Looking Into: Is Ben Wyatt Really a Stern fan?

Watch Clip Here

Part of what makes Parks and Recreation such a wonderful show is the believability, depth, and full-realization of the characters. However, upon being reminded of this clip of a drunk Ben Wyatt going on camera and mustering the Howard Stern salute of 'Baba Booey' I was left wandering if it really makes sense for Ben to be a Howard Stern fan.

Let's look quickly at another Baba Booey from NBC's Thursday Night Lineup: Dennis Duffy. I can't find the clip online but basically, Dennis is being awarded for saving someone in the subway-

Dennis: Thank you Mayor Bloomberger. I accept this honor on behalf of every… Stern rules! Baba Booey!


Now, Dennis is a  much sleazier guy than Ben. That should not distract us from each character's delivery of the message. Dennis is clearly the center of attention in his "Baba Booey", stopping in a middle of a press conference to fulfill some promise to himself about being on TV. Ben Wyatt on the other hand is  almost blackout drunk. In this state, after being in front of this TV crew for quite some time and having familiarity with them, we find Ben in a very relaxed state. Ben's "Baba Booey" is a more letting his guard down because this is him trying to be funny. Whereas a more classic Stern 'Baba Booey' salute is meant to be more at the expense of the media outlet, Parks and Rec deftly references uses pop culture to make a character more human.

So to answer the question- Is it believable that Ben Wyatt is a Howard Stern fan? Definitely yes. Ben Wyatt was a hot shot 18 year old who ran for Mayor. He is currently breaking a government rule and dating a co-worker. And now that they have introduced Ben's Stern fan side, there is a clearer picture of just how much darker, mellow, and real the character is.

It goes to show that you shouldn't be surprised that anyone ever likes the Howard Stern show. It's a smart, insightful, and very entertaining wealth of information. By being a Stern fan- Ben Wyatt went from 'kind of prudish' to 'guy who's just dealing with life'.  I don't believe we'll see anymore of Ben's Howard Stern side, I'd find it totally believable that that phase of his life is over (He does seem to enjoy Crazy Ira and the Douche though).

There is room for argument here: was Ben just saying 'BabaBooey' because he just knows thats what you are supposed to say to the camera? NO, I say. That's kind of bush league writing, aka something Family Guy has done in, of course, a throwaway flashback gag. The Parks and Rec team are too smart to toss just throw a moment like that.

There you have it: answering a question no one asked and providing a long answer while taking a quick dig at Family Guy. Welcome back, blog.

Review: Cookie Puss

How do they get away with this? Being delicious. That's why Cookie Puss is so endearing. But besides the fact of taste, this is one of the bigger what the fucks. So big- that you have to bring your 'A' game to make fun of it. Patton Oswalt, on his 'Feeling kind of Patton' album, waxs way more intellectual than any of us hope to achieve, specifically in Tom Carvel's radio spots for Cookie Puss. "Tom Carvel sounds like Tom Waits gargling hot asphalt."

Just the name puss is hilarious enough. The Beastie Boys second EP was called Cooky Puss and goodness knows back in those days they had nothing but 'A' game. They say 'Pussy Crumbs'! Crude? Yes. Hilarious? Another yes.

How about some pop culture humor from James L. Brooks completely dated TV yet amazing TV hero 'The Critic'? Jay takes son Marty to Judo class where Jay is promised a Cookie Puss for each class Marty takes. Marty meets his first opponent, Shatashi the Eater of Souls, who says he will eat Marty's soul. Cut to:

Cookie Puss is not so much a part of pop culture, as he is a joke within Pop Culture. He is an alien themed cake with a backstory that says he is from the planet Birthday, and that I wish I made up myself. It's beyond ridiculous so much that it is accepted ridiculousness. For the height of Cookie Puss as means of inspiration to make fun of, we turn to the king, Howard Stern. Howard made fun of Fred so much for buying his Mom a cookie puss that he received a card from Carvel for mentioning them so much. This is something I can't full recap because recapping Howard Stern is like recapping The Bible over 1000s of years and interpreting into something that makes young gay people commit suicide. ANYWAY, Cookie Puss. It's a light bulb type shape that is still available, and still hilarious. Example: when the State reunited:

And with that, we hit all the surface level ridiculousness that is Cookie Puss. We get the backstory, and the fact that it is still delicious. But it still is something hilarious to say. There's not too much thought to be behind a Cookie Puss other than 'ok' and 'yea it is weird'. Cookie Puss is something to revel in. I, for one, hope to be able to make fun of Cookie Puss in new and exciting ways. But for now, this blog entry + that's enough.