The Dedicated Playlist

Music to get fired to: A dozen songs inspired by the Celebrity Apprentice seasonfinale

Gary Busey' tender performance of "True Love Ways" from his Oscar-nominated rolein "The Buddy Holly Story" is a reminder of what intrigued us in the firstplace, well before his days as Reality TV gold.
Oh, there are more well-known Meat songs than “Objects In The Rear View MirrorMay Appear Closer Than They Are” but we needed one that was a big, blubberingmess, much like the surprisingly resilient Mr. Loaf has been throughout theseason.
Donald Trump hasn't tried to sing, thank goodness
Photo by Virginia Sherwood/NBC Universal Inc.

I am of the firm belief that every event in life is made more pleasurable with the appropriate music mix. To test that theory, I came up with a list of songs that can help you enjoy the gloriously ridiculous showcase of bizarre celebrity behavior known as The Apprentice. Put this mix on right before Sunday night’s season finale of Celebrity Apprentice and destroy your remaining brain cells.

“Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy” by Big & Rich

When he trotted this song out the first week on acoustic guitar, I was a little worried that John Rich might run his most well-known contribution to the music world into the ground. Luckily, it was just a precursor to his memorable ode to Camping World, which is burrowed into my brain to this day.

“I Think I Love You” by David Cassidy

Alas, David was not long for the game, getting ousted by a Richard Hatch power play in the season opener. That was a shame, really, because he seemed to be wired so tight that some entertaining emotional breakdowns were inevitable. Speaking of emotional breakdowns…

“When It’s Over” by Sugar Ray

For Mark McGrath, the “rocker/TV host” (I would argue that both of those titles play fast and loose with the truth), it was over when he ran up against the Busey juggernaut in the boardroom. And all around the world, statues crumbled for him.

“Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson

Did you know that street blocks light up for all members of the Jackson family when they are accompanied by a sinuous bass line, as Latoya proved in her exit from the show? Did you know that saying Celebrity Apprentice has no shame is as obvious as saying that turtles have no foot speed?

“Angel In The Centerfold” by J. Geils Band

This is one is for Playmate Hope Dworaczyk (thank you, Wikipedia, for that spelling), although “Who Are You” also would have worked fine as a tribute.

“Yeah!” by Usher

Be honest: How many of you figured that Lil Jon in real life was just like the portrayal of him by Dave Chappele? He has been one of the pleasant surprises of this season, both entertaining and a good player, even though he’ll probably come up just short (no pun intended) behind Rich and Marlee Matlin.

“Taxman” by The Beatles

For Richard Hatch, of course. I know. Too easy.

“Homer, Ozzie, and The Straw” from The Simpsons

This song is from the memorable Homer At The Bat episode, which, by the way, featured not only Jose Canseco but also Darryl Strawberry, both of whom were, to put it kindly, big duds in their time on Celebrity Apprentice. Does that mean we can expect to see Roger Clemens next season? Or does it mean I watch way too much TV?

“Objects In The Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are” by Meat Loaf

Oh, there are more well-known Meat songs, but we needed one that was a big, blubbering mess, much like the surprisingly resilient Mr. Loaf has been throughout the season. That’s why I chose this Bat Out Of Hell II power ballad craptacular, which, as you can tell by the title, is a typically subtle Jim Steinman composition.

“(How To Be A) Millionaire” by ABC

I’d like to think that Trump played this for his 8-year-old son in 1985 to inspire him. “Listen to what he’s saying, Don Jr., and don’t ever forget it. And , by the way, this Martin Fry fellow, he’s going to be huuuuuge.”

“Walk On By” by Dionne Warwick

After seeing her prickly demeanor this season, it doesn’t take a Psychic Friend to see that I’d be walking on by Miss Dionne if I passed her on the street for fear of being berated.

“True Love Ways” by Gary Busey

Do you remember a time when Busey was more than just a punch line? This tender performance from his Oscar-nominated role in The Buddy Holly Story is a reminder of what intrigued us in the first place, well before his days as Reality TV gold.

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Movie Review

New movie Friendship pairs Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in a bizarre bromance

Photo courtesy of A24

Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in Friendship.

Comedian Tim Robinson has gained a cult following thanks to series like Detroiters and I Think You Should Leave, in which his brand of cringe comedy is on full display. The former Saturday Night Live writer/performer has had a few small movie roles over the years, but he’s now getting his first starring role in the off-kilter Friendship.

Robinson plays Craig, a mild-mannered suburbanite with a wife, Tami (Kate Mara), and son, Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer). Craig has a boring life that involves little more than going to his middle manager job while wearing the same clothes day after day, anticipating the next Marvel movie, and helping Tami out with her at-home floral business.

He gets a jolt of energy when Austin (Paul Rudd) moves into the neighborhood. The two men seem to hit it off, with Austin — a weatherman at a local TV channel — even taking Craig on a couple of impromptu adventures. But when Craig commits a couple of faux pas at a group gathering at Austin’s house, their bond starts to fracture.

Even though the film is written and directed by Andrew DeYoung, it’s clear that Robinson had a big influence on the style of comedy it features. There are no big set pieces with a slew of jokes coming one after another. Instead, the film forces the audience to try to vibe with the very particular type of wavelength it’s giving off, one that could almost be called anti-comedy for the way the laughs come out of left field.

The 100-minute film is full of random comedic moments, like Steven kissing Tami on the lips, Craig being obsessed with his plain brown clothes, a group sing-along, and more. More often than not, it’s the way Craig reacts to both normal and abnormal situations that gets the laughs. The character is needy and oblivious, two traits that combine to make many of his actions cringeworthy.

Perhaps most importantly for this type of movie, many things in the story go unexplained or don’t make sense. Seemingly crucial elements are brought up only to fade away just as quickly, while other parts that appeared to be throwaway sections get callbacks later in the film. DeYoung and Robinson are determined to keep the audience on their toes the entire time, never knowing what to expect next.

Robinson has the perfect face for a story like this, one that’s bland enough to blend into the background but memorable enough to sell the jokes. His demeanor is also excellent, never becoming too expressive, even when he gets angry. With long hair, a mustache, and a certain swagger, Rudd is a great complement to Robinson. Only in a film like this would an everyman like Rudd be considered the suave and cool one.

There will be some that will see Friendship and come away wondering what the hell they just watched. But anyone who goes in knowing that they’re about to witness a comedy that challenges their sensibilities will likely have a great time.

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Friendship is now playing in select theaters.

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