one of my favorite g&s stories is when hms pinafore came out and everyone really liked the “what never” “no never” “what never” “well hardly ever” line so it became a thing people kept saying and it got so widespread that it started popping up in newspapers so one day the head editor from some newspaper got so fed up that he was like “I NEVER WANNA SEE THIS STUPID WHAT NEVER THING AGAIN!!!!!”
and of course someone in the office HAD to get up and say
“what, never?”
and that is how gilbert and sullivan created a meme in 1876
Since this post is taking off, I might as well share some more of my favorite G&S stories.
Gilbert once gave his priincipal tenor the direction to cross to a bench and pensively sit down. The tenor, being a heavy man, accidentally broke the bench, to which Gilbert remarked, “I said pensively. Not expensively.”
While rehearsing, one soloist was having a hard time memorizing the music and sang a part confidently, but wrong. Sullivan stopped the rehearsal and said, “That is a lovely tune. Now would you try mine?”
And finally, a historical instance of one of the most well-known music jokes. An older woman, who did not yet know the difference between a composer and a librettist, approached Gilbert and told him that his shows had inspired her to look up older composers such as Beethoven and Bach. She then asked him if “Dear Batch” was still composing. Gilbert’s response? “My dear lady, as Bach has been dead over a hundred years, I assume he is decomposing.”
Ok, if we’re getting into Gilbert’s sass:
Ruddygore, at first, was very badly received, and Gilbert didn’t take it well. In response to criticism of the title, he grumbled that he would just rename it “Kensington Gore or, Not Quite So Good as The Mikado” (Kensington Gore being the name of artificial stage-blood).
An aquatintance of Gilbert’s asked once “How is Bloody Gore going?” Gilbert corrected him that it was Ruddigore, and when the other man said it was basically the same thing, Gilbert replied “Oh, so I suppose saying ‘I admire your ruddy countenance’ is the same as ‘I like your bloody cheek!’”
Another story involves the tenor in the original New York production of Pirates of Penzance. He kept messing up his words and actions, and when Gilbert admonished him, the young man replied “Sir, I will not be bullied-I know my lines!” To which Gilbert retorted “That may be but you do not know MINE!”
And one more historic instance of an old joke: when Gilbert arrived home and inquired as to the location of his wife, Kitty. A servant says “She’s around behind”, and Gilbert says “I know she has, but where IS she?”
That is the exact spot my parents found a stray kitten. Nice little addition to the family, but would have been a terrible addition to the pavement had she not been very vocal OTL
No joke, the place where that cat is resting in this picture is called a “dead cat hole” it’s an automotive term. Don’t believe me, look it up.
This is also where I found a stray cat, she was up in there during a thunderstorm and I begged my dad to let me being her inside and that’s the story of how I got my first cat.
Please don’t skip over this without reading it and making a mental note. Even if you don’t have a car, tell your parents or whoever, and make sure to do this. You think that’ll never happen but that’s what everyone thought who had this happen and didn’t check, and that poor cold cat met with a terribly sad end.
You know what I don’t get? When fanfic authors apologize for long chapters. It’s like? You gave me bonus content, for free, and you’re sorry about it? Bruh. I have already named my firstborn after you. Dude.
You know what else I don’t get? When they apologize for short updates. It’s like: look at these new words I gave you! Sorry I didn’t give you even more free words. Bro, that’s at least two words that I did not have yesterday. For free. Dude. Thank you.
And another thing: when people drop out of nowhere with a surprise update and then apologize for it taking a while. Like, dude, I wasn’t expecting anything, and you gave me words. I thought this fic was abandoned, but wait: there’s more. You just popped in and reminded me that this is a Good Fic that I should probably reread. You made my goshdarn day.
Basically fanfic writers are under no obligation to publish anything so when they do update it’s always a net positive because the story is longer now, and I have something to read, so thank you so much to everyone who writes fic at whatever pace or quantity they want.
The Paradox Machine 