Hola, Sneakers! Welcome to Episode 561 of Sneaky Dragon – the podcast that put the internet on the mat!
This week: germ-full adolescents; here comes the neighbourhood; have a nice trip this fall; it’s flightful; pinky and the break; feel my finger; hand model material; pumpkin breaker; royalty-free; castle role; crown cancel; give pizza a chance; sushi central; yelp revue; horse consultant; animated animals; astronomically correct; pig meet; the Tweety Birds; merry misdirection; Looney Tunes directors…RATED; twelve unfortunate cartoons; rockin’ grammar; a Dorough run through; podcast minus fun; bad sampling; fifth Beatles…RATED; the British media invasion; ch-ch-ch-changeless; Lord of the Ringos; 3000 Years of Longing rubs off on Ian; Dave’s in with a Bullet Train; Question of the Week – Sneakers respond; scary doctors and superdogs; back to the garden; laser drag; song of secularism; chili con corny; the howl service; mood curdling; and, finally, shhhhhhhhh screeeeeeeee oooooooooooooooooooo…
Question of the Week: Have you ever broken a bone?
Sub-question of the Week: What was your favourite cartoon as a kid?
Sub-sub-question for Nerdlingers: How would you rate the great Looney Tunes directors?
Thanks for listening.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Question 1: a few years ago, following a bucking incident with a horse, I went in and got X rays done and at that time was told I had not broken any ribs but a few visits later I saw another dr. who looked at my file and told me I had broken some ribs so I guess I did – it felt like it, anyway. I also had a serious fall a few decades ago and based on all the issues that have arisen since, it’s highly likely I fractured some vertebrae but I have never had x rays. Likewise, pretty sure I’ve broken my collarbone twice but have never gone in for x rays. Same with the ring finger on my left hand. And one of my toes (that was from dancing in the kitchen, not horse related).
On at least three occasions I’ve had different physiotherapists say to me ‘I can’t believe you’re just walking around like that’ so maybe I just have a high pain threshold. But don’t talk to me when I have a blister, those things hurt.
Question 2: I liked Bugs Bunny, Whacky Races, Jetsons, and Rocky and Bullwinkle. And for Saturday morning cartoons, Scoobie Doo was my favourite but I also liked Fat Albert a lot.
Lezah, you are the Jackie Chan of the Aldergrove! I once broke a toe on a leg…the leg of a wooden chair, that is. My toe swelled up and turned purple so I went to the ER. They did an X-Ray and confirmed the break. But they didn’t even tape it up so I don’t feel as though I got the full fracture experience. It would’ve been fun to have a teeny tiny cast that people would have to use a jeweler’s loupe to sign. I remember being a fan of Josie and the Pussycats, Wacky Racers and The Fantastic Four.
Helloooooooo Sneakers!
I had one seriously broken bone when I was in middle school, I broke my ankle playing kickball two houses down the block at my friend’s house. We had pieces of wood for bases and as I slid into one my ankle went behind me and I sat on it with a snap. The week before I faked being hurt to get out of a school meeting so my Mom thought I was faking again with the broken ankle and made me walk home on it. My folks went out television shopping and when they returned home my ankle was five sizes bigger from the swelling. I wore that cast for at least eight weeks while my ankle healed but it seemed like forever.
I’ve also fractured both my elbows at two different times and all they could do for me was put my arm into a sling. The fractures weren’t huge, so those mended faster than the ankle did. I tore some muscles in my foot going off a water slide when I was in my 40’s, I think in some ways that was more painful than a broken bone…it also too way longer to fully heal.
I can’t single out any one cartoon because I loved them all, especially the new lineup in the Fall for Saturday morning. That was a big deal back then and you had to be up at 7:00 am so you wouldn’t miss anything. I remember they used to have a primetime special to promote sneak previews of the new Saturday morning shows and there were ads in comics and the newspaper that were full spreads with all the times and illustrations for each cartoon. I also remember not knowing what to do if two cartoons were on at the same time on two separate channels, hard decisions were to be made. “Blue Falcon and Dynomutt” was a favorite as well as the “Superfriends” or “Spidey and his Amazing Friends”, I also watched all the Sid & Marty Krofft stuff religiously. There was also a cartoon called “Wheelie & The Chopper Bunch” I liked when I was really young, I saw a comic of that cartoon years later and to my surprise it was illustrated by John Byrne! Thinking back I have to say overall I looked forward to the Fantastic Four cartoon more than anything, the one where the Human Torch was replaced by H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot, then I was missing the Torch so that didn’t end well. I didn’t see the older Hanna-Barbera Fantastic Four cartoons until years later when visiting my Grandparents in Chicago.
During the week we had “Slam Bang Theater” from our local affiliate KTVT, hosted by Icky Twerp. From memory, they showed a Hanna-Barbera cartoon, a Three Stooges short then a Jay Ward cartoon…all before school. I can still hear the theme song in my head, it was “Oh, Didn’t He Ramble” (not by Louis Armstrong) from a 1959 LP called “Bill Cullen’s Minstrel Spectacular.” Every kid remembers that theme that grew up with Slam Bang Theater. In case you want to hear it:
https://fasterthanilook.wordpress.com/2010/03/15/dallas-tv-music-of-the-70s-part-1/
At noon there was “Cartoon Carnival” with no host on the same channel, that’s when they played the Looney Tunes and Warner Brothers or MGM cartoons….the good stuff.
Speaking of the “good” cartoons…I’ll get Tex Avery out of the way first. I can remember waiting for some of his hits like “Magical Maestro” or any of the other Spike vs. _____ to find their way to my television, I laughed hard at those. Still do. Nobody did dynamite explosions or anvils better than Tex.
Last but not least by a hare, my all-time champion was Bugs Bunny, with Daffy as his foil or anyone else willing to match wits with him. Nothing beats “Rabbit Fire”, “Duck Amuck”, “Duck! Rabbit, Duck!” or “Rabbit Hood” by the great Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese…years before the eyelashes. (I crack up every time Ian says that) Animation Gold and still funny to this day, Bugs and Company were the kings to me.
Have a great weekend fellow Sneakers and an even better week to follow!
That’s All Folks!!
Interesting that Edward noted that the muscle tear seemed worse than the broken bones. In the olden days when I was young, I guess at least in part because I was around horses so much, broken bones seemed to be considered so much worse than anything else, maybe because of that old ‘they shoot horses’ (for broken legs) thing was still very much a part of both the lore and the medical practice at the time (although we did have a horse who spent the whole winter in a cast one year and then successfully returned to the racetrack to run for many more years).
But recently, in conjunction with horses (and I would guess the same is likely true for humans) in non-complicated fractures etc., there is a little memory aid that we use when we are talking about prognosis following one of these injuries, and that is that there is a correlation between the number of letters of the tissue involved and the number of months of recovery time needed.
For example:
simple bone break – four months
tendon issues – six months
muscle problems – six months
ligament issues – 8 months
Again, these are just ballpark figures for uncomplicated injuries in horses (but possibly also a useful timeline for humans) but it surprised me to learn that bones healed the fastest.
Hi gents,
Firstly, gotta say that I loved your theological discussion a couple of episodes back. It was so great to hear views about the interpretation of religious texts being discussed with equal parts passion and respect. And despite your different opinions neither of you declared a thousand year war on each other. I can see the makings of a spin-off podcast. The gospel according to Sneaky dragon?
I managed not to break any bones until three years ago when I slipped on wet stairs while carrying our newly arrived puppy out into the yard to poop. The dog was fine. I broke two ribs. It could have been much worse had I landed on my spine, but I would not recommend a broken rib to anybody. It introduces wincing discomfort to every moment of every day and there is nothing you can do but dull the pain with paracetamol. Using the bathroom is especially agonising.
Favourite cartoon as a kid was always Bugs Bunny. I loved all the Looney Toons, though I agree with Ian that Foghorn Leghorn was a bullying sh*thead, and I can remember – even as a kid – thinking that there was just something gross about Pepe Le Pew. The cat seemed so nice and it always bugged me that Pepe Le pew wouldn’t leave her alone – well before I had any idea that this was serial sexual harassment.
What a time to be a kid.
Mick
[Pops head out from freshly dug rabbit hole] – “Psst!”
Keeping it short ‘n’ sweet ‘n’ local this week:
As a very small child my favourite cartoon was probably the BBC’s seminal ‘Roobarb’, a series of five minute cartoons, charmingly (if crudely) animated in marker pen.
Their anarchic mood and wobbly look were topped and tailed with the most exciting music my tiny ears had ever heard – a theme tune you may recognise from an episode of ‘Spaced’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR_mFRE6qKc
A favourite in our family was ‘Willo the Wisp’ – but this was less to do with the animation than the gorgeous voice work by the brilliant Kenneth Williams, breathing humane life into a cast of woodland creatures including caterpillars, fairies, and ‘Evil Edna’ – a grumpy witch trapped in the form of a television set. Not sure if it holds up. Let’s find out!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVY78S014d0
Now I’m an older nerd, I relish Chuck Jones for the tiny character details. Even his lesser offerings like ‘Steal Wool’ contain beautiful flourishes such as Sam Sheepdog’s little stumble over a protruding rock. This isn’t even a joke per-se, but it’s so well observed and relatable it gives you a warm feeling inside, and adds colour to an otherwise uneventful transition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ksv8FXo_bc
“So long fellas!”
[Leaps into air and dives headfirst back into rabbit hole]