News of the Week: Dark City Dames, Baseball Chatter, and Please Don’t Try the Kool-Aid Man Challenge

Read This!

Here are six new books you might want to pick up (and maybe even read after they’re picked up).

Class Clown by Dave Barry. The subtitle for this book by the humorist is “The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass: How I Went 77 Years Without Growing Up,” and that pretty much describes it.

All the Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman. A novel about an ex-party girl/rock band member and single mom who decides to investigate when her son is suspected in the disappearance of the rich school bully.

Dark City Dames by Eddie Muller. A beautiful revised and expanded edition of the book by the host of TCM’s Noir Alley and Film Noir Foundation founder. It features interviews with such classic noir actresses as Audrey Totter, Marie Windsor, Ann Savage, Evelyn Keyes, Jane Greer, and Coleen Gray.

Notes to John by Joan Didion. This posthumous work contains notes that Didion wrote to her husband John Gregory Dunne after sessions with a psychiatrist. They were found in a filing cabinet in her office in 2021. (Didion wrote several pieces for the Post.)

The Catastrophe Hour by Meghan Daum. A collection of sharp and elegant essays on such topics as death, money, friendship, dating, and music.

The Business of Being a Writer by Jane Friedman. If you need an all-in-one guide to the modern publishing landscape, you won’t find a better guide than Friedman. (This is an update of an earlier book.)

I Want to Enjoy Baseball Again But I’m Too Lazy

I recently told you that I used to be Babe Ruth.

That was when I was a kid and obsessed with baseball. I played baseball all the time (left fielder and pitcher), watched every Red Sox game, bought baseball cards, bought baseball magazines, and even kept track of games in a scorebook. I cried when the Red Sox failed to win the World Series in 1975 and cried when they finally won it in 2004.

So why does baseball leave me cold now?

Two things: One, I started to play tennis as an adult and that’s now my new obsession (watching it, since I haven’t played in several years). And two, I don’t know anyone on the Red Sox team, and they haven’t done well enough the past several years for me to really pay attention to them.

Garrett Crochet? Trevor Story? Walker Buehler?

Buehler? Buehler?

Who are these people?

Maybe I’m just a fair-weather fan (which is ironic because I’m not a fan of fair weather) and too lazy to get into baseball again. But if the Red Sox start winning and they get into the playoffs and even the World Series? I’ll start watching.

Oh Yeah!

In some ways, maybe the internet was a mistake?

There’s a new viral challenge going around online, and this time it’s based on old TV commercials. The Kool-Aid Man Challenge takes its cue from the ads where the rotund pitcher of Kool-Aid would surprise everyone by crashing through a wall. Kids are doing the same thing (though not dressed as a pitcher) and violently crashing through fences, vandalizing private property, and probably hurting themselves in the process.

I guess it’s better than the Tide Pod Challenge, but just barely.

Look, if you young people want to do a viral challenge based on a TV commercial, may I suggest the Charmin Challenge? You go into a supermarket and secretly squeeze toilet paper and run out before anyone catches you.

Headline of the Week

“Michigan Man Escapes Quicksand with No Injuries – and a New Girlfriend”

RIP Pope Francis, Will Hutchins, Roy Thomas Baker, Nino Tempo, Don Mischer, Mike Patrick, Mac Gayden, and Patrick Adiarte

Pope Francis – born Jorge Mario Bergoglio – was the first Jesuit and Latin American pontiff. He died Monday at the age of 88.

Will Hutchins starred in the western Sugarfoot, the sitcoms Blondie (he was Dagwood) and Hey, Landlord, and appeared in such movies as No Time for Sergeants and Clambake. He died Monday at the age of 94.

Roy Thomas Baker produced classic albums for such rock bands as Queen, The Cars, Foreigner, Journey, Cheap Trick, and Devo. He died this week at the age of 78.

Nino Tempo had a number-one hit duet with his sister April Stevens in 1963, “Deep Purple.” He started as a child singer with Benny Goodman and played on the albums of other musicians, including Frank Sinatra and John Lennon. He died earlier this month at the age of 90.

Uploaded to YouTube by Daily Doo Wop

Don Mischer produced and/or directed an astounding number of TV shows and specials, including Super Bowl halftime shows featuring Michael Jackson and Prince, Olympic opening ceremonies, Disney specials, Kennedy Center Honors, and Oscar and Emmy telecasts. He died earlier this month at the age of 85.

Mike Patrick was an ESPN play-by-play man and commentator for Sunday Night Football and college sports for over 35 years. He died Sunday at the age of 80.

Mac Gayden was the Nashville guitarist who played with Bob Dylan and co-wrote the classic pop song “Everlasting Love.” He died last week at the age of 83.

Patrick Adiarte appeared in the stage and film versions of The King & I and Flower Drum Song. On TV he appeared on such shows as M*A*S*H and The Brady Bunch (he’s the guy who guides the family in the classic Hawaii episodes). He died last week at the age of 82.

This Week in History

Mae West Sentenced to Jail (April 19, 1927)

Religious groups complained about West’s play Sex and the theater was raided, with several members of the production arrested including West. She was sentenced to ten days in jail but only served eight (she could have just paid a fine but wanted the publicity).

YouTube Launches (April 23, 2005)

Yup, the video site is now 20 years old. There are 20 million new videos uploaded to the site every single day. Here’s the very first one.

Uploaded to YouTube by jawed

This Week in Saturday Evening Post History: “Grandma Catches Fly-Ball” by Richard Sargent (April 23, 1960)

All of the women in this scene look ecstatic while the men … not so much.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Hey, I might not watch baseball anymore, but that doesn’t mean I can’t eat the food associated with it.

Jeff Mauro has a recipe for Chicago-Style Hot Dogs, while Rachael Ray has Ballpark Pretzel-Bun Burgers. For a slightly different burger, try these Sweet Hawaiian Mini Burgers from The Beef Checkoff.

Taste of Home has recipes for Homemade Corn Dogs, Texas Chili Fries, and something called Walking Tacos. Ambs Loves Food has Ballpark Beef Nachos. And for a snack/dessert, Delish has these Copycat Klondike Bars and Misfits Market has Ballpark Peanut Popcorn (a.k.a. Homemade Cracker Jack).

Next Week’s Holidays and Events

Morse Code Day (April 27)

Or, if you want to say “Morse Code Day” another way: — — .-. … . / -.-. — -.. . / -.. .- -.–

Mother Goose Day (May 1)

The origin of the term “Mother Goose” actually dates from the 17th century.