Monday 26 January 2009

CUTAWAYS: THE 2009 VOMITING NUN AWARD

According to Encyclopedia.com, “there are now almost 40 award ceremonies on TV every year, from the Billboard Music Awards and the Screen Actor's Guild Awards to that most demographically resonant of statuette events, the Teen Choice Awards.” But you know, even though it’s pretty crowded out there already, I’ve still kind of wanted to institute an award of my own. It’s just a pop culture kind of thing to do. The trouble is, I didn’t really know what to call it or who to give it to.

Until I saw the following 40 second video clip…

So procreation is behind our economic woes and must be stopped? I think I’ve seen this plot in a few movies over the years. It never ends well. Unless you like the taste of Soylent Green that is?

Poor old Nancy, she just can’t stop herself can she? But her continued returning to the same old well did give me the answer to my awards dilemma. It reminded me of Proverbs 26:11 which tells us, “Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool that repeats his folly.” And that, in turn, reminded me of a quick scene from The Amityville Horror (the old, good version) which inexplicably causes me to giggle hysterically every time I see it. I think it’s the over the top acting involved. Irene Dailey, the nice lady who plays Sister Helena in the movie, was actually a well respected stage actress who never managed to land a foothold in Hollywood. Because of that, I suppose, she just had to make the most of whatever little screen time she could grab, and in this clip in particular, she gives it everything she’s got, turning a simple retching scene into an onomatopoeic masterpiece.

So, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, in honor of your incessant habit of appearing on television to trash Catholic teachings while at the same time publicly heralding your own “ardent practicing” of your religion, I hereby bestow upon you the newly minted, entirely un-coveted first annual B-Movie Catechism Vomiting Nun Award. This clip’s for you…

UPDATE

I have been (charitably) called to task by one of my regular readers whose opinion I value over the fact that this post may come across as offensive or disrespectful to those who have chosen the consecrated life. I deeply apologize if that is the case.

The in-movie context of the above clip, for those who may not have seen the film, is that Sister Helena is so overcome with nausea by the atmosphere of evil in her niece's new house that she must flee its presence. It seemed to fit with what I was commenting on here, but I can see where the context isn't communicated in the abbreviated clip I provided. The humor I've always found in the scene has never in any way been related to the fact that the character is a nun, but because the actress seems to have chosen to interpret the scene using a phonetic reading of the script. Every time I watch the movie, that BLAUUUUGH! just knocks me right out of the film and causes me to start giggling. I've never denied there's something wrong with me.

So now I'm torn. Do I take the post down? Do I leave it up with this explanation as an example that I don't work under a charism of infallibility here? What does everyone think?

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