Free Republic

Regardless of who wins today, a little levity is greatly needed. So I present to you President Rufus T. Firefly!

I have long been a fan of the Marx Brothers and have found Duck Soup a particular favorite. I enjoy it for the humor but it is viewed by many as biting political satire. Tonight in watching for the first time since Obama took office I found Barack H. Obama's philosophy in Rufus T. Firefly's first song. These are the laws of my administration No one's allowed to smoke (he's holding a cigar) Or tell a dirty joke (fakes whispering to a lady) And whistling is forbidden... (he whistles) If chewing gum is chewed (he pretends to chew gum) The...

All this hilarity is strung up on a plot at once too complicated and too silly to have any independent meaning. Duck Soup can be read as an indictment of the insanity of war and a critique of the relationship between wealth and political power, but to do so is to miss much of the fun. The movie was banned in fascist Italy because it seemed to be a statement against dictatorship. But it makes fun of the entire range of political arrangements and patriotic icons. Mussolini just didn't get it.

Group of Grouchos tries to set record Silly gathering at car show is no joke By Liz Neely UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER May 19, 2005 EL CAJON – From beauty queens in sparkling crowns to police officers on horseback, more than 1,000 people donned a pair of Groucho Marx-style glasses last night to help break a world record. The costumed attempt helped jump-start the opening night of downtown El Cajon's weekly summer car show, Cajon Classic Cruise. Dressing as Marx wasn't enough for Carl Atkinson of Crest. He disguised his 1938 Chevrolet as the actor and comedian. Atkinson's blue-and-white custom car...