Way Beyond Bueller

Who knew Ben Stein was so huge?

Not me. So when I wrote of my surprise at Ben's place in the political world, I got a flurry of emails that were kind of like, mad at me. Don't you worry, my little chickadees, I wasn't trying to slam your beloved Ben-ster. I think he is a delightful and amusing fella. I was just merely expressing my OWN surprise that he was in the pundit circle.

My OWN surprise...cuz sometimes, it IS just me.

Anyway, much like Baby's father in Dirty Dancing after he realizes he shouldn't have tried to put her in a corner, when I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong, so I will cop to ignorance of his awesomely politically qualified past. I should've checked it out. This former speech writer for Nixon and Ford is like a wicked smartee pants with major, major political cred.

But seriously, guys, the dude did guest star on Charles in Charge MORE THAN ONCE.

Anyway, sorry if y'all were offended. Jeesh! Now I know why politics and religion are off limits on a date.

By the way, did I tell you the joke about the priest, the senator, and the network exec?

Time Management

Did I miss something?

Other than my new obsession, Mad Men, I admit I've been uncharacteristically distracted. Besides my steady diet of Friends and Sex and the City re-runs, the dog days of summer have taken their toll on my tv viewing and my DVR isn't even in the danger zone of running out of room.

It's shocking.

So when I turned on Larry King on Tuesday night, I realized that frankly, I need to pay attention. Joy Behar was hosting a roundtable-ish political discussion with some pundits, and mixed in was...FRAN DRESCHER. Fran Drescher of the nasally, whiny-voiced Nanny fame?

I don't understand.

What TV Land reunion did they dig her up from? If you want to spice up the commentary with a little Hollywood, why not Beatty or Baldwin? Hell, I'd even settle for Ben Affleck.

Rounding out the 'panel' was Ben Stein. BEN STEIN?!! Did I go to sleep for 50 years like that Mel Gibson character does in that movie where he wakes up 50 years later from the cryogenic machine and hooks up with Jamie Lee Curtis and realizes he has missed everything, including the girl he went to sleep for who he thought was dead but as it turns out, isn't?

It kind of feels like that...'cause last I knew Ben Stein had 2 claims to fame. One involves winning his money on an aptly named game show. The other is simply this: Bueller...Bueller...Bueller.

I didn't know he was now the go-to guy for politics.

Just out of curiosity, is Matthew Broderick president?