The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

‘Authentic Frontier Gibberish’

Posted on | July 4, 2013 | 153 Comments

The best comedy ever made? That’s a tough call, but if it’s not Animal House, then surely it must be Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles — and not just because I first saw it as a 15-year-old with my dope buddies Mike and Dave after we’d toked up some fine Colombian gold bud.

Even without the buzz, it’s one of the zaniest things ever captured on film, but that day in 1974, I quite literally fell in the floor in spasms of painfully hysterical laughter. There was no film tradition Mel Brooks did not mock, nor any taboo he did not violate. The humor was a madcap mix of everything you could possibly imagine — vaudeville innuendo, sight gags, fart jokes — perfectly aimed at an audience that had grown up reading Mad magazine and had more recently graduated to National Lampoon and George Carlin albums.

Kids who see Blazing Saddles today cannot possibly imagine how shocking it was to see it in 1974. Unfortunately, most younger people now have only seen it on cable TV, where it gets chopped to pieces, and younger viewers are jaded by having seen other comedies that followed through the gigantic holes that Mel Brooks punched through the wall of Things You Can’t Say or Do in a Movie.

One of the running gags in the movie is that everybody in the “peaceful town called Rock Ridge,” is named Johnson. After the bad guys have made their first violent raid against Rock Ridge, there is an emergency meeting at the town’s church. One of the speeches — if you can call it that — is given by Gabby Johnson, a grizzled old-timer who jabbers incomprehensibly but with much passion and angry gestures. After Gabby has finished making noises about these sidewindin’ bushwackin’ hornswagglin’ cracker croakers, Olson Johnson then stands up to address the assembled citizenry of Rock Ridge:

“Now who can argue with that? I think we’re all indebted to Gabby Johnson for clearly stating what needed to be said. I’m particularly glad that these lovely children were here today to hear that speech. Not only was it authentic frontier gibberish, it expressed a courage little seen in this day and age.”

For some reason, that came to mind today as I was reading President Obama’s statement about the military coup in Egypt. No, it’s not authentic frontier gibberish, but it is certainly as incomprehensible as anything Gabby Johnson said that day in Rock Ridge:

“Core principles . . . universal human rights . . . legitimate aspirations . . .  the democratic process . . .  we are deeply concerned . . . an inclusive and transparent process . . . Given today’s developments, I have also directed the relevant departments and agencies to review the implications under U.S. law for our assistance to the Government of Egypt.”

Exactly what the hell does this mean? Have the White House speech writers been replaced by a Random Platitude Generator, a computer program that automatically cranks out empty rhetoric, glittering generalities and vague diplomatic argle-bargle?

The new sheriff . . . Well, he’s failed to answer the critical question we now face in Egypt: “What are we going to do about these sidewindin’ bushwackin’ hornswagglin’ cracker croakers?”

As for me, I say we work up a Number Six on ’em . . . .

 

 

UPDATE: Linked by The Lonely Conservativethanks! — and welcome, Instapundit readers!

The latest news out of Egypt is . . . well, it’s not really news: The Muslim Brotherhood hates Jews,  John Kerry is a liar, and President Obama is a Stuttering Clusterf–k of a Miserable Failure.

Meanwhile, in the comments, I notice that some people are claiming Young Frankenstein is funnier than Blazing Saddles, which is proof some people smoked too much weed back in the day. You could have said Airplane or Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life, and I’d have said, “OK, maybe.” But Young Frankenstein? No, sorry.

 


Comments

153 Responses to “‘Authentic Frontier Gibberish’”

  1. koblog
    July 5th, 2013 @ 11:31 pm

    Airplane, definitely.

    And 0bama is a loser.

  2. Jocon307
    July 5th, 2013 @ 11:39 pm

    My friend and I also literally fell on the floor laughing the first time we saw Blazing Saddles, yeah we were high too.

    It may be the greatest movie going experience of my life.

    To me the funniest thing was our first view of the new Sheriff in his Gucci attire. That is something which will never be as funny as it was at the time, NYC was awash in middle aged dames (my mom included) wearing all that Gucci stuff. If I am not mistaken it was the first of the “brands”.

    What we need to realize is that Blazing Saddles could never be made today. Is that an improvement? I think not.

  3. David Gillies
    July 5th, 2013 @ 11:48 pm

    I think Silent Movie is Brooks’s best, but then I’m weird.

  4. Jocon307
    July 5th, 2013 @ 11:51 pm

    Yes, but that recalls the line from Blazing Saddles “but we don’t want the Irish!”

    (I’m Irish, btw)

  5. koblog
    July 5th, 2013 @ 11:52 pm

    As Blackwell and Morrison wrote over at American Thinker, “Obama’s Rhetoric Little Noted nor Long Remembered.”

  6. Jocon307
    July 5th, 2013 @ 11:54 pm

    That’s an excellent movie. And such a love note to his beloved wife. That’s one I’d like to see again. Maybe in a double bill with “The Artist” which I did not see.

  7. cthulhu
    July 6th, 2013 @ 12:35 am

    Bad News Bears (the original) is also a very strong candidate.

  8. halcrawford
    July 6th, 2013 @ 12:56 am

    He’s near????

  9. halcrawford
    July 6th, 2013 @ 12:57 am

    You have our gratitude!

  10. Tex Taylor
    July 6th, 2013 @ 12:58 am

    A Christmas Story, followed by the original The Longest Yard.

    Madeline Kahn and Harvey Korman are still timeless, though.

  11. Bob Belvedere
    July 6th, 2013 @ 1:04 am

    ‘Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life’ – Stacy

    Is you nuts? Holy Grail and Brian are much better, with the former, along with Duck Soup and Animal House being the funniest.

  12. Stan
    July 6th, 2013 @ 1:20 am

    Blazing Saddles, saw it when I was 15, snuck off to see it without Ma and Pa’s permission, and couldn’t hear half the movie becase the laughter was so loud.
    At the time it came out it certainly was a goundbreaker, and so beautifully politically incorrect.

    Best line?
    Slim Pickens, “Break’s over boys…”

  13. Good Stuff
    July 6th, 2013 @ 1:58 am

    “America has no permanent friends or enemies, only interests” – Henry Kissinger

    “Covert action should not be confused with missionary work” – Henry Kissinger

  14. Neo
    July 6th, 2013 @ 2:39 am

    … but stupid people don’t know the difference.

  15. Adjoran
    July 6th, 2013 @ 3:34 am

    Another fine entry.

    And I don’t think anyone’s attempted another remake since, either!

  16. Adjoran
    July 6th, 2013 @ 3:36 am

    If we are going back that far, it opens up a whole new can o’ worms . . .

  17. RickZ
    July 6th, 2013 @ 4:37 am

    Although ‘Blazing Saddles’ is my # 1, an honorable mention should go to ‘Back To School’. Who can forget the immortal line, after much give and take in the classroom, ‘Where are you going to build this factory, Fantasyland?’ Another ode to Owebama? Because Owebama has about as much economic theory in his head as those who invest in their retirement by buying lottery tickets.

  18. ThomasD
    July 6th, 2013 @ 6:59 am

    MP&THG gets my vote for tops, but you are correct that YF is better than BS. I think Stacy’s problem is that he’s the one who smoked too much weed (maybe it’s the paraquat that got him.)

  19. ThomasD
    July 6th, 2013 @ 7:02 am

    Kerry is quite pious in the new(ish) religion of Overweening Statism and the ancient religion of Condescending to the Peasants.

  20. ThomasD
    July 6th, 2013 @ 7:04 am

    That certainly explains their appointing him Secretary of State – good way to keep him low profile.

    Or, maybe not.

  21. ThomasD
    July 6th, 2013 @ 7:05 am

    That’s the fact, jack.

  22. Kevin Cesarz
    July 6th, 2013 @ 7:07 am

    Finrod might have a problem with Wisconsinites, but it’s “we don’t need no stinkin’ badges.”

  23. ThomasD
    July 6th, 2013 @ 7:07 am

    Of course, much the same is true in the West itself. The beliefs of the typical Democrat voter (e.g.,
    Peggy Joseph) are no less ignorant and superstitious than the sort of
    Egyptians who voted for the Muslim Brotherhood, or the Palestinians who
    support Hamas.

    Stacy, you could repeat that every hour, on the hour, and people will still refuse to see what is plainly implied within.

  24. ThomasD
    July 6th, 2013 @ 7:10 am

    It’s not just government. Every week I get letters from my employer that are a vacuous mix of content free corporate speak, and mission statement regurgitating gibberish.

  25. ThomasD
    July 6th, 2013 @ 7:13 am

    The Dutch are well and truly weird. Perhaps weirder than the Japanese. They just hide it very well.

    About the most offensive thing you can say in Dutch is “go get cancer.” Which is infinitely more offensive than “go f*ck yourself.”

    Go figure.

  26. Evil Otto
    July 6th, 2013 @ 7:34 am

    I didn’t get a harrumph outa that guy!

  27. LindaF
    July 6th, 2013 @ 7:37 am

    Blazing Saddles was great. So, in a different way, was Cat Ballou – although the inclusion of Jane Fonda spoils it for many.

  28. ChuckFinley
    July 6th, 2013 @ 8:08 am

    Well, the conspiracy theory is that after Hillary Clinton’s lackluster performance as Secretary of State, Bill Clinton twisted Obama’s arm to appoint John Kerry as one of the few people who would make Hillary look good by contrast, thus improving her presidential chances in 2016.

  29. Rich Vail
    July 6th, 2013 @ 8:38 am

    He was making mouthnoises that mean absolutely not one damn thing. But Obama’s terribly good at that. After all, he reads a good speech.

  30. Rich Vail
    July 6th, 2013 @ 8:39 am

    I’d call a three way tie, B-S, YF and MP & THG with Caddyshack given an honourable mention…as they all did and said things “you can’t do in the movies…”

  31. From Around the Blogroll « THE FIRST STREET JOURNAL.
    July 6th, 2013 @ 9:25 am

    […] Robert Stacey Stacy McCain says that Blazing Saddles must be the funniest comedy ever made, though he opens the door for those who would give that title to Animal House. He’s wrong on both counts: the funniest movie ever made is The Gods Must Be Crazy. The esteemed Mr McCain also had a longer — though hardly overlong for him! — article, What Can Elspeth Reeve Teach Us? […]

  32. Newfiedog
    July 6th, 2013 @ 9:38 am

    No votes for Duck Soup? Too far in the past? Firefly rules!

  33. nadadhimmi
    July 6th, 2013 @ 10:02 am

    I like “Used Cars” with Kurt Russell. The 1st hour is as great as anything ever put on film. And Rudy Russo sets the standard for politicians when he says, ” I keep half of all the graft I take in”.

  34. Laka
    July 6th, 2013 @ 10:02 am

    Now that’s just about enough hornswaggling about our Secretary of State! He’s just the guy we need now because, and I know this is news, but he served in Viet Nam! So there!

    And HMSLion, I want you to count out the the top three movies. Three shall be the counting, and the number of the counting shall be three: One, two, five! (Three, sir!)

  35. MarkS
    July 6th, 2013 @ 10:24 am

    Nope. Its most definitely “badgers”. You have to have watched “UHF” to understand. Its Weird Al’s greatest movie.

  36. Chas Martel
    July 6th, 2013 @ 10:46 am

    “Have the White House speech writers been replaced by a Random Platitude Generator, a computer program that automatically cranks out empty rhetoric, glittering generalities and vague diplomatic argle-bargle?”

    And it’s taken you over 4 years and 5 months to notice this?

  37. Hooty
    July 6th, 2013 @ 11:48 am

    Another vote for Caddyshack; plus more boobage!

  38. Robert T
    July 6th, 2013 @ 12:33 pm

    Life of Brian at #1 for sure.

    “Making it worse? How could it be worse!? Jehovah! Jehovah!”

  39. nadadhimmi
    July 6th, 2013 @ 12:36 pm

    Obama’s message or words are not important. Some impressionable people (morons) are mesmerized by his voice. It’s the timbre and resonance of his voice that hypnotizes people. If you recognize that, he does suddenly become a stumbling, bumbling, stuttering fool. And THAT is the reality.

  40. Proof
    July 6th, 2013 @ 1:04 pm

    Your boss probably got gold stars in school for papers with the same thought content. The dumbing down of American education extends into all walks of life.

  41. TBinSTL
    July 6th, 2013 @ 1:30 pm

    As a former airline employee(TWA), I am obligated to agree. We tested noobs by how well they had that movie memorized.

  42. comatus
    July 6th, 2013 @ 7:11 pm

    The more you know about the history of Paris, the better you understand current events in the Levant.

  43. comatus
    July 6th, 2013 @ 7:15 pm

    Harold Lloyd, “Safety Last,” end of argument.
    Hey, the Constitution is old, too. Don’t tell me “Can’t win; haven’t seen it” like Al Franken.

  44. ajpwriter
    July 6th, 2013 @ 7:50 pm

    “It’s TWUE! Oh, it’s TWUE!”

  45. Patrick Carroll
    July 6th, 2013 @ 8:01 pm

    Perfectly disagree.

    The Louvre, for example, has a lot of its permanent collection out on the road, the better to keep it safe when France inevitably sinks.

    Nobody in Beirut had that sort of foresight.

  46. Patrick Carroll
    July 6th, 2013 @ 8:01 pm

    Are there any women in the crowd?

  47. ljgude
    July 7th, 2013 @ 12:53 am

    Yup, the minute you quoted Gabby I knew where you were going. It is the kind of thing politicians say when their policies come apart. Bush was likewise surprised but happened to have an army – the US Army – in the country and a good general. Obama has the Egyptian Army and an ambassador the Egyptians seem to despise.

  48. lawrenceperson
    July 7th, 2013 @ 1:22 am

    No love for This is Spinal Tap?

  49. Patrick Carroll
    July 7th, 2013 @ 1:40 am

    About the schnitzengrauben, right?

  50. Patrick Carroll
    July 7th, 2013 @ 1:44 am

    “War Room,” etc.

    Thanks.