Mike Coslo wrote in message ...
N2EY wrote:
In article , Mike Coslo
writes:

I have to ask...

Who is Moe, who is Larry, and who is Curly/Shemp?

hehe, well we all know who Moe is!

I don't. C'mon, spell it out.

Now figuring out the other two is more of a problem.

Let's do a poll!

73 de Jim, N2EY

(who actually met Moe Howard back in the 1970s)

Most incredibly Kewl!

It was at a film festival in NJ. Several hours of classic Stooges.
Guest of honor was Moe, who did not look at all like he does in the
films - until he took off his glasses and combed his hair forward.
Then, except for the silver hair, he *was* Moe.

Let's look at the personalities:

Moe - impatient, grumpy, and given to yelling, temper tantrums and name
calling.

Also demands to be the boss of whatever is done.

Out of the three, Lenover21, William, and Steve, the person showing the
biggest tendency to do this is of course Lenover21. While Steve can
certainly throw out the insults with the best of them, he reserves it
for when he is provoked. Len apparently finds my middle of the road and
mild posts provoking.

Len finds *anything* other than complete agreement with his stated
opinions to be provoking. That's just the way he is. His act here
jumped the shark years ago.

Next is a problem. Larry is a relatively mild mannered straight man that
bears half or maybe more of Moe's angry outbursts, plus an unending
stream of name calling. I have to see Larry as more like myself or even
you, Jim!

Agreed - except that in some cases Larry will take part in the
violence chain (Moe slaps Larry, Larry slaps Curly, Curly
slaps...nobody there to slap)

You and I don't do that, which further provokes Moe....er, Len.

Now to the others. William appears to feel kind of put-upon lately,
judging from his posts. I think that the stooge that most fits his
present situation is Joe Besser. I can still hear Joe' "Stopp iit" when
I think of him.

Good point! But I would say Brian is more Larry-like in some ways.

Now for the last of the trio. Remember how Curly Howard would get all
spun up and make noises when Moe would poke him in the eye or smack him
on the head with a hammer. He was good for a "hmmmm.. wise guy!",
barking at Moe, and even getting in pokes at Moe of his own.

Yes, Curly Howard in this poll is our own Steve.

You do make a good point.

Isn't it fascinating that the Stooges were lind of looked down upon in
their time, and now have truly achieved immortality? And all that, when
they apparently never read a script that they didn't like.

Much of their stuff was adlibbed. The scripts were extremely basic.
The point was the visual gags, special effects, and the juxtaposition
of proper society and the Stooges' antics.

Nobody before or since has done a better piefight or sound effects
associated with bonks on the head, etc.

That is a
talent they shared with Lucille Ball.

I loved Lucy in the original show. The key to her humor was that she
would do absolutely *anything* onscreen if it were funny. The giant
bread loaf - the "meatavegavitamin" commercial - the pregnancy sight
gags - the classic mirror scene with Harpo Marx... Sadly, after she
split with Desi Arnaz the followup shows did not have that quality,
IMHO.

It is not generally appreciated that Lucy invented many sitcom
standards. The use of 3 cameras and the separate production company
(Desilu) are but two of her ideas.

Oddly enough, "I Love Lucy" and "The Three Stooges" were not imitated
to any great degree. Perhaps that explains part of their appeal.

Consider "The Honeymooners" which is the source of almost every
family-based sitcom for over half a century, from "The Flintstones" to
"Mad About You" to "According to Jim". Been copied a zillion times
because it works. Yet the originals are still funny.

Simple formula: Big, loud, bombastic husband and smart, pretty,
assertive wife. Neighbor/relative couple composed of slightly-older
somewhat-dim-but-likeable husband and smart-attractive-friendly wife.
BLB hubby gets into various jams, finally realizes his mistake, SPA
wife always forgives him. Wife is never fazed by anything hubby does -
stands right up to him. Jim Belushi and Courtney Thorne-Smith are just
channeling Jackie Gleason and Audrey Meadows.

Almost all sitcoms were based on the Honeymooners formula until the
mid-late 1970s. The only real change was the addition of kids (usually
precocious and smart-mouthed).

Then "Barney Miller", "WKRP" and later "Taxi" invented the workplace
ensemble comedy. Which is also highly imitated.

"Home Improvement" blended the two genres almost perfectly.

Of course for every classic, there are many many which were a waste of
time from the beginning.

Both could take garbage material,
and make us laugh with it.

Not garbage at all! Elegant. Not a wasted line or shot in the shows.

Genius.

Agreed!

73 de Jim, N2EY