Blackface

Today I learned, via Japundit, about a new comedy whose plot involves a movie being filmed about the Vietnam War. Robert Downey, Jr. is playing a actor who has taken a role originally written for a black man. Rather than having the role rewritten, his character, one of a group of very pompous actors, is playing it black.

Given my previous discussions of race issues, you might expect me to be upset about this. I kind of expected me to be upset about this. But this is actually pretty awesome, for two reasons.

1) It's hilarious. I mean, this has got to be one seriously self-involved character, to think he can "play" another race. I'm pretty excited to see what kind of jokes come out of it. Done well, this could be truly effective modern satire.

2) Look at this:

I think this is pretty successful. And I don't think the message is that it's easy to make a white person look like a black person. I think the message is that we don't really look that different.

Hair, eyes, skin color, size...those can all vary. But at the core, we're all human beings. We're made of the same stuff, just in a thousand beautiful variations.

I think that's a very positive message.

Images courtesy Daily Mail

The eye of the tiger

This is one of the greatest things I have ever seen.

Fabulous Deathly Hallows spoof

Snape: Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped, turned upside down and I'd like to take a minute, just sit right there, and tell you how I became the half-blood Prince of a school called H-warts. In Spinner's End born and raised, in the playground is where I spent most of my days, chillin' out, maxin', relaxin' out cool, shootin' some quaffles outside of the school.

This and much more awaits in this parody of the final Harry Potter book. Those of you who have finished reading, check it out! It's a hoot.

Yeah, so...Star Wars Family Guy.

Can't wait until September! And hopefully we'll be able to buy it on DVD.

David Spade does it again

The mashup at the beginning is fabulous. (I also love how Spade knows and employs words like "mashup"!)

Because I'm a sucker for shot-by-shot remakes

I am becoming a real fan of the Showbiz Show. Too bad I don't have cable...

News teases

Okay, normally I try to avoid writing specific things about my job here, but I just have to share this tease for one of today's newscasts:

"And we have some email scams to tell you about. One of them involves a hit man hired to kill you. The other is much more sinister: jury duty!"

I love it.

Tabasco!

This is brilliant.

"And this is my fist. You might remember it from Bloody Pulp, the amazingly true story of your face in five seconds!"

"He was in Dangeresque parts 1 and 2!"

Injured

This is one of the best things I have ever seen.