Saturday 9: Spooky Scary Skeletons

Saturday 9: Spooky Scary Skeletons (1996)

Unfamiliar with this week's featured song? Hear it here.

 

1) In this song, Andrew Gold sings that these skeletons send shivers down his spine. Do you often involuntarily shudder or shiver?  Now that I'm thinking about it (I don't think I ever have before), no. I don't think I react to fear that way or maybe I'm just blessed to have never been that scared of anything.

 

2) While they appear frightening, these skeletons are harmless and only want to socialize with us mortals. Can you think of something -- or someone -- that intimidated you at first but that you were more comfortable with as you became more familiar?  Since I can be a bit shy and introverted at times, I've had that reaction to several of my bosses over the years...especially if the talk of co-workers was listened to. Most (not all) turned out to be very nice people, helpful, caring, and even friendly.

3) The video for this song was originally created in 1929. Skeleton Dance was a short movie produced and directed by Walt Disney himself. In 2006, Disney Studios paired Gold's song with this animation for a Halloween DVD. Do you have any DVDs that you watch seasonally (every Halloween, every Thanksgiving, every Christmas, etc.)?  I have quite a few seasonal DVDs that I watch every year, The Wizard of Oz, A Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, A Charlie Brown Christmas, It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, Rudolph, Santa Clause is Coming to Town, The Walton's Christmas Homecoming, Home for the Holidays...to name a few. I have a sentimental streak a mile wide. 

 
4) You may not realize it, but you likely already know one of Andrew Gold's songs. He wrote "Thank You for Being a Friend," the theme to TV's Golden Girls. Blanche, Dorothy, Rose or Sophia: Which is your favorite?  Sophia was hilarious, but I so identify with Dorothy's sarcasm.

These questions will help us get into the Halloween spirit ....

5) Introduced in the 1880s, candy corn was originally called Chicken Feed. It was developed by a candy manufacturer who gave it the orange/white color and special name to differentiate it from jelly beans. Do you like candy corn (a) all year around or (b) at Halloween only or (c) never?  Harrrrd C.

6) What candy will trick-or-treaters get when they show up at your front door?  I bought a one of those ginormous mix bags this year. It has fun-sized Hershey bars, Kit Kats, Skittles, Twizzlers, Haribo Gummy Bears, and Charms lollipops. I should have bought a smaller bag. If we don't get any trick or treaters I'm going to be stuck with a LOT of candy.

 
7) Halloween was a 1978 movie by John Carpenter about Michael Myers, who kills while wearing a ghostly mask. In the original movie, the mask used was a $2 Captain Kirk mask, painted white. Both Halloween and Star Trek are successful franchises of more than a dozen movies. Have you seen more of Michael Myers or Captain Kirk? On film, Captain Kirk, but I have a co-worker that loves all things Michael Myers and has several tattoos of him. So in the day-to-day it's actually Michael Myers since I don't know anyone with even one Captain Kirk tattoo.

8) In 2022, a survey of California schoolchildren revealed that Buzz Lightyear was the top pick of Halloween costume. When you were little, did you prefer to dress up for Halloween as a hero, like Buzz, or a scary monster?  I don't remember ever getting a vote in it. I was always what my mother said I was going to be.

 

9) Some long-time White House employees claim they have seen Abraham Lincoln's ghost wandering the halls of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Have you ever seen a ghost?  I've had some unexplained experiences, but I don't believe in ghosts and I've never seen one.

Thanks to Sam for the music and questions.

Play along here.