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It Pays To Be Ignorant

Usage: Public Domain

Episodes of the old-time radio series "It Pays To Be Ignorant". Titles come from the first question asked.

Addeddate: 2007-06-12 00:00:00

Boxid: OL100020613

External_metadata_update: 2019-03-23T09:19:10Z

Format: Audio

Identifier: ItPaysToBeIgnorant

Keywords: Old Time Radio; It Pays To Be Ignorant

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/

Resource: audio

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Reviews

Reviewer: NoSpillBlood - - November 3, 2014
Subject: The obligatory rave review

Rehearsed or unrehearsed isn't even an issue because it is obviously chaotic performance comedy, not a real quiz show. Taking it at face value, it delivers. It's fast and funny. It's impolite. (There are "that woman was so fat" jokes, which have, if anything, increased in popularity the more they have become un-PC. -- The great grandfather of snaps and "your momma is so" jokes.)

In light of this last, I think it's a show whose time has come. Again. In terms of content and likely demographic (which isn't really our business), I don't see a wide variance between a three minute Spike Jones record, highlights from an episode of In Living Color or Benny Hill, and this show. It has precisely that level of appeal.

So this is not a highbrow wit series. I am not sure those radio comedians who were touted in their time as heavyweight satirists and wits fare as well with the laugh meter today as this series. I don't believe they do. It's scatter shot, daft as can be whenever it can rise to that, and drawn on very old jokes and stereotypes. It will either strike your funny bone or leave you uninvolved.

I like it. Not all the time, every day, exclusively, but as a clean breath of fresh air, definitely so.

Reviewer: beautman1 - - July 27, 2010
Subject: Music by Nat Novick

In several of shows from around 44-45, there are wonderfully complex and clever satirical musical numbers in the style now associated with Carl Stalling & Warner cartoons. They're performed by Nat Novick and His Orchestra, which also plays more conventional dance band arrangements to kill time at the end of the shows or accompany singers. Nat (Nathan) Novick was a Juilliard trained "serious" composer and violinist who also was part of the long-running Bell Telephone Hour. There's information about him on a facebook page.

Reviewer: Razzilla - - April 1, 2010
Subject: You may need to slow down that first show

The Reigning beauty episode sounds like it came straight out of Alvin & The Chipmunks...

Other than that...it's perfect...

***

I have dates for most of these...

What Is A Hospitable Dog 460104
What is a Gentleman 441201
What is a Revolver (Still the only undated show in my collection)
Why Are Women Like The Ocean 460111
***

So far all the shows found to this date can be found here...
http://razzilla.multiply.com/music/item/2622
http://razzilla.multiply.com/music/item/8374

Reviewer: brforsberg - - March 27, 2010
Subject: Great shows

Really enjoyed listening to these shows. I like It Pays to be Ignorant. I hope you post more.

Reviewer: Pitt Cairn - - March 20, 2008
Subject: Simple Humour

Hi,

I agree with David that the show is pretty simplistic, and obviously rehearsed. But the timing and interaction among the cast is pretty good, and you can get some good one-liners out of the show.

Reviewer: pokermatt - - June 27, 2007
Subject: Corrections

Corrected the Reigning Beauty episode in May.

Reviewer: davidinberkeley - - May 16, 2007
Subject: For a specific type of humor

To give a little more info about the show, I'll offer my opinion, even if it isn't a rave review.

I have liked a number OTR game shows. I have to say that this one was not to my taste but not because it was poorly done. This show plays to a pretty specific type of humor, to my mind, and that is the type of joke that I associate with a burlesque show. The panelists are similar types to that type of show, too (loud, unattractive woman, et. al.)

Now this wasn't to my taste, but it might be to yours, since they do this sort of humor very well, and non-stop.

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