Nothing like morphing a couple of cultural phenomena into one. If you are of a certain age (namely old) you may recall a spy show back in the 60’s called The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Now a Twitter pundit has put together a video depicting Donald Trump’s MIT uncle — you know, the genius? No, we don’t know where his English professor friends might be found, so let’s just concentrate on his genius uncle.
Why don't we call it The Man From MIT U.N.C.L.E.? That was on NBC. I remember it well. I was 12 and in love with Ilya Kuryakin.
— Ursula Faw (@ursulafaw56) September 7, 2024
Young Donald used to “discuss nuclear” with his Uncle John all the time — or at least that’s what he said in Singapore in 2018, at a conference with Kim Jong-Un, when when he was saluting generals and such like.Â
When asked how long it would take to denuclearise the Korean peninsula, the president referred to Prof John Trump.
“Well, I don’t know, when you say a long time,” the president said. “I think we will do it as fast as it can be done scientifically, as fast as it can be done mechanically.
“It’s a 15-year process. Assuming you wanted to do it quickly, I don’t believe that.
“I had an uncle who was a great professor for, I believe, 40 years at MIT. And I used to discuss nuclear with him all the time.
Can you imagine the look Kim Jong-Un gave the translator? I absolutely shudder to think. Too bad Uncle John is on the other side of the grass. Donald could have made him Secretary of Defense or some such, which considering who he’ll have at that post in a second administration (probably Michael Flynn) wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
If you want to stroll down memory lane, here’s the trailer from The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
I can’t believe this was my favorite TV show at one time. Times change, let’s just say that much. The highest technology I knew about at that time was color TV. Little did I know that one day those huge computers with the blinking lights would be in a thin silver box — with a color TV in the lid. And a typewriter, well sort of. A keyboard in any event.
And I could write things on the keyboard, which would appear on the color TV on my lap, and talk to people all over the world, with my own little newspaper, so to speak. Man. If my 11-12 year old self had been able to look into the future…and I didn’t even have a genius uncle to talk to.
“I can’t believe this was my favorite TV show at one time.”
Oh, please, Ursula. Don’t give us that crap. You know damn well why it was your favorite TV show: Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin (aka Robert Vaughn and David McCallum).
And don’t try to deny it.
And Vaughn got a Ph.D. in Poli Sci with a,dissertation on the black list. McC went back to England, had a,quiet career, until Ducky.
I make no argument there but the show itself is cheesy. But James Bond was major. I do remember all that very well. Those movies were making bank. Still are, incredibly.
Robert Vaughn, another liberal lefty from Hollywood;) that’s probably why he was so good at playing nasty right wing types e.g. In bullit
Ahh the men from U.N.C.L.E – who were that well trained that no shot they fired ever actually killed anybody
Personally speaking I preferred the Girl from U.N.C.L.E. (with Stefanie Powers)
OK – hands up everyone who remembers the full name of the agency? (United Network Command for Law and Enforcement)
I used to watch it also. Patrick McGoohan was terrific as the main character. Many years later he was fantastic as the English king Edward I in Braveheart. He being Irish playing a ruthless king of England, I’m sure he had history to draw from. Stephanie was fantasy material for sure, especially during puberty. Ha.
Actually Patrick McGoohan was born in the US (he was brought up in England and Ireland)
If you can find it, look for a TV series called ‘The Prisoner’
And I’ve just remembered (well I also checked). Her co-star wasn’t Patrick McGoohan – it was Noel Harrison (son of Rex Harrison)
Ha. True. Too many shows. He was still terrific in Braveheart.
I used to watch that all the time! it was my fave! It felt just like the disfunctional family I dreamed of escaping every day.
“Duck, it’s a pineapple!” and everyone ducked as an actual pineapple was flung as opposed to a “pineapple” aka hand grenade. Can’t remember who did the flinging and who did the shouting, Either Napoleon (or Ilya) threw it and T.H.R.U.S.H. agents shouted and ducked or the other way around.
Patrick McGoohan was exceptional in the Prisoner (“I am not a number, I am a free man!”)
Patrick McGoohan was always good, even if the vehicle wasn’t that great (Ice Staton Zebra comes to mind.) But the Prisoner – that ws in a league of its own. I believe he also worked on the crative side with it – coming up with some plots. I have a boxed set, I think on VHS – I’m old. Did you ever hear or read anyone point out that in the icoonic exchange, “Who is Number One?” – “You are number six.” that a single comma, correctly placed in the response, turns the wole thing upside down?
secret agent was good too, exploring some different, somewhat progressive themes.
It was on the list. Daddy liked cop shows. We only had one TV for a long time. You watched what Dad watched or you didn’t watch TV. Still remember changing the channel a couple times when reruns were on and changing to another show he would like. And let’s face it. The only thing Trump ever talked about is girls and getting laid.
I remember those days of being the youngest child and being the one stuck with having to get up and go to the TV and change channels. I also recall once after I was in the Marines heading out with a friend who was in the Navy to buy a new TV. Lee had served in the Corps and left to become a cop but when the Navy decided to expand it’s M.A. rate (military police) they sought out people like him and brought him back at an NCO level rank. Anyway we were into football season and the holidays were approaching and Lee and his wife had decided to upgrade to a new TV. He had me tag along for a second opinion and after a while it was down to just a few possibilities. The salesman was pushing hard for him to buy a TV with a remote, then not exactly a new option anymore but definitely not a standard feature. It DID seem to add more to the price than was necessary and as I said the holidays were coming up. With a couple of kids Lee whispered to me that that extra amount would cut down Christmas spending. Us enlisted pukes, or even officers didn’t make that much to begin with. He told the salesman the extra money wasn’t worth it. The salesman didn’t want to let it go (probably got a bit extra for selling the most expensive sets) and started in about how much more fun it would be to watch a ball game without having to get up to tend to the TV and held up the remote for the floor model and said isn’t this worth the extra money? Lee looked at him and asked if it could turn the TV on and off. Yes. Can it change the channel? Yes. Can it turn the volume up and down? Yes, the salesman said, and it can even simply mute the sound but keep the picture showing. He was so proud because he thought he had “won.” Then Lee looked him dead in the eye and said Can that remote go into the kitchen, grab a beer from the refrigerator and bring it to me in my recliner? The salesman stammered and said of course not. Lee smiled, pointed to his eight year old son and said THAT remote control CAN. And we left. FYI, we went to another store and he did buy a TV with a remote but the extra cost wasn’t quite as much. He told me the salesman at the other place just pushed him too hard and annoyed him!
I liked Rat Patrol. killing Nazis in the desert or oasises like Palm Beach where they hide out.
Patrick McGoohan was excellent in Danger Man aka Secret Agent Man. I have revisted that show lately coming to the conclusion the writers were on LSD , check it out!