Over the past few days, I’ve received condolences from both friends and followers, but not for typical reasons. If you haven’t heard, Richard Belzer, the comic turned cop-on-TV passed away. (His last words were reportedly “fuck you, motherfucker” which is pretty legendary.)
If you’re confused as to why anyone would think to reach out to me upon this random actor’s passing, you must be new to Dad and Buried. We were not related, and I’ve never met the man. But I did name my son after him!
Except I didn’t, not really.
Belzer’s most famous and enduring role was as Detective John Munch. He played this same character on a record eleven shows - he debuted on Homicide: Life on the Street (a Baltimore-set cop show that helped launch David Simon’s TV career. Simon would go on to create The Wire, the greatest TV show of all time, also set in Baltimore). Belzer showed up on The Wire once, but mostly played Munch on Law and Order: SVU. (The character also appeared on several of the other L&O shows, and even Arrested Development and The X-Files.)
I was aware of Belzer as a comic and as a fake cop, but outside of Homicide and The Wire (he made a brief cameo in which he references a storyline from the former show), I either never watched or barely watched the shows he was primarily on. So what does this have to do with me?
When I started my blog, an endeavor which would see me writing about my kids on a frequent basis, I realized I needed to protect their privacy. Therefore, when I don’t merely refer to them by age, I refer to them by nicknames. My oldest son’s online nickname is Detective Munch.
I haven’t used it much on this newsletter yet, but it’s all over my blog and socials, and one of the most common questions I get asked is about my kids’ nicknames. Everyone assumes I’m a huge Mariska Hargitay fan or some shit. I am not. I don’t think I have ever seen a full episode of SVU. (I was a Criminal Intent guy.)
I didn’t name my Detective Munch after the character; not exactly. The nickname evolved out of the typical “munchkin” term many parents use on their babies and toddlers. It quickly became “munch” and despite the fact that I didn’t watch the shows Belzer was on, I was aware of his character, and I’d always found the name “Detective Munch” to be very amusing. And even more so when applied to a child! So I used it for mine and I stand by it.
So while the nickname wouldn’t exist without the TV cop, it’s not reall about Belzer’s character. It’s simply because the phrase is absurd. Then, when Belzer passed, I received a bunch of DMs and text messages about it. Thankfully my 12yo is alive and well. (Sort of.)
As for my youngest’s online nickname? It’s Kojak. Just kidding! It’s The Hammer, a name Detective Munch himself titled his little brother after being disappointed he couldn’t name him Toilet.
Win some lose some, buddy!
Social Round-up
I enjoyed making this one:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Co0sOCDJGro/
This was less fun:
Pop Culture Stuff
After last week’s You’ve Got Mail experience, Mom and Buried and I fired up Sleepless in Seattle. Anyone who thinks YGM is superior to this movie is insane. Sleepless is better in almost every way, though, shockingly, YGM’s stupid plot may somehow be more realistic; at the very least there’s no magic in it, so it wins that category. (Also Meg Ryan’s hair looks so much better in Sleepless.)
When we get back home, Ant-Man may be on the docket. No spoilers!
Personal News
This week is mid-winter break for NYC schools (boo!), so we took off to a cabin upstate there’s limited WiFi - hence the short pop culture section above. We’re putzing around an abandoned Lake George - it’s more of a summer town, and a lot of stuff is closed - but today we’re going tubing at one of the ski resorts. So if I write Friday’s newsletter from a hospital bed, you’ll know why.
I mentioned last week that we sold our car, and we have yet to buy a new one, so this little jaunt required a rental car. Renting cars sucks it’s expensive and stressful and expensive and the car smells like cigarette smoke. In 2023!
We head back to Brooklyn tomorrow, upon which I’ll start saving for a spring break trip of some kind. I am still looking for a new freelance gig so hit me up!