Watching comedians, whether on television, DVD, or live shows is one of my favorite pastimes. Steven Lynch (It's just you and me... and your Big Fat Friend), can't forget Mark Teich , Eddie Izzard ("You must have tea and cake with the Vicar or you DIE!"), Monty Python ("I fart in your general direction") and the Redneck Comedy Tour guys (yes, I do live in Texas) are some of my favorites, to name a few.
Nothing's better to laugh at than cheezy horror movies, hence my love for Mystery Science Theater 3000 . I look forward to every new DVD release, hoping it's one I've never seen. Making fun of bad movies? Now that's what I call entertainment!
I'd like to meet:
Those who are living: Stephen King (I've read, and loved, every piece of fiction he's written), Dean Koontz (same reason), Trey Parker and Matt Stone (your movies as well as Sount Park have an insight to views not unlike my own), Joel Hodgeson, Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, Trace and all involved with the many incarnations of MST3K (who have provided me untold hours of entertainment, I will keep watching and "circulating the tapes" until I die), and first and foremost John Waters, who's sick twisted mind is one of pure unadulterated genius (you had the guts to carry on when the odds were against you, and because of this have become the premier underrated film maker of our time).
Those not living (no, I don't want to dig up their corpse): Serge Rachmananoff, Wolfgang Mozart (you both changed the face of music, and were the culmination of classical music perfection), John Lennon (sorry Yoko, not you), Bob Hope, the Marx Brothers (well, all except for Zeppo), and Jim Morrison. You all gave the world a piece of yourself, and because of this, made this earth a better place.
Music:
My musical tastes have always been eclectic, to say the least. I almost NEVER listen to new popular music (HATE crap like American Idol), and pop pablum like Brittany makes me phyically ill... Can't stand Country, which puts me at a disadvantage considering I live in Houston, Texas. Fortunately Houston has a broad and varied music scene that, like most major cities, is extremely active in all forms of music. RAP (Gangsta or otherwise) is completely out of the question as far as I'm concerned. I don't think I enjoy anything currently played on commerial radio today, which is a shame because great bands like Velvet Revolver definitely deserve a listen or two. I think it's something about the commerciality that puts me off...
So much for what I don't like. I can be equally at ease listening to The Wierdos' "Solitary Confinement" or 45 Grave's "Evil", as I am while experiencing the entire Mozart opera "Marriage of Figaro" (yes, ALL three hours of it) or Rachmaninoff's second or third piano conciertos. I love old Pink Floyd (Several Species of Small Fury Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving With A Pict), old Iggy (1969's okay), X, and most "old school" Los Angeles bands. The Dickies have always been one of my favorite bands, and I have been known to listen to them for hours on end. Same with Voodoo Church, whose songs are completey listenable and inspiring. Even their new unreleased material is great (except maybe for their 2002 version of Eyes, just take a listen to the 1982 version). Their album "Unholy Burial" quickly became one of my favorite CDs, and I consider it one of the best concept albums I have ever heard.
Movies:
Orgazmo ("Use your Hamster style, Ben!")
Cannibal, the Musical ("Fudge, Packer?")
Desperate Living ("Seize her, and f*ck her!")
Pink Flamingos ("Chickens are plentiful, Mama.")
Anything by Roger Corman, Ed Wood, and all sleezy, B-grade horror movies. (especially the original version of Little Shop Of Horrors)
Polyester (in glorious "Odorama")
Anything "MYSTed"
I could probably go on for hours with more crappy movies nobody has ever heard of...
Oh yeah, and any movie scary enough to make me piss my pants!!!
Television:
Mystery Science Theater 3000 (in all it's incarnations)
South Park
Reno 911
Can you tell I watch way too much Comedy Central?
Books:
I cannot give names of individual favorite books; I read so much, and there are so many. I guess the names of some of my favorite authors will have to do for now.
Give me weird, creepy shit, and I will read it. Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Clive Barker, Anne Rice, Douglas Preston/Lincoln Childs, and Robert McCammon are only a few of my favorite authors (I think it would be impossible for me to name them all).
I also enjoy reading Sci-Fi & Fantasy, with Piers Anthony topping the list (Pornucopia & The Magic Fart are absolutely hilarious). Of course Robert Heinlein, Issac Asimov, Whitley Streiber (is it really fact, or is it fiction???? You make the call. I guess he should have been included on the "Weird Shit" list...) are but a few that fall into this category.
Action/adventure books are always fun (as long as they're fast-paced), and Clive Cussler is probably my favorite author in this genre. Of course, there's lots to be said about Michael Crichton too, if you can make it through his in-depth analysis of every little scientific detail, that is.
Speaking of fun, Michael J. Nelson's Movie Megacheese is definitely worth a read. I spent many nights laughing my ass off reading this one. So much, in fact, that I had to stop reading this book after Dana went to sleep (I was afraid I would wake her up, laying next to her laughing out loud like a damn lunatic...). He's right, Roadhouse is the move by which all other movies are to be judged.
Non-fiction usually bores the hell out of me. If I wanted to read this crap for pleasure, I would have stayed in school. I feel the same way, for the most part, about "classic literature". Forget the artsy stuff, give me escapism any day...
Heroes:
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