Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site watnot.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!watnot!rjmoulton
From: rjmoulton@watnot.UUCP (Robert Moulton)
Newsgroups: net.tv
Subject: meta
Message-ID: <11532@watnot.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 24-Feb-86 21:17:32 EST
Article-I.D.: watnot.11532
Posted: Mon Feb 24 21:17:32 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 27-Feb-86 06:56:29 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 24

Meta jokes have been in the movies since the 1920's.  In ONE WEEK
made in 1921, a girl is having a bath and drops her soap on the
floor.  She starts up to get, sees the camera and sinks down.  Then
a hand appears from behind the camera and covers the lens.  The hand 
moves away and the girl, who now has the soap, thanks the cameraman.

The Marx Brothers have endless jokes of this sort.  In HORSE FEATHERS 
just as Chico is about to start his piano solo, Groucho says to the
camera "I have to stick around for this, buts there's no reason you
can't got out to the lobby for a smoke until this is over." 
  In ANIMAL CRACKERS, a character named Chandler mistakenly calls
Groucho by that name.  Groucho replys: "No you're Chandler, I'm....
Wait a minute, I may be Coming Next Week... for all I know."
Later in the film Groucho lets off a very bad pun, and then turns
directly to the camera and says: "You've got to expect that once
in a while, they can't all be good."

For an extended dose of meta humor, look for a film called SHERLOCK,JR.




:
: