But I'm Keeping My Shorts On

(How frustrating - I realized that not all of the original post came out, so I had to reedit and republish.)

Today is the 71st anniversary of Cole Porter recording You're the Top!

It's a fun song to sing and one that immediately brings me joy. I'll be singing it all day.

If you know anything about me, you'll know that my favorite tv show of all time is M*A*S*H. I love the dichotomy it teaches - the absurdity of war and the order that prevails in the midst of chaos. I love it for its backdoor social protest and hidden messages (no other show could have pictures of LBJ hanging on the wall during a show about the Korean War) and for its research and attention to detail. There are also other messages if you just search for them.

If you remember the episode The Joker Is Wild, BJ makes a bet that he can play a practical joke on Hawkeye within 24 hours. If Hawkeye is played for a fool, he has to dance, sans boxers, in the mess hall while singing Cole Porter's classic. The episode ends up with Hawkeye playing himself for the fool, all at the masterminding of his mustachioed bunkmate.

So, in that spirit, enjoy. You're the top.

You're the Top!

You're the top! you're the Coliseum,
You're the top! you're the Louvre Museum,
You're a melody from a symphony by Strauss,
You're a Bendel bonnet,A Shakespeare Sonnet,
You're Mickey Mouse!
You're the Nile! You're the Tow'r of Pisa,
You're the smile
On the Mona Lisa!
I'm a worthless check, a total wreck, a flop!
But if baby I'm the bottom,You're the top!

You're the purple light, of a summer night in Spain,
You're the National Gallery, you're Garbo's salary,
You're cellophane!You're sublime, you're a turkey dinner,
You're the time, of the Derby Winner,
I'm a toy balloon that is fated soon to pop;
But if baby I'm the bottom . . .
But if baby I'm the bottom . . .
Yes, if baby I'm the bottom . . .
You're the top!

See, I'm better already.