Rainbow Donkey equestrian, anyone?
On April 6, 1896 an ancient tradition that had been dormant for 1500 years was revived as the first modern Olympic Games began in Athens, Greece. These first Olympics would be much different than the every-four-years games that would follow. Only fourteen countries would participate, all of which were European save for the United States. All 241 athletes who would take part in the games were men, as women would not be allowed to participate until the 1900 Games held in Paris. Also, medals were only awarded for the top two finishers… and there were no iconic gold medals. First place won a silver medal, while second place earned a copper medal. Although there was strong sentiment towards having Athens be the permanent host for the Olympic games, it would take 108 years before the Games returned to Greece in 2004…
Not so fun fact: Real pigeons were used in the shooting event at the Paris games in 1900!
And now for something we’re sure the Soviet judge will score poorly, our answers to this week’s Share Your World questions from Di!
The 1500 light year planetary relay race…
Do you have a favorite movie?
I haven’t watched movies in years. The number of 21st Century flicks I’ve seen could probably be counted on one hand. I’m not even that good with 20th Century movies. I do look back fondly on some of the movies we had on videotape or watched frequently on HBO when I was a kid. Trading Places, Back to the Future, Short Circuit, Mannequin, My Cousin Vinny, Midnight Madness (Michael J. Fox’s screen debut!), the Police Academy series, Beetlejuice…. I’m not going to try and name them all.
The one I always had considered my favorite (even though I probably haven’t watched in in a good thirty years)? The 1985 movie based on the board game “Clue”
Call me gay just one more time, Peacock!
Who is you favorite actor and actress?
The only actors and actresses I care about are the one who reside on my shelf. And honestly, I think most of my critters are better performers than some of the hacks that make millions of dollars just to ham it up in Hollywood…
All the thrilling action without any of the flashy CGI effects…
Do you attend or have you ever attended a live theatre production?
Who needs to spend money on fancy clothes and opera glasses when I have the best seat in the house to Shelf Critter Theatre performances?
I better wear my raincoat for tonight’s performance of Sweeney Todd.
Have you ever wanted to be an actor/actress?
No thank you. I’ll just stay behind the scenes and provide my fucked up creativity for others to act out….
This is what Romper Room should have looked like…
Gratitude Retro Comic:
Count me as the typical American who doesn’t get why people care about the Olympics… especially on tape delay.
Evil Squirrel's Nest 
There is nothing like a live theater production. I’m trying to talk my husband into going to see Wicked again.
With the Olympics come doping tests. Many are now certified dopes.
We like our sports heroes to be dopes. And our politicians too…
we are fans of the shelf critter stage…. but imagine buster in mannequin…. wow that would be cool LOL
Buster would end up in the compactor at the end of the movie, and it would be a happy ending!
Like most things these days, the Olympics are all about the coinage. Sigh. We think your skills as a producer are top notch-no CGI necessary. Although your MPA film ratings aren’t for the faint of heart, are they, Buster?
I think they’d have to come up with a special rating for Shelf Critter Theatre episodes. Maybe Rated FU for Fucked Up… though there’s probably a lot of other movies that deserve that rating…
Boy, ain’t that the truth!
Thanks for joining in again this week ES. Have a good Easter!
Thank you, and to you as well!
Every so often I check to see if Midnight Madness is on streaming or online somewhere…I remember I liked it when I was a kid, but I wonder how it will hold up now? (And I love Mannequin! One of my favs, up there with Jumpin’ Jack Flash!)
That movie was on HBO almost constantly in the 80’s! Jumping Jack Flash was another one I forgot!
I remember it was so exciting to see the HBO logo with the rainbow sparklers going around the “O”. Ha! (I guess we were easily impressed as kids!)
Good job! I remember watching the Olympics before it became a “show” – it was an athletic competition not “show time”. Thanks again for another flashback “toon” – classics!!
Pam
Everything’s all about “the show” now, even my old favorite baseball. The sports leagues are all selling entertainment now and not comeptition…
My grandmother’s boyfriend was a really good ice skater, and, as the story goes, he worked on the Lake Placid Olympics…laid the flag under the ice…escorted Sonja Henie around the ice/onto the ice. One of the short stories I wrote (which was accepted into an anthology) was inspired by that family lore. 🙂
I’d definitely like to see a film based around Zeeba and her bloody exploits…
What’s the record for body count in one movie? It might get broken….