Milton Berle vs. Statler and Waldorf.
November 22, 2011 3:08 PM Subscribe
Statler & Waldorf FTW
posted by jammy at 3:17 PM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by jammy at 3:17 PM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]
Oh sweet flaming Jesus I love Statler and Waldorf. They're so perfect.
posted by nevercalm at 3:19 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by nevercalm at 3:19 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
No, but if you hum a few bars, I'll fake it! wokka wokka wokka
posted by entropicamericana at 3:37 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by entropicamericana at 3:37 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
Berle wrote that sketch, for whatever it's worth.
(Which isn't much! Dooh-ho-ho-ho-ho!)
posted by Faint of Butt at 3:38 PM on November 22, 2011 [14 favorites]
(Which isn't much! Dooh-ho-ho-ho-ho!)
posted by Faint of Butt at 3:38 PM on November 22, 2011 [14 favorites]
I was told that there were non-Catholics watching Bishop Sheen during Milton Berle's tired reprise of other people's jokes from the borscht circuit. Hmm, maybe that was a joke, and better than Berle?
posted by Cranberry at 3:38 PM on November 22, 2011
posted by Cranberry at 3:38 PM on November 22, 2011
Sometime I worry that I'll get tired of watching old Muppets clips in the lead-up to the movie release. But so far so good.
posted by auto-correct at 4:09 PM on November 22, 2011
posted by auto-correct at 4:09 PM on November 22, 2011
Statler & Waldorf feature in this list of 10 Things We've Learned From The Muppets.
posted by hippybear at 4:14 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by hippybear at 4:14 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
That was wonderful! Bravo! I loved it! Ah, it was great! Well, it was pretty good. Well, it wasn't bad... Uh, there were parts of it that weren't very good though. It could have been a lot better. I didn't really like it! It was pretty terrible. It was bad. It was awful! It was terrible! Take 'em away! Bah, boo! Boo!
posted by mhoye at 4:45 PM on November 22, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by mhoye at 4:45 PM on November 22, 2011 [3 favorites]
Sam the Eagle: the old school, all original ಠ_ಠ.
posted by jquinby at 5:02 PM on November 22, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by jquinby at 5:02 PM on November 22, 2011 [3 favorites]
Rickles would have kicked their asses.
posted by FeralHat at 6:43 PM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by FeralHat at 6:43 PM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]
My god. That was a great bit! Not all of the skits on The Muppet Show worked, but when they did they were golden. And they got great guests, like Steve Martin and Johnny Cash.
This article has video of the shows where the guests were Alice Cooper, Blondie, and the cast of Star Wars...
posted by destinyland at 7:21 PM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]
This article has video of the shows where the guests were Alice Cooper, Blondie, and the cast of Star Wars...
posted by destinyland at 7:21 PM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]
I would just like to exploit this mention of Muppets to mention that the new movie is currently sitting at 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with 58 reviews posted. I am, I swear it, not a shill. However, I am experiencing a wave of relief that I'm not sure I can adequately describe, and that I'm positive you would not believe.
Watching this clip reminds me that whereas the new voices for Kermit, Fozzie, and Piggy haven't bothered me too much, Statler and Waldorf just don't sound right anymore. Those two got a surprisingly large amount of dialogue in the original series.
posted by Ipsifendus at 8:11 PM on November 22, 2011
Watching this clip reminds me that whereas the new voices for Kermit, Fozzie, and Piggy haven't bothered me too much, Statler and Waldorf just don't sound right anymore. Those two got a surprisingly large amount of dialogue in the original series.
posted by Ipsifendus at 8:11 PM on November 22, 2011
Out of curiosity, is this surge in Muppet posts and news because people are hearing about the movie and are re-watching old muppet clips, or is it for the movie trying to drum up excitement?
I'm just curious...I wasn't aware of the movie until I watched SNL this past weekend, and then I thought it was odd how many muppet related clips I had seen right around the same time.
posted by This_Will_Be_Good at 8:59 PM on November 22, 2011
I'm just curious...I wasn't aware of the movie until I watched SNL this past weekend, and then I thought it was odd how many muppet related clips I had seen right around the same time.
posted by This_Will_Be_Good at 8:59 PM on November 22, 2011
Out of curiosity, is this surge in Muppet posts and news because people are hearing about the movie and are re-watching old muppet clips, or is it for the movie trying to drum up excitement?
After being accused of shilling for the movie more than once, I quit making Muppet posts.
But speaking only for myself, I seek out and watch Muppet stuff all the time. The upcoming movie has only increased my Muppet intake in regard to clips about the movie itself. I haven't watched more or fewer Muppet clips in my run up to the film. I just keep watching Muppet stuff, and sometimes it gets posted here.
posted by hippybear at 9:03 PM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]
After being accused of shilling for the movie more than once, I quit making Muppet posts.
But speaking only for myself, I seek out and watch Muppet stuff all the time. The upcoming movie has only increased my Muppet intake in regard to clips about the movie itself. I haven't watched more or fewer Muppet clips in my run up to the film. I just keep watching Muppet stuff, and sometimes it gets posted here.
posted by hippybear at 9:03 PM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]
I usually discourage heckling, but that was artistry.
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 9:06 PM on November 22, 2011
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 9:06 PM on November 22, 2011
Not one joke in there that isn't at least as old as I am - and I'm a grandad - but what a great skit. Good fun ...
posted by woodblock100 at 9:12 PM on November 22, 2011
posted by woodblock100 at 9:12 PM on November 22, 2011
Statler and Waldorf are responsible for convincing me that I wanted to grow up to be a grumpy old man.
God bless them both.
posted by Aquaman at 10:49 PM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]
God bless them both.
posted by Aquaman at 10:49 PM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]
Statler and Waldorf are the original Mic Checkers.
posted by Joey Michaels at 11:42 PM on November 22, 2011
posted by Joey Michaels at 11:42 PM on November 22, 2011
If Statler and Waldorf were at an occupy protest and someone shouted MIC CHECK they'd probably go NOPE, IT'S OFF.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 4:55 AM on November 23, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 4:55 AM on November 23, 2011 [2 favorites]
I only made it about halfway through before Berle's completely unfunny lines basically ruined it. What is "he's the 9th child in a family of 8" even supposed to mean? He doesn't exist? What?
posted by DU at 7:11 AM on November 23, 2011
posted by DU at 7:11 AM on November 23, 2011
This sort of thing makes me sad for the death of vaudeville and the Borscht belt. The circuit--which is where Berle and so many others originated--allowed performers to really hone their craft and nail down sure-fire material that killed every single time. There really isn't anything like this now, where performers can try out material before live audiences.
BTW, DU, that's what's known as absurdist or nonsense humor, and it was pretty popular at one time. As a kid, I memorized the following:
I come before you to stand behind you to tell you something I know nothing about.
Next Thursday, which is Good Friday, there'll be a mothers' meeting for fathers only.
Wear your good clothes if you haven't any, and if you can come, please stay at home.
It makes no difference where you sit, the man in the gallery is sure to spit.
I thank you for your unkind attention.
The next number will be the four corners of the round table.
(Source: A Rocket in My Pocket, The Rhymes and Chants of Young Americans)
posted by kinnakeet at 8:24 AM on November 23, 2011
BTW, DU, that's what's known as absurdist or nonsense humor, and it was pretty popular at one time. As a kid, I memorized the following:
I come before you to stand behind you to tell you something I know nothing about.
Next Thursday, which is Good Friday, there'll be a mothers' meeting for fathers only.
Wear your good clothes if you haven't any, and if you can come, please stay at home.
It makes no difference where you sit, the man in the gallery is sure to spit.
I thank you for your unkind attention.
The next number will be the four corners of the round table.
(Source: A Rocket in My Pocket, The Rhymes and Chants of Young Americans)
posted by kinnakeet at 8:24 AM on November 23, 2011
Absurdist humor I get.
One bright day in the middle of the night
Two dead men got up to fight
Back to back they faced each other
Drew their swords and shot each other
etc
Also, something where the answer was "C, because ice cream has no bones".
But Berle used the quoted line as a putdown. It does not work as a putdown.
posted by DU at 8:53 AM on November 23, 2011
One bright day in the middle of the night
Two dead men got up to fight
Back to back they faced each other
Drew their swords and shot each other
etc
Also, something where the answer was "C, because ice cream has no bones".
But Berle used the quoted line as a putdown. It does not work as a putdown.
posted by DU at 8:53 AM on November 23, 2011
The circuit--which is where Berle and so many others originated--allowed performers to really hone their craft and nail down sure-fire material that killed every single time. There really isn't anything like this now, where performers can try out material before live audiences.
That's pretty much how the stand-up circuit works now. Most successful stand-ups these days work on material live until they get enough new polished material to do a stand-up special or CD.
posted by burnmp3s at 11:08 AM on November 23, 2011
That's pretty much how the stand-up circuit works now. Most successful stand-ups these days work on material live until they get enough new polished material to do a stand-up special or CD.
posted by burnmp3s at 11:08 AM on November 23, 2011
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posted by humboldt32 at 3:14 PM on November 22, 2011