After discovering these things you call late night shows only a short time ago, and taking a liking to hosts such as Leno and Letterman, I must confess that I was at first disappointed to hear that a gentleman named Jimmy Fallon has now taken Jay Leno’s place. And just today I discovered that David Letterman is retiring in 2015!
But after one of the most recent programs, in which Mr. Fallon shared what was purported to be a phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and former Alaska Governor (and vice presidential candidate) Sarah Palin, I think I may have changed my mind.
The conversation, which was aired on Fallon’s show, was filled with clever repartee, subtle jokes, and wonderful parody. As a creator of many hoaxes myself, I very much appreciated this fictitious exchange – especially when the two “leaders” decided to play a duet on their respective instruments, the Putin-pretender on the balalaika and the real Palin on the flute. The song they chose was “Happy,” a modern song made famous by a performer named Pharrell Williams, I’m told.
Not that many people here in this modern world of 2014 are aware that I happen to play an instrument, too. Several, in fact. I had quite a passion for music. I was skilled at the harp, the violin, and the guitar. And, like Thomas Jefferson, when it came to the violin, I both composed and invented for that instrument…as well as printing music, writing essays on musical aesthetics, fabricating a four-sided musical stand, and even inventing a very unique instrument called the glass armonica!
So, I appreciated the Putin-Palin duet on another level (in addition to the satire), as you can imagine.
But I digress. The point I wanted to make was that this particular “Happy” song that they performed has become quite popular in a variety of ways, not just musically speaking.
It has also been used as the soundtrack for a number of productions made for the “picture box” (which you call television). Very clever editors have put together montages of different people showing their happiness in various settings.
A good example is one which was done by The Winchendon School in Massachusetts, recently published on “Youtube” (another new invention of your computer age). If you so desire, you may view this Winchendon production at this address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wiR0TqgmKo
You may even spot a familiar face in this montage. For a 308-year-old man, I do still manage to get around!
Your humble servant,
B.Franklin
But after one of the most recent programs, in which Mr. Fallon shared what was purported to be a phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and former Alaska Governor (and vice presidential candidate) Sarah Palin, I think I may have changed my mind.
The conversation, which was aired on Fallon’s show, was filled with clever repartee, subtle jokes, and wonderful parody. As a creator of many hoaxes myself, I very much appreciated this fictitious exchange – especially when the two “leaders” decided to play a duet on their respective instruments, the Putin-pretender on the balalaika and the real Palin on the flute. The song they chose was “Happy,” a modern song made famous by a performer named Pharrell Williams, I’m told.
Not that many people here in this modern world of 2014 are aware that I happen to play an instrument, too. Several, in fact. I had quite a passion for music. I was skilled at the harp, the violin, and the guitar. And, like Thomas Jefferson, when it came to the violin, I both composed and invented for that instrument…as well as printing music, writing essays on musical aesthetics, fabricating a four-sided musical stand, and even inventing a very unique instrument called the glass armonica!
So, I appreciated the Putin-Palin duet on another level (in addition to the satire), as you can imagine.
But I digress. The point I wanted to make was that this particular “Happy” song that they performed has become quite popular in a variety of ways, not just musically speaking.
It has also been used as the soundtrack for a number of productions made for the “picture box” (which you call television). Very clever editors have put together montages of different people showing their happiness in various settings.
A good example is one which was done by The Winchendon School in Massachusetts, recently published on “Youtube” (another new invention of your computer age). If you so desire, you may view this Winchendon production at this address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wiR0TqgmKo
You may even spot a familiar face in this montage. For a 308-year-old man, I do still manage to get around!
Your humble servant,
B.Franklin