"he hates these cans!!!"

[wickedflea]

When Eliza and I were at Urban Outfitters yesterday we saw a T-shirt that read "FUCK OFF" in funky letters so you had to look at it just right to know what it said. It made me think of a movie where there was a little kid with a shirt that had a similar obscene phrase on it--but I could NOT think of the movie or the exact phrase. The only possibility I could think of that I'd seen recently was The Jerk, but that didn't seem right because there weren't any kids in it. It bugged me all night.

So today I was walking through the grocery store and the realization stopped me right in my tracks: it WAS The Jerk. It was the scene in which Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters first meet. He's the engineer for the train at the circus, and she's looking for the little boy she's brought with her:

Have you seen a 5-year-old boy, blonde hair, and he's wearing a T-shirt that says "bull shit" on it?

No--there was this one kid earlier had a T-shirt that said "life sucks" on it . . .

And sure enough, right then, there comes the little boy driving the train, and he's got a shirt with "bull shit" on the back in those oh-so-'70s iron-on letters. That movie kicks holy ass. I hadn't seen it in years, so I got it from Netflix last week, and it's still just as good as I remembered it, if not better. And Bernadette was fine yo.

Anyway, I called Eliza to let her know that I'd solved the mystery. She was obviously relieved and said that she'll sleep much better tonight.

Comments

[ferretsofglory.livejournal.com]

Man, I haven't seen that movie in so long. I still remember watching it on cable around 82 at a family dinner or something and my grandmother laughing so hard at the blow job bit to the shock of some stuffy shirted relatives in the house.

I want to see that again now, is there anything extra on the dvd?

Do you remember the tv movie version? The Jerk Too, in 84 or so?

[wickedflea.livejournal.com]

Dude, that's so funny about your grandmother! That makes me think of my grandmother. I should watch that movie with her--she'd get a kick out of it!

I totally missed the TV version--I've seen references to it, but it doesn't ring any bells at all! I don't even remember hearing about it! I can't figure out how I missed it.

There's not much extra stuff on the DVD--I was kinda disappointed about that. But it was really good to see that movie again. I hadn't seen it in forever.

[ferretsofglory.livejournal.com]

It might just be the perfect grandmother movie! I was just poking around and read, on amazon at least so who knows if its true, that the dvd has some lines cut from the movie. Thats weird.

Heh, my only child'ness really stands out on tv show stuff. I swear I saw every weird tv movie back then.

"I was born a poor black child"

[motherevol.livejournal.com]

"I'm picking out a thermos for you.
Not an ordinary thermos for you..."

[deadflowers.livejournal.com]

"but the extra-best thermos you can buy
with vinyl
and stripes
and a cup built right in..."

love it.

[deadflowers.livejournal.com]

that song. the one steve and bernadette play on the beach. did it get stuck in your head?
damn thing stays in mine for weeks at a time.

[motherevol.livejournal.com]

...because you belooOOOng to me. Just a'little ol' me.

Love it too. ;)

[thepinkmanatee.livejournal.com]

i wonder if you can still buy those iron on letters. i want a bull shit t-shirt.