The Amazing Art of Double Talk: The Turboencabulator Joke & Beyond

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of "double talk," particularly in the context of the turboencabulator joke and its various renditions. Participants share examples of comedic performances that exemplify this style of humor, exploring its historical roots and modern interpretations.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Debate/contested, Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes the enduring popularity of the turboencabulator joke among engineers since 1944 and shares a modern video rendition.
  • Another participant contributes a comedic example by Bob and Ray, highlighting the comedians' ability to maintain a straight face while delivering humorous content.
  • A different participant mentions the "reciprocation dingle arm" as a favorite component in encabulator videos, suggesting that these videos often reference similar elements to create an illusion of continuity in the concept.
  • One participant expresses a desire to share Monty Python records as further examples of double talk.
  • Another participant reiterates the point about video editing techniques, suggesting that the effectiveness of the performance may rely on splicing rather than continuous acting.
  • A participant acknowledges the comedic talents of Stanley Unwin as a notable figure in the realm of double talk.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants share a general appreciation for the humor of double talk and its various forms, but there is no consensus on specific examples or the techniques used in performances. Multiple viewpoints on the effectiveness and execution of double talk remain present.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes references to specific comedic performances and styles, but lacks detailed analysis of the techniques or definitions of double talk. Some assumptions about the nature of video editing and performance delivery are present but not fully explored.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in comedy, linguistic play, or the history of humorous performances may find this discussion engaging.

anorlunda
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The turboencabulator joke has been making engineers giggle since 1944. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turboencabulator I think every year in my career, it resurfaced in one form or another. This video is a modern rendition. The tip-off was the term "crapalloy marvelvanes" which carries over from the 1944 version.

I am most impressed by the ability of the man to deliver two minutes of pure nonsense (i.e. double talk) without stumbling and without laughing.

Do you have other video or audio examples of skillful double talk to contribute? (Let's set an arbitrary limit of 10 seconds minimum to qualify.)

 
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How about this one by Bob and Ray : and also
## \\ ## The ability of the comedians to keep a straight face is remarkable. I would be laughing almost hysterically. :-) ## \\ ## And I know this really isn't "Double-Talk", but it's a similar type of comedy.
 
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Hehe, my favourite mainstay was included - the reciprocation dingle arm. All the videos on encabulators I've seen appear to subtly or not so subtly allude to previous ones, by referring to similar 'components' and 'processes', giving an illusion of this being an actual ongoing development.

anorlunda said:
I am most impressed by the ability of the man to deliver two minutes of pure nonsense (i.e. double talk) without stumbling and without laughing.
If you look at how the video cuts every few seconds, it doesn't actually require the man to be such a great actor. It's much more likely that the audio was recorded separately, and the video is spliced from a number of short takes.
 
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I have the feeling that I could post the entire Monty Python records here.
 
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Bandersnatch said:
If you look at how the video cuts every few seconds, it doesn't actually require the man to be such a great actor. It's much more likely that the audio was recorded separately, and the video is spliced from a number of short takes.
Aw, shucks. That pops my bubble.

Charles Link said:
How about this one by Bob and Ray :
Ah yes, Bob and Ray were masters. Jackie Gleason could do it too.
 
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The British exponent of double talk was Stanley Unwin who made a career of it.



Lots more examples if you search YouTube.
 
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