Yes, I have a sick & warped mind.
Is that a bad thing?
This week on “Upper Michigan's
Favorite Friday” we're trying to figure out Upper Michigan's
favorite “Made For Media” group ever. That means any group put
together for a TV show or a movie—everyone from The Archies to The
Wonders—are eligible, including the group from one of my favorite
movies ever, “This is Spinal Tap”. If you've not yet viewed the
movie, you really need to do so; it's the story of a clueless early
80s heavy metal group that's falling apart, not even realizing
they're doing so. One of the many gags throughout the film is how
the group keeps losing drummers; in fact, most of them seem to
explode for no apparent reason.
Well, the reason I bring the movie
up—and the reason why my mind may be sick & warped—is that I
think I've found the real-life inspiration behind the group.
Two nights ago Loraine and I were
eating dinner, and as I've written before our conversations can often
lead to very weird discoveries. She came across a book written about
a 70's music group. The group had three or four hits, and was
quickly forgotten. Because I was curious to see if they're actually
still around and performing, I looked them up, and was treated to a
fine Wikipedia entry that soon devolved into a session of me (and
Loraine) laughing harder and harder as we discovered the tragedies
that befell members of the group.
(And as an aside, remember that my
earliest comedy influences were Looney Tunes cartoons and the TV show
“MASH”. It's no wonder I have such a dark sense of humor).
Anyway, the group went through a few
drummers like Spinal Tap, minus the explosions. One fell off a drum
riser, broke both his legs, and had to be replaced. His replacement
played a few years, then had a heart attack on stage and died during
a show. The lead singer developed a few mental health issues and
tried (unsuccessfully) to commit suicide by cop. And the guitarist,
after finding out he developed multiple sclerosis, retired from the
band to take care of his wife, who had been given a cancer diagnosis
and shortly after took her own life.
I know. I should not have laughed at
the tragedy and the personal suffering that those human beings went
through. Absolutely no one should ever have to deal with those types
of issues, and if they do they should get our full support. But as I
kept reading the article, and as the “Spinal Tap”-esque tragedies
kept piling up, I couldn't help myself. It just seemed too...bizarre
to have actually happened.
But it did. And I'm a horrid human
being for having the reaction to it that I did. But I've seen
“Spinal Tap” 15 or 20 times. As I read the article on the group,
it's like I almost knew what was coming, and when it started
paralleling what happened in the movie I just lost it. A normal
human being would have just shook their head in sympathy, but not me.
Nope; I just thought of what happened in “Spinal Tap” and
started laughing at tragedy, just like Bugs Bunny & Hawkeye
Pierce would have.
One of these days I really need to
start growing up, don't I?
8-)
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