BoomerZoo Almanac for October 7-13, 2007: Did you say you’d like a revolution?
This week we Boomers remember the end of a revolutionary fighter, the change of heart of a revolutionary scientist, the tactics of a revolutionary organization and the commencement of a cultural revolution.
You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it's evolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know that you can count me out?
Few names might spring to mind immediately if I ask you to name people who are true revolutionaries. Some of
the Founding Fathers, Mao, Castro, and of course, Ernesto “Che” Guevara. Most were patriots whose main concern was freeing their own country from literal or figurative colonial status—at least that was their original intent. Che was more of a professional revolutionary, but boy was he ever inspiring! Even today, his name evokes a sort of romantic revolutionary spirit. It was on October 8, 1967 that Che was captured in Bolivia. He was executed the following day.
You say you've got a real solution
Well, you know
We'd all love to see the plan
You ask me for a contribution
Well, you know
We are doing what we can
But if you want money for people with minds that hate
All I can tell is, brother, you'll have to wait
In 1975, the father of the Soviet hydrogen bomb Andrei Sakharov was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In their citation, the Nobel Committee called him "the conscience of mankind" saying he "has fought not only against the abuse of power and violations of human dignity in all its forms, but has in equal vigor fought for the ideal of a state founded on the principle of justice for all."
You say you'll change the constitution
Well, you know
We all want to change your head
You tell me it's the institution
Well, you know
You'd better free your mind instead
But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao
You ain't gonna make it with anyone anyhow
The FLQ (Front de libération du Québec or Quebec Liberation Front) was a separatist organization established in the 1960s to fight for Quebec’s independence from Canada. The group used terrorist-style tactics to try to achieve its goals and was responsible for more than 200 bombings and the deaths of at least five people. The climax came in the October Crisis of 1970 as the group ratcheted up their activities, kidnapping a British diplomat earlier in the month, then seizing Canada’s Labour and Immigration Minister Pierre Laporte, who was eventually killed by the group. These actions proved to be their downfall, as the government invoked the War Powers Act, leading to Quebec’s separatist movement shifting toward a political solution.
But don't you know it's gonna be
Alright?
Eventually the stress of guns and bombs gets to be too much, and the best relief for that is to just call in the
Samurai Librarian! It was this week in 1975 when "Saturday Night Live" debuted on NBC with George Carlin as host and really changed how humor was delivered on TV. I first saw the show about midway through the first season and was a fairly faithful viewer until the late 1980s.
Who can forget the Blues Brothers; the Coneheads, Gumby, Buckwheat and Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood; Gilda Radner and Bill Murray’s nerd couple, Pat/Chris, Wayne’s World, the Church Lady; or the Spartan Cheerleaders. I couldn’t possibly name all the cast members who not only made an impact on SNL but also became stars in other genres. The list just goes on and on—I don’t even know most of them these days.*
Some of the most memorable lines ever came out of that show:
Miss Emily Latella’s “What’s all this I hear about youth in Asia?”
One of our favorite advertisements “It’s a floor wax, it’s a dessert topping.”
And Dan Akroyd’s debate line: “Jane, you ignorant slut.”
Of course, without fail the best part of the show has always been the Weekend Update. Starting with Chevy Chase, the anchor desk has been a stepping stone to superstardom.
Still, it seems like every generation outgrows the updated cast. Along with many others, I’ve said, “This show just isn’t as good as it used to be.” The likelihood is that the writing has always been inconsistent, the hosts not always at the top of their game, the music not always universally applauded. Even the cast has uneven. But almost all of can remember at least one cast member, sketch, musician, line, host, or full-on troupe of those originally known as the Not-Ready-for-Prime Time Players that has made us feel like we’re part of the revolution—and somehow it really feels like it’s gonna be alright.
*Fortunately for us, memories old and new are now available via the Internet. Here are some places to start:
