I was JJ McLaughlin, S.J.’s beatle!
A whiskey and a cigar!
23 years ago, and 38 years after I was JJ McLaughlin, S.J.’s beetle (beadle) at Fairfield Prep, “Father God” hosted a special celebration for the 200th episode of the TV sitcom Cheers (8 Nov. 1990).
During that period of my life, I was probably watching from a bar stool nursing a whiskey. I remember being totally prepared to hate it, but actually, I really enjoyed his hosting. Afterwards I wrote him a congratulatory note which I closed with the observation that “The McLaughlin Group” might be better set at 84 Beacon Street with a few shots of whiskey -- or maybe the bar was open before the cameras rolled. He never responded.
23 years ago, and 38 years after I was JJ McLaughlin, S.J.’s beetle (beadle) at Fairfield Prep, “Father God” hosted a special celebration for the 200th episode of the TV sitcom Cheers (8 Nov. 1990).
During that period of my life, I was probably watching from a bar stool nursing a whiskey. I remember being totally prepared to hate it, but actually, I really enjoyed his hosting. Afterwards I wrote him a congratulatory note which I closed with the observation that “The McLaughlin Group” might be better set at 84 Beacon Street with a few shots of whiskey -- or maybe the bar was open before the cameras rolled. He never responded.
Being really honest, during that period of my life, fueled by booze, I had no intention of being friendly or gentlemanly. My memory is that his behaviors towards students were abusive (without the sexual connotation -- so perhaps unhinged is the proper technical term). And he pushed our extremely tolerant New England superiors to the breaking point.
But I bet if you asked JJ, or Pat Buchanan, or even Charles Krauthammer, they’d say they were public intellectuals, like Sontag or Vidal, but smarter, and with correct views. Perhaps a TV version of “The Federalist,” or, from a Catholic point of view, Chesterton’s analysis of the role of love in Aquinas. Personally I think I’d rather read Gene’s thesis, and he wouldn’t yell at me if, or when, I disagreed.
This ethical, political juggernaut is spearheaded by one of the last men standing when a disgraced Nixon was airlifted out of the White House, a priest who told us that history will judge Tricky Dick as one of the most moral, ethical men in American history. That rewrite will take omnia secula seculorum.
But as I look down the bar, past the guy who’s telling some version of “a priest, a minister and a rabbi walk into a bar...” I see another man chumming up to William Peter Blatty and offering a cigar and whiskey to anyone who’ll come over and cheer up that poor guy who’s been trying to live off the Devil’s royalties though that vein of gold is drying up in cable reruns.
They are arguing that “the right view” of the cosmology entails a form of salvation or redemption dependent on espousing, adjusting, even contorting, a set of statements they’ve made about the reality of the universe. Oh? God really cares whether or not I say that his being three persons has some ontological consequence with regard to the spirit flowing from father and son, filioque, or just father, or just flowing. Really? Apparently Somebody has a lot of time on Their hands, and the muse ain’t coming up with any novel twists and turns for a new story.
But really, my statements make a difference in the reality of the universe? If I say that the Spirit blows wherever it will, and take a stand against the authority of the bishop of Rome, it begins to look like a political statement masquerading as an ontological one. Or, to be more up to date, what happens if I as pope say that a person who does not believe in g_d is as fully human and capable of the full range of possibilities as a believer? All hell breaks loose.
And will continue to wreak havoc “Until the Sun grows cold,” or Rome makes a definitive statement that Georgetown no longer says the right things about reality that win its imprimatur! Or something.
As I said earlier, maybe that guy with a whiskey and cigar at the bar will have an easier time selling his wares in Moscow though I hear that vodka is their drink. God speed and cheers!
Getting back to my stool at the bar, I actually know several bartenders who, like Sam Malone are in recovery, and womanizers. I don’t look for any theological wisdom there, nor from the clever writers of Cheers, but maybe I distinguish what might be some real theological questions about love and relationship and the mystery and awe of it all from the endless drunken arguments that invade my mind.
The late great gifted Bob Kaiser said: Quinn's is only a half solution to the Church's non-accountability problem: if the the governance of the U.S. were put in the hands of our current bishops, we'd be ruled by idiots.
What happened to the McLaughlin Group?
John McLaughlin hosted from its first episode in 1982 until his death in 2016, after which the original show came to an end. Washington, D.C.
Jesuit secondary schools formerly maintained the post of beadle—some still do. In each classroom, a student designated as beadle reports attendance to the teacher, acts as messenger, assists in distributing materials, and leads the class in activities.
But I bet if you asked JJ, or Pat Buchanan, or even Charles Krauthammer, they’d say they were public intellectuals, like Sontag or Vidal, but smarter, and with correct views. Perhaps a TV version of “The Federalist,” or, from a Catholic point of view, Chesterton’s analysis of the role of love in Aquinas. Personally I think I’d rather read Gene’s thesis, and he wouldn’t yell at me if, or when, I disagreed.
This ethical, political juggernaut is spearheaded by one of the last men standing when a disgraced Nixon was airlifted out of the White House, a priest who told us that history will judge Tricky Dick as one of the most moral, ethical men in American history. That rewrite will take omnia secula seculorum.
But as I look down the bar, past the guy who’s telling some version of “a priest, a minister and a rabbi walk into a bar...” I see another man chumming up to William Peter Blatty and offering a cigar and whiskey to anyone who’ll come over and cheer up that poor guy who’s been trying to live off the Devil’s royalties though that vein of gold is drying up in cable reruns.
They are arguing that “the right view” of the cosmology entails a form of salvation or redemption dependent on espousing, adjusting, even contorting, a set of statements they’ve made about the reality of the universe. Oh? God really cares whether or not I say that his being three persons has some ontological consequence with regard to the spirit flowing from father and son, filioque, or just father, or just flowing. Really? Apparently Somebody has a lot of time on Their hands, and the muse ain’t coming up with any novel twists and turns for a new story.
But really, my statements make a difference in the reality of the universe? If I say that the Spirit blows wherever it will, and take a stand against the authority of the bishop of Rome, it begins to look like a political statement masquerading as an ontological one. Or, to be more up to date, what happens if I as pope say that a person who does not believe in g_d is as fully human and capable of the full range of possibilities as a believer? All hell breaks loose.
And will continue to wreak havoc “Until the Sun grows cold,” or Rome makes a definitive statement that Georgetown no longer says the right things about reality that win its imprimatur! Or something.
As I said earlier, maybe that guy with a whiskey and cigar at the bar will have an easier time selling his wares in Moscow though I hear that vodka is their drink. God speed and cheers!
Getting back to my stool at the bar, I actually know several bartenders who, like Sam Malone are in recovery, and womanizers. I don’t look for any theological wisdom there, nor from the clever writers of Cheers, but maybe I distinguish what might be some real theological questions about love and relationship and the mystery and awe of it all from the endless drunken arguments that invade my mind.
The late great gifted Bob Kaiser said: Quinn's is only a half solution to the Church's non-accountability problem: if the the governance of the U.S. were put in the hands of our current bishops, we'd be ruled by idiots.
What happened to the McLaughlin Group?
John McLaughlin hosted from its first episode in 1982 until his death in 2016, after which the original show came to an end. Washington, D.C.
Jesuit secondary schools formerly maintained the post of beadle—some still do. In each classroom, a student designated as beadle reports attendance to the teacher, acts as messenger, assists in distributing materials, and leads the class in activities.
Comments
Post a Comment