Essays, Interviews, Observations, Pop Culture, Stories, and other Dodginess

Five Halloween Costumes You Won’t See This Year

Posted on October 22, 2013

A lot of Halloween parties this year will be attended by guests in Breaking Bad, Duck Dynasty, and zombie costumes.

But you can be different this year. No one may know who the hell you are, but you’ll stand out from the crowd of pirates, superheroes, and vampires. Here are five dodgy costume ideas that you probably won’t see.

Ronnie Woo Woo

Five Cool Halloween Costumes You Won't See This Year

Unofficial Chicago Cubs’ mascot who’s loathed and loved equally among Chicagoans. His reach extends beyond Chicago, as he has brought his distinctive cheers (that he punctuates with “Woo!” and annoy many) to places such as the Howard Stern Show. Always in his signature Cubs uniform, Woo Woo was at the funeral of Dennis Farina and partied at Lollapalooza. If you’re not an African-American male you can always go as “White Ronnie Woo Woo.” Pro: potentially lots of pictures with drunk Wrigleyville girls. Con: To be authentic you probably have to smell like urine.

Ronnie Woo Woo

Ronnie Woo Woo at Lollapalooza (flickr photo by Joshua Mellin)

Jason, “Friday the 13th Part 2”

Five Halloween Costumes You Probably Won't See This Year

Jason’s first (and best) adult appearance. No hockey mask yet, so Jay went for the Mr. Green Jeans/Elephant Man look. He was more athletic yet could be taken down easier than his future carnations. When people ask who you are and you say “Jason” most of them will say “Whaa?” You’ll be much cooler than all the douchebags dressed as Goalie Jason. It might be hard to breathe in that sack, however. (Note: when the sack came off, this Jason resembled a deformed Charles Manson).

An Alien From The Original “V”

Halloween costumes The Dodgy

Do you want to know why the remake of “V” sucked? It’s because the “Visitors” didn’t have those cool red uniforms from the original. You might see some at Comic-Cons but even that’s rare. You can find them online, though they might be expensive. Creative? Make your own. And hey, even Freddy Kreuger was an original V.

Five Halloween Costumes You Won't See This Year

Richard Harrow, “Boardwalk Empire”

Five Halloween Costumes You Won't See This Year. The Dodgy.com

The disfigured World War I vet is arguably the most popular character on the HBO prohibition drama, especially with the ladies. You’re probably not as handsome as Jack Harrow, and you’d have to create that face prosthetic, but I just don’t see many guys thinking of this as a costume choice.

Kolchak, “The Night Stalker”

Five Costumes You Won't See This Halloween

Reporter Carl Kolchak investigated the scary, weird, and unusual and was an inspiration for “The X-Files.” They remade “The Night Stalker” several years ago with some pretty boy and plan a film version with yet another pretty boy, Johnny Depp. Like “V” part of the remake’s failure was the removal of an iconic uniform – in this case the character’s natty blue-and-white suit, straw hat, and obscenely huge tape recorder.

Bonus Costume – Chandell, “Batman”

Five Costumes you won't see on Halloween

Villains from “Batman” are popular costume choices every year. And with the recent HBO film about his life, you might even see a Liberace getup. Why not combine the two and go as Chandell, the piano-playing villain from the old Batman TV show played by Liberace himself. I read somewhere that his episodes were among the highest rated in the series. You can also add three beautiful gals to go as Doe, Rae, and Mimi – Chandell’s henchwomen.

Doe, Rae, and Mimi

Henchwomen – Doe, Rae, and Mimi.

Other costume options:

Bill the Butcher from Gangs of New York (“Whoopsie Daisy”)

Ladies, you can cover yourself with colored powder and go as someone who was at India’s Holi festival. To be authentic, place hand prints on your boobs and ass as most Indian men tend to wander there during the celebration.

This is more of a Chicago thing, but you could go as a WXRT DJ and handle the party music. To be authentic, play David Bowie’s “China Girl” several times during the evening.

A grown-up Honey Boo Boo. Well I guess you’d be going as her mom.

The Asshole Running Club

Posted on October 16, 2013

“I play real sports. I’m not trying to be the best at exercising” – Kenny Powers ‘East Bound & Down’

Reclusive author Clive Javanski, Aidan, and I went running along the lakefront on the day of the Chicago Marathon. Our friend Rooney was participating in it and we decided to show our support by jogging to the post-race party.

We didn’t stalk around viewing spots waiting for him to go by while holding up “Go friend!” signs or anything like that. We knew there was going to be beer at the post-race party – Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale to be exact – and we wanted some. It was an opportunity to share a cup of beer  with thousands of people from foreign countries.

Clive wore black socks – and not the athletic ones. He did, however, don a pair of hipster plaid shorts that were once pants (Clive originally thought a 5K meant “5 kegs”). Aidan and myself wore more traditional running garb, though we’re both resistant to spending a fortune on jogging gear that only gets more ridiculous.

“Rocky jogged through the Philadelphia streets wearing Salvation Army cotton sweats with holes in the ass,” Aidan says. “He came out OK. And what’s with those compression knee socks?  I’ll admit they’re hot on some women (schoolgirl vibe) but they look like dick on grown men.”

The Asshole Running Club

A good example of long running socks.

Out of all my friends, Aidan is the best runner. Better than Johnny in high school, who always had to stop and take a shit while running. We enjoy running, especially to work off the beers we drank or prepare for the ones we’re about too. And women who run get more beautiful every year. At least the ones who aren’t dry-heaving on an indoor track.

The biggest problem with the Chicago Marathon? The lines for the post-race beer were way too long. Now that we all understand runners enjoy beer, organizers must think like Lollapalooza and street festivals as far as having more than one beer booth (and while you’re at it, have a kissing booth).

The Asshole Running Club Marathon image

Heading into the post-race party and long lines for beer.

And Then: I took a scientific poll and asked 10 marathon runners if they could name any of the previous five winners of the race. Not one did. “Someone from Kenya” was the common reply. I’m confident to say that 98.5 percent of those 40,000 plus runners can’t name a winner. I bet some of the elite Kenyan runners can’t. I’m surprised media focuses so much on those winners when most people could give a shit. I’m more interested in coverage of the race in general, and stories with a local or national angle (something Boston-related especially). And let’s fix the post-race beer issue. Because some of us asshole runners enjoy our beer. Ya think those elite runners are sticking around for a cup of ale? No, they’re collecting their paychecks and getting the hell out of dodgy.

The Asshole Running Club

My Irish running shirt

The Prettiest Mayor in the World

Posted on October 10, 2013

The Prettiest Mayor in the World

Mayor Blair Milo

Approximately 71 miles from Lottie’s Pub in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood where I’m typing this is a city in Northwest Indiana called LaPorte. It’s high school team’s nickname is the “Slicers.”

And it’s led by the prettiest mayor in the world. At least that’s what my friend Aidan calls Mayor Blair Milo. And after doing some research, I have to agree. Aidan’s work sometimes take him from the city across state lines and through the snow belt of Indiana. A recent stop in Laporte had him discover who their mayor was. “Not your typical, doughy white dude,” Aidan says. “She looks more like a college coed who stars on the volleyball team. I know girls her age who are doing keg stands at Wrigleyville parties. This chick’s a freakin’ mayor.”

Adding to the “wow” factor is that she’s a U.S. Navy veteran.

The Prettiest Mayor in the World

Blair Milo (photo by Dennis Proud)

Now there might be some mighty attractive (and smart) city leaders around the world but off-hand I don’t know of any and I’m not about to look it up. If you find/know of one feel free to send me some info.  I’m aware of someone like Queen Rania of Jordan, but I’m not counting royalty.

The Prettiest Mayor in the World on The Dodgy

Blair Milo (Herald Argus – photo by Matt Fritz)