What's So Funny?

TV shows and movies sometimes run up against the news.  Tragedy strikes and suddenly a plot point is too painful.  I heard some show--forget which--had to cut some stuff about a shooter after the recent Vegas incident, for example.

But sometimes it's a closer call.  Take the latest Modern Family episode "Catch Of The Day."

I don't know the lead time such shows have, but it's at least a few weeks at this point. Anyway, early on Claire notes she and Phil are going to a Steely Dan concert at 3 pm.  Phil wonder why it's so early and she replies "They are not young men."

A passable joke.  At least before Walter Becker, one half of Steely Dan, died last month.  Now it's just sort of gruesome. It makes you wonder why they didn't edit it out.  Perhaps because it becomes part of the plot, as Phil and Claire need to get to Haley to borrow her car keys and make the concert on time.

Almost makes you wonder if they thought about doing a Dr. Strangelove.  In that film, the pilot, played by Slim Pickens, listing what's in the crew's emergency kits, notes "a fellow could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff."

Originally, however, he said "Dallas," but between the shooting of the film and its release, John F. Kennedy was assassinated, thus the change.  It's an easy enough line to sync in--it matches close enough that you won't normally notice it (though the joke is somewhat weakened).

I wonder what band they could have had Julie Bowen say to replace Steely Dan.  Is Steeleye Span still performing?