I have always wanted to be a college professor. That is my retirement plan.
I always had a lot of respect for my engineering professors who did a lifetime in industry and then taught and brought their industry experience into the classroom.
I wanted to follow in their footsteps.
Since every professor has to be more political, I realize I must be to.
Here is my proposal. I want to teach a class called “Understanding Late 20th Century Humor.” The entire curriculum will be exposure to great works of American humor, then the students must write a short paper, no more than two pages, about why it is funny. There is only one rule: any mention of why it’s not funny is an automatic fail.
Here is my curriculum:
- Spaceballs
- Blazing Saddles
- Young Frankenstein
- Robin Hood: Men in Tights
- Caddyshack
- Back to School
- Silver Streak
- Airplane!
- Bill Cosby: Himself
- Robin Williams: Live at the Met
- Eddie Murphy: Raw
- Richard Prior: Live in Concert
- Sam Kinison: Breaking the Rules
- Jackie Mason: The World According to Me!
- Dave Chappelle: Killin’ Them Softly
We will watch the movie, and then you have to tell me why it’s funny.
I’ll even bring the popcorn.
I believe any student that can make it through the entire class will be permanently inoculated against microaggressions and snowflakism for life.
Until I find a teaching position, feel free to go through the curriculum online via YouTube, Amazon Prime, and Netflix.
I’d be really surprised if a large portion of the class makes it thru the first 3 flicks without going into a catatonic state. LOL!
Most will head to their safe spaces at ludicrous speed. 😉
I like that list! I’d add all of the Monty Python movies. 🙂
I think maybe some Benny Hill would add to your curriculum. His philandering efforts are classical. That, and the scantily clad women offer enjoyment for all.
It’s American humor, so the Pythons are out.
However, how could you have forgotten “Airplane!”?
You are very right. Updated.
Derp, I missed that key point.
“I picked the wrong day to quit huffing glue…”
“The tower? The tower?! RAPUNZEL!!”
“Good luck. We’re all counting on you.”
Gold! Comedy gold!! 😀
I’ve gotta call a foul on the lack of George Carlin. Jammin in New York should be mandatory viewing freshman year. He was offensive as hell, but still one of the funniest guys out there. Then again, by the time I saw it I only knew him as the conductor from the Thomas the Tank Engine show…
No Carlin. He was edgy in that he cursed, but once that was cleared there wasn’t much to him.
Then he got a terminal case of Bush Derangement Syndrome and his last few years he sounded more and more like a cranky old hippy that needs to go to the old folks home than a once great comedian.
Some of the early Carlin isn’t bad.
What about Animal House? That’s comedy classic.
3 best scenes, IMO:
https://youtu.be/NqpNQ9AJYgU
https://youtu.be/V8lT1o0sDwI
https://youtu.be/EtSPFXj_eZM?t=2m25s
You forgot Porky’s!
“Heeeere chicky chicky chicky…”
“Please, please. Can we call it… a tallywacker?”
“Why do they call her ‘Lassie’?!”
“This is ‘Meat.'”
“My God, the boy’s deformed…”
Oh man, I need to re-watch all these flicks again. 😀
As long as we’re going Gene Wilder and Richard Prior, I humbly submit “Stir Crazy.”
My personal favorite is See No Evil, Hear No Evil. But since the purpose is to de-snowflake these kids, the scene in Silver Streak where Richard Pryor puts Gene Wilder in blackface to get away in the train station is both funny as hell and will make heads explode.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JgAxvukW9dA
For Snow Flake baiting I was thinking of the scene where Richard is “getting bad”, Gene asked “Why?” Richard replies “If you ain’t bad you get F**ked.”
Richard Pryor Live In Sunset Strip.
He murders a herd of sacred cows including himself.