Mel Brooks, who gave us classics like Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs and Blazing Saddles, was obviously a pioneer in the world of movie spoofs. Even before he directed a single film, Brooks parodied the art house animation world when he came up with the concept for the Oscar-winning short The Critic.
One might assume that Brooks is therefore a fan of 1980’s Airplane!, one of the most beloved big-screen spoofs of all-time. And while he did commend David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker’s approach to humor, that praise came with a big caveat.
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Back in 1981, Brooks sat for an interview with The New York Times to discuss his newest movie A History of the World, Part I. Today, the anthology comedy is widely beloved, and even inspired the recent pseudo-sequel streaming series History of the World, Part II, but when it was first released a number of critics went after Brooks’ film, arguing that it was just too crass for its own good. What is the statute of limitations on joking about the Spanish Inquisition?
“Bad taste, insensitivity to Jewish sufferings and a fascination with scatology were among the sins charged to Mr. Brooks’ account,” The Times explained.
“I prefer to call them Rabelaisian,” Brooks said of his perceived vulgarities. ”I put an enormous R on this picture. I could have taken a few things out, and got a different rating. But I didn’t make the movie for kids.”
Brooks also suggested that his film was more weighty than most comedies, including the relatively new ZAZ blockbuster. “Look, I could have taken the easy way. I enjoyed Airplane!. I laughed my sides out. But it didn’t dare much. History of the World Part I is a big meal. It takes some digesting. It’s about the eternal verities seen through the warped prism of my own observation.”
Of his old co-stars, The Muppets, he said, “they’re fun, but they don’t offer you a lot to chew on, they don’t offend, challenge, provoke.”
Keep in mind, this was before Kermit decided to feast on the flesh of his girlfriend’s kin at Denny’s.
With all due respect to Brooks, A History of the World, Part I wasn’t exactly the most intellectual, ground-breaking work of comedy, either. It’s not even the edgiest Brooks movie! Plus, Airplane! did have some moments that arguably seemed more daring, and certainly more vulgar, than Brooks’ movie.
While Brooks may have been a tad salty about the ZAZ team’s ambitions at the start of the ‘80s, by the end of the decade, he was actually helping them. Reportedly, Brooks suggested a gag for The Naked Gun: when Frank is dressed as an umpire and gets hit in the head with a bat.
After all, it’s good to be the King of Spoofs.
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