# Blazing Saddles: French Mistake or Mystique? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 6, 2009, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-french-mistake-or-mystique/495508 "2009-05-06T02:53:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-french-mistake-or-mystique/495508/1 "2009-05-06T02:53:21Z")
For decades, I thought it was Doing the French Mistake. My buddy SWEARS it’s Mystique! Searches show a pretty close race between the two. Help a girl out! ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-french-mistake-or-mystique/495508/2 "2009-05-06T03:02:13Z")
[French Mistake](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMK6lzmSk2o) according to this youtube clip title. Is it coincidence that you are asking the question today, after Buddy Bizarre (Dom Deluise) died today? “This is closed set” “Please not in the face” ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-french-mistake-or-mystique/495508/3 "2009-05-06T03:05:08Z")
Your boyfriend is [wrong.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMK6lzmSk2o) Were you new here I’d tell you have the SDMB’s authorization to, because it’s a Mel Brooks movie, question his masculinity, but you know that by now. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-french-mistake-or-mystique/495508/4 "2009-05-06T03:15:28Z")
[Urban dictionary](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=French%20Mistake) hints at it predating the movie. Don’t know if that’s true. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-french-mistake-or-mystique/495508/5 "2009-05-06T12:37:59Z")
Am I the only one who thinks that song is a blatant ripoff of the _Varsity Drag_? ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-french-mistake-or-mystique/495508/6 "2009-05-06T14:13:28Z")
The movie’s credits list it as “The French Mistake”. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-french-mistake-or-mystique/495508/7 "2009-05-06T14:32:13Z")
You should walk him through the song, introducing it with, “One, and two, and watch me faggots!” (N.B. I’m very supportive of gay rights, but that line just kills me for some reason. I also feel kind of OK about it because Mel is such an equal opportunity offender. I also laugh like hell at . . . but we don’t want the Irish!, which is my background.) ---
**Author:** ![St.Urho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e7dd6/32.png) [@St.Urho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Urho)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-french-mistake-or-mystique/495508/8 "2009-05-06T14:33:53Z")
Like **Kizarvexius** said, [IMDB](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071230/soundtrack) lists it as “The French Mistake” with music and lyrics by Mel Brooks. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-french-mistake-or-mystique/495508/9 "2009-05-06T14:39:04Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Is it coincidence that you are asking the question today, after Buddy Bizarre (Dom Deluise) died today? You jest? Please sir, you jest? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-french-mistake-or-mystique/495508/10 "2009-05-06T14:54:57Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > You jest? Please sir, you jest? [Mourn here.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=516538) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-french-mistake-or-mystique/495508/11 "2009-05-06T14:58:53Z")
Mistake. It’s a play on mystique, that’s the joke. 😛 > [@Sigmagirl](#): > > Am I the only one who thinks that song is a blatant ripoff of the _Varsity Drag_? There are probably about a million generic songs that sound a lot like the Varsity Drag. It’s not exactly A Day in the Life. You know what sounds awful? An unrehearsed high school band, playing the Varsity Drag at half speed. I’m glad I didn’t do that show. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-french-mistake-or-mystique/495508/12 "2009-05-06T17:46:45Z")
I always assumed that the “mistake” they were referring to was being gay, since all the dancers were “fagots” and the dance moves they were advocating were extremely effeminate. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course…TRM