# "A Mind is a Terrible Thing"--Help Me Remember This Comedy Skit
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-help-me-remember-this-comedy-skit/339015
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [January 8, 2006, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-help-me-remember-this-comedy-skit/339015 "2006-01-08T15:40:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2006, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-help-me-remember-this-comedy-skit/339015/1 "2006-01-08T15:40:43Z")
A little while ago, a colleague of mine was doing a presentation to us and make a really dumb and funny mistake. He was cool about it, he put his hand over his face, then took it down and, with a really goofy facial expression said, “Give to the college of your choice. Because a mind…is a terrible thing!”
Funny thing was, I remembered that line from a comedy sketch somewhere, somewhen. (I think it was a parody of a pro football player, but can’t remember anything else)
I asked him about it after the meeting, but he didn’t even remember that much. Just that he’d heard it somewhere, too.
Anyone out there know where this came from?
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2006, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-help-me-remember-this-comedy-skit/339015/2 "2006-01-08T15:45:13Z")
Well, there is this quote, attributed to former Vice President Dan Quayle:
> [@](#):
>
> What a terrible thing to have lost one’s mind. Or not to have a mind at all. How true that is.
There may have been an Saturday Night Live skit about this as well.
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### Author:  [@DrMemory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrMemory)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2006, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-help-me-remember-this-comedy-skit/339015/3 "2006-01-08T15:46:08Z")
It began as an Television ad for the United Negro Collage Fund. The line was,
“Give to the collage of your choice, Because a mind is a terrible thing to waste.”
Ads, if I remember correctly, were in the late 60’s-70’s.
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### Author:  [@dinahmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dinahmoe)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2006, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-help-me-remember-this-comedy-skit/339015/4 "2006-01-08T15:48:45Z")
I remember this! It was an HBO comedy special back in the 80’s. The guy did a bunch of different stereotypes of college football players, and one was a really dumb one who thought his number was 72, but when he looked down, realized it was 27. I was only about 12 when it aired, so forgive me for not knowing who the comedian was. I’ll try to google around and see what I come up with.
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### Author:  [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2006, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-help-me-remember-this-comedy-skit/339015/5 "2006-01-08T16:00:44Z")
Bob Nelson, a stand-up comic from Long Island.
In this bit he would put on a big sweater as a football jersey, balloons at the shoulders for pads, and a silly football helmet.
“Let’s meet the college all-stars!”
Then he’d repeatedly run up to the mic and introduce himself as various players. One of them was a dumb lineman who gives an extended speech including the line in question.
You’re welcome. 🙂
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### Author:  [@dinahmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dinahmoe)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2006, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-help-me-remember-this-comedy-skit/339015/6 "2006-01-08T16:04:56Z")
Thats awesome. You’re back with the answer while I was still putting on my helmet and them sholda-ma-pads.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2006, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-help-me-remember-this-comedy-skit/339015/7 "2006-01-08T16:09:29Z")
He was introduced on the Rodney Dangefield special “It’s Not Easy Being Me”. A show that also featured Sam Kinison, Jerry Seinfeld, Roseanne Barr, and Robert Townsend.
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### Author:  [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2006, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-help-me-remember-this-comedy-skit/339015/8 "2006-01-08T16:11:54Z")
_“And it must be stopped, in our lifetime!”_
Entire college semesters, gone from waking memory forever; yet snippets of improv comedy routines viewed at 1 AM on cable somehow linger.
Come to think of it, there may be a cause-and-effect relationship there somewhere. If I could only recall what else I was doing at 1 AM during that period of my life…
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### Author:  [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2006, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-help-me-remember-this-comedy-skit/339015/9 "2006-01-08T17:07:56Z")
Hey, thanks. Now I know where to search this thing down at!
You’re all the best!
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### Author:  [@BoringDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoringDad)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2006, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-help-me-remember-this-comedy-skit/339015/10 "2006-01-08T17:23:48Z")
> [@LiveOnAPlane](#):
>
> Hey, thanks. Now I know where to search this thing down at!
I did the arduous Google search to come up with [this site](http://www.bobnelson.com/video.htm) to buy a video of it.
Lance, University of San Francisco… tight end.
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### Author:  [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2006, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-help-me-remember-this-comedy-skit/339015/11 "2006-01-08T17:29:19Z")
> [@Colibri](#):
>
> Well, there is this quote, attributed to former Vice President Dan Quayle:
I believe the actual quotation, which he introduced as being the slogan for the United Negro College Fund, is something to the effect of “What a waste it is to lose one’s mind. Or, having no mind can be very wasteful. How true that is.”
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### Author:  [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2006, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-help-me-remember-this-comedy-skit/339015/12 "2006-01-08T21:41:56Z")
Is this the same routine where he goes on to say that one time he had his head ripped clean off but the doctors sewed it back on and the doctors said he had “dain bramage”?
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### Author:  [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2006, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-help-me-remember-this-comedy-skit/339015/13 "2006-01-09T01:16:03Z")
“I play football. With a football. On a football field.”
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2006, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-help-me-remember-this-comedy-skit/339015/14 "2006-01-09T01:40:52Z")
> [@Wile E](#):
>
> Is this the same routine where he goes on to say that one time he had his head ripped clean off but the doctors sewed it back on and the doctors said he had “dain bramage”?
Yep. He also did one guy who had his helmet on sideways. When he walked up to the mike, he just grunted his name and walked off with the mike stuck in his helmet.
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### Author:  [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2006, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-help-me-remember-this-comedy-skit/339015/15 "2006-01-09T02:32:00Z")
> [@Turek](#):
>
> “I play football. With a football. On a football field.”
“If it was not for football, I would not being playing football today.”
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### Author:  [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2006, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-help-me-remember-this-comedy-skit/339015/16 "2006-01-09T13:56:07Z")
> [@Greg Charles](#):
>
> “If it was not for football, I would not being playing football today.”
🙂 Heh, I’d forgotten that line.
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### Author:  [@UselessGit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UselessGit)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2006, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-help-me-remember-this-comedy-skit/339015/17 "2006-01-09T14:24:00Z")
Funny… I was actually thinking yesterday, while cleaning the house (it was a heck of a New Year’s party) that waste was a terrible thing to mind. That is all.
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### Author:  [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2006, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-help-me-remember-this-comedy-skit/339015/18 "2006-01-09T14:53:15Z")
A waist is also a terrible thing to mind.
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### Author:  [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2006, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-help-me-remember-this-comedy-skit/339015/19 "2006-01-09T15:11:36Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#):
>
> He was introduced on the Rodney Dangefield special “It’s Not Easy Being Me”. A show that also featured Sam Kinison, Jerry Seinfeld, Roseanne Barr, and Robert Townsend.
I remember that special, it also featured Jeff Altman. Kind of funny that of all those comedians, Altman was the only one who already had a starring TV role under his belt: Pink Lady and Jeff.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2006, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-help-me-remember-this-comedy-skit/339015/20 "2006-01-09T15:13:36Z")
> [@Sublight](#):
>
> I remember that special, it also featured Jeff Altman. Kind of funny that of all those comedians, Altman was the only one who already had a starring TV role under his belt: Pink Lady and Jeff.
LA LA LA LA \*\*\*There is no such person as Jeff “Butt Steak” Altman \*\*\*\* LA LA LA LA
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