We get into a lot of stuff about our childhood here. Which mostly means TV. Yeah, we talk a lot about TV. But also books and movies. But mostly, it’s about how we grew up, and how seemingly innocuous media formed the people we are today. Also, we analyze wit. And we solve some great confusion from an early episode, regarding Hispanic headgear. Enjoy!
QUESTIONS:
Dear Boweled over by the Bowler, What’s the first story (movie, book, comic, etc.) that had a big impact on you as a kid? Yours in curiousity, Jas
Dear Hatters, What is the lowest form of wit? — Craig
IMAGES:
Sorry guys… I couldn’t get the pictures uploaded right.
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Why is The Magical Talking Hat not called The Magical Writing Hat? or The Magical Printing Hat? Or maybe that’s the hat talking at the opening closing of the show? In which case, why does the hat need minions?
The hat doesn’t talk! Ever! Shame on you!
That isnt the hat doing the intro and outro know how I know??? Because its me!
Nice mysterious voice SirGuido š
But then that returns me to my first question.
Like the sign says… it’s a magical hat *of* talking! It causes talking… not through it’s own vocal apparatus, but via a combination of email and minions. š
Ah I see š Yet another mystery solved!
until next week….
Stories for me:
The Adventures of Robin Hood (the Errol Flynn one). I saw with my grandmother when I was 3. I think it was her favorite movie. I wanted to be Robin Hood. My parents got me a toy bow and arrow set with rubber suction cupped arrows. I took off the suction cups and sharpened the ends in a pencil sharpener. My poor plastic jumpy horse got all shot up in her role as one of the King’s deer. I may have been somewhat undersupervised as a child.
I saw “The Petrified Forest” when I was 5 and my parents left me alone in the house one day (see above). We had just gotten a TV. My Mom came home and found me crying inconsolably. Explaining its long term effect might be a pretty long answer but it kind of boils down to the movie being about people trapped by various cultural/psychological things and their ability or inability to escape. I think I’ve always wanted to find escape routes (for myself and others).
Just So Stories was one of my first books. Even though it’s not a book of mythology, it does give mythic answers for why things are the way they are and I find that very appealing. Plus the word-play and rhythm is so funny: “Once upon a most early time was a Neolithic man. He was not a Jute or an Angle, or even a Dravidian, which he might well have been, Best Beloved, but never mind why. He was a Primitive, and he lived cavily in a Cave, and he wore very few clothes, and he couldn’t read and he couldn’t write and he didn’t want to, and except when he was hungry he was quite happy. ”
That particular story about how the first letter was written and the sequel about the alphabet got me thinking about how words are connected to things–I’m still pretty interested in that.
I also wanted to be Peter Pan. Maybe my real inner self is a person who likes to dress all in green and live in trees (or under them).
When I was 11 my parents let me stay up cause I was sick and watch a movie with them. It was “Some Like it Hot”–a great “grown-up” movie to be one’s first as it’s a lot about how being playful saves you from being trapped in grown-up rules like what men and women are supposed to be like (or even the “supposed to be’s” for people more generally–last line of the movie, “nobody’s perfect”). Some Like it Hot is kind of the “Anti” Petrified Forest.
I really want to read those Susan Cooper books!
I think it’s funny how William talks a lot about how he doesn’t know the answer to something while he actually gives an answer. š
Warehouse 13 is a super fun world with interesting people in it.
Re: Draw something from the hat, what’s the matter with you?
William, I think I’ve said this before but…
The “Core Compantancy” of this podcast is you and Tony having conversations. The Hat is mearly a catalyst for topics that you and Tony to have a conversation about.
When I was very nearly 3 years old, my Dad took me to the orrigonal Star Wars in the threater. I remember it vividly and it made quite an impression. Another early movie in the theater was Star Trek: Wrath of Khan. I distinctly remember learning to understand the concept of torture from Empire Strikes Back.
Later in life I was told I “weild my wit like a person in a Sci Fi movie”.
Though I think my sense of humor was shaped early on by the first Airplaine! movie and the Muppet Movie/Show. Carrol Bernet and I Love Lucy contributed to it no doubt.
And all through this was BBC produced Agatha Cristie (among other authors) stories on Mystery! hosted by Diana Rigg.
Twillight Zone, M*A*S*H, and What’s Happening were also well watched by me.
For books, there was a lot of Rold Dhal and absurdist stories like Amilia Badillia… Then came Encyclopedia Brown and Nancy Drew. I was also obsessed with reading about stage magicians.
Hamlet was an important read for reasons I won’t go into.
Excalliber, which I also saw in the theater at what is probably an innapropriately young age, probably had an impact on my psyche in ways that are subtle and deeply rooted.
With my Dad it was mostly Sci Fy in the theater, with my Mom it was Murder Mysteries and Dark’ish Comedy.
Cloak & Dagger – That was a very sad movie. Not only because it’s about growing up and the imagionary friend “dies”, but because he has REAL ACTUAL friends who (spoiler alert) ALSO DIE.
I don’t think I learned anything from Dukes of Hazzard, A-Team, Hee-Haw or Buck Rodgers…
Though I certainly watched a lot of those shows so I can’t say they definitavely didn’t have an impact on me… but… meh.
If you’ve ever been to a Comedy Open Mic night directly after New Years when everybody has made a resolution to “try it at least once”…
You have witnessed the lowest form of wit.
Mostly it involves talking about rape and fleshlights.
HAT EDUCATION!
LEARNING!
Love it.
I also, almost posted “The more you know.”
Or
“and knowing is half the battle. YO JOE!”
But decided against that.
Clearly, you didn’t see the episode where Cobra Comander’s big idea to end G.I. Joe was to TRAP THEM IN A ROLLER COASTER/FUN HOUSE.
Oh I forgot Doctor Dolittle series which I think of as my intro to Sci-Fi/Fantasy.
You’re right, I’ve never heard of another magical hat that does what The Magical Talking Hat hat. Though I did hear rumors of a hoodie with it’s own email but it used technology rather than magic.
Inside Joke: LOL!
Shrinkage: Good, though going back to work sounds awful.
Dresden Files: I guess he just wasn’t that into her.
Defiance: I know you guys like this show and I know you like video games, but haven’t tried playing the show’s game. Did you know Steam currently has this game on sale for ~$13?
Warehouse 13: Tony, yup the characters are fun; the plots tend to be … weak is about as kind as I can get. Also Tony haven’t you ever watched something that wasn’t, taken as a whole, any good because individual bits & pieces of it were interesting and you hoped that it would eventually get better? Though I wonder if it was deliberately done that badly as campy fun? Tony’s point about the tesla is an excellent commentary on the show.
Bambi/Erections: Eww, Tony. Just eww.
Tony you can’t be like ST:V as your acting isn’t that bad.
Story of O: Wow that would explain so very much.
The Dark is Rising: That’s probably my favorite set of kids books. The first book is Over Sea, Under Stone not Book of Three. Book of Three was the first book in the The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander.
Scooby Doo: I don’t know that when I was watching this that I ever sat down with the realization that the “monster of the week” was always a real estate developer in disguise; though I rather hope I did do so at some point.
I have trouble deciding what was a big childhood impact; either due to a poor memory or a continuing lack of introspection. Though here are some tv shows, in no particular order, that kind of have stuck themselves forever in my memory as something I watched while growing up: The Cosby Show, Murder She Wrote, Airwolf, Magnum PI, MASH, Hee Haw, Mork & Mindy, ST:TNG, Alf, Captain Kangaroo, Facts of Life, Charles in Charge, Hogan’s Heros, Charlie’s Angels, Fraggle Rock, Incredible Hulk, Wonder Woman, MacGyver, Reading Rainbow & Street Hawk.