{"id":1788,"date":"2018-12-01T23:38:37","date_gmt":"2018-12-02T07:38:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/?p=1788"},"modified":"2018-12-01T23:43:43","modified_gmt":"2018-12-02T07:43:43","slug":"classic-comedy-explained-for-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/classic-comedy-explained-for-today\/","title":{"rendered":"Classic comedy explained for today"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Marx Brothers<\/strong><br \/>\nFour brothers find their identities through wildly exaggerated cultural appropriation. One is an unscrupulous Italian, One is an unruly and frenetic Mute pushing himself in everyone\u2019s personal space, One is a wise-cracking Southern Gentleman of no means, and the other <em>appears<\/em> normal which is the joke. Sometimes there is singing. Sometimes musical solos with no explanation.<br \/>\n<em>Why it is funny: Zeppo! His name is Zeppo!<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Abbot and Costello<\/strong><br \/>\nTwo associates stick together no matter what. One is a well mannered gentleman who has a knowledge of strange ethnic names and generously tries to impart this knowledge to his associate, and is known for his patience, as the other man lacks the patience to follow along. That one is known for his catch phrase, \u201cHey, Abbot. Hey, Abbot.\u201d<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\n<em>Why this is funny: Today there are medications for this!<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>I Love Lucy<\/strong><br \/>\nLucy and Ricky are involved in a heteronormative BDSM relationship sometimes involving their neighbors Fred and Ethel. A complicated power dynamic is played out in the sample episode wherein the ladies buy new fancy hats, against the wishes of the men. Afterwards it goes according to the setup: each couple retires to their private domiciles and the women are spanked over the men\u2019s knees as they wail.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\n<em>Why it is funny: Hats! Closets full of hats! Her name is Ethel! Separate twin beds!<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Marx Brothers Four brothers find their identities through wildly exaggerated cultural appropriation. One is an unscrupulous Italian, One is an unruly and frenetic Mute pushing himself in everyone\u2019s personal space, One is a wise-cracking Southern Gentleman of no means, and the other appears normal which is the joke. Sometimes there is singing. Sometimes musical solos with no explanation. Why it is funny: Zeppo! His name is Zeppo! Abbot and Costello Two associates stick together no matter what. One is a well mannered gentleman who has a knowledge of strange ethnic names and generously tries to impart this knowledge to his&#46;&#46;&#46;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1788","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-writing"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3u13S-sQ","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2154,"url":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/just-zep-on-in\/","url_meta":{"origin":1788,"position":0},"title":"Just Zep on in","author":"David Raffin","date":"February 5, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cAnd I am a great businessman,\u201d Zeppo said, really swinging the ladder. \u201cYou got that right. And funny. Say, did you know I catered my own wedding?\u201d \u201cHow\u2019d that come off?\u201d Carl said. \u201cI am pleased to say without a hitch,\u201d Zeppo said. \u201cServed animal crackers and duck soup. Didn\u2019t\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;My books&quot;","block_context":{"text":"My books","link":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/category\/books\/my-books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/f\/f4\/Marx_Brothers_1931.jpg","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2089,"url":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/esoterica-with-marx-and-angles\/","url_meta":{"origin":1788,"position":1},"title":"Esoterica with Marx and angles","author":"David Raffin","date":"December 29, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Sigmund Freud drew on his cigar, loathe to admit the truth. Sometimes a cigar is an analogy. Sometimes a dream is just a borrowed fantasy determined by social pressure. It tried his patients. Trial by fire. His cigar fell to the floor. Suddenly he awoke. Refreshed. But repressed. \u202aThe Marquis\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Writing&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/category\/books\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2217,"url":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/abbott-v-costello\/","url_meta":{"origin":1788,"position":2},"title":"Abbott v Costello","author":"David Raffin","date":"March 20, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Abbott was a straight man. The heavy. The ladies' man. And he couldn't take the pressure. In the end, he would become irate when Lou shouted his name at him to get his attention. Somehow he made it work. For him. Moana Wheeza Hey, Abbot\u2026 Hey, Abbot\u2026 Then Abbott began\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Writing&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/category\/books\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/pexels-photo-3957994.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/pexels-photo-3957994.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/pexels-photo-3957994.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/pexels-photo-3957994.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2233,"url":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/carl-jung-in-the-sky-with-zeppo\/","url_meta":{"origin":1788,"position":3},"title":"Carl Jung in the Sky with Zeppo","author":"David Raffin","date":"April 21, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"This podcast is an excerpt from the novella \"Sigmund, Falling Up!\" by David Raffin. Photo by Craig Whitehead on Unsplash \u201cWinner Winner!\u201d by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 \u201cSomeone Else\u2019s Memories\u201d \"Simulation Hypothesis\" \"Line of Flight\" from the album The Politics of Desire by Revolution Void\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;My books&quot;","block_context":{"text":"My books","link":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/category\/books\/my-books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/craig-whitehead-G9IIiAxbKYs-unsplash-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/craig-whitehead-G9IIiAxbKYs-unsplash-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/craig-whitehead-G9IIiAxbKYs-unsplash-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/craig-whitehead-G9IIiAxbKYs-unsplash-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/craig-whitehead-G9IIiAxbKYs-unsplash-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2227,"url":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/buy-war-bonds-wont-you\/","url_meta":{"origin":1788,"position":4},"title":"Buy War Bonds, Won&#8217;t You?","author":"David Raffin","date":"April 18, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Photo by\u00a0Museums Victoria\u00a0on\u00a0Unsplash As usual the More Than True podcast is subversive rather than political. 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Solidarity.","author":"David Raffin","date":"September 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"1916: The gentleman raised an eyebrow. He said, \u201cI shan\u2019t go to the circus for the freaks are revolting!\u201c His servants responded immediately. \u201cIf the freaks are revolting I must go and lend my immediate support! For I love a revolt! Revolution!\u201d Also the gentleman\u2019s wife left him. For the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;My books&quot;","block_context":{"text":"My books","link":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/category\/books\/my-books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1788","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1788"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1788\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1792,"href":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1788\/revisions\/1792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1788"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davidraffin.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}