# The comedy Airplane! was released 30 years ago! Surely you can't be serious! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 10, 2010, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comedy-airplane-was-released-30-years-ago-surely-you-cant-be-serious/546249 "2010-07-10T21:33:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comedy-airplane-was-released-30-years-ago-surely-you-cant-be-serious/546249/241 "2017-10-05T04:07:51Z")
> [@](#): > > No, we can’t do that. The risk of a flame-out is too high. Keep them at 24,000… **no, feet**. That cracks me the hell up every time. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comedy-airplane-was-released-30-years-ago-surely-you-cant-be-serious/546249/242 "2017-10-05T14:03:17Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > Any list that has “Surely you can’t be serious” as the 44th best joke in “Airplane!”, can’t be serious. People who have no clue what the Airplane! movie is about, who never saw it or heard of it, crack up when I say “And don’t call me Shirley.” I saw an interview with Leslie Nielsen, who stated that people use to come up to him on the street, say “And don’t call me Shirley” and then walk away. He had no clue that sentence would become a meme. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comedy-airplane-was-released-30-years-ago-surely-you-cant-be-serious/546249/243 "2017-10-05T14:13:11Z")
Oh! You have a guitar! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comedy-airplane-was-released-30-years-ago-surely-you-cant-be-serious/546249/244 "2017-10-05T14:16:32Z")
Surely it’s been more than 30 years since the movie came out? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comedy-airplane-was-released-30-years-ago-surely-you-cant-be-serious/546249/245 "2017-10-05T14:39:37Z")
It has, and don’t… well, you know. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comedy-airplane-was-released-30-years-ago-surely-you-cant-be-serious/546249/246 "2017-10-05T14:44:23Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > IIRC, there was a scene of the nun singing and for some medical evac kid on the plane and ripping out the IV tubes while swinging her guitar around. It wasn’t funny and there were a couple of other scenes that were kinda duds. FWIW, I laughed the hardest and longest at this scene. Not funny, my sweet white ass! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comedy-airplane-was-released-30-years-ago-surely-you-cant-be-serious/546249/247 "2017-10-05T14:48:52Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > The “oh, stewardess; I speak jive” scene is waaaaaaay too low. I mean, reasonable folks can disagree about where it ranks compared to _other_ stuff; but other instances of _jive_ stuff, which was there to build to that payoff, scored higher? C’mon. In the article, it mentions that none of the reviewers knew who the hell Barbara Billingsly even was. Hence they could NOT appreciate the truly outrageous humor in the bit, seeing Mrs. Cleaver talk like that. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comedy-airplane-was-released-30-years-ago-surely-you-cant-be-serious/546249/248 "2017-10-05T14:51:34Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > FWIW, I laughed the hardest and longest at this scene. Not funny, my sweet white ass! As a medical professional and hence official compassionate person, the sight of having a kid’s IV ripped out like that had me rolling on the floor with laughter. And it still amuses . . . All humor is based in pain, after all. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comedy-airplane-was-released-30-years-ago-surely-you-cant-be-serious/546249/249 "2017-10-05T15:32:39Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > In the article, it mentions that none of the reviewers knew who the hell Barbara Billingsly even was. Hence they could NOT appreciate the truly outrageous humor in the bit, seeing Mrs. Cleaver talk like that. I asked my daughter (22) about this after she saw the movie for the first time not too long ago. To her, Barbara was just “an old lady who spoke Jive,” which made it funny. Of course, I explained the whole “Mrs Cleaver” thing to her. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comedy-airplane-was-released-30-years-ago-surely-you-cant-be-serious/546249/250 "2017-10-05T15:41:19Z")
Now that I think about it, no one under the age of around 50 is going to make the connection between Leslie Nielsen, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves, and Robert Stack and the iconic roles they played (John Bracken, Mike Nelson, Jim Phelps, Eliot Ness). They probably have no idea who Ethel Merman was, either. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comedy-airplane-was-released-30-years-ago-surely-you-cant-be-serious/546249/251 "2017-10-05T15:55:38Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Now that I think about it, no one under the age of around 50 is going to make the connection between Leslie Nielsen, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves, and Robert Stack and the iconic roles they played (John Bracken, Mike Nelson, Jim Phelps, Eliot Ness). They probably have no idea who Ethel Merman was, either. ☹ Or even know about _Airplane!_. Several years ago I watched _Scary Movie 3_ (I think it was 3) in the theater, and I was clearly the oldest person in the audience. There’s a scene toward the end of that movie where the two main characters, a man and a woman, are attempting to defuse a big bomb. They’re sweating over the task when Leslie Nielsen sticks his head in the door and delivers his “… we’re all counting on you” line. I was literally the only person in the audience to laugh at that. Many heads turned my way, faces wearing that “what was so funny?” expression. I realized that nobody in the audience was old enough to remember _Airplane!_. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comedy-airplane-was-released-30-years-ago-surely-you-cant-be-serious/546249/252 "2017-10-05T15:59:22Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > I was literally the only person in the audience to laugh at that. Many heads turned my way, faces wearing that “what was so funny?” expression. I realized that nobody in the audience was old enough to remember _Airplane!_. The same thing happened to me the first time I saw _ **Blazing Saddles** _ (December ‘73 or January ‘74) and they got to the scene with "Badges? We don’ need no steenkin’ badges!"\* \*The line was originally from the Humphrey Bogart movie _ **The Treasure of the Sierra Madre** _ (1948). ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comedy-airplane-was-released-30-years-ago-surely-you-cant-be-serious/546249/253 "2017-10-05T16:09:23Z")
My absolute favorite joke/exchange was actually #1 on that list! Also, thanks for that list! It was hella entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comedy-airplane-was-released-30-years-ago-surely-you-cant-be-serious/546249/254 "2017-10-05T16:16:11Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > The same thing happened to me the first time I saw _ **Blazing Saddles** _ (December ‘73 or January ‘74) and they got to the scene with "Badges? We don’ need no steenkin’ badges!"\* > > \*The line was originally from the Humphrey Bogart movie _ **The Treasure of the Sierra Madre** _ (1948). [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/gx6TBrfCW54/maxresdefault.jpg "We Don't Need No Stinking Badgers!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx6TBrfCW54) ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comedy-airplane-was-released-30-years-ago-surely-you-cant-be-serious/546249/255 "2017-10-05T20:02:19Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > As a medical professional and hence official compassionate person, the sight of having a kid’s IV ripped out like that had me rolling on the floor with laughter. And it still amuses . . . > > All humor is based in pain, after all. Give credit where it’s due; Jill Whelan totally makes that scene work. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comedy-airplane-was-released-30-years-ago-surely-you-cant-be-serious/546249/256 "2017-10-05T20:30:49Z")
> [@TPWombat](#): > > I just wanted to wish this thread good luck. Are you counting on it? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comedy-airplane-was-released-30-years-ago-surely-you-cant-be-serious/546249/257 "2017-10-05T21:07:13Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Give credit where it’s due; Jill Whelan totally makes that scene work. Say no more, say no more! 🆒 [![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1600/1*euIJaI39S3nexsQgmBd-2A.png) ](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1600/1*euIJaI39S3nexsQgmBd-2A.png) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comedy-airplane-was-released-30-years-ago-surely-you-cant-be-serious/546249/258 "2017-10-05T21:27:27Z")
I was just looking at Joke #3 on the complete list. Isn’t the way Joey is staring at that model plane very … suggestive? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comedy-airplane-was-released-30-years-ago-surely-you-cant-be-serious/546249/259 "2017-10-05T22:23:50Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > I was literally the only person in the audience to laugh at that. Many heads turned my way, faces wearing that “what was so funny?” expression. I realized that nobody in the audience was old enough to remember _Airplane!_. Commiserations, old man. I was the only person in the theater watching “Twilight Zone: The Movie” who laughed at the line: “I told you guys we shouldn’t have shot Lt. Neidermeyer!” Hell, the interval between those two movies was only about four years, IIRC. * * * “I want the kids in bed before ten, the dog brought in, the cat put out, and tell the milkman: NO MORE CHEESE!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comedy-airplane-was-released-30-years-ago-surely-you-cant-be-serious/546249/260 "2017-10-05T22:46:42Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > [Every joke from “Airplane!” ranked from worst to best.](https://bullshit.ist/every-joke-from-airplane-ranked-bada7d0e7c0f) One seems to be missing (or rather, #60 is incomplete), but that’s okay because I didn’t get that it was a joke myself until years later. Controller: [talking on telephone] But this Striker guy has no airline experience at all, he’s a menace to himself and everything else in the air. [pause] Yes, birds, too. [camera pans left] McCroskey: Okay, I know! But what other choice have we got? [hangs up phone] It was a _long_ time before I realized they were supposed to be talking to each other, via telephone, across a distance of about six feet. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comedy-airplane-was-released-30-years-ago-surely-you-cant-be-serious/546249.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-comedy-airplane-was-released-30-years-ago-surely-you-cant-be-serious/546249.md?page=14)