Sunday, November 26, 2006

Free Association: Cake

Today is National Cake Day and since I have a sweet tooth and I love entertainment, here are five things I think of instantly when I hear the word "cake," aside from, you know, the deliciousness.

1. "All I Do Is Dream of You" -Debbie Reynolds intro in Singin' in the Rain and her sassy sarcasm about her place of origin (i.e. the cake) Love that character. Love that movie. Love that scene. Love that ditty. Pure bliss.

2. Mary-Louise Parker. Well, she plays a pastry chef in that movie you've never seen The Five Senses and she's great in it. But you probably knew that already given that I said the words "Mary-Louise Parker" which = great. Duh.

3. "Like a Virgin" at the MTV Video Awards 1984 [video]. Madonna coming out of the top of that cake in her wedding dress and Boy Toy belt buckle. 'Will you marry me?' Tis only a defining cultural moment of my life. It's forever seared into my (then) adolescent brain. We've been married ever since. Well, figuratively ... fan-atively.

4. Clueless and the following exchange:
Murray: Your man Christian is a cake boy!
Cher, Dionne: A what?
Murray: He's a disco-dancing, Oscar Wilde reading, Streisand ticket holding friend of Dorothy, know what I'm saying?
Cher: Uh-uh, no way, not even!
That whole movie is hilarious but I had never in my life heard the term "cake boy" before. Though I was certainly familiar with disco-dancing, Oscar Wilde reading, and Streisand ticket holding (Yentl). Plus, me and Dorothy go wayyyy back.

5. "Let Them Eat Cake" in Marie Antoinette I love the way Sofia Coppola sneaks this line into her new movie, with faux horror (!) at its inaccuracy ... as if her portrait of the dauphine of France is definitive, accurate and truthful. Just one of the sneaky bits of wit that permeate that fine misunderstood film.


tags: Mary Louise Parker, Madonna, film,movies, Debbie Reynolds, cake, MTV, Marie Antoinette