Showing posts with the label gags

Old Time Radio Spoofs, Gags, Pranks and April Fools!

Spoofs are probably as old as language itself, dating from the times when the tribal elder told stories around the campfire. Then, just as now, the best spoofing probably took place when the elder's back was turned! As radio drama established itself into dominant genre forms, the forms became the target of parody and ridicule. Unlike some more modern spoofs, most radio parodies are good natured and have a distinct lack of condescending tone. Soap Operas  were an early money maker for the radio networks, appealing to house wives who would use the stories to keep them company while they were doing their house work (this was a great advantage of Radio Soaps over the later TV Soap Operas- the dishes would pile up and diapers could go unchanged while the house wife was trapped in front of the TV, but with a Soap on the radio, she could let her tears fall directly into the dishwater and not miss any of the story!) The melodramatic elements of Soap Operas made them an easy target