Serling Day Can Never Come Too Early....

As long time readers of this blog know, I've been suggesting Serling Day (on December 25th) as a way to avoid some of the more obnoxious aspects of the holiday.

So as we see Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas decorations up for sale...you don't have to worry about Serling Day. Inspired by this recent article on Serling and screenwriting, here are some great videos of Serling discussing the art of writing.

(The entire series is worth watching on YouTube. You'll thank me later)

Happy Serling & Bogie Day! (And Christmas As Well)

No matter what holiday you celebrate, I like to propose for those who may need an alternative to consider celebrating today as the anniversary of Humphrey Bogart's birth, or the anniversary of Rod Serling's birth.

As promised, here are some Bogie Day and  Serling Day holiday viewing treats for you to enjoy!

As NaBloPoMo Ends, Let the Holidays Begin

First, a gentle thank you to you, gentle reader, for following this blog in my attempts to engage in NaBloPoMo (or "National Blog Posting Month) throughout November. So in an effort to end this month on a positive note, I wanted to reaffirm a steady mission - one that I hope can help heal our national wounds.

As many of you know, in an effort to promote the blog - and create a more general sense of acceptance for people everywhere - I've attempted to advocate that for people who are unsure how to celebrate December 25th (or who want to avoid the crass commercialism of the other holidays around that time), that we consider adopting new, non-sectarian holidays.

So once again, I am proposing that 2012, despite any fears of the Mayan apocalypse, that we all join together to celebrate the birth of not one, but two pop culture icons on December 25th.

That's right - I'm encouraging you to tweet, post, and forward this post encouraging people to celebrate Serling Day and/or Bogie Day.

(That's right - neither one is exclusive. Just ask blogging pal Roger).

Why am I doing this? It's not to repeat an often repeated joke on this blog (although yes, that is a good reason) - it's to promote the idea that sometimes, we forget the things that are of most value. Things like imagination, humor, style, and a willingness to play the tough guy.

So please - let's join together to make Serling Day and Bogie Day an informal - but shared - day of celebration.

No Laughing Matter: Rod Serling's THE COMEDIAN

When I was younger, I had always wanted to see some of Rod Serling's earlier television work. I never thought I would have the chance. Thankfully, one boredom-driven Sunday afternoon web search later, I found The Comedian - one of Serling's plays - available for watching via Hulu.

Normally, Serling has been accused of being a wee bit too sentimental, and the premise - Mickey Rooney as an egotistical comedian - might have an assumed conclusion around his redemption. But the focus isn't on Rooney's character so much as two hangers-on: his brother Lester (Mel Torme) and his head writer (Edmund O'Brien).

Without going into details, it deals with both men attempting to find some form of redemption and self-satisfaction. Whether they do or not....well, the only way you'll find out is by watching.

And this is well worth watching indeed.

Happy Serling & Bogey Day!

As everyone else is celebrating Christmas, let's all celebrate a day of inclusion, intelligence, and class. Your Serling & Bogey Day video choices - enjoy!

Patterns available for download via the Internet Archive

Beat the Devil available for download via the Internet Archive

Holiday Greetings

As many of you know, rather than try to celebrate the traditional faith-based holidays that everyone else does, I am spearheading an effort to include two more pop culture-based holidays, to help those who may be atheists, agnostics, or just plain tired of the usual thing.

I'm talking, of course, about Serling Day and Bogie Day, named after Rod Serling and Humphrey Bogart respectively, who were both born on this day.

Following are two videos from the Internet Archive for your viewing pleasure. And please feel free to link to this post in an effort to spread holiday cheer.

Enjoy!

Obligatory Shout-Out to Roger Green

who, like me, is a big Rod Serling fan:






(videos courtesy iO9 - hey, if I can do shout-outs to Rich, I can do them for Roger, deal?)

Two Very Special Birthdays

Today will mark the birthday of a very special gentleman - a man who made his mark upon modern culture.

But which one it is depends on what you believe.

For several of us, it's Bogie Day - when we celebrate the life and work of Humphrey Bogart. I've written about this holiday last year; I strongly suggest that you engage in those celebrations....

...but more importantly, that we embrace our differences.

For example, a few of us (like pal Roger) take today to celebrate the birth of another gentleman; a man who has also provided us with tales of morality, of fantasy, and parables which continue to have an impact on our values and culture.

That man....is Rod Serling.

His career demonstrates his ability to bring literate values to modern television screenwriting; in fact, very few of us would be here if it weren't for The Twilight Zone. Or even Night Gallery. And that ending to the original Planet of the Apes movie? His idea.

Now, it's easy today to want to celebrate other birthdays with tons of gifts....and candy....and carols....and semi-religious efforts. (Or in my household, catching up on classic Doctor Who) But in an attempt to help unite us all, devout and atheist, Buddhist and Capricorn - let me share two new non-denominational holidays. Two which allow us to bask in our love of the fantastic, of the literate, and quite simply...the remarkable in our culture.

Personally, I'll be firing up my Maltese Falcon DVD, maybe even downloading Beat the Devil for viewing. But don't let that stop you from celebrating the birth of either one of these gentlemen.

After all, it's not like there's any other holiday we're celebrating today, is there?