Looking back over this blog you can locate the various points where I realize I had unwittingly (as opposed to intentionally) either emulated or stolen a gag or turn of phrase for use in I HATE THIS. Here's another one.The entire Mailing List phone thing is straight out of Nichols and May. Now Henrik will tell me he always knew that and assumed I did it on purpose. The truth is, the phone gag doesn't belong to them, it belongs to an entire generation of comedians who made hay out of the emasculating power of the phone, whether speaking to your mother, Ma Bell, or trying to figure out from your best friend exactly what you did last night ("for God's sake - don't fizz.")
In most of these bits, made famous by Bob Newhart or Shelly Berman, you only heard the man, descending further into Hell during every pause which indicated the other person speaking. Nichols and May got to share both parts, Elaine May playing either the officious operator from Hell, or the angelic corproate savior, while Mike Nichols volunteered every shred of his dignity for a dime.
Listening to that routine last night, I didn't think anything of it until I heard something like my own voice say, "Is there someone else there I can speak to?"
The hold music gag, of course, is pure Simpsons. But I always knew that.
2 comments:
Man, I loved them. Naw, I didn't think you were ripping them off. As you pointed out, a lot of people have used the format in theater and stand up.
(Now, I always thought your comics strips had so much Doonesbury in them it was criminal. But that's another thing.)
I am sure I have no idea what you are talking about.
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