The Guardian’s diary section this morning had this heartwarming little tale:
…a timely warning of the dangers of national stereotypes, which in trained hands can be so very entertaining they can kill. The Diary’s favourite story in the comedy-as-manslaughter genre concerns Alex Mitchell, a 50-year-old bricklayer from King’s Lynn, who was watching an episode of The Goodies on March 24, 1975 when he died laughing. According to his wife, Mitchell was unable to stop giggling while watching a sketch in which a kilt-wearing Tim Brooke-Taylor, an expert in the ancient Scots martial art of Hoots-Toot-Ochaye, used a set of bagpipes to defend himself while Bill Oddie, a blackbelt in the Lancastrian equivalent Ecky-Thump, pelted him with black puddings. After 25 minutes of uninterrupted guffaws, said his wife, Mitchell gave a “tremendous belly laugh, slumped on the sofa, and died”. She later sent the Goodies a letter thanking them for making her husband’s last moments so happy.
Above is part one of that killer Goodies episode. [Parts two and three here.]
I won’t tell you which part the killer bagpipes scene is in. Think of it as Russian roulette by YouTube.
Do you dare to risk your life for the joy of Ecky Thump? Have you got the gumption?
