Christmas at the Airport

Nick Lowe’s 2013 Christmas song is based on a real travel experience. Nick recorded a strangely-moving solo acoustic version for Fordham University’s WFUV-FM.

Video: Writer/Director Scott Jacobson; Director of Animation: Matthew I. Jenkins; Animation, Composite and Effects: Travis Fowler, Brendan Davis, Joe Coleman of Bark-Bark.

Nick Lowe website

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Merry Christmas From The Family

“Merry Christmas From The Family,” written by Robert Earl Keene, performed here by the Dixie Chicks and Rosie O’Donnell. The songwriter has a good version, too.

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Christmastime For the Jews

“Christmastime for the Jews,” a Robert Smigel stop-action animation featuring the voice of Darlene Love in a “Wall of Sound” production, from a 2005 Saturday Night Live episode (lyrics here).

Gut yom tov to all, and to all a good night.

Related:

“Why American Jews Eat Chinese Food on Christmas,” Adam Chandler, The Atlantic

“The Data Doesn’t Lie: Chinese Food Really Is a Christmas Tradition,” Claire Tran and Nicole Javorsky, CityLab

“Google offers proof: People really do love to eat Chinese food on Christmas,” Roberto A. Ferdman, Washington Post

“The history of Jews, Chinese food, and Christmas, explained by a rabbi,” Jamie Lauren Keiles, Vox

“The War on Jewish Christmas must be stopped,” Daniel W. Drezner,Washington Post

“Are Jews Doomed to Lose the War on Jewish Christmas?” Paul Waldman, The American Prospect

“Why ‘Jewish Christmas’ (Movies and Chinese Food) is Going Mainstream,”  Sarah Seltzer, Flavorwire

“Fa-La-La-L’Chaim: Why It’s Okay For Jews to Celebrate Christmas,” Charlotte Alter, TIME

“Holy Night: The little-known Jewish holiday of Christmas Eve. Seriously.” Benyamin Cohen, Slate

“An Oral History Of SNL’s ‘Christmastime For The Jews,’” Jason Tabrys, Uproxx

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Five Pound Box Of Money

“Five Pound Box Of Money,” written by Jack Barker and Pearl Bailey, sung (and narrated) by Ms. Bailey in 1959.

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Green Christmas

“Green Chri$tma$,” a 1958 send-up of holiday commercialism by humorist Stan Freberg, who was also an award-winning advertising executive. Music Director Billy May led the Columbia Records house orchestra and Jud Colon Chorale. At first the record was denounced as sacrilegious and many radio stations refused to play it, but the reality of this satire’s target became all too evident.

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I Want Eddie Fisher for Christmas

“I Want Eddie Fisher for Christmas,” written by Joan Javits and Phil Springer, the pair who wrote “Santa Baby.” Recorded by Betty Johnson in 1954.

Eddie Fisher was a dreamy pop idol of the 1950s, Carrie Fisher‘s dad.

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Gangnam Style

“Gangnam Style” (강남스타일), written by Park Jae-sang (“Psy”) and Yoo Gun-hyung, as performed by The Cleverlys, 2013. “Gangnam Bluegrass-Style.” Would that be “Gingham Style”?

The Cleverlys website

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Comedy Museum Opens

National Comedy Museum — Artist’s Concept.

The nonprofit National Comedy Center has opened in Jamestown, NY. Appalachian Jamestown is the birthplace of Lucille Ball, who left when she was 3 years old. Her family later moved to nearby Celoron, a lakeside village with a great amusement park, and young Lucy understandably preferred living there. Soon after her family went broke and moved back to Jamestown, 14-year-old Lucy left for New York City. Somehow Jamestown got the Comedy Center and Celoron got a really ugly statue of Lucy (later replaced).

More:

“The Serious Mission Behind a $50 Million Comedy Museum,” Michael Stahl, CityLab

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Top image (“National Comedy Center — artist’s conception”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

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The M.T.A. Workout

“Welcome to the new M.T.A.: Metropolitan Transit Athletics! Grab a towel, swipe your MetroCard, and get ready to sweat. Daily membership costs only $2.75.”

“The M.T.A. Workout,” a fitness plan by The New Yorker.

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5 Greatest Author Feuds

“Top 5 Greatest Author Feuds,” a video by Signature highlighting mano-a-manuscript mayhem by all your literary faves. Henry James vs. H.G. Wells, William Faulkner vs. Ernest Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway vs. Gertrude Stein, Norman Mailer vs. Gore Vidal, and the marquee event: Mary McCarthy vs. Lillian Hellman. Can you bet on these bouts in ‘Vegas?

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