Okay, so, I’m sitting here watching Blazing Saddles, and I just saw the scene where Mongo rides into town on a steer, and on the steer’s hindquarters are painted “yes” and “no,” one on each side. Does anyone know why? What’s the joke here?
Reference to * Do the Right Thing? *
I believe it’s a reference to passing (“Yes” on the Left, “No” on the Right, indicating that you should pass only on the left). Especially back in the 70s, when Blazing Saddles was released, trucks frequently had some such message on their mudflaps to remind the car-driving public that they were supposed to pass trucks on the left, since that was the legal way to do it (and they’d have trouble seeing them on the right).
Mishell, I always thought that Mongo rode into town on an ox.
As for the OP, I’m going to agree with CalMeacham, although I am in no way sure that’s what it is.
Mongo only pawn in the game of life.
BTW, that was Alex Karras, right? Anyone have a bio on how a tackle for the Detroit Lions could find his way into comedy? If you consider Webster comedy, that is.
A coupla days ago I was watching the old Star Trek reruns on the Sci-Fi channel, and in the exterior shots, I noticed that the Enterprise had a little green light on one side of the upper dish-shaped part and red on the other, just like a boat.
In 1966 George Plimpton wrote a book on his experience as a QB for the Detroit Lions entitled Paper Lion. Plimpton was in his mid-30’s at the time, editor of The Paris Review, member of what used to be called the leisure class, and all-round Eastern establishment intellectual, but he was no snob and these seeming disadvantages did not prevent him from befriending many of his less educated and moneyed team-mates and producing a very fine book.
Large sections of the book featured Karras and his stream of conciousness monologues. Karras turned out to be both very funny and very smart, possessed of a rich sense of the absurd and a natural story-teller’s pace and attention to detail.
Plimpton’s book received highly favorable reviews and helped focus attention on Karras’ unique personality. I’m sure his friendship with Plimpton opened some doors too.
BTW, Karras also appeared in some straight dramatic roles although I can’t give any titles. I clearly recall seeing him starring in some dreary marital feature with Susan Clark. (I bet no one remembers Susan Clark.)
Though Plimpton taked about Karras in Paper Lion, he was not on the team while Plimption was playing. Karras had been suspended for a year for gambling. Plimpton told his Karras anecdotes second-hand.
The Yes/No on the back of trucks was pretty big in the 60s. There were other variations: Safe Side/Suicide comes to mind.
As far as Karras becoming an actor, it wasn’t all that unusual for ex-athletes to go into acting when their careers were done. Usually, they could use their sports fame to open doors in Hollywood.
Some who made the jump include:
Karras
Chuck Connors (actually, he quit baseball early in his career).
John Berardino (former Major League baseball player who ended up in soap operas for years).
Jim Brown (one of the NFL’s greats)
Ed Marinaro (Heisman runner up and played in the Super Bowl)
Fred Williamson (NFL – in the first Super Bowl)
Michael Warren (a member of the UCLA champions with Lou Alcindor/Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He was a drama major and went into TV and films, most notably “Hill Street Blues.”)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has 17 movie acting credits, and not always playing himself.
And of course, Shaquille O’Neal and Michael Jordan made films, but didn’t exactly make a career out of it. (So, for that matter, did Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris.)
Myrr:
Blazing Saddles preceded Do the Right Thing by 15 years. That’d be a hell of a reference.
Oh come on, Phil.
That would be easier than how Shakespeare stole the plot to “West Side Story”, dropped all the songs and dances, and tried to pass it off as his own work.
Sheesh.
Yeah, right. Like that would be the first time that Big Bill was improperly credited for the work of others…
:: running away really fast ::
Not to forget an extremely risky (professionally speaking) role in “Victor Victoria.”
You could tell how old the beast was? Failing that, BratMan007 you might want to try Merriam-Webster Dictionary to determine the difference between a steer and an ox (taking note of definition 2 for each word).
I’d suggest that somebody’s ox has apparently been gored, but I don’t want to bring politics into it …
According to my dad, though, it’s neither, it’s a bull because it had testicles. (Why my father paid attention to this, I have no idea. I also can’t verify this, I’m posting from my parents’ house and my copy of Blazing Saddles is at home. I don’t think I really care to watch the movie again just so I can see if I can spot some bovine scrotum anyway.)
Seems to me, according to the first definition in Merriam-Webster, that ox is accurate is well. Steer is accurate only if the beast in question was less than 4 years old, so ox or bull would have been a better word.
I just used the first term that popped into my head when I thought “big bovine with long horns.” Ah well, it happens. 
Thanks, CalMeacham, your explanation makes perfect sense.
You’re forgetting OJ.
He did all those ‘Police Squad!’ movies and TV shows.
-SSB
jcgmoi - You forgot to mention the film version of PAPER LION, in which Karras played himself. This was the beginning of his acting career.
Thers’s also Johnny Weissmuller and Vinny Jones - but I guess SDers easily forgret foreign people or foreign sports
Kawliga said:
I’ve never seen it. Some kind of liflong antipathy to Alan Alda. But I had no idea Karras played himself. I’ll have to look for it now.
Eutychus55 said:
You’re absolutely right and I did forget it. Thanks for covering for my short term memory loss.
Here’s 2 more football jocks who found a home when the cheering stopped: Don Meredith and Fred Dryer.