Touch Paul Bellini. Then tattoo him on your arm
September 16, 2010 9:30 AM   Subscribe

Don’t just touch Paul Bellini – tattoo him on your arm! That kooky writer from The Kids in the Hall, Paul Bellini (NSFW blog), developed cult infamy as a result of recurring appearances on that show wearing next to nothing but a bath towel. Who indeed can forget the subsequent Touch Paul Bellini contest, in which one Rebecca Klatka of St. Petersburg won the right to do just that? (Video proof. Inevitable Facebook group.) A decade and a half later, Eric Cedrone of Buffalo takes the prize for Most Dedicated Fan of Man in Towel with his arm tattoo of Bellini in said towel, voided area used to advantage.
posted by joeclark (26 comments total) 11 users marked this as a favorite
 
Man, do I miss Kids In The Hall. Is it streaming anywhere these days?

Also, although I generally hate tattoos of real people/celebrities, this one gets a pass from me. Bellini is awesome.
posted by brundlefly at 9:44 AM on September 16, 2010


So the whole Paul Bellini In A Towel joke comes from Paul talking about gay bathhouses with Mark McKinney?

Huh.
posted by The Whelk at 9:47 AM on September 16, 2010 [1 favorite]


(P.S Bellini's blog is worth reading "The only reason I watched either Another Gay Movie or Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild was so that I could make fun of Scott Thompson for agreeing to be in them." )
posted by The Whelk at 9:50 AM on September 16, 2010 [2 favorites]


Man, do I miss Kids In The Hall.

Anybody willing to come to the defense of Death Come to Town? So much of what I've heard about it has been unremittingly negative (with a little bit of scattered tepid praise) and I just haven't been able to bring myself to check it out.

It's weird because I saw their touring show of "new" material a few years ago, and it was really pretty great.
posted by anazgnos at 9:52 AM on September 16, 2010


I will always love KiTH. When they came to Winnipeg many years ago, my wife bought tickets for my birthday. The guys were all just ripping drunk, cracking each other up, and the audience was just eating it up. When they went off script they were even funnier.

The highlight I will always remember was Kevin McDonald doing the pit of evil, and completely forgetting that David Foley's character's name was 'Hecubus'. After flubbering around for a moment or two, David finally just stood up from behind the altar and shouted 'Hecubus is old now master, my knees can't take this shit anymore!' I don't think either the audience or cast stopped laughing for at least five solid minutes.

The show ran almost a half hour long given all the assorted drunken zaniness. It was just sublime.
posted by WinnipegDragon at 9:59 AM on September 16, 2010 [9 favorites]


The humor of the Kids in the Hall always had a dark tinge to it, a mix of satire and tragedy, but their show maintained a certain cheerfulness anyway, mainly because of the youth and enthusiasm of the cast. When I watched Death Comes To Town, my main reaction was that the darkness had taken over. It was for the most part too sad to be funny. Nonetheless, it has a nice ending.
posted by grizzled at 10:00 AM on September 16, 2010 [1 favorite]


Rebecca Klatka of St. Petersburg won the right to do just that

Technically - and as borne out by the video - that was just the American winner, which, as all KITHkins know, is non-canonical.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:01 AM on September 16, 2010 [1 favorite]


Is it streaming anywhere these days?

I don't think so. Hulu has a bunch of clips, but not full episodes, and Netflix only has the pilot.
posted by maqsarian at 10:04 AM on September 16, 2010


I've got all the Kids in the Hall that are out on DVD and watch them all the way through about once a year. FLYING PIG!
posted by jimhankmom at 10:05 AM on September 16, 2010 [1 favorite]


Tell us more, Alvy!
posted by joeclark at 10:05 AM on September 16, 2010


I once got kicked out of the Louvre for trying to touch a Bellini.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 10:12 AM on September 16, 2010 [3 favorites]


I swallowed a Bellini in Venice.
posted by The Whelk at 10:13 AM on September 16, 2010


Yeah, Death Comes To Town is one of those weird aberrations where the inspirer is inspired by the inspiree. In this case, Kids in the Hall and Little Brittan. I do not begrudge my time watching it, but damn did I yearn for some Business Suit Trappers.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 10:16 AM on September 16, 2010 [2 favorites]


30 Helens agree: You can't pay too much for a good Bellini tattoo.
posted by TrialByMedia at 10:21 AM on September 16, 2010 [10 favorites]


Yeah, Death Comes To Town is one of those weird aberrations where the inspirer is inspired by the inspiree. In this case, Kids in the Hall and Little Brittan.

And The League of Gentlemen. There was a lot in it that felt like it was just going for the shock at the expense of maybe making a better joke. It's certainly not completely worthless, but I would place it below Brain Candy in terms of quality and re-watchability.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 10:25 AM on September 16, 2010


"Blindy gets freaked out by the sounds of his brother blowing the Jailbird, so he goes into the woods and talks to the trees. "Can you hear me?" he asks, and a hunky Forest God materializes and puts a fatherly hand on Blindy's shoulder. Their clothes vanish and Forest God fucks Blindy's face. This film could not get any weirder."
posted by The Whelk at 10:34 AM on September 16, 2010 [1 favorite]


I ought to sell your eyes to my angry sister...
posted by grubi at 10:41 AM on September 16, 2010 [1 favorite]


Awww, I loved Death Comes to Town. I think it's because I have a soft spot for Corrinda Gablechuck. And Kevin McDonald's Sheay was a freaking work of art. Sleazy, sleazy art.
posted by bakerina at 10:48 AM on September 16, 2010


Anybody willing to come to the defense of Death Come to Town?

Well, the NY Times seemed to like it. I don't know if that's a good defense of it or not, though.
posted by inigo2 at 10:54 AM on September 16, 2010


Your "video proof" is of Charles Hitchcock, not Rebecca Klatka. Wrong one!
posted by legion at 10:55 AM on September 16, 2010




So it is, Legion! posted by joeclark at 11:22 AM on September 16, 2010


Lopez!
posted by KingEdRa at 11:29 AM on September 16, 2010 [2 favorites]


Just think... all that tattoo kid has to do is pinch his own arm, and suddenly he's CRUSHING HIS HEAD!
posted by Madamina at 11:36 AM on September 16, 2010 [1 favorite]


I thought Death Comes to Town was great, despite the fact that IFC's commercials spoiled the identity of the murderer by showing the murderer committing one of the murders.
posted by Nedroid at 11:53 AM on September 16, 2010 [1 favorite]


'Bellini will only eat fish, because that's all Bellini ever eats.'

I'm pretty sure there was another contest where you got to have breakfast with Bellini in an airport.
posted by furtive at 7:48 PM on September 17, 2010


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