[net.movies] What's so funny about Esher?

mauney@ncsu.UUCP (Jon Mauney) (01/09/85)

In "The Rutles", a spoof documentary on a parody of the Beatles,
Eric Idle describes the evidence supporting the "Stig is dead" theory,
and then says:
     "Although Stig was far from dead, he was not far from Esher."
Standing in front of a sign that says "Welcome to Esher" he describes
what Stig was doing.

In the "Black Orchid" episode of Doctor Who,  Nyssa says that she's not
from Worchester, but from (The Empire of) Traken.  Mrs. Taubert guesses that
Traken must be somewhere near Esher.  When Nyssa admits that she doesn't
know where Esher is, Mrs. Taubert says that this shows good taste.

Would someone in the UK enlighten me, please.  Is there something inherently
funny about Esher?  Or is this just a coincidence?
-- 

_Doctor_                           Jon Mauney,    mcnc!ncsu!mauney
\__Mu__/                           North Carolina State University

jpexg@mit-hermes.ARPA (John Purbrick) (01/11/85)

> Would someone in the UK enlighten me, please.  Is there something inherently
> funny about Esher? 
> _Doctor_                           Jon Mauney,    mcnc!ncsu!mauney

I'm not in the UK, but the joke(?) about Esher is that it is the canonical
upper upper middle class suburb of London (as opposed to Surbiton, which is the
canonical just-plain-upper middle class suburb). It also cropped up in an 
episode of "Rumpole of the Bailey", where a certain judge's major concern in
court was whether he'd get away in time to catch the 4:04 (or something like
it) to Esher. There you have it, the sort of place judges live in. It's 
pronounced Eesher, by the way.

allynh@ucbvax.ARPA (Allyn Hardyck) (01/12/85)

From Monty Python:

Terry Jones, dressed as an African tribesman, stands in front of a typical
British suburban home, saying "Full frontal nudity?  Not in this part of
Esher."

In another episode, Michael Palin, explaining to E. Henry Thripshaw M.D. (John
Cleese) his problem speaking words, says, "It's so embarrassing when my wife
and I go to an orgy."

"A party."

"No, an orgy.  We live in Esher."

My association would be something of a British version of the stereotype of
Marin County (Cal.)
-- 
			"When fall out is expected you will hear three bangs
				 in short succession like this..."

							Allyn Hardyck
							..!ucbvax!allynh
							allynh@ucbvax.ARPA