The Dude: Yeah, well. The Dude abides.
The Stranger: The Dude abides. I don’t know about you but I take comfort in that. It’s good knowin’ he’s out there. The Dude. Takin’ ‘er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh. I sure hope he makes the finals.
The Big Lebowski, the iconic stoner, who gives a shit about anything, fuck it all anyway cult classic hit movie theaters today in 1998. Jeff Bridges is The Dude, the centerpiece of the Coen brothers movie that at first glance is nothing more than a slightly amusing stoner movie. The Big Lebowski is satire at it’s finest and its mark is the politically correct world we’ve become. But what makes the film a classic is that it has a secret heart the size of bowling alley.
The Alamo fell today in 1836 when it was overrun by Mexican soldiers after a 13-day siege. Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie were both killed in the battle.
Walter Cronkite signed off for the last time tonight in 1981 as the host of the CBS Evening News, which he anchored for 19 years.
Tonight in 1985 18-year old Mike Tyson had his first professional fight, knocking out Hector Mercedes in Albany, New York.
Today in 1987 it seemed like Mel Gibson and Lisa Bonet would never not be huge movie stars. “Lethal Weapon” and “Angel Heart” both hit the big screen and Hollywood was theirs. Bonet was a nobody in the blink of an eye and Gibson had a long career before being overcome by madness in the last decade.
Speaking of great satire, Ring Lardner, the author of one of the best sports satires ever penned, was born today in 1885. “You Know Me Al,” published in 1916 is pure perfection in sending up the clueless, entitled mind of the spoiled athlete. It was “Eastbound and Down” 90 years before Kenny Powers was born.
Happy 41st birthday to Shaquille O’Neal, who put up 61 points and 23 rebounds for the Lakers in a win over the Clippers on his 28th birthday, tonight in 2000.
And Happy 66th to Rob Reiner. His top 10:
- A Few Good Men
- When Harry Met Sally
- The Princess Bride
- This Is Spinal Tap
- The American President
- Misery
- The Sure Thing
- Stand By Me
- Ghosts of Mississippi
- All in the Family
— Bill Hubbell