"Kung Fu"

When I was young, television content was homogenous. Networks sought to appeal to the widest audience and produced shows that were the same as others. If one genre worked (e.g., Westerns), it was copied and repeated over and over. Broadcast TV (the only option) was incredibly boring.

It was thus notably rare for a TV show to break the mold. To attempt something novel or artistic. One show did this and its very production was an improbable story. The show, which began in 1971 and ran for three seasons, was "Kung Fu."

At the time nobody in America had heard the phrase kung fu before. Martial arts were not well-known. The overnight success of "Kung Fu" caused immediate and strong interest in martial arts -- and in Eastern philosophy generally.

The show affected many viewers deeply, including me. I watched every episode raptly and, at age 14, was very impressionable. I loved the profound thoughts of Master Po and exotic setting of a Shaolin temple. The hero, Kwai Chang Caine, is a half-Chinese, half-white boy who's admitted to the Chinese temple and taught both Eastern philosophy and martial arts. Later, the boy grows up, leaves the temple and wanders the American West. He travels from town to town looking for his half-brother. He meets people, works and lives a spiritual life. Caine has experiences, often with bigotry and violence. He refrains from fighting unless absolutely necessary but, in each episode, that becomes apparent. Caine then defeats opponents with startling moves and consummate skill.

Two networks passed on the show and only because the third one was desperate, the show got a one-episode trial. The pilot was an instant hit. Further episodes attracted huge audiences who loved the unusual setting and plots. The show won multiple Prime-time Emmys. Master Po's affectionate term for Kwai Chang ("Grasshopper") became a cultural meme.

Thirty years later the entire series was collected in a box set (which I own) with two special features explaining how unlikely the show's creation was. The principals also demonstrate their quest for quality and authenticity. Consultants were hired and used to make the philosophical, historical and martial arts parts of the show as accurate as possible.

Have you ever seen it? If not, I'm happy to lend you my DVDs. That's something Kwai Chang Caine would do. :)

Favorite Movies

What are your favorite movies? Here's a list of my Top Ten. What are yours?

- "Casablanca" (1942 classic with Humphrey Bogart)

- "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" (1985, directed by Tim Burton)

- "Quiz Show" (1994 true story, directed by Robert Redford)

- "House of Games" (1987 mystery, directed by David Mamet)

- "Wall Street" (1987 business drama, directed by Oliver Stone)

- "Bright Lights, Big City" (1988 NYC tale with Michael J. Fox)

- "Harold and Maude" (1971 comedy with Ruth Gordon)

- "Rocky" (1976 sports drama, launched Sylvester Stallone)

- "Pulp Fiction" (1994 crime film by Quentin Tarantino)

- "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (1973 cult classic musical)

(The picture above is my spoof on "Wall Street" villain Gordon Gekko.)

Nietzsche

Friedrich Nietzsche, famous for his prescience about the 20th Century, was a deep thinker. And a little nuts. Few were surprised when Freddy had a mental breakdown at age 44 which ended his intellectual life.

I just read Nietzsche's book, "Beyond Good and Evil" (1886). It's mostly a tiresome slog but is leavened by a few personal observations. My favorites are quoted below. You probably recognize the first one whereas the others are more obscure.

- "He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee."

- "One loves ultimately one’s desires, not the thing desired."

- "The practice of judging and condemning morally, is the favorite revenge of the intellectually shallow on those who are less so."

- "In revenge and in love woman is more barbarous than man." 

Audemars Piguet X Swatch "Royal Pop"

Unless you're a student of horology -- and perhaps even if you are -- you may be perplexed by news reports this week that people are getting on a five-day line to buy a watch. Yes, a watch. The release date is Saturday and, for the inconvenience of sitting in that line, consumers will be granted the privilege to buy a single watch for $400. Just one, no more.

Even odder than that, the watch is a collaboration by two companies, Swatch and Audemars Piguet. If you know watches, this is akin to Ferrari teaming up with Taco Bell. An elite luxury manufacturer working with a pedestrian watch company. What?!

To understand this you need some context. True luxury watches cost around $50,000. Ordinary watches range from $50 to $10,000. The difference in price is due to craftsmanship. Luxury watches are made by hand, almost exclusively in Switzerland. Ordinary watches are made by machines everywhere.

The first question that comes to mind is why would someone pay $50,000 for a watch? The answer is three-fold. First, appreciation of real craftsmanship honed over centuries. The second is that luxury watches, unlike ordinary ones, appreciate in value. If you buy one today, it will likely be worth more in the future. No ordinary watch will ever recover its purchase price. Third, people are social animals and love to brag about what they own. Showing off a fancy watch is like wearing expensive jewelry. "Hey, look at this!"

Obviously for $400 you are not getting a handmade watch. The new model (Audemars Piguet X Swatch "Royal Pop") is fully machine-made. Further distinguishing it from luxury watches is its bright color. (There are 8 hues to choose from.) The watch's design references Pop Art of the 1950s (especially Andy Warhol's work). 

Why is Audemars Piguet doing this? It wants to lure new young buyers into the industry. Get them excited so, down the road, they'll graduate up to real watches. With all the media buzz this model is creating, that may be marketing genius.

Why is Swatch doing this? They had success a few years ago with their "MoonSwatch", a collaboration with another company (Omega). The difference here is that Swatch and Omega are owned by the same conglomerate whereas Audemars Piguet is an independent company.

A final point: the watch being sold is a pocket watch, not a wristwatch. The watch industry is pivoting back to pocket watches as homage to its origin. In the beginning for several centuries pocket watches were the only watches made. Then when wristwatches began, only women wore them. Men used pocket watches; women wore watches on their wrist. Only after the World War did men start wearing wristwatches. During the War pilots and soldiers found wristwatches more functional and carried that preference home.

Instead of hiding your new $400 watch in a pocket, many buyers will wear theirs around their neck or hang it from a handbag like a Labubu. Really. That's where we're heading. A trendy item, brightly colored, possessing social cachet. That's why people are waiting in line for five days...

Happy Mother's Day

"A mother’s hug lasts long after she lets go." 

I still feel mine.

Ode To Joy

On this day two centuries ago (May 7, 1824), Ludwig van Beethoven conducted a performance of "Ode to Joy", his musical masterpiece (Symphony No. 9). Beethoven was completely deaf at the time -- so he couldn't hear a volcanic burst of roaring applause following the performance. At that moment Beethoven was still facing the orchestra so a contralto stepped up, put her hands on his shoulders and turned Beethoven around so he could visually see the ecstatic response his composition had generated.

As a teenager Beethoven studied the poetry of Friedrich Schiller. A volume of it became Ludwig's most cherished book. He dreamt of setting Schiller's poem "Ode to Joy" to music. The poem is a tribute to freedom, peace and human happiness. Schiller described it as a “kiss for the whole world.” Beethoven carried that kiss to the rest of us where it's still felt today. "Ode to Joy" is regularly played at the Olympics and the United Nations.

Beyond

Five years ago I found a 1957 Kodak Brownie Starmite II. The camera is a mass-produced piece of crap containing a cheap plastic lens. Sold the year I was born, the camera cost $10 back then and was intended for casual snapshots.

I took the camera out on a bitterly cold day in December 2022. Pushing it beyond normal use I coaxed the hunk of plastic to create these interesting images.