Humor

Did the Creators of “Airplane!” Know That Lee Bryant Was the Woman From the Original Yuban Coffee Commercial?

If you have seen the 1970 parody of Zero Hour you’ll know the scene where Lee Bryant says “Jim never has a second cup of coffee at home.” But did the creators know she was the same lady from the original commercial? When the creators of “Airplane!” hired Lee Bryant for the role, they had no

Did the Creators of “Airplane!” Know That Lee Bryant Was the Woman From the Original Yuban Coffee Commercial? Read More »

Why Did the Actual Owner of Walter White’s House Hate Breaking Bad?

The TV series Breaking Bad was released in 2008 and ran for 5 seasons. While most production use elaborate mock-ups and sets for shoots, Walter White’s house in the show was real! The property was rented by the producers during filming and it turned into a popular tourist attraction during the height of the series.

Why Did the Actual Owner of Walter White’s House Hate Breaking Bad? Read More »

When former ‘Tonight Show’ host Johnny Carson died in 2005, ‘Late Show’ host David Letterman recited a comedic monologue at the beginning of the show, revealing later that every joke had been written by Carson, who had been sending in one or two jokes a week during his retirement

Letterman pays tribute to Johnny Carson It was Johnny Carson’s last monologue and, predictably, it drew plenty of laughs. David Letterman paid tribute to Carson, who died Jan. 23, by delivering a “Late Show” monologue Monday composed entirely of jokes the retired “Tonight” show host had quietly sent him in his final months. Only after

When former ‘Tonight Show’ host Johnny Carson died in 2005, ‘Late Show’ host David Letterman recited a comedic monologue at the beginning of the show, revealing later that every joke had been written by Carson, who had been sending in one or two jokes a week during his retirement Read More »

The parents of “Simpsons” creator, Matt Groenig, were named Homer & Marge. He also had sisters named Lisa, Maggie, & Patty.

The real people behind Homer Simpson and family On the other end of the line, a phone rings. It’s easy for a geeky fan of “The Simpsons” to get carried away, imagining a bulky animated handset jangling on a table next to an orange living-room couch. Is it crazy to expect Marge Simpson to answer?

The parents of “Simpsons” creator, Matt Groenig, were named Homer & Marge. He also had sisters named Lisa, Maggie, & Patty. Read More »

Pedro Carolino, who knew no English, wrote a Portuguese-to-English phrasebook entitled *English as She Is Spoke*. He used a Portugese-French phrasebook and a French-English dictionary to write his work. It is a classic of unintentional humor.

How a Portuguese-to-English Phrasebook Became a Cult Comedy Sensation Library of Congress/LC-DIG-ds-05448) In the middle of the 19th century, a relatively unknown author named Pedro Carolino rapidly gained intercontinental popularity over a small Portuguese-to-English phrasebook. English as She Is Spoke (or O novo guia da conversação em portuguez e inglez) was originally intended to help

Pedro Carolino, who knew no English, wrote a Portuguese-to-English phrasebook entitled *English as She Is Spoke*. He used a Portugese-French phrasebook and a French-English dictionary to write his work. It is a classic of unintentional humor. Read More »

The Three Stooges were Jewish, often used Yiddish in place of gibberish, and were the first in Hollywood to satirize Hitler in 1940 – nine months before Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator

The Three Stooges For other uses, see The Three Stooges (disambiguation). The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best known for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures that have been airing regularly on television since 1958. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six

The Three Stooges were Jewish, often used Yiddish in place of gibberish, and were the first in Hollywood to satirize Hitler in 1940 – nine months before Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator Read More »

Comic Andy Kaufman’s 4-F deferment for the draft concluded that Kaufman lived in a fantasy world, disconnected from reality, and if put in the military would “lose his mind”. He loved the letter and proudly displayed it as he had purposely treated his psych eval as a high-stakes joke.

The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Andy Kaufman While Andy Kaufman was one of the most venerated comedians of the 20th century, it should be noted that he certainly never would have seen himself that way. As far as Kaufman was concerned, actually, he wasn’t a comedian at all. Comedians told jokes, which Kaufman argued he

Comic Andy Kaufman’s 4-F deferment for the draft concluded that Kaufman lived in a fantasy world, disconnected from reality, and if put in the military would “lose his mind”. He loved the letter and proudly displayed it as he had purposely treated his psych eval as a high-stakes joke. Read More »

When George Carlin created his ‘Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television’ bit, the FCC didn’t have the legal authority to ban dirty words from public airways. That bit, played uncensored by a NYC radio station, led to the getting that authority.

Seven dirty words A poster in a WBAI broadcast booth which warns radio broadcasters against using the words The seven dirty words are seven English-language curse words that American comedian George Carlin first listed in his 1972 “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television” monologue. The words, in the order Carlin listed them, are

When George Carlin created his ‘Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television’ bit, the FCC didn’t have the legal authority to ban dirty words from public airways. That bit, played uncensored by a NYC radio station, led to the getting that authority. Read More »

The Seinfield episode, “The Contest” where the four main characters see who can go the longest without masturbating, never once contained the word “masturbation” and won an Emmy for achievement in writing.

The Oral History of Seinfeld’s ‘The Contest’ In celebration of New York Magazine’s 50th anniversary, this weekly series, which will continue through October 2018, tells the stories behind key moments that shaped the city’s culture. Twenty-five years ago, on November 18, 1992, the quintessential episode of the quintessential New York sitcom, Seinfeld, aired on NBC

The Seinfield episode, “The Contest” where the four main characters see who can go the longest without masturbating, never once contained the word “masturbation” and won an Emmy for achievement in writing. Read More »