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People Weekly April 12 1999

Still Blazing After All These Years
by ?
Originally published in People Weekly April 12 1999

Twenty-five years ago, director Mel Brooks was the hottest - and funniest - man in Hollywood, with two films, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, turnning into box office smashes. Scoop caught up with Brooks to chat about what's funny these days.

What's your take on humor in movies and on televesion today?
It's tame except for sex. Then it's way overboard. It's all about either getting into bed or not getting into bed. I knew that the audience was as smart as I was, and I don't think the creators today think that. They're just spoon-feeding them dessert and I know audiences want meat and potatoes.

How has humor in movies and television changed in the past 25 years?
Things are pretty boring. They can say four-letter words. In my day, we knew hot to use six-letter words to get around those four-letter words. Aim higher! Don't settle for a cheap joke.

what do you think about shows like South Park?
A lot of it has to do with the anal apparatus. It's amazing. I'm not prudish about it, but I was always attached to an idea or a character. You can intersperse all the insanity and the sex and the filth you want, but first you have to have a house to put them in.

And There's Something About Mary?
Without the way-over-the-top sex jokes it would have been just another picture. Still, I admired its boldness. There was some smartness there.

Do you think humor today goes too far?
You can't go too far if you're intelligent and your heart is in the right place. You can only go too far if you're stupid and you have nothing to say.

If you could change anything about movie humor today, what would it be?
I'd like there to be just one sparkling, witty, wonderful screenplay like The Philidephia Story or All About Eve a season. There is nothing like that today. We're undernourished. There is malnutrition going on in our movie houses. There is too much sugar and not enough to chew on.

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