Hemingway Jones Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 I play banjo and love the sound, obviously, but... Banjo jokes are pretty funny. What's the difference between an onion and a banjo? No one cries when you cut up a banjo. What's the difference between a trampoline and a banjo? No one takes off their shoes to jump on a trampoline. Silly and funny. Some instruments just do not get the same amount of respect. It's like the percussionist in an orchestra, what can you do? Personally, I love that the banjo is American, crosses all of our divides, can be jazzy or rustic, and is a challenge to play (at least for me). Great stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 For you guys talking about Bill Monroe.....I don't live to far from his home place. One day shortly before he died he was on the local news channel here for assaulting his wife with a bible apparently she got out of line and he thumped her over the head a few times. The news was even sure to film him going to church and stuff. My old man always said bill was a pretty onery fella but I guess that proved it to me Back in the day, I saw Monroe play in a small venue as the band toured through Oregon. Everything was crisp & business-like. He apparently ran a very tight ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suburude63 Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
passthej45 Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 These guys use a banjo and I think that they are VERY cool. If you like this check out "Gracefully Facedown" or "For good again". The group is The Devil Makes Three Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgwoods Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 For me the guitar is my number 3 instrument as I primarily play clawhammer banjo first, and mandolin second. I play fiddle too but keep it home. I don't mind the jokes but they are almost always the same ones, lacking originality, a pointless exercise of monkey see monkey do piling on. Then the banjo player drowns you out...and why not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 JohnnyReb, not a thing in the world wrong with Hee Haw......Speaking of Hee Haw---last Christmas, my daughter got me the DVD set of the Hee Haw shows. I think I've watched most of the shows around 8-9 times since then. No possible way to count all the laughs and smiles I get from watching them. And once you'd seen The Hee Haw Honeys, you'd never forget them. The array of talent was amazing. Absolutly incredible. Huge stars right there on stage with people we'd never heard of. So many unknown performers became "household names." I'll watch these DVDs and wonder "what has happened to us?" Now we're too cool and sophisticated to laugh at this kind of humor. Now, our comedians need to use extremely explicit language, be immoral, insult, and degrade to be funny.............Here's a clip from YouTube. As you'd expect, there are lots of them on there. And to stay "on topic," Stringbean and Grandpa Jones do a funny banjo routine. Stringbean has some Michael Jackson dance moves. He's impressive. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgRj3zZGxJk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=da8sZyXeHn8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyReb Posted June 23, 2012 Author Share Posted June 23, 2012 Yea I remember when that DVD set was for sale. I should have bought it! It does still come on RFDTV . My 2 year old daughter likes Hee HAw more than she does sponge bob square pants . I never woulda thought it would hold her attention but hee haw is a big deal around here for her. She loves junior samples lol. But I sure can't complain any, I'd rather her giggle at hee has than watch some of the other garbage on tv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_59b1T4xVE Dig this !! V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyHeart Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 I don't know why there are banjo jokes either. Love the instrument (don't play it)and as comedian and banjo player Steve Martin said "you can't play a sad song on a banjo". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 Steve Martin is pretty cool in my book, but he's wrong: you can play a sad song on the banjo. Okay, we've all heard this song a gizillion times, but listen to Bobby Shane's joke before they get into what is perhaps an upbeat rendition of a sad song..lol....I'm a big "trio" fan, but never seen this video before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 I think the derision of other instruments is commonplace. I mean there are deprecating jokes for all manner of orchestral instruments from oboes to violas. Drums and Tubas take a lot of heat. Instruments of the folk genre are derided as well. Banjos are no exception. Each instrument section of the band is a clique. It is human nature to build up one's own clique by tearing others down. Yes it's childish, but it is human nature. Depending on the spirit in which the joke is told, determines whether it is hurtful. Some of the 'I hear Banjo,' from one of the stupidest animated adult shows I've had the displeasure of having seen, and references to 'Deliverance' are not so much a slam against the banjo itself. I mean, the banjo boy in the movie was portrayed as quite the virtuoso. But the implications these kids of jokes make of his infirmity and / or later scenes of the movie being applied to all rural, white folks are quite uncalled for. These two types of negative commentary are against folk music and country music, which are identified simply by the banjo's presence. No, it is a negative remark against rural, white Americans. It is nothing short of classist and racist. I don't take kindly to these kinds of jokes. I have noticed that most banjoists have to concentrate quite intently when playing, much like a classical guitarist, Earl Scruggs and David 'Stringbean' Aikman among them. This is due to havnig to keep track of not just five fingers of the fretting hand and a strumming hand, but all ten fingers on both hands. While they may appear to be 'zoned out' they are tightly focused. This 'zoned out' appearance maybe the source of some wise cracks by the guitarists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryp58 Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 no hate here, I was raised in Carolina listening to bluegrass DITTO! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazerface Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 The definition of perfect pitch: When you throw an accordion out the window and it hits a banjo player Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Dave Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I don't know why there are banjo jokes either. Love the instrument (don't play it)and as comedian and banjo player Steve Martin said "you can't play a sad song on a banjo". Beautiful sad song from the Avett Brothers... complete with banjo :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zwpchbb960 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daryl M Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I think it's the 'Deliverence' and 'The Darlings' mindset. Of course, country folks are the last cultural group that it's still politically OK to make fun of. The banjo just makes it easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I think it's the 'Deliverence' and 'The Darlings' mindset. Of course, country folks are the last cultural group that it's still politically OK to make fun of. The banjo just makes it easy. Not in my neck of the woods. Smile when you say Hillbilly. Truth be told I've lived in the big city and lived next to "The Darlings". I prefer to have "The Darlings" as my neighbors. If you watch the Darlings and really understand who they portray. They'd give you the shirt off their backs, even if they couldn't afford to. They may not have all the affectations of 'civilization' (see signature line), but they do have a roof over their heads, food in their belly, love, respect, and compassion. Not so 90% of my citified neighbors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyReb Posted June 29, 2012 Author Share Posted June 29, 2012 The Darling boys are actually the Dillard's ( I'm sure you prob know). But, my father grew up with them in Salem Missouri. They lived near my grandpas farm there and dad went to high school with Rodney Dillard. Got to meet Rodney one time years ago, but it was really weird cuz he actually talks in real life lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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