There's something bigger than Phil....

May 7, 2009 5:45 AM

The 1961 interview begins, "About four days ago, a plane landed at Idyllewild airport. The plane came from the Middle East bearing a man who claims to be 2000 years old. He's spent the last six days at the Mayo Clinic." The interviewer then goes on to pick the brain of the world's oldest man. [part 2, part 3, animated in 1975] This is considered by many to be one of the funniest comedy routines of all time -- Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks performing The 2000 Year Old Man. [ A 1961 TV clip of 2KYOM • Another • Similar, only it's an accountant instead of an old man • Origins of the words "cheese" and "egg" • Interview with Reiner & Brooks, late 1990's; Part 2 • Similar, only with Charlie Rose as the interviewer ]
posted by not_on_display (16 comments total)

This post needs a warning for those who may be sipping morning coffee over their keyboards. When I was a kid our local classic rock station would play snippets of this occasionally on their morning show. Next to Bill Cosby's "I Started Out as a Boy", this is one of the best comedy memories of my childhood.
posted by spicynuts at 6:39 AM on May 7 [1 favorite has favorites]

Love these guys. I love the moments when Brooks catches Reiner off guard and cracks him up.
posted by zzazazz at 6:54 AM on May 7

Idlewild.

Thank you.
posted by grubi at 7:07 AM on May 7

This is awesome. Or at least the audio's awesome... the animation suuuuuuuuucks ass.
posted by COBRA! at 7:27 AM on May 7

I don't know. The animation is ... I want to say 'charming' or 'endearing' but I'll just say 'it reminds me of schoolhouse rock' and leave it at that.
posted by verb at 7:30 AM on May 7 [2 favorites has favorites]

There’s a little game I like to play here. Sometimes I start reading a post or a comment and as I’m reading, without looking below, I try to guess who wrote it based on the style and content of the post / comment. I can only do it with a few folks, maybe Jessamyn, Cortex, Greg Nog, and a couple others. When I attempt it, I get it right probably 90% of the time.

I’m reading this post and all of a sudden it hits me: “This is a not_on_display post.” Yep, I was right. I don’t know how you do it, man, I can only assume you have a side-job researching and creating Metafilter posts, but every single one is like a mini-Wikipedia of awesomeness. Thanks.
posted by bondcliff at 7:37 AM on May 7 [2 favorites has favorites]

Some wild Moog action in that animation soundtrack. 1975!
posted by chococat at 7:58 AM on May 7

bondcliff: There’s a little game I like to play here...

...I still don't believe in astrology, but that made me smile... thanks!

(bondcliff and I were born on the same day in the same city, maybe in the same hospital. I met him at the same meetup that I met Greg Nog and jessamyn♥, too! And, we both have the same first name. I think I was meant for MeFi.)

I think that my love for the "small" tag is a dead giveaway though.
posted by not_on_display at 8:01 AM on May 7

Damn, I can't watch this at work but he was right about Nectarines.
posted by octothorpe at 8:04 AM on May 7 [1 favorite has favorites]

Synchronicity alert! My gizay husband and I watched Blazing Saddles again for the first time in a decade last night, prompted by the news of Dom DeLuise's death and this hysterical clip of The French Mistake, the most exuberantly postmodern mindfuck in American cinematic history. "It sounds like steam escaping!"
posted by digaman at 9:04 AM on May 7

Cd's of Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks and Bill Cosby sustained many a long car trip for my kids and I.
posted by readery at 9:45 AM on May 7 [1 favorite has favorites]

Gilda Radner: "We went down into his parents' basement, or rec room, and he put on Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner's 2000 Year Old Man. And we both sat down on the couch, and we were listening to the record, and we were laughing, and then he kissed me. For a real long time."
posted by shmegegge at 9:54 AM on May 7

I've never seen this before. It's just fantastic! Thanks!
posted by ob at 10:28 AM on May 7

Ooops, borked link:
• Here's the 1961 TV clip
posted by not_on_display at 10:32 AM on May 7

I'm not sure, but I think Paul and Ira's Uncle Phil may actually be older than 2,000. Foim embrace!
posted by steef at 10:58 AM on May 7

They can all go to hell, except Cave 76!
posted by RogerB at 5:05 PM on May 7 [2 favorites has favorites]