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Life After Brown
Harvey Korman
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<blockquote data-quote="wkmac" data-source="post: 348186" data-attributes="member: 2189"><p>Your comment above reminded me of a program I saw several years ago on PBS where they assembled a panel of comics to discuss comedy. It's been a while but I think among the panelist were Alan King, George Wallace and others but it also included Buddy Hackett and Tim Conway who has a Korman/Burnett connection. I just remember Tim and Buddy so well because of what I'm about to tell you.</p><p> </p><p>Buddy during the discussion made a point that to be funny these days you had to resort to vulgar/very adult themes at which point Tim Conway objected. A discussion went back and forth as Hackett and several others argued for the off color stuff while Conway insisted you could make people laugh without offending or sending the kids out of the room.</p><p> </p><p>Conway then made a challenge to Buddy that he could have 3 minutes to say or do whatever he wanted and then he (Tim) would get a minute and not utter a word and have the audience laughing just as much. So Buddy accepted and Buddy was funny but it wasn't kid friendly and it might well offend some adults even. But then Tim stepped up and I mean I was in the floor after about 30 seconds and so was the audience and he never uttered a word. Tim proved beyond a shadow of doubt in my mind that you can be rib busting funny and still have everyone in the room to enjoy it and that also was the whole premise and what made the Carol Burnett show such an iconic force. It was the visual comedy that really made people laugh. Remember the overdone, overblown characters the Burnett crew would dress up as. I mean you start laughing the moment they hit the stage and before they said a word. How many time did Korman, Burnett, Vicki Lawrence or others for that fact have to turn away from the camera laughing as Conway not saying word but his visual actions just had you rolling. People loved that because it showed they were human too. They also could laugh with ya and have sense of humor. These were friends, not actors.</p><p> </p><p>Back in the day (1970's) when we were all about rock and roll, drugs, sex, etc. we were also in droves flocking every week to watch the Carol Burnett show with the family and when Blazing Saddles came out, we knew Korman because we knew Burnett. First night I saw Blazing Saddles when it was released was at a mid-night movie which was always a magnet for the heads. The lights go down and like a rock concert, certain brands of smoke began to be lit up, if you catch my drift.<img src="/community/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/FeltTip/wink.png" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":wink2:" title="Wink :wink2:" data-shortname=":wink2:" /> But as the movie went on amongst all those "Hippie" types, the one occuring statement you heard made during the movie was, "I love watching Korman on Burnett" and again I think that goes to the very heart of what Tim Conway was making a point of. Tim, Carol and Harvey could literally make everyone laugh and as a result bring everyone, even if for just and hour, bring everyone together.</p><p> </p><p>My wife and I in 1978' went and saw Red Skelton live and other than having sore ribs from laughing, it has to be one of the greatest and most cherished 3 hours we ever spent for entertainment. And that's saying something from someone whose seen a lot of great bands including Hendrix! </p><p> </p><p>IMO Conway proved his point and to further add to it, Red Skelton once said of Eddie Murphy that he was a great comic and would be even greater if he dropped the vulgar material. Red may have been proven correct as Eddie gained even more fame when he started making more family friendly movies. Tim, like Red. pointed out that humans naturally are funny to being with. Day to day we go about life doing stupid and funny things that at the same time are not vulgar or offensive. A good comedian can take those events, overblow them for effect and have the entire room on their knees just as we laugh our <img src="/community/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/group1/censored2.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":censored2:" title="Censored2 :censored2:" data-shortname=":censored2:" /> off at each other and with each other when we do something stupid. It's sad that the artform for doing that seems to be drawing to a close as the many great ones depart us.</p><p> </p><p>Harvey, thank you for all the many laughs, thank you for taking all forms of racial stereotypes in Blazing Saddles and blasting them while making us laugh as you did it. Thanks again for giving us those together moments in the midst of the turmoils of Vietnam and Watergate. The lines at the gas pumps in the 70's and the other day to day problems we faced. For that one hour every week, you granted us a time of peace and forgetting all our cares. But fret not, you've been replaced by American Idol!</p><p> </p><p>Let that sink in America!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="wkmac, post: 348186, member: 2189"] Your comment above reminded me of a program I saw several years ago on PBS where they assembled a panel of comics to discuss comedy. It's been a while but I think among the panelist were Alan King, George Wallace and others but it also included Buddy Hackett and Tim Conway who has a Korman/Burnett connection. I just remember Tim and Buddy so well because of what I'm about to tell you. Buddy during the discussion made a point that to be funny these days you had to resort to vulgar/very adult themes at which point Tim Conway objected. A discussion went back and forth as Hackett and several others argued for the off color stuff while Conway insisted you could make people laugh without offending or sending the kids out of the room. Conway then made a challenge to Buddy that he could have 3 minutes to say or do whatever he wanted and then he (Tim) would get a minute and not utter a word and have the audience laughing just as much. So Buddy accepted and Buddy was funny but it wasn't kid friendly and it might well offend some adults even. But then Tim stepped up and I mean I was in the floor after about 30 seconds and so was the audience and he never uttered a word. Tim proved beyond a shadow of doubt in my mind that you can be rib busting funny and still have everyone in the room to enjoy it and that also was the whole premise and what made the Carol Burnett show such an iconic force. It was the visual comedy that really made people laugh. Remember the overdone, overblown characters the Burnett crew would dress up as. I mean you start laughing the moment they hit the stage and before they said a word. How many time did Korman, Burnett, Vicki Lawrence or others for that fact have to turn away from the camera laughing as Conway not saying word but his visual actions just had you rolling. People loved that because it showed they were human too. They also could laugh with ya and have sense of humor. These were friends, not actors. Back in the day (1970's) when we were all about rock and roll, drugs, sex, etc. we were also in droves flocking every week to watch the Carol Burnett show with the family and when Blazing Saddles came out, we knew Korman because we knew Burnett. First night I saw Blazing Saddles when it was released was at a mid-night movie which was always a magnet for the heads. The lights go down and like a rock concert, certain brands of smoke began to be lit up, if you catch my drift.:wink2: But as the movie went on amongst all those "Hippie" types, the one occuring statement you heard made during the movie was, "I love watching Korman on Burnett" and again I think that goes to the very heart of what Tim Conway was making a point of. Tim, Carol and Harvey could literally make everyone laugh and as a result bring everyone, even if for just and hour, bring everyone together. My wife and I in 1978' went and saw Red Skelton live and other than having sore ribs from laughing, it has to be one of the greatest and most cherished 3 hours we ever spent for entertainment. And that's saying something from someone whose seen a lot of great bands including Hendrix! IMO Conway proved his point and to further add to it, Red Skelton once said of Eddie Murphy that he was a great comic and would be even greater if he dropped the vulgar material. Red may have been proven correct as Eddie gained even more fame when he started making more family friendly movies. Tim, like Red. pointed out that humans naturally are funny to being with. Day to day we go about life doing stupid and funny things that at the same time are not vulgar or offensive. A good comedian can take those events, overblow them for effect and have the entire room on their knees just as we laugh our :censored: off at each other and with each other when we do something stupid. It's sad that the artform for doing that seems to be drawing to a close as the many great ones depart us. Harvey, thank you for all the many laughs, thank you for taking all forms of racial stereotypes in Blazing Saddles and blasting them while making us laugh as you did it. Thanks again for giving us those together moments in the midst of the turmoils of Vietnam and Watergate. The lines at the gas pumps in the 70's and the other day to day problems we faced. For that one hour every week, you granted us a time of peace and forgetting all our cares. But fret not, you've been replaced by American Idol! Let that sink in America! [/QUOTE]
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