Deadpan
-
- Member Extraordinaire
- Posts: 1330
- Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2003 8:25 am
- Location: North Lincolnshire, UK
Deadpan
I never cease to be astonished how gullible people when you make a joke with a deadpan expression. A couple of days ago, my wife and I went to collect our grandson from infant school - he is age 5. While there, one of the teaching assistants mentioned that, if I could make it on the Friday afternoon of the week coming, his class were putting on a "play for Christmas".
"Ah, OK" I said, and then asked, "King Lear?"
I was taken aback when the assistant paused studiously for a moment and replied...
"Ooooh, good question. Just a moment. I'll go and find out for you" My wife, seeing the joke immediately, passed me a very dark look.
The assistant came back a couple of minutes later to tell me that it was the Christmas Nativity and my GS would be playing one of the Wise Men.
I was quite disappointed. I was looking forward to seeing my five-year-old grandson playing the Earl of Gloucester in Shakespeare's classic. Fortunately, my wife saw the funny side of it and I didn't get the tongue-lashing I had been expecting for my little wheeze.
"Ah, OK" I said, and then asked, "King Lear?"
I was taken aback when the assistant paused studiously for a moment and replied...
"Ooooh, good question. Just a moment. I'll go and find out for you" My wife, seeing the joke immediately, passed me a very dark look.
The assistant came back a couple of minutes later to tell me that it was the Christmas Nativity and my GS would be playing one of the Wise Men.
I was quite disappointed. I was looking forward to seeing my five-year-old grandson playing the Earl of Gloucester in Shakespeare's classic. Fortunately, my wife saw the funny side of it and I didn't get the tongue-lashing I had been expecting for my little wheeze.
Re: Deadpan
Stu, brilliant and I couldn't help but giggle as I saw the jest straight away. I guess that is an advantage of age, depth of education and wit showing a sharp mind. I love it.
I believe in offering every assistance short of actual help but then mainly just want to be left to be myself in all my difference and uniqueness.
Re: Deadpan
Brilliant, Stu. To me, 'The Tempest' would have sprung to mind straight away........
Tom
Tom
Carpe Diem......Seize the Day !
- denimini
- Member Extraordinaire
- Posts: 3243
- Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:50 am
- Location: Outback Australia
Re: Deadpan
Only to be countered by a deadpan reply:
"No, it will be Taming of the Shrew this year."
I have found that most or all posts here are deadpan by nature of the text only interaction, hence I sometimes include an emoticon; a practice I normally do not indulge in but may save some unintentional confusion or offence.
"No, it will be Taming of the Shrew this year."
I have found that most or all posts here are deadpan by nature of the text only interaction, hence I sometimes include an emoticon; a practice I normally do not indulge in but may save some unintentional confusion or offence.
Anthony, a denim miniskirt wearer in Outback Australia
Re: Deadpan
Do you think the assistant knew what King Lear was? I live the dead pan joke, brilliantly played. But I’m also dumbfounded at what the younger generation doesn’t know. Not their fault, just different times.
-
- Member Extraordinaire
- Posts: 1330
- Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2003 8:25 am
- Location: North Lincolnshire, UK
Re: Deadpan
That did occur to me. I think it is shocking if any British adult doesn't know that King Lear is a play by Shakespeare.
- Myopic Bookworm
- Member Extraordinaire
- Posts: 671
- Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2022 9:12 pm
- Location: SW England (Cotswolds)
Re: Deadpan
Old King Lear was a merry old soul,
and a merry old soul was he,
he called for his sword
and he called for his crown
and he called for his daughters three....
Or maybe I am confusing him with Good King Wenceslas.
and a merry old soul was he,
he called for his sword
and he called for his crown
and he called for his daughters three....
Or maybe I am confusing him with Good King Wenceslas.
Re: Deadpan
STU, i consider that we were brought up in the Golden Age of Comedy ( at least I consider I was ). The earliest I remember was The Army Game followed by Tony Hancock. My sense of humour broadened and sharpened by greats such as Arthur Askey, Laurel and Hardy, the Marx Brothers and many, many, many more. Education and a wide interest fills in gaps. There are a zillion things I don't know. Maybe we here just have enquiring minds.
I believe in offering every assistance short of actual help but then mainly just want to be left to be myself in all my difference and uniqueness.
Re: Deadpan
-
- Member Extraordinaire
- Posts: 1923
- Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:36 am
- Location: Somerset, England
Re: Deadpan
If you collect old records, you can go back at least one generation earlier than that. Norman Long, The Crazy Gang, George Burns & Gracie Allen, Harry Weldon, Flotsam & Jetsam, Suzette Tarri, Elsie & Doris Waters, Ronald Frankau, Billy Bennett, Rob Wilton, Tommy Handley, John Tilley, Will Hay, Harry Tate etc. etc. There were hundreds of them appearing in theatres and music halls night after night and leaving the audiences in stitches. By comparison, most modern 'comedies' are just feeble ghosts of what went before.Sinned wrote: ↑Mon Dec 12, 2022 10:55 pm STU, i consider that we were brought up in the Golden Age of Comedy ( at least I consider I was ). The earliest I remember was The Army Game followed by Tony Hancock. My sense of humour broadened and sharpened by greats such as Arthur Askey, Laurel and Hardy, the Marx Brothers and many, many, many more. Education and a wide interest fills in gaps. There are a zillion things I don't know. Maybe we here just have enquiring minds.
There is no such thing as a normal person, only someone you don't know very well yet.
- denimini
- Member Extraordinaire
- Posts: 3243
- Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:50 am
- Location: Outback Australia
Re: Deadpan
I think so.Myopic Bookworm wrote: ↑Mon Dec 12, 2022 10:48 pm Or maybe I am confusing him with Good King Wenceslas.
Anthony, a denim miniskirt wearer in Outback Australia
Re: Deadpan
Old King Cole was a merry old soul....
It was King Cole, whoever he was.
Tom
It was King Cole, whoever he was.
Tom
Carpe Diem......Seize the Day !
-
- Member Extraordinaire
- Posts: 1330
- Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2003 8:25 am
- Location: North Lincolnshire, UK
Re: Deadpan
Ah! Some of the greats - the Marx Brothers, Hancock etc - brilliant! More recently we used to enjoy sitcoms like Blackadder, Fawlty Towers, Father Ted, Yes Minister (and from the US classics like Police Squad, Soap and M.A.S.H). Then we had great sketch shows like The Two Ronnies and The Dave Allen Show. What do we have now that's funny? Certainly nothing in the UK.Sinned wrote: ↑Mon Dec 12, 2022 10:55 pm STU, i consider that we were brought up in the Golden Age of Comedy ( at least I consider I was ). The earliest I remember was The Army Game followed by Tony Hancock. My sense of humour broadened and sharpened by greats such as Arthur Askey, Laurel and Hardy, the Marx Brothers and many, many, many more. Education and a wide interest fills in gaps. There are a zillion things I don't know. Maybe we here just have enquiring minds.
I believe he was a British Bronze Age king, going back to around 1,500BC.
That is from a very old nursery rhyme.
- Myopic Bookworm
- Member Extraordinaire
- Posts: 671
- Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2022 9:12 pm
- Location: SW England (Cotswolds)
Re: Deadpan
Stu, some of the best satire around the time of TW3 [0] were 2 radio series - Round the Horne and Beyond Our Ken. You catch Kenneth Williams and Hugh Paddick and others at their very best. Rambling Syd Rumpo and Julian and Sandy. Absolutely brilliant.
pelmut, I remember some of them and others not. Growing up I watched some of the old comedies [1] with Old Mother Riley, remember her? Jimmy Edwards with Whack-O?
[0] Mid to late 1960's.
[1] Mostly in black and white.
pelmut, I remember some of them and others not. Growing up I watched some of the old comedies [1] with Old Mother Riley, remember her? Jimmy Edwards with Whack-O?
[0] Mid to late 1960's.
[1] Mostly in black and white.
I believe in offering every assistance short of actual help but then mainly just want to be left to be myself in all my difference and uniqueness.