Posted on 07/03/2020 8:52:32 AM PDT by Stravinsky
Surely, we can be serious: Forty years ago in the summer of 1980, Airplane! flew into theaters and made the friendly skies safe... for laughter. The disaster movie spoof became an era-defining hit and launched the directorial careers of writing partners David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker — better known by their comedic call sign ZAZ. The trio went on to make such oft-quoted favorites as Top Secret!, The Naked Gun and Hot Shots!, but Airplane! remains their crowning achievement, even landing a spot on the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry.
...
While Airplane! is filled with gags that are funny in every age, some jokes play very differently in 2020 versus 1980. That includes moments like the “I speak jive” sequence, which might strike contemporary audiences as being out of step at a time when the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests are shining a light on the way race is addressed in Hollywood comedies from the past and present.
Zucker, though, stands by it four decades later. “It’s evenly laughing at Black people and white people. Everything is so sensitive nowadays, but when we show the movie, it still gets a laugh. People get it. It cuts through all the sensitivity, because in humor, you can’t be that sensitive.” On the other hand, Zucker notes that ZAZ made a point of road-testing all of their movies in front of preview audiences in order to spot jokes that crossed the line into meanness. “Sometimes stuff just isn’t funny, and that’s our fault. If the audience doesn’t get it, we haven’t done our job and we cut it out.”
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
I thought that was one of the most hilarious scenesd in the film, especially when the white, elderly woman started talking Jive. :)
Heck, my black friend laughed out loud watching that scene.
As I posted on another thread: I wonder if BLM and the Democrats know how many smart, productive, black Americans they are insulting every day by coddling them like children unable to care for themselves.
The mere fact that articles like this exist prove the point.
For several years late on Saturday night I watched Showtime at the Apollo on TV. The comedians were mixed but one was a mixed race women that was mocking her Italian self. Hysterical and by this standard racist.
Of course, the white, elderly woman was Beaver Cleaver’s mom.
Which made it all the more funny.
Yep, that lady was none other than Barbara Billingsley of Leave it to Beaver fame.
It was a funny movie. It did take a few totally out of the blue attacks on Reagan and Anita Bryant which were not funny or even tried to be.
“Yep, that lady was none other than Barbara Billingsley of Leave it to Beaver fame.”
That was the joke. Mrs. Cleaver speaking Jive.
The censors are coming, the censors are coming....
Comedy has to offend or make light of a foible. Has to.
If Hee Haw, the Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres couldn’t kid country people.
If Animal House, Airplane I and II, Police Squad, the Blues Brothers and all the National Lampoon Vacation movies took out all the offensive materials about someone and anyone.....we’d see the opening and closing production credits and union label for stage crew members.
Three minutes long.
I dig, man. My momma didn’t raise no dummy.
;)
They new their risk, they bought their tickets...I say, let ‘em crash!
No way in hell that movie would be made today.
One little hint about where we Deplorables draw the line:
Hands off Animal House, Police Squad series, National Lampoon Vacation series, the Blue Brothers and Airplane series.
We won’t remain in a lotus position contemplating the rewards of cosmic consciousness if you touch those.
> Zucker, though, stands by it four decades later. “It’s evenly laughing at Black people and white people. ... “
Poor old fool. Evenness is such an outdated concept. He might as well be arguing for the return of the Model T Ford.
And Zucker had better shut up while he’s only a little behind. Because if he keeps talking reasonably, they’ll pull “Airplane” from movie lists just like they did with “Gone With the Wind”.
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