Go get yourself a licorice whip
April 22, 2020 4:47 PM Subscribe
The comedy troupe The State reunites to perform the classic musical number "Porcupine Racetrack" to mark its 25th anniversary. On Zoom, of course, times being what they are.
This makes my inner child tremendously happy, in a decidedly age-inappropriate way.
And Kevin Allison’s entrances make me feel like I’m too young for this all over again. 😍
posted by armeowda at 5:03 PM on April 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
And Kevin Allison’s entrances make me feel like I’m too young for this all over again. 😍
posted by armeowda at 5:03 PM on April 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
State Secrets: The Making of ‘Porcupine Racetrack
David Wain: Tom Lennon pitched it exactly as it ran – it never got revised. He basically took out a scratched out piece of paper and started singing, “Porcupine, porcupine, porcupine racetrack.” All the way to the end.posted by dephlogisticated at 5:11 PM on April 22, 2020 [9 favorites]
This is one of my all-time favorite sketches and I am so glad they revisited it. My wife in the other room heard me singing along and laughed. Funny how "So God if you're above/And it's orphans that you love/ please help the porcupine I chose" stuck with me after all these years.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 5:17 PM on April 22, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 5:17 PM on April 22, 2020 [5 favorites]
im out of heeeeeeeeeeeeerrre
posted by entropicamericana at 5:18 PM on April 22, 2020 [6 favorites]
posted by entropicamericana at 5:18 PM on April 22, 2020 [6 favorites]
Oh, how did they know that this is exactly what I needed right now?
posted by cowlick at 5:23 PM on April 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by cowlick at 5:23 PM on April 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
My whole day was made when I saw this.
posted by Stacey at 6:00 PM on April 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Stacey at 6:00 PM on April 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
This video warmed the cockles of my crusty Gen-X heart!
posted by Atom Eyes at 7:28 PM on April 22, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by Atom Eyes at 7:28 PM on April 22, 2020 [4 favorites]
Funny how "So God if you're above/And it's orphans that you love/ please help the porcupine I chose" stuck with me after all these years.
Uh-huh! I am horrified and proud, in equal measure, to report that I remembered maybe 80% of the lyrics.
I was, like, maybe eleven when they first ran this. Then a friend copied her rare “Skits and Stickers” VHS for me around 2001, and I foisted it on every friend I had for the next couple years, but I don’t think I’ve heard this medley since.
posted by armeowda at 8:17 PM on April 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
Uh-huh! I am horrified and proud, in equal measure, to report that I remembered maybe 80% of the lyrics.
I was, like, maybe eleven when they first ran this. Then a friend copied her rare “Skits and Stickers” VHS for me around 2001, and I foisted it on every friend I had for the next couple years, but I don’t think I’ve heard this medley since.
posted by armeowda at 8:17 PM on April 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
I highly encourage people to seek out the original sketch
I know that I'm a sinner.
posted by sysinfo at 8:17 PM on April 22, 2020 [4 favorites]
I know that I'm a sinner.
posted by sysinfo at 8:17 PM on April 22, 2020 [4 favorites]
Tom Lennon had that porcupine suit in his closet all these years just in case
posted by gwint at 8:28 PM on April 22, 2020 [13 favorites]
posted by gwint at 8:28 PM on April 22, 2020 [13 favorites]
Or he just made it with things he had around the house, you know, pantry staples.
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:32 PM on April 22, 2020 [6 favorites]
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:32 PM on April 22, 2020 [6 favorites]
Oh my god. I just texted this to my two best friends from when the State was on. I guarantee you we'll be singing this to each other on a group video chat this weekend, from three cities that are thousands of miles apart. Perfection.
My first Hotmail address was LicoriceWhip.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 9:35 PM on April 22, 2020 [3 favorites]
My first Hotmail address was LicoriceWhip.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 9:35 PM on April 22, 2020 [3 favorites]
Now I really want to have Lindsay Ellis dissect this for half an hour. "Why is porcupines?"
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 11:14 PM on April 22, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 11:14 PM on April 22, 2020 [3 favorites]
TIL that before hamilton, before bandstand, before annie and the broadway revival of cats, a 25yo andy blankenbuehler choreographed perfection with porcupine racetrack.
posted by ovenmitt at 7:54 AM on April 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by ovenmitt at 7:54 AM on April 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
This is one of the songs that my spouse will sing, with very little prompting, if anything reminds him off it. Still funny.
posted by Margalo Epps at 8:32 AM on April 23, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by Margalo Epps at 8:32 AM on April 23, 2020 [2 favorites]
We know that you don’t careI lost my VHS copy I taped off of cable tv, so I was psyched to find the 43rd Annual All-Star Halloween Special on YT.
What we put on the air
‘Cause every TV
From sea to sea
Is watching whatever’s on ABC!
The story about writing the Halloween Special is fascinating. They were supposed to have Blues Traveller as musical guests, but SNL poached them. Instead, the State got a performance from Sonic Youth.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 11:39 AM on April 23, 2020 [6 favorites]
This video warmed the cockles of my crusty Gen-X heart!Maybe below the cockles
Maybe in the sub cockle area
Maybe in the liver, maybe in the kidneys
Maybe even in the colon, we don't know
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 11:42 AM on April 23, 2020 [2 favorites]
And they even redid the awful wonderful solo dance number!
posted by Kattullus at 2:28 PM on April 23, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by Kattullus at 2:28 PM on April 23, 2020 [2 favorites]
But did anyone dip their balls in it?
posted by sara is disenchanted at 3:42 PM on April 23, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by sara is disenchanted at 3:42 PM on April 23, 2020 [3 favorites]
Not going to lie, I squealed when I saw that Todd Holoubek showed up.
(Also, if you haven't read The Union of The State by Corey Stulce, it's a nice history of the group, written with their participation plus some extra reporting. Highly recommend.)
posted by sobell at 5:43 PM on April 23, 2020 [4 favorites]
(Also, if you haven't read The Union of The State by Corey Stulce, it's a nice history of the group, written with their participation plus some extra reporting. Highly recommend.)
posted by sobell at 5:43 PM on April 23, 2020 [4 favorites]
Lots of things make me emotional these days, but this was pretty intense. Probably because of just how important The State was to me and my teenage friends.
Many of us are suffering from losing a sense of safety that allowed us to believe that things will probably be fine. (Of course, many did not have that privilege before the pandemic.)
I think being a teen is when we feel the most invincible. So really, this helped me mourn. Thank you.
posted by Xalf at 11:44 AM on April 26, 2020 [3 favorites]
Many of us are suffering from losing a sense of safety that allowed us to believe that things will probably be fine. (Of course, many did not have that privilege before the pandemic.)
I think being a teen is when we feel the most invincible. So really, this helped me mourn. Thank you.
posted by Xalf at 11:44 AM on April 26, 2020 [3 favorites]
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The State is fantastic.
posted by Gadarene at 4:57 PM on April 22, 2020 [2 favorites]