
History of Mel Brooks: Both Parts - samclemens
https://jewishreviewofbooks.com/articles/5764/history-of-mel-brooks-both-parts/
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ggm
Young frankenstein is my personal favourite, because it explores the tropes so
beautifully. Also, marty feldman but that is less about Mel Brooks and more
about the cast. Still, one of the important roles of a director/producer like
Brooks, is assembling the perfect ensenble.

The Producers is amazing. Put in time, to take things as raw as recent history
(less than 20 years) and cast zero mostel into the stereotype role...

The sad part is the 'do you have to be unhappy to be this funny'

~~~
hirundo
A kid I knew from boy scouts in the '70s was a huge Mel Brooks fan. He would
quote dialogues from Brooks' movies at length. He was always trying to make
other people laugh and usually succeeded, because he had all of Brooks best
material to work with. It was a task to get a serious word out of him. I got
to know him better in the scouts, sleeping in the same tent on hikes and such.
Turns out he was about the most miserable person I knew. When he killed
himself at age 18 I was horrified if not greatly surprised.

Like Robin Williams, but less brilliant and with a shorter arc.

So yes, I've always thought that there was a connection between inner
depression and outer zanyness.

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mgamache
Most (maybe all) good comedy comes from a dark place. Comedians can have
profound demons driving them. Mel Brooks is no exception, I think in their
attempt to make us laugh is to try and escape their personal hell. I know this
may seem a dramatic sentiment, but really look at the best comedians and it’s
full of really messed up people.

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jacquesm
"Still dying..."

If you like Mel Brooks make sure you check out Tommy Cooper as well.

Both definitely suffered from Pagliacci syndrome. My personal take on this is
that you have to get roughly down to the zeroth floor of life when humor is
all that will keep you going in order to be that funny because afterwards
_everything_ will be funny.

There is - or rather was - a Dutch humorist named Max Tailleur, whose byline
was 'I laugh so I don't cry'. Food for thought.

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maroonblazer
>The roots of Brooks’s anger are surely complex, yet clues are scattered
throughout his interviews. “I always felt it was my job to amuse those around
me,” Brooks once said. “Don’t ask why.” You don’t need to be a Freudian to see
how such a burden could stir up intense resentment, even rage, at an audience.

Several comedians I've come across seem to share this attribute. Robin
Williams and Jonathan Waters immediately come to mind. To a lesser extent
Martin Short. They seem almost desperate to get a laugh. It can become
overbearing to those watching.

>Politically, Brooks was a liberal—or so people assumed after Blazing Saddles.

Ooof...some of the liberals you see these days (I consider myself liberal)
would be outraged at "Blazing Saddles". I re-watched it recently and wasn't
sure if the film would survive today.

~~~
GiorgioG
> Ooof...some of the liberals you see these days (I consider myself liberal)
> would be outraged at "Blazing Saddles". I re-watched it recently and wasn't
> sure if the film would survive today.

No it wouldn’t survive today. Too many people would have their feelings hurt
and we can’t have that - even if it’s just for laughs. I recently watched it
with my 13 year old daughter and I was shocked that she loved it
(surprisingly) - after which I explained to her that these kinds of movies
can’t be made anymore because too many people would be outraged.

~~~
ses1984
>I explained to her that these kinds of movies can’t be made anymore because
too many people would be outraged.

I don't get this attitude. I think movies like this aren't made any more
because they wouldn't be original or worth making. They wouldn't be
commercially viable. Outrage is only going to come from a minority, and
everyone else just won't care.

I think we have so far passed the degree of shock that people don't even
notice any more.

Borat, South Park, Tropic Thunder, Shameless, The Boondocks, examples are easy
to find and I don't even care for this flavor of humor.

I guess these examples are mostly from several years ago or more, but I have
been hearing "these kinds of movies can't be made anymore" for the last 20
years.

~~~
cgriswald
“Three white men sitting around saying the n-word?” My millennial girlfriend
made it about five minutes into Blazing Saddles before she refused to watch.
It didn’t matter that all three men were buffoons and villains and were being
portrayed as such. It reminded me of my parents’ generation not getting that
Beavis and Butthead were not role models. But no, I don’t think you can make
movies like that today.

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rat87
Yes you can definitely make something like Blazing Saddles today!

But the main obstacle isn't snowflakes (lol) it's that not many comedians
match up to Mel Brooks or Richard Pryor. At worst it might be more difficult
for a white guy to make it (I've seen lots of satire from black comedians
that's more raw and uncomfortable then anything in Blazing Saddles) but if he
was smart and was making fun of the racism it would be fine.

Your girlfriend is the exception.

I bet it would get more backlash from people who like to pretend racism
doesn't exist then supposed liberal snowflakes.

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cryptoquick
I'm sad to say, I initially read this as "History of MacBooks".

I'm also sad to say that I had the tune of "The French Mistake" stuck in my
head for an entire week.

~~~
hibbelig
And I was thinking of the story of Mel, a real programmer...

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mcnamaratw
I'm sure it's important for somebody to write about the less fun side of the
guy ... but I want the fun side.

~~~
jaclaz
>....but I want the fun side.

From "Life stinks":

Where's your sense of loyalty, honesty, decency?

Mr. Bolt, we're lawyers.

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billman
Fun fact: Mel Brooks took drum lessons from Buddy Rich.

