This is the trailer for Dr. Horrible Sing-Along Blog. It's a movie in three parts made by Joss Whedon. Joss Whedon, if you don't know who that is (lord have mercy on your soul), he's the visionary behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it's spinoff series Angel, and Firefly. Look him up. This movie is about a man named Billy (Neil Patrick Harris, TV's Barney Stinson, formarlly TV's Doogie Howser, MD) who's alter ego, Dr. Horrible, is a small time super villain trying to make his way into the Evil League of Evil. Mean while the girl of his dreams,Penny, (Felicia Day) an activist with a heart of gold, begins to date cheesey, shallow Captian Hammer (Nathon Fillion), a super strong defender of the city who also happens to be Dr. Horrible's nemisis. Oh, and did I mention it's a musical?

The unique thing about this movie is that it was made without the help or support of any big name studio. In fact, it's made mostly by friends and family of Whedon himself. And, as a kicker was shown free, on the internet for a long time (now it's just four dollars for the whole movie on itunes). it was conceiverd as a means to break free from the dictation of the Big Time movie studios and deep pocket producers and let go into the creative genre of "why not". In fact this was one of the only things in production during the long entertainment drought known as the Writer's Strike. The point was to view this medium as art, not product. And even when there's probably not going to be any money in it, doing art is rewarding. To quote Mr. Whedon on his own Master Plan:
"The idea was to make it on the fly, on the cheap – but to make it. To turn out a really thrilling, professionalish piece of entertainment specifically for the internet. To show how much could be done with very little. To show the world there is another way. To give the public (and in particular you guys) something for all your support and patience. And to make a lot of silly jokes. Actually, that sentence probably should have come first. "

If you have four dollars, I strongly suggest you buy this movie. It's a good cause. and it's a Damn good movie.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Class of '99...

This is Chris Rock's No Sex (in the Champagne Room). This is parody. It is a genre of comedy that means something to me. Straight forward comedy (knock knock jokes and the like) are meant to entertain, purely and simply. The illicit a gut reaction. Hopefully. Satire is trying to sell you something. Satire takes some ideal, some establishment, some cultural norm, or some icon and casts a distinctly different light on it in order to reduce the awe it's given. It's usually political.* There's a place for satire, but it isn't pure comedy.

Parody, by it's very existence, is a joke. This video, is a joke. One big joke, with lots of other little jokes inside, like those South American fish whose babies hide in thier mouths. ** You know what I'm talking about? A failed metaphor is immaterial to the point of the post, which is, parody is good. It seems liek the laziest form of funny there is. I mean, the intent is to copy someone elses form. Watch Everybody's Free (to wear sunscreen)*** and you'll understand what I mean. Watch any Mel Brooks movie, and you'll get a better idea.

parody is that special kind of humor whose worth is based on it's attention to detail, it's mimicing of the orinal work, and it's ability to make every last bit funny. That's a lot of work. Thank you, all ye parody artists, thank you for taking the time to make those well read cultured people understand jokes that the FOX watching simpletons can't comprehend.

And Finally, Cornbread: Ain' nothin wrong with that.

*This isn't satire, I was looking for good Jon Stewart or Stephan Colbert clips...but this is important, and if I get any of you to watch this I feel like life, as a whole, is better.

**This isn't the actual fish, it's a clip from When Harry Met Sally because I couldn't remember what the real fish was called.

***This video's right below this writing. Watch that, and you'll get the above. Also, you might learn something...about life