Do you have any idea how many Oz movies and comics are coming out next year? Disney's making a dark prequel to the first book, Warner Bros. is re-releasing the 1939 movie, Universal Pictures is making a filmed version of Wicked, and Marvel comics is still adapting comic miniseries for each of the Oz books. The upshot of this is that we will be hearing about Oz for the next three years at least.
TV's Frank Conniff beat the media barrage (except for the Marvel comics) with some pre-emptive snark in the form of a political parody musical podcast, also just in time for the US Presidential election.
The Wonderful Pundits of Oz
Who's it for: Fans of Political Comedy and MSTies everywhere
Who made it: Frank Conniff and his brother Tony, mostly
Where is it: on iTunes as Podhouse-90
Length: About an hour and 15 minutes. Long for a podcast, short for a musical.
Who's in it:
- Dorothy -- Melissa Villasenor
- Scarecrow -- Dave Gruber Allen
- Cowardly Lion -- J. Elvis Weinstein
- Tin Man -- Dave Higgins
- Glinda -- Laraine Newman
- Toto -- Emo Phillips
- Talking Apple Tree-- Dana Gould
- Crow -- Joe Keyes
- Flying Monkey -- Frank Conniff
- Gretchen Bobbins -- Janie Haddad-Tompkins
- Steve Nunke-- Mark Thompson
Quotable Quotes:
"I never thought I'd hear Dorothy engaging in snark!"
"The public never, ever votes for a candidate who has cooties."
The Wonderful Pundits of Oz is set at the end of the 1939 Wizard of Oz movie. The Wizard has accidentally abandoned Dorothy, for whom the ruby slippers just aren't working (Gilda says due to a weak wireless connection for magic in the area). She becomes increasingly depressed at the realization that she is stuck in Oz; meanwhile, the Scarecrow decides to run in the special election for new Wizard of Oz. It isn't long before the Tin Woodman and Cowardly Lion announce their own campaigns, and the Oz News Network pundits are hanging on every word.
This parody takes down the news media as much and more so than it skewers the beloved Oz characters; and did I mention it's a musical?
Here's a transcription of one of the best songs, sung by the Cowardly Lion (J. Elvis Weinstein):
Perception is Everything
by Frank and Tony Conniff
I was once a coward in every way,
And I'm still as big of a coward today,
But folks will think that I'll fight any foe
if a pithy soundbite tells them so!
Perception is everything! It's all I really need!
Being full of shit is a benefit!
That will help me to succeed!
Even though I'm a douchebag with a brain the size of a pea,
My character flaws can be the cause of my popularity! (Tin Man: "True that!")
Perception is everything! It's all I really need!
Being full of shit is a benefit!
And in your case, Tin Man,
Any jerk can be admired, especially in your case,
You're a total perv and you don't deserve the public's warm embrace,
But you're known to have a heart as big as the great outdoors,
But people don't know you spend all your dough on dirty, filthy whores! (Tin Man: "Hey, I'm stimulating the economy!")
Perception is everything! Just like in this song I sing!
The tune may be lame, but it'll stay in your brain
If I repeat the refrain over and over agaaaaaain!
Perception is everything! Perception is everything!
Perception is everything! Perception is everything!
Perception is everything! (Tin Man: "Ok!")
Perception is everything! (Tin Man: "OK!" >:( )
Perception is everything! (Tin Man: "Ok, Ok, enough!")
Perception is everything!
Perception is everything! (Tin Man: "Alright, enough already!")
Perception is everything… (fade out)
If you've enjoyed Frank's biting political humor on Facebook and Twitter, you will love his cynical take on Oz when the Scarecrow is accused of being an emotionally wooden elitist, the Tin Man is seen as a pervert, and the Cowardly Lion is a populist running on a pro-military platform (or whichever one can get him elected).
This podcast radio play is also out just in time for the November election. For a few jokes, you may want to think back to when we were still hearing more than we wanted to about Michelle Bachman, Sarah Palin, and Christine O'Donnell; but most of the humor still applies just as well to this year's presidential election as it did to the last one.
In a side note of Oz trivia in reply to one line of this podcast, I actually do know why Glinda didn't just tell Dorothy how to get home when they first met in Munchkinland. The movie screenplay combined two witches into one character.
In the L. Frank Baum book, there is a witch for each of the four cardinal directions. The Witch of the North and the Witch of the South somehow became one character as Glinda for the movie, but in the original book Dorothy only meets Glinda after she melts the witch and fails to take off with the Wizard in his balloon. The Good Witch of the North is who met Dorothy in Munchkinland, but she somehow didn't know how the enchanted (silver, not ruby) slippers worked.
You might say the Witch of the North was left out because there was only one Wicked Witch who actually had lines and too many witch characters would slow down the movie, and you'd be right, but I refuse to let the facts get in the way of my feeling that MGM was being both agist and sexist.
But who asked me? No one. I am being an Oz media elitist. Go check out Frank's podcast! I hope it's not the only Podhouse 90 production.
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How awesome is this?