The Moth -- 12/7/09 -- Teri Garr

The Show

Ok, I kind of hate the new Moth music. I should have said this sooner, but I didn't have a blog when it started so I'm saying it now. It cuts about 3 points off my mood every time I hear it. It does not promise fun storytelling. It promises anguish. It is aural anguish. I like violins. Just, not...not like this. Not this violin. Not now.

Also, continuing the hate, Dan Kennedy needs to give up that over-precious "doing the intro without notes thing". For one, he's probably done it so many times he could rattle off a perfect take without notes, so the fact that he insists on sort of ad-libbing his way through it, when really we just want to hear the requisite introduction and get to the story--I don't know. Too precious. Just rattle it off and let's get to the story.

That's a lot of complaints! Maybe I'm in a complainy mood!

So, the story:

Teri Garr finds out her boyfriend has been cheating on her and goes to his house to give him his things back, and "return" his hammer. Said hammer is used to smash boyfriend's windows. Boyfriend calls cops, Teri goes to an art gallery. Teri describes what she has just done, eliciting similar stories from other women, including one who cut just the left leg off her boyfriend's fancy suits, and another who shaved her name, or maybe someone else's name, in the back of his dog. Teri makes some remarks about LA being a place where this happens because it's a place with a lot of "sordid weird people seeking fame and fortune for nothing." She makes a Laci Pederson joke that gets groans. Ditto on the Robert Blake, with just a bit more spirit in it. She talks about her parents (who were somewhat sordid, and somewhat weird) coming to LA to seek their fame and fortune. She ends with this advice, regarding cheating boyfriends: getting "just up to the part where you're going to kill, and then not doing it".

Not bad, Teri. The description of breaking windows at her boyfriend's place with the hammer is very funny. LA people talking about LA in all it's sordid weirdness is usually a good thing. I liked her in Ghost World too!