This most-definitely falls under our umbrella of wonderful, but little-known holiday songs -- it's a hilarious, original song from, of all people, the great folks at Bad Lip Reading.  This is their version of Trump singing something that they call "Christmas is Here," along with guest background vocals.  Quite a very-offbeat gem, not to be missed.  Fa la la...

This is one of my favorite sketches from Saturday Night Live” done in 1999.  There are several songs in it, so happily it qualifies for the Music part of the Fest.  But it would qualify regardless because, for me, it's all Fest.

I've had a difficult time tracking it down over the years, but finally found it last year.  I had code to embed it , but for some reason that doesn't work.  I did upload it below, but because it's done with a screen video capture, the sound is a bit tinny.  Far better is if you click on this link here, which should bring up a player with the video.  Try that first.  If for some reason that doesn't work, though, check out the video below.
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I swear to you that when I first saw it, I didn’t know who was playing the lead “urchin” in the sketch – in part for the hair and make-up (which is light, but enough), but in part because I was thinking about the main cast members and not at all about who was hosting that week.  A few years later I saw a repeat of the show, and halfway through the sketch I almost shouted out, “Oh, my God, that’s Jennifer Aniston!”  And so it is.  Along with Rachel Dratch, and others.  And it’s a hoot.

But other than that second viewing, I haven't see the sketch on TV since.  Why on earth SNL doesn't include this in their annual Christmas Special compendium of holiday sketches over the years.  It's not only one of their best Christmas sketches, it is, for me as I said, one of their best, period.

And yes, there's more...

In 1959, which is a full 11 years before the movie musical Scrooge was made, the wonderful Tom Lehrer released his classic comedy album, An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer -- which included a song titled..."A Christmas Carol."

​And again, Tom Lehrer was not remotely an unknown entertainer and songwriter.  It fact, as popular as An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer was, he was probably around the height of his popularity.  His huge hit album, That Was the Year That Was had been released only five years before Scrooge was released.  So, how on earth those researchers missed this two songs -- and for all I know there are more, and even high-profile ones -- I have no idea.

Happily, we have this song to enjoy, as well...
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Here's the latest from Randy Rainbow.  The song is enjoyable, though it's fairly basic, really just a long list of Trump's favorite things (I'm figuring that you can guess the song...), though it's a good list.  But he has a fun "interview" with Trump beforehand and well-edited throughout the song.
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In honor of the first night of Hanukkah, we have a favorite along with a couple of bonus versions.  The song is the wonderful Tom Lehrer's "Hanukkah in Santa Monica," which has gotten a bit better-known over the years, though what's even less-known is that it was written for Lehrer's appearance on A Prairie Home Companion, the first new song he'd written and performed in public for years, and may be the last one.  This was a particular favorite of my dad's, who loved it as well for coming from Tom Lehrer.

And here are the two bonus videos.  The first is from the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles, who surprise their holiday audience with this unexpected and wonderfully lively version of the song, giving tribute to the city just a bit down the block.

And finally, this is a wildly-enthusiastic version of the song performed most-appropriately in the Klezmer style (since that pretty much seems to be the inspiration behind how Tom Lehrer wrote the number.) by the group Art of Time

The guest contestant on this week's 'Not My Job' segment of the NPR quiz show Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!  is writer-director Peter Farrelly, who most recently directed the wonderful movie, Green Book -- and who with his brother Bobby co-wrote and co-directed such movies as There's Something About Mary, Dumb and Dumber and Me, Myself and Irene.  His interview with host Peter Sagal is quite entertaining -- funny and self-effacing.

Without giving the question or answer, my favorite here is the way he expressed and explained why he was leaning to answer one way to the first question.

I thought that in honor of Trump flying to the G20 Summit in Argentina, I'd show their entry in the "Comedy Against Trumpism" series, making their case why, if American is first, they should at least be second.  Alas, Argentina does have a video -- perhaps they don't care where they fit in the food chain -- but there is one for Chile which borders Argentina...and they do mention Argentina in it...so that's the best we can do.

In an interview with the New York Post yesterday, Trump said that he thought he would "never" get the Nobel Peace Prize.

This gave me pause, and I sat back to think of all the other things I predict Trump will "never" get --

A real Purple Heart.
A majority of Americans voting for him.
Total honesty from his staff.
The National League MVP Award.
Respect from actual billionaires.
A sense of compassion.
The NAACP Man of the Year.
A high credit rating.
Electoral votes from California.
Into heaven.
A bigger inaugural than Barack Obama.
Self-awareness.
Invited to a CInco de Mayo block party.
The Nobel Prize in Physics.
A loan from a U.S. bank.
The love of his father.

This will be a twofer.  I believe I've posted the first video before, a long while back, but not only has enough time passed to have it again, but it's of a piece with the one to follow.

I've long been a huge fan of Tom Lehrer -- the mathematics professor at M.I.T., Harvard, Wellesley and University of California, Santa Cruz -- who had a very successful side career writing (and performing) wonderfully funny and offbeat songs.

It was a surprise and treat to find that Daniel Radcliffe is a fan, as well, so much so that before appearing as a guest on the BBC's The Graham Norton Show, he learned what is probably Lehrer's most difficult, tongue-twisting song, "The Elements," where every element of the Periodic Table was put to music, so that he could perform it on the show.

Two notes:  the first is that when Radcliffe asks if anyone in the audience knows Tom Lehrer, there is near total silence.  This is understandable on the one hand, given that Lehrer is an American and not terribly well-known here, and his peak was in the late-'60s, early '70s.  On the other hand, it's a little surprising became legendary producer Cameron MacIntosh produced a very success musical review of Lehrer's songs on the West End, called Tom Foolery, so I would have thought the London audience might have a few more people who knew his work.

And the second is that because I think he's thrilled simply that he made it through, Radcliffe leaves off the very short last verse, which is a fun one.  More on that in a moment.  For now, here's that appearance --

And now for the bonus, twofer part of the evening's entertainment.

This is rare footage of Tom Lehrer himself, performing "The Elements."  Complete with that last, very short verse.  Actually, there's a full minute of additional material, as well, along with what he refers to as "an earlier version" of the song.  (The video shows that it goes on for another half-minute, but it doesn't.)  This comes from a 1967 concert in, of all places, Copenhagen.

Daniel Radcliffe delivers a highly-admirable, enthusiastic, a capella version of the song.  Challenged even more by having an audience and panel that doesn't know what to make up of it.  Tom Lehrer has a piano and adoring audience.  And he wrote it.  But this is how it goes best --