“Trivially Speaking” has an interesting history. The column began when a former general manager of the Reporter-Herald decided to humor me and gave me a chance to write a regular column. That was more than 18 years and 2,250 columns ago.
At first there was just the CEO and the only employee. Then a small, furry white dog joined the firm and rapidly advanced to Vice President of Research — that was 16 years this past April.
My favorite youngest daughter convinced me that he had a more photogenic appearance than me and he took his place in the column head. He became ostensibly the most famous dog in town and my “shtick.”
That happens to be one of the few Yiddish words I know — I speak fluent English, halting Spanish and credible Bichon frise. And yet I am familiar with that Yiddish word because of my “show biz” knowledge gained through decades of poring over cultural entertainment preparing for 20 years of Loveland Trivia Bowls.
For the uninitiated, the word means a comic theme or bit adopted by a personality typically for show business purposes.
I adopted Twoey (and the CEO) to use as my “shtick” being the only non-management employee. It has served well as both have made personal appearances on behalf of the little company.
Let me offer other examples of show business “shticks” that you may know.
Johnny Carson had many, one of which I imitated. His Carnac the Magnificent garnered a lot of laughs during his three decades of (yet to be equaled) late-night hosting.
You’d recognize this next personality from his “shtick.” He was notoriously stingy and seemingly never aged. Jack Benny made us laugh with those characteristic behaviors while in real life he was a competent violinist and a lavish tipper.
He regularly celebrated his 39th birthday every year publicly because “there’s nothing funny about 40” — there’s not much funny about doubling 40 either.
Henny Youngman’s “Take my wife —- please” led him into numerous funny one-liners that I’ve never dared to mimic.
Then there was Groucho Marx, all three of the performing Marx Brothers had their own “shticks” but Groucho’s greasepaint mustache, stooped walk and lascivious eyebrow raising made his cigar presence and gestures even funnier. Harpo’s pantomimes and the seemingly bottomless pockets of his trenchcoat were the earmarks of his appearance.
Among the more recent entrances into the “Shtick” Hall of Fame were by Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi as “The Blues Brothers.” That “Saturday Night Live” sketch fostered two movies and several actual blues albums.
Thus a smart little white dog launched many columns and one-liners for me. Even in his dotage he’s frequently smarter than me. Sadly, so is my phone but that’s a different issue — he refuses to answer it for me.
