Humor and Satire – Page 6 – the Hip Quotient

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

October 4, 2015April 6, 2014 by Dana Spiardi

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.

Eat Barilla Pasta…Be More Macho

May 2, 2016September 27, 2013 by Dana Spiardi

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.

From Finland to Jamaica, Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting But Me

February 7, 2016September 21, 2012 by Dana Spiardi

While dance clubs around the globe were blasting “Kung Fu Fighting,” I was fighting Kung Fu blasting. This early disco hit, which topped the U.K. charts on this date in 1974, was recorded in ten minutes and took singer Carl Douglas a mere two takes to complete. Here’s a look at three funny, funky cover versions of the song.

You’re Invisible Now, You Got No Secrets to Conceal

January 15, 2026April 30, 2012 by Dana Spiardi

I’m noting two things today: first, the 20-year anniversary of Ellen DeGeneres announcing, “Yep, I’m gay,” on her popular prime time TV series, thus ending weeks of speculation regarding a “coming out” announcement from the star. Second, it’s National Hairstylists Appreciation Day. Here’s how I relate the two events. On April 30, 1997, I was … Read more

All you Need is Litigation: Apple versus Apple

April 12, 2018June 5, 2006 by Dana Spiardi

I must say Iʼm disappointed that my two favorite Apples have been engaged in legal haggling for the past 25 years. Apple Corps has been battling Apple Computer over the use of the Apple logo since 1981. In 1991 the two entities reached an agreement in which each side agreed not to enter the otherʼs field of business business. Apple Computer paid the Beatlesʼ company $26.5 million in an out-of-court settlement, and in return received “a considerably expanded field of use.” In the latest litigation, Apple Corps filed a suit against the computer company, claiming that the iTunes Music Store violated the 1991 agreement by using the logo to sell music.