If you google "Kotter knish", you will get many hits to sites about the knish which refer to the Welcome Back Kotter episode. So I am not the only one who remembers this show. It made me think about a book the wasband liked to quote, something like "The Jewish Comic Steryotype in American Media," which proposed that in American films and TV (in the 1960's and 1970's, when this book was published), a Jewish feature is by default comic. And he brings very compelling examples, especially Jews on interview shows (Dick Cavett, Merv Griffin, Johnny Carson type shows) where the interviewee mentions something Jewish, but not obvious or intentionally funny at all, but the audience laughs, assuming a joke is being set up. The theory, I think, was that this reaction was the result of a media culture in which all scripted reference to Jews = Comic. Not much to add to this, except to say I agree, the idea of addiction to knishes is funny in a way that would not work with canollis, burritos, or even egg-rolls (maybe souvlaki, a la Mad About You; not a Jewish food, but a food mention on a Jewish show. Now that I think about it, what is Khlav Khalsh in the Simpsons - did they have to make up an arabic-sounded food to be funny there? is this based on a real food? if so, I couldn't find it. looks like swarma to me).
Okay, prepare to shift gears as I go into the revised subject: How is it that there seems to be substantial Kotter - knish association, but I'm not seeing the most obvious, hysterical association with the current olympic chocolate milk ads? Legit chocolate milk ads look like a complete satire of old John Belushi "Little Chocolate Doughnut" skit! I was in the laundro-mat when I first saw this commercial, and I BUST OUT LAUGHING. I looked around, and couldn't figure out why everyone else wasn't laughing along as well. Didn't anyone watch the first cast of SNL!?!
Please, please compare this chocolate milk ad
with this classic skit with John Belushi .
And BTW, who else remembers those old TV ads that ended by telling you they were brought to you by "The Mid-Atlantic Milk Marketic Association"? I barely remember the commercials, one was " Glorious Cheese" to the tune of Glorious Food from Oliver. But I will never forget that great name, the Mid-Atlantic Milk Marketing Assoc. I couldn't find who sponsered the chocolate milk ads, not that I looked all that hard. But I obviously have my suspicions...
Anyway, back to my original blog concept: My memory of Gabe (Kotter) Kaplan recalling his addiction the the potato knish. But the thing is, when I saw the show, I didn't think of a knish as junk food. I didn't find them particularly appealing. Somehow, all the knishes I have had were either of the frozen-food variety, or really bad pizza-dive-knishes made with pizza dough. These are always overly chewy and and dry, bland inside and out.
Since moving to the new neighborhood, I have discovered the local bakery's knishes. BANG! what a difference, now I get it. These are strudel-dough outside with obviously home-made filling. They are greasy and salty and spicy and DELICIOUS. They often give me heartburn, and they are obviously so high in calories, and I can't stop eating them, they are so good. Yum, knish.
Kotter brought me here.
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