The Gorch name-dropped at The A.V. Club

[Days of Se7en]

Nathan Rabin (the guy who does "My Year of Flops") just reference the Gorch in a post about the use of nostalgia as a tool in movies: http://www.avclub.com/content/blog/nostalgia_aint_what_it_used_to_be

"For American Graffiti audiences, the film marked a return to a more innocent era, when all good, decent Americans had to fear was catching a chain to the face from The Gorch."

I can't help but think about what a majority of readers, who aren't hip to the Newbridge universe, will make of that sentence...

[yesno]

Luckily, Sterolaffs is the top Google result when people search for "the Gorch" within quotes or not, but the muppets have it beat for "gorch" searches.

[Spoony]

You know what, I read that and completely glossed over it. To me, the Gortch is just a universal cultural similarity. I need to put this show down and go outside and get some air.

[Phantom Hugger]

Ive noticed a few Best Show stylings in his writing before. This from his write up about how comedies initially get a bad shake from elitist critics..

More than just about any other genre, comedy is subjective. You either laugh or you don't. There's precious little grey area when it comes to chuckles. I think part of the reason the films you list received mixed-to-negative reviews is because they're largely slobs-vs.-snobs endeavors. Critics have historically occupied the "snob" end of the spectrum.

Seeing as the Kid has written for the Onion before maybe theyve crossed paths around the water cooler.

[Days of Se7en]

Ive noticed a few Best Show stylings in his writing before. This from his write up about how comedies initially get a bad shake from elitist critics..

More than just about any other genre, comedy is subjective. You either laugh or you don't. There's precious little grey area when it comes to chuckles. I think part of the reason the films you list received mixed-to-negative reviews is because they're largely slobs-vs.-snobs endeavors. Critics have historically occupied the "snob" end of the spectrum.

Seeing as the Kid has written for the Onion before maybe theyve crossed paths around the water cooler.

Well, Tom didn't come up with "slobs vs. snobs" you know.  That phrase has been floating around in the ether at least since Caddyshack came out.

I'd be surprised if Rabin knew Tom personally but I do know that he is a big booster of quality comedy and a certified fan of S&W.  I for one would like to hear him call into the Best Show; another pseudo-famous person needs to step up to the plate to cover for Michael K of the Cynics' utter terribleness as a caller.

[gravy boat]

I like Michael K as a caller.  He throws out some entertaining stories.  And I really like when he gets going in a lather, is talking about 100 words a second, and is completely oblivious to Tom's attempts at interjecting a word or two. 

[erika]

I like Michael K as a caller.  He throws out some entertaining stories.  And I really like when he gets going in a lather, is talking about 100 words a second, and is completely oblivious to Tom's attempts at interjecting a word or two. 

If the calls were just a little shorter. Like half as long. Then they would be ok.

But I do appreciate a guy who's from Pittsburgh and doesn't talk about football a lot...

[AllisonLeGnome]

This week's Ask The A.V. Club, also from Rabin:

Skits are almost inherently worthless in their original context, but become borderline-surreal when sandwiched between incongruous tracks via iPod shuffle. It's bad enough when you're subjected to two incoherent minutes of Ghostface's posse shouting, punctuated by fake gunfire: When a track like that comes between, say, a Scharpling & Wurster routine and an Ella Fitzgerald standard, it's utterly jarring.

[Matt]

I like Michael K as a caller.  He throws out some entertaining stories.  And I really like when he gets going in a lather, is talking about 100 words a second, and is completely oblivious to Tom's attempts at interjecting a word or two. 

If the calls were just a little shorter. Like half as long. Then they would be ok.

But I do appreciate a guy who's from Pittsburgh and doesn't talk about football a lot...

I liked Michael K's last call. You can hear that, as soon as he knows who it is, Tom takes out a snack and starts eating.

[Sarah]

His calls offer the useful opportunity for a bathroom break--both for us and for Tom.

[Josh Fenderman]

Michael K needs to dial it down a bit.

[todd]

He's got a Spike-like affinity for repeating a joke over and over no matter how many times it isn't funny.

[B_Buster]

That's it, I'm making Michael K. my new protege! I will not tolerate any more badmouthing of my favorite caller since Larry the Perv.

[Superdragon DJ]

I like Michael K's calls - hilariously frantic personality. That, and I'm from Pittsburgh and have seen the Cynics a few times live. Any Pittsburgh people remember the name of the indie record store on the South Side, way back around 1984/85, before the place became yuppie heaven? I used to shoot the shit with one of the members of the Cynics who worked in that store.

[todd]

That's it, I'm making Michael K. my new protege! I will not tolerate any more badmouthing of my favorite caller since Larry the Perv.

That's more of an insult to Larry The Perv, really.