To the Editor:
I have a brief word concerning the Jan. 23 column in The Dartmouth, "The Death of Laughter," by Assistant Professor Steve Swayne:
I am quite pleased that most of our society can appreciate the wonderful works of Mel Brooks, including his script for the musical and film "The Producers." However, Mr. Swayne's viewpoint that the musical makes light of the situation of the Jews during the Holocaust is untrue and not a reason to find the performance objectionable. The "musical within the musical" is meant to be absurd; it is meant to be the product of an insane neo-Nazi lunatic who, out of a fanatical devotion to his leader, creates a hilarious play which inadvertently depicts Hitler in a demeaning manner. Why should we find the "Springtime for Hitler" musical funny? Because we are told that the two producers wish to create a flop, and their musical exceeds our expectations in this regard. By itself, a musical entitled "Springtime for Hitler" would be appalling. In the context of the film and the musical, however, we end up laughing. Such is the genius of Mel Brooks.
As a matter of fact, this is not the first time Mel Brooks has utilized Hitler for humor. At the close of "History of the World: Part I," we are told to watch for the sequel, which will include "Hitler on Ice" (a brief clip is shown of a man dressed up like Hitler doing jumps and spins). Funny, don't you think?
In fact, Mel Brooks is not the only comedian who makes humor out of times of suffering. Both he and the British comedy group Monty Python make light of the Spanish Inquisition. In "History of the World: Part I," there is a whole song-and-dance number (quite hilarious) about the Spanish Inquisition. Why is this funny? Because it deals with a serious subject in an inane manner and depicts the leaders of objectionable parties in a demeaning way.
Similarly, Monty Python has a sketch based on the Spanish Inquisition in which, whenever a character (throughout the 30-minute show) utters the clichd line "I didn't expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition!" three red-robed gentlemen in hats rush in to an ominous chord, declaring "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!" They then go on to make fools of themselves with ridiculous tortures ("Place her in the comfy chair!" [Gasp!] "Not the comfy chair!") and everybody has a laugh. No harm done.
Certainly, the recent swastika incident and the actions taken by the Nazis in Germany are not to be laughed at. However, Mel Brooks makes us laugh at the out-of-character Hitler and at the sheer absurdity of a musical extolling the inner beauty of such a despicable man.
One more thing -- those rare tickets were wasted on someone who obviously has no sense of humor. I wish he had given them to me.
