I just saw a commercial for Allstate.
The first line of the fine print was “not available in every state”.
It’s from the movie that preceded the TV series. Basically, one of the characters has decided to escape the war by committing suicide, and the others decide to talk him out of it by pretending to go along with it, and give him what they tell him is a lethal dose of pills but which will actually just put him to sleep for a few hours (after which they hope that he’ll regret the attempt). As he’s preparing to take them, they sing that song to him.
The Painless Pole was suicidal because of temporary impotence, not because he wanted out of the war. Lt. Dish cured him.
Famously, Robert Altman, director of the film, said his son made a lot more from writing the song than he did as the director.
The insurance company started out as a subsidiary of Sears, which also used the brand name for car tires, car batteries, and – for a couple of years – the car itself.
Many Insurance companies are backing out of Florida, and Fire insurance in CA is getting hard to get.
And his nickname was Painless. So, it’s not so much that “Suicide doesn’t hurt” it’s more like “Our dentist buddy is miserable and wants to die”. However, of course, the meaning is in the ears of the listener.
Years ago there was a gum commercial that touted the fact that “Four out of five dentists recommend Trident to their patients who chew gum”. That extra qualifier at the end makes me think it’s not really the ringing endorsement they want you to think it is. It sounds more like the dentists said something like “Well, I really don’t recommend chewing gum at all, but if you must I guess Trident’s okay.”
That’s my answer when someone say “guess what?”
“the fifth dentist caved and they all recommend Trident now?”
The song was about 15 years old at the time, but sure, let’s use it in an advertisement trying to promote that the product is cutting-edge new.
Cecil has addressed this. (For some reason, there are two versions of that particular column.)
I thought he was the anesthesiologist.
ETA: Huh. Dentist, even in the book.
Nitpick: Operation: Just ‘Cuz was a GHWB production that invaded Panama to oust Noriega.
I’m sorry, but the correct reply to that question is, and has always been, “Chicken butt.”
Everybody knows that.
Guess why?
Chicken thigh.
When I was a kid I had the Burl Ives version, which was released as a kiddie song. So ignoring the true meaning goes back over 60 years.
And in any version, it’s still someone’s idea of a perfect place. Which is the kind of thing you do actually want in an advertisement. OK, in the modern day, you probably want to de-emphasize the booze and cigs, but there are plenty of other aspects of Big Rock Candy Mountain that would still appeal, even for a family.
According to wikipedia, when Harry McClintock recorded the first record of the song in 1928, He cleaned it up from the version he had performed live. So, bowdlerizing it goes back to the very beginning.
Browsing YouTube, it is remarkable how many different versions of the lyrics have been written over the years.
Well son-of-a-basketball player, I conflated the two. Thanks for alerting me.
Guess when?
chicken hen.