I'm testing a theory that Victor Fleming's masterpiece "The Wizard of Oz" is so woven into popular culture that someone or something makes reference to it at least once every day. It comes up in conversations, songs, TV shows, ads, other films, colloquial saying, etc. For one year I'll be updating this blog each time Oz comes up. Check back daily to see if the theory holds water, or melts in it. (And try it yourself. You'll start to notice Oz everywhere, I promise.)

Friday, February 29, 2008

Leap day reference

Man, the Chicago Bulls suck this year. I thought they were supposed to be competitive.

Tonight they lost to the Washington Wizards. The Channel 5 sports commentator said:

"But they couldn't catch the Wiz, who eased on down the road."

The Bulls are about as threatening as Joakim Noah. (Hasn't Ricky Williams taught us that stoners make bad draft picks??) At least, if nothing else, they are good for a tangential Oz reference.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

ERRRR!!

Where have all the Oz references gone!? I'm so angry I could beat up Kimbo!

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Oscars hook it up

Did you catch James McAvoy's award presentation? His first words were, "There's no place like home."

Depp delivers

I was looking up some info about Johnny Depp today and came across this. It was in his "Ed Wood" wikipedia entry:
Depp decided to draw inspiration for his performance from Andy Hardy, Ronald Reagan, Casey Kasem, and the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz.

So I can thank Captain Jack Sparrow for today's reference. Is there anything Johnny Depp can't do?

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

I'll take what I can get

Since Oz references have been avoiding me like plague, I'll have to use one of my wife's. Today she was on the phone at work with a contractor, who had recently been prescribed Vicodin. He told her he had never taken Vicodin before but it was great because it "took him to the merry old land of Oz."

Monday, February 18, 2008

A Year of Flashdance?

While Oz seems nowhere to be found lately, for some reason it was the weekend of Flashdance. It seemed to be playing back-to-back-to-back on some channel. I couldn't escape it. Then this morning while I was in the shower the radio station played Irene Cara's hit.

As I jogged in place and shook my head back and forth wildly in the shower, I wondered if I'd followed the wrong movie for a year.

Friday, February 15, 2008

[All tasteless titles have been removed]

I resisted the urge to write an inappropriate title with a bad pun in it.

I was talking to a friend today about random movie oddities and he said, "Didn't a munchkin hang himself in the Wizard of Oz or something?" The rumor is patently untrue. No one is really sure how it got started. According to snopes.com, it's a bird, which is what it clearly looks like if you watch closely. It'll look better on your TV.

Here's the video in dispute. It is clearly a bird in the background. When people get stoned enough, they'll see anything. This rumor can be hung out to dry. (Ooof. Sorry.)

Monday, February 11, 2008

Oprah checks the slippers

Apparently Brent Glass, who I refer to in my January 12 entry about Stephen Colbert going to the Smithsonian, was on Oprah showing her the ruby slippers. No, I don't watch Oprah. Colbert showed the clip tonight. He was incensed that Oprah got to touch the ruby slippers, while he was denied the privilege of making a sandwich with George Washington's sword.

CLICK HERE TO READ GLASS'S COMMENTS ABOUT THE SLIPPERS AND OZ ON OPRAH'S SITE

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Have some self-respect, American Pie franchise

So the first American Pie movie was fine. It had some funny moments. Since then the franchise has made an embarrassment of itself. The only "star" who is even willing to participate anymore is Eugene Levy, which shocks me. He's so hilarious in the Christopher Guest films. What possible motivation could he have other than an easy pay check?

Comedy Central has been running commercials for "American Pie: The Naked Mile." I think it went straight to video when it came out. The latest commercial has a frat boy telling a midget (because, by the way, every frat boy thinks midgets are hilarious) to, "Go back to Oz, Toto." The midget corrects the frat boy with, "Toto was the dog, you idiot."

Yeah, this movie can't miss. (...At least I got an Oz reference, I guess.)

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Bill Maher regains my respect in many ways

Did anyone catch Bill Maher on Larry King Live tonight?

I don't know at what point in the last decade that my brain decided it didn't like Bill Maher, but my brain was wrong. He was hilarious, insightful, and intelligent on King tonight. So, Bill, my apologies. I'm back on board.

He was talking about the economic stimulus package as "like giving $5 to bum and saying ease on down the road and talk to somebody else." That being a reference to The Wiz, it counts as an Oz reference.

p.s. Did anyone see the video of Bill Clinton falling asleep in a church on MLK day? Maher talked about it tonight. I have to share, since it's downright hilarious.

Monday, February 4, 2008

AD 4 eva

Arrested Development is riddled with Wizard of Oz references. The other night I caught the episode where Tobias "checks himself into jail" to research the role of Frightened Inmate #3. When he accidentally drives "White Power Bill" to commit suicide, Tobias is celebrated in classic Oz style: "You killed him. Like Dorothy. The Wicked Witch is dead. All hail Dorothy."

In the next scene, Tobias's legion of loyal inmates now refer to themselves as "Friends of Dorothy."

God bless Arrested Development.

Saturday, February 2, 2008

i'm very upset with myself

I'm upset because I haven't been tending to my blog. There was a fantastic Oz reference on the Colbert Report the other night, but I waited way too long to add it. Sorry for the neglect.

Now, I can't find the damn reference on my DVR. This is the second time I've done this! Unacceptable.