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Musical Tastes
Mar. 21st, 2008 11:18 am"Orange Blossom Special" is a nice piece, but far too many bands play it too fast to show off. Doesn't even sound like a train when they do that.
Mar. 21st, 2008
It's a Gas!
Mar. 21st, 2008 11:19 am"Please do not push that button again."
http://www.glumbert.com/media/redbutton
(worksafe; guy at gas station pushes EMERGENCY button)
http://www.glumbert.com/media/redbutton
(worksafe; guy at gas station pushes EMERGENCY button)
Sense of Humor
Mar. 21st, 2008 09:02 pmA few years back a Jewish acquaintance told me I had (or perhaps accused me of having) a very Jewish sense of humor. When another person in the conversation asked for an example of what comprised "Jewish humor," I said "Your knee?! My _back_!" My Jewish acquaintance laughed and said "Exactly!"
When I was a kid much of weekend TV was old movies, often comedies. A huge proportion of the comedy was performed by Jews or people imitating them. Not just the Three Stooges and the Marx Brothers, but many others, most of whom are rarely heard of today. Even the cartoon characters often used the stereotypical Yiddish rhythms and phrasing. Not surprising; many voice actors of the day (and still) were Jewish.
I remember a comedy TV special of the late Sixties or early Seventies, during which a group of Jewish comedians declared Danny Thomas an honorary Jew so he wouldn't feel lonely.
Much of this goes back to vaudeville, where people were laughing at the strange accents, but there's more at work here. I'm sure many scholarly treatises have been written on how the history of the Jews has led to a culture (more likely several related subcultures) which results in a high proportion of them becoming good at being funny. And more on how the rhythms and tones of English as used by Yiddish speakers aid the rhythms and tones of comedy.
At any rate, I feel no embarrassment in enjoying this humor and no shame in occasionally imitating it. I do it from enjoyment of the humor and admiration of those who make it work.
When I was a kid much of weekend TV was old movies, often comedies. A huge proportion of the comedy was performed by Jews or people imitating them. Not just the Three Stooges and the Marx Brothers, but many others, most of whom are rarely heard of today. Even the cartoon characters often used the stereotypical Yiddish rhythms and phrasing. Not surprising; many voice actors of the day (and still) were Jewish.
I remember a comedy TV special of the late Sixties or early Seventies, during which a group of Jewish comedians declared Danny Thomas an honorary Jew so he wouldn't feel lonely.
Much of this goes back to vaudeville, where people were laughing at the strange accents, but there's more at work here. I'm sure many scholarly treatises have been written on how the history of the Jews has led to a culture (more likely several related subcultures) which results in a high proportion of them becoming good at being funny. And more on how the rhythms and tones of English as used by Yiddish speakers aid the rhythms and tones of comedy.
At any rate, I feel no embarrassment in enjoying this humor and no shame in occasionally imitating it. I do it from enjoyment of the humor and admiration of those who make it work.