Vacancies Abound…in Frank Zappa’s Surrealist-Furnished Motel

Vacancies Abound…in Frank Zappa’s Surrealist-Furnished Motel

I've stayed in my share of dreary motels, haughty hotels, Socialist-designed apartments with poster-board walls, and even nuclear plant "guest houses" (don't even ask) in villages with names that lacked vowels, but I've never experienced anything quite like Frank Zappa's 1971 mind-blowing movie, "200 Motels." But then, I never dropped acid, either. (Becherovka was the only substance available to numb the reality of the Motel Moskva in Brno, Czechoslovakia, the worst of my many lodging nightmares). Every time I thought I was losing my mind - traveling the weary road on business trips in the 1990s - I remembered the opening line of a movie I once saw, and suddenly I didn't feel so alone in my misery: "Ladies and gentlemen, you can go mad on the road." So goes the intro to Zappa's "surrealistic documentary," which opened at London's Piccadilly Classic Cinema in the U.K. on this date in 1971.

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Of Daddios and Raddios

Of Daddios and Raddios

Some of my fondest memories are of the times spent carpooling to work with my dad in the early 80s, gauging his reaction to the hits of the day and the humor of the morning DJs. "Those dirty bastards," he'd chortle at the double-entendres of the radio hosts. Here's a little ditty about Daddy for his birthday.

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I’m Rick James, Bitch! And Prince. And P. Diddy. And R. Kelly

I’m Rick James, Bitch! And Prince. And P. Diddy. And R. Kelly

Whatever happened to Dave Chappelle, the gifted comedian, writer, actor, and satirist whose "Chappelle's Show" ran for a mere two seasons on Comedy Central? His TV sketches were among the most brilliant and biting I've ever seen. Sure, Jimmy Fallon's send-ups of artists like Neil Young, Jim Morrison, and Bob Dylan are hilarious; his impersonations are dead-on. But Chappelle had a talent for writing and performing sketches that depicted stars at their worst and most outrageous. His parodies were often tasteless, usually non-PC, and always side-splitting. Fans and critics loved him. If you aren't familiar with Dave, or have forgotten just how talented he is, take a look at these classic "Chappelle's Show" spoofs of famous musical artists.

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Her D.I.V.O.R.C.E. Was Just Begging to be S.P.O.O.F.E.D

Her D.I.V.O.R.C.E. Was Just Begging to be S.P.O.O.F.E.D

Okay, rock fans of the '60s and '70s, it's time to get brutally honest and swallow your hipster pride. Can you please admit you've heard of country singer Tammy Wynette? And, if you know the name, are you self-assured enough to admit you've heard, or even enjoyed, her 1968 chart-topping single, "D.I.V.O.R.C.E."? C'mon, fess up! It tells the syrupy story of a couple on the verge of splitsville, who spell out the "D word" so little J.O.E. won't understand. This tune was just begging to be spoofed! And the first one to do it was Billy Connelly - a wild and woolly guy with a funny accent who lived far across the pond in Scotland.

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Eat Barilla Pasta…Be More Macho

Eat Barilla Pasta…Be More Macho

Guido Barilla, president of the world's largest manufacturer of boxed pasta, has vowed his company would never feature homosexuals in its ads. Well, when I heard this news, my thoughts immediately turned to Woody Allen's kooky 1973 film "Sleeper," which offered some insights into the virility-enhancing effects of pasta.

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