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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Vocabulary
What's so funny about "Step and Fetchick"?
In the episode of The Golden Girls, Whose Face Is This Anyway, Rose told a story about a beautician named Olga Fetchick who had plastic surgery done. Rose said,
"Olga Fetchick married Adolf Step, they moved to Norway and became the internationally reknowned dance duo of Step & Fetchick."
It seems the punchline is the phrase "Step and Fetchick", but what's so funny about it? Isn't it just a proper name?
"Olga Fetchick married Adolf Step, they moved to Norway and became the internationally reknowned dance duo of Step & Fetchick."
It seems the punchline is the phrase "Step and Fetchick", but what's so funny about it? Isn't it just a proper name?
Top answer
It is funny because it is a pun, a play on words. In the old time black and white movies, there was a famous black man character named Stepin Fetchit who would walk very slowly and do everything so slowly, you could not believe it. He was always a servant of some kind.
- It is funny because it is a pun, a play on words.
- In the old time black and white movies, there was a famous black man character named Stepin Fetchit who would walk very slowly and do everything so slowly, you could not believe it.
- He was always a servant of some kind.
- Really, it was a kind of racism in the movie industry to portray a black man like that, and it contributed to many negative stereotypes about black people, but that is the reference for the joke.
- " It's a play on words.
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5 Answers
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It is funny because it is a pun, a play on words. In the old time black and white movies, there was a famous black man character named Stepin Fetchit who would walk very slowly and do everything so slowly, you could not believe it. He was always a servant of some kind. Really, it was a kind of racism in the movie industry to portray a black man like that, and it contributed to many negative stere
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Olga Fetchick is Barry's Fanaro (writer) mom's maiden name. He liked to use the names of family member in the show. I'm his cousin so I know this without a doubt. Stephen Fetchick is Barry's uncle. I'm sure if you check the credits you'll find that Barry Fanaro was the writer of this episode. Happy to help. Debbie
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Hi Debbie,
What a surprise that you read this thread.
How kind of you to give us this interesting information.
Clive
What a surprise that you read this thread.
How kind of you to give us this interesting information.
Clive
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It must have been a "catch-phrase"? in the 40s or 50s, as I recall my Mother used to call a dog of ours "steppenfetchit". Best (and only) answer tht comes to mind...
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In the early thirties, there was a black actor named Stepin Fetchit that became famous. He played the stereotype African American known in Hollywood then. A caricature of what African Americans were believed to have been like.
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