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An Appreciation of the Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart
Remembering the legendary comedian through his debut 1960 album.
This allows him to use his expert skills in timing to pause and build anticipation as the audience waits while the person on the other end responds to him, eagerly awaiting the next deadpan response to whatever ridiculousness our put-upon performer is forced to deal with. But even once you remove the veneer of Gettysburg, this is a routine about dealing with someone at work who just doesn’t get it — the exasperation one feels when having to gently explain why their ideas are awful and why you are the voice of reason. Newhart keeps asking clarifying questions about the game that we already know the answers to, slowly revealing just how intricate and insane the rules of America’s pastime are when you enter into it with absolutely no prior knowledge.
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