Ish Kabibble
Encyclopedia
Ish Kabibble was a comedian and cornet
player. Born Merwyn Bogue in North East, Pennsylvania
; he returned to Erie, Pennsylvania
with his family a few months after his birth.
, but his comedy antics soon found an audience. He performed with Kay Kyser
on the television quiz show Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge in 1949 and 1950. He also appeared in ten movies between 1939 and 1950. In Thousands Cheer
(1943), he is the band member who tells Kyser the joke about his friend receiving $250,000, and he sings "I Dug a Ditch" in that film. He's also a vocalist in That's Right You're Wrong (1939), You'll Find Out
(1940), and Playmates
(1941).
In his 1989 autobiography Bogue explained his stage name
, which he took from the lyrics of one of his comedic songs, "Isch ga-bibble."
The song derived from a mock-Yiddish expression, "Ische ga bibble?", which was purported to mean "I should worry?", prompting a curious (and perhaps not coincidental) association of the comedian with the "What, me worry?" motto of Mad
's mascot, Alfred E. Neuman
. While this derivation has been widely quoted on the Internet and elsewhere, the expression "ische ga bibble" is not Yiddish and contains no Yiddish words at all. However, there is a Yiddish expression, "nisht gefidlt," meaning "it doesn't matter to me," from which the term "ish kabibble" may derive.
Although Bogue's stage persona was that of a dimwitted person, he was a notable cornet player and was also business manager for the Kay Kyser Orchestra from 1931 to 1951. With the decline of the big bands, Bogue found a new career in real estate.
of respiratory failure brought on by pulmonary disease and emphysema.
, similar to that used by Three Stooges
member Moe Howard
, is said to have been an inspiration for the hairstyle worn by Jim Carrey
's character in Dumb and Dumber. Some maintain that Jerry Lewis
lifted his comedic persona and look from Ish Kabibble, making an otherwise identical character more manic than Ish Kabibble's earlier presentation.
The name "Ish Kabbible" was used for a hoax student supposedly enrolled at Princeton University
in the 1950s.
In 1985, the character's name was used as a plot device on the animated series The Thirteen Ghosts of Scooby-Doo when Scooby and the gang, along with an animated spoof of Vincent Price
, go in search of the Amulet of Ish Kabibble.
In the TV show M.A.S.H., Alan Alda's character "Hawkeye Pierce" several times refers to Ish Kabibble. Once he asks who he and Trapper John should drink to—MacArthur or Ish Kabibble? Another time he refers to Ish Kabibble and his All Girl Orchestra and refers to him as part of a dream. In the TV show Green Acres
, Sam Drucker sells "Ish Kabibble" kazoos. In the "Cousin Maude's Visit" episode of All in the Family
, Maude refers to how the name "Ish Kabibble" used to make Archie Bunker
laugh.
In the animated sitcom "Sit Down Shut Up" Isk Kabbible is referred to several times in one episode.
In the movie "Photographing Fairies
" Isk Kabbible is used a few times as a toast.
Cornet
The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
player. Born Merwyn Bogue in North East, Pennsylvania
North East, Pennsylvania
North East is a borough in Erie County, Pennsylvania, northeast of Erie. Fruit growing was an early economic endeavor, and is still to this day, as this is a popular area for especially cherries and grapes. There is an annual Cherry Festival in the summer and an annual in the fall. It contains...
; he returned to Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
with his family a few months after his birth.
Career
He studied law at West Virginia UniversityWest Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
, but his comedy antics soon found an audience. He performed with Kay Kyser
Kay Kyser
James Kern Kyser was a popular bandleader and radio personality of the 1930s and 1940s.-Early years:He was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, the son of pharmacists Paul Bynum Kyser and Emily Royster Kyser. Editor Vermont C. Royster was his cousin...
on the television quiz show Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge in 1949 and 1950. He also appeared in ten movies between 1939 and 1950. In Thousands Cheer
Thousands Cheer
Thousands Cheer is a 1943 American comedy musical film released by MGM. Produced at the height of the Second World War, the film was intended as a morale booster for American troops and their families.-Plot:The film is essentially a two-part program...
(1943), he is the band member who tells Kyser the joke about his friend receiving $250,000, and he sings "I Dug a Ditch" in that film. He's also a vocalist in That's Right You're Wrong (1939), You'll Find Out
You'll Find Out
You'll Find Out is a 1940 comedy film directed by David Butler and starring Boris Karloff. The film was nominated for an Academy Award in 1941 for Best Original Song...
(1940), and Playmates
Playmates (1941 film)
Playmates is a comedy film directed by David Butler, and starring Kay Kyser and John Barrymore. This was Barrymore's final film.-Cast:*Kay Kyser as Kay Kyser*John Barrymore as John Barrymore*Lupe Vélez as Carmen Del Toro...
(1941).
In his 1989 autobiography Bogue explained his stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
, which he took from the lyrics of one of his comedic songs, "Isch ga-bibble."
The song derived from a mock-Yiddish expression, "Ische ga bibble?", which was purported to mean "I should worry?", prompting a curious (and perhaps not coincidental) association of the comedian with the "What, me worry?" motto of Mad
Mad (magazine)
Mad is an American humor magazine founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines in 1952. Launched as a comic book before it became a magazine, it was widely imitated and influential, impacting not only satirical media but the entire cultural landscape of the 20th century.The last...
's mascot, Alfred E. Neuman
Alfred E. Neuman
Alfred E. Neuman is the fictional mascot and cover boy of Mad magazine. The face had drifted through American pictography for decades before being claimed and named by Mad editor Harvey Kurtzman...
. While this derivation has been widely quoted on the Internet and elsewhere, the expression "ische ga bibble" is not Yiddish and contains no Yiddish words at all. However, there is a Yiddish expression, "nisht gefidlt," meaning "it doesn't matter to me," from which the term "ish kabibble" may derive.
Although Bogue's stage persona was that of a dimwitted person, he was a notable cornet player and was also business manager for the Kay Kyser Orchestra from 1931 to 1951. With the decline of the big bands, Bogue found a new career in real estate.
Death
He died in 1994 in Joshua Tree, CaliforniaJoshua Tree, California
Joshua Tree is a census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 7,414 at the 2010 census, up from 4,207 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Joshua Tree is located in the Mojave Desert at ....
of respiratory failure brought on by pulmonary disease and emphysema.
Cultural legacy
Kabibble's distinctive black hair in a bowl cutBowl cut
A bowl cut, also known as a pot haircut, or a mushroom cut, is a haircut where the hair is cut short on the sides and back and looking as though someone put a bowl on the head and cut off all the visible hair....
, similar to that used by Three Stooges
Three Stooges
The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the early to mid–20th century best known for their numerous short subject films. Their hallmark was physical farce and extreme slapstick. In films, the Stooges were commonly known by their first names: "Moe, Larry, and Curly" and "Moe,...
member Moe Howard
Moe Howard
Moses Harry Horwitz , known professionally as Moe Howard, was an American actor and comedian best known as the leader of The Three Stooges, the farce comedy team who starred in motion pictures and television for four decades...
, is said to have been an inspiration for the hairstyle worn by Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
's character in Dumb and Dumber. Some maintain that Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
lifted his comedic persona and look from Ish Kabibble, making an otherwise identical character more manic than Ish Kabibble's earlier presentation.
The name "Ish Kabbible" was used for a hoax student supposedly enrolled at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in the 1950s.
In 1985, the character's name was used as a plot device on the animated series The Thirteen Ghosts of Scooby-Doo when Scooby and the gang, along with an animated spoof of Vincent Price
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
, go in search of the Amulet of Ish Kabibble.
In the TV show M.A.S.H., Alan Alda's character "Hawkeye Pierce" several times refers to Ish Kabibble. Once he asks who he and Trapper John should drink to—MacArthur or Ish Kabibble? Another time he refers to Ish Kabibble and his All Girl Orchestra and refers to him as part of a dream. In the TV show Green Acres
Green Acres
Green Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm...
, Sam Drucker sells "Ish Kabibble" kazoos. In the "Cousin Maude's Visit" episode of All in the Family
All in the Family
All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
, Maude refers to how the name "Ish Kabibble" used to make Archie Bunker
Archie Bunker
Archibald "Archie" Bunker is a fictional New Yorker in the 1970s top-rated American television sitcom All in the Family and its spin-off Archie Bunker's Place, played to acclaim by Carroll O'Connor. Bunker is a veteran of World War II, reactionary, bigoted, conservative, blue-collar worker, and...
laugh.
In the animated sitcom "Sit Down Shut Up" Isk Kabbible is referred to several times in one episode.
In the movie "Photographing Fairies
Photographing Fairies
Photographing Fairies is 1997 fantasy film based on Steve Szilagyi's 1992 novel Photographing Fairies.- Themes :This film explores some of the themes of folk religion such as: possession, paganism, animism, hallucinogens, parapsychology and fairy...
" Isk Kabbible is used a few times as a toast.