October 8, 2023

Title: GET'CHA HEAD IN THE GAME

Constructor: Matthew Stock

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme Answers:

THE ADDAMS FAMILY (17A: TV show featuring Morticia and Wednesday)

SHEA DIAMOND (36A: Music artist with the 2018 EP "Seen It All")

IS HE A DOLL OR WHAT (60A: "How great is that guy of yours?")

Theme synopsis: In today's crossword GAME, each theme answer contains the word HEAD.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• THE ADDAMS FAMILY (17A: TV show featuring Morticia and Wednesday) THE ADDAMS FAMILY is a creation of cartoonist Charles ADDAMS. THE ADDAMS FAMILY consists of Morticia and Gomez ADDAMS, their children Wednesday and Pugsley, Uncle Fester, Grandmama, and Cousin Itt. Other characters include a butler named Lurch, Thing (a disembodied hand), Aristotle (Pugsley's pet octopus), Kitty Kat (Morticia's pet lion), and Cleopatra (a carnivorous plant). Cartoons featuring THE ADDAMS FAMILY appeared in The New Yorker between 1938 and 1988. There have been four TV show adaptations of the FAMILY. The first three shows, which originally aired in 1964, 1973, and 1992, were all called THE ADDAMS FAMILY. In 1998, the fourth TV series about the FAMILY premiered, and was titled THE New ADDAMS FAMILY. Wednesday ADDAMS received her own TV show on Netflix in 2022, appropriately titled Wednesday. 
• CELTIC (20A: Boston NBA player) The Boston CELTICs, founded in 1946, are one of the original eight teams in the NBA. I'm counting this as somewhat of a bonus theme answer, since basketball is the GAME referred to in the puzzle's title. 
• AMY (23A: "The Joy Luck Club" author Tan) AMY Tan's 1989 novel, The Joy Luck Club, was adapted into a 1993 movie of the same name. AMY Tan's most recent book is a memoir titled Where the Past Begins.
• SHEA DIAMOND (36A: Music artist with the 2018 EP "Seen It All") I first learned about singer and songwriter SHEA DIAMOND from the May 4, 2021 puzzle. I learned about SHEA DIAMOND's song, "I Am Her," from the March 26, 2022 puzzle.  It made me smile to see EAR (39A: Musician's ability) immediately after the clue for musician SHEA DIAMOND.
• DOC (44A: "What's up, ___?" (Bugs Bunny's catchphrase) The cartoon character,

  

  "What's up, DOC?"

  
  Bugs Bunny, originally voiced by Mel Blanc, has been around since the late 1930s. Bugs Bunny is known for his tricky ways and his catchphrase, "What's up, DOC?" When I was growing up, my mom taught me how to draw Bugs Bunny, and it is still one of the things I'll draw when I'm doodling.
• TOM (55A: Male turkey or cat) and FAT CATS (1D: Powerful, wealthy people) and YOGA (25D: Discipline with a Cat Pose) Willow is happy to see a plethora of CAT-related clues today. In YOGA, Cat Pose is often paired with Cow Pose for a gentle back stretch. Here's Willow doing a "cat pose" known as "trying to keep Sally from working by blocking her keyboard and monitor" (not an official YOGA pose).

  

  Willow

• CAMO (30D: Garb you don't want to be seen in) Great clue. It made me laugh.
• CARLA (46D: Celebrity chef Hall) CARLA Hall is a chef and TV personality. In 2008-2009, she appeared on Top Chef: New York, where she **Spoiler Alert** was a runner-up. In 2010-2011, she appeared on Top Chef: All Stars, and **more spoilers** was voted Fan Favorite. She has appeared on many Food Network shows, and the ABC show, The Chew (2011-2018).
• HADID (53D: Model Gigi or Bella) Gigi and Bella HADID are sisters. They are both models.
• OWLS (59D: "Barred" or "great horned" birds) The call of barred OWLS sounds a bit like "Who cooks for you, who cooks for you all..." We have a pair of barred OWLS that live in our neighborhood, and will sometimes hear their calls. The call of great horned OWLS is a low-pitched but loud, "ho-ho-hoo hoo hoo."

Geography review:

• APIA (19D: Samoa's capital city) Samoa is an island country in the Polynesian region of the Pacific Ocean. It is located about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. Not only is APIA Samoa's capital, it is also Samoa's only city.
• RIO (62D: ___ de Janeiro, Brazil) RIO de Janeiro is the second largest city in the South American country, Brazil. RIO de Janeiro is located along the Atlantic coast.

Remember when Matthew Stock treated us to a series of puzzles based on song titles from High School Musical? He's back at it again today! "GET'CHA HEAD IN THE GAME" is a song sung by Zac Efron's character, Troy Bolton, in the 2006 Disney movie, High School Musical. Thank you, Matthew, for this puzzle that was a super way to start my Sunday.