TAKA TAKA TAK

June 21, 2010 8:05 AM

A History of the Typewriter recited by Michael Winslow via
posted by Cat Pie Hurts (10 comments total)

I LOL'd.
posted by swift at 8:54 AM on June 21, 2010

That rocks. What was that secondary mic he was using? And how did he make the "power on" sound while making the type sound of the electric towards the end?
posted by grubi at 9:02 AM on June 21, 2010

He's settled gracefully into middle age, and looks a lot like James Earl Jones these days - I was half expecting a deep, sonorous intonation, and almost fell out of the chair when he started with the period-accurate typewriter noises.

Also, mad, crazy love to someone who devotes the time, talent and big-smelly-geek fixation with antique technology to make this video.
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:32 AM on June 21, 2010

When I first heard that Michael Winslow was reciting the history of the typewriter, I thought it would be plodding and didactic, like that movie Police Academy.

But instead it was informative and fun, like that movie Police Academy 3: Back in Training.
posted by Atom Eyes at 10:25 AM on June 21, 2010 [2 favorites]

That was awesome. Thanks, Cat Pie Hurts!
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 10:29 AM on June 21, 2010

He's better than Fred Newman for my money, anyway.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 10:32 AM on June 21, 2010

That was almost as good as Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould. But not really. But kinda.
posted by gwint at 12:30 PM on June 21, 2010

That's why I love Michael Winslow. Anyone can do "a typewriter." A true artist can do 20 different kinds of typewriter.
posted by Eideteker at 6:02 PM on June 21, 2010

Also, now whenever I go to use a typewriter, I will think of Lisa's dance instructor going, "Taka taka taka..."
posted by Eideteker at 6:17 PM on June 21, 2010

I was fascinated by his concentration (I think he was listening to samples of the typewriters in his headphones just before beginning his version) and the effort he puts into each sound. I never really thought about how much energy it takes for a human to make good sound effects (especially non-human ones).
posted by yiftach at 9:17 AM on June 22, 2010