Constructor: Jonathan M. Kaye
Relative difficulty: Easy
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THEME: "The Gambler"! — four theme clues are from the chorus of Kenny Rogers's "The Gambler"; the theme answers reimagine the meanings and/or contexts of hold 'em, fold 'em, walk away, and run:
Theme answers:
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I'm afraid I really liked this puzzle, but I'll start with the one part I hated, which is GROGU. Unless this jumble of letters is clued as [Where pirates go to college], it's entirely unwelcome. It's absolutely exhausting how much of the extreeeeeeemely extended "Star Wars" universe I am expected to be familiar with. See also "Game of Thrones," but especially this Disney-owned Baby Yoda "Mandalorian" stuff. I know "The Mandalorian" exists, and I know BABY YODA because it's an oft meme-ified phenomenon. Pretty sure I've seen BABY YODA in puzzles before, and that's OK, because that's the well-known part of that only-on-the-Disney-Channel show. But GROGU? Please think about the names you're floating out there. I see only-on-the-Disney-Channel pop culture names like this and can't help but recall that two of the greatest filmmakers in history (OZU, VARDA) still haven't appeared in the NYTXW even once. And yet tertiary actresses on marginal sitcoms, some singer who had a #9 hit in 2008, and (now, apparently) secondarily famous names of marketing gimmick creatures are somehow things I have to know. Names are great when they are in your wheelhouse but they are Hostile when they are part of some in-group you're not a part of. We all "don't know things," duh. But can we stop with the "Star Wars" universe? Hiatus? Moratorium? It's not like we Haven't Heard From That Universe Before! It's not underrepresented. Just because you have the opportunity to put a "new" name in the grid doesn't mean you should. And now GROGU is going to be in so many constructor wordlists, ugh. Well, at least you know it now. Remember: it's where pirates go to college. That is how you will remember it if you do not watch that show. You are welcome.
Relative difficulty: Easy
Theme answers:
- WRESTLING MATCH ("20A: "You've got to know when to hold 'em")
- ORIGAMI CLASS (31A: "Know when to fold 'em")
- LOWBALL OFFER (41A: "Know when to walk away")
- ELECTION SEASON (57A: "And know when to run")
The German Film Award (German: Deutscher Filmpreis), also known as Lola after its prize statuette, is the national film award of Germany. It is presented at an annual ceremony honouring cinematic achievements in the German film industry. Besides being the most important film award in Germany, it is also the most highly endowed German cultural award, with cash prizes in its current 20 categories totalling nearly three million euros.
From 1951 to 2004 it was awarded by a commission, but since 2005 the award has been organized by the German Film Academy (Deutsche Filmakademie). The Federal Commissioner for Cultural and Media Affairs has been responsible for the administration of the prize since 1999. The awards ceremony is traditionally held in Berlin. (wikipedia)
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I'm mad at GROGU because it was the *only* thing I didn't like about this puzzle. This is such a dumb (in a good way), simple, clever theme. Taking all the verbs in the chorus out of a poker context and plunking them in absurdly literal contexts—I don't know why this works, but it does. Plus, now I'm singing "The Gambler" in my head, which, as earworms go, could be worse. Plus, I was oohing and aahing a little even before I got to the theme, as I dropped BOURDAIN and then BLOWHARD right alongside it. BOURDAIN was a fine writer and by all accounts a lovely man, but he was *repeatedly* (and literally) referred to as a BLOWHARD in the press, so I gotta imagine that BLOWHARD / BOURDAIN pairing would've made him smile. I couldn't quite figure out what WRESTL- was gonna do in that first themer, but I could see ORIGAMI coming into view pretty quick, so that's when I got the literalness of the theme concept. I had trouble with CLASS (wanted CRANE (!?)), and later on I had a little trouble figuring out what SEASON you were supposed to "run" in (that SW corner is a tiny bit hairy). But mostly the theme answers came easily, and delightfully, unexpectedly. I most admire LOWBALL OFFER—such a great phrase, such a perfect answer for "when to walk away."
The fill on this one was strong as well, with AFEWZS being the top answer of them all (46D: Forty winks)—got a genuine "wow" from me. Don't know if it's original, but it is a ton of fun to try to parse. Worth the effort! I really liked much of the cluing today too. 39D: "What is your greatest ___?" (interview question) (WEAKNESS) made me laugh because it made me think of the conventional fake-humble answer, "Sometimes I care *too* much" (or "I work *too* hard" or "Perfectionism"). I also loved the clue on ARMANI (46A: Famed designer whose career was boosted by "American Gigolo") because I am a huge fan of "American Gigolo" (the movie that kickstarted The Eighties and one of the greatest neo-noirs of the decade). If you aren't listening to "Erotic '80s," the latest season of Karina Longworth's "You Must Remember This" podcast, then do yourself a favor and remedy that immediately. It's a wonderful year-by-year trip through sex in the movies during the decade that comprised my entire adolescence, so yeah, I am into it, although it did coerce me into watching "Jagged Edge" (yesterday), which I was Not so in to. But now I'm glad I've seen it, I guess, even if it was pretty bad. Anyway, "Erotic '80s" is up to 1985 this week. Four more years to go. Get on board! OH DEAR, where was I? Oh, ARMANI! Richard Gere! Blondie! Cinematic '80s ... my happy place. Hope you found things to like in this puzzle, and if GROGU was one of those things, well, de gustibus etc. See you tomorrow.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld