Freedonia
Encyclopedia
Freedonian was probably first used by Americans immediately after the American Revolution
in place of the demonym
"American". The term Freedonia was later popularized by the 1933 Marx Brothers
movie
Duck Soup, as a fiction
al country
. Over time, however, the word has come to have a more generic meaning. It can be anything from a noun
describing a plausible yet fictional country, to an adjective
("Freedonian") used to characterize a place like the Freedonia of Duck Soup. Because the Marx Brothers' Freedonia had so many qualities—autocracy
, diminutiveness
, and obscurity, to name but a few — a place can be described as "Freedonian" for having any one of these qualities.
, take control and run the country. In the musical number that accompanies Firefly's first day in office, Groucho lets the audience know how things will run, singing lyrics such as "The last man nearly ruined this place, he didn't know what to do with it/If you think this country's bad off now, just wait 'til I get through with it."
Firefly insults and angers Ambassador Trentino from the neighboring nation of Sylvania, which leads to war. Chico and Harpo Marx appear in the film as spies for Sylvania, and their trial for spying turns into an absurd musical number. Chico's character, Chicolini, doubles as Freedonia's secretary of war, while Harpo's character, Pinky becomes Firefly's chauffeur. Zeppo Marx
plays Firefly's secretary.
When the film was first released, the village of Fredonia, New York
complained about the possible negative impact the film might have on them. The Marx Brothers replied, in typical Marx fashion, "Change the name of your town. It is hurting our picture." The satirical depiction of Freedonia is said to have led Benito Mussolini
to ban the film in Italy.
, working on Candid Camera
, used Freedonia as a practical joke by asking passersby what they thought of the bid for independence for Freedonia.
In the 1990s, the satirical magazine Spy
pulled a practical joke
on several members of the United States Congress
. Impersonating a New York radio host (Henry Rose), the magazine successfully convinced several newcomers to Congress to comment on the "ethnic cleansing
" in Freedonia, without their realizing that Freedonia was a fictional country. Nick Smith
urged caution; James Talent
supported action; Jay Inslee
warned that inaction would be unacceptable. The story drew commentary elsewhere.
, Freedonia is one of the kingdoms conquered by the King Bruno the Questionable.
Duck Soup is used as in-joke amongst characters portrayed as knowledgeable about the film in a Season 3 episode of The West Wing
, while another episode in Season 6 recalls the general plot details of Duck Soup. In "Enemies Foreign and Domestic
", C.J. Cregg, Sam Seaborn
, and Toby Ziegler
are discussing the relevancy of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in a post-Soviet world. C.J., being briefed by Sam on a number of countries she has to mention as possible new candidates for NATO membership, wonders why Freedonia's being left out of the mix. She goes on to reference Groucho Marx by singing "Hooray for Captain Spaulding" (which was his character in Animal Crackers) under her breath. When upbraided by Toby for not taking the briefing seriously, she asks why her attempt at humor is less valid than Sam's or his. Toby responds that he's heard her joke before, implying that he's seen Duck Soup. Determined that her Marx Brothers
references be respected, she ends the sequences of references by offering to pay Toby $500 if he'll sing "Lydia the Tattooed Lady
" (a song sung by J. Cheever Loophole (Groucho) in "At the Circus"). During Season 6, Freedonia popped up again
when Congressman Matt Santos
, then hoping to become the Democratic nominee for president
, showed his anger with modern political debates. The question of the "situation in Freedonia" was asked of a candidate in a Senate debate, and after the candidate said he would look into it, there was no allowed time for the other candidates to challenge him about the existence of the country.
The American game publisher FASA's name was originally supposed to stand for "Freedonian Aeronautics and Space Administration." In their first publication (a set of starship deck plans for the game Traveller
), the accompanying introduction was signed "Rufus T Firefly, Director". In the Sierra Entertainment
PC game Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire
, you get to meet some of the Marx brothers
: Groucho Marx (Ali Fakir, the saurus seller), Harpo Marx (wandering around Shapeir's streets with a horn) and Chico Marx (the merchant Ali Chica). If you ask about Ali Chica after his disappearance, you are told that he went to Fredonia.
A United Kingdom game Democracy & Democracy2 featured Freedonia as a playable country.
In the 2007 Doctor Who
episode "The Shakespeare Code
", the Doctor
claims his companion Martha Jones
is from Freedonia. He also claims this in the Doctor Who novel Sting of the Zygons
. Although the usage may be intended simply as a plausible name for a country of which the listener (William Shakespeare
in the former case) has not heard, it is specifically linked to Duck Soup in at least one official reference work.
that a real country is run by an autocratic leader who is out of step with his or her people. Still other times the author may simply use "Freedonia" to mean "a fictitious country for the purposes of illustration".
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
in place of the demonym
Demonym
A demonym , also referred to as a gentilic, is a name for a resident of a locality. A demonym is usually – though not always – derived from the name of the locality; thus, the demonym for the people of England is English, and the demonym for the people of Italy is Italian, yet, in english, the one...
"American". The term Freedonia was later popularized by the 1933 Marx Brothers
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Duck Soup, as a fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al country
Fictional country
A fictional country is a country that is made up for fictional stories, and does not exist in real life, or one that people believe in without proof....
. Over time, however, the word has come to have a more generic meaning. It can be anything from a noun
Noun
In linguistics, a noun is a member of a large, open lexical category whose members can occur as the main word in the subject of a clause, the object of a verb, or the object of a preposition .Lexical categories are defined in terms of how their members combine with other kinds of...
describing a plausible yet fictional country, to an adjective
Adjective
In grammar, an adjective is a 'describing' word; the main syntactic role of which is to qualify a noun or noun phrase, giving more information about the object signified....
("Freedonian") used to characterize a place like the Freedonia of Duck Soup. Because the Marx Brothers' Freedonia had so many qualities—autocracy
Autocracy
An autocracy is a form of government in which one person is the supreme power within the state. It is derived from the Greek : and , and may be translated as "one who rules by himself". It is distinct from oligarchy and democracy...
, diminutiveness
Microstate
A microstate or ministate is a sovereign state having a very small population or very small land area, but usually both. Some examples include Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, Nauru, Singapore, and Vatican City....
, and obscurity, to name but a few — a place can be described as "Freedonian" for having any one of these qualities.
Fredonia as an alternative name for the USA
In Vol. VI, Part IV, of the Medical Repository, 1803, pp. 449–50, Dr. Samuel Mitchill, wrote the following under the heading of "Medical and Philosophical News":Freedonia in Duck Soup
In the movie, tiny Freedonia ("Land of the Brave, and Free") is suffering from severe financial problems, and government leaders request a loan from wealthy widow Mrs. Teasdale to keep things afloat. The widow agrees on the condition that Rufus T. Firefly, played by Groucho MarxGroucho Marx
Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx was an American comedian and film star famed as a master of wit. His rapid-fire delivery of innuendo-laden patter earned him many admirers. He made 13 feature films with his siblings the Marx Brothers, of whom he was the third-born...
, take control and run the country. In the musical number that accompanies Firefly's first day in office, Groucho lets the audience know how things will run, singing lyrics such as "The last man nearly ruined this place, he didn't know what to do with it/If you think this country's bad off now, just wait 'til I get through with it."
Firefly insults and angers Ambassador Trentino from the neighboring nation of Sylvania, which leads to war. Chico and Harpo Marx appear in the film as spies for Sylvania, and their trial for spying turns into an absurd musical number. Chico's character, Chicolini, doubles as Freedonia's secretary of war, while Harpo's character, Pinky becomes Firefly's chauffeur. Zeppo Marx
Zeppo Marx
Herbert Manfred "Zeppo" Marx was an American film star, musician, engineer, theatrical agent and businessman. He was the youngest of the five Marx Brothers. He appeared in the first five Marx Brothers feature films, from 1929 to 1933, but then left the act to start his second career as an...
plays Firefly's secretary.
When the film was first released, the village of Fredonia, New York
Fredonia, New York
Fredonia is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 11,068 as of 2009.The Village of Fredonia is in the Town of Pomfret south of Lake Erie...
complained about the possible negative impact the film might have on them. The Marx Brothers replied, in typical Marx fashion, "Change the name of your town. It is hurting our picture." The satirical depiction of Freedonia is said to have led Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
to ban the film in Italy.
Freedonia in hoaxes
In the 1960s, Woody AllenWoody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
, working on Candid Camera
Candid Camera
Candid Camera is a hidden camera/practical joke reality television series created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially began on radio as Candid Microphone June 28, 1947...
, used Freedonia as a practical joke by asking passersby what they thought of the bid for independence for Freedonia.
In the 1990s, the satirical magazine Spy
Spy (magazine)
Spy was a satirical monthly magazine founded in 1986 by Kurt Andersen and E. Graydon Carter, who served as its first editors, and Thomas L. Phillips, Jr., its first publisher. After one folding and a rebirth, it ceased publication in 1998...
pulled a practical joke
Practical joke
A practical joke is a mischievous trick played on someone, typically causing the victim to experience embarrassment, indignity, or discomfort. Practical jokes differ from confidence tricks in that the victim finds out, or is let in on the joke, rather than being fooled into handing over money or...
on several members of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
. Impersonating a New York radio host (Henry Rose), the magazine successfully convinced several newcomers to Congress to comment on the "ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing is a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic orreligious group from certain geographic areas....
" in Freedonia, without their realizing that Freedonia was a fictional country. Nick Smith
Nick Smith (U.S. politician)
Nick H. Smith is a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan, who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1993 until 2005, representing from the 7th District of Michigan.-Life and career:...
urged caution; James Talent
Jim Talent
James Matthes "Jim" Talent is an American politician and former senator from Missouri. He is a Republican and resided in the St. Louis area while serving in elected office. He identifies with the conservative wing of the Republican party, being particularly outspoken on judicial appointments,...
supported action; Jay Inslee
Jay Inslee
Jay Robert Inslee is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1999. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes many of Seattle's northern suburbs in King, Snohomish, and Kitsap counties...
warned that inaction would be unacceptable. The story drew commentary elsewhere.
Freedonia in later works of fiction
In the 1977 film JabberwockyJabberwocky (film)
Jabberwocky is a 1977 British fantasy black comedy film directed by Terry Gilliam. It stars Michael Palin as a young cooper who is forced through clumsy, often slapstick misfortunes to hunt a terrible dragon after the death of his father...
, Freedonia is one of the kingdoms conquered by the King Bruno the Questionable.
Duck Soup is used as in-joke amongst characters portrayed as knowledgeable about the film in a Season 3 episode of The West Wing
The West Wing (TV series)
The West Wing is an American television serial drama created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999 to May 14, 2006...
, while another episode in Season 6 recalls the general plot details of Duck Soup. In "Enemies Foreign and Domestic
Enemies Foreign and Domestic
"Enemies Foreign and Domestic" is episode 62 of The West Wing. Dulé Hill, who plays Charlie Young, was nominated for an Emmy in 2002 for his performances in this and the Hartsfield's Landing episodes.-Plot:...
", C.J. Cregg, Sam Seaborn
Sam Seaborn
Samuel Norman "Sam" Seaborn is a fictional character portrayed by Rob Lowe on the television serial drama The West Wing. He is best known for being Deputy White House Communications Director in the Josiah Bartlet administration throughout the first four seasons of the series.-Creation and...
, and Toby Ziegler
Toby Ziegler
Tobias Zachary 'Toby' Ziegler is played by Richard Schiff on the television serial drama The West Wing. For most of the series' duration he is White House Communications Director.-Creation and development:...
are discussing the relevancy of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in a post-Soviet world. C.J., being briefed by Sam on a number of countries she has to mention as possible new candidates for NATO membership, wonders why Freedonia's being left out of the mix. She goes on to reference Groucho Marx by singing "Hooray for Captain Spaulding" (which was his character in Animal Crackers) under her breath. When upbraided by Toby for not taking the briefing seriously, she asks why her attempt at humor is less valid than Sam's or his. Toby responds that he's heard her joke before, implying that he's seen Duck Soup. Determined that her Marx Brothers
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
references be respected, she ends the sequences of references by offering to pay Toby $500 if he'll sing "Lydia the Tattooed Lady
Lydia the Tattooed Lady
"Lydia the Tattooed Lady" is a 1939 song written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg. It first appeared in the 1939 Marx Brothers movie At the Circus and became one of Groucho Marx's signature tunes...
" (a song sung by J. Cheever Loophole (Groucho) in "At the Circus"). During Season 6, Freedonia popped up again
Freedonia (The West Wing)
"Freedonia" is episode 125 of The West Wing. "Freedonia" refers to a fictional country in the Marx Brothers film Duck Soup.-Plot:It is five days before the New Hampshire primary and Santos is doing plenty of stump speeches, and Josh is desperately trying to find a "silver bullet" that will get his...
when Congressman Matt Santos
Matt Santos
Matthew Vincente "Matt" Santos is a fictional character on the American television show The West Wing, played by Jimmy Smits. His initial appearance is as a Democratic U.S. Representative from Houston, Texas. According to West Wing writer and producer Eli Attie, Santos was based on the then...
, then hoping to become the Democratic nominee for president
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, showed his anger with modern political debates. The question of the "situation in Freedonia" was asked of a candidate in a Senate debate, and after the candidate said he would look into it, there was no allowed time for the other candidates to challenge him about the existence of the country.
The American game publisher FASA's name was originally supposed to stand for "Freedonian Aeronautics and Space Administration." In their first publication (a set of starship deck plans for the game Traveller
Traveller (role-playing game)
Traveller is a series of related science fiction role-playing games, the first published in 1977 by Game Designers' Workshop and subsequent editions by various companies remaining in print to this day. The game was inspired from such classic science fiction stories as the Dumarest saga series by...
), the accompanying introduction was signed "Rufus T Firefly, Director". In the Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
PC game Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire
Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire
Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire is the second video game in Sierra's Quest for Glory series, and the sequel to Hero's Quest: So You Want to Be a Hero .-Gameplay:...
, you get to meet some of the Marx brothers
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
: Groucho Marx (Ali Fakir, the saurus seller), Harpo Marx (wandering around Shapeir's streets with a horn) and Chico Marx (the merchant Ali Chica). If you ask about Ali Chica after his disappearance, you are told that he went to Fredonia.
A United Kingdom game Democracy & Democracy2 featured Freedonia as a playable country.
In the 2007 Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
episode "The Shakespeare Code
The Shakespeare Code
"The Shakespeare Code" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 7 April 2007, and is the second episode of Series 3 of the revived Doctor Who series. According to the BARB figures this episode was seen by 7.23 million viewers and was...
", the Doctor
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
claims his companion Martha Jones
Martha Jones
Martha Jones is a fictional character played by Freema Agyeman in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spin-off series, Torchwood. She is a companion of the Tenth Doctor in Doctor Who, replacing Rose Tyler...
is from Freedonia. He also claims this in the Doctor Who novel Sting of the Zygons
Sting of the Zygons
Sting of the Zygons is a BBC Books original novel written by Stephen Cole and based on the long running science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones...
. Although the usage may be intended simply as a plausible name for a country of which the listener (William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
in the former case) has not heard, it is specifically linked to Duck Soup in at least one official reference work.
Use in general English
"Freedonia" is sometimes used in political editorials and news stories to illustrate a point about another, real country. Sometimes the point being made is that a particular country is so small or remote as to be unknown to its readers. Other times, the term may negatively connoteConnotation
A connotation is a commonly understood subjective cultural or emotional association that some word or phrase carries, in addition to the word's or phrase's explicit or literal meaning, which is its denotation....
that a real country is run by an autocratic leader who is out of step with his or her people. Still other times the author may simply use "Freedonia" to mean "a fictitious country for the purposes of illustration".
See also
- Fredonian Rebellion
- Principality of FreedoniaPrincipality of FreedoniaThe Principality of Freedonia was a micronation based on libertarian principles. It was supposedly established as a "hypothetical project" by a group of US teenagers in 1992, before becoming a new country project in 1997 and attempting to purchase territory...
- Fredonia, New YorkFredonia, New YorkFredonia is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 11,068 as of 2009.The Village of Fredonia is in the Town of Pomfret south of Lake Erie...
- Fredonia (disambiguation)