"Don't Be Ridiculous" Has to be one of the most overused catch phrases of all time - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Skywalker · 02-14-2008, 12:54 AM

I've been watching the DVDs and I noticed that Balki says "don't be ridiculous" ALOT.

I think he even said it 4 times in the pilot episode. There were several other episodes where he says it more than once too.

Did anyone else ever get sick of that catch phrase? I used to laugh whenever Balki said it when I watched the show during it's original run, but watching the show now, I just don't think it's funny. It's almost like the writers or producers tried very hard to make it a catch phrase by having Balki say it multiple times in an episode. If he had said it only once an episode or once every few episodes, I think it would have been fine, but 3-4 times an episode is "ridiculous".

OmegaWolf747 · 03-02-2008, 03:46 PM

I don't think he said it more than two or three times in most episodes. There were times when it was funny, like when Larry and Balki were looking for Lowell Kelly's poem in the apartment. Larry reads the instruction, which ends with "please be meticulous" and Balki responds with, "Of course we will, don't be ridiculous!" Classic!

Daffyfan2004 · 05-31-2008, 06:59 AM

I don't think it's really overused, because after seeing the show on You Tube, I've noticed quite a few season 3 and season 4 episodes where Balki didn't say it at all. It might be more common than Urkel's 'Did I Do That' though.

LeeBlue · 05-31-2008, 07:47 AM

That phrase caught on like wildfire -- I said it, my friends said it, my co-workers said it -- we all thought Balki was funny.

tv star collector · 05-31-2008, 07:53 AM

It's no more overused than ...

"Sorry about that!" (Get Smart)
"Wellll, doggies!" (The Beverly Hillbillies)
"Shazam!" (Gomer Pyle)
"To the moon!" (The Honeymooners)
"Ayyyyyyyyyyy!" (Happy Days)
"What a revoltin' development this is!" (The Life of Riley)
"Ooh! Ooh!" (Car 54, Where Are You?)
"You rang?" (The Addams Family)

In other words, catch phrases have been a staple in sitcoms for as long as
there have been sitcoms. They make the characters immediately identifiable,
and the same applies to your best-remembered cartoon characters:

"I yam what I yam!" (Popeye)
"What's up, Doc?" (Bugs Bunny)
"I'm smarter than the average bear!" (Yogi Bear)
"Yabba-Dabba-Doo!" (Fred Flintstone)

Well, you get the idea.

TV DVD Fan · 06-02-2008, 08:15 AM

It was pretty overused in seasons one and two, at least. I got to say, after watching the first fourteen episodes from the DVD, I am disappointed. I remembered the show fondly from reruns, but I'm pretty sure those were the later episodes I was watching. The early ones seem like nothing more than a cheap excuse to say "Don't be ridikulous." and "Balki, you can't do that!" "Why, Cousin?" "Because This Is America!" "Cousin, you hurt Balki's feelings." "I am lower than dirt. I hate myself." "Don't hate yourself, Cousin. I forgive you." (Hug)

It definately has its moments in the first couple of seasons, but the shows can really be trimmed down from 25 minutes to about 15 and the enjoyment level would probably increase tenfold. In other words, there's too much fluff in there!

catlover79 · 06-02-2008, 04:03 PM

I do have to say I still laugh every time I think of phrases like "Well, paint me green and call me Gumby" and "Well, paint me gold and call me Oscar".

Skywalker · 06-02-2008, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tv star collector

It's no more overused than ...

"Sorry about that!" (Get Smart)
"Wellll, doggies!" (The Beverly Hillbillies)
"Shazam!" (Gomer Pyle)
"To the moon!" (The Honeymooners)
"Ayyyyyyyyyyy!" (Happy Days)
"What a revoltin' development this is!" (The Life of Riley)
"Ooh! Ooh!" (Car 54, Where Are You?)
"You rang?" (The Addams Family)

In other words, catch phrases have been a staple in sitcoms for as long as
there have been sitcoms. They make the characters immediately identifiable,
and the same applies to your best-remembered cartoon characters:

"I yam what I yam!" (Popeye)
"What's up, Doc?" (Bugs Bunny)
"I'm smarter than the average bear!" (Yogi Bear)
"Yabba-Dabba-Doo!" (Fred Flintstone)

Well, you get the idea.

I understand that, but the problem I had with "Don't be Ridiculous" was Balki saying it several times in an episode. It just got to be annoying, rather than funny. I don't think any of those other characters said their catch phrases more than once per episode, which is fine. I noticed that Balki stopped saying it so much after the first 10-15 episodes, however, so it didn't really bother me anymore.

tv star collector · 06-03-2008, 08:41 AM

I never saw the first season. By the time I began watching Perfect
Strangers, it had been on for a year or two. So, the phrase may have been overused in the early seasons. My older sister talked me into watching it. She thought that I would like it (and she was right). Although a generation
older than I, we often liked the same TV programs. But I digress.

Daffyfan2004 · 07-06-2008, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skywalker

I understand that, but the problem I had with "Don't be Ridiculous" was Balki saying it several times in an episode. It just got to be annoying, rather than funny. I don't think any of those other characters said their catch phrases more than once per episode, which is fine. I noticed that Balki stopped saying it so much after the first 10-15 episodes, however, so it didn't really bother me anymore.

Well, I don't think he said it more than once per episode after Season 2. The only exception I can think of would be in the episode "aliens." Also, don't forget the different variations of the phrase.

"Don't Be Bogus Dude" (Because They're Cousins)
"Of Course I Do. I am Ridiculous." (Eyewitless Reports)
"Of Course You Can. Do Be Ridiculous." (Call Me Indestructble)
I also remember an episode where Balki said to Larry. "You're being ridiculous. Don't be." But I forget which one that was.

catlover79 · 02-27-2009, 08:14 PM

I found my old VHS tapes - the ones I used to record the final eps of PS which aired in the summer of 1993. In one of them, Larry even says to Balki, "Of course not, don't be ridiculous." It got quite a reaction from the studio audience.

steevo · 03-06-2009, 10:27 AM

Balki had a couple of other catch phrases that I liked:

"You stepped in something good this time"

"On Mypos..."(Balki would frequently relate something that happened in his homeland to the present situation)

catlover79 · 03-10-2009, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steevo

Balki had a couple of other catch phrases that I liked:

"You stepped in something good this time"

"On Mypos..."(Balki would frequently relate something that happened in his homeland to the present situation)

Or:

"Get out of the city!"

"Wwwwwwwwwow!"

James · 05-16-2009, 10:01 PM

I disagree. I like "Don't be ridiculous" myself. Heck, I use it myself sometimes in conversation!

catlover79 · 05-17-2009, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James

I disagree. I like "Don't be ridiculous" myself. Heck, I use it myself sometimes in conversation!

Me, too!!

02-14-2008, 12:54 AM	#1
Skywalker Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Apr 04, 2003 Posts: 14,205	"Don't Be Ridiculous" Has to be one of the most overused catch phrases of all time I've been watching the DVDs and I noticed that Balki says "don't be ridiculous" ALOT. I think he even said it 4 times in the pilot episode. There were several other episodes where he says it more than once too. Did anyone else ever get sick of that catch phrase? I used to laugh whenever Balki said it when I watched the show during it's original run, but watching the show now, I just don't think it's funny. It's almost like the writers or producers tried very hard to make it a catch phrase by having Balki say it multiple times in an episode. If he had said it only once an episode or once every few episodes, I think it would have been fine, but 3-4 times an episode is "ridiculous".

05-31-2008, 06:59 AM	#3
Daffyfan2004 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jan 23, 2004 Posts: 565	I don't think it's really overused, because after seeing the show on You Tube, I've noticed quite a few season 3 and season 4 episodes where Balki didn't say it at all. It might be more common than Urkel's 'Did I Do That' though.
	__________________ Matt: Sarah won't be joining us. She's up in her room morphing dwarves. Sam: Morphing dwarves. Matt: Yeah. First she was Grumpy. Then Happy. Now she's Pouty. Emily: There was no Dwarf called Pouty. Matt: He was in the director's cut. From "Raising Dad" a short lived sitcom with Bob Saget of "Full House" fame.

05-31-2008, 07:47 AM	#4
LeeBlue Member Forum Regular Join Date: Nov 16, 2006 Location: NYS Posts: 871	"Don't Be Ridiculous" That phrase caught on like wildfire -- I said it, my friends said it, my co-workers said it -- we all thought Balki was funny.

06-02-2008, 08:15 AM	#6
TV DVD Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 07, 2005 Posts: 2,602	It was pretty overused in seasons one and two, at least. I got to say, after watching the first fourteen episodes from the DVD, I am disappointed. I remembered the show fondly from reruns, but I'm pretty sure those were the later episodes I was watching. The early ones seem like nothing more than a cheap excuse to say "Don't be ridikulous." and "Balki, you can't do that!" "Why, Cousin?" "Because This Is America!" "Cousin, you hurt Balki's feelings." "I am lower than dirt. I hate myself." "Don't hate yourself, Cousin. I forgive you." (Hug) It definately has its moments in the first couple of seasons, but the shows can really be trimmed down from 25 minutes to about 15 and the enjoyment level would probably increase tenfold. In other words, there's too much fluff in there!
	__________________ Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Sarah Connor: Maybe if you spend your life hiding who you are, you might finally end up fooling yourself. - From the episode "Gnothi Seauton."

06-02-2008, 04:03 PM	#7
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	I do have to say I still laugh every time I think of phrases like "Well, paint me green and call me Gumby" and "Well, paint me gold and call me Oscar".
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

03-02-2008, 03:46 PM	#2
OmegaWolf747 Lowest ranking pack member Occasional Poster Join Date: Aug 21, 2007 Location: Michigan, USA Posts: 28	I don't think he said it more than two or three times in most episodes. There were times when it was funny, like when Larry and Balki were looking for Lowell Kelly's poem in the apartment. Larry reads the instruction, which ends with "please be meticulous" and Balki responds with, "Of course we will, don't be ridiculous!" Classic!

05-31-2008, 07:53 AM	#5
tv star collector I Love Susie Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 18, 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 4,486	It's no more overused than ... "Sorry about that!" (Get Smart) "Wellll, doggies!" (The Beverly Hillbillies) "Shazam!" (Gomer Pyle) "To the moon!" (The Honeymooners) "Ayyyyyyyyyyy!" (Happy Days) "What a revoltin' development this is!" (The Life of Riley) "Ooh! Ooh!" (Car 54, Where Are You?) "You rang?" (The Addams Family) In other words, catch phrases have been a staple in sitcoms for as long as there have been sitcoms. They make the characters immediately identifiable, and the same applies to your best-remembered cartoon characters: "I yam what I yam!" (Popeye) "What's up, Doc?" (Bugs Bunny) "I'm smarter than the average bear!" (Yogi Bear) "Yabba-Dabba-Doo!" (Fred Flintstone) Well, you get the idea.

06-03-2008, 08:41 AM	#9
tv star collector I Love Susie Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 18, 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 4,486	I never saw the first season. By the time I began watching Perfect Strangers, it had been on for a year or two. So, the phrase may have been overused in the early seasons. My older sister talked me into watching it. She thought that I would like it (and she was right). Although a generation older than I, we often liked the same TV programs. But I digress.

02-27-2009, 08:14 PM	#11
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	I found my old VHS tapes - the ones I used to record the final eps of PS which aired in the summer of 1993. In one of them, Larry even says to Balki, "Of course not, don't be ridiculous." It got quite a reaction from the studio audience.

03-06-2009, 10:27 AM	#12
steevo It is Green Senior Member Join Date: Dec 28, 2008 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,474	Balki had a couple of other catch phrases that I liked: "You stepped in something good this time" "On Mypos..."(Balki would frequently relate something that happened in his homeland to the present situation)
	__________________ "God be gracious to us and bless us..." Psalm 67:1

05-16-2009, 10:01 PM	#14
James Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 07, 2001 Location: Dayton, Ohio, USA Posts: 6,370	I disagree. I like "Don't be ridiculous" myself. Heck, I use it myself sometimes in conversation!