Bork bork bork!
November 30, 2007 5:40 AM Subscribe
Meatballs! Donuts! Banana splits! Chocolate mousse! Lobsters! Cake! Frog legs! Eggs! Turtle soup! Salad! Angry dough! Singing with Cleo Laine! Friday fun featuring the Swedish Chef.
Which of course is the title ... I'm going back to bed now.
posted by Koko at 6:09 AM on November 30, 2007
posted by Koko at 6:09 AM on November 30, 2007
Oh! For goodness sake! I'm going to the spare room. Good night.
posted by tellurian at 6:18 AM on November 30, 2007
posted by tellurian at 6:18 AM on November 30, 2007
Buy this. Then buy this, too.
Maybe Disney will actually get off their butts and release the remaining three seasons.
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:20 AM on November 30, 2007
Maybe Disney will actually get off their butts and release the remaining three seasons.
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:20 AM on November 30, 2007
For the record: My grandfather was Swedish. Born and raised in Uppsala. He was a mechanical engineer who came to America in the 50's after serving in the Swedish Merchant Marine during the war.
He was rotund, often wore a chef's apron, had bushy red/blonde eyebrows and a hat. A poofy white chef's hat.
A poofy white chef's hat.
Although he died when I was only two (and consequently, my memories of him are suspect-to-nonexistent) I'm told by my mom and dad that he was quite an excellent cook, and would prepare meals while speaking happily (and incomprehensibly) to himself in Swedish. From what I've heard, I don't believe he ever saw "The Swedish Chef", or even if he did, that he would have found anything unusual or stereotypical about the character.
As an older child, I remember watching the Muppet Show and asking "Mom, didn't I know the Swedish chef?", to which she would just smile and reply "Yes you did -- and he loved you very much."
posted by Avenger at 6:26 AM on November 30, 2007 [202 favorites]
He was rotund, often wore a chef's apron, had bushy red/blonde eyebrows and a hat. A poofy white chef's hat.
A poofy white chef's hat.
Although he died when I was only two (and consequently, my memories of him are suspect-to-nonexistent) I'm told by my mom and dad that he was quite an excellent cook, and would prepare meals while speaking happily (and incomprehensibly) to himself in Swedish. From what I've heard, I don't believe he ever saw "The Swedish Chef", or even if he did, that he would have found anything unusual or stereotypical about the character.
As an older child, I remember watching the Muppet Show and asking "Mom, didn't I know the Swedish chef?", to which she would just smile and reply "Yes you did -- and he loved you very much."
posted by Avenger at 6:26 AM on November 30, 2007 [202 favorites]
Great story, Avenger - made my day. :-)
Anyone remember Don Music? Never made a lick of sense to me as a kid, but now whenever I get a crippling case of writer's block, I play one of his clips and it at least makes me feel better.
Good god, we need Jim Henson back.
And Douglas Adams, while we're at it.
[ heavy sigh ]
posted by angry.polymath at 6:44 AM on November 30, 2007 [5 favorites]
Anyone remember Don Music? Never made a lick of sense to me as a kid, but now whenever I get a crippling case of writer's block, I play one of his clips and it at least makes me feel better.
Good god, we need Jim Henson back.
And Douglas Adams, while we're at it.
[ heavy sigh ]
posted by angry.polymath at 6:44 AM on November 30, 2007 [5 favorites]
I just favorited this so hard I broke my bork bork bork.
posted by loquacious at 6:59 AM on November 30, 2007 [2 favorites]
posted by loquacious at 6:59 AM on November 30, 2007 [2 favorites]
Wedding! Wedding! Piggy froggy wedding!
posted by evilcolonel at 7:01 AM on November 30, 2007
posted by evilcolonel at 7:01 AM on November 30, 2007
Meetbells! Dunoots! Bununa spleets! Chuculete-a muoosse-a! Lubsters! Ceke-a! Frug legs! Iggs! Toortle-a suoop! Seled! Ungry duoogh! Seenging veet Cleu Leeene-a! Freedey foon feetooreeng zee Svedeesh Cheff.
Bork, bork, bork!
posted by jonp72 at 7:08 AM on November 30, 2007
Bork, bork, bork!
posted by jonp72 at 7:08 AM on November 30, 2007
Am I mad, or did you miss out the awesome Chicken In A Basket?
posted by forallmankind at 7:22 AM on November 30, 2007
posted by forallmankind at 7:22 AM on November 30, 2007
this post is hoookey-dokey!!
posted by the painkiller at 9:40 AM on November 30, 2007
posted by the painkiller at 9:40 AM on November 30, 2007
Oh great! Another YouTube Fest Feast.
Feex thet fur yuoo.
posted by rokusan at 9:42 AM on November 30, 2007 [2 favorites]
Feex thet fur yuoo.
posted by rokusan at 9:42 AM on November 30, 2007 [2 favorites]
I'd love it is someone made a post like this about Animal. Start with the video of him, Beaker, and the Swedish Chef singing "Danny Boy". Oh boy oh boy oh boy....
posted by Area Control at 10:43 AM on November 30, 2007
posted by Area Control at 10:43 AM on November 30, 2007
Dee Alt.swedish.chef.bork.bork.bork FAQ-ee Leest
Elsu efeeeleble-a here-a is zee Incheffereezer, a prugrem vreettee by Juhn Hegermun. Zeere-a ere-a seferel ferseeuns.
posted by Cookiebastard at 11:37 AM on November 30, 2007
Elsu efeeeleble-a here-a is zee Incheffereezer, a prugrem vreettee by Juhn Hegermun. Zeere-a ere-a seferel ferseeuns.
posted by Cookiebastard at 11:37 AM on November 30, 2007
Avenger's story above is one of the sweetest things I've ever read here.
posted by jason's_planet at 11:50 AM on November 30, 2007
posted by jason's_planet at 11:50 AM on November 30, 2007
Avenger's story above is one of the sweetest things I've ever read here.
Agreed - total sidebar material, and flagged as such.
posted by jbickers at 11:53 AM on November 30, 2007
Agreed - total sidebar material, and flagged as such.
posted by jbickers at 11:53 AM on November 30, 2007
Dee Alt.swedish.chef.bork.bork.bork FAQ-ee Leest
Elsu efeeeleble-a here-a is zee Incheffereezer, a prugrem vreettee by Juhn Hegermun. Zeere-a ere-a seferel ferseeuns.
posted by Cookiebastard at 11:37 AM on November 30 [+] [!]
I so-o-o-o-o wanna yell out "eponysterical" -- close, but no cigar.
/COOKIE!!! AH-NUM-NUM-NUM-NUM....
posted by spoobnooble at 1:09 PM on November 30, 2007
Elsu efeeeleble-a here-a is zee Incheffereezer, a prugrem vreettee by Juhn Hegermun. Zeere-a ere-a seferel ferseeuns.
posted by Cookiebastard at 11:37 AM on November 30 [+] [!]
I so-o-o-o-o wanna yell out "eponysterical" -- close, but no cigar.
/COOKIE!!! AH-NUM-NUM-NUM-NUM....
posted by spoobnooble at 1:09 PM on November 30, 2007
Avenger, that's a fantastic story. We should all be so lucky as to have a Swedish chef in our lives.
posted by rtha at 3:56 PM on November 30, 2007
posted by rtha at 3:56 PM on November 30, 2007
Thanks guys. My first sidebar!
I actually do have a picture of grandpa with his chef's hat on somewhere around here, but no scanner to grab it with.
Anywho, I'm off to make some Swedish pancakes with lingonberry preserves...bork bork bork....!
posted by Avenger at 8:56 PM on November 30, 2007
I actually do have a picture of grandpa with his chef's hat on somewhere around here, but no scanner to grab it with.
Anywho, I'm off to make some Swedish pancakes with lingonberry preserves...bork bork bork....!
posted by Avenger at 8:56 PM on November 30, 2007
When I lived in Sweden I gave a presentation on the Swedish Chef as a Swedish class assignment. I got a lot of blank stares. My classmates from all over Europe and my teacher explained to me that they knew this muppet character, but they had never heard him called the Swedish Chef before. There, he was known as "The Chef." And the teacher said she never would have guessed he was supposed to be Swedish!
posted by Eringatang at 9:02 PM on November 30, 2007
posted by Eringatang at 9:02 PM on November 30, 2007
Awesome post.
When making chocolat moose, don't forget to prep the moose with fermented crab apples.
posted by homunculus at 11:11 PM on November 30, 2007
When making chocolat moose, don't forget to prep the moose with fermented crab apples.
posted by homunculus at 11:11 PM on November 30, 2007
Start with the video of him, Beaker, and the Swedish Chef singing "Danny Boy".
This.
Bears repeating:
Good god, we need Jim Henson back.
And Douglas Adams, while we're at it.
posted by DreamerFi at 1:43 AM on December 1, 2007 [1 favorite]
This.
Bears repeating:
Good god, we need Jim Henson back.
And Douglas Adams, while we're at it.
posted by DreamerFi at 1:43 AM on December 1, 2007 [1 favorite]
I love you SO much for posting this. I do. And Avenger...that is the sweetest thing evah!
posted by dejah420 at 1:27 PM on December 1, 2007
posted by dejah420 at 1:27 PM on December 1, 2007
On a tangentially related note, much fun can be had reading Metafilter after it's been run through The Dialectizer.
posted by Daddio at 2:14 PM on December 1, 2007
posted by Daddio at 2:14 PM on December 1, 2007
> There, he was known as "The Chef."
That's puzzling, because he's definitely known as "svenske kocken" over here. If not else, the occasional use of the word "smörgåsbord" gives him away ;-)
(btw, there's a guy who claims to be the inspiration for this character who does business as Svenske Kocken; his story is that he was invited to show swedish cooking on live television in the late sixties, found himself alone on the stage, and got a complete brainfart. Representatives for Henson later paid him $80 for the rights. This story was denied by a muppet show writer, but the writer doesn't remember where the idea comes from, so I'm not sure he's more reliable than the other guy...)
posted by effbot at 4:00 AM on December 2, 2007
That's puzzling, because he's definitely known as "svenske kocken" over here. If not else, the occasional use of the word "smörgåsbord" gives him away ;-)
(btw, there's a guy who claims to be the inspiration for this character who does business as Svenske Kocken; his story is that he was invited to show swedish cooking on live television in the late sixties, found himself alone on the stage, and got a complete brainfart. Representatives for Henson later paid him $80 for the rights. This story was denied by a muppet show writer, but the writer doesn't remember where the idea comes from, so I'm not sure he's more reliable than the other guy...)
posted by effbot at 4:00 AM on December 2, 2007
Ah, those were the days. As for "Danny Boy," it made my entire weekend.
posted by FelliniBlank at 6:00 AM on December 2, 2007
posted by FelliniBlank at 6:00 AM on December 2, 2007
Byörk! Mørk! Spørk!
Seriously, though... someone really needs to sue ikea for this. It's just uncool to pretend to be the "real" Swedish chef... as if he wasn't real or something.
posted by miss lynnster at 5:34 PM on December 2, 2007
Seriously, though... someone really needs to sue ikea for this. It's just uncool to pretend to be the "real" Swedish chef... as if he wasn't real or something.
posted by miss lynnster at 5:34 PM on December 2, 2007
I can't believe I missed this thread earlier. So. One of my favorite Muppet factoids from a Jim Henson biography that I read years ago (and highly recommend) is about the Swedish Chef. Usually Jim Henson did the Chef's voice and the hands were Frank Oz's hands. So you've got this character who is already expected to do crazy spastic things being controlled by two people at once. Frank Oz liked to do unexpected things with the Chef's hands to throw Jim Henson off and make him adapt. So in those videos when the Chef grabs something weird and does crazy things with it, Jim Henson was often adapting the fake Swedish to go with it on the spot, while he was still unsure what the hands were going to do next. Which to me makes watching these even more fun than it was before I knew that.
Brian Henson also described it:
And if you watch The Swedish Chef one of the most exciting things about it is the head is just speaking away and trying to follow the hands which are grabbing meat cleavers and throwing chickens over his head. To me the best part about the Swedish Chef is the more you don't understand him, the more you love him.
posted by Tehanu at 10:09 PM on December 11, 2007
Brian Henson also described it:
And if you watch The Swedish Chef one of the most exciting things about it is the head is just speaking away and trying to follow the hands which are grabbing meat cleavers and throwing chickens over his head. To me the best part about the Swedish Chef is the more you don't understand him, the more you love him.
posted by Tehanu at 10:09 PM on December 11, 2007
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posted by Koko at 6:08 AM on November 30, 2007