October 1, 2012

Obama will displace Rodney Dangerfield...

... as the most famous person I've been able to watch in action from my office window. He will be here at the University of Wisconsin, Thursday at noon speaking on Bascom Mall, which is a lovely sloping lawn with academic buildings hemming in the space along the sides and a big old Abe Lincoln statue at the top. Smack in the middle of that space, back in the 1980s, Dangerfield directed himself in "Back to School."

80 comments:

gerry said...

But which will create the most comedic memory?

Anonymous said...

I'm thinking that Rodney had a better screenplay than our President. Certainly more cogent.

SomeoneHasToSayIt said...

If one is going to lie, slander and otherwise be demagogic, might as well be in a pretty setting, eh?

Good grief.

Kevin said...

This close to the election and he has to shore up MADISON?

MadisonMan said...

Alan Metter was the director of Back to School. Alan Metter = Rodney Dangerfield?

Sally Kellerman's line about Vonnegut still cracks me up.

MadisonMan said...

I find driving down to the Union all but impossible because of all the Construction. And now they'll put the President down there? Let us all welcome GridLock to Madison for a couple hours.

Maybe he should arrive by boat.

MadisonMan said...

Will they let you remain in your office as Obama speaks?

(I'll stop posting now ;) )

campy said...

Are you sure you are worthy to look upon His Magnificent Presence?

Anonymous said...

Let us know if he starts on time.

Tank said...

Rodney - a guy who gets no respect.

Zero - a guy who gets way too much respect.

Tag: Why Rodney is not like Zero.

SteveR said...

Campaign stop or fundraiser?

sakredkow said...

You seem to get the people who don't get no respect.

Meade said...

"Maybe he should arrive by boat."

Paddleboard.

Ann Althouse said...

"Alan Metter was the director of Back to School. Alan Metter = Rodney Dangerfield?"

In the scene I observed, it certainly appeared that Dangerfield was the director and not just the main actor, but I could be wrong.

Ann Althouse said...

"Will they let you remain in your office as Obama speaks?"

He's going to shut down the whole university? Ridiculous!

caplight45 said...

I have climbed Bascom Hill. It is a glacial drumlin and surprisingly steep. I would not climb it to see Obama.

Anonymous said...

Madison Man said:

Maybe he should arrive by boat.

10/1/12 11:38 AM

What need has he for a boat? Can't he just walk on Lake Mendota?

Brennan said...

He shut down my place of work and he wasn't even coming to see us. He was doing fundraisers, three of them, at the local dive bar.

I worked from home that day since POTUS coming to town is basically like a military checkpoint. If you can avoid it, avoid it.

Sorun said...

I hope it rains. But I'm not a racist.

Anonymous said...

Let's see - Ryan speaks to the AARP and tells them a few things they don't want to hear.

Obama goes to Madison. And appears on The View and Letterman. He won't be interviewed by Chris Matthews, because hey, you never know, even Chrissie Tingles might inadvertently ask him a tough question.

caplight45 said...

Ann, do you mean you have to evacuate your office?

kimsch said...

Will students be let out of classes? Will attendance in class be an issue?
If I were a teacher there, I'd schedule a test or quiz for Thursday to ensure attendance in class.

Brennan said...

Obama goes to college campuses for the crowds. Students are going to ditch class to go see him.

This is his only trick to pack em in these days.

Expect classes to be cancelled though for the "civics lesson".

machine said...

You Stay Classy San Diego!

exhelodrvr1 said...

Comparing the first black president to a comedian? That's quite racist - I hope that doesn't make people in the middle vote for Obama out of pity.

Freeman Hunt said...

I'd be surprised if they allowed people to stay in the rooms overlooking the speech.

Freeman Hunt said...

Especially anyone with some wild, rightwing blog.

Heh.

Wince said...

Ann Althouse said...
In the scene I observed, it certainly appeared that Dangerfield was the director and not just the main actor, but I could be wrong.

That was the ruse Dangerfield employed to get Althouse on the "casting couch".

Obama closing the deal was a little more complicated, involving a lesser of evils three-way with McCain ;)

Ruth Anne Adams said...

When Rodney Dangerfield was at the UW, remember the 'Grand Lakes University' sign on the pedestrian bridge?

I'm told he came to the Law School and used the facilities.

2nd stall.

sdharms said...

Is this how small your life is?

purplepenquin said...

He's going to shut down the whole university? Ridiculous!

Was there a lot of disruption/closings on campus when the President spoke on the Library Mall?

Irene said...

"Was there a lot of disruption/closings on campus when the President spoke on the Library Mall?"

Yes.

edutcher said...

Look at his shadow on the opposite wall.

Any time Zeus revealed himself in all his glory to whatever nymph he was seducing/ravishing, she bought the farm.

If it applies to the King of the Gods, it probably applies to the King of the Sort Of Gods.

ndspinelli said...

Hey!!! The Fonz was @ UW regularly when his daughter attended a few years back.

ndspinelli said...

What about the Dalai Lama?

Curious George said...

I wonder if there will be any people protesting Barry for completely ignoring Wisconsin during the recall campaigns?

Probably not.

Anonymous said...

This close to the election and he has to shore up MADISON?

10/1/12 11:34 AM

Of course, he doesn't have to shore up Madison. Just as a diabetic requires insulin, Barry needs his daily fix of Adoration from the Masses. Getting his ass kissed by the media doesn't quite cut it.

Amartel said...

exhelodrvr1-you went there. Ha! With the "no respect" guy. Ha ha!
That's racist.

Lipperman said...

Springsteen won't be there to warm up the crowd. How about opening your window and CRANKING 'The Times They Are a-Changin'?

MadisonMan said...

I wonder who will introduce Obama. Jim Doyle probably isn't available. Tammy Baldwin, maybe? Mark Pocan? Soglin?

Sorun said...

How do they prevent a law professor from hanging an embarrassing banner from her window? Peer pressure?

Anonymous said...

And didn't Susan Sarandon turn up to cheer on the drumbeaters?

Meade said...

"I wonder who will introduce Obama. Jim Doyle probably isn't available. Tammy Baldwin, maybe? Mark Pocan? Soglin? "

Karleton Armstrong?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

... as the most famous..

I could be mistaken... Obama-phone video aside... but I think this is a backhanded compliment coming from Althouse.

Goggle bias on "Famous"... footwear, quotes, footwear coupons, scientologists, dave’s, quotes about life, smoke, love quotes, movie quotes, birthday.

Anonymous said...

How do they prevent a law professor from hanging an embarrassing banner from her window? Peer pressure?

10/1/12 1:11 PM

Heh. I'd love to see someone hang a Ryan - Math poster out the window. Speakin' truth to power and all that.

But of course, nobody will.

dbp said...

How about a vlog with video (as seen from the office window) and a running commentary between Althouse and Meade?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

How do they prevent a law professor from hanging an embarrassing banner from her window? Peer pressure?

That's "fire in a crowded theater".

purplepenquin said...

I wonder if there will be any people protesting Barry for completely ignoring Wisconsin during the recall campaigns?

Most likely there will be no actual signs about it 'cause outside signs will be banned from the event. But I wouldn't be surprised to see some "comfortable shoes" thrown on stage while he's speaking...lots of folks are still pissed about that.

Amartel said...

"Springsteen won't be there to warm up the crowd. How about opening your window and CRANKING 'The Times They Are a-Changin'?"

"Born in the USA" ?

(Raaaaaacist!)

I keed, I keed.

Michael Haz said...

I hope he totally nails the Triple Lindy off the high platform.

MadisonMan said...

Doors open at Noon, I see (on Bascom Hill). (What doors?)

Anyway, I'm guessing that means BHO shows up around 3. The rain may hold off, we'll see.

Jason said...

Where's Professor Turgison when we need him?

Jason said...

Where's Professor Turgison when we need him?

Sloanasaurus said...

Obama can talk about how he was there marching with all the teacher's unions in the picket line during their big battler with Gov. Walker.

Curious George said...

"purplepenquin said...
But I wouldn't be surprised to see some "comfortable shoes" thrown on stage while he's speaking...lots of folks are still pissed about that."

No way that will happen.

mtrobertsattorney said...

"Free Obamaphones to the first 2000 who make it to the Hill!"

ricpic said...

Ghost of Rodney: Take my president...please.

Why do Jewish men die before their wives? Because they WANT to. (budda-bump)

Anonymous said...

He's going to shut down the whole university? Ridiculous!

You'd think shutting down a skydiving operation 25 miles away would be ridiculous too, but I've seen it done.

Sydney said...

He showed up at Kent State last week. Had a very large crowd, short notice - just like this one. There must be something to the "showing up at colleges to get a big crowd" theory. I'm sure if he showed up in my town square there wouldn't be a big crowd.

purplepenquin said...

No way that will happen.

Now that you mention it, probably not. If it is similar to the gated-event Kerry had at the State Capitol then they will only allow the very-faithful to get close enough to throw anything...the regular crowd will be behind a separate barricade that is further away.

Shouting Thomas said...

The Rodney Dangerfield movie was pretty funny.

I don't expect Obama to be that entertaining.

MadisonMan said...

What about the guy with the marbles and slingshot.

Oh wait -- that's the bike thread. Never mind.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

That reminds me of a funny photoshop somebody did of Michele Obama's appearance in Madison... back in the hope and change days.

It was a moderately low turn out but the photoshop was... well you can imagine... it was like you couldn't fit a rumor.

Found it.

Michael Haz said...

Free Student Loans!

Free Cell Phones!

Free Birth Control Pills!

Free Abortions if You Forget to Take the Free Birth Control Pills!

Pretty much sums up the speech, don't you think?

chickelit said...

sydney said...

There must be something to the 'showing up at colleges to get a big crowd' theory.

Students respond to spontaneous text and IM-driven gathering.

I will be curious to see if the aging faculty are the oldest faces present. Also, will the State workers make the trek down State St. to join in?

Wince said...

ricpic said...
Ghost of Rodney: Take my president...please.

I tell ya', Henny Youngman gets no respect, no respect at all.

Meade said...

"Free Student Loans!
Free Cell Phones!
Free Birth Control Pills!
Free Abortions if You Forget to Take the Free Birth Control Pills!"

Ask not what you can do for your country. Don't even ask what you can do for yourself. Ask what your country can do for you by establishing a government that will increasingly tax those who earn so it can give free stuff to people who don't earn but pay for the free stuff by voting for that established government.

John said...

"He's going to shut down the whole university? Ridiculous!"

He will shut down all of Wisconsin... and no one will notice.

ricpic said...

My mistake, EDH. You're absolutely right, it was Henny not Rodney with the "Take my wife...please" line.

Anonymous said...

Golly Gee Willickers, I just hope good old Moderate Republicans never bring up race, or say anything that would even upset a peach, because all those wonderful White women might pee in their pants. They don't like confrontation - well accept when they are getting hyper-aggressive in a White male's face.

Although the GOP now has zero chance of ever winning a presidential election again, I guess Jesus will give us a crown in heaven for being all nice and Christian-y?

_Jim said...

John 10/1/12 5:11 PM said ...

"He will shut down all of Wisconsin... and no one will notice."

Please, don't shut Wis down; think of the cheese ...

(take off on 'think of the children')

Bada-bump

_Jim

rhhardin said...

I don't remember ever seeing anybody famous.

I saw Khruschev's limo in Vienna though. Darkened windows, high speed.

Obama will turn out that way.

Emery Calame said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
aanjheni said...

How in the world are they going to make sure the only people who attend are those who RSVP'd? Good grief. Thank goodness I am not on campus that day. I hope you get some good 'crowd-size' photos Ann so we can accurately identify how many attend, 18k or 50k.

Aridog said...

Meade responded to...

"I wonder who will introduce Obama?"

...with Karleton Armstrong?

BOOM!?

Aridog said...

I wonder who will introduce Obama?

Professor Ann Althouse?

Aridog said...

**crickets** ?

Carnifex said...

Don't fash yourself sweetie, he ain't gonna' break into Romeo's window speech. As far as ridiculous, what hasn't this "president" done that wasn't ridiculous? The only people worse than him are his endless sycophants in the media, getting all weeweed up when someone dares to question where Superfly was born. I mean if a brother claims in a book he wrote that he was born in Africa, I gotsta' believe him. He was there, right? Is that something you confuse?

Smartest president eveh' and he don't remember how many states are in the US, how to pronounce corpeman, or where he was born. I can actually understand the first 2. You're out smoking choom with Jay-z and Bey-once, you might still be a little treed up, and forget how many states there are...I can see that. And really, how many Harvard law professors really understand the English language. Hell, Bill didn't know what the definition of "is" was.(Pssst...Bill..."is" is getting a boot up your ass from your ugly harridan of a wife because you were getting hummers from your barely of age interns.)

"Where were you born?"
"Honolulu"
"Where were you born?"
"Hawaii"
"Where were you born?"
"Along time ago, in a galaxy far, far away"
"Where were you born?"
"Kenya."

Which answer was on a book written by the really, really smartest president evah'?(hint: if this was millionaire would you jump the question "Where were you born?")

Fuck Zero, and all his enablers. Buncha' dummies.

Meade said...

Aridog said...
Meade responded to...

"I wonder who will introduce Obama?"

...with Karleton Armstrong?

BOOM!?


More like CHOOM!

"The other little glitch is that it was reported that the cash smelled strongly of cannabis."

AlanKH said...

Dangerfield's sense of humor is eternal.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/RodneyDangerfieldGravestoneJuly2007.jpg