Pop Latvia

LATVIAN STUFF IN AMERICAN POP CULTURE

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Leaving Las Vegas

The pimp in the Nicholas Cage movie Leaving Las Vegas is Latvian.

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Terry Gilliam "Time Bandits" - Napoleon bored by stand-up show named Three Idiots from Latvia

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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081633/

"It's very funny.

The Three Idiots...

uh, from Latvia.

It's a very funny act.

They swallow brushes."

Around 00:18:53

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Laverne & Shiley Episode

They have circus performers over. Latvians are acrobats. What they say is not in Latvian. Gibberish.

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/laverneandshirleyseason7dvdreview.html

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Leaving Las Vegas

Yuri Butso (Julian Sands), a Latvian immigrant. Has that dialogue in the beginning of the film.

YURI (silky voice) No... you are right, my friend. How very observant you are. I am from Latvia.

WEIRD WOMAN Tough place. YURI Yes, I hear this too. But I am not a tough man. I am a simple man who is here to learn from my new American friends.

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Suggestion

Sveiki, I have a reference suggestion. In the Disney cartoon 'The Rescuers' there's an episode with the latvian character which is mistakenly depicted like a russian. Here's the link for the excerpt, around 00:40 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kcos7xVma4U

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Other TV shows.

There were a few TV shows, where Latvia was also mentioned, like, in Pretty Little Liars:

Season 3, Episode 15: Mona-Mania!

Spencer: Kazahstan, Lithuania...

Mona: You forgot Latvia.

Lizzie McGuire, Season 1, Episode 28: Lizzie and Kate's Big Adventure

Gordo: The good news is, you will be making a project about a wonderful world of Latvia!

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Together Again (1944 Hollywood Film, starring Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer)

In this classic black and white American comedy film from 1944, there is a funny scene involving an apothecary jar in a French sculptor's studio, with the name P. Borat Sosa written on it.  The Irene Dunne character pretends to have been admiring this jar, when in reality she had been comparing her figure to one of the sculptures in the studio and got caught.  She says the name P. Borat Sosa "sounds like a Latvian diplomat."  This then becomes somewhat of a running joke through the film.  (I wonder whether the Latvian diplomat joke in Together Again and a few other modern tv shows is basically a comedic homage to the character from Hitchcock's Foreign Correspondent that you list on your site.)  

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Justified

Season 5, Episode 1 (Airdate: Jan. 7, 2014)

Watch the clip.

Boyd Crowder comes to see local funeral director Lee Paxton. Greeting Boyd at the door is Paxton's stunningly beautiful wife, Mara. She escorts him inside.

Paxton: You need a casket, Mr. Crowder?

Boyd: Won’t we all, eventually?

Paxton: (gesturing to a casket) That’s an Excelsior. Top of the line, fit for a king. Mara, honey, you remember me telling you all about Boyd Crowder?

Mara: Mhm.

Paxton: Mr. Crowder, this is my wife, Mara.

Boyd: Well, my compliments.

Paxton: (to Mara) That’s all for now, sugar.

She leaves. Paxton pours himself a drink.

Paxton: Money.

Boyd: Excuse me?

Paxton: In case you’re wondering what she sees in me. Though lately I think her affections are growing.

Boyd: Well, judging by her accent, I take it she’s not from West Virginia?

Paxton: After I buried dear Barbara, who, by the way, is very comfortable inside one of those Excelsiors, I was lonely. Mara and I found each other online. She was a doctor. In Latvia. Now she’s helping prepare the bodies for burial. She is well read, of good cheer, and if I have any choice in how I shuffle off this mortal coil, I pray it’s while I’m [marginally NSFW language]. (He salutes Boyd and drinks.)

  The transcript can't quite convey the dark silliness of this scene, especially actor Sam Anderson’s mock incredulity when he says, “In Latvia." Look for more of Mara Paxton (played by Polish actress Karolina Wydra) this season.

Submitted by: Kevin C.

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National Velvet (1944 film)

Velvet (Elizabeth Taylor) and Mi (Mickey Rooney) hire a Latvian jockey named Ivan Taski (not a Latvian name) to ride their horse, Pie. Taski (played by Eugene Loring) is a professional jockey who has ridden throughout the world; one of his mounts, Carlo, died of exhaustion during a race. When it becomes clear that Ivan has no respect for Pie, Velvet decides to ride the horse herself.

Suggested by: Anonymous

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Dharma and Greg

Season 1, Episode 7 (Airdate: Nov. 5, 1997)

Dharma's hippie parents, Larry and Abby (pictured, far right), are meeting George, a Native American, for the first time.

Larry: (to George) "Sir, I would like to apologize for all the injustices your people have suffered at the hands of my people."

Abby: "Larry, your people were in Latvia being chased by Cossacks."

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"Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)"

1928 song by Cole Porter (pictured)

Listen to Ella Fitzgerald sing the song (Letts lyric at 0:45)

"Birds do it, bees do it Even educated fleas do it Let's do it, let's fall in love In Spain, the best upper sets do it Lithuanians and Letts do it Let's do it, let's fall in love"

This classic wink-wink pop standard from genius songwriter Cole Porter lists various animals and ethnic peoples "doing it." ("Letts" is a synonym for "Latvians.") The original version started with the lines "Chinks do it, Japs do it / Up in Lapland little Laps do it." When Porter realized how offensive that was, he changed it to birds/bees/fleas.

Suggested by: Chakarsj (fantastic, thank you!)

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Time Bandits

1981 film by Terry Gilliam

Napoleon is gleefully watching a Punch and Judy show but the puppeteer gets shot. A desperate emcee emerges and introduces a series of vaudeville acts in the hopes that Napoleon will like them.

Emcee: "This I think you like. Very funny. The Three Idiots! Uh, from Latvia. Very funny. They swallow brushes!"

Napoleon: "No noooo. They are freaks! Not one of them under five foot six.... More of the funny show! Little puppets hitting each other. That's what I like! Little things! Hitting each other!"

And then a group of time-traveling little people emerges to hit each other. Because... you know. Terry Gilliam.

Submitted by: Monolo and Davis S. (excellent submission, thank you!)

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Anatole (Mr. Belvedere)

Episodes: Season 5, Episode 7, “Roommates”; Season 5, Episode 8, “The Curse”

  Original airdates: 11/25/88, 12/2/88

  Pictured: Anatole chats with Mr. Belvedere (in background: goat)

NOT LATVIAN

The Emmy-winning* Mr. Belvedere is a prototypical ’80s sitcom about a British butler who works for a middle-class family in Pittsburgh. Actor Matt Maranian (now an author and designer) appeared in a two-episode arc as Anatole, the wacky college roommate of the family’s oldest son, Kevin.

Synopsis: Anatole has a vaguely foreign accent, wears lederhosen, and rooms with a goat named Glen. After Kevin kicks him out, Anatole shows up at the family home and demands lodging. When the family members refuse to take him in, he puts a curse on them, which the worldly Mr. Belvedere ultimately removes, but not before having a little fun first!

Is Anatole Latvian? No. He is a composite of Eastern European caricatures. Hungarian zithers, Carpathian Studies, the Prague Spring, and a “Balkan spit curse” are all referenced, but not Latvia.

Isn’t Anatole just a rip-off of Balki Bartokomous from Perfect Strangers? Yes. Both Perfect Strangers and Mr. Belvedere were running Friday nights on ABC at the time (as part of the legendary “TGIF” lineup).

Is Balki Bartokomous Latvian? No. Balki was from Mypos.

Must-watch clips:

Episode: "Roommates"

17:48–19:00  Anatole throws a very Eastern European party.

Things to look for: The “Happy Birthday Rimsky” sign, the many animals, Anatole’s tights, the somewhat Latvian outfits of the last two exiting partygoers.

Episode: "The Curse"

2:20–4:00  Anatole arrives at the family home.

Things to look for: Comedic reaction shots of the goat.

Mystery to solve: What is spelled out on Anatole’s vest?

7:17–8:35  Anatole teaches the kids a native dance, the “Plotke,” then curses the family.

Things to look for: “I know the Plotke when I see it!”; the expression on Bob Uecker’s face after being cursed.

21:02–22:30  Mr. Belvedere attempts to remove the curse.

Things to look for: The randomness of Anatole’s entrance; the mom’s side-turned hip-hop hat; at the end, Uecker had clearly been told by the director to pretend to hit Mr. Belvedere with a bell.

* Mr. Belvedere won the Emmy for Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Series in 1985.

Suggested by: Susan S.

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Family Guy Episode: Season 11, Episode 14, "Chris Cross" Original airdate: 2/17/13 Pictured: A typical Latvian athlete See the clip here.

A classmate is peering at the logo on Chris Griffin's sneakers. Classmate:  What's Teslic? Chris: I'm not sure, but my mom says they're very popular with Latvian athletes. (Cut to a clip of a Teslic commercial.) Scuzzy Latvian athlete, with heavy accent and 5 o'clock shadow: Running. Throwing. Lifting big things. (takes drag of cigarette) Teslic. Dat's alright wit me, man.   Voiceover: Each shoe sold sep-arate.

Suggested by: Femme au Foyer

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The Onion

Publication date: 11/28/12

Latvian Diplomat Tells Amusing Human Development Index Anecdote on 'U.N. Tonight! With Ban Ki-Moon'

Suggested by: Femme au Foyer (Thanks, Femme!)

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Dave Barry's Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need (1991)

Some people find him cheesy, but I really like Dave Barry. As a kid, when the Sunday Washington Post would come, I would read his humor column first, which was always on the back page of the magazine insert. And on the rare occasions when he got serious it was incredibly poignant; I still remember him writing about that painful life moment when you find yourself talking to your elderly parents the way you talk to your children: a little too loud, and a little too slow.

Here's an excerpt from one of his many books:

The problem with most so-called experts in the travel industry is that they are—no offense—lying scum. These people want you to travel. That’s how they make money. That’s why they’re called “the travel industry.” So naturally they’re going to tell you whatever they think you want to hear.

YOU: So, are there modern hotels in Latvia?

TRAVEL AGENT: Oh, yes. Very modern. Extremely modern.

YOU: Have you been there?

TRAVEL AGENT: Not technically, no, but I have perused almost all the way through a brochure about it, and I can assure you that the modernity of Latvian hotels is pretty much of a legend. “As modern as a Latvian hotel” is an expression that we frequently bandy about, here in the travel industry.

And then, of course, when you get there, you discover that the hotel elevator is powered by oxen, and you have to share a communal bathroom with several Baltic republics, and the toilet paper could be used to deflect small-arms fire. But at that point there are no representatives of the travel industry within a thousand miles. You’ll never find them in Latvia. They spend their vacations at the mall.