I’m guessing most of my readers know this, but TOTALLY worth mentioning if not. Did you know that almost every modern rendition of a butler comes from P.G. Wodehouse’s “Jeeves and Wooster novels,” which are quite fun and funny (and the British show from the early 1990s with Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie is great too).
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On the bridge of Thoos’s ship, Rodrigo said, “Okay, we’re looking for a spaceship big enough to house the entire homeless population of Clentity.” Turning to him, Picknar said, “Is that a normal unit of measurement on your planet?” Over on the bridge of Lasper’s ship, Lasper said, “I’m scanning the planet, we’re finding nothing.” Back on the bridge of Thoos’s ship, Thoos said, “I’ve located an escape pod, and I’m picking up a voice.” Lasper said, “Is that even possible? What the blatz kind of scanner do you have?” Thoos said, “A very expensive one.” Lasper commented, “Sounds on the level of the work of Choan.” Thoos said, “Oh, do you know the inventor? Nice gal. Okay, I’m putting the voice on speaker.” From over the speaker the first-aid-bot-now-pantselss-butler said, “Is the madam sure she wants another drink? One might think she’s had enough already.” Rodrigo commented, “It sounds like a butler on an old British television show… but I can’t place which one.” The first-aid-bot-now-pantselss-butler continued, “Perhaps the madam would like to reconsider not allowing me to wear pants.” Grinning, Rodrigo said, “But I’m definitely going to look it up.”
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Second the recommendation for both the books and the show. Go in prepared for silly and you will enjoy the hijinks. Jeeves, so far as I recall, is never without his trousers. It’s Bertie that’s more likely to be caught nude in the midst of a prank gone wrong.
I always was a fan of Niles, from The Nanny
For my money P.G. Wodehouse’s Mr. Mulliner stories are even funnier, like in the collection “Mr. Mulliner Speaking”.
If you look at the History of the World, Manservants like Jeeves must be the only reason why the nobility prevailed that long.
“Yeah, we call it a shipload of homeless people.”
I *do* know about Bertie and Jeeves, been reading them since high school, and yes, the TV series may have taken some liberties, but kept the spirit of the novels very well.
CHOAN!!!!
P.G. Wodehouse is indeed the father of all things 20th Century butlerian, but what I find fascinating are the more modern takes on Jeeves, which have assumed a life and a personality of their own, beginning with Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth, butler to Bruce Wayne and, thus, to the Batman. More recently we’ve seen the double reincarnation of Edwin Jarvis, butler of Tony Stark sr, whose personality his son Tony Stark jr. enabled cybernetically in his home and, later, into his Iron Man’s suit. Jarvis would later find himself incorporated into the consciousness of The Vision, the ‘improved’ Ultron of Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Later, Jarvis became the foundation for the artificial intelligence known as J.A.R.V.I.S. As such, much as Western medieval fantasy has been co-opted into so much of modern American culture, both Alfred and Jarvis seem bound to essential immortality in tales yet to be told.
“Tony Stark Sr” -> Howard Stark
Right. I was drinking. I think it might have been alcohol.