Much like a fart, but much larger and alive, Scott Baio is one of those celebrity has-beens who has managed to linger in the public consciousness for decades without contributing anything of value to the world. He’s also one of the few celebs who’s openly supported Unpresident-Elect Donald Trump.
The former Charles in Charge star was recently asked by Variety to explain his support of Trump. And, well, let’s just say he didn’t really choose his words very carefully.
After celebrating Trump’s alleged work ethic, Baio told those critical of Trump to “grow up,” proclaiming that the world is “not about going to safe spaces and wearing a safety pin and hugging a puppy.”
Baio then tried to make the case that Trump was just a regular guy, citing as evidence Trump’s love of … putting his hands all over people shortly after meeting them for the first time. Allegedly.
“He’s just a guy,” Baio told Variety. “He grabs you. Holds you. He puts his arm around you.”
Er, dude, in Trump’s case I don’t think that’s actually a good thing.
Yesterday we learned that former Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos, one of the numerous women who came forward before the election to accuse the orange tycoon of sexual assault, has filed a defamation suit against Trump for disparaging statements he made about her after she went public with her allegations.
According to Zervos’ complaint, Trump “ambushed” her several times.
Mr. Trump suddenly, and without her consent, kissed her on her mouth repeatedly; he touched her breast; and he pressed his genitals up against her. Ms. Zervos never consented to any of this disgusting touching.
Maybe Gloria Allred, who is handling Zervos’ case, will call Baio to the witness stand to discuss Trump’s alleged handsyness.
Those must be lyrics to a song on the Scott Baio album. I had to squint to see that the title of the album is The Boys Are Out Tonight.
This number might be doo-wop. It’s definitely a love song.
The tune might work better performed by a girl group, maybe the Ronettes.
@guest
My condolences on the loss of your mother.
My mom loved Harry Belafonte too, as do I. Something else my mother and I both loved: those silly novelty records (including Stan Freberg) from the late 1950s/early 1960s.
Scott Baio wants women to “grow up”, so that dudes like him don’t have to.
@Kat thank you. And haha yes I grew up on those too–we could sing Danny Kaye’s ‘I wanna drinka water’ and pretty much all of Allan Sherman (though I never learned my favourite of his, ‘Good Advice’, until I was in college). Have to admit I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to get through the day today, but it looks like Allan Sherman FTW.
Interesting–just looking some of this stuff up online, and some writers suggest the Kennedy assassination changed the mood of the country so suddenly and significantly that it pretty much killed the genre.
@guest
Yay for Allan Sherman!
That’s a fascinating observation about the death of novelty songs.
OTOH, I’ve often read that the USA welcomed the Beatles with extra fervor because our president had been recently assassinated.
The novelty songs still make me smile.
@Kat well they didn’t stay dead; I was listening to Weird Al in the early ’80s (and still am!).
@Rabukurafuto:
Yes, I’m looking forward to getting the Kickstarter rewards from backing Blue Rose; their main problem being that the extra add-ons made the book large enough to end up in a different shipping category than they’d expected, so there was a rather significant bump in shipping costs.
And yes, when I did web searches about the game, I was somewhat startled to find a few very vocal people who reacted to the very existence of the game with utter loathing.
Dr. Jack Stewart, why are you doing this to me!!!!!!?
In more serious terms, Baio is a seriously fucked up person. He’s just got to keep digging and surprising people with even more depths of the disgusting. Ugh.
Novelty Songs are alive and well –
The Lancashire Hotpots, Cassetteboy, Epic Rap Battles of History, Weird Al, The Amateur Transplants, Mitch Benn & co. on The Now Show, Tim Minchin, Biscuithead and the Biscuit Badgers, The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing, Horkyze Slize, Adbandoman, Rubber Bandits, Bad Lip Reading, Mik Artistik’s Ego Trip, Mr B, Gentleman Rhymer, College Humour’s “Scientifically Accurate” series…
The genre might have gone out of fashion for a spell, but like cabaret it seems to have had a bit of a rennaisance, or at least there’s a lot of it about in the UK.
Wherever there are things at which to poke satirical fun, there will be Novelty Songs.
@Rabukurafuto: thank you for the info about Blue Rose! I just put in a notification for when it’s in stock at my local game store. My favourite part of playing d&d is the roleplaying amd character stuff. For example, my character now has three penpals that she sends pretty flowers and nice smelling things to, and i’m pretty excited about that.
“The setting is described as “romantic fantasy,” and draws more inspiration from Mercedes Lackey than Robert E. Howard.”
Source: http://io9.gizmodo.com/controversial-rpg-blue-rose-returns-with-more-intrigue-1716537314
… ilu mercedes lackey…
Novelty songs:
Coincidentally, I was reminded of Tom Lehrer when posting about Rick Perry. Specifically, this (spoken) line from the intro to “In Old Mexico”:
His educational career began, interestingly enough, in agricultural school, where he majored in animal husbandry, until they caught him at it one day.
He was one of the novelty song greats. Still alive, apparently, though no longer active.
Life is like a sewer: what you get out of it depends on what you put into it.
@AltoFronto
Ah, Mitch Benn! Like his songs a lot. ‘I’m Proud of the BBC’ is my particular favourite! (Although it is a little outdated because it mentions Rolf Harris, so not that bit.)
Also Bad Lip Reading’s ‘Seagulls (Stop it Now)’ is great.
Reading about these novelty songs, I’m surprised no-one’s mentioned Spike Jones (not the more recent singer Spike Jonze) or the Doctor Demento radio program yet. Jones had some great stuff, and Demento would play novelty songs that you swore no-one but you had ever heard of before. (Is Demento still doing that program anymore? Does anyone know?)
Ladies, and Gentlemen: Scott Baio, bravely taking a stand against puppy-hugging. Please, clap slowly, so as not to alarm him.