Ebola Isn’t Funny, But the 90s Sure Were
The obsessive media coverage of the Ebola virus isn’t new, but it used to be a little funnier. Or, at least it was clever.
The current Ebola scare has penetrated pop culture. You can buy a plush Ebola virus toy for $9.95 from Giant Microbes. “Prometheus’’ director Ridley Scott is prepping an Ebola TV miniseries base on the 1994 novel “The Hot Zone.’’ You want an Ebola Halloween costume? Here it is.
There’s nothing funny about the current outbreak, considering the thousands of deaths, and three confirmed cases in the United States. But America wasn’t above cracking a little wise during previous Ebola scares.
Back in 1995, the Dustin Hoffman epidemic thriller “Outbreak’’ was terrifying Americans. The virus in the film was called Motaba, though the picture of the virus shown in the film is a strain of Ebola. Meanwhile, on a seemingly unrelated note, comedian Jeff Foxworthy was killing with his “You might be a redneck if …’’ routine. For instance, “If you’ve ever cut your grass and found a car, you might be a redneck.’’ (This was decades before he started printing money with his Blue Collar Comedy Tour)
Enter David Spade, snarky Saturday Night Live writer and cast member with a clever bit for Weekend Update. Weekend Update Host Norm MacDonald told viewers the “Outbreak’’ film was based on the true story of the Ebola Virus. “Because most viewers don’t exactly understand what the Ebola Virus is, we’ve asked comedian Jeff Foxworthy, author of “You May Be A Redneck’’, to help explain it. Jeff?’’
And then there’s Spade dressed as Foxworthy. Hilarity ensued.
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So yeah. While Ebola wasn’t any funnier in the 90s, it’s pretty clear that human beings were.
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