Shake and Bake

Pop culture encompasses many different areas of entertainment, including: music, film, art, and sports. The personalities that make up these genres are often lauded by their fans, which generally consist of the masses. They are looked up upon as if they exist in their own world. Rarely do we see that they too, are fans. Sure celebrities are often seen at major sporting events. For example, we know that Ben Affleck is a Boston Red Sox fan, that Ashley Judd is a Kentucky Wildcats fan, and that Jack Nicholson is a Lakers fan. But is Dustin Pedroia, like I am, an Affleck fan? Is Jodie Meeks an Ashley Judd fan? And is Kobe Bryant a Jack Nicholson fan? You want the truth? I have no idea. If I had to guess I'd say that Pedroia likes Affleck but thinks he's a pussy, Meeks has no idea who Ashley Judd is, and Kobe would say that he's a Nicholson fan but can't name 5 movies that he's in. Can you?

Last night, Will Ferrell sat front row at the world's most famous arena for a New York Knicks game. Is he a Knicks fan? He was born in California and is often spotted at Laker games sitting court side which, just like it is at the garden, is basically just a publicity stunt. While Ferrell's fanhood is still in question, he witnessed a great show last night by one of his fans.




Now this is not the first time Nate has referenced Talladega Nights.



Nate, after his performance in the dunk contest and now this, has shown that his personality belongs in New York (I hope you're listening Lebron). He may have reached his ceiling as a player because he will most likely never be a starting point guard in the NBA, but he is perfect for New York. Just imagine how insignificant Nate would be if he played for the Charlotte Bobcats.

This story has personal resonance for me not only as a Knicks fan, but also as a big fan of Talladega Nights. When it first came out I was not too excited to see it. In fact, I chose to see Beerfest over Talladega Nights when they were in theaters. I don't regret that decision for a minute, because the latter was virtually always being played on DirecTV during my senior year of college. My roommates and I embraced its pervasiveness and it paid off. The movie literally gets funnier every time you see it.



It should also be noted that, John C. Reilly (Cal Naughton Jr.) has pulled off a rare feat in acting. Most actors, like Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell, come on to the scene because of their comedic talents and then try to venture off into more serious roles (Sandler in Reign Over Me (2007) and Ferrell in Stranger Than Fiction (2006)). Reilly has taken the reverse path. He made his way onto the scene by playing minor roles in serious movies (The Thin Red Line (1998), Chicago (2002) and The Hours (2002)) before branching off into comedy.