Peepers, a canticle.

April 18, 2012 7:03 PM

Peepers, a canticle is an unproduced screenplay for a rough adaptation of Being There, starring the SNL character Mr. Peepers. Credited to one "C. L. Kattan," it was allegedly finished on September 10, 2001, after which point it was "deemed too political by studio executives in the emotionally charged atmosphere of the early aughts." Thankfully, Durrod University Press is hosting a free copy of the masterwork, which comes bundled with an author's introduction and a transcript of the panel discussion "Peepers and Post-Modernity: Kattan in Conversation." [via]

No, Durrod University is not real.

posted by Sticherbeast (12 comments total)

I call hoax (meta-hoax, in the case of Durrod University). George W. Bush became infamous for the word 'misunderestimated' after the 9/11 attacks; I remember watching that speech live on television and all of us there had this "...did Bush just seriously use that word?" reaction. Either Kattan was somehow psychic, or the author of this piece slipped up.
posted by wanderingmind at 7:16 PM on April 18, 2012

George W. Bush became infamous for the word 'misunderestimated' after the 9/11 attacks

Not true. He said it on the campaign trail in 2000.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 7:20 PM on April 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

Oh. Hm. Point taken.

I guess I just don't want to believe this exists.
posted by wanderingmind at 7:24 PM on April 18, 2012

You want a canticle?
Stick with the one they made for Leibowitz.
posted by THAT William Mize at 7:45 PM on April 18, 2012 [4 favorites]

Leaving aside the abysmal character of Mr. Peepers for a moment, why would anyone consider remaking something as carefully balanced and sublime as Being There? FOR SHAME
posted by shakespeherian at 7:46 PM on April 18, 2012 [3 favorites]

Bit late for April Fools, isn't it? (Yes, I'm being optimistic.)
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:39 PM on April 18, 2012

DU seems to have quite a significant representation of Asian Americans in its student body population.
posted by Apocryphon at 8:51 PM on April 18, 2012

Who writes George W. Bush saying "rubbish" instead of "trash"?
posted by jason_steakums at 9:05 PM on April 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

Yes this is very very not real.
posted by You Guys Like 2 Party? at 9:54 PM on April 18, 2012

The closing scene from the script (page 114 as printed, 123 via page nav)


EXT. LAKE - DAY

Peepers emerges from the woods at the shore of a lake. He walks down to edge and sticks in a cupped hand. Peepers raises his hand, watching the water trickling down his arm.

Still entranced by the rivulets, Peepers walks forward in to the lake. Only he does not submerge.

Peepers is walking on the water.

He reaches the middle of the lake before realizing what he’s doing. He looks around in mute surprise. He lays down on the surface of the lake and begins to hump it with deliberate thrusts. He is having sex with the entire Earth.

FADE OUT.

FIN.
posted by zippy at 1:30 AM on April 19, 2012 [1 favorite]

I want to know who's really behind this, because it's hilarious. And I kind of hope in the back of my heart that it really is Kattan, pulling off a brilliant stroke of self-parody.
posted by Spatch at 12:01 PM on April 19, 2012

Leaving aside the abysmal character of Mr. Peepers for a moment

I like to think of myself as pretty intellectual. I have read my Pynchon and my Proust. And I am unashamed to tell you all that Mr. Peepers is FUCKING HILARIOUS.

There is something about watching an actor dial his inhibitions all the way down to 0.00 that I find incredibly liberating and amazing to watch.

I had kind of forgotten about Mr. Peepers, and I enjoyed being given the opportunity to watch those skits again and once more stare slack-jawed in amazement.
posted by dfan at 4:16 PM on April 19, 2012