Living My Best King Herod Life
This week's writings ...
Easter is Sunday, and that makes today “Good Friday,” when Jesus Christ was crucified after his sham trial. That never seemed like a particularly “good” Friday, even if you make a spectacular resurrection comeback a few days later.
A holiday ritual is my annual viewing of Jesus Christ Superstar, director Norman Jewison’s 1973 adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Weber/Tim Rice rock opera. Jesus Christ Superstar ends with Jesus’s execution on Good Friday. The film doesn’t actually depict the supposed resurrection, and there wasn’t a Jesus Christ Superstar: For Good sequel with extra songs no one wanted. (There's also no resurrection scene in Martin Scorsese's Last Temptation of Christ, the only other adult Jesus-related movie I've watched. It's possible that Easter is simply anti-climactic.)
The Jesus Christ Superstar overture is one of my favorite pieces of music, especially the bass guitar solo, “The 39 Lashes,” which is effectively Judas’s theme. During my youth, I have imagined myself as Judas (Carl Anderson) walking off into the distance, alone, and glancing back at the masses with disgust. Now, in comfortable middle age, I feel more like King Herod chilling on the top of the bus and enjoying the party. (Watch below.)
King Herod’s number is my favorite from the 1973 movie. The camp dancers and Bob Fosse-inspired choreography are a delight, and I especially adore the blonde lady in the absurdly sized hat. I need to know everything about her, and unfortunately, my years spent researching her identity have not produced any results. If you’re alive and reading this, King Herod Dancer In The Absurdly Sized Hat, please know I love you. (Watch below.)
Even if you don’t plan on getting dressed up on Sunday and showing off your Easter bonnet, you might still enjoy the classic Easter Parade from 1948. It’s one of Judy Garland’s best performances, and composer Irving Berlin thought no one sang his songs better than Liza’s mom. Gene Kelley was originally cast opposite Garland, but when he broke his ankle, Fred Astaire came out of retirement to replace him. Kelley was a decade older than Garland, but Astaire was 23 years her senior. (He was a full three decades older than Audrey Hepburn in 1957’s Funny Face.) Easter Parade is where Astaire wows us with his epic rendition of “Steppin’ Out With My Baby.” (The Tony Bennett cover from MTV: Unplugged was on my wedding playlist.)
This week, I watched one of my favorite M*A*S*H episodes, “Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler?” from 1975. An officer turns up at the 4077th who claims he’s Jesus Christ. Frank (Larry Linville) and Margaret (Loretta Swit) think he’s faking, but Hawkeye (Alan Alda) and BJ (Mike Farrell) convince Colonel Potter (Harry Morgan) to bring in Dr. Sidney Freedman (Alan Arbus) for a psychiatric evaluation.
Alan Fudge gives a heartbreaking performance as a man who has literally lost himself over the guilt he feels from bombing people he’s never met and who’s done nothing to him.
“Bombs? On people?” he responds in horror when Sidney explains how he’s spent the past two years. He doesn’t feel any better when told he dropped bombs on “the enemy.”
“I have no enemies,” he says. “I love all men.”
“Even the North Koreans?” Sidney asks.
“They’re my children,” he says with tears in his eyes. “Why would I hurt my children? I’m sorry. I’m not this Captain Chandler you’re looking for, but I hope you can find him. And I hope you can help him.”
This banger scene ends with Sidney asking the officer, “Is it true that God answers all prayers?”
“Yes,” he replies somberly. “Sometimes the answer is no.” That line still resonates with me. (Watch below.)
Sidney concludes that while the officer obviously isn’t Jesus Christ, he’s also no longer Captain Chandler, who the army had turned into an efficient killing machine: “Finally something inside this kid from Idaho said, ‘Enough! You’re Christ! You’re not a killer! The next bomb you drop, you drop on yourself!”
Sociopaths like Pete Hegseth love to boast about the U.S. military’s “lethality” and “warrior” ethos, while gleefully ordering war crimes. He’ll probably spend Sunday in church, but he can’t comprehend how his words and deeds would sicken the man he claims to worship.
“Quo Vadis, Captain Chandler?” was written by Burton Prelutsky, who also wrote “The General’s Practitioner,” which contains Hawkeye’s “war is war” speech that I quoted in a piece earlier this week. Thank you, Mr. Prelutsky.
If you haven’t already, please consider taking advantage of my “Spring Break” subscription sale — 40 percent off the usual annual paid subscriber rate. That’s just $30 a year. Thanks to all who have upgraded to paid subscriber status recently. It’s an Easter miracle!
Previously on The Play Typer Guy:
Donald Trump started a war in Iran with no plan and even less concern for human life. He seems to think calling it something other than a “war” will make it better.
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts wrapped up American democracy in a shiny package for Donald Trump, who has proved predictably ungrateful.
Over at Public Notice, I suggest that progressives should stop sharing Tucker Carlson videos.
Hasan Piker isn’t the “liberal Joe Rogan.” There really is no such thing.
“Very concerned” Democrats think a white, straight, Christian male might be the best bet to win the presidency in 2028. I reject this cynical thinking.
That’s it for this week. See you on Monday.
I love that movie JCSS so much. I memorized the original album when I was in high school in the ‘70s and loved the movie soundtrack too. I had a major crush on Ted Neely, who played JC. Thank you for the reminder; I will have to find the movie on streaming somewhere tonight. It’ll be a perfect escape to the ‘70s, when loathesome yet not stupid Nixon was in charge. I never imagined I’d look back at the Nixon administration as being competent but here we are in the nonsensical and malignantly stupid Trump 2. ‘70s here I come!
No wonder they were playing the soundtrack of JCSS on our small local radio station last night.
If anyone can have a Good Friday with all the bad news please do.