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April 27, 2007

Bobby Pickett Heads To The Great, Big Graveyard Party In The Sky

Today we mourn the passing of Bobby "Boris" Pickett, who died of leukemia earlier this week. You know Bobby's novelty hit, "Monster Mash," which topped the charts in October 1962, and again, inexplicably, in August (!) 1970, and May (!!) 1973. That's pretty interesting. As is the fact that a then-unknown Leon Russell played piano on the recording.

But there is one reason and one reason only we're posting the obscure obit: without Pickett's graveyard smash, there would be no "Monster Parties: Fact Or Fiction," the greatest (don't argue with us) Mr. Show sketch of all time.

Posted at 12:10 PM in




15 Comments

i'll argue if i want to.

best mr. show sketch of all time: "The Audition"

Posted by: tim at 04/27/07 12:17 PM | Reply
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and to further my point...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=y-ZNX1jqbOk

Posted by: tim at 04/27/07 12:18 PM | Reply
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I guess I secretly DID want you to argue. ;)

Posted by: scott at 04/27/07 12:20 PM | Reply
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If that is the case, then let me suggest Wyckyd Sceptre.

Posted by: Bob at 04/27/07 12:37 PM | Reply
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Sorry, you're both wrong.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=OkkMujudDVA

Posted by: red at 04/27/07 1:20 PM | Reply
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tim is right..."the audition" is the best

Posted by: chris at 04/27/07 1:45 PM | Reply
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Maybe we're just forgetting how funny Wyckyd Sceptre was:
http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=/watch%3Fv%3DMCimI9QUtc0

Posted by: Bob at 04/27/07 2:14 PM | Reply
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Uhhhhhh, its all about the rapist going to work sketch. Tops them all!

Posted by: ka-tet at 04/27/07 2:41 PM | Reply
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Sad news indeed. A couple of notes:

1) Monster Mash only "topped" the charts (#1) in its first release - it reached #91 in 1970 and #10 in 1973. Which is still pretty weird, since none of these were Halloween releases.

2) Bobby also created one of the first Star Trek parodies, "Star Drek."

3) His last official work was a couple of years ago, a remake entitled "Climate Mash" - Jibjab style flash video here:

http://www.climatemash.org/

Posted by: andrewTee at 04/27/07 2:41 PM | Reply
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The Mr. Show skit I always use to induct novices into the bizzaro world of Bob & David may not be the best ever but it's near the top:

Season 1, episode?
Bob & David play advertising agents infusing Globo-Chem commercials with profanity ("Damn, this little motherfucker is tasty!", "Just eat the fuckin' thing"). The skit just gets more twisted as it goes along.

Also great:

Family-owned porn shop
The Story of The Story of Everest.

Posted by: Joe B at 04/27/07 3:14 PM | Reply
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The BEST Mr. Show sketch:
The Altered State of Drugachusettes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHqcNj0Pv6c

Posted by: iburl at 04/27/07 4:43 PM | Reply
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the best ever is the mom & pop porno shop.

can I get a roll of quarters?

Posted by: matt at 04/27/07 5:03 PM | Reply
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Best ever - Story of Everest.

Most overrated - Drugachusettes

Posted by: carson at 04/27/07 5:36 PM | Reply
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My favorites would probably be "Pallies" ("You *motherfather* *chinese dentist*!!") and the "Civil War Reenactment" documentary. But the Monster Mash episode is pretty damn funny, and I think the first episode I saw.

"If all of these monsters got together, they wouldn't have a... 'mash'... or a 'bash'. It would be a horrifying battle!"

Posted by: tk. at 04/27/07 6:57 PM | Reply
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Carson wins thus far, 100%.

"How many mother fucking times is that mother fucker gunna fall down?"

Posted by: joeygee at 04/28/07 6:36 PM | Reply
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