Not An Inspirational Quote

So my youngest sister has been having a pretty rough week of it. I won't go into too many details. It will suffice to say that the situation involves an indoor sprinkler system, 45 minutes worth of water, and a (warning: here comes a pun, or something like it) material portion of her earthly possessions, and those of the Ohio library system.  I was about to find some inspirational quote about perseverance or patience or how suffering can make you so awesome (which I do believe), and then relate some of my own hard times, etc, etc... But then I thought about what really cheers me up, and I'm going to write about that instead. This one's for you Gin!

Nothing can bring me out of the blues like a little comedy. Some of the most difficult and stressful times of my life have been made lighter by an episode (or five) of The Office. In the last couple of years I have also realized that when I am down, down, down, nothing quite does it like a bad comedy. A movie not so bad that it's unbearable, but those that err on the side of the ridiculous, plots that are a bit over the top, that may or may not have actors who are also singers... I've selected four such gems to suggest to you for your viewing pleasure.

The first is Barbershop. Rated a lean 6.1 out of 10 by the users of IMDB (internet movie data base), it is probably the least bad of the bad movies I am recommending. Hailing from the mean streets of 2002, this comedy features Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, and Eve. It centers around a Chicago barbershop and the people whose lives intersect there. Much of the free speaking dialogue is refreshingly void of political correctness and is both pointed and hilarious.

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The second is My Life in Ruins. This 2009 comedy stars Nia Vardalos, who plays a Greek American woman working as a tour guide in Greece. A predictable and corny romance springs up between her and the heavily bearded tour bus driver, who, surprise, surprise, turns out to be a veritable "Greek god" under all that face fuzz.

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Hmm... Too bad the bus driver is so homely.

The third is Madea's Big Happy Family. If you have seen any of Tyler Perry's Madea movies, I don't need to do too much explaining. In short, Tyler Perry (a man) plays a larger than life elderly woman named Madea. Madea is surrounded by family members in distress (with very real life problems); she dispenses her straight shooting advice and tough love with biting wit and many an uncouth jibe. Singer celebrity bonus - not so lil' anymore Bow Wow.

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And the finale, Wild Hogs. The most star heavy of the movies to hit the list, this 2007 comedy follows characters played by John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, William H. Macy, and Tim Allen as they defy midlife mediocrity via Harley road trip. Their trip climaxes in a biker style throw down with a tatted up Ray Liotta. Over the top situational comedy is the name of the game on this one.

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