# KITH References are Wasted on the Young **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 30, 2014, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kith-references-are-wasted-on-the-young/708548 "2014-12-30T17:06:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2014, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kith-references-are-wasted-on-the-young/708548/21 "2014-12-30T20:17:36Z")
I think [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebHfMRw--sE) would help warm up the crowd before hitting them with Kids in the Hall references. [Bobby vs Satan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoAGasPLh30) is a pretty good skit of theirs. I think there were at least two “Bobby” clones in each of my classes going to school in Ontario. Their take on [snotty record store clerks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xillqqt0Y0) is a good one too. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kith-references-are-wasted-on-the-young/708548/22 "2014-12-30T20:21:23Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > “Who?” > > “Yes, Hu is the man on first base.” > > “Why’re you asking _me?_ I’m asking _you!_ What’s the name of the guy on first base?” > > “No, no; Watt is on – oh, I see what your problem is! Look, you’re confused by their names, because they all sound like questions!” What’s the reference at the end of this sketch? (I just watched it online.) It’s something about saving him from the seals, and Mr. Green’s response is " What seals? I auditioned for this job." ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2014, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kith-references-are-wasted-on-the-young/708548/23 "2014-12-30T20:25:47Z")
My pen! Celebrities, celebrities, celebrities…and stars! ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2014, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kith-references-are-wasted-on-the-young/708548/24 "2014-12-30T21:35:43Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > What’s the reference at the end of this sketch? (I just watched it online.) It’s something about saving him from the seals, and Mr. Green’s response is " What seals? I auditioned for this job." I figured, like the rest of the skit, it’s an old Vaudeville joke yet again ruined by the oblivious straight man. But I couldn’t find the joke googling. All I found was another message board discussion, but [this sounds plausible](http://www.skipmagic.net/magicboard/index.php?showtopic=30161&st=0&p=118548&#entry118548): > [@](#): > > It’s probably a reference to George Burns being in a trained seal act and then getting his big break when he teamed up with Gracie Allen. [Here’s an article](http://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city-theater/news/10-2002/burns-returns_2644.html) that sorta supports that: > > Rupert Holmes said: > > > [@](#): > > > > "He traveled a journey of American entertainment – performing on streets, in vaudeville, in movie shorts and features, on radio and television. He changed his vaudeville act – and his name – so many times. Once, he had a trained-seal act called Flipper and Friend; he was Friend. It required him to wear a jacket with a pocket full of fish. Meeting Gracie Allen changed his life. He said – and I may be paraphrasing – ‘I had a great talent, so I married her.’ > > I’m guessing that being the guy with a pocket full of fish next to trained seals doing their stuff would make his name rather forgettable. Then Gracie “saved him from the seals”… ??? Perhaps this story is better known in the stand-up comedy circles in which the KitH ran. > > Other than that, the only significant fact about seal acts and vaudeville I could find was a stab at the origin of the phrase “Hard act to follow”, which stipulated that it was an old standard in vaudeville that you DID NOT want to follow a trained animal act with your own act (unless it was also a trained animal act). Apparently the audience would be so delighted with the cute, funny animals that anything after was a letdown. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2014, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kith-references-are-wasted-on-the-young/708548/25 "2014-12-30T22:15:13Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > No, that was their gay cover band. Did they lipth-thync? ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2014, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kith-references-are-wasted-on-the-young/708548/26 "2014-12-30T22:25:19Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Sometimes, as I’m leaving work, I’ll say “I’m Doug, forget it, I’m outta heeeere”. But I’ll give you that even for KITH fans, it’s a bit obscure and even I forget about it unless I was recently watching clips. > > But, yes, most people under 30 have no idea who KITH are. As I said in another thread a while back I think The Whitest Kids You Know (WKUK) have done an amazing job or filling their niche though. Doug was from The State! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2014, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kith-references-are-wasted-on-the-young/708548/27 "2014-12-30T22:44:36Z")
> [@August\_West](#): > > Doug was from The State! 🆒 Well no wonder no one’s seen it then. I mean, there’s no reason a 25 year old should have even heard of The State. The only reason people that are in the generation behind mine should be familiar with The State/Viva Variety is if they really loved Reno911 and wanted to see what Thomas Lennon and Kerri Kenney were doing before Reno911 and noticed they were together in those shows also. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2014, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kith-references-are-wasted-on-the-young/708548/28 "2014-12-30T22:55:14Z")
The bass player. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/kgaBGu7Mlvo/hqdefault.jpg "Kids in the Hall - Bass Player") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgaBGu7Mlvo) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2014, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kith-references-are-wasted-on-the-young/708548/29 "2014-12-30T23:54:36Z")
These guys? Smoke. And you know what? They taught a dog to smoke. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kith-references-are-wasted-on-the-young/708548/30 "2014-12-31T00:17:22Z")
Dammit Danny, it’s not a symbol, it’s brown stuff! And it’s coming out of my mouth! ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kith-references-are-wasted-on-the-young/708548/31 "2014-12-31T00:19:38Z")
I really like their dystopian piece entitled “[Love and Sausages](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sON0He2mTC8)”. I read that some of the cast members were really pissed off when they made it because it took and inordinate amount of time and energy to film compared to their typical skits but it turned out really well and is still a fan favorite. My overall favorite sketch is still one of the iconic “I’m crushing your head” bits. [“Nobody’s Home”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9ucJAV3rVU) is probably my favorite of those. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kith-references-are-wasted-on-the-young/708548/32 "2014-12-31T01:34:51Z")
I like [the bad doctor](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbjypn9JtKE). ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kith-references-are-wasted-on-the-young/708548/33 "2014-12-31T01:40:18Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > That would be KOTH, not KITH. True, but it was the closest I could come. I still appreciate the explanation. ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kith-references-are-wasted-on-the-young/708548/34 "2014-12-31T01:45:40Z")
I was listening to someone talk about a possible cause of cancer, and I had to stifle a laugh. Thanks to KITH, I know the real [cause of cancer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP3X0dSV9kI). ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kith-references-are-wasted-on-the-young/708548/35 "2014-12-31T03:41:00Z")
References are an even lower form of humor than puns. (Also, I don’t remember that bit. But if it makes you feel better I can crush your head with my _freakishly small hands.)_ ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kith-references-are-wasted-on-the-young/708548/36 "2014-12-31T04:32:58Z")
I’ve got to go. I’m in the middle of a big bike race ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kith-references-are-wasted-on-the-young/708548/37 "2014-12-31T05:13:12Z")
Never put salt in my eyes… ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kith-references-are-wasted-on-the-young/708548/38 "2014-12-31T05:14:34Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > Never put salt in my eyes… Always put salt in your eyes? ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kith-references-are-wasted-on-the-young/708548/39 "2014-12-31T05:29:28Z")
Honey, are you gay again? ---
**Author:** ![DonLogan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@DonLogan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DonLogan)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kith-references-are-wasted-on-the-young/708548/40 "2014-12-31T08:47:49Z")
They have Kotex in Canada? Good to know. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kith-references-are-wasted-on-the-young/708548.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kith-references-are-wasted-on-the-young/708548.md?page=3)