null references redux + Looney Tunes

[Nick Sabalausky]

"Justin Johansson" <no at spam.com> wrote in message 
news:had7hc$1dcn$1 at digitalmars.com...
> Nick Sabalausky Wrote:
>>
>> This is gonna sound trivial (and probably is), but it's been bugging the
>> hell out of me:
>>
>> What is the meaning of the "+ Looney Tunes" added to the title of this
>> sub-thread? I don't see a connection...?
>
>
> Good question.  Next question? :-)
>
> Okay, Nick, this is the twist (warped as it may be).
>
> For starters I'm guessing that you are somewhat younger than me.
> (Walter said once that D seems to attract a lot of the younger crowd;
> myself, I'm Walter's vintage.)
>
> I grew up watching a lot of Marx Brothers movies (and, btw, I'm 
> continually surprised by just
> how many people, mostly younger, have never heard of the Marx Brothers, so 
> just in case
> you are a member of said set, here's his bio: 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groucho_Marx ).
>
> Groucho Marx was the absolute master of wisecracks; IMHO, few comedians 
> have ever come
> close to matching his undeniable ability to make fast-talking wit out of 
> the even the
> most subtle of connections.  Alan Alda (in M*A*S*H) often played out 
> Groucho, much to my
> delight.
>
> I also grew up with eyes glued to every Bugs Bunny cartoon that I could 
> watch and every
> Looney Tune that accompanied the same. ( 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Looney_Tunes )
>
> So now, having mentioned Marx, Alda and Bunny, this explains where my 
> sense of humour
> comes from.
>
> Now the title of the Elliotte Rusty Harold article,
>
> http://cafe.elharo.com/programming/imagine-theres-no-null/ ,
>
> that started this thread was a play on words from the title of the song
> "Imagine there’s no Heaven" by John Lennon, and acknowledged by ERH at the 
> end of the article.
> (Also so happens that The Beatles along with Pink Floyd are some of my 
> favourite bands.)
>
> ( Lyrics to Imagine written up here -
> http://www.slymarketing.com/2007/10/imagine-there-is-no-heaven/ )
>
> So at the time I was thinking,
>
> "Hey, that's a good controversial story line to throw in for a bit of 
> Fudd** on the D newsgroup"
>
> and, come to think of it (still saying to myself), it's probably a bit of 
> a Looney Tune.
>
> Now having said all that, several possible interpretations are left open 
> for the amusement
> of readers.
>
> ** Fudd.
>
> Acronym Definition
> FUDD Functional Description Document
> FUDD Fear Uncertainty Doubt and Disinformation
>
> Also Google on (exactly and typed below)
>
> define:fudd
>
> to get further connection with Looney Tunes
>
> Cheers
>

Ahh, I see. I came moderately close (Ie, recognized the John Lennon 
connection...my dad and younger brother are big Beatles fans so it's hard 
for me not to know ;) ) but didn't immediately catch on to the puns with 
Elmer "Fudd" and "bit of a Looney Tune".

I probably would count as one of the younger-ish ones (27), but we do seem 
to have a similar taste in humor. I grew up on the Chuck Jones Looney Tunes 
(Some of the earlier ones before Chuck are creepy!). As far as I'm 
concerned, Marx Brothers are an absolute comedic legend, right up there with 
Three Stooges and Mel Brooks, although I admit I've only seen Duck Soup and 
Go West so far. But still, I've noticed that Looney Tunes and Mel Brooks 
seem pay a lot of homage to Marx Brothers (but, of course, Looney Tunes 
makes constant references to all the celebrities of the time), like the 
frequent "Mirror" gags in Looney tunes are straight out of Duck Soup, and so 
is the big song&dance number at the end of Blazing Saddles. It absolutely is 
a shame that there's so much unfamiliarity with the Marx brothers (ex: Try 
to find another person these days who can name more than just Groucho...or 
someone who knows where those funny nose and mustache toy glasses come 
from), considering just how influential they've been and how well their 
material has held up.

It's actually really funny that you should mention that about Alan Alda's 
MASH character: The local libraries have the DVD sets for each season of 
MASH (plus the movie), and my dad and I have been systematically going 
through all them lately (We just got to the introduction of Potter and 
Honeycut at the beginning of season four, although we did temporarily skip 
season three). Funny thing is though, I swear, just recently, sometime 
around season two, I started noticing "Hey, Pierce has much the same 
quick-wit humor as Groucho Marx".

And in conclusion: "Oh my god they've shot him!" "Hot Lips, you incredible 
nincompoop!..."