Bob's Burgers

Bob's Burgers doesn't always make me laugh. Not the deep in the belly, rolling on the floor till my guts hurt sort of laugh, anyway. In fact, sometimes an episode will only get a consistent pleasant giggle out of me.

Yet I always feel so good when I watch it. I like hanging out with these people.

Bob and Linda are an example of the best we can hope for in a marriage where money is a constant struggle, where you're barely keeping your family above water. They enjoy their eccentricities while taking turns playing the straight man/woman to the other's hi-jinx (how much do I love it that Linda avoids the Nagging Wife trope and often gets to be the funny crazy one, with moments of much needed clarity on the occasions Bob goes off the rails? She has it both ways and it's great, never out of character). Meanwhile, characters like Teddy, Mort, and Gayle may be single, slow, and oblivious, but seldom afraid to reach out and make friends.

Above all, I really, really wish Bob's Burgers had been around when I was a kid.

Why do I like hanging out with these people? Lots of cartoon and TV shows have characters who are quirky, zany, unusual, and downright weird and unsettling. Yet what sets Bob's Burgers apart--particularly where the kid characters are concerned--is that the characters are who they are without apology. They get off on their own weirdness. They embrace it.

If I had seen Gene Belcher happily embrace his flair for the flamboyant with such relish, would I have been so self-conscious in school? If I had seen how forthright and honest Tina is about her insecurities, would I have been afraid to appear so vulnerable? Would I have slow jammed my way into a Jimmy Jr.'s heart, at the expense of how it might look to others? Would seeing Louise manipulate through the rigors of childhood with such remorseless ease have encouraged me to be more laid back, less touchy and afraid of hurting other peoples' feelings?

Maybe not. Childhood/prepubescent self-doubt runs deep, no matter how charming the role model. What I honestly believe these kids would have taught me is to have more of a sense of humor about myself. Oh, I was always a bit of a cut-up, the clown of my social group. But I'm talking about the internal jokester; the one that says, "hey, I ain't perfect, I'm weird and loud, I like writing erotic friendfiction about that hot zombie boy Chad, and you know what? That's funny. And it's okay to be funny in weird, unconventional ways. In fact, it's pretty terrific."

I've only slowly come to terms with the weird and not-so-normal parts of myself, and it's an ongoing process, as most adults will admit. There aren't too many self-actualized people out there, frankly. But I think today's kids are getting a real advantage having Bob's Burgers on the screen, a show that manages to eschew both hipster cynicism and sentimentality to paint a realistic, lower middle-class portrait of weird people and how wonderful they are.

And hell, once kids get a little older, after they've overcome the hurdles of adolescence, Linda can serve as a great adult role model about not letting life and its troubles scare them away from bursting into horrifying and perky musical numbers. Sure, the songs may be a little dark and twisted, but if you're happy singing them, that's what really counts.

Actors with Great Voices

Sometimes there are actors out there whose primary charms--their gravitas, charisma, carriage, what have you--are personified by their voices. That doesn't mean their voices have to be their only talent, only that it's an important ingredient in an already wonderful actor-y stew. Here are some of my faves in the vocal dee-partment:

Christopher Lee
I think I've gone over this one, haven't I? Let's just allow his King Haggard to speak for himself.





Ronald Colman
He possesses the quintessential uppercrust British accent, all sexy and suave. Here's a link to his appearances on the Jack Benny radio program, where he's the perfect Wilson to Benny's Dennis.
http://theoldtimeradioshow.com/jack-benny-and-ronald-coleman/


George Sanders
Combines Colman's aristocratic suavity with Lee's commanding basso profund...ity? Anyways, hot. Could anyone else voice a tiger so realistically (and strangely sexily? Don't judge me I'm not a furry!!)?





Maximilian Schell
The Grim Reaper in vocal form. Absolutely chilling, yet engrossing.

I've never seen this, but it looks super depressing. You're welcome!




Leonard Nimoy
No, I'm not going to post "Bilbo Baggins!" Just this weirdness:




George Takei's voice ain't bad, either, and can be really funny, too.


He's also very fun to imitate. Go ahead, give it a shot!


Dan Castellaneta (I've come to terms with the fact I'll never be able to spell his surname without looking it up first)

Of course everyone in The Simpons cast has an amazing set o'pipes, but Castellaneta (yup, had to look) gets the most props because his natural voice sounds nothing like Homer's--in fact, the exact opposite: sorta high-pitched, actually.




Margaret Sullavan
"Strange, fey, mysterious--like a voice singing in the snow."
--Louise Brooks




Lauren Bacall
There's something very comforting and down-to-earth about her husky voice. There's a scene in The Big Sleep where tension is high, and Bogie is alone in his office, and we're all a little scared for him. Then he calls Baby on the phone and we hear her say "Hello?" And suddenly the world's a better, sultrier place.

This isn't the scene, but it's still a classic, and still has to do with a phone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwXc4N_10rA&feature=related


Gracie Allen
"The moment I heard her voice I figured she had to be a dancer. She sounded like the bird who had been thrown out of the nest for singing off-key. In fact, it turned out to be a perfect voice. It had no lows, so it projected beautifully in a theater. Gracie never had to yell to be heard, her voice just cut through everything else. And years later, when she started singing on the radio, it turned out she had a lovely singing voice. Like Gracie herself, her voice was unforgettable."
--George Burns





Tuesday Weld
And just like this actress, Tuesday's voice was bubbly, garrulous, and slightly deranged. Adorable.

It might not have translated the best to singing, but I still can't help but dig her shot at a single in 1960. Still got plenty of personality:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSeCHLPp0zs

Stuck in your head yet? Excellent.


Kathryn Leigh Scott
Having played the bulk of the female leads, such as Maggie Evans, Josette, and all of Josette's various incarnations, Scott was arguably the most charming actress on Dark Shadows. I think her cheerful, lively voice has a lot to do with that. It's very versatile, too.

This video's pretty long and contains one of them sweeping, dramatic, climactic spoiler moments. Hey, look, it's in the title! Sorry, but anyone who knows anything about Dark Shadows should already know about this twist. In case you don't want to watch the whole thing you can just listen a few seconds, and you can hear her disembodied voice...or is it really hers?!




Michelle Pfeiffer
Similar to Bacall, Pfeiffer's got the pefect wry, femme fatale vibe going on with her voice. But where she lacks Bacall's comforting tones, she makes up for it in quirkiness and electricity. And like Weld, Pfeiffer loses none of her cheek when she belts one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIsETmNtNTs


Arleen Sorkin
Modern day Lina Lamont, only not as grating and with an extra dash of insanity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp6wLXj4-5A


Tara Strong
She's basically in every cartoon show ever. Her voice is probably less distinctive than Sorkin's, but I'd argue she's more versatile because of it. In fact, she can even do a pretty mean Harley herself, as evidenced in this trailer for the upcoming Arkham City video game.

Vid is super loud, sorry.



And of course, while we're on the subject, Mark Hamill. You already heard his Joker above, but...heck, why not another dose?



So, who am I forgetting? There are many. I've left out obvious contenders like James Earl Jones, Orson Welles, and Sean Connery. But who else?

Note to the internet: seriously, guys, why you gotta disable so much embedding code? Can't we all be friends?