Communicating Through Burger Billboards in LA

It's an important piece of Los Angeles' culture. Plus recs for Alki Zei's classic children's book, Michael Cruz Kayne on grief, and Geraldine Brooks on a government superhero.

Los Angeles is ruled by automobiles. Everybody knows that. But living here, I’ve discovered that it also means it’s a city where billboards are cultural touchstones.

It was a rare day in any other city I’ve lived in, that I would make small talk about a billboard. But since I’ve lived in LA, I have started countless conversations with friends and strangers by chatting about a roadside ad. Whether it’s the currently ubiquitous PSA campaign that old people can catch STDs, the time comedian Zach Broussard announced a list of the “top 1000 comedians” and then put the names up in tiny print on billboards around the city, the dog that works with a woman to sell insurance, or an inscrutable ongoing legal battle, there’s always something to talk about.

My personal favorite though are the messages that a local drive-in fast food joint called Rick’s puts up on its sign. They had a moment of viral Los Angeles fame when they put this announcement up, seemingly out of nowhere:

Spaghetti was back! Who knew it had ever left? Only Rick, apparently.

One of my favorite comedy theaters, The Elysian, is just down the block. They took this opportunity to start a war using their marquee, where they put up a sign that said “Forget about spaghetti. Spaghetti is gone forever.”

It made me laugh every time I drove by. A perfect bit. Eventually Rick’s responded.

Who could dare to disagree?

I loved the bit so much that for my birthday, Mollie surprised me with a birthday greeting from Rick’s. At least, she tried to… Here’s what they had put up on the sign when we drove past.

For all the ways you could guess my name would be spelled, C-R-I-S-S feels like the wildest swing. I mean, it’s pretty much just Criss Angel, right? Maybe we share a birthday. I also like that it’s unclear whether the birthday greetings are going to both Criss and Alysia or a single person named Criss Alysia. Regardless, I couldn’t have been more delighted with the sign. It was a perfect birthday present. And what Rick’s lacked in correct spelling, they made up for with longevity. Because that happy birthday message stayed up for the next 4 months.

Eventually, they did change the sign. Now, when I drive by, I always pay attention to what’s up there. Sometimes it’s literally impossible to understand:

I did not, and I will never, visit that url

Other times, it’s a different birthday message that they almost nailed.

Appy birthday to us all.

This week, here’s what I saw up:

There’s nothing more romantic than a proposal on a burger sign above a bus stop horror movie poster and a gas station. It’s a perfect LA proposal.

I wish Zack (or however they actually spell their name) and their partner have a long, beautiful, and appy marriage.

My projects and upcoming events:

TED TALK: How find laughter anywhere - My TED talk has now been seen more than 550,000 times! That blows my mind. You can watch it here (and please keep sharing it)

PODCAST: How to Be a Better Human (TED/PRX) - Reggie Watts is a comedian, musician, and completely unpredictable. Even he doesn’t know what he’s going to do next when he’s onstage. This week on the podcast, I talked to Reggie about improvisation, creativity, and why he laughs in the face of plans. You can listen to our conversation here (or wherever you get podcasts)

This week’s list

GREAT:

The Wildcat Behind Glass is a classic Greek novel by Alki Zei for young adults. The story takes place in the mid-1930s as Greece faces rising fascism and dictatorship. The protagonists are two kids living on an island, trying to have adventures and make sense of the world around them. A new English translation came out recently by Karen Emmerich and once I finally got around to starting the book, I couldn’t put it down. It’s got the magic of those great young adult books like From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler or Charlotte’s Web but also a startlingly relevant and timely message about the politics of fear and power. Here’s a review, but I recommend just buying the book. You won’t regret it.

FUNNY:

I finally got to see Michael Cruz Kayne’s comedy show Sorry for Your Loss live this past week and it was amazing. He manages to take tragedy and grief and make them funny, accessible, and relatable, without cheapening the story at all. Michael is so charming onstage that he’s able to get really big laughs and then have the entire audience crying minutes later. I’ve never seen a show quite like it before. If you have a chance to see him live, I highly recommend it. But no matter where you are, you can listen to the show on Audible or check out Michael’s podcast for some beautiful and hilarious thoughts on grief, dying, and what it means to be alive. You know, the typical light standup topics!

INTERESTING:

Jarod Koopman is a Federal agent with a black belt in jiu jitsu, a vintage truck, a house he built himself, and a track record of taking down billion-dollar international criminal organizations. The only catch? He works for the IRS. He simply must be the most badass accountant in history. The novelist Geraldine Brooks profiled Koopman for the Washington Post and if someone else doesn’t make this into a movie, I will. The Cyber Sleuth (h/t Ann Friedman’s excellent weekly newsletter)

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That's it for this week. Thanks for reading! Please share Bright Spots with anyone you think might enjoy it.

Thanks for reading,

Criss Duffy

This has been Bright Spots, a newsletter.

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…wait, who are you?

I'm Chris Duffy, a comedian, TV writer, podcast host, and both a former fifth grade teacher and a former fifth grade student. I’m currently writing a nonfiction book about humor for Doubleday.