My taste to old school obviously carries through to music, movies, books and television. But it’s also the same with comedy.
I simply don’t think the majority of today’s stand-ups, situation comedies or purported film comedies are funny. Mostly because everything is quick to go for the gutter; i.e. sex or bathroom jokes, which are a crutch for lazy writers or comics.
That’s not to say that some current and recent comedy isn’t funny. It is, but more often than not it’s lifeless and oh-so-predictable. And cheap.
Now that I have kids, I’m much more aware of this, and it’s almost a hot-button issue for me. I realize that I have crossed into the “Hey, you kids, get off my lawn,” territory.
Nevertheless, give me the Marx Brothers, Gleason and Carney, Buster Keaton, and Woody Allen, among many others.
And Abbott and Costello.
Not just because Bud and Lou were brilliant. Witness the spectacular timing of "Who’s on First?" or the small quirky pleasures of their groundbreaking television show (Sidney Fields remains one of TV’s greatest characters), along with "Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein" and the "Susquehanna Hat Company."
But also because I am related to Bud Abbott. The story goes that his father was the second cousin of my great-grandmother on my mother’s side. I don’t know what that makes me to him; someone else will have to do that math. And speaking of math….
I remember one Saturday afternoon watching “Who’s on First” with my dad for the first time and having him tell me that I was related to the “tall guy.” That didn’t mean much to me then; I was far more interested in why the baseball team had such weird names.
Well, it means something to me now. And as popular culture gets more crass and below-the-belt (literally), I hope Abbott and Costello means something to my kids as well.
Strictly 100 – Number 7: Abbott and Costello
I simply don’t think the majority of today’s stand-ups, situation comedies or purported film comedies are funny. Mostly because everything is quick to go for the gutter; i.e. sex or bathroom jokes, which are a crutch for lazy writers or comics.
That’s not to say that some current and recent comedy isn’t funny. It is, but more often than not it’s lifeless and oh-so-predictable. And cheap.
Now that I have kids, I’m much more aware of this, and it’s almost a hot-button issue for me. I realize that I have crossed into the “Hey, you kids, get off my lawn,” territory.
Nevertheless, give me the Marx Brothers, Gleason and Carney, Buster Keaton, and Woody Allen, among many others.
And Abbott and Costello.
Not just because Bud and Lou were brilliant. Witness the spectacular timing of "Who’s on First?" or the small quirky pleasures of their groundbreaking television show (Sidney Fields remains one of TV’s greatest characters), along with "Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein" and the "Susquehanna Hat Company."
But also because I am related to Bud Abbott. The story goes that his father was the second cousin of my great-grandmother on my mother’s side. I don’t know what that makes me to him; someone else will have to do that math. And speaking of math….
I remember one Saturday afternoon watching “Who’s on First” with my dad for the first time and having him tell me that I was related to the “tall guy.” That didn’t mean much to me then; I was far more interested in why the baseball team had such weird names.
Well, it means something to me now. And as popular culture gets more crass and below-the-belt (literally), I hope Abbott and Costello means something to my kids as well.
Strictly 100 – Number 7: Abbott and Costello
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