion regulation. Regulation. Strong point. Yeah. Also, it was a lot of lights. A lot of lights. Almost felt a little hypomanic at times. Right. Or, like, impulsive. Like, one thing you had mentioned, hyper focus. Yeah. Is like, does Clark have ADHD? Yeah. I mean, the data is. Think I'd love to do a Vanderbilt with him. Yeah. You added an additional symptom that I didn't see online, but I think it's true. Right. He's very impulsive. Very impulsive. Yeah. Like, with the road rage, with deciding to do this or to do that or just really going with it. The hyper focus. So he can't stop doing something, even at the risk of getting hurt. So that's when kind of some more potential traumatic brain injuries or TBIs come into our count of, I think it was nine head traumas during the entire movie. So he doesn't really give close attention or details. He makes careless mistakes. You see him stapling his little. Stapling his glove. He has so many. But then he doesn't just take his hand out of the glove. He's trying to rip the glove off. So again, decision making, trouble keeping attention or tasks. Doesn't seem to listen when spoken directly to. I can see that sometimes with his kids, he's just kind of looking away or like, how we would say, like, maybe La la Land. He doesn't name misses important details. He doesn't call his daughter Aubrey ever. He's like, oh, yeah, she's over there. Something. It's just weird. And is he being a jerk or is that inattentiveness? Trouble organizing, loses things, all the gifts. Right? He is digging around in the ceiling attic, and then he finds, like, ten gifts from years past. Distracted, forgetful. So there's a lot there where he very well could meet criteria for that. And I think he's also, at least in some ways, kind of a jerk. So, like, you can have ADHD and be a jerk. You can have ADHD and not be a jerk. So it's like a jerk and not have ADHD. Exactly. Diagram. Exactly. Yeah. No, I totally agree. It's interesting to think about does he have ADHD, and is this part of why he's trying to overcompensate? Right, because sometimes I think people will try to do that to make up for it in some way, but then the stuff they're trying to do to overcompensate, like, in this case, requires a lot of planning and organizing and execution, which is hard for anyone, but especially if you add in, like, an inattentive ADHD, he's also really hyperactive, so he's probably bumping around. Yeah, definitely. Even, like, the impulsive things he says to people and some of the altercations he would get into verbally, I think, could meet criteria for that, too. So he's this big family man, right? So there's a lot of things. That's how he kind of identifies himself. But then he's, like, flirting with that woman, Mary Lingerie place. I was, like, so turned off by that. Because then it's gross behavior. When his son comes over, he's like, suddenly like, oh, yikes. Because you don't want your son to see that, right? Because it's bad. I know. That's why he's, like, not, oh, I'm not married. Oh, she. That's Ew. Ick. Yeah. So back to Eddie. Seems like he's had some TBIs. I would say so. And he has some, you know, he refers to some sort of, like, surgery, right. Where he had a meta plate in his head. He refers to the VA. So it sounds like he's a veteran now. He's just, like, living on the road in the RV with his kids. Who. Financial problems. Yeah. He gave his money away to some minister online, it sounds like. Or on TV. Oh, no. Yeah. His kids also have had to TBI. Right. They referred Mary Lou. Oh, her eyes aren't crossed anymore. Right. Well, she got kicked in the head and they cross, and then she got kicked in the head again and they uncross. Spoiler alert, that's not how it works. But in this movie, I guess so it seems like they're kind of really down on their luck. And I'm like, do the kids go to school? Are you trying to convey. They don't go to school. They're just in the RV. And one older daughter's, like, in alcohol rehab. The other one's going to be in the carnival circus or something. So they're just a hoot. And they show up. Surprisingly, you can see everyone's thrilled to see. And it's almost like it's a little sweet because despite their quirks and very obvious comedic role in the movie, it's like, it's sad. They're definitely, like you said, not having any luck right now. But one of the sweeter moments in the movie is when Clark is downstairs with Ruby sue, right? She thinks he's Santa, and he has a sweet moment with her about Santa. And then when they're at the Christmas Eve, they're like, oh, we saw there was Santa sighting over this, and they all get really excited. Like, that's sweet. It was sweet. And that was a cute Christmas Eve with all there and waiting for Santa and stuff. So there are some sweet moments in the movie. That's probably why it's so successful is because it is funny. It is sweet. And I think it also still portrays these family dynamics that I think everyone can relate. Uncle sue just showing up or so and so having a little too much eggnog, right. Or Grandma over there singing the Star Spangled Band or Grandpa lighting the tree on Foster. He's just always lighting a cigar, like, all the time. So speaking of Margot and Todd, in a non psychological way, because this isn't really, like, a diagnosis, but they could use a little holiday spirit. They seem a little like curmudgeony, which is not. And it's only because they are, I think, maybe traumatized by having Clark as a. So. Right. Like, he's cutting down the tree because. Right. As we said, the grandpa, I think it's not Francis, but, like, burns it down. Clark freaks out. Right. Because it's ruining, like, which, again, if you had a fire in your house on the holiday, I would be reactive. But it's not about the fire. It's about, like, we don't have a tree. Yeah. So he goes into the yard. He goes out there with the mask. I know. And just chainsaws it down. It goes through the neighbor's window. Exactly. Smashes it. Meanwhile, they're getting TBIs, falling down the stairs. A lot of concussions in this movie. A lot of window smashing, too. Like, at the end, when the SWAT team shows up to rescue their boss, Todd won't go over and confront. So Margot does. She's ****** about it, like, banging on the door, opens it, and the squirrel attacks her. And then the dog jumps on her. What did you think of the squirrel? So symbolic with chaos. I think it's one of my. I know I've said this ten times already, but it's just such a good scene. It's running around the house. They're all running around with it. They're, like, freaking out. It's like. I don't know. It's a squirrel. But have you ever had a squirrel in your house? I've had, like, a bird. I had a squirrel once. Were you freaking out? Yeah, we were in an apartment at the time. It was a second floor apartment, and we had noticed we were renting it under this sink. There was, like, a hole that was getting bigger and bigger. And I was like, that's never good kitchen. Yeah. I was like, that's weird. And then one day, I just heard this scratching noise. I was like, is that a mouse? And I go and open it. A squirrel darts out. Like. Just like that. Just like the squirrel girl in this movie. Yes. Darts out. And luckily, I'd had the door opened at the balcony, and it ran out there, and I just slammed the door, like, as fast as I could. But it was terrifying. It was shocking. Yes. Just like this. So I was like, oh, my God. I know that feeling. Like, all of a sudden, I thought it was a bird at first in the tree, but then, no, it was crazy squirrel. Yeah. My in laws had a squirrel like infestation in their attic years ago. They have it all fixed now, but squirrels kept getting in. They kept covering the hole or whatever. They kept chewing through it. It was a nightmare. It was so hard to get rid of. And they kept appearing. They'd wake up and hear the scratches in the ceiling. So I guess this is common. Another family member of mine had, like, flying squirrels in his house. They would come in through the light fixtures. They're a little smaller. Yeah, it's just like, what is this? All these squirrels. You know what it also made me think of? Cruzfeld Yakov disease. Do you know what that is? I knew you weren't going to know this. I'm really excited. So random. So say it again. Kruzfeld Yakov disease. CJD. Because this is one of the most interesting things I ever learned in medical school. So there's a class of disorders called prion diseases, where prions are like misfolded proteins that lead to basically bigger cells and stuff, like can't function. So Cruzfeld, the AOC of disease, is something where it's a prion disease, and it's really sad because it's very fatal very quickly, and there's really not a lot you can do for it. So it's people who all of a sudden develop memory loss, trouble walking, muscle weakness, personality changes, they stop eating, and then they die pretty quickly. There's a variant of this that comes from eating squirrel brains. Yeah, that is why I thought of it. I believe it's called kuru kuru. And they discovered this back in an island in Papua New guinea where culturally, people would eat squirrel brains. If you remember back in the day, mad cow disease in London, that's a prion disease that people got from eating infected cows that had the prion disease. So it's very transmissible, which is scary if you eat, but you have to eat the infected meat, basically. So you can't get like Kruzfeld Yakub from sneezing or saliva or anything like that. You get it from eating the tissue. Another reason to be vegetarian. Or there's a random variant, which is what a lot of humans randomly get, and then there's like a genetic variant to where it could run in families. Anyway, so, yeah, in medical school, I learned about this prion disease that came from eating squirrel brains. And I was like, what? But then I thought, what if Uncle Eddie ate that squirrel? Like, I could see him doing that. Well, they've said that they eat squirrels. I know. That's why I started thinking about the preon disease. But no, I don't think Uncle Eddie has the prion disease because he's functioning too well, despite how he's actually functioning. But anyway, just a fun little tidbit that's interesting. Well, if I'm ever in the wild, I will not. Brain. Yeah. Don't eat squirrel. Brain. Yeah. Okay. Fun fact. I think in some cultures, it's like a delicacy. In other cultures, there's some cultures where there's some cannibalism as part of funeral rituals and things like that. And that can lead to pre owned disease. So try to avoid it. Now you know. Now you know, the more you know. So another stressor in this movie is finances, right? So we see Clark kind of planning on this bonus, which a lot of people do have anticipatory kind of regular guaranteed bonuses. And it's like a part of your salary because at first, I remember watching this as a kid and being like, well, why would you overspend, silly. But now I said, he's gotten it for, like 17 years or something. It's a part of your kind of guaranteed schedule income. And so he's planning to, again, have this perfect moment where he has this pool and he's, like, envisioning, right, this pool party with Mary there, which is weird, but whatever. And so then he finds out, right, that he doesn't get it. And he's waiting. And he's waiting. You can see him getting more and more because he already put the deposit down. Exactly. And it sounds like he doesn't have the money to do that, which is without the bone. It's a little risky. But then he finally gets the letter and announces to the whole family, before he opens it, I know what he's going to do with it. Everyone's excited. Everyone can't wait to see it. And then it's the jelly of the Month club. And he, which rightfully so, but loses it, right? He goes on that rant that is bleeped out a lot if you watch it on live TV. It's not if you watch it on the streaming service, but it's like. And it's, again, one of the iconic moments of the whole movie. Eddie, which is super sweet, sees how upset he is, wants to do something about. And he know he doesn't know what to get Clark. And Clark says, all I want is for the boss to be here wrapped up in a bow. And so Eddie's like, oh, light bulb. Oh, my God, he does it. So he goes and gets him, kidnaps this man puts a bow on him. I'm like, where'd you get the bow? Not important. Brings him back from what? Car dealership, literally. And then they find out and then they all crash through the windows. And of course, Ellen's like, frozen, holding. So funny, though. Private party, said, like, freeze. That was like, really funny. And then even the boss is frozen. They're like, not you. But then the wife learns that he went back on his word and did jelly of the Month club and she chastises him for it. She's really upset. And then they learn that everyone's getting more money this year and it's going to be great. And then they're all happy, and I'm just like, whoa, then what happens? ANd then Aunt Bethany sings the national anthem as the know because Eddie put all the nasty stuff in the sewer and Lewis lights it on fire. So they're all singing and it's just like the best moment of Christmas of all. It's perfect. That's what Christmas is really all about, Clark. Family connection, family veterans and fire. God bless America. God bless America. Oh, my God. It's wonderful. It's so funny. It's so funny. But it's so true. Like, the financial stress that can come from the holidays is insane, right? I think just with the capitalist society we live in, the materialism. And you really do lose sight of what the reason for the season, and that's different for everyone. But it's not just presenting money. I think everyone can agree it's not about that, right? I think it is about giving, but within reason. And so, yeah, I think that's a nice spot to sort of start wrapping up, is like, yeah, it is about giving. And some tips I think that we have as therapists for managing stress around the holidays. I think one little catchphrase I really like, which ties in nicely to the fiery end to the movie, is don't set yourself on fire to keep someone else warm. And by that, it sort of reminds you, like, it's okay to have healthy limits and, like, don't overextend yourself. Especially, like, I think moms tend to do this. You see Clark doing this. Don't try to be a superhero to make everyone else happy and just don't. Or if it's too much to go to this house on Christmas Eve, then this house on Christmas Day and then grandparents on Christmas night, don't come up with a new plan. And keep in mind that you're allowed to enjoy your holiday, too. And that, again, trying to keep in mind, like, what's your reason for the season? Yeah. And I think trying to take a step back and figuring out what is your favorite part. Right. Like, what's important to you. Is it being all together on Christmas morning and staying in matching pajamas? Like, great. Is it the food great? Is it seeing certain people great? But it's like, which part brings you the most joy and how can you invest in that and let some of the other things. Exactly. Exactly. And I think one thing I always encourage people to do, especially if you run more on the perfectionistic side or you're really going above and beyond, like we see Clark doing is okay, like, what are your expectations? And then reduce it by like half and just settle into, like, well, how would I feel if only these things got great? Like, try to just take the pressure off yourself a little bit so that you're not just doing and doing and going and going, but you can actually be present in the festivities or the events and you can find some enjoyment in it. Right. One podcast I love to listen to called the Deep Dive, I don't know if you've ever heard of that one, but they always talk about something called, like, tree time, where one of them in her iPhone calendar has like a half hour every day where it's tree time and she and her kids just sit in front of the tree and just look at and connect. Isn't that beautiful? Because they used to spend all this time getting the tree, decorating the tree, putting presents under the tree. But how often do you actually just sit in front of it and take it in and sit there with your kids with no distractions and stuff like that? So I think it's important to build that stuff in. Yeah, no, I think it's really just about connecting with your values and what's going to make you feel connected. I mean, we have typically not for everyone, but like time off. So how can you spread things out? I love spreading things out. It's like, what's better than having three Christmases? So we don't need to fit everything in in that 24 hours period. Right. But I don't know. I like the idea also of you had mentioned just like volunteering and how can you give back in any way, big or small, around that time of year? What does that look like? Can you turn that into like a family tradition and then for managing the stress that comes from family dynamics? I think if you can use humor as best you can, that's always really helpful, especially if there's just that one person who, no matter what, gets under your skin or creates a scene or just stuff like that. You have to keep in mind you're responsible for your own behavior, and that's it. You can't control other people's behavior, their feelings, or how they're going to react. So there's just that one nudge. Is there a way with your partner or someone to kind of turn it into a funny little game? Or how long is it going to be till so and so does this, or till so and so does that? Is there any way to try to just accept what you anticipate will happen and try not to take it personally? This is where I also love to encourage people to put on their. What I call **** raincoats. You just imagine you got your **** raincoat on, and whatever's thrown at you just rolls right off. Crude. It is helpful, though, to have some anticipation, right? So whether you are in therapy, perfect time to talk about it with your therapist. If you have a partner, talk about with them or whoever you are attending, maybe an event with or even yourself you can do this with. But just, like, what do you expect? What do we know about your family? What can you anticipate is going to happen? And just preparing for yourself, right? So if I was going into this holiday event, and I was a guest and I was another cousin coming, I might say if I knew everyone who was there, that cousin Eddie is a little interesting, and he might say some off color things, and he's Eddie. And I'm either going to make light of it, or I'm going to walk in the other room and take some space. And if Clark is saying unkind things to someone or beating himself up, like asking myself, knowing Clark, is it appropriate to get involved? Do I offer him positive feedback? Will that make it worse? We know so much about our families, more than we often think we do, that you just have to spend maybe five minutes going through the people who are going to be there. What do you expect? And then what can you do about it, right? And how can you handle it? How can you maintain your own sense of wellness and your own boundaries? And it's okay and healthier to walk away, to take some space, go for a walk, stay in a hotel, than to find yourself engaging in these toxic dynamics or fighting or things like that. So sometimes even just having, like, an exit strategy or a game plan can be really helpful, even if you don't have to use it. Just knowing you know what you do is really helpful. Really helpful. So good luck. Good luck. I hope you enjoy the holidays. Thanks for tuning into this episode as we wrap up our first calendar year of podcasting, which is really exciting again, follow us on analyze Scripts podcast at Instagram and TikTok. If you're enjoying our content, please please rate, review, subscribe, and share. We're hoping to really grow in the new year and we will see you next Monday. Yeah, take care. Bye. This podcast and its contents are a copyright of analyzed scripts. All rights reserved. Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited unless you want to share it with your friends and rate, review, and subscribe. That's fine. All stories and characters discussed are fictional in nature. No identification with actual persons, living or deceased places, buildings, or products is intended or should be inferred. This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. The podcast and its contents do not constitute professional mental health or medical advice. Listeners might consider consulting a mental health provider if they need assistance with any mental health problems or concerns. As always, please call 911 or go directly to your nearest emergency room for any psychiatric emergencies. Thanks for listening and see you next time.
It's Santa!!! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Bullies! On today's show, the BullCast crew is talking all things Christmas. Don't be a cotton-headed ninny muggins -- tune in! in this special Debate Episode, Katie, Cort, Cam, and Nicole are discussing their favorite Christmas traditions, Yuletide songs, and holiday movies. They even play a round of This or That and wrap the show with their Christmas Character Dream Teams. We know it's a mad rush as December 25th is upon us, and we hope this episode will bring you some joy. Hang in there! As the great Clark Griswold once said, "We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap-hap-happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny F@&$ing Kaye." Hashtags: #MerryChristmas #HolidayDreamTeam #BullCastDebate #ThisOrThat Visit us online: www.bullcastpodcast.com Produced by Cameron Spann | Powered by Pickler Wealth Advisors Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com
What hopes do you have as you enter the winter holidays? How do you best engage this season? Do you love the flurry of sights, songs, and sounds or do you favor a more Silent Night approach? Do you feel the festivities like Clark Griswold or wrestle with the bitterness of the Grinch? As we have all experienced, there's More Than One Way to holiday. Join us for a timely journey from self awareness, to self care, to self giving.Contact Us: Email | Instagram | Facebook | Web Presented by: The Center for Spiritual PracticeCreative Team: Nathan Tipton, Christibeth Paul, Scott Brun, Thom Rasnick, Kerry Ruff, Paul Ruff, & Whitney RossOriginal Music composed by: Paul Ruff
Plan on watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation this holiday season? Listen to the film's director Jeremiah Chechik talk about the impact that movie has had on him and on our holiday entertainment traditions. He'll talk about the making of the film and why the Griswold Family have become a staple in holiday viewing. This episode was originally released on December 2, 2019. https://traffic.libsyn.com/forcedn/shapingopinion/323_-_Encore_-_Christmas_Vacation_Movie.mp3 Are there any movies you just have to watch every year during the holiday season? Maybe you like to watch Frank Capra's classic called It's a Wonderful Life that featured Jimmy Stewart. Or, perhaps your favorite move is one of the Home Alone films, written of course by John Hughes. Or, just maybe your holiday season wouldn't be complete without inviting Clark Griswold and family into your home. It's been 30 years since John Hughes wrote the script for National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, which itself was the third sequel in a series of National Lampoon Vacation films, starring Chevy Chase. The film was based on a short story that John Hughes wrote for National Lampoon in December 1980. That story was called, “Christmas '59.” The movie was no small budget affair. And it featured an ensemble cast of already established actors, and a few who would become A-list Hollywood stars. In addition to Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo played Clark's wife Ellen. Juliette Lewis played their sarcastic teenage daughter. Johnny Galecki played their son, Russ. Randy Quaid delivered an unforgettable performance as Cousin Eddie, and he was joined by an all-star ensemble cast that included Miriam Flynn, who played his wife, and John Randolph, Diane Ladd, E.G. Marshall, Doris Roberts, who played the parents of Clark and Ellen. Other notable actors who made their mark on the film were William Hickey, Mae Questel, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Brian Doyle-Murray. Christmas Vacation debuted at number-2 at the box office, grossing nearly $12 million that opening weekend. It would top the box office charts three weeks later, eventually grossing over $71 million in the United States. And that was before it hit the home video market and landed its place on our list of holiday season traditions. For Jeremiah Chechik, it was his first chance to direct a full-length feature film, and a comedy. Links National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, IMDB Jeremiah Chechik An Oral History of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Rolling Stone Christmas Vacation Movie Facts, Good Housekeeping About this Episode's Guest Jeremiah Chechik Jeremiah Chechik was born in Montreal, Canada in the fifties and grew up surrounded by books, home made radios and every issue of Popular Mechanics and Popular Science. He got himself a scholarship to McGill University in physics but at the last moment shifted his major to the arts. He was active in the anti-war movement and filmed documentaries on the Black Panthers. He directed plays, studied with John Grierson, the father of the documentary film and later became his assistant. After graduating, he moved to Toronto, worked as a master printmaker for the rare books library at University of Toronto, experimented with coupling the photographic processes to stone lithography and helped start a gallery (A-Space). He received Canada Council Grants, had many solo shows and became one of the first artists to work in laser holography. His success as a fine artist brought him to the attention of advertising agencies and fashion magazines and before long he moved to Milan and began a career as a fashion photographer for Italian Vogue. Jeremiah photographed editorial for Vogue and Harpers Bazaar as well as fashion and beauty campaigns worldwide eventually bringing him back to Canada to begin his evolution into film as he continued to work in photography but without exhibiting. Soon he moved to New York and began a meteoric ris...
Hear Dean and Caelynn's holiday traditions in their first year as a married couple! Plus, Jared reveals every awkward detail of his attempt to be the Clark Griswold of his neighborhood with an AMBITIOUS Christmas light plan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Our annual Toys for Tots Drive is now completed! Each year we use funds from Patreon to make as big a contribution as possible to Toys for Tots, and this year our goal was a whopping $1,500. And guess whay? Thanks to you wonderful screwballs was have far surprised that ad will hit a total contribution of $4,000!!!!!!! Geoff Howard, you are our most deserving Patron!! The "Like a Boss" Wall Hang is coming your way. Please PM me your details!! We'd love for those of you who joined in on Patreon to stick with us in the new year. We'll have one more show before Christmas just for you, too! Join up via Patreon at patreon.com/KFSHOW ======================================== Presented with Holley - Back for 2024! Phase 3 of Kibbe and Friends is officially here, and Holley is back for more fun, foolishness, and flying orange Chargers! You have just a few shopping days left this season to get what you REALLY want before Santa buys it all for everyone else. Just visit Holley.com to peruse and view for yourself and signup for the mailing notification. Once you go and buy ..... be SURE to tell them that we sent you! ======================================== K&F Movie Summary: Christmas Vacation The last real family man Clark Griswold himself takes on Christmas. When I saw this movie in the theater in 1989 I was the age of Rusty. Now, I'm the age of Clark. I can relate to Clark….I love the lights, I underestimate a lot of things, and like Clark I just want to give my family the perfect Christmas. This movie spawns from the writing genius of John Hughes and the comedic delivery of Chevy Chase and Randy Quaid. Not only does it have the famous scene with the RV dumping into the street sewer, but it has all of the scenes that you can't help but watch over and over again! Clark drives under a log truck, then gives a speech in the mall about logs that'll leave you not seeing the line, his idiot cousin in law shows up to annoy him to death, but that huge beastly bulging man ends up bringing him the gift that Clark really needed - his Christmas bonus, and perspective on what really matters. This one is a mele kaliki mai of a good one and short of having the Baby Jesus in a manger, it has everything else I love about Christmas. PERFECT 10 LITTLE DEBBIE CHRISTMAS TREE CAKES RATING. ======================================== See you soon. Join up via Patreon at patreon.com/KFSHOW Kibbe, Corndog, and the Bern! National Parts Depot Presents: Bernie on the News! https://www.npdlink.com. The post K&F Show #282: $4000 to Toys for Tots! Movie Review: Christmas Vacation – The Gift that Keeps on Giving the Whole Year! first appeared on The Muscle Car Place.
In the 1989 classic Christmas Vacation, Clark Griswold covers his house with 25,000 lights. Well a guy in Kansas covers his house and yard with WAYYYY MORE. VIDEO: https://www.wdjx.com/house-in-kansas-puts-the-griswold-house-to-shame/
It's A Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, Home Alone, The Santa Claus, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Die Hard? Yes that's right, John McClane, Hans Gruber, and Sergeant Al Powell are in the same conversation as the Grinch, Clark Griswold, and Kevin. Or are they? And if they are, what are the long reaching ramifications of such a proclamation. Today on Buzzn The Tower we step away from our typical light hearted banter and address one of the most controversial topics we have ever tackled, is Die Hard a Christmas movie? I'm Mo Shapiro and joining me as always the sugar, enriched flour, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, polysorbate 60 and yellow dye No. 5 to my otherwise healthy diet, Max Sanders. And with that...
On this episode, Rick is joined by Michael Davis to break down the 1989 Christmas comedy, National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. Enjoy some nostalgia and laughter as they reflect on their favorite iconic images from the movie and explore their own Griswold tendencies. Then they dive into the primary therapeutic theme of coping with holiday stress - including the self induced stress of trying to create the perfect Christmas. Then they dive into what drives Clark Griswold and how we would help him navigate the holidays more effectively. Plus, they accidentally invent a practical upgrade to Cousin Eddie's faux turtleneck!Hosted by Rick Guttersohn and Kailah Ayres-TuttleConnect with us on Instagram: @CinemaSessionsPodWant to talk about the episode? Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2114404968732824/?ref=share
In this re-release of an episode of Laugh-In Theater from the Christmas season of 2020, Andy Atherton is joined by Tim Slomka & Shawn Kidd to do a live watch of the 1989 comedy, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. The guys discuss wood-panel station wagons; The Smell Club; relating to Clark Griswold; Christmas decorating methods; putting up Christmas lights; 80's workout wear; mixed nuts; eggnog; beaver teeth; Christmas Eve traditions & eating squirrel. So remember, it's Christmas and we're all in misery.
Get out your stapler gun and empty your shitter, because it's time to look at the holiday classic National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) in extraordinary detail. Laci's seen this film dozens of times, while Matt had only seen it once, decades ago. To prepare, he watched the entire Vacation series, and he has much to say about the merits of the individual Vacation films, despite no one asking him to do this. Plus, we admire Clark Griswold's aptitude for concealing his boners and Randy Quaid's aptitude for lifting giant bags of dog food. Happy holidays, everybody! Watch this episode in full: https://youtu.be/MNhh7EfxV_4 Next week: We're doing a very normal episode about Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971). At the end of the month, we're doing a mailbag. Please submit questions to us. We'll answer them! Here's where you do it: https://youtu.be/yzFA8dTPYsI Time stamps: 00:03:19 — Our personal histories with Christmas Vacation 00:07:45 — Pre-movie predictions 00:18:46 — History segment: The Harvard Lampoon & National Lampoon magazines; overview of writer John Hughes and the Vacation series; career overviews of director Jeremiah Chechik and stars Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo 00:50:34 — In-depth movie discussion 02:08:53 — Final thoughts and star ratings Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC). Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ Sources mentioned on this episode: Rolling Stone's oral history of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation: https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/xmas-or-bust-the-untold-story-of-national-lampoons-christmas-vacation-173969/ Chicago Magazine's oral history of Home Alone: https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/december-2015/home-alone/ Art of the Title's interview with Christmas Vacation opening titles animator Bill Kroyer: https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/national-lampoons-christmas-vacation/ New Yorker profile of Donald Glover: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/03/05/donald-glover-cant-save-you Peter Biskind's Pandora's Box: How Guts, Guile, and Greed Upended TV: https://www.amazon.com/Out-Box-Greed-Upended-Television/dp/B0BJ17328C/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=peter+biskind&qid=1702012570&sr=8-1
Text us and say hello!Is your house on fire Clark? In this episode, Lou and I dive headfirst into the snowbank of hilarity with our discussion on what is undoubtedly one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time—National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.Get ready for a festive rollercoaster as we jump all over the place, unpacking the Griswold family's holiday escapades. From the chaotic Christmas tree hunt to the blinding brilliance of Clark's holiday light display, we dissect it all with a side of laughter and a sprinkle of nostalgia.Join us as we reminisce about Cousin Eddie's quirky antics, Aunt Bethany's memorable quotes, and the downright absurdity of the Jelly of the Month Club. We'll explore why this movie is a timeless classic, dissecting the mishaps and misadventures that make it a staple in our holiday movie marathons.But that's not all—discover why National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is a gift that keeps on giving. Lou and I share our thoughts on how the film gets even better with each viewing, like unwrapping a present that somehow gets more delightful every year.What sets this movie apart? It's not just the slapstick comedy or the heartwarming moments; it's the fact that every scene is infinitely quotable. Join us in reciting our favorite lines, and we bet you'll find yourself wanting to add a little "Griswold flair" to your own holiday festivities.So, grab your eggnog, cozy up by the fire, and join us for a sleigh ride through the snowy landscape of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Spoiler alert: You might just find yourself reaching for the remote to press play one more time after this festive and fun-filled episode!Support the Show.We've got merch!Check out the site for some awesome Gen 'S' swag :)
I think Clark Griswold spoke on behalf of all us with regard to the utterly feckless, cowardly Mike Pence! Mike ‘America's not my concern' Pence! Have you heard about his ridiculously repulsive response to this latest sham indictment against President Trump on J6? Highlights: “But something deeper is going on here with Mike Pence, and I think we all know it, there's something far more symptomatic about his betrayal that we need to understand if we're going to rescue both our nation and the Republican Party in the process!” “To really get what a person like Mike Pence is all about, we need to make a distinction between a populist right party vs a populist lite party! That's an important distinction to make to understand why we have so many Benedict Arnold's like Mike Pence!” “A populist right party and a populist lite party operate by two fundamentally different politics: the populist right party operates by a politics of the people, where the values, concerns, and interests of the MAGA-base are represented faithfully by their elected officials, like Trump did so well for four years!” “However, a populist lite party is governed not by the politics of the people, but rather by the politics of the establishment, where GOP elected officials promote and protect the values, concerns, and interests of the permanent political class as amplified by the shameless cheerleading of the mainstream Marxist media! This is the party of the likes of Mike Pence!” Timestamps: [02:17] Pence's response to the indictment [03:03] Twitter has exploded over Mike Pence [05:30] Populist right party and Populist Lite party [07:22] How does Pence see the Republican Party? Resources: Show your support for President Trump with his new cards HERE: https://www.physicaltrumpcards.com/trump-cards-collection-2?utm_source=affiliatetraffic&oid=89&_ef_transaction_id=&affid=58&oid=89&affid=58&sub1=podcast The Courageous Patriot Community is inviting YOU! Join the movement now and build the parallel economy at https://join.turleytalks.com/insiders-club-evergreen/?utm_medium=podcast Learn how to protect your life savings from inflation and an irresponsible government, with Gold and Silver. Go to http://www.turleytalkslikesgold.com/ DON'T WAIT! Protect YOUR HOME from Title Theft TODAY at https://www.hometitlelock.com/turleytalk Want free inside stock tips straight from the SEC? Click here to get started now: https://event.webinarjam.com/register Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and/or leave a review. Sick and tired of Big Tech, censorship, and endless propaganda? Join my Insiders Club with a FREE TRIAL today at: https://insidersclub.turleytalks.com Make sure to FOLLOW me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrTurleyTalks BOLDLY stand up for TRUTH in Turley Merch! Browse our new designs right now at: https://store.turleytalks.com/ Do you want to be a part of the podcast and be our sponsor? Click here to partner with us and defy liberal culture! If you would like to get lots of articles on conservative trends make sure to sign-up for the 'New Conservative Age Rising' Email Alerts.