Enjoy Stuff: The Genius of Tom Lehrer
Tom Lehrer was an American songwriter and satirist whose songs have been making audiences laugh for decades. His dark humor and sharp wit made people think about some heavy issues of the day, from war to politics. Let’s learn about Tom Lehrer on Enjoy Stuff – A TechnoRetro Podcast
If you listened to the Dr. Demento show in the 80’s, you probably heard some of the comedy stylings of Tom Lehrer. His clever song parodies paved the way for greats such as Weird Al Yankovic. Jay and Shua take a look at his work and why we love it.
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What we’re Enjoying
Shua checked out the dark, thought provoking, Arthurian legend The Green Knight. If you dig thinking about the movies you watch and tons of symbolism you might want to check it out. Jay just finished Andy Weir’s “Project Hail Mary” book. Another fun one that he has been enjoying.
Enjoy Life
Tom Lehrer has an educational background in math, but he is best known for his songs he performed in the 50’s and 60’s. It was a time in history that our culture really needed some humor to help us understand and cope with some pretty nasty stuff happening in the world.
Even the threat of World War III wasn’t off limits to Lehrer’s wit. Plus, he accessed the deepest, darkest, depths of his imagination by writing about some truly disturbing topics like Poisoning Pigeons in the Park. He once said, “If, after hearing my songs, just one human being is inspired to say something nasty to a friend, or perhaps to strike a loved one, it will all have been worth the while.”
He even wrote songs that helped educate a generation of Electric Company viewers. We learned important rules like Silent-e, L-Y, and O-U (The Hound Song). Let’s check out Tom Lehrer.
Have you ever heard a Tom Lehrer song? Did we inspire you to check him out? Let us know in the Discord channel or send us an email to podcast@enjoystuff.com
We truly appreciate all you Earbuds who have hopped on board and joined us for our next chapter! Join in the fun by reaching out to us! And make sure to Share and Enjoy with all your friends!
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