tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post3321638560036627780..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: My Thanksgiving TraditionBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-6974892807234588162019-08-12T03:03:22.910-07:002019-08-12T03:03:22.910-07:00Also go to Wikipedia and check out the extent to w...Also go to Wikipedia and check out the extent to which the Jetsons was lifted from the movie series Blondiefunny thanksgiving gifhttps://fbfreestatus.blogspot.com/2018/08/funny-thanksgiving-gif.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-43582322176900217172018-11-28T00:52:27.113-08:002018-11-28T00:52:27.113-08:00@ Mike Doran
I remeber that along with what the st...@ Mike Doran<br />I remeber that along with what the station letters stood for ( WGN World Greatest Newspaper-Tribune, WLS Worlds largest store Sears, WCFL-?- AFL CIO etc) <br /><br />but coming back to a point that I mentioned in passing previously is that the HoneyMooners were one of the very few shows that showed realistic living quarters and conditions.<br /><br />One thing that always bugs me is a series set in a "poverty" situation and the set is pure middle or upper middle class housing.<br />Classic example was (ugh) Married with Children, impoverished shoe salesman in a 3 bedroom suburban rambler.<br /><br />Other sit coms including first roseanne, come to mind, as does Good Times and the list goes on.<br />Are writers/producers pressured to show people living well above their stated station/income of life? oddly enough the same people may drive income appropite vehicles -junkers- but living standards are, to my eye, almost always unrealistic.<br /><br />ps part of the reason I enjoy "Murder in Paradise" ( Brit mystery/comedy set in caribbean) is the buildings do reflect the weathering and realistic living standards ( except shack on beach Brit expat is boarded in, I did live in one once long ago but I am sure a pricey something is there now)<br />knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-71371532834379601732018-11-26T10:30:16.004-08:002018-11-26T10:30:16.004-08:00I finally broke down and bought the "Lost Epi...I finally broke down and bought the "Lost Episodes" (actually "Honeymooners" sketches from the variety show, as you said) a couple of years ago. While I agree that they're not nearly as good as the Classic 39, I would personally recommend the set to fans. I enjoyed them much more than I thought I would. Having said that, the series set is indeed a must-own. Jake Mabehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01908036270824377919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-9838928451015842612018-11-26T06:22:56.480-08:002018-11-26T06:22:56.480-08:00And like "I Love Lucy" the 39 "clas...And like "I Love Lucy" the 39 "classic" episodes of "The Honeymooners" will be syndicated forever. Yes, the DuMont Electronicam system was a stop-gap method that predated videotape by a year. But there aren't any 62-year-old videotapes, but there are 62-year-old "Honeymooners" episodes captured on 35mm film. And they'll be loved, forever. SkillSetsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-40271544639831787462018-11-24T05:26:35.637-08:002018-11-24T05:26:35.637-08:00Took me a while to tune into its sensibility, but ...Took me a while to tune into its sensibility, but now I genuinely love The Honeymooners. It’s a great show.Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-10812961499006494062018-11-23T23:08:23.797-08:002018-11-23T23:08:23.797-08:00“Hello, ball ...”
Ralph was a simple-minded guy wh...“Hello, ball ...”<br />Ralph was a simple-minded guy who dreamed big and always failed. He would bluster and threaten but was, as his pal Norton knew, “the sweetest guy in the world.” Alice knew, too, which is why she married him, stuck with him and supported his dreams, knowing they would fail.<br />“Poloponies!”<br />Any suggestion that Ralph actually physically threatened Alice is preposterous. She knew it, he knew it and they were in love to the moon and back. That didn’t stop them from arguing.<br />“Your salary couldn’t drip out.”<br />Jackie Gleason used memories of his own Dickensian upbringing to craft the show and characters. It was the creative peak of his long career, and he knew it. Art Carney was a major success on the radio, on Broadway, on TV and in the movies, where he won a Best Actor Oscar. But this was his signature role, and Art was smart enough to realize it.<br />“Hey, Ralphie boy ...”<br />It’s the funniest show ever made, pure brilliance, comic gold mined 39 times and still shining brightly.<br />“Baby, you’re the greatest.”<br />Prairie Perspectivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02154574048042724149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-20175811550368320912018-11-23T18:31:12.556-08:002018-11-23T18:31:12.556-08:00My favorite Honeymooners, and the only ep I have o...My favorite Honeymooners, and the only ep I have on DVD, is “One Big Happy Family,” which interestingly is not one of the ‘39’ (actually airing in April 1955, thus predating The Hooneymooners series by several months). I remember seeing Gleason on 60 Minutes once where he mentioned that the shows were hard to write because he would only do stories that could happen in reality.B.Altonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-15878363438386323812018-11-23T16:04:10.106-08:002018-11-23T16:04:10.106-08:00Nope, sorry. Ken deserves much better.Nope, sorry. Ken deserves much better.Janet Ybarranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-29713913072792176822018-11-23T10:15:11.887-08:002018-11-23T10:15:11.887-08:00There was no domestic violence in the show. I don&...There was no domestic violence in the show. I don't think there was even a suggestion of domestic violence.<br /><br />If you look at Alice, she NEVER showed any fear of Ralph, even when he was making his"threats." She never even blinked, because they BOTH knew he never had intention of laying a finger on her.Joehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07963432742193571069noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-70412188071115746432018-11-23T08:04:50.000-08:002018-11-23T08:04:50.000-08:00Hoping that this comment gets lost in the shuffle ...Hoping that this comment gets lost in the shuffle …<br /><br />As a late '50s/early '60s kid, I got to see the classic <i>Honeymooners</i> in post-network syndication, on Channel 9 here in Chicago.<br /> <br />Ch9 ran these episodes daily, back-to-back with <i>Amos 'n' Andy</i>.<br /> <br />Think about that for a second.<br /> <br /> At age 10 or so, my comedy education is coming from watching two great (if unsung) comedy teams:<br />On <i>Amos</i>, Tim Moore and Spencer Williams - American Negroes (the term then in use, no judgment intended).<br />And on <i>Honeymooners</i>, Gleason and Carney - Irish, <i>my</i> people. <br />And as a Kid, all I saw was <i>funny</i>.<br /><br />I guess Oscar Hammerstein was right all along:<br /><i>You've got to be carefully taught …</i>Mike Doranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14427528138598549103noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-83113970305437263022018-11-22T17:37:38.729-08:002018-11-22T17:37:38.729-08:00If it was for the humor alone, I don't think I... If it was for the humor alone, I don't think I would be as much of a fan of the show as I am. What gives it real resonance for me is how far it goes in straddling tragedy. With America at the height of rah-rah patriotism of the 1950's, here was a show where the main character is always on the verge of economic collapse and time and time again humiliated when he reaches for the brass ring of the American dream. The show never goes so far to say the American dream is a 'sucker's game' but this is the subtext of at least 60% of the shows. To this day few shows in this country dare question the 'pull yourself up by your bootstraps' mentality of this country. As many issues as "The Connors" has thus far, I do appreciate it for going there (at this point, I actually think it works better as drama than comedy).<br /><br />As for the Ralph, Alice dynamic, I completely appreciate the complaints people have but...what the actors bring to the characters is so special I think it takes what's on the surface to a whole other level. The way I put it, the more negative energy Ralph directs at Alice, the stronger she becomes. My own visceral reaction is, there is no question in my mind that he would never physically hurt her. I also appreciate though other people might FEEL it different. -beenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-45431549665862772302018-11-22T06:30:35.232-08:002018-11-22T06:30:35.232-08:00Ybarra, Ken is a big boy. He can take it. We Y&#...Ybarra, Ken is a big boy. He can take it. We Y's have to stick together.Yvonnenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-59883944532141708502018-11-22T05:58:55.231-08:002018-11-22T05:58:55.231-08:00I've been watching THE HONEYMOONERS all my lif...I've been watching THE HONEYMOONERS all my life and I've yet to get tired of them. I too have all 39 episodes on DVD, but luckily I live in NYC and Channel 11 is doing a marathon today on Thanksgiving and I resume will do the same in New Year's Day. VincentSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-26459740842958170852018-11-22T05:42:14.424-08:002018-11-22T05:42:14.424-08:00There are many “lost episodes” of the Honeymooners...There are many “lost episodes” of the Honeymooners on Amazon’s Prime streaming service, including the first sketch featuring Ralph and Alice. I’ve only watched the first few. They are very short, 6-8 minutes. And thank God for that, because that because if people think the Ralph of the 39 classic episodes is an asshole, they ought to see him in these earlier ones. He is angry, and just rages at Alice through nearly the entire sketch. Alice is played by Pert Kelton as a major battle ax, and more like someone like Ralph would end up married to instead of the adorable Audrey Meadows. It’s basically just two people yelling at each other. Fortunately they made the necessary changes for this to become a comedy classic. I share your love for the classic 39.BobinVThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06659467295097024979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-27940148761883316632018-11-21T23:58:08.322-08:002018-11-21T23:58:08.322-08:00You might enjoy this Ken: https://www.youtube.com/...You might enjoy this Ken: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XriXDtfqCgHoracecohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02272782245074379504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-63388899766341462092018-11-21T21:38:17.037-08:002018-11-21T21:38:17.037-08:00The Honeymooners has never resonated with me parti...The Honeymooners has never resonated with me particularly ... but there's no denying the teaming of Ralph and Ed could result in serious hilarity. <br /><br />Also, I can see modern audiences being bothered by the overall tenor of Ralph's threats, but I never imagined for one second that Alice was in any danger whatsoever from him -- because Audrey Meadows played her role so perfectly. Ralph was a blowhard, Alice knew it, and she knew he knew it too. Y. Knotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11113170603742828515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-17046120160752011762018-11-21T21:14:18.486-08:002018-11-21T21:14:18.486-08:00I enjoyed The Honeymooners as a kid and the one or...I enjoyed The Honeymooners as a kid and the one or two episodes I've seen since then. Ralph was all bluster, and it was rather obvious that everyone knew it. If you look at domestic abuse, it's a whole syndrome of control and dependence, contempt and fear. I've seen enough cases to recognize the dynamic, and it wasn't there in the Honeymooners. That was just bickering, and a couple that can't bicker has a serious problem. It's like the old Chinese saying, "Of course we argued. We were friends. Only enemies dare not argue."Kaleberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05283840743310507878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-751766310540624462018-11-21T19:03:58.326-08:002018-11-21T19:03:58.326-08:00I remember reading a great analysis that said &quo...I remember reading a great analysis that said "The more Ralph yelled at Alice, the more he was yelling at himself."Garynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-12174014324321894402018-11-21T18:30:39.148-08:002018-11-21T18:30:39.148-08:00I was a teen when the Honeymooners came out. I tho...I was a teen when the Honeymooners came out. I thought Kramden was an asshole and nothing in the intervening years changed my mind. I didn't really think much more of Jackie Gleason. The show itself was a depressing bore to me.<br /><br />On the other hand, I looked forward to anything Art Carney did, even on the Honeymooners. He could do drama and he could do any level of comedy.<br /><br />Every time the genius of the Honeymooners comes up, I go watch a couple episodes and come back with the same reaction. No thanks.<br /><br />A little perspective. I also think A Confederacy of Dunces is depressing and largely unfunny. I struggled to get through it only because I knew it's on Ken's reading list for his USC course. But the main character is about as obnoxious and depressing as any character I've ever read. <br /><br />Despite nearly all of your sitcom credits are on my all-time favorites list, we don't seem to share a lot of other comedic interests :)Eric Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10639837826294361383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-31955970026300598662018-11-21T16:43:57.535-08:002018-11-21T16:43:57.535-08:00I have to agree with Sue in Seattle. Once I marrie...I have to agree with Sue in Seattle. Once I married, I couldn’t watch I Love Lucy with out getting angry. I loved the scenes with Lucy and a Ethel, but when Ricky would yell at her..<br /><br />As with Fred Flintstone, Ralph was a big mouth and wouldn’t harm a hair on Alice’s head. He knew he married up and would never do anything to hurt her <br /><br />Pam, St. LouisAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-17455496461473267532018-11-21T16:43:04.238-08:002018-11-21T16:43:04.238-08:00Also go to Wikipedia and check out the extent to w...Also go to Wikipedia and check out the extent to which the Jetsons was lifted from the movie series BlondieMarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14705408455380402571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-3614877336367886672018-11-21T15:35:09.416-08:002018-11-21T15:35:09.416-08:00Never seen it - I don't think it made it over ...Never seen it - I don't think it made it over to this side of the pond, and it looks like it was released the year before I was born. It looks like another "schlub with a hot wife" show. In any case, Frasier is sitcom perfection, followed by One Foot In The Grave, Only Fools and Horse and Dads Army. From a British point of view.Looseheadnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-16109989820343348362018-11-21T15:33:55.324-08:002018-11-21T15:33:55.324-08:00I fondly remember a bit where Norton used the phon...I fondly remember a bit where Norton used the phone to call in a favor from fellow sanitation worker. <br /><br />The wife answers, he says "Tell your husband it's Mr. Norton, his coworker from the bank", then asides to Ralph, "It's a party line and they don't want the neighbors to know he works in the sewer. " A few moments later, Norton is talking to his friend: "Remember when I saved you from drowning in the small loans department?"<br /><br />As for "Flintstones", interesting how it kept the characters' blue collar feel but moved them into the suburbs with a far more middle class standard of living (all those talking appliances, colorful vacations, etc). The Jetsons, in contrast, were decidedly better off in the style of most 60s sitcoms: George had a vague desk job and answered directly to the CEO, the family had a live-in maid (albeit robotic), and this was presented as "normal" America.DBensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01144515471557731622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-22555988058344770502018-11-21T14:34:15.351-08:002018-11-21T14:34:15.351-08:00Yvonne, I don't like THE HONEYMOONERS likely f...Yvonne, I don't like THE HONEYMOONERS likely for the same reason you don't (please see comment above),<br /><br />But I believe we can discuss the issue and the content without taking shots at Ken.<br /><br />I have found Ken to deeply sensitive and thoughtful on a variety of issues.Janet Ybarranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-14081151567256685642018-11-21T14:09:26.546-08:002018-11-21T14:09:26.546-08:00One of the few moments I loved in the late 60s ver...One of the few moments I loved in the late 60s version of "The Honeymooners" was during their "around the world tour," in Madrid. Blackmailers take a "compromising" photo of Ralph with a Luscious Senorita, and for once Alice is the crazy jealous one. When everything works out in the end, she admits she's been a jealous fool and begs Ralph to forgive her. He says, "Not *yet*. I'm gonna enjoy this..."Craig Gustafsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14503925766039307551noreply@blogger.com