We took a perfectly useless psychopath and turned him into a successful executive

Last night Trading Places was on TV, I had forgotten its hilarity. It's one of those early 80s classics that was neutered and shown on Comedy Central so often that you forget how good it was in its original form. Amazing a few well-placed profanities can improve the comedy.

Its one of the best movies set in Philadelphia, and one of the best movies set around the holidays. I want to recreate the scene where Ackroyd the drunken Santa is walking down the middle of Market Street, gets on a Septa bus, then pulls out the huge hunk of jerky though his beard and starts eating it. Stupid santa, don't you know food and drink are not allowed on SEPTA?

It also makes you wonder what the hell happened to Eddie Murphy. Given the dreck he stars in now (Meet Dave? Really?) it's easy to forget he was once the funniest man on the planet back in the days of Raw, Coming to America or even Beverly Hills Cop. What the hell happens to comedians as they age? Yes Man aside, I can only think of two that aged reasonably well: Carlin and Don Rickles.

Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, Trading Places. You just don't get movies like this in today's Apatowed cineplex: A comedy that makes social points. Because once you get past the gorilla rape jokes, the theme at the heart of this film is nature vs. nurture. Can a street hustler become a successful investor when placed in the proper environment? Apparently the answer is yes.

Also: "I'll rip out your eyes and piss on your brain."

It's unclear if Norm Coleman ever said that to Franken during the course of their Senate race, but he was most assuredly thinking it.