The jokes I don't understand - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

fandu44 · 10-05-2015, 03:59 PM

Hello everyone,

I am writing here to tell you something about the golden girls.
I love this show I have all 7 DVD's of all seasons.
I love the dialogs, the writing is amazing.
There is only one thing I don't understand.
It's about the jokes when they use a name of an american celebrity.
Of course when they compare someone with Jane Fonda or Mickael Jackson i get the point but most of the time (8 times on 10) I don't get it.
It's sometimes very frustrating because Im sure these jokes are amazing if i would get them.
So my questions is for the Americans, these comparaisons about celebrities are really funny. Do i miss a lot by not understand them ?
thanks for your answers

bandonurse · 10-05-2015, 05:58 PM

If you aren't familiar with the celebrities that the G.G.'s reference in an episode, I can imagine it would lead to confusion, and not finding the joke as funny as people who do know who they are.

But if it helps, most of the references were so silly and nonsensical anyway, your not knowing who they were probably doesn't mean all that much.

i.e.: Blanche's insistence on comparing herself to Susan Anton, (very tall and blonde actress) and Christie Brinkley, (tall, blonde supermodel) neither of whom she even remotely resembled.

Ron Ron · 10-06-2015, 12:33 AM

I also remember when Blanche said that she was Mrs. Angie Dickinson….LOL

'80sSitcoms · 10-06-2015, 11:26 AM

Sophia once made a joke about Buster Crabbe and I had to look him up, lol. And when I was younger I didn't get her Dick Cavet joke.

bandonurse · 10-06-2015, 03:59 PM

Wow!

If you're so young you even had to look up Dick Cavet, I can just imagine your not knowing who Buster Crabbe was. He was even before MY time, and I'm 65!

Sometimes we "oldsters" forget that lots of names don't immediately bring a face to mind with younger generations. I'm sure there are millions of teenagers who wouldn't recognize a photo of Paul Newman if they saw one.

fandu44 · 10-06-2015, 04:45 PM

Well I am not that Young as i was born in 1985 but I am french so I don't know all the celebrities they compare themselves sometimes in their jokes

bandonurse · 10-06-2015, 05:07 PM

fandu44,
Do you live in the U.S. now, or do you watch the Golden Girls in France?

By the way, either way, your English is awesome.

fandu44 · 10-06-2015, 05:26 PM

Thanks Bandonurse,

I live in France so I Watch the GG on DVD. I used to live in London 5 years that might explain why my level is better than the other frenchs (but their levels is so low that it's not so difficult to have a better one)

'80sSitcoms · 10-07-2015, 08:24 AM

The sitcom with the most celebrity references I have ever seen is, believe it or not, Mama's Family (which started out with Betty and Rue). I had to look up names like "Zola Budd" and "F. Lee" to get many of those jokes! lol

DJM77 · 10-07-2015, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

The sitcom with the most celebrity references I have ever seen is, believe it or not, Mama's Family (which started out with Betty and Rue). I had to look up names like "Zola Budd" and "F. Lee" to get many of those jokes! lol

I'd guess that The Wayans Brothers would possibly have more.

Oriole Adams · 10-07-2015, 01:41 PM

Apparently a lot of viewers who only caught the show later in reruns didn't understand a lot of the topical names mentioned. Here's an entire article that explains some of the references used on The Golden Girls.

fandu44 · 10-07-2015, 04:21 PM

Thank you Oriole Adams that helps a lot to understand the jokes !
Incredible, I love this show !
Does this show still rerun on TV in America in 2015 ?

bandonurse · 10-07-2015, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fandu44

Does this show still rerun on TV in America in 2015 ?

On at least two different channels, fandu

Both TVLand and The Hallmark Channel show marathons of GG every week. Hallmark Channel shows two hours of them, every day, twice per day. That's how beloved our Golden Girls are here in America! LOL

'80sSitcoms · 10-08-2015, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJM77

I'd guess that The Wayans Brothers would possibly have more.

Oh I don't know, Mama's Family surprising has a LOT...many more than you would dare to think.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oriole Adams

Apparently a lot of viewers who only caught the show later in reruns didn't understand a lot of the topical names mentioned. Here's an entire article that explains some of the references used on The Golden Girls.

Hey, I was with the show from day 1 in September 1985, and I still didn't understand a lot of the topical names; the thing is, I was only 7 years young.

Coffeecup · 10-23-2015, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bandonurse

Wow!

If you're so young you even had to look up Dick Cavet, I can just imagine your not knowing who Buster Crabbe was. He was even before MY time, and I'm 65!

Sometimes we "oldsters" forget that lots of names don't immediately bring a face to mind with younger generations. I'm sure there are millions of teenagers who wouldn't recognize a photo of Paul Newman if they saw one.

I sometimes goes the other way. Many people of the last 20 years I don't know.

10-05-2015, 03:59 PM	#1
fandu44 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Aug 02, 2010 Posts: 14	The jokes I don't understand Hello everyone, I am writing here to tell you something about the golden girls. I love this show I have all 7 DVD's of all seasons. I love the dialogs, the writing is amazing. There is only one thing I don't understand. It's about the jokes when they use a name of an american celebrity. Of course when they compare someone with Jane Fonda or Mickael Jackson i get the point but most of the time (8 times on 10) I don't get it. It's sometimes very frustrating because Im sure these jokes are amazing if i would get them. So my questions is for the Americans, these comparaisons about celebrities are really funny. Do i miss a lot by not understand them ? thanks for your answers

10-05-2015, 05:58 PM	#2
bandonurse Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 17, 2015 Location: Mentor, Ohio Posts: 1,082	If you aren't familiar with the celebrities that the G.G.'s reference in an episode, I can imagine it would lead to confusion, and not finding the joke as funny as people who do know who they are. But if it helps, most of the references were so silly and nonsensical anyway, your not knowing who they were probably doesn't mean all that much. i.e.: Blanche's insistence on comparing herself to Susan Anton, (very tall and blonde actress) and Christie Brinkley, (tall, blonde supermodel) neither of whom she even remotely resembled.

10-06-2015, 12:33 AM	#3
Ron Ron Member Senior Member Join Date: Oct 30, 2005 Posts: 2,138	I also remember when Blanche said that she was Mrs. Angie Dickinson….LOL

10-06-2015, 11:26 AM	#4
'80sSitcoms Member Forum Star Join Date: Jan 30, 2013 Posts: 12,474	Sophia once made a joke about Buster Crabbe and I had to look him up, lol. And when I was younger I didn't get her Dick Cavet joke.

10-06-2015, 03:59 PM	#5
bandonurse Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 17, 2015 Location: Mentor, Ohio Posts: 1,082	Wow! If you're so young you even had to look up Dick Cavet, I can just imagine your not knowing who Buster Crabbe was. He was even before MY time, and I'm 65! Sometimes we "oldsters" forget that lots of names don't immediately bring a face to mind with younger generations. I'm sure there are millions of teenagers who wouldn't recognize a photo of Paul Newman if they saw one.

10-06-2015, 04:45 PM	#6
fandu44 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Aug 02, 2010 Posts: 14	Well I am not that Young as i was born in 1985 but I am french so I don't know all the celebrities they compare themselves sometimes in their jokes

10-06-2015, 05:07 PM	#7
bandonurse Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 17, 2015 Location: Mentor, Ohio Posts: 1,082	fandu44, Do you live in the U.S. now, or do you watch the Golden Girls in France? By the way, either way, your English is awesome.

10-06-2015, 05:26 PM	#8
fandu44 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Aug 02, 2010 Posts: 14	Thanks Bandonurse, I live in France so I Watch the GG on DVD. I used to live in London 5 years that might explain why my level is better than the other frenchs (but their levels is so low that it's not so difficult to have a better one)

10-07-2015, 08:24 AM	#9
'80sSitcoms Member Forum Star Join Date: Jan 30, 2013 Posts: 12,474	The sitcom with the most celebrity references I have ever seen is, believe it or not, Mama's Family (which started out with Betty and Rue). I had to look up names like "Zola Budd" and "F. Lee" to get many of those jokes! lol

10-07-2015, 01:41 PM	#11
Oriole Adams Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jun 21, 2004 Posts: 75	Apparently a lot of viewers who only caught the show later in reruns didn't understand a lot of the topical names mentioned. Here's an entire article that explains some of the references used on The Golden Girls.

10-07-2015, 04:21 PM	#12
fandu44 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Aug 02, 2010 Posts: 14	Thank you Oriole Adams that helps a lot to understand the jokes ! Incredible, I love this show ! Does this show still rerun on TV in America in 2015 ?