Chicago_Bob

When I was a kid my older brothers and sisters would laugh and laugh and laugh when they watched "The Olympia Cafe" sketch on Saturday Night Live. I recently watched the one with Robert Klein with my kids and we didn't laugh once. Maybe it didn't age well, or maybe it wasn't that funny in the first place. Nevertheless, its origins can be found in Chicago: not only did John Belushi, Gilda Radner, and Bill Murray (who starred in the sketch) perform at the Second City in Old Town, the restaurant itself was inspired by the Billy Goat Tavern in the Loop. The bar and grill is one of my favorite places despite its owner cursing my beloved Cubs in the 1940s.

Bob Newhart is one of my favorite comedians. I grew up watching his shows in syndication. When I was a kid in Milwaukee, it was on at 10 and 10:30pm. My dad went to Marquette University the same time as Peter Bonerz (but I don't think they ever met). My dad became a dentist and Peter Bonerz played a dentist on the show, but I don't think the two are connected. Marsha Wallace, who played Carol Kester Bondurant would later voice Mrs. Krabappel on my favorite show of all time, The Simpsons. I always wanted to recreate the opening to this show and now that I live close to the city I could, so I did.

When I first moved to Chicago, people here told me I would never be a true Chicagoan unless I did a shot of Malort. I'm from Milwaukee, so I'm no stranger to alcohol abuse and have done a shot of everything once...or so I thought. I never heard of Malort so I did a little research and found out that this brown liquid that was originally marketed as worm medicine during Prohibition is what mean Chicagoans (e.g., Chicagoans) buy for transplants, tourists, and people celebrating their 21st birthday; then they laugh their asses of at their reaction.

Did you ever wonder how Chicago got its name? Well I'm not going to tell you in the description, otherwise you won't watch the video and my view count won't go up and then I won't make any money on YouTube for all my hard work. It's only 35 seconds. Just knock off 35 seconds of brushing your teeth to make up for the time.

Graceland Cemetery is to historians what Graceland is to Elvis fans. Everywhere you look lies a famous Chicago politician, artist, or celebrity. Potter and Bertha Palmer, Daniel Burnham, John Root, Louis Sullivan, George Pullman, Gordon Hubbard, Marshall Field, Allan Pinkerton, and Ernie Banks ("Mr. Cub") are just a handful of notable people hanging out here. It's a few blocks north of Wrigley Field and some of the graves are worth more than Wrigley Field.

Flash mobs seem cute at first, but they always turn out bad when a bunch of good-for-nothing rats use them to start trouble. It is a growing problem in Chicago where innocent tourists are terrorized in traditionally "safe" neighborhoods. In this more serious episode of Chicago Bob, you will see never-before-seen footage of flash mobs and their effect on a struggling city.

Some people claimed that they experienced supernatural activity while visiting the old Marshall Field's department store (now a Macy's) on State Street in Downtown Chicago. They claim they were going up the fifth floor escalator and found themselves in the basement. Is this a glitch in the matrix, a Stargate, or some freaky dark side of the force sh*t going down? Chicago Bob bravely ascends this mysterious escalator and finds out whether or not his is an unholy portal into the unknown or a bunch of horses*t made up by a bunch of Chicago liars desperate for attention. Have you ever had an experience in Macy's? Let me know in the comments below!

In 1893 Chicago was chosen to host the Word's Fair, which was a big deal at the time, unlike today when nobody gives a sh*t. The Fair was a lot of fun despite there being a serial killer, human beings on display, and a horrible, deadly fire that killed 400 people. There was the first Ferris Wheel, Cracker Jacks, and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer!

When I was a kid the 1980 John Landis comedy "The Blues Brothers" was my favorite comedy. I recently re-watched as an adult and thought either it didn't age well or maybe it wasn't that funny in the first place. Like, when I was in kindergarten I thought "Mark and Mindy" was a brilliant laugh riot but as an adult I think it's the stupidest show ever made. Kids are stupid, I guess. Any way, the movie was mostly filmed in Chicago. One day I was bumming around Chicago and came across some of the locations where the movie took place, except for the scene that was filmed in Milwaukee. That has a story of its own, but you're going to have to watch the video because I'm not going to tell you in the description, otherwise my view count won't go up. So watch the film, like it (or dislike it, I don't care), and subscribe, even if you don't like my content, because it's human nature to be drawn to things we hate. That's why people watch the news.

Do you ever lay awake at night wondering how buildings in Chicago got their names? What about the United Center, you know, where the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Blackhawks play when they're at home? In this Chicago Bob Short, Chicago Bob unravels this mystery that Shrog the Cat has been spending sleepless nights pondering.

House in Greater Grand Crossing, St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in Lincoln Park, and His Grave in Hillside