not feeling like a lou-zer today

the other day, while i might have been slightly altered, the movie back to school came on…

…i do love that movie. i saw it in theaters when it came out and i was still in high school.

i took a message or two away from that movie that most people probably don’t. “this is how you treat people”. based on rodney dangerfield’s character, thornton melon. he makes his money running a world-wide chain of big and tall stores, but because this was a comedy from the 80’s, they’re referred to as “tall and fat” stores because back then words still hurt, but you kept your mouth shut instead of being a whiny little bitch about it.

not the point.

the point was, he knew his people. he knew the name of his contractor’s wife, and not for some disrespectful reason. he had no problem delegating responsibility, but you could tell he also didn’t mind getting his hands dirty. and there was lou – his driver/assistant who, although it’s never stated, seemed like he was probably his best friend for a while before he fell into the position. he says “pack our bags” before they hit the road, implying that while lou DOES work for him, he’s got all his shit there, too. and if you watch closely rodney opens his own limo door, but lou shuts it behind him. and lou is what makes me feel better about myself today. i love lou – he’s nice and he’s tough. he even has a speech about it.

“one of my boys i put through school, the other one i put through a wall…see, i’m nice, but i’m tough”

lou is the guy standing behind rodney dangerfield in this pic as he tips a cop for not arresting him after he walked into a sorority house and saw a blonde woman naked in the shower:

here’s a pic from earlier in the movie when dangerfield is talking to him right before he goes into said sorority house:

he looks old enough to be one of rodney’s buddies, but in reality he was only FORTY-FIVE when this was filmed. five years YOUNGER than i am right now. this is really him, not some makeup to make him look older. and i don’t think i look NEARLY that old. so i’m feeling pretty good about myself. this was old enough to have been rocky’s trainer in EVERY movie, all the way back to 1976.

yep, i’d say i’ve aged pretty damn well.