I expected to be shocked by “The Book of Mormon,” the new Broadway musical by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
And I was… in an unexpected way.
The language is pure South Park. The F-word is well-represented, and the C-word — two different iterations, mind you — makes its first appearance on the Great White Way.
There are a couple of potentially offensive moments — one in song, one in shall we say ‘visual representation’ — but last night’s audience was game for both.
The show definitely takes its shots at Mormon history and traditions, getting a lot of laughs from the story of Joseph Smith and his golden plates. But the humor, while mocking, is never cruel.
What was unexpected was how much affection Parker and Stone display for the Mormon missionaries at the center of their story. Elders Price and Cunningham are sent to Uganda for their mission and are immediately confronted by poverty, AIDS, warlords, scrotal plagues and more.
Yes…scrotal plagues.
Naive and ill-prepared, uber-Mormon Price has a crisis of faith and schlub Cunningham rises to the occasion in unconventional yet successful ways.
The tone reminded me a bit of the movie Stuck on You, the Farrelly brothers winner about two conjoined twin brothers starring Greg Kinnear and Matt Damon. I worried the film would make fun of the two; instead, it celebrated how their differences made them more uniquely able to succeed in the world.
“The Book of Mormon” has the same charm, the same heart…just more four-letter words.
Above all, it is outrageously funny, with sight gags galore, none of which I will reveal because that would totally blow it. The musical numbers are so clever, and the dance sequences manage to be huge and hilarious at the same time.
“The Book of Mormon” just may be the best musical on Broadway.
Now that I didn’t expect.
Safety is fun!
Move over, Southwest Airlines. There’s a new contender for ‘funniest in the air.’
Delta Airlines
Their new safety video is filled with sight gags large and small. I’ve seen it on two flights, and am still discovering all the little surprises they have left for the attentive viewer.
(The video version on my flight also featured “No comb overs”, which I sadly could not find online.)
A robot turns himself off when the cabin door shuts. The main spokesperson changes clothing and accessories for no apparent reason. And remember the “cat lady” who did the previous safety video for Delta? She makes a cameo, too.
It’s worth a watch or two or seven. I’ve never enjoyed a safety video more. Or, in fact…
Watched one.
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Posted in Humor, Internet, Travel, Entertainment, Comedy, Life, Commentary, Airplanes, transportation
Tagged Travel, airplanes, comedy, Youtube, Internet, Delta Airlines, transportation, entertainment, Humor, life, airplane flight, commentary, funny, sight gags, airline, safety, Southwest Airlines, safety video, safety stickers, airplane cabin walls, no smoking, no electronics, no juggling chainsaws, no cartwheels, no comb overs, robot, cabin door, cat lady, cameo