I Hate to Say It…
Cidu Bill on Jan 16th 2010
Elyrest sent me this as an LOL. And it is funny, but… I understand the whole everybody-hates-mimes thing (most memorably expressed in Die Hard 3), but what’s the joke here other than “mimes are bad”? Is there significance to a mime cop? And for that matter, wouldn’t a mime be a pretty ineffective interrogator?
I guess that would make him a “bad cop,” but in an entirely different sense.
Filed in Bill Bickel, CIDU, Non Sequitur, Wiley Miller, comic strips, comics, comics that made us laugh out loud, humor, lol | 23 responses so far
Robert Jan 16th 2010 at 09:18 pm 1
Here’s my take -
the mime is going to _be interrogated_, and all the volunteers are to be the
‘bad cop’. The supervisor’s problem is that nobody wants to volunteer to
be ‘nice’ to the mime.
Personally, I think this is a rather elderly gag - can’t remember the last time I saw a street
mime in real life.
Sari Everna Jan 16th 2010 at 09:18 pm 2
No, no. The mime isn’t a cop at all. The mime is the suspect. All the cops want to play bad cop in this interrogation and none want to be the good cop.
Cidu Bill Jan 16th 2010 at 09:22 pm 3
Oh. Duh. Okay, that does make more sense.
I still have a feeling the mime will invoke his right to remain silent, though.
mdt48302 Jan 16th 2010 at 09:47 pm 4
You don’t get a rimshot when you do your own setup.
Lola Jan 16th 2010 at 09:51 pm 5
ve have vays to make you talk
Elyrest Jan 16th 2010 at 11:34 pm 6
Bill, I didn’t send it in as a CIDU, but I guess to you it was. Everyone wants to beat up the mime. I’m not sure where hatred of mimes came from because when I first saw Marcel Marceau back in the 70’s people seemed to like mimes. By the 80’s when Diane Chambers was doing a mime bit in Cheers people hated them.
Good rimshot.
Arthur Jan 16th 2010 at 11:46 pm 7
People don’t hate mimes. They hate STREET mimes. Those are the people who
will follow unsuspecting passersby (especially those who ignore the mime)
parodying their walks. They may be in the way of pedestrian traffic, but
will be upset at people walking through THEIR performance space.
docdonn Jan 17th 2010 at 11:11 am 8
The suspect is supposed to confess to the good cop, after the bad cop’s abuse, the suspect is a mime, so it’s
pointless to be the good cop.
David N Jan 17th 2010 at 11:14 am 9
Plus, the good cop has to be able to keep a straight face when the lawyer says, “My client is invoking his right to remain silent.” Might just turn him into the bad cop, right there!
Rainey Jan 17th 2010 at 02:00 pm 10
I suspect that the mime will use some type of non-verbal communication if he confesses.
Woodrowfan Jan 17th 2010 at 03:25 pm 11
Hang him upside down in the scorpion pit with a sign reading “Learn the Words.”
Robert Jan 17th 2010 at 04:40 pm 12
Woodrow for the win!
Greg Jan 17th 2010 at 05:16 pm 13
I will rcommend that everyone take the time to watch the movie “Shakes the Clown”. It has one of the most disgusting/funny opening scenes of any movie I have seen.
The basic plot is that Shakes, the title character must go into hiding. Since clowns despise mimes, he figures nobody will suspect he is hiding at a mime school run by Robin Williams. Robin’s cameo appearance makes the film worth watching all by itseld.
Telesam Jan 17th 2010 at 08:43 pm 14
Mimes are underrated IMO. Of all the annoying people in the world, at least they’re the quietest.
mkilby Jan 18th 2010 at 02:07 am 15
I’ve never seen Die Hard 3, but I do recall a scene near the end of a (romantic?) film where the leading male character is watching a mime performing in the park, and then carefully shoves the mime, just as he is balancing on one leg. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the name of the movie.
chuckers Jan 18th 2010 at 04:15 am 16
I think this is the bit Greg was referring to (WARNING: MULTIPLE FOUR LETTER WORDS ARE USED.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9uP5hGrEpM
mkilby’s movie sounds vaguely familiar but I can’t place it either. I don’t recall the Die Hard 3 scene either but it has been a LONG time since I have seen it.
chuckers Jan 18th 2010 at 04:38 am 17
Maybe mkilby’s film is this one:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119109/
Which is strange because I am pretty sure I haven’t seen it. So maybe it isn’t. Still googling.
mkilby Jan 18th 2010 at 05:16 am 18
@ chuckers - I don’t think it was Robin Williams who did the shoving. I’ve been racking my brain for a character with the right amount of insensitivity to dump a mime onto the ground, but the only possibility I’ve thought of so far is Mr. Bean (in which case, it must have been one of the “short” films). Anyone else have an idea?
Elyrest Jan 18th 2010 at 12:42 pm 19
I know the movie that mkilby was talking about and I have been trying to remember it since Saturday - I was going to refer to this movie, but couldn’t come up with it. I have a clear image of the whole scene - all, but the face of the pusher. I’m pretty sure it was a romantic comedy and no, it wasn’t Mr. Bean.
Elyrest Jan 18th 2010 at 02:29 pm 20
Success! The movie mkilby (15) refers to is Tootsie (19820. It’s Dustin Hoffman who pushes the mime.
chuckers Jan 19th 2010 at 05:00 am 21
Tootsie I have seen but that was 28 years ago. Been trying to find the clip on youtube without much success. Certainly not in the ending of it.
mkilby Jan 20th 2010 at 05:38 pm 22
@ Elyrest (20) - Bingo! Thanks for digging that one up. I think the reason that I couldn’t place Dustin Hoffman in the scene is that it was filmed from so far up that you don’t really see his face when he shoves the mime.
Elyrest Jan 20th 2010 at 07:48 pm 23
You’re welcome mkilby (22). I know that one reason I had trouble coming up with it was mentally visualizing the person. You’re right, it’s a far shot.