# Neil Gaiman's American Gods - comedian mention

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-american-gods-comedian-mention/345509>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 21, 2006, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-american-gods-comedian-mention/345509 "2006-02-21T18:52:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Improv\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-american-gods-comedian-mention/345509/1 "2006-02-21T18:52:30Z")

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Alright, I’m wrapping up this amazing book and I’ve kept up with a lot of his references to people or $dieties but he made an offhand mention which has baffled me and I don’t know who he is referring to.

He mentioned someone who looks like a comedian who dies in the 1920s getting out of a car with hooves and fur covered legs. Alright so this person is a faun, I got that much, but I can’t figure out who the comedian is supposed to be. What famous comedian died in the 1920s?

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**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-american-gods-comedian-mention/345509/2 "2006-02-21T19:04:03Z")

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I read that several years ago, so I don’t recall the reference – might it have been to [Fatty Arbuckle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatty_Arbuckle)?

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**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-american-gods-comedian-mention/345509/3 "2006-02-21T20:13:56Z")

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> [@twickster](#):
>
> I read that several years ago, so I don’t recall the reference – might it have been to [Fatty Arbuckle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatty_Arbuckle)?

If it was Fatty Arbuckle (who died in the 30s, not the 20s), it could make some sense from an inaccurate point of view. Satyr=sexual predator=Virginia Rappe scandal. Even though the “everyone knows” sequence of events is pretty much completely wrong.

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**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-american-gods-comedian-mention/345509/4 "2006-02-21T20:21:19Z")

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Okay, I said I was totally guessing. (Hmph, pretty fancy talk from someone who doesn’t know diddly about bleu cheese. 😛 )

**ronin** – could you quote a sentence or two? We’re guessing pretty damn blind here.