It's Good Though
As a teenager back in the early '80's, I used to listen to Doctor Demento on Sunday Nights. I haven't thought of this in years, but this morning, one old comedy bit came back to me. It was performed by Utah Phillips back in 1974, and was called Moose Turd Pie.
I found it on Youtube this morning, and again listened to it. The comedy bit begins with several off color jokes that were acceptable at the time, but now make me cringe as I hear them. Perhaps that is good, that I have grown, matured, and become more enlightened. Perhaps that is bad, that I once found such humor funny, much less hilarious.
The joke I am thinking of is when Utah was working for the Railroad. They had a cook car, but no cook. The cook was chosen by who complained the loudest, thus setting up the scenario where you will never get good food because everyone will cook as badly as possible to get someone else to complain. Utah Phillips says he found a Moose Turd, and baked it into a pie. He made it look pretty, and he waited for someone to complain. Another railroad worker took a bite, threw down his fork, and shouted. "My God, this is Moose Turd Pie!" Then there was a pause and he continues saying. "It's good though."
At the time, I found it hilarious that he knew what kind of turd pie it had been. Obviously he'd eaten a lot of turds. When I told my father of the joke, he chuckled as well, and then explained it was a call for action as well as a joke. You can't just find the guy who will complain the loudest, and make him the cook. You have to find the person who will do the best job, and when you are that person, you have to do the best job you can.
Many people are the notional Railroad worker, shouting that it's moose turd pie, and many more are telling us it's good. It isn't good. It's a turd pie, and we shouldn't be told that it is good just because it places us in the position to do something unpleasant. The unpleasant thing is not cooking, but cleaning our own house first. Holding those cooks that we have selected to the idea that they must meet a standard, or they no longer have the job. Finding someone better, someone who will cook well, if we must.
I'm posting this " target="_blank">youtube bit here. I don't find it nearly as funny as I did, but perhaps that is because I feel like I've eaten a big old bite of that pie, and I'm told that it's good. WARNING I don't think it's safe for work.
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