Huh? Dennis Miller doesn't get obscure reference.
SANTA BARBARA, CA (Special to TSD After Dark) Comedian and conservative talk show host Dennis Miller, whose career was largely built on reference heavy zingers that many uninitiated and even veteran Millerites deem confounding was stymied by his own favorite comedic formula yesterday. Miller was referred to in a comedic essay by Melvin Fleem in the Madison, Wisconsin-based Willow Review in an article titled Miller Time Has Jet Lag as having a routine that is “more tired than Alva Rivers at the Periwinkle Lounge.”
The obscure one liner refers to the little known jazz and blues singer Alva Rivers who had a minor hit in late 1966 with I’m Me, Except on Tuesdays. She performed the song at the Periwinkle Lounge in Santa Barbara, California on February 17, 1967 and fell asleep after the first chorus. A confused audience assumed the performance was over and most left, though some complained to management about the concert’s unusual brevity. Doctors determined the reason was a combination of exhaustion and heavy drinking. Rivers died in 1973 and the Periwinkle Lounge is now a Carl’s Jr. Restaurant.
Miller was stunned he didn’t get the reference for two reasons; one is he’s a huge jazz and blues fan. The other is, he currently lives in Santa Barbara but never heard of the Periwinkle Lounge.
“This is like having the rug pulled right out from under you,” a beleaguered Miller told After Dark. “Fleem launched a plutonium-rich water soaker right into my wheelhouse and truly fucked up my day. You can bet I won’t be caught off guard by this guy ever again. I’ll make him look like Hephaestus at a power lifting tournament.
Miller paused a moment an added “I’ll give you all a moment to Google that one.”
Tags: Dennis Miller