The Carpenters' Final Frontier

December 10, 2008 8:04 PM

The Carpenters... Space Encounters. Just what it sounds like! Parts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

An alien race learns about the joy of music from Karen and Richard. Skip to Part 6 for robot showgirls -- or enter hyperspace by opening all the links in 8 different windows!

posted by hermitosis (20 comments total)

I feel all icky. I need an adult.
posted by jtoth at 8:16 PM on December 10, 2008

Fucking awesome. I saw a 20th generation boot of this around 10 years ago - barely watchable, but I squinted my way through it & loved every minute of it.

This, though, this makes me so damn glad to be living in the future, a future where one can watch strange, wonderful things like this without having to deal with jackass tape traders. Yes. The future is now, and the future is definitely The Carpenters... Space Encounters.

Thank you.
posted by Item at 8:37 PM on December 10, 2008

Wow, I think I saw this when it aired. All I remember about it was being annoyed that I had to wait till the end to hear "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft," which is the only reason I was watching.
posted by gubo at 8:44 PM on December 10, 2008

In space, no one can hear you not eat.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 9:02 PM on December 10, 2008

I felt awful the moment I typed that.

Sorry everybody!
posted by Senor Cardgage at 9:02 PM on December 10, 2008

I really hate that Karen Carpenter died.
posted by dirigibleman at 9:06 PM on December 10, 2008

The hell?
posted by tristeza at 9:21 PM on December 10, 2008

The Awesome!
posted by Miastar at 10:27 PM on December 10, 2008

I have a fun idea: the next person to make an anorexia joke gets to dine on my fist. It's punch-tastic!
posted by Item at 11:41 PM on December 10, 2008

I felt awful the moment I typed that.

Sorry everybody!
posted by Item at 11:42 PM on December 10, 2008

HOLY CRAP

I expect Todd Haynes is gonna want your number now, hermitosis. Oh, hey nice to see Superstar is available on Google Video now. It was awfully hard to get for a while there.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:18 AM on December 11, 2008

I have a fun idea: the next person to make an anorexia joke gets to dine on my fist. It's punch-tastic!

Jackass tape traders might be out of business, but jackass internet tough guys will always be with us.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 12:54 AM on December 11, 2008

God, I love her voice. Always have.
posted by Goofyy at 1:58 AM on December 11, 2008

Ya know what's also awesome? Karen Carpenter playing the hell out of the drums (yt). Right after a cornball sketch with John Freakin' Denver.
posted by bardic at 3:18 AM on December 11, 2008 [1 favorite]

Karen Carpenter was incredible! An iconic voice and sick drum chops taboot. Whenever I hear her voice it brings back awesome childhood memories.

This clip also reminded me of a time when John Davidson was on almost every TV show... remember 'That's Incredible'?
posted by weezy at 8:50 AM on December 11, 2008

HFS!!! hermitosis, you are the best.
posted by not_on_display at 1:56 PM on December 11, 2008

I love it. This is cure for Superstar.

Superstar freaked me the fuck out from some reason. Might have been the shrooms.
posted by tkchrist at 4:41 PM on December 11, 2008

I grew up in the Carpenters' home town. I went to their old high school and frequently saw Richard while shopping for groceries in the middle of the night, after we both emerged from our coffins. I took my cousins trick-or-treating at his house last year and he couldn't have been nicer. He can afford to hand out better candy, though.
posted by HotPatatta at 5:16 PM on December 11, 2008 [1 favorite]

Well it's nice to know Charlie Callas had another career to fall back on.
His impression of people being wacky on dial phones probably doesn't bowl people over so much nowadays...
posted by miss lynnster at 5:50 PM on December 11, 2008 [1 favorite]

Ya know what's also awesome? Karen Carpenter playing the hell out of the drums (yt). Right after a cornball sketch with John Freakin' Denver.

Wow, that's amazing. Apparently she was so good at the drums that she could even play them with her psychic energy whilst running playfully from drum set to drum set and not even touching any of the instruments!
Seriously, I wish I could've just heard what she was *really* doing without the constant drummer fills from the band.
posted by miss lynnster at 12:33 AM on December 12, 2008