Dolly Parton's 'Yakkety Sax' Improv Is a Great Excuse for a YouTube Deep-Dive
So it seems Dolly Parton took the British isles by storm over the weekend, performing at the Glastonbury festival and breaking out in a little sax number. In particular, Dolly blew a little of that old "Yakkety Sax," appropriate since she was in the UK and that peppy little tune is so associated with British comedy program The Benny Hill Show. "
Yakkety Sax" was not only the show's theme, it was also the backdrop for it's signature sped-up wacky chase scenes, which have become legend in comedy. And legends beget imitators. The great thing about "Yakkety Sax" is that it immediately turns any garden-variety chase scene into something better. Without it, the original Benny Hill chases would be just a bunch of pasty Brits running funny.
But while Benny Hill style chases are a dime a dozen on the internet, it's important that your YouTube rabbit hole excursion be as carefully pruned as you can manage. There are a lot of car chases lazily set to "Yakkety Sax" out there. Choose one that maximizes the back-and-forth whimsy inherent in the Benny Hill inspiration.
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Okay, so real life intrudes a bit too heavily at the end of that clip, with the perp being dragged away to jail and all. Best to transition to movie clips, where there are chase scenes aplenty. Try this one from The Lord of the Rings. As Krusty the Clown taught us, it's funnier if the sap's got dignity, and who's got more dignity than Gandalf the Grey?
This Lion King clip is even better. Maybe the best of all the internet's many "Yakkety Sax" triumphs. Scar has never looked like such a scamp!
By contrast, this Ben-Hur clip is a shade too long and too same-y. Just another arena in which The Lion King bests Ben-Hur.
Let's bring things around to video games. Because you know what medium has a lot of chases? Video games. This Super Mario Bros. clip doubles as a fun Benny Hill parody and a super-fast tour through the entirety of the Mario game.
This Mario video is more crafted and less replicable, but it tells a complete story.
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Watching a Benny Hill chase made out of Assassin's Creed footage has just enough dissonance to make it great.
Also made better by the addition of "Yakkety Sax"? Sports. Though it helps if you've got material like a butt fumble to work with.
Finally, what's more pre-ordained to be a perfect fit with a Benny Hill chase than Scooby Doo. Though the presence of Johnny Bravo is a puzzler.
This article was originally published at http://www.thewire.com/entertainment/2014/06/dolly-partons-yakkety-sax-improv-is-a-great-excuse-for-a-youtube-deep-dive/373742/
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